GOOD & BAD food for hair growth

[LondonDiva]

Well I remember Jade saying that oatmeal was good.

And on the old board sugar depleting vitamins (I think) in the body.

I'm a sugar freak I need to cut down

 

[Honey Vibe]

Sure, let's watch this topic develop. I'm especially interesting in the foods I should refrain from.

Uh, is soda and alcohol okay? /images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Guest]

well, i've read that caffeine and alcohol depletes the body of vitamins and minerals. the only "good" alcohol is red whine because it contains bioflavonoids. i've been trying real hard to cut back on caffeine although it's been tough.

 

[Honey Vibe]

((( nods ))) Well, I mostly drink water, and soda/alcohol occasionally. Still, I'm such a hair growth nut I think I'll cut them out of my regime entirely.

 

[LondonDiva]

Well for me to avoid eating sugary foods is to try and substitute them with fruit. I know these have sugars but they are natural sugars. I hate apples but was eating a red one last night and found I don't hate them as much as I thought. Buying a big pack of apples will satisfy my sugar craving and fill me up a little at the same time. Plus it's healthier.

 

[Nyambura]

Hi Ladies. Good topic, Londondiva. I remember some of Jade's posts too. I recall her mentioning that her hair growth got an extra boost by eating seaweed salad (in addition to eating the organic healthy foods she was already eating).

 

[Tea]

Does anyone remember the recipe (if there was a recipe) for the seaweed salad? I would like to at least try it once. And what's the sodium content for something like this? I would think it woud be loaded with salt.

 

[Armyqt]

Foods good for hair growth: boiled eggs minus the yoke, tuna fish, mackerel, salmon, sunflower seeds, spinach, broccoli and of course protein shakes (i like spirulina).

 

[HoneyRockette]

Boiled egg without the yolk is good? That is one of my favorite snacks. I keep it on the low though because my friends and family think that is weird. Good to know. Good thread.

 

[Nina_S]

Fish is good for hair growth especially tuna and salmon because of the Omega 3s but there have been recent warning advising to limit fish intake to once a week due to high levels of mercury found in fish. If you are of childbearing age or young children should limit it to once a month. The health effects of mercury are depression, loss of scalp
hair, metallic taste, headaches, arthritic pain in joints, irritability, tremors, and numbness and tingling in hands and feet. Symptoms of mercury
poisoning include fatigue, memory loss and nausea. Too much mercury can
damage the nervous system, especially in children and fetuses.

I don't know that sugar depletes the body of vitamins but I do know that effects the body's ability to convert glucogen to glucose which the brain needs. I've read that it affects concentration and performance for athletes. You know how children bounce off the walls after a Ding Dong - yeah! It give you a high then it drops you. The worst forms are fruit juices and alcohol which the body identifies as pure sugar. There is a snippet on sugar in the Nov 2002 Sports Illustrated for Women - check it out!

In other words, it is best to have a balanced diet with lean protein (kick it up with a protein shake), veggies, and "good" carbs.

Happy growing!!
Nina

 

[Armyqt]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
The health effects of mercury are depression, loss of scalp
hair, metallic taste, headaches, arthritic pain in joints, irritability, tremors, and numbness and tingling in hands and feet. Symptoms of mercury
poisoning include fatigue, memory loss and nausea. Too much mercury can
damage the nervous system, especially in children and fetuses.

[/ QUOTE ]
Nina this is very surprising to me. Could you please share some more info on this for me. The reason I ask is because salmon and tuna are a regular part of my diet as well as taking flaxseed oil and Evening primrose oil. I have been experiencing some of those symptoms for the past 3 months and Drs. don't have a clue what's wrong with me. I've had headaches, tingling in legs, toes and fingers (nervous system problems). I had a CT scan and an MRI and they were normal. I've since stopped taking supplements, but the symptoms continue. Could this be what's wrong with me? Any info on this subject would be greatly appreciated. U can email me at [email protected]. Thanks in advance. Good info.

 

[Honey Vibe]

What, no fried catfish?

 

[CICI24]

Armyqt, go ahead and cut back your fish intake and detoxify your body, There is something called Modifilan that is supposed to be really good at detoxifying mercury or you can use cysteine

 

[HoneyRockette]

I eat fish two or three times a week. I only eat fish and chicken, no red meat or pork. I am so used to eating it all the time now I will have a hard time cutting back. So far so good. No problems with mercury as of yet. I am always irritable. So what else is new?

 

[Honey Vibe]

LOL Honey Rockette

I love fish, but I'm more of a catfish/cod girl. I don't care for salmon that much, and tuna is okay!

What do the foods mentioned -- fish, sunflower seeds, etc. -- do for your health and your hair growth?

 

[Nyambura]

Hi Tea,
I believe Jade got her seaweed salad from Whole Foods, which is where I got mine from as well. It tasted sweet to me, not salty. I don't where Whole Foods gets its seaweed from, but since exploring this option I have learned that many different types exist. If I come across a recipe for making seaweed salad, I will post.

