Healthy hair from within

Found a link to an article since I was wondering about the state on my hair since currently take medication to prevent the onset of migraines (suffered for years now thinking they were regular headaches). Anyway I somehow stumbled upon this article-which mirrors this thread and wanted to share.

http://www.hairboutique.com/tips/tip214.htm

Yacoomba, thank you for posting this link. It is so point on!. Our hair is what we eat, drink, and our external exposures. People don't understand why the ends are so fragile. Its because they are old as dirt. Its like a baby's skin is so soft (soft as a baby's butt), but once we reach 30, and so on, the skin has been exposed to every contaminate, in the air, in our products, etc. If we think of our hair as an extension of our skin, we will understand better.

naturalnolagirl1900 wrote:Yacoomba, thank you for posting this link. It is so point on!. Our hair is what we eat, drink, and our external exposures. People don't understand why the ends are so fragile. Its because they are old as dirt. Its like a baby's skin is so soft (soft as a baby's butt), but once we reach 30, and so on, the skin has been exposed to every contaminate, in the air, in our products, etc. If we think of our hair as an extension of our skin, we will understand better.

No problem and I will be joining the Healthy Hair from Within Challenge- I started today! Well actually last night. I started taking my prenatal vitamin. My husband looked alarmed for a second when I pulled out the bottle I wrote down what I ate throughout the day (trying to make a conscious effort to provide myself with proper nutrition and substance), and drunk about 64 ounces of water. I'm also going to keep a journal of my hair health and steps I taking with it as well. Here's an article I found on how important water consumption is for our lovely ladies to read from the same website (lots of great info from the site:
http://www.hairboutique.com/tips/tip211301.htm

Well, ladies it is after Thanksgiving and I wanted to see who was interested in maintaining a healthy hair journal. Really, it would be keeping up with the food you eat daily, any vitamins, supplements, water consumption, and anything else done internally that benefits the hair. Its a way to keep ourselves accountable and if there are any deficiencies, it is easier to identify them. I will begin mine tomorrow. We can share notes and help motivate, encourage, and support each other.

Here is a link you might be interested in: http://tinukewilson.blogspot.com/2010/03/healthy-eatinghealthy-growing-hair.html

I think I'll join this challenge because my hair has been....a hot ghetto mess. I'll try to drink more water (it's so nasty though!), eat better, exercise more and get some me time in. All of this is going to be hard b/c I'm a full time college student with a lot of homework!

@ CiCi, r u at NCA&T? that was one of my choices but chose Clark Atlanta! so glad I did!
anyway, as far as the water goes, just carry a large water bottle with you to class so u always have some with you to sip on. u can put it in your bookbag. and if you think it's nasty (lol) you can always flavor it with natural juices like lemon, and some honey or truvia. or try some of those crystal light packets to just pour in the water. i don't care for those types of flavorings though because some contain aspartame. i love water so i just drink it but that may help you.

hope that helps!

I have a friend who hates water and avoids it whenever she can get away with it. One way to make water taste best is to use frozen fruit instead of ice. The water gets cold, the fruit lightly flavors the water, no extra sugar, its healthy and you get a fruit treat when you finish the water. I don't like blueberries much, but the frozen ones in water taste great. Frozen strawberries are too mushy, but melon and peaches are good.

Hmm, that's a great idea Madeaj. I haven't thought of that!!

Madeaj wrote:I have a friend who hates water and avoids it whenever she can get away with it. One way to make water taste best is to use frozen fruit instead of ice. The water gets cold, the fruit lightly flavors the water, no extra sugar, its healthy and you get a fruit treat when you finish the water. I don't like blueberries much, but the frozen ones in water taste great. Frozen strawberries are too mushy, but melon and peaches are good.

Thanks for the idea!

misskris wrote:@ CiCi, r u at NCA&T? that was one of my choices but chose Clark Atlanta! so glad I did!
anyway, as far as the water goes, just carry a large water bottle with you to class so u always have some with you to sip on. u can put it in your bookbag. and if you think it's nasty (lol) you can always flavor it with natural juices like lemon, and some honey or truvia. or try some of those crystal light packets to just pour in the water. i don't care for those types of flavorings though because some contain aspartame. i love water so i just drink it but that may help you.

hope that helps!

I go to UNC-Greensboro which is right by A&T. I'm going to try natural flavors like lemon. I hope it works!

Oh ok, cool. Well good luck with your studies!! And yeah, try the flavored water. You may love it!!!

Hey everyone-just checking in...I think the journal is a great idea and in fact that is what I've been doing since I started this challenge almost two weeks ago. I record my meals, snacks, water consumption,vitamins and hair treatment (daily for all except hair which is done weekly) on a yellow legal note pad. I realized how much I was snacking throughout the day at work and unhealthy salty ones at that. So now I snack less with smaller portions and healthier choices. Yes I still get cravings-I'm human but I'm definitely more conscious. I do need to incorporate more fruits and veggies in my diet though...how is everyone else doing? :-)

Doing bad today...i went and got McDonald's which i rarely do anymore!!! I will get back right tomorrow!!! I need to not just for my hair but for my overall health. Sounds like you're good. Keep it up!!

Mz. CiCi wrote:I think I'll join this challenge because my hair has been....a hot ghetto mess. I'll try to drink more water (it's so nasty though!), eat better, exercise more and get some me time in. All of this is going to be hard b/c I'm a full time college student with a lot of homework!

