Healthy Hair Ideas For You

The structure of hair is like that of the scales on the skin of a fish - that is overlapping scales around a central core called the cortical. Smoother overlapping and undamaged structure of this makes the hair look shiny and smooth and leads to easy combing while a tangled or roughed-up structure makes the hair look rough and dull and makes it difficult to comb as it causes interlocking of hair and make it “knotty”.

The type of hair, its color, the age for its graying and its retention on the head is normally inherited and depends upon the genetic makeup of the person. However there are few external factors which contribute to the health of hair, its behavior and its looks.

No matter what type of hair nature blessed you with, there are things you can do to keep it healthy, lustrous, looking its best. Here are some tips for a healthy head of hair from the tradition of Ayurveda, the 5,000-year old healing tradition that originated in India:

1. Like everything else about true, lasting beauty, healthy hair begins within your body. Start with your diet. Include lots of green leafy vegetables and sweet juicy fruits. Dairy products such as milk and fresh yogurt will also help. Fresh coconut is also considered excellent “hair food” – sprinkle grated coconut over salads, diced fresh fruit, or rice.

2. Cut down on refined, processed and canned foods. Ayurveda considers foods with artificial preservatives and chemical additives stripped of their inherent “intelligence” and therefore not helpful in supplying nutrition to your body and mind. Ice-cold beverages also hamper the process of digestion and assimilation of nutrients.

3. Cooking with certain spices adds flavor to your food and provides nourishment for your hair. Cumin, turmeric and black pepper are some “hair-friendly” spices. Add a healthy pinch of each to single-portion soups and stews as they are cooking. Saut้ 1/8 –1/4 teaspoon each of the three spices in a teaspoon of ghee (clarified butter) or olive oil and add to cooked veggies. Roasted ground cumin and ground black pepper can be sprinkled over fresh yogurt.