As I recall, you said you live in a rural area that's quite a ways from the nearest town? If the seaweed salad is impractical to purchase, I remember Jade also talking about green foods. I don't know what brand she used and I have not used any, sorry. Perhaps some of the other members will know. If not, here's a link to vitaminshoppe.com, where it's listed as Super Foods/Green Foods (I hope this link works): http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/browse/sku_listing.jhtml?DeptID=1&amp;OrigDeptID=&amp;DeptHeader=Vitamins+and+Minerals%2FHerbal+and+Homeopathic+Products&amp;Letter=&amp;BrandID=&amp;BrandName=&amp;ProdID=100295&amp;ProdName=Super+Foods+%2F+Green+Foods&amp;BreadCrumbType=Product&amp;BreadCrumbType_Product=NoLetter&amp;CatID=100163&amp;CatName=Whole+Foods

 

[HoneyRockette]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
What do the foods mentioned -- fish, sunflower seeds, etc. -- do for your health and your hair growth?

[/ QUOTE ]

They are all protein rich.

 

[Jade21]

Hello, Londondiva!

Hehehe...you knew I would reply to this one. I am out here cruising around this new site and saw your post, so I pulled up an old post from the old LHL. It's a portion of a post I wrote "Haircare from the Inside Out."

"I think nutrition is extremely important for your hair. I strive to maintain an excellent diet at least 85% of the time. I eat loads of fruit and have a good dose of vegetables everyday. Fruits like kiwis, every variety of apple available, concord and red grapes, and berries like blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries. For vegetables, my mainstays are broccoli, cabbage, green and yellow squash, green beans, red, white and sweet potatoes, and cauliflower. I also enjoy eggplant and the often termed no-no hair food..tomatoes. And, I have to say that I have acquired my mom's taste for mushrooms, especially the shitake and reishi. I add these to my famous spaghetti sauce with black olives which I also adore. I also eat very little red meat now, maybe once a month or so. My mainstay protein sources are fish like salmon, rainbow trout, tuna, sea bass and some shrimp and crabmeat during the holidays. I also like Kosher chicken when the free-range kind is not available to me. Other foods which I enjoy and eat a fair amount of are plain yogurt(low fat), carrots, beets, oats, onions, and nuts and seeds, especially almonds, walnuts and pistachios, and sunflower and pumpkin seeds. For sweetners, I like honey and molasses the best.

The other part of my diet which I think is so good for your body, including your hair, is good-quality water. I'm sure that I drink close to 2 gallons daily now. I'll give a plug here for my favorite, Deer Park. I try to balance this with the amount of weaknesses I ingest daily which include ginger beer, ginger ale and tea of all kinds. I've been drinking tea since around age 8 and I have no plans to stop the oolong, green or black varieties. For me, the bulk of herbal teas just don't have the same appeal, but I do like elderberry and rose hips very much I try not to drink more than 3 cups of tea and a glass or so of the ginger ale or beer each day. I also like juices like grape, orange and apple. I'm not really into the green drinks, but I do have them sometimes."

Girl, I don't think I am drinking 2 gallons of water these days. I know it's close to a gallon, but not 2 /images/graemlins/shocked.gif

The deal with the tuna and mercury is very depressing to me, but very true. This includes all types. I wondered about yellowfin, but my doc says same situation. There is a list I posted a long time ago of types of fish to avoid in great quantities due to high mercury. With the tuna, as I told you before, 1 can per month and NO MORE. And, I'd shoot for the mid-size can, too. With the fish I listed in my previous post, I was happy to learn that I will not have to give up any of them. They are all on the list to enjoy. Definitely keep eating the salmon.

I've never understood why "shade vegetables" like the eggplant and tomatoes were ones to avoid. I first saw this at the Hair Boutique, but have read it at other sites.

With the seaweed salad, I don't know whether Whole Foods has different ones for different areas in terms of the fresh-frozen kind. Mine was not sweet and salty...it was extremely CHEWY and the garlic and onions made it quite good. As Nyambura mentioned, there are tons of options available here. The best thing to do is check at your local healthfood store to see what is available to you.

The refined sugar depletes your B Vitamins, those you acquire in food and may take orally. Just eats them away and that is not what you want. With the sugar, we all know that excessive amounts are not good for us and often tied to many diseases. I would suggest keeping a balance here.

Natural sugars are better, but not to excess. It's not great to let fruit get excessively ripe, say like a cantalope or even a banana.

The same is true with caffeine...moderation.

I have been missing you guys. I'm trying to get my act together for the vacation I mentioned. I leave Monday for Hawaii and will be back November 11. I've also been so shocked about the horrible sniper in the DC Metro area...very frightening. We live in a very violent world.

I've got to run and eat my haddock, sweet potato and salad...I can smell the sweet potato /images/graemlins/blush.gif Hopefully, I will get back and get to explore the site and everything here before I leave for vacation.