I know with your schedule it may be hard to get a good meal cooked in for your self but if you do eat fast food you can substitute the french fries for a side salad and the soft drink for a water now. Instead of getting a cheeseburger get the grilled chicken sandwich. Or if you can't ween your self off the burger cold turkey get it but don't get fries or soft drink and go the alternatives above; do a little compromise. It's already been suggested how you can flavor up the water (which are great ideas). I suggest maybe incorporate one thing at a time provided it fits well within your schedule so you don't feel overwhelmed that you're doing it all at once especially if already have a tight schedule with school. As you see what item works add another. HTH :-)

misskris wrote:Doing bad today...i went and got McDonald's which i rarely do anymore!!! I will get back right tomorrow!!! I need to not just for my hair but for my overall health. Sounds like you're good. Keep it up!!

Don't beat yourself up-lol , hey remember I said I have my cravings and moments well for the most part I've been on the straight and narrow but this past weekend I had ChickFilA! I didn't feel guilty and neither did my tummy (lol). I just knew that the next day was another day to start it back up again and get it right and this week I have been. I think we're alotted our treats every now and then just as long as we don't go overboard and stay with the treats(lol).

Misskris, I hear you. We are all in this thing together!

misskris wrote:LOL Yeah, I know. I am also treating myself to some Trader Joe's French vanilla ice cream and a couple of the "oreo" cookies. Then tomorrow back on track. I need to get back to the point I was at a few months ago....working out 5-6 days a week, and eating right. Thanks for the encouragement!! It's better when you have other folks doing it with you, or TRYING to anyway!!! LOL

Hey might as well go all out if its only for a night-let me stop! lol Before it got to hot here in the summertime( TX) me and my coworker would walk for lunch a little over 2.5 miles. I was saying today I wouldn't mind starting it up again. I just don't think I can do the gym thing again, being in the military for 5 years killed that (lol). That's what we're here for to encourage each other!

Ladies it's been a week-how are we all doing? I've had this awful cold I'm attempting to rid myself of. I began looking at the ingredients in Robitussin which I took and that propylene glycol popped up as an inactive ingredient. I really started researching a bit more to find out what exactly is it... not good is all I have to say! I bought Hylands Natural cough syrup and have been taking that the last two days. Does anyone else know of any at home remedies for cold?

Yacoomba, sorry you have a cold. The old tried and true regulars in the kitchen to manage the symptoms are always helpful such as: lemon and honey in a tea. Now, I won't encourage alcohol. What I will say is some, put a little in the tea. Then, you get in your bed under the cover. Really, the purpose is to encourage the person to sweat. When you awaken, you will notice an improvement. If you have nasal stuffiness, vapor rubs under the nose are helpful. Also, a winner (but no one likes to do it) is a saline nasal wash. You can buy saline drops. They are cheap and Walmart has them too. If you want to give it a try, you can make it. Use 1 teaspoon of table salt per 1 cup of warm water (the water should be as warm as you can tolerate it). You will inhale this in your nose and spit it out of your mouth. I would recommend taking a steamy shower just before going to bed. This will increase the likelihood of you getting a decent night sleep because you will have temporary relief from nasal congestion. Also, I am a fan of vaporizers and humidifiers. You just have to take care to keep them clean so bacteria don't settle there because of the water. Stay very hydrated. However, I always tell people to stay away from the fluids high in sugar (like juice). Sugar is not a friend to the immune system. Better to eat the orange than to drink orange juice. Also, eat chicken soup (no really, this is not a joke. There are promising studies out there). If you have a sore throat, gargle with very warm salt water. Feel better!

naturalnolagirl1900 wrote:Yacoomba, sorry you have a cold. The old tried and true regulars in the kitchen to manage the symptoms are always helpful such as: lemon and honey in a tea. Now, I won't encourage alcohol. What I will say is some, put a little in the tea. Then, you get in your bed under the cover. Really, the purpose is to encourage the person to sweat. When you awaken, you will notice an improvement. If you have nasal stuffiness, vapor rubs under the nose are helpful. Also, a winner (but no one likes to do it) is a saline nasal wash. You can buy saline drops. They are cheap and Walmart has them too. If you want to give it a try, you can make it. Use 1 teaspoon of table salt per 1 cup of warm water (the water should be as warm as you can tolerate it). You will inhale this in your nose and spit it out of your mouth. I would recommend taking a steamy shower just before going to bed. This will increase the likelihood of you getting a decent night sleep because you will have temporary relief from nasal congestion. Also, I am a fan of vaporizers and humidifiers. You just have to take care to keep them clean so bacteria don't settle there because of the water. Stay very hydrated. However, I always tell people to stay away from the fluids high in sugar (like juice). Sugar is not a friend to the immune system. Better to eat the orange than to drink orange juice. Also, eat chicken soup (no really, this is not a joke. There are promising studies out there). If you have a sore throat, gargle with very warm salt water. Feel better!

Thank you for the well wishes and tips! You know it's mostly this cough that I'm battling with and I would say congestion. No stuffy nose thank goodness! I did have some chicken soup yesterday for lunch with a chicken salad sandwich, I suppose I need to make some more. Fortunately I'm not a soda or juice drinker; I've been drinking 64 ounces plus glasses of water at work each day (although not today only 32 ounces). I really do need to sweat this cold out as you suggested above, I feel that really will help me along w/ your other suggestions. Thanks again! :-)

I want to get in on this challenge in the new year. I'm going to start getting some healthy foods now to give me inspiration.

Het Stacie....I like that idea cuz I am doing pretty poorly with this challenge. I used to be so good about it but I have gotten lazy again. New year, new me!!

Agreed. The new year is a perfect opportunity for a fresh start. Also with Christmas coming up, there's no way I'll be able to eat healthy. LOL!