Top 5 Food Habits That Destroy Your Hair

It seems like everyone is on a diet these days. some are good, some are bad.

I'm not here to sell you a new fad,

but I am here to have an honest conversation with you about proper nutrition

and what it means for your hair.

I'm also going to talk about the effects of the infamous "skinny shot" and other weight loss trends on our hair.

SO, let's get into it!

Your hair is like a house plant.

Just like a plant needs good soil, water & sunlight to live- Your hair needs a healthy foundation, hydration and nutrition to thrive.

1. not EATING ENOUGH GREEN VEGGIES

   I know that you are probably aware that vegetables are "good" for you, but do you know why?

   they are packed with essential vitamins like iron, folate & vitamin E.

   THINK of veggies as the sunlight that your hair needs to grow.

2. failing to prioritize hydration on a daily basis

you will drink coffee or soda all day without ever even batting an eye at how dehydrated you really are. you may not even feel thirsty but going all day long without drinking water is not a good thing.

water is essential to life, but it truly is a huge hydrator for our hair as well. a good daily water intake will hydrate your hair from the inside out.

3. Not getting enough protein daily

   protein is what our hair is made up of.

   your hair will suffer greatly if protein isn't a priority in your diet because if you aren't getting enough of it then your body will start to store what protein you do have for more important jobs in the body

   (such as organ function) your hair will get brittle and possibly shed more-causing thinning.

   think of protein as our hair's soil,

   it creates a healthy foundation for our hair to grow.

   
   

4. eating too many over processed foods

   the quality of our food matters, it's the difference between buying a bag of good gardening soil infused with fertilizer vs. just scooping old dry dirt from the yard into your flower beds.

   both are dirt, but we know which one we would rather plant rose bushes in.

   
   

5. not eating enough food

hunger isn't a feeling; it's a sign that your body needs fuel. hunger isn't something that you should just "shut off" that's like putting a cute sticker over your low fuel light in your car and just hoping for the best.

if you aren't properly feeding your body then it will go into starvation mode and start hoarding what little nutrients you do have for more important things like keeping you alive, rather than making sure your hair looks silky.

I say all of this not to demonize or shame you but to educate you and remind you on how your body needs to be cared for.

I want to see every client that sits in my chair- fully loving and caring for themselves, mind, body & soul.

self-care and self-love come from the inside out and properly caring for yourself like you would a house plant or maybe even your own child.

I always ask that you take care of yourself daily as you would if you were caring for a child, would you deprive a child from water and food all day and force them to drink nothing but coffee? God, I hope not.

as a hairstylist behind the chair, I have seen a huge uptick in clients experiencing unexplained hair loss in the last few years.

(There is a difference between hair loss & hair breakage)

hair loss means that something is happening on the inside- illness, stress, bad diet, rapid weight loss, hormone changes, the list goes on.

I have seen a huge connection between clients experiencing hair loss and the skinny shot.

not that I'm saying that the shot is bad, I'm not a doctor and cannot speak to that however I can talk about what I see happening to a number of my clients after getting the shot for a while.

From my understanding these shots subdue your feeling of craving and hunger, that is scary territory considering I see a lot of people after this deciding to just not eat anything at all until they absolutely have to.

overeating is a negative too don't get me wrong, but you can prioritize nutrition and eating for fuel while still not overeating just for fun and craving.

it may take some time to learn these techniques and routines, but I know that you can do it.

what I do for myself daily:

• drink mainly water

  I love coffee so I don't cut that out completely, but I set limits for myself, so I stay on track with my hydration.

  
  

• get at least 20 grams of protein per meal

everyone's amount of suggested protein per day is different, it goes by weight so you can easily look yours up.

personally, I aim for 130 grams of protein per day

• eat as many whole foods as possible

  let me be the first to say that this is a challenge. especially running my business and having a very full and busy lifestyle but it's worth it to carve out the time to cook healthy food for my family.

  if I can't make it myself then I look for organic and non-gmo products. the cheap additives, bad ingredients, high sodium and high sugar contents are no goes for me.

I am not a doctor nor a nutritionist, so understand that I am not giving you medical advice and always talk to your doctor before starting any new diet.

I wish you the absolute best on this journey towards a healthier future.

peace, love & great hair- Alicia