I came upon this video just now and I thought I should share it.
As far as I am concerned, it buttresses the fact that even our healthy foods need to be taken in moderation as we said in this post. Did you see the quantity of Almonds (healthy nuts) and Bananas (fruits) that were 2000 calories? So next time you get your nut butter or feel like eating nuts, remember that you can’t go to town!
Moderation. Moderation!
P:S While the FDA recommends 2000 calories a day, you may need more. Finding out what your BMR is will help you figure out what your daily calorie requirement is. If you are inclined that way, that is.
I came across this video recently. There are many like this, teaching you how to destroy your hair, one style at a time.
It is a massive no-no to back comb your hair. While it does give you volume, it also irreversibly damages the hair. Here is what a normal hair strand looks like.
You will notice that the cuticles are lying flat. This is the ideal position because then it is doing its job of protecting what is lying underneath the hair strand (the cortex and if it is present, the medulla). When hair is backcombed, it raises the cuticles. The inner part of the hair strand is then left unprotected, leaving the fragile inner bits susceptible to environmental pollution, mechanical damage from combing and much more. The cuticles are weakened and will actually drop off easily over time. The Hair strand then looks something like this.
Something to think about if you are on a quest for more volume.
In continuation of this post, I bring you the actual foods you can eat to ensure that you are delivering adequate nutrients to your hair (and other parts of your body). I have been very lazy about this, drawing my information from the presentation that Sherese Ijewere gave at the first NITC. Sherese is a certified Nutritionist who has helped put many a people on the right track nutritionally and even works with cancer patients. Find out more about here product and services here. Carib Health Nigeria
Water 
- Drink 2-3Litres of water per day
- Drink one liter of water within 30 minutes upon rising and the rest throughout the day
- If you drink enough water per day, your body will have enough to deliver to your entire body
Did you know? Dehydration can lead to dandruff? Drink up!
Salmon
Loaded with Omega 3 fatty acids
- Filled with Vitamin B12 + iron
- Salmon supports scalp health
Did you know? Vitamin B12 and iron, found in fish sources help prevent a dry scalp and dull hair color.*
Dark Green Leafy Vegetables
- Spinach, greens, ugu, tete
- Vitamins A + C
- Iron + calcium which your body needs to produce sebum (the oily substance secreted by your hair follicles)
Did you know? The easiest way to incorporate leafy vegetables in your diet is to make a green smoothie? Click here for a recipe
Beans
- Brown beans, white beans, kidney beans, lentils
- Provide protein to promote hair growth
- Contain iron, zinc, biotin.
- 3 or more cups of lentils each week is recommended.
Did you know? Biotin deficiency can result in brittle/weak hair
Nuts
- Walnuts, Cashew, Pecans, Almonds
- Source of selenium, an important mineral for your scalp
- Source of Zinc
- Ensure nuts are a part of your regular hair menu
Did you know? Deficiency of Zinc leads to hair shedding
Poultry
- Chicken/Turkey (notice their feathers?)
Eggs/Fish
- Eggs are high in protein, contains biotin, vitamin B12
- Fish is also high in protein
Did you know? Without adequate protein or low quality protein, hair can be weak or brittle.
Whole Grains
- Whole grain bread, Cereal, Quinoa
- Contains zinc + iron + vitamin B’s
Did you know? Whole Grains contain vitamins
To finish, it is important to note is that: Foods that are good for your hair are also good for your heart . Eat Clean. Energize.
If you follow me on twitter, you know this has been in the works. We are getting ready to bring you another Naturals in the City Meet Up.
Save the date: 6th April, 2013 at the lovely Omenka Gallery in Ikoyi!
We are talking just HAIR at this meet up. Please come back for updates.
Since going natural, have you found that you have an urge to touch your hair? Feel the texture? There is no “running your hands through your hair” for most natural haired ladies, however, I find that a great number of them (myself included) constantly put their hands in their hair.
Why do you think that is?
Let me go first
- I love to feel my hair texture. Having been used to years of relaxed hair, my unprocessed hair texture is still a wonder to me despite the fact that I have worn my hair natural and unprocessed for at least 4 years.
- Running my hair from root to tip just once tells me a lot about my hair. It tells me if it is dry, moisturized, too oily, not oily enough, frizzy e.t.c. This helps me decide how I am going to treat my hair. E.g. Spritz the hair if it is not moisturized enough.
As you may have guessed by my throwing it in your face so very often 
, I am a big proponent of all things Natural. How much so, I haven’t even begun to share on this blog. I am also quite sensible about most things including my inclination for all things natural. I do not ever assume that an item is good for me just because it is natural.
Mother Nature?
As an example, we know that it is not all plants that are fit for human consumption – even for touching – as it may lead to a severe reaction. Good examples are poison ivy and inedible mushroom. Another point is that what works for one will not necessarily work for all. With factors like
- different body chemistry
- pre-existing illnesses
- age
- sex
- levels of activity
and much more, it stands to reason that this theory is correct.
