Nutrients for hair care

Just as your body needs food for sustenance, growth &repair, your hair too needs food for similar reasons. The nutrients which assure body of its growth, repair and vibrancy, are equally important from the standpoint of hair.
Keratin: a variety of protein happens to be the most important constituent of hair. Hair consisting of dead tissues can only grow if living tissues embedded inside contribute to the same. Scientifically speaking no living tissue can sustain, regenerate or grow without the provision of nutrition. Utmost care should be taken to provide nourishment with the right nutrients.
Biotin: an important variation of vitamin B has substantial role to play in respect of skin & hair care. Other than adding to growth and repair, biotin helps prevent hair loss. Shortage of biotin may help trigger loss, split ends and breakage. To go by the findings of nutritionists, relation between loss of hair & biotin is directly proportional.
As one of the key nutrients in hair care, biotin is available in food items such as peanuts, soybeans, green & leafy Swiss chard and bread made of whole wheat. Egg or the yolk content of is also one of the sources of this nutrient.
Besides having diet enriched with biotin, intake of biotin based supplements also ensures freedom from breakage and loss of hair. Shampooing hair with biotin based hair wash is another of the healthy options. That’s why, egg shampoos are often recommended to counter effects of split ends, breakage and loss.

Vitamins for hair care

• Silky hair may be a divine blessing, but holding on to long rippling tresses calls for human effort. There is little to reaffirm the importance of vitamin in respect of skin or hair care. Having significant role to offer with regard to scalp care, vitamin holds key to the secret of glowingly beautiful hair.
• Amongst all its types and varieties- Vitamins B, C besides keratin contributes to health and glow of hair. In this regard, it is worth mentioning the role of ‘niacin’ or B3 as its makes for the health of hair follicle.
• Non vegetarians can rely on food sources such as chicken, fish or beef for niacin; while vegetarians can have their diet enriched by means of legumes, cereals and milk products.
• Vitamin E: an important source of antioxidant plays crucial roles with regard to enhancing luster in addition to motivating growth and repair. Leafy vegetables, avocados, whole cereals and nuts with their dollops of Vitamin E activate the synthesis of protein, which in turn accelerates hair’s growth and repair.
• Besides going for a balanced blend of the mentioned food items, supplements of vitamins or necessary multivitamins have roles to offer in hair care. But the dosage &essentiality are to be decided by physicians.
• It is important reaffirming that nutrients contribute & help sustain growth and health of hair, but in no way can they bring about magical results. They merely work as facilitators promoting its essential vitality.

Prenatal Vitamins for Hair Growth

• The commonly held belief justifying the relation between hair growth & consumption of prenatal vitamins is yet to be validated scientifically. Women exposed to prenatal vitamins during different stages of pregnancy do manifest signs of hair growth, but the role of prenatal vitamin in it is still to find its scientific backup. According to specialists, rather than prenatal vitamins hormonal changes triggered by pregnancy causes the visible growth.
• But there is a definite correlation between hair health & vitamin. With a wise blend of vitamins in diet, you need not particularly go for prenatal vitamins. Despite not being overtly harmful, continuous use of prenatal vitamins can give way to physiological conditions such as constipation and nausea.

Courtesy Prokerala

AYURVEDIC SKIN CARE

Beautiful glowing smooth skin is desirable by every woman and appreciated by every man. Genetically, we are wired to be attracted to people with clear skin and a glowing complexion because it's a sign of good health. Ayurveda has some time-proven tricks to make your skin clear, soft, and radiant without spending a fortune or loading up on chemicals.

First, let's see why our skin tends to become rough, dry, and irritated during certain seasons and with age. According to Ayurveda, it happens due to the accumulation of Vata in the body. Vata predominates in the Fall and early Winter, and in people over the age of 50. When there is excess Vata, we are prone to dry skin, cracking joints, thinning dry hair, and brittle nails. Vata can also show up in the body earlier if you're really stressed, have a Vata disturbing diet or live in a Vata inducing climate (cold and dry). The secret to staying young is keeping Vata at bay.  

