The Importance of Food and The Health of Your Hair

It has become second nature that women especially are obsessed with their beauty products that make their hair shine and look beautiful. What many tend to forget though is that it is the food choices that they make that reflect the shininess and healthiness of their hair. That is not to say that the importance of hair products should be discounted but the addition of what people eat should also be considered.  

There are several kinds of food sources that are high in protein, antioxidants, essential omega 3 fatty acids, and several kinds of vitamins such as, vitamin C and E that will keep your hair healthy, grow faster and make it fuller and preventing hair loss. Hair loss, in my personal opinion is detrimental to any women out there. As women our hair is like an accessory therefore we must consider what we can do to keep it beautiful and healthy.

Sources of food that will help in keeping your hair healthy and beautiful are fruits. They are rich in Vitamin C that prevents hair loss as well as premature graying, dryness, and brittle hair. Examples of fruits that will help keep your hair healthy and gorgeous looking are peaches, strawberries, mango, kiwi, and tomatoes. Fruits are also a great source of antioxidants that will help your hair deal with the hormonal changes during various stages of life particularly with aging.

Another great food source that is essential in keeping your hair healthy is salmon. Salmon is rich in various vitamins and minerals such as omega 3 fatty acids. The benefits that it provides your hair with is that it will help make your hair grow, keep your scalp hydrated with the necessary natural oils in your hair, and prevents hair loss. Click here for some great recipes for salmon.

If fish doesn’t happen to be your cup of tea, some substitutes that may be incorporated into your diet are pumpkin seeds or walnuts, as they also encompass similar nutrients that salmon offers. An additional benefit to eating walnuts would be it protects the DNA of your hair, as well as, keeping your natural hair colour rich and radiant.

Additionally, all dark green vegetables are highly beneficial to your hair. Foods like spinach, and broccoli will help in the production of sebum, which helps to avoid the hair from becoming overly dry, and a protector from sun-rays.

What we eat therefore gives us another reason to have a healthy diet integrated in our daily lives, as it does not only affects what occurs insides of our bodies but the outside as well.

Overall, there are many sources of food that will be valuable in keeping your hair looking beautiful and healthy. If you feel though that you may not be receiving enough of these nutrients in your daily diet, supplements are great to ensure that you're getting enough. 

-Ifigenia Giannoutsos

Do It Yourself Hair Conditioning Mask

Our hair has been through three months of winter hats, and has a little while longer until spring when it can breathe again. If your hair is like mine, the cold weather and constant heat dries it out. And if your wallet looks like mine a deep conditioning treatment at the salon is not in the budget. But fear not your hair can be saved from the harsh cold weather for a fraction of the price and possibly even for free!

After pinteresting my little heart out, looking for a magic remedy to save my brittle weak locks, I combined a few hair mask recipes and abracadabra my hair feels like silk.

The best thing about this hair potion, is that you probably have all the ingredients for it in your kitchen AND… its au natural. So here you go in just 20 minutes your hair will transform from straw into Rapunzel’s long tresses.

What you’ll need:

2 heaping tbsp dry mustard

½ cup olive oil

1 egg

½ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp honey

plastic wrap

       * If you have thick hair you may want to double the recipe.

1. Mix it all together… it should have a gooey consistency.
2. Scoop a little bit out with your hands and massage it into your hair starting at the root.             Make sure      you get it all the way to the ends of your hair, where the most damage is. (You may want to do this   over the sink…it can get a little messy)
3. Use your fingers or a fine tooth comb to slick it all back and twist it into a bun.
4. Wrap all of your hair in plastic wrap and let it sit for 20 minutes.* Don’t be alarmed if your head is tingling. That’s the mustard and cayenne pepper in action! The heat is supposed to stimulate blood flow to the scalp and help your hair to grow.
5. After 20 minutes remove the plastic wrap and wash your hair. You may need to shampoo it two or three times to get all of the oil out.
6. Condition and let air dry.

And there you go silky shiny hair without spending a penny!

- Written by Brittni Monk

Cotton? Not A Friendly!

Cotton is not your hair's friend.

Being Caribbean-Canadian (African American, Black, whatever!), my hair is always a constant worry for me. My hair is chemically treated and coloured, so I'm continually looking for ways to better take care of my hair. For some time I would wonder why my hairwould be dry and breaking, no matter how often I moisturized or treated it. I was told that I needed to start wrapping my hair. Naturally, I asked "Why?".

Apparently, our cotton pillow cases are sucking out the moisture in our hair. The fabric we are most comfortable in and all love to wear, is a thief. Whether it is 100% cotton or a cotton blend, it doesn't matter, cotton is an absorbing fibre. Meaning, what ever hair care products you put into your hair will be removed when ever you lay your head down.

The best way to protect your hair from this moisture-sucking fibre, is to wrap your hair. Taking a wide tooth comb, comb your hair around your head - it'll look kind of like a beehive - then wrap your hair with a scarf. A silk scarf would be best, but if silk is out of your reach rayon works just as well. Silk or rayon are the best because they'll help your hair maintain its moisture and minimize and breakage.

Have Happy Hair!

Dani Joseph

Tips For Summer!

By, Sharan Garcha


Summer is an excellent time for renewal, relaxation and recreation. While taking advanatge of the longer days and warm summer heat don't forget these quick tips to keep you looking and feeling great!

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  Hair Care - If you are spending time in the sun and outdoors, it is important to protect your locks. Be sure to deep condition at least once a week to avoid dry and dullness. This will also prevent brittle and split ends. To tame your waves spritz on some leave-in conditioner, this will also protect against damage from chlorine or salt water. If you are looking for an afforable natural method to high light hair, try combing lemon juice through your hair. The sun will lighten those strands faster, giving you an attractive sun-streaked look.
  
  Leave-In Conditoner Treatment (10.99) available at Drugstore





• Skin Care - To obtain a sun kissed glow try your best to avoid deep-frying your skin. A high quality bronzer in a bottle is the way to go! The body Shop has a great-all natural formula. Also be sure to use sunscreen with minimum SPF 15 and stay adequately hydrated with at least 8 glasses of water a day.
  
Neutrogena SPF $8.99 available at Drugstores




• Make Up - Take on summer with a fresh face. It's the season of "less is more". Accentuate your glow with a sheer oil free tinted moisturizer followed by a brush stroke of light shimmering powder highlighting the spots of your face the sun would hit. Try a light shimmering eye shadow in a neutral colour just under your brows and bottom eye-lid to draw attention to your eyes. Finish of your look with a nude lip colour.

Bronze Goddess Bronzer $29.00 available at Sephora

Most importantly, laugh more & relax!