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With the arrival of autumn, many of us notice an increase in hair loss. It is normal for this time of year, but there are specific nutritional recommendations that we can follow in order to avoid increased and unnecessary hair loss.
There is still a lot of research that needs to be done in order to assess which vitamins and minerals affect the hair specifically, however, according to the Mayo Clinic and other recent studies, nutrition plays an important role in the health of our hair.
What should we eat in order to have healthy hair?
Protein – It has been proven that the essential amino acid l-lysine is associated with hair loss. In other words, people that supplement their diets with this amino acid experience less hair loss. We can find l-lysine in any food that contains protein such as meat, chicken, fish, eggs, legumes, nuts, and seeds. For those that don’t eat enough of the above foods such as vegetarians and athletes that have a higher requirement for protein, l-lysine can also be taken as a supplement. For adults above 13 years old, 12mg/kg/day is recommended. (Always seek a doctor’s supervision before beginning any l-lysine therapy).
Silicon – Some research from the University of Cincinatti, the Rayne Institute, and the St. Thomas hospital in London discovered that silicon increases the thickness, elasticity, and strength of hair. It is found in foods such as non-alcoholic beer and green beans.
Vitamins A and E - Vitamin A helps to produce a certain liquid which moisturizes the scalp and hair. With a decreased vitamin A intake, our hair becomes dry and it can break more easily. Foods rich in vitamin A include carrots, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, dairy products, and meat. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that improves blood circulation. This in turn carries more oxygen to the scalp. Foods rich in vitamin E include milk, nuts, and leafy vegetables.
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) – Vitamin B3, like vitamin E, improves blood circulation. Foods rich in this vitamin include wheat germ, chicken, and fish.
Inositol - This is a carbohydrate that protects the root of the hair from damage and promotes hair growth. It is found in organ meats, bananas, brown rice, and raisins.
Just because the fall has arrived doesn’t mean we need to worry about our hair falling out. In general, a balanced diet improves the inner and outer health of hair. So, let’s eat well for strong and shiny hair!
Reference:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12190640
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/lysine-000312.htm
http://www.raysahelian.com/silicon.html
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hair-loss/DS00278/DSECTION=causes
http://www.livestrong.com/article/141062-supplements-strengthen-hair/
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Save Money AND Eat Healthily |
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In this time of economic crisis, the concern of spending more to eat healthily in Cyprus arises. Many think that vegetables and everyday foodstuffs like milk and bread cost too much. There is justification to the statement that food in Cyprus IS expensive (especially when trying to eat a healthy diet), however, there are ways to minimize your costs and to maximize your health gains.
Be organized – Create a weekly menu plan and know what you have in the house before going to the supermarket. Knowing what food you need dramatically decreases the amount of money you pay on groceries. For example, if you plan to make a whole wheat pasta salad with chicken breast, you can seek out the deals on those particular items instead of just packing pork, fish, and beef into your carriage without knowing that you will actually use these foods. This also helps you to eat healthily because you PLAN what to eat. In my experience, most people “break” their diets because of poor meal planning. It’s just like my wise mentor from my MBA years once taught us, “Failing to plan is like planning to fail”.
Eat less of the “real” stuff instead of choosing “light” or “diet” items – Most of the time, light or diet products are more expensive. Be careful! When it comes to the benefits of increased nutritional value because of less fat, calories, or carbohydrates, be wary. A lot of products advertise higher nutritional benefits but have more hidden unhealthy ingredients. For example, low-fat ice creams are usually higher in sugar in order to make up for the taste. So, treat yourself to the real stuff on an occasional basis instead of choosing the more expensive and processed stuff more often.
You don’t NEED beef, pork, and chicken every day – Let’s face it, protein is beneficial to our diets, but the truth is that we DO overeat these foods. If we choose to eat fish twice per week, chicken once per week, and increase our consumption of nuts, seeds and legumes, not only will we follow a healthier diet, we will save money!
Make eating out more of a special occasion – I once met a client that was spending at least 100 euros per week on eating out. For me the math nutritionally and financially was simple. Eat out less frequently, save money AND calories (as restaurants tend to use A LOT of creams, oils, and other fats).
Stick to water – Most restaurants make their money on drinks. There are entire marketing schemes created to make sure that people that eat out drink more. Therefore, to save on calories, stick to water and avoid all the fizzy drinks and alcohol. (And you guessed it, it’s cheaper as well). This is true at the super market also. Buying just water saves you a lot of money on unnecessary drinks that are bad for you.
Don’t be ashamed of leftovers – There is more shame in throwing food out than in eating food left over from the day before (in my humble opinion). Be creative with your leftovers. For example, cut up left over roast chicken into small pieces and use it in a brown rice and vegetable stir fry the next day. Tasty AND resourceful.
Times are hard economically, but it’s easy to start applying some simple tips to save money and to be healthy.
Please contact me with any questions or for more information.
