Diet Chart For Healthy hair

Hair fall and baldness is increasingly becoming a problem for most people who love to eat junk food, follow an unhealthy eating pattern and have a stressed lifestyle. Hair fall can also be caused by anxiety, insomnia, hair abuse or excessive use of chemicals like bleaching treatments, perming and coloring. Soft drinks, snacks like fried, overcooked junk snacks, caffeine, alcohol and nicotine have detrimental effects on the nutrients that enhance hair growth. Stress, some medications and poor dietary habits are known to retard hair growth. Eating right, exercising, relieving stress and getting plenty of sleep will help you maximize your hair growth. Also, incorporating healthy foods in your day-to-day diet will lead to a healthy hair growth.

As hair is made of protein, ensuring you have enough protein in your diet is crucial for making hair strong and healthy. If you are not consuming enough protein in your diet, your hair is likely to become dry, brittle and weak. Extremely low protein diets may result in restricted hair growth and even hair loss. Choose chicken, turkey, fish, dairy products and eggs as excellent sources of protein along with vegetarian sources such as legumes and nuts. Eat the correct balance of the following nutrients including protein, vitamins and minerals to supply hair with all that it needs to remain shiny, lustrous and strong. Iron is an especially important mineral for hair and too little iron is a major cause of hair loss. The hair follicle and root are fed by a nutrient rich blood supply. When iron levels (serum ferritin) fall below a certain point, you may experience anaemia. This disrupts the nutrient supply to the follicle, affecting the hair growth cycle and may result in shedding. Animal products such as red meat, chicken and fish provide iron with a high bioavailability, meaning the iron is readily available to the body. Vegetarians can raise their iron stores by including lentils, spinach and other leafy green vegetables such as broccoli, kale and salad greens.

Do's

1. Do regular exercise
2. Follow proper diet.
3. Have a weekly scalp massage to provide stimulation to the hair follicles.
4. Get plenty of rest and sleep to allow your body to grow hair.

Dont's

1. Avoid unnecessary brushing, combing or handling. Use a soft, round bristles brush.
2. Avoid hot shower.
3. Smoking.

1. cereals- fortified cereals and Wholegrains
2. milk and milk products- skim milk, yogurt, cottage cheese
3. meat- lean chicken, fish (salmon), eggs, oysters, beef
4. fruits and vegetables- blackcurrants, blueberries, broccoli, guava, kiwi fruits, oranges, papaya, strawberries, avocado, orange/yellow coloured vegetables such as carrots, pumpkins, onions and sweet potatoes
5. nuts and seeds- pumpkin seeds, chia seed, almonds and walnuts
6. pulses and legumes- kidney beans, chickpeas, masoor dal, moongs beans
7. oils- sunflower oil, avocado oil, soybean oil, cod liver oil