Can food that looks this colourful really be good for you?
These beautiful meals were served to me for breakfast while on holiday in Bali. Both plates of food were 100% organic, and 100% nourishing so a perfect start to the day for hair growth and physical health.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day if you’re experiencing or trying to combat excessive hair shedding. Due to overnight fasting, energy levels are down first thing. As hair is non-essential tissue it needs optimal energy levels to develop, so a healthy energy boost at the start of the day is key. Ideally, throughout the day also eat energy boosts every 4 hours in the form of nutritious healthy food items that can be converted to offer the right kind of support.
However, if you are eating to improve hair and scalp health all meals should contain foods that are healthy hair foods. Aim to eat a rainbow, colourful foods really do offer an excellent variety of essential vitamins & minerals. Just remember to check that the colours of your food are organic don’t be enchanted by artificial food colouring!
Here’s a guide of what dietary intake for healthy hair looks like:
A considered balance of:
• High-quality protein should make up 10 – 15% of daily calorie intake. For example, one 45g portion of free-range poultry at one meal would be approx 74 Kcal. Hair is formed from the unique proteins keratin and elastin – sufficient daily intake is essential. Quality protein can be obtained from the following organic and unrefined variants of lean red & organ meats, free-range poultry, wild-caught fish, legumes, seeds, nuts, grain products, soy products, and rice and beans combined. List not exhaustive – for more food items see my blog post about iron intake.
• Healthy fats should make up 25 -30% of daily calorie intake. Healthy fats are a catalyst for absorbing and carrying certain vitamins and minerals, important processes in preventing vitamin deficiency. Good fats can be sourced from foods fortified or enriched with Omega 3 fatty acids such as coconut oil, flaxseed oil, chia seeds, salmon, tuna, mackerel, leafy green veg. (Omega 6 fatty acids in eggs). Remember, healthy fats aren’t made in factories – for more information see my blog post Omega 3 fatty acid for Hair Growth.
• Complex carbohydrates should make up 50 – 70 % of daily calories. Substantial intake of complex carbs ie. polysaccharides such as brown rice and wholegrain toast, both provide energy and therefore optimise the hair growth cycle. Complex carbs can be eaten as Legumes, chickpeas, quinoa, juicy fruits, colourful and root vegetables. If you eat bread choose fibrous wholemeal.
In contrast, a diet rich in simple sugar carbs eg. monosaccharides is believed to indirectly impact on scalp concerns and hair loss by adversely influencing the function of the sebaceous glands and disrupting hormone balance.
Eating to optimise hair growth will not only improve the health and condition of your hair, it will also ensure you are eating a healthy diet suited to support your physical health and wellbeing. Healthy hair is an extension of a healthy body!
Click here for a link to a sample Meal Plan for Healthy Hair
Eat to thrive!
Food in the photos
Photo on left
Watermelon juice (SF)
Photo on right
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