As the end of 2021 is quickly approaching (much too quickly for my taste might I add) are you starting to think about the New Year and getting retrospective? You know, thinking about all of those things you did this past year, the triumphs and yes, maybe a blunder or two!
Do you have some goals rattling around in your head for 2022? If so, you’re not alone!
I feel like the most common goals out there are health and fitness related because well, January is rolling around and the gym is about to get super crowded. There are lots of things on the market to improve health, beauty and overall wellness, and I don’t mind telling you that sifting through all of that can be really overwhelming!
Just this morning I skipped through 4 separate Instagram ads all trying to sell me different exercise routines. I don’t know about you, but when I see too many choices it doesn’t make me want to investigate them, like at all, instead it just makes me want to give up and do something else (most likely not work on my overall wellness). That’s why I think my goal for 2022 is to pare down and make things simpler when it comes to helping myself look and feel better. I continue to struggle with thinning hair and the goal is always to help make it thicker and healthier.
Since incorporating collagen powder (Bulletproof brand is my favorite) into my daily coffee and being super regimented with my multivitamin and biotin, I have really noticed a difference in the thickness of my hair. So much so that my stylist, Jamie, was like “new hair, who dis? I can hardly recognize your hair Diana! It’s so full and healthy!” These changes were super easy to incorporate into my daily routine, so I think I’m interested in making other changes to my diet to help me not only look younger, but maybe also help me get a little healthier.
After doing some research, this is what I was able to find; increasing certain vitamins and minerals in the diet or with supplements can greatly improve not only your hair, skin, and nails, but probably your overall wellness too.
Here were the nutrients that kept coming up in my research:
Zinc: Helps keep hair and skin healthy by fighting microbial skin conditions like acne and help keep hair looking full and lush. Zinc is naturally occurring and found in foods like asparagus, eggs, endive, shellfish, mushrooms, mussels, oysters, pumpkin seeds, pecans, radishes, turkey and whole grains.
Vitamin E: This powerhouse vitamin can help with all kinds of hair, skin and nail conditions. Vitamin E helps to condition the scalp and help hair growth overall by reducing free radicals that stop hair growth. It can also help heal scars and heal skin after sunburns. You can find Vitamin E in avocados, oily fish, green veggies, eggs, safflower oil and cold pressed wheat germ oil.
Vitamin C: In addition to being good for helping your immune system, Vitamin C can really help your nails and skin by strengthening connective tissue, skin and blood vessel walls. This helps hair, skin, and nails grow strong. It can also be found in foods like broccoli, citrus fruit, kiwi, peppers, all potatoes, strawberry and watermelon.
Vitamin B12: Found in foods like chicken, cottage cheese, eggs, haddock, halibut, liver, tuna, and yogurt. If you are B12 deficient it can manifest in things like nail discoloration and hyperpigmentation, however, taking more of this won’t help clear any other conditions, but may give you other health benefits, like improved mood and more energy.
Vitamin B Complex is great for maintaining healthy hair and scalp. It can be found in foods like avocado, chicken, collard greens, fish, green veggies, kale, liver, potatoes, soybeans and whole grains.
Vitamin A: This is one of those great helper vitamins because having adequate levels of Vitamin A in the system will help naturally produce more collagen in the body which can help strengthen hair and nails and improve skin overall.
Selenium: Helps improve scalp health by reducing dandruff and can improve acne. Selenium will also help improve skin’s overall elasticity and nail strength. Eat foods like brazil nuts, garlic, liver, onions, shellfish, wheat germ and whole grains.
Magnesium: Eating foods like avocados, dark green veggies, dried apricots, fish, fresh nuts, sesame and pumpkin seeds and whole grains will help up your magnesium levels. Magnesium is known to help reduce hair loss by stimulating the hair follicle and help regulate acne.
Iron: Helps your skin glow and prevents hair from breaking. It can be found in foods like apricots, brown rice, green vegetables, millet, oats, red meat, raisins, wheat and whole grains.
Folic Acid: Found in foods like beet greens, chard, kale spinach, bean sprouts, legumes, peanuts, wheat germ and yeast. Folic Acid can work wonders on your hair, skin, and nails by promoting healthy cell growth.
Essential Fatty Acids: Also known as Omega-3 Fatty acids, they can work wonders for your skin and hair by helping to protect against the sun’s harmful rays, as well as helping to reduce acne and helping to prevent red, itchy and dry skin. Calcium: found in dairy products like milk and cheese can help give your skin that amazing glow. It helps keep skin hydrated, who knew!?
I hope that you found this information helpful and not so dense. Moral of the story, mix in some dairy, greens, and eggs to help your hair, skin and nails look frickin’ awesome!
Research sourced from Radiant Beauty: Your Healthy & Organic Guide to Total Body Well-Being by Mary Beth Janssen
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