Much Love and Cheer to you all,

Jade

 

[Allandra]

Hey Jade. Good to 'see' you. Have fun in Hawaii. It's a wonderful place to vacation. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[LondonDiva]

haddock, sweet potato and salad Jade you're too healthy to the point it makes me sick /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Have a wicked time in Hawaii. One place I want to go. But I'm too scared to fly since last year 9/11

** she says muching on a bacon joint**

What can I say I just can't help myself. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

BTW Why is the yolk bad in eggs. What does it contain.

 

[Tea]

Thanks ladies for letting me know where I could pick up seaweed salad. Next time I'm at the health food store I'll look for it.

 

[Nina_S]

Seaweed Salad

Here is a great seaweed salad recipe from the Food Network:

10 ounces fresh lump crab meat with shells and cartilege removed
1 small mango, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
5 to 6 chives, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Mirin, rice wine, to taste
1 small bag frozen dark green seaweed, thawed, available in nutrition stores or specialty Asian stores
1 tablespoon soy sauce or to taste
1 tablespoon sesame oil or to taste
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 small package rice noodles
Peanut oil for frying
In a bowl combine the crab meat, mango, chives, salt, pepper and mirin, tossing to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional mirin, salt and/or pepper.

In a second bowl season the thawed seaweed with soy sauce and sesame oil to taste. Sprinkle seaweed with sesame seeds and toss to combine.

In a small deep pan heat 1 to 2-inches of peanut oil to 360 degrees F. Fry the rice noodles until crispy and transfer to paper towels to drain. Season with salt.

Arrange seaweed on a plate. Place crab meat on top and garnish with crispy noodles.


Happy growing!!!
Nina

 

[Nyambura]

Re: Seaweed Salad

Thanks, Nina! It looks good. I think I'll try to make the salad sometime in the near future. Tasty and makes my hair grow? what a combination! /images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[LondonDiva]

Re: Seaweed Salad

Nina Are you trying to make me hungry on purpose.

/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Tea]

Re: Seaweed Salad

The recipe sounds yummy. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif I'm gonna have to try it sometime soon.

 

[Tracy]

I love this thread - thanks LD!

As always Londondiva - a wonderfully informative and thoughtful thread you've started. /images/graemlins/smile.gif I'm really beginning to realize that hair (like verything else in life) is best approached HOLISTICALLY (I hope I'm using that word correctly because I think that's what I mean). If you are approaching the whole thing as an overall improvement project of sorts, as opposed to focusing on a specific thing (kind of like wieght loss and how spot reducing is impossible) - that's always the way to go.... /images/graemlins/smile.gif

So thatnks for all the great info everyone. One thing I know for a fact is that having enough fat in your diet is extremely important. My hair has always suffered most (dry and brittle hair were the effects I experienced) when I took too much fat out of my diet. I believe the references people made to having enough fish in the diet would help - along with nuts and seeds. I try to snack on almonds when I'm feeling for salt. Sugar is a big issue with me and I know now that the bags of candy corn that I eat NON STOP are probably undoing all the efforts of my diligent B vitamin taking....

I take 10,000mgs of biotin too! No wonder my growth rate hasn't increased. Hmph. /images/graemlins/crazy.gif Well if I ever needed a good motivation for avoiding sweets - I've got one! /images/graemlins/grin.gif

And so gald to see miss Jade here! Jade I saw the thread you posted to me on the last board but before I answered it we moved. /images/graemlins/frown.gif My email addy is [email protected].

Would you mind emailing me when you get the opportunity so I can start harassing you again? /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Enjoy Hawaii girl! Soak up some rays for me! No one I know deserves a vacation more than you.... /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[tc_333]

Re: I love this thread - thanks LD!

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
the bags of candy corn that I eat NON STOP

[/ QUOTE ] ...

Tracy, I sure do feel you here! I don't know what it is, but I love those sweet soft chewey things.....However, my "sweet-tooth-deterrent" is my recent root canal (my first, and prayerfully only one). I have drastically cut back on my sweets (opting for salty tastes instead); and I've taken to brushing my teeth after my snacks. I never want to feel that type of pain that had me crying in my dentist chair at my checkup!

T

 

[Elyse]

<font color="green">

At the beginning of this year I was much more concerned about my weight and my health than my hair. I had gained 25 lbs. very quickly from being on Depo Provera (birth control shots.)

Around Jan 1st, I went on a modified diet and hired a personal trainer, working out with her 5 days a week. I've lost 40 lbs and I think that the healthier foods have definitely promoted healthier skin and hair. Each day I eat 6 servings of fresh fruit, 2 servings of fresh vegetables, 1 serving of cooked vegetables. I eat lean proteins, but I do not obsess over counting fat grams or anything. Carbs like bread and cake are my downfall so I watch my portions of these. I don't drink soda, caffeinated beverages or alcohol at all.


</font color>

 

[daviine]

So if you eat the yolk---eating the egg isn't good? Becasue I LOVE the yolk!!!!!

Also, do you think it is safe to eat one daily?

 

[CICI24]

Egg yolks are bad because it is basically fat and cholesterol. egg whites have all of the vitamins and protein.