Top 10 Foods for Healthy Hair

                            


When it comes to healthy hair, it’s not just what you put on your tresses that count -- it’s what you put in your body, too.
"Lather, rinse, repeat" may be standard advice, but shampoo and conditioner alone won't give you the healthy hair you crave. For the most luxurious locks possible, you'll need to step out of the shower, and into the kitchen.


"Your hair grows about 1/4 to 1/2 inch every month, and the foundation of all of our new hair, skin, and nail growth is the nutrients we eat," says Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, a Chicago-based dietitian. "If you eat a healthy diet, you will grow stronger and healthier cells throughout your entire body -- inside and out."


If you were born with fine, thin hair, you'll never have rope-thick tresses -- no matter what you eat -- but a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of growth-promoting protein and iron can make a difference, say nutrition and hair experts.And beware of dietary supplements often marketed to thicken hair or make it grow faster. They may backfire.


Even though you can find beauty supplements on the shelves of most stores, try to get the nutrients you need from foods whenever possible. In rare instances, excess supplementation of certain nutrients, such as vitamin A, has been linked to hair loss.


Read on for the 10 top foods that should be the foundation of your healthy hair diet.


Healthy Hair Food No. 1: Salmon


When it comes to foods that pack a beauty punch, it's hard to beat salmon. Loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, this high-quality protein source is also filled with vitamin B-12 and iron.
Essential omega-3 fatty acids are needed to support scalp health.A deficiency can result in a dry scalp and thus hair, giving it a dull look.


Vegetarian? Include one or two tablespoons of ground flaxseed in your daily diet for some plant-based omega-3 fats.


Healthy Hair Food No. 2: Dark Green Vegetables


Popeye the Sailor Man didn't eat all that spinach for healthy hair, but he could have. Spinach, like broccoli and Swiss chard, is an excellent source of vitamins A and C, which your body needs to produce sebum. The oily substance, secreted by your hair follicles, is the body's natural hair conditioner.


Dark green vegetables also provide iron and calcium.


Healthy Hair Food No. 3: Beans


Beans, beans, they're good for your ... hair?


Yes, it's true. Legumes like kidney beans and lentils should be an important part of your hair-care diet. Not only do they provide plentiful protein to promote hair growth, but ample iron, zinc, and biotin. While rare, biotin deficiencies can result in brittle hair.


Blatner, who is also a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, recommends three or more cups of lentils or beans each week.


Healthy Hair Food No. 4: Nuts


Do you go nuts for thick, shiny hair? You should.
Brazil nuts are one of nature's best sources of selenium, an important mineral for the health of your scalp.


Walnuts contain alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid that may help condition your hair. They are also a terrific source of zinc, as are cashews, pecans, and almonds. A zinc deficiency can lead to hair shedding, so make sure nuts are a regular on your healthy hair menu.


Healthy Hair Food No. 5: Poultry


Chickens and turkeys may have feathers, but the high-quality protein they provide will help give you the healthy hair you crave.


Without adequate protein or with low-quality protein, one can experience weak brittle hair, while a profound protein deficiency can result in loss of hair color.


Poultry also provides iron with a high degree of bioavailability, meaning your body can easily reap its benefits. 


Healthy Hair Food No. 6: Eggs


When it comes to healthy hair, it doesn't matter whether you like your eggs scrambled, fried, or over easy. However they're served up, eggs are one of the best protein sources you can find.


They also contain biotin and vitamin B-12, which are important beauty nutrients.


Healthy Hair Food No. 7: Whole Grains


Sink your teeth into hearty whole grains, including whole-wheat bread and fortified whole-grain breakfast cereals, for a hair-healthy dose of zinc, iron, and B vitamins.


A whole-grain snack can also be a great go-to food when your energy is zapped halfway through the afternoon, and you've still got hours to go before dinner.


Healthy Hair Food No. 8: Oysters


Oysters may be better known for their reputation as an aphrodisiac, but they can also lead to healthy hair -- and who doesn't love that?


The key to their love and hair-boosting abilities is zinc -- a powerful antioxidant.


If oysters don't make a regular appearance on your dinner plate, don't despair. In addition to getting it from whole grains and nuts, you can also get zinc from beef and lamb. 


