As promised, here comes a lunch menu recommendation to improve not just your lifestyle, but your hairstyle as well. If you’re looking for a healthier diet plan to improve your skin and hair, here are a list of ingredients that you should consider adding to your daily mid-day routine. We hope this article inspires you to live and eat mindfully, beautifully and healthily.
Choose Your Protein
Reboot your day with a protein filled lunch. Fish, eggs, and legumes are all great light sources of protein. Protein is essential for hair growth, so if you’re worried about hair loss, or you’re eager to grow your locs longer, try to fill up your diet with a protein packed lunch. If you’re vegan, lentils is a great option, as a soup or stew, it’s a filling and satisfying choice.
If you’re shooting for the legume options like humus, black beans, adzuki beans, kidney beans, make sure to add a side of rice (mexican style, or not, but why not?) in order to get a complete protein to strengthen your hair, energy levels, and body. Unlike lentils, soy based products, like tofu are already a complete protein and won’t need rice on the side, that is if you’re trying to keep it lighter. Quinoa is also a high quality protein option as a salad base, or all on its own, especially when cooked with coconut oil, delicious.
Get Your Omega-3
The only way for our bodies to obtain omega-3 fatty acids is through our diet. Omega-3 are especially important for maintaining a healthy scalp, so if you’re experiencing dandruff or dry scalp, try upping your omega-3 intake. Fish, like Salmon, Mackerel,Herring, and Sardines, are loaded with omega-3s, plus a whole lotta other important vitamins and minerals. If you’re able to purchase fresh river salmon, that’s your best option to get a clean fish. Herring and Sardines are also a great alternative, since they are so small they don’t absorb toxins like many other fish do, and they have an extremely high reproduction rate. If you’re vegan, go for Flaxseed, Flax oil, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and avocado. As a vegetarian, those are all great options to add to an egg lunch, or a refreshing salad.
Say Yes to Iron
A diet rich in iron will help healthy loc growth. If you are low in iron, the proper nutrients will not circulate through your body and make it to your scalp and roots. A common symptom of low iron levels is frequent hair loss and shedding. All your green vegetables, well most, are iron filled ready to be eaten raw or cooked, and stored in your body for health and wellness. Spinach, Broccoli, Kale, Arugula, Peas, and Lentils are ideal options for a beautiful day and body. Red meat, of course, is the most obvious source of iron, but if your a vegetarian, Soybeans and Tempeh are rich sources of iron to get the nutrients flowing through your body to your scalp and roots. So, if you’ve been eyeing that package of tempeh in Trader Joe's for the past few weeks, now might be the time to experiment with that odd looking iron packed alternative.
Vitamin A for Sebum Production
Vitamin A is essential for a healthy scalp and new hair growth. Vitamin A promotes sebum production which naturally keeps your scalp conditioned. If you’re into a big salad lunch, or a smoothie break, go for the orange stuff, and by stuff we mean fruits and vegetables. Vegetables rich in Vitamin A include, carrots, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins. You can add a scoop or two if goat cheese if you’re craving the creamy stuff, to add some more vitamin A to your diet. If you’re onto the smoothie lunch, add mango for a sweet vitamin A kick. Dried fruit, like apricots, can make for a great Vitamin A snack, or as a clever delight to your energy filled salad.
Vitamin C Smoothie
Vitamin C should always be paired with foods rich in iron. Vitamin C aids in the absorption of iron, so if you’re building your own smoothie got for any and every berry, especially blueberries, spinach, kiwi, guava if you’re looking for that exotic kick, and oranges. If you’re still dreaming of that delicious salad you had planned, add a squeeze of lemon to freshen up those greens with more vitamin C and zest, yum.
And Finally, Zinc and Selenium
As mentioned in our breakfast suggestions, zinc and selenium are important nutrients for hair growth and a nutritious scalp. Add chickpeas, a boiled egg, pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews, mushrooms, to your lunch soup or salad for a Zinc filled afternoon. Many of your zinc options are great because they add that rich dense filler you may be craving if your cutting out carbs from your mid day or everyday diet. Hungry yet? Empower yourself with clean and nutritious eating!
