Ayurvedic
Guide to Natural Beauty
Eat
Your Way to Hair Health!
continued
from page 1
6. Include nuts in your daily diet. Soak
8-10 almonds in hot water, blanch and eat with breakfast every
morning. Soaked walnuts are also good for hair health and color.
Ayurveda recommends soaking nuts before you eat them so that they
do not tax your digestion.
7. There are some ayurvedic herbs that are called keshya rasayanas—herbs
that promote the overall health and longevity of your hair. Amalaki
Rasayana, or Indian Gooseberry, is particularly revered for
its ability to maintain hair color and strength. Triphala
Rasayana, a traditional ayurvedic combination of three fruits
(of which Amla is one) is also good as a digestive toner and internal
cleanser.
When
and How to Eat
A
balanced nutritious diet is definitely your first step towards
hair health and longevity. But step two—eating correctly—is
equally vital in order to give your body the ability to convert
the foods you eat into a form your hair can assimilate and use
to stay lustrous, vibrant and young.
1. Eat the heaviest foods in your diet--those that make your digestion
work hard—in the middle of the day. That’s when, according
to ayurveda, your body’s digestive ability peaks. Heavy grains,
cheese and legumes should thus mainly be eaten at lunch. Eat lighter
at breakfast—enough to kick-start your digestion, but not
so much that you overload it, and lighter at dinner, when your
digestion is winding down for the night.
2. Cook your meals in a positive frame of mind. Everything is
connected according to ayurveda—if you are angry or stressed
when you prepare your meal, you impart that negative energy to
the food; and your body, and hair, are not likely to see the full
benefit from eating those foods.
3. Eat in a happy, settled frame of mind. Again, if you are stressed
or upset when you eat, that food will not benefit you fully. Eating
in silence, with your focus on the aromas, flavors, colors and
textures on your plate is best, but quiet, pleasant, nurturing
company is also wonderful.
4. Your mealtimes are not times to multi-task. Do not work, answer
the telephone, read, play video or computer games or watch television
while you eat. Do not eat on the go either, as you are driving
or walking or shopping—if you do not give your food your
undivided attention, it will not give your body, including your
hair, all of its benefit.
Paying attention to what, when and how you eat, on an ongoing
basis, is the single best thing you can do to maintain the health
and beauty of your hair naturally. Not only do good foods and
good eating habits promote hair health, they also help build resilience
so your hair can better withstand the damaging effects of environmental
pollution, day-to-day stress and less-than-perfect topical hair
care products.