Healthy Hair Food No. 9: Low-Fat Dairy Products


Low-fat dairy products like skim milk and yogurt are great sources of calcium, an important mineral for hair growth. They also contain whey and casein, two high-quality protein sources.


For some healthy hair foods "to-go," try throwing a yogurt or cottage cheese cup in your bag when you head out in the morning to snack on later in the day. You can even boost their hair benefits by stirring in a couple of tablespoons of ground flaxseeds or walnuts for omega-3 fatty acids and zinc.



Healthy Hair Food No. 10: Carrots


Carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A, which promotes a healthy scalp along with good vision.


Since a healthy scalp is essential for a shiny, well-conditioned head of hair, you'd be wise to include carrots in your diet as snacks or toppings on your salad.



The Big Picture: A Balanced Diet for Healthy Hair


When it comes to foods for healthy hair and beauty, variety is the best way to go.An overall balanced diet of lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fatty fish like salmon and low-fat dairy will help keep hair healthy.


If you're tempted to drop pounds fast with the latest fad diet, it could leave you with less-than-healthy hair -- along with a growling stomach. Low-calorie diets are often low in some of the most important nutrients for healthy hair, including omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, and vitamin A. In addition to stunting hair growth and leading to dullness, super-low calorie plans may even cause hair loss.


Crash diets can affect the hair cycle.Losing a significant amount of weight in a short amount of time can affect that normal hair rhythm. Two to three months later, you might notice a significant increase in shedding. This is a temporary problem that you recover from with a well-rounded diet.


Source-Webmd

Health Alert-Bacteria on your Cell Phone

 Nasty Bugs Lurking on Your Cell Phone
Study: E. coli Found on Cell Phones the Result of Poor Hand Washing


Oct. 14, 2011 -- The next time you reach for your cell phone, consider this: A new study found that 92% of cell phones in the U.K. have bacteria on them - including E. coli -- because people aren't washing their hands after going to the bathroom.


The E. coli came from fecal bacteria, which can survive on hands and surfaces for hours.
Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Queen Mary, University of London looked at cell phones in 12 cities in the U.K.
They took 390 samples from cell phones and hands, which were then analyzed for germs. People were also asked about their hand hygiene.


Phone Filth and Other Facts
The study found:
92% of phones had bacteria on them.
82% of hands had bacteria on them.
16% of hands and 16% of phones had E. coli bacteria, which is found in feces.
However, 95% of people said they washed their hands with soap where possible, which suggests we have a tendency to lie about our hygiene habits.


"We're pretty shocked to find the vast majority of mobile phones -- 92% -- had bacteria all over them. Often large numbers of bacteria,” said hygiene expert Val Curtis, PhD, of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.


"That isn't necessarily something that we should worry about, but what is worrying is that 16% of mobile phones had E. coli on them. E. coli comes from human [and animal] feces,” she says. "That means that people with dirty hands are not washing their hands after using the toilet, for example. Then they're handling their mobile phones.”


It’s not just cell phones that the dirty hands are touching, Curtis says.
"They're also touching other surfaces as well,” she says. “They're spreading fecal bugs on everything they touch really."


Toilet Texting?
Is there a more worrying way the phones are getting contaminated -- by people using them while they're in the bathroom?


"We didn't ask people whether they'd used their phones in the toilet. That might be something that would be interesting to study," Curtis says. "People do tend to use their mobile phones everywhere they go. Perhaps we should discourage their use in the toilet."


So is having unclean hands a modern-day problem linked to our new technology?
"Humans have had infections since before they were human. It's a really ancient problem," she says. "Bugs are evolutionary masters at getting from person to person.”
Anything that you touch can become a source of infection, Curtis says. So hand washing after using the toilet is crucial.


Excuses, Excuses
Curtis says people can be quick to excuse their nasty habits.
"They say that they're in a hurry, they say that the water's too cold. People don't actually feel that their hands have got contaminated.


"Everyone knows they should do it, so it's not education that's the answer. We need to find other ways to remind people that it's disgusting that their hands are dirty and their hands get smelly and foul after the toilet,” she says. "Disgusting people with the state of their hands is probably the most effective way of getting people to wash their hands."


Source :-Webmd