Are You Starving Your Hair From the Minerals It Needs to Promote Growth?

She can smile because slow growing hair is no longer a problem.  

You heard the saying that you are what you eat.  The condition of your hair is affected by your diet and the food choices that you make.  If your hair is deprived of certain minerals or you don’t get enough of them, then this might explain why it takes so long for your hair to grow. 

Zinc is an important mineral that you could be overlooking.  Ask yourself how much whole grains, pistachios, almonds, cashews, oysters, chick peas, white beans, meat and poultry, eggs, wheat germ, crab, lobster, spinach or pumpkin seeds are among the foods you eat.  The recommended daily requirement is 8 milligrams a day for women and 11 milligrams for men.  However, our bodies are different and could require more in supplement form.

Iodine is also essential since it affects hair growth from the health of the thyroid. Iodized table salt is a source, but it is hardly the best option to load up on.  Iodine rich foods include seafood, plain yogurt, milk, cranberries, kelp, sunflower seeds, cheese and eggs are just some to consider.

Sulfur is just as critical.  This mineral helps with blood circulation, inflammation while building collagen for the hair, skin and nails as well.  You might want to add more foods such as broccoli, cabbage, horseradish, onions, garlic, celery, fish, asparagus, eggs, kale, Brussel Sprouts, fish, poultry, meats, nuts, and beans to your grocery list. 

Silica is a mineral you may not have given much thought too.  Yet, this one also helps skin, hair, and nails, including your joint function since it has the ability to repair collagen and connective tissue and strengthen bones.  You might want to start incorporating raisins, whole grain breads, green beans, bran cereals, oats, seafood, spinach, dried fruits, nuts, bananas, onions, garlic, brown rice, flaxseed, almonds, beets, grapes and red lentils when devising your menu.  

Magnesium is a mineral that you could easily be lacking since 40% of the population is deficient in it.  It does a lot things to keep the body young and functioning properly from strengthening bones, blood pressure, regulating the heart, boosting the body’s immune system to helping with skin and hair.  This is the mineral you need to create strong hair follicles that keep strands from falling out and encouraging healthier hair to grow in. 

The best and safest way to get your minerals and vitamins is ideally from food.  However, this is not always possible for the amount required to satisfy what your body may need.  If do need to turn to supplements, especially if you are on medication, do seek the opinion of your doctor before self-prescribing with any vitamins and minerals because they can interfere or may not be advisable with your health problems.

What I take is a combination of calcium, magnesium, and zinc along with vitamin D in one tablet three times a day because I cannot eat as much food to get all the nutrients necessary to keep my bones, skin, and hair their healthiest.   Each tablet has 333 mg of calcium, 133 mg of magnesium, 5 mg of zinc and 200 IU of vitamin D.  I have supplemented this way for years.  As a result, I do have thick hair that grows like a weed. 

However, I urge great caution when shopping for your vitamins and minerals because they are not regulated as they should be.  Just because you see such products at your grocery or drugstore doesn’t mean they are all safe.  Look below at what happened to me just taking calcium capsules!

This is what my bare legs looked like as they were recovering.  My cousin thought I was wearing textured stockings. My face was too ugly to show.

I made the mistake of buying  calcium capsules just because I assumed if it was sold commonly where I shopped, it was fine.  However, I developed a strange rash all over from head to toe and looked like something that could have been in a horror movie.  I went from one confused doctor to two specialists, 13 blood tests, a biopsy, and two steroid prescriptions before I found out that not all the ingredients were included on the label.  Would you believe lanolin was in the capsule?  I don’t put lanolin on my skin, let alone eat it.  Yet, this ingredient was unlisted and could be deadly to someone that may be allergic to it.

Look for some sort of regulatory label like from the USP (United States Pharmacopedia, the non-profit organization that sets standards for medicines, supplements and food ingredients).

Now I am very careful of always looking for that seal.  So, please save yourself the pain and expense that I went through, and check before swallowing.

Want the Secret for Beautiful Hair?

There are tons of wonderful hair products capable of changing texture, improve the shine, and repair damage.  However, the ultimate secret to growing long silky strands often starts from within.

If you hair doesn't have that lustrous shine and takes forever to grow, you may be deficient in that important hair essential of zinc.  Another clue that you may have not enough zinc in your diet is if you have a dandruff problem.

Zinc comes in lean beef, chicken, peanut butter and chickpeas.  You can also take a supplement.  Check with your doctor on the dosage that is best for you.

Trust me, if you want to grow your hair quickly, you need to get more zinc.  I take a supplement three times a day with calcium (333 mg.), magnesium (133 mg.), vitamin D (200 I.U), and zinc (5 mg) and my hair grows like a weed.

Why You Should Include Potatoes in Your Diet for Health and Fitness

Potatoes usually get a bad rap when it comes to diet.  However, they loaded with calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins C, B-1, B-2, folic acid, B-6, and niacin besides being low in sodium, high in potassium and providing adequate levels of iron and magnesium--all minerals. 

Something you may not know is that eating raw potatoes help relieve constipation.  Slice thin to eat in your salads is one way to help regulate your system.  Cooking on the other hand, kills the enzyme in the potato responsible for this constipation benefit.

Another interesting thing to keep in mind about the importance of potatoes concerns anticancer properties.  Raw potatoes have high concentrations of protease inhibitors, which can vanquish certain viruses and carcinogens.  Again, cooking takes away that helpful benefit as well.

In addition, potatoes are easily digested and filling.  The truth is the potato itself is not that fattening.  On the contrary,  the extras such as butter, margarine, sour cream, and rich gravies can transform an innocent medium size potato of approximately 90 calories to one of several hundred.

To reduce some calories of mashed potatoes, you can try adding some low-fat cottage cheese that you processed in the blender or food processor as a wonderful substitute for sour cream. 

Another way to lower calorie content is to mash those potatoes adding some chicken broth (hopefully homemade that you had a chance to skim the fat off your soup when cooled in the refrigerator first) instead of butter and milk.

What else you can try is some plain yogurt flavored with chives, parsley, or other fresh herbs instead of butter or margarine on your baked or mashed potatoes. 

If you love French Fries, you can still eat them with my low-cal oven fries.  This recipe has just three tablespoons of healthy olive oil to coat four to six potatoes.  Trust me, this is a tasty alternative to artery-clogging real ones while being good for your heart and your figure.