Do you have an amazing stylist and use the most expensive products, but you do not seem to have healthy hair and it does not seem to want to cooperate? Genetics can be responsible for hair that’s dull and lifeless. Although poor nutrition and hormonal imbalance may be to blame. Each plays a huge role in hair texture, shine, quality, and how much of it you have.

Extreme Dieting

To achieve more healthy hair, the first step is to be careful not to go too low on calories for an extended period of time when following any diet plan. Juice cleanses and elimination diets have merit, although they are best done intermittently. Your body needs enough calories and energy to support hair growth. Losing weight too rapidly can also lead to a condition called Telogen Effluvium. When this happens the hair follicles can go prematurely into a resting phase and cause the hairs to fall out.

Passing on protein

Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein and we need them to maintain healthy hair. If protein is deficient in the diet it can lead to alopecia, thinning hair, and premature graying. If you follow a vegan diet make sure to include daily servings of legumes, raw nuts, seeds, nut butters, avocado, and quinoa. Vegetarians may also be lacking in calcium, iron, b vitamins, zinc, and essential fatty acids. Nutritional supplements are highly recommended if you are avoiding fish, meat, and dairy.

Fear of Fat

Watching for saturated fat is obviously important but we don’t want to cut out all fat from our diet. Healthy fats such as Monounsaturated Fat and Polyunsaturated Fat are necessary on many levels to support bodily functions as well as maintain beautiful hair. Omegas 3’s are extremely beneficial and can be found in olive oil, avocados, nuts, and fatty fish. Stay away from fat burners and diet pills since they can cause fluctuations in hormones and contribute to hair loss.

Overmedicating

It’s not uncommon to experience hair loss when you are on several prescription drugs. Antidepressants, birth control pills, and anti- inflammatory drugs can cause your hair to thin as a side effect. If you’ve noticed a difference since beginning a new prescription, consult with your doctor.

Stressing out

Stress can cause accelerated aging and wreak havoc on your hormones. It’s one of the factors that directly correlate with your appearance. When you are stressed, chances are you’re not sleeping well either. Premature graying, thinning, and overall hair loss can result from the body being out of balance. Find ways to calm yourself down. Whether it’s a workout, taking a bath, getting out of the city, or hiring a baby sitter, as you relax you will definitely start looking better.

There are also some effective supplements and therapies that can help to bring back healthy hair:

1. Collagen is a protein comprised of amino acids that support bone, connective tissue and give skin its elasticity. It has numerous benefits for your hair skin and nails. Collagen powder is available in supplement form and can be a great addition to your morning smoothie.

2. B Vitamins (Biotin and Pantothenic Acid) both have a reputation for hair re-growth. Biotin helps to thicken hair and Panthothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) can prevent your hair from thinning in the first place.

3. Tocotrienols are a form of vitamin E that is different than most E supplements and can be used to increase hair growth in people with alopecia or hair thinning.

4. PRP Therapy is a treatment that involves a technician withdrawing your blood, processing it so that only the enriched cells (platelet-rich plasma) remain, and injecting it into your scalp. PRP contains essential proteins that stimulate natural hair growth.  Anti-Aging specialist, Dr. Lionel Bissoon performs this treatment which can be effective over a number of sessions.

5. NeoGraft is a minimally invasive hair transplantation procedure which does not involve a scalpel or scar. While it is a financial investment comparable to surgery, the results are more dramatic than most other treatments.

Seasonal allergies can be brutal. Hay fever, itchy/watery eyes, sneezing, running nose, sinus inflammation, puffy eyes, and congestion are not symptoms that can go untreated. When you experience environmental allergies, they can be caused by the immune system’s overreaction to substances such as pollen or animal dander.

Suppressing Seasonal Allergies with Natural Alternatives

While medications can provide some relief, there can also come with side effects like dry mouth, feeling tired or wired, and may even affect digestion. The following suggestions are natural alternatives found in foods and herbal supplements. They can help to improve your immune system and be safer in the long run if allergies are a recurring problem.

1. Butterbur

Butterbur is a plant that is used for several medicinal purposes, including migraines. Yet it has also been noted as a successful remedy for allergies. When your body comes into contact with an allergen, it releases the inflammatory chemical called leukotriene which signals an allergic response. In studies, butterbur seems to suppress leukotriene and ease allergy symptoms.

2. Bromelain

Bromelain is an enzyme that is helpful in reducing nasal swelling and thinning mucus, making it easier for people to breathe better. Two well known sources of bromelain (aside from supplements) are papaya and pineapple. It can temper an overactive immune system and it may be particularly useful for sinus infections as well.

3. Quercitin

Quercitin has many benefits and is an antioxidant found in several fruits and vegetables as well as wine. It helps to block inflammation and the release of histamine (a key contributor to allergies). Histamines are the chemicals that are produced when the immune system detects an allergen or sensitivity. In essence, quercitin can work as nature’s “Anti-histamine” rather than taking an over the counter medication.

4. Stinging Nettle

Stinging Nettle is a plant that can also reduce the production of histamine and inflammation that is triggered by an allergen from seasonal allergies. Its uses have been recognized among herbalists for decades.  Nettle can be a remedy for helping itchy eyes, sneezing and a runny nose.

5. Diet

Diets shouldn’t be overlooked when you want to manage allergy symptoms. If you are accustomed to just taking medication or supplements you may want to consider what you’re eating. An anti-inflammatory diet can be very helpful, especially one high in Omega 3 fatty acids. Salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel and trout are all high in EPA and DHA. Just be careful to choose fish that’s wild rather than farmed due to the high mercury content. You may also want to eliminate foods that can trigger allergy symptoms such as common culprits like wheat, gluten and dairy.

