Did you know that your diet has a role in maintaining healthy skin and hair? Although skincare and haircare products used externally help nourish and maintain healthy skin and hair, you can’t entirely rely on external applications alone. Eating nutritious food is important too, as nutritional deficiencies harm our skin and hair. Deficiency of certain nutrients in your body could impact skin health and lead to hair fall.
Drinking enough water
Drinking enough water is essential for healthy skin and hair. Dehydration, which is caused due to drinking less water can lead to hair loss, dry scalp, and dry/dull skin. Water helps flush out toxins from our bodies and reduces the risk of skin/hair damage. Make it a habit to keep yourself hydrated by drinking water, which will keep you healthy and promote naturally glowing skin and hair.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants have a remarkable role in protecting our body from cell damage called ‘oxidative stress‘ which causes chronic diseases and damages our skin and hair. Antioxidants prevent inflammation, reduce health risks, and promote optimal skin health and hair health. Many antioxidants are found naturally in certain foods such as blueberries, strawberries, spinach, oranges, capsicum, nuts, seeds, tomatoes, and whole grains.
Healthy Fats
Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids are the healthy fats that promote healthy skin and hair. Natural sources of these healthy unsaturated fats are nuts, seeds, fatty fish, avocados, extra virgin olive oil, tofu, shellfish, and plant oils.
Proteins
Our hair, nails, and skin are made up mostly of proteins like keratin, collagen, and elastin. Intake of adequate protein is essential for healthy skin and hair. Consuming protein-rich food is important for the formation of the proteins present in our skin and hair.
The natural food sources loaded with proteins are eggs, dairy products, legumes, nuts, poultry, seafood, and soy products. If you intend to take protein supplements, consult your doctor and choose safe products.
Vitamins and Minerals
Obtaining adequate amounts of certain vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin A, Vitamin B7, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Zinc, and Selenium, from our diet is crucial for healthy skin and hair. Natural sources of these nutrients are:
- Vitamin A- carrots, spinach, sweet potato, Pumpkin.
- Vitamin B7 or biotin – almonds, fish, whole grains, leafy greens.
- Vitamin C – Guavas, bell peppers, strawberries, citrus fruits.
- Vitamin E – almonds, sunflower seeds, and avocados.
- Zinc – oysters, spinach, lentils.
- Selenium – nuts, grains, fish, and poultry.
Eating Habits To Avoid For Healthy Skin and Hair
Eating food that is poor in nutrition frequently leads to insufficient amounts of nutrients in our bodies. It is important to reduce or avoid consuming fried food, sugary food, red meat, and highly processed food too often. Try to replace them with healthier options like food that contains healthy fats such as fish and naturally sweet food such as fruits.
Protein and calcium deficiency leads to brittle hair, dry skin and hair loss. Eating a balanced diet rich in essential nutrients is crucial for healthy skin and hair. Haircare and skincare products can’t entirely take care of your hair and skin if you ignore the role of diet in skin and hair health.
To avoid nutritional deficiencies, prioritize a well-balanced diet and practice mindful eating habits. This will improve your overall health and ensure your hair and skin are vibrant and healthy.
To learn what mindful eating is and how to practice it, read this article: Mindful eating for a healthy life.
References
Watch this video from my YouTube channel for natural skincare tips:
Here are some easy to use at home natural haircare tips:
This Post Has 12 Comments
Thanks Rancy, i am facing hair fall issues and will definitely try to improve my health now.
I’m glad to know that you found the post helpful.
Rancy, this is so true. I find that drinking enough water is especially important. Whenever I’m dehydrated, my skin looks so dull, but when I drink the recommended 8 cups of water a day, my skin glows and makes me feel great!
Thank you Vi-Zanne, for sharing your experience.
You’re right, dehydration makes our skin dull and dry.
So true! I enjoy working out and sometimes it is the only thing I am able to truly do for myself, since I am a busy stay at home mom! It’s so important to take care of yourself and put your health a priority because your children will follow your lead and you want the best for them.
Thank you for sharing your experience. Yes, it’s important to take care of yourself and set an example for your children.
Nice one Rancy. Good food intake is very essential for overall health. Please post an article on how some harsh shampoos are harmful for the hair and the natural ingredients to be used for hair washing.
Thank you for the suggestion. I liked the topic. Will work on it.
This was so interesting and useful to read. What we out into our bodies is so important as it has so many different impacts on our overall well-being. I will look into changing up and adding some foods that will give my skin and hair a boost as they need it. Thank you for this information!
I’m glad that you found this post interesting and useful.
Working on our diet for better health is crucial for our overall well-being.
Wow this is spot on! I do much of this already, I take antioxidants on the regular. I drink a lot of water and use olive oil in place of mayo on sandwiches and I use almond butter in place of butter on toast in the morning. Thanks for all this great advice here!
Allie of
http://www.allienyc.com
Thank you!
It’s great to know that you are mindful of your diet and practice healthy eating habits.