Here are some Ayurvedic tips that will slow down Vata accumulation in the body and will help you stay young and keep your skin beautiful. 

1. Don't Skip the Veggies - Stick to high-water content vegetables that are easier to digest, such as lettuce, carrot, cucumber, daikon radish (which is revered by Ayurvedic healers for its purifying properties), fennel, and tender asparagus tips. These vegetables are tridoshic: they are good for all types of skin. Combine at least 3 and enjoy with a simple olive oil-lemon juice dressing.

2. Eat Like a Bird - Both traditional and Ayurvedic medicine agree that adding seeds and nuts into your diet will improve the condition of your skin. Vata is drying by nature so all foods that have natural healthy fats in them will prevent this imbalance. Nuts and seeds are a perfect food -- they contain Omega-3s, healthy fats, and fiber to help a weakened Vata digestion. My favorite snack is GoRaw Sunflower Flax Snax. You can also try adding almonds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and other nuts to your oatmeal (or having them as your afternoon snack, when Vata naturally predominates).  

3. Sip Some Tea - Vata is dry and cold by nature so your skin will stay younger looking longer, if your keep these two qualities at bay. Stay hydrated throughout the day and give preference to warm liquids, such as herbal tea. Making some spicy tea with fresh ginger and lemon will wake you up in the afternoon and keep your digestion healthy, which is important for glowing skin.

4. Pump It Up - Exercising is necessary in preventing cold Vata from accumulating. Modern doctors advise exercising to keep your muscles and joints healthy and toned, while helping you sweat out toxins. Exercise will also improve blood circulation, digestion, and give you a healthy blush! Choose the type of exercise that makes you feel good and gives you energy without exhausting you. Whether it is walking, jogging, dancing, yoga, or boxing -- you should enjoy it and have fun moving your body.

5. Breathe In and Release - High levels of emotional and mental stress is one of the major reasons why Vata gets aggravated (Not good!). It literally sucks out all the vital juices from your skin making it dehydrated. Meditation and breathing can be very effective stress busters that you might want to consider. To get started with yogic breathing, lie on your back or seat comfortably, place one palm on your belly, and another one on your chest. Start inhaling into your belly, letting it slightly rise, then keep inhaling into your ribs, expanding the ribcage up and out, letting the air completely fill up your lungs by inhaling all the way up into your chest. Mentally keep track of your breathing -- your belly, ribs, and chest. On your exhales, let the air move in the opposite order -- chest, ribs,and  belly sinking in. Do this simple yet very effective breathing technique for 5-10 minutes when you need to calm down whether it is before an important meeting or right before you fall asleep.

6. Doze off with Sunset - Aggravated Vata often causes restlessness which can lead to insomnia (Not good for your skin!). Any skin care professional or Ayurvedie doctor will agree on the fact that getting at least seven hours of sleep is a good thing when it comes to having a healthy and glowing complexion. If you have trouble falling asleep, try a full yogic breathing described above or use this one before going to bed.

7. Take Skin Moisturizer to a New Level - Staying hydrated on the inside is important but you shouldn't forget about taking care of your skin from the outside, as well. Cleansing and moisturizing are the most crucial to keeping your skin healthy and young. An oil massage is the best remedy for dry skin.  For the best absorption, anti-aging oil massages should be done at night. Apricot oil applied 2-3 times a week at night makes my skin feel very smooth and healthy. Once a week give yourself (or ask your partner to give you) a full body massage with oil. It stimulates healthy blood circulation, lymph drainage, reduces water retention, and keeps your romantic relationship exciting! Abhyanga, a full body oil massage, calms the mind, leaving you feeling grounded yet focused and alert, and balances emotions. Using natural organic oils is also a lot cheaper than chemical-loaded lotions found at a pharmacy. Try these Ayurvedic oils for your specific dosha: Kapha, Pitta, or Vata.
Courtesy mindbodygreen article by By Nadya Andreeva