Friday 29 November 2013

How to eat your way to a healthy hair

Let’s create a scenario…  
You are watching an ad for a hair product. An attractive lady beams with smiles as she sways her long beautiful curls from side to side. As she does that, an enchanting voice introduces a hair product. As is the norm, the voice reels out the supposed wonderful abilities of the product. Then the pretty lady comes into focus again, still swaying her hair from side to side but this time, with the product in her hands. Then the advert ends with her saying: ‘Now you know my secret!’ Nice, isn’t it?
The human quest for long, shiny and lustrous hair is almost as old as ‘hair’ itself. Indeed many of us do not mind drilling holes into our pockets just to get the latest ‘miracle hair boosters’. No wonder the Hair cosmetics sector thrives so much! But is there really a cost effective way of achieving a healthy yet attractive looking hair? If you are one of those asking the question then the answer is yes.

This article is going to be focusing on how to maintain that bouncy, healthy hair without breaking the bank. Get ready to be shocked. It will probably come as a surprise to you how healthy dietary habits can affect the hair. Yes! Before the serums, conditioners and shampoos come into play, eating right actually guarantees lustrous hair. Just like every other part of your body, the cells and processes that support strong, vibrant hair depends on a balanced diet. However, it can take longer to notice the changes in the human hair brought about by eating certain kinds of food when compared with how our dietary habit affects the other human parts, say the skin. For example, eating a poor diet in a week can yield acne flare-ups or dry, dull or pale skin. But when it comes to the hair, it can take a few months for the effects of nutritional deficiency to show up. Knowing all of these, what are the required nutrients for the much desired long and lustrous hair?

§        Proteins
A quick chemistry lesson: Do you know that hair is made of about 97% protein? Yes, your hair is pretty much pure protein. Though you might be able to build some muscular biceps by eating less than enough protein, a bald head is certain if the protein content in your body isn't’ high. And even if you do hang onto your hair, eating too little protein can turn it gray.  It is true that all basic nutrients contribute to keeping us whole and healthy, but protein provides the building blocks that allow our bodies repair, replace, or grow bones, skin, muscles, and hair.  Large deposits of protein are found in meat, fish, chicken, eggs, bean, soy foods, and even some grains and vegetables- though in smaller quantities.

§         Fatty foods
Sure you’re thinking isn't fat supposed to be unhealthy?  Yes, there are the unhealthy types of fat such as saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, and hydrogenated fats amongst others which should be avoided. However, there is also the healthy type of fat including Omega-3 fatty acids which are found in sea foods, plant oils. Omega-3 fatty acids help to process the vitamins and minerals in your diets that are necessary for healthy hair production. So pick up a pen right now and add sardines, salmons, walnuts, shrimps into market list as they are foods that are packed with Omega-3 fatty acids.

§        Iron and zinc.
Have you ever noticed that your blood tastes like iron? Well, that’s if you've ever tasted it. This is because Iron is the nutrient responsible for delivering oxygen to your cells, from the blood in your toes all the way up to your hair follicles.  Iron is especially important, and too little iron (anaemia) is a major cause of hair loss, particularly in women. Lean animal meats are great ways to get iron, but if you're vegetarian, consider eating beans, lentils, and soy products.
Zinc, on the other hand, assists in the repair of body tissues. It ensures that the oil glands around your follicles are working properly in order to produce enough oil. In other words, problems such as dry scalp, dandruff and eventually, hair loss can be avoided with zinc. For your daily supply of zinc, eat oysters, low-fat beef, wheat, dark chocolate and cocoa powder.

·        Vitamin C
Vitamin C deficiency is one of the most common causes of hair loss, breakage and lack of lustre (shine). Our bodies use vitamin C to build collagen which is crucial in developing hair growth. Vitamin C also assists in breaking down iron, another building block of hair growth. The body cannot make vitamin C on its own, therefore, it’s crucial that you eat and drink foods that have high concentration of Vitamin C regularly. Citrus fruits, bell peppers, tomatoes, potatoes and spinach are all fantastic and great-tasting foods that are packed with vitamin C.

As iterated above, eating right is especially needed for the proper growth of your hair. However, smoking, hormonal imbalances, and stress/fatigue can negatively affect how your hair looks and feels and no magic nutrient can make up for those concerns. Eat and live right and soon enough, you might just be the envy of all eyes at the salon or barber’s shop!

Thursday 7 November 2013

Sit Right!


Unless you happen to be on your feet all day at work, you probably sit too much. Most of us do. When we go home, we sit on the couch. When we have dinner, we sit on a chair. When we watch movies, we sit in the theatre. When we go out, we sit on a stool. Bottom-line: We spend a huge chunk of our lives sitting down. If that’s true then it’s important to be, well, good at sitting. Don’t you think?

Good sitting posture
Sitting for over six hours is considered to be too long and it has been noted to have serious health problems including back aches/pains, abdomen pains amongst others. Also, according to recent research, prolonged sitting can increase the risk of a heart diseases and attacks by up to 64%. So here’s the question, should we resign ourselves to a lifetime of pain and distress? The answer is a big NO. The good news is that it is easy to deal with the negative effects of sitting too long, no matter how lazy you are and most effectual way is to learn how to sit properly. Today, you are about to discover five easy steps to sitting correctly-almost automatically.

Step 1: Be aware of how you sit
When you sit down, take a moment to check your sitting posture. Scoot all the way back so your lower back rests against the back support of the seat. Your back should be straight. If your seat causes you to lean back or your head to push forward the next two steps will help.

Step 2: Choose the correct chair
A good chair will work wonders for your sitting pasture. Choose a chair with an arched seat to provide back support for good posture throughout the day. Look for seat without a head rest which pushes your head forward. 

Step 3: Use a back support pillowHave a bad chair or car seat? All is not lost. Use a well designed back support pillow to provide the right lumbar support and you will maintain proper back posture even in the worst of seats.

Step 4: Keep shoulders straight
Once you have adjusted your back to a more correct position, then it is time to bring those forward shoulders back. Most people that slouch also keep their shoulders in a curved position when sitting. This is poor practice and it is important that you straighten your shoulders. Again, at first, this will be uncomfortable, but, if you maintain this position for a few days, it will become easier and eventually, the discomfort will dissipate altogether. A great way to ensure that your shoulders remain straight while you sit is to keep them pressed against the back of the chair you are sitting on. If this is done, your shoulders will most certainly be in the correct position (unless of course your chair forms an arch at the back).

Step 5: Plant your feet firmly on the ground. 
It is important to keep your feet planted on the ground. keep them shoulder width apart. This will help support your back while you sit. If you are shorter than mst and your fit cannot touch the ground, either find a new chair that fits your needs or try your best to work without your feet. Once you have your feet plantedon the ground, keep them there!
Now that you learnt the basics of a good sitting posture, I hope you won’t be found slouching your way through the day!

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/workplacehealth/Pages/howtositcorrectly.aspx
http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2013/01/11/proper-sitting.aspx
http://www.livestrong.com/article/82061-correct-seating-posture/