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Drink Water - Stay healthy and hydrated! |
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Did you know that over 80% of Cypriots are chronically dehydrated? This means that most people are suffering from dehydration on a daily basis. They have symptoms of fatigue, lack of energy, poor skin turgor, skin tenting on the forehead, concentrated urine, decreased urine output, sunken eyes, dry mucous membranes of the mouth and nose, orthostatic blood pressure changes, and tachychardia (Sanservero, 1997).
Why can someone have so many problems from not drinking enough water? Simple. It’s because water is the largest simple component of the body and therefore it has many functions. To focus on a few main aspects, water is essential to the physiological processes of digestion, absorption, and excretion. It also plays a key role in the structure and function of the circulatory system and acts as a transport medium for nutrients and all body substances. Finally, water helps to maintain body temperature (Mahan, Escott-Stump, 2000). What does all this mean? It means that without water, one cannot efficiently absorb the necessary nutrients needed for proper nutrition and health, that he or she will have gastrointestinal issues and suffer from chronic constipation, and it means that he or she will not efficiently burn fat when trying to lose weight.
Unfortunately, most people will not even think to drink water until they are thirsty. Thirst is the body’s last desperate call for water. It is recommended that a person does NOT wait until they are thirsty to drink. Rather, one should drink water consistently throughout the day. In fact, in a lot of cases of chronic dehydration, the thirst mechanism actually switches off and the body provides a hunger signal instead. This means that one feels hungry when in fact, he or she is thirsty. This leads to a person eating more calories (to get water from food instead of regular drinking water) than he or she needs and results in weight gain.
Usually, the most simple solutions or ideas are the most effective. In this case, the simple act of drinking water on a daily basis can help one to have more energy, to burn fat, to be well-nourished, and to have good gastrointestinal health. Typically, a person need 35 ml of water per 1 kg of body weight (around 2.5 L per day) to be well hydrated. Obviously, athletes or people living in extreme temperature conditions need more.
So, are you ready to change your life with the simple act of drinking water? Here are some tips to get you started:
* Keep bottles of water available in all places – home, on the desk at work, in the car. This will remind you to always drink water!
* If you don’t like the taste of water, add small amounts of fresh lemon or orange juice. There are also low-calorie lemonades or iced teas you can add to water to help with the taste.
* Don’t drink your calories! Avoid juices, sodas, lemon squashes, and alcohol and replace it with water. One cup of these mentioned drinks can add 100-300 calories to your day. If you are trying to lose weight, simply replacing these drinks with water can help!
* If you currently don’t drink water at all, set small, attainable goals to increase your water intake. For example, start with 2 glasses per day per week, then increase to 4 glasses per day per week, etc. This way it doesn’t seem like such a big change.
Try drinking more water for the next month and see how it goes! I promise that it will change your life! |
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With the endless amount of fast-foods, processed, and high-sugar, high-fat foods, the task of getting children to eating healthily becomes more challenging for parents. It just seems so easy to give your child a chocolate rather then getting him or her to eat those pesky vegetables. It’s not an impossible battle, however. Here are some tips to help introduce healthy eating practices to your kids.
Have meals or snacks WITHOUT the tv – Countless studies have shown that eating while watching tv contributes to overweight and obesity. Therefore, make it a point to eat dinner together and to have snacks in the kitchen. This helps the child to build healthy psychological relationships with food by focusing his or her attention on exactly what it should be – food!
Make fruits and vegetables fun – Children are all about fun and games so try to find ways that make these options look more interesting. Use peanut butter and raisins on celery sticks and pretend that they are ants walking on a log. Use your favorite fruits like strawberries and bananas and mix them with low-fat yogurt to make a smoothie. Your child will believe it’s a milkshake!
Make rules about junk food – It’s unrealistic to expect kids to not have ANY cookies, ice cream, or crisps. Just like anything else that goes on at home, set boundaries for these foods too. For example, a rule can be that ice cream or candy is only allowed on Wednesdays and Saturdays. This way, children look forward to special occasions rather than expect junk food every day.
Get kids involved with food preparation – This is a great way to not only have your kids learn about different foods, but it lets them be part of the process. (Another form of playing and having fun!) For example, make your own whole-wheat pizza and have your kids draw a face on the pizza with colorful vegetables.
Exercise – Children should be involved in some form of activity for a minimum of 1 hour per day. Encourage them to engage in their favorite sport and get them involved with dance. Or just simply make them go outside instead of spending time on the computer or in front of the tv.
Don’t forget YOU are the role model – The adage “Do as I say and not as I do” is not a very good tool for getting your kids to make healthy life changes. If you don’t exercise, if you eat in front of the tv, if you eat junk every day, there is a good chance your kids will too. Make eating healthy and exercising a family mission instead of ordering your kids to do it.
Here are some great websites that can help you with healthy recipes for kids and other neat games and nutrition tools:
www.kidshealth.org
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/kids/
http://www.kidnetic.com/
http://www.nhs.uk/Change4Life/Pages/change-for-life-families.aspx
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/nutrition-for-kids/NU00606
As always, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me. |
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