By Danielle Pashko

A Gluten Free Diet. If you are from my generation, you will definitely remember the movie Mean Girls with Lindsay Lohan who played Cady, the new girl at school. The plot revolves around the clique of stuck-up popular girls called “The Plastics” whose leader Regina, was played by Rachel McAdams. To get back at the obnoxious Regina, Cady came up with a plan to tell her about these special Swedish protein bars for weight loss called Kalteen Bars. The joke was that these bars actually made her gain weight but she had no idea what was in them since the labels were not in English.

Kalteen Bars were what I call the former snacks I once lived on; they were wholesome, delicious and, yes, part of a gluten free diet. I got them from the health food store and would often skip meals, relying on these dense, muffin/granola looking bars to fill me up instead. My rationale for eating them – including the fact they were “natural” and low- fat – was that I was having one less meal. So why did I pile on the pounds?

In college when I became a strict vegan and didn’t touch sugar, there wasn’t the same accessibility to vegetarian salad bars that are now offered on every corner. Rather than have an actual meal, my only option I thought was healthy were these giant, wheat-free, gluten-free, dairy-free cookies or rolled oat bars (Kalteen Bars) along with some kind of naturally sweetened tea, juice, or nut milk. I was doing physical labor from early in the morning until the evening with my clients and that was all following my 90-minute intensive 6 a.m. Ashtanga Yoga practice. Who actually gains weight with that kind of schedule on a vegan diet? I realized my biggest disaster was the “natural” cookies and oat snacks.

Here lies the problem with gluten free snack foods

You trust what’s in them because the package looks healthy and it appears to come from a credible source. I can assure you, though, that there is no stringent labeling regulation for many of these start-up health companies. These seemingly healthy snacks may look small and harmless. You may even check the nutritional facts and it doesn’t seem too bad. Then a few months later don’t be surprised to see the label that once said “one serving per package 180 calories and 29 grams of carbohydrates” has now been changed to “200 calories and 33 grams of carbohydrates.”

And guess what? Now the label says each package is two servings. Accordingly, you are eating a 400 calorie snack, 66 grams of carbohydrates and throw in who knows how many grams of “natural sugar.” Many small manufacturers will try to get away with as much as they can until they get busted.

If your style is to skip a real lunch but instead grab a dense, gluten-free chewy concoction that’s the size of a baseball – watch out! Gluten-free cookies, muffins, pretzels, and oat bars will make you gain weight! Doesn’t matter if they are 100% natural, organic, sweetened with honey or agave. At the end of the day, they are still snack foods that should be eaten recreationally. Don’t let the tree hugger labels or the fact that they are sold at the health food store fool you.

A Gluten Free Diet has become the new Fat Free.

Yet following the fat-free trend that was the hype in the 90’s didn’t prevent people from getting fatter. Agreed that a cookie with 25 grams of fat is still worse than a cookie with no fat, but a cookie is still a cookie. Eating a gluten-free bowl of pasta or macaroni and cheese for dinner will still make you pile on the pounds weight unless you plan to use those carbs to go run a marathon.

Let me preface my opinion by also stating that I happen to follow a gluten free diet. Additionally, I ask that most of my clients go gluten-free as well regardless if they suffer or not from Celiac Disease. From a health perspective, I see improvements across the board when gluten is eliminated from the diet. Gliadin, a protein found in gluten, tends to cause inflammation in many people. Inflammation also causes weight gain.

Gluten intolerance may additionally reveal itself through digestive problems, achy joints, auto-immune disease, skin conditions, headaches and possibly more for people who are sensitive. So yes I feel avoiding foods with gluten is good. It’s less complicated to just consume foods that are naturally gluten-free such as fruits, vegetables, fish and poultry along with red meat, beans, legumes, soy products and grains in limited quantities. Don’t be tempted by foods that are substituted with gluten-free flours or starches to make an otherwise gluten-containing product now be considered healthy.

For example, if you eat a pasta on a gluten free diet, the wheat and gluten have been removed but now it’s substituted with rice, potato starch or corn. The same goes for gluten-free bread, cereals etc. What makes this worse is that the gluten-free replications almost always contain more carbohydrates and calories. Check out a box of whole wheat bread versus gluten-free rice bread. Many times one slice is double the calories and carbs.

I’m not a fan of either, but you should know what you’re getting into. “Gluten-free pizza” is not a smart substitution when trying to lose weight. Additionally, gluten-free products typically have less fiber and are higher on the glycemic index. This will raise your blood sugar more quickly, fill you up less, and have you craving more food once you’ve finished. If your kitchen cabinets have a surplus of gluten-free goodies, you don’t need throw everything out. Simply see it as a treat or use the remains for a dinner party and don’t restock.

See some swaps that I recommend for your favorite man-made, foods for a gluten free diet:

Gluten-free pasta Shirataki noodles: These are made from tofu and an entire bag is only 6 grams of carbohydrates and 40 calories. It’s not exactly the same as having a bowl of pasta, but if you dress it up with some meatballs, salmon or grilled chicken with some fresh tomato sauce or olive oil and garlic with a side of broccoli, you now have a tasty meal that you didn’t blow a workout for.

Sandwich Bread: Udi’s™ makes a decent gluten-free bread if you have an occasional sandwich. Yet, if your preference is to have sandwiches all the time, try stuffing your protein such as tuna, turkey, or burgers in cabbage leaves, Portobello mushroom or a