Also, I find that there sometimes appears to be no restraint in terms of quantity in consumption or use of Natural products. Even if something is good for you, a lot of it will certainly be bad for you. A book I once read said that water is good for our consumption but even drinking too much of it is bad for us.
So what am I trying to say here?
- Be Natural, try things with an open mind but always keep a log of how you react to things (especially if this reaction is adverse) so that you do not endanger your health, skin or hair.
- Start small and then scale up when using a new natural product. Don’t be shy to scale down or completely stop using the product if you feel uncomfortable.
- Read the experiences of others that have used these natural products but do not assume that your experience will be definitely be the same.
- If you have any health issue, you will still need to get advice from your doctor before you ingest or use natural products.
In case you are confused as to why I am dedicating a post to this, the answer is simple: I have heard way too many stories. I will share the highlights of a few with you.
- Folks drinking Apple Cider Vinegar neat or barely diluted because they want to get the full effect ( I won’t even comment on this one).
- A reader wanted to get the full effect of her essential oil (to guard against hair breakage) and used it barely diluted in a carrier oil and at a point, neat. Her hair has fallen off, the poor dear. Essential oils are potent – to be used sparingly.
- Reader reading/hearing that Henna was a good “conditioner” and doing a Henna treatment without following it up with a deep conditioning treatment. This led to dry hair and ultimately hair breakage.
- Using a preservative free skin care product which unfortunately was hosting microbial growth. This led to skin irritation. ( I would advice if it is a DIY, make and use small batches at a time and if the recipe calls for water, use purified water)
Natural products are generally good for you but do not automatically assume that they are benign products that cannot do you harm.
Kinky hair is a staple product for Nigerian Natural Haired ladies as it is the closest thing to the natural hair we have. The alternative is usually one that is rather straight and sometimes does not adhere to our hair properly.
I tried to rotate it but it insists that it wants you moving your head sideways in order to read the label
I have a good source for the good quality one and I was thinking of adding it to the Ahia. What do you think? It will come in 2 colors – 4 and 33.
If there is enough interest, it will become an Ahia item, so let me know in the comment section below. Thank you!
This is color 33
Thank you to all that took time out to leave the comments that entered them into the competition. I took in every word with gratitude. I will do another post analyzing the comments. Let’s go straight to the point and announce a winner.
For the sake of transparency, here is how a winner was chosen.
The rules were to leave a comment, critiquing the blog AND stating what you would like to see more of on this blog. Unfortunately, a lot of people did not do both. They did one and not the other. In order not to disqualify too many people, I relaxed the rules and allowed comments that at least stated what they wanted to see on the blog.
These are the people that made the list. I assigned numbers in the order in which they left their comments.
I plugged the range of numbers into this Random Number Generator and it generated a number.
So our winner is…………….Adaobi! Congratulations. I will be contacting you soon.
Everyone, thank you! Thank you!
Here is part of a presentation I gave at NITC4
The question I get the most is “How can I get long hair?” Quite frankly, it is a question that rankles. Healthy hair should be the goal and long hair will be an added benefit.
To achieve healthy hair, one of the most important things to focus on is Nutrition.
At every NITC, Sherese Ijewere of Carib Health, who is co-organizer and in-house nutritionist, gives tips on eating healthy to benefit our hair, body and skin. I also dedicate Mondays to Healthy Eating on the Natural Nigerian Facebook Page, sharing recipes and inspiring pictures for healthy living.
The reason why there is such a focus on nutrition (apart from the obvious health implications) is that if one is in the market for healthy long hair or glowing skin then one must take nutrition seriously.
The body has a prioritization system – when it receives nutrients it apportions it to the most important parts of the body and then goes down its list. Vital Organs like the Liver and Kidney are at the top of the list. Nails and hair are at the bottom. Your body rightly determines that the body requires healthy organs to function. Nails and Hair are really just for aesthetics. Both are dead and are not vital for the body’s survival.
Let’s put this in perspective shall we? If you eat healthy, nutrient dense food, then your body will be awash in nutrients and will be generous when it is apportioning it to the various body parts.
However, if your diet is lacking in nutrients, then your body is going to be stingy with the allocation of nutrients. Your Liver and Kidney will still get the most nutrients and then hair and skin will get what is left. So let us say that your Vital Organs get about 40% of the nourishment you need, your hair and nails will only get about 5%. See how that works?
It is a known fact that the hair and nails are a tell-tale sign of malnutrition in people that have eating disorders.
So what happens when your hair does not get these nutrients?
Ultimately, there is a downward spiral towards possible hair loss.
We will continue this post at a later date by talking about how to eat healthy. Here’s a clue as to how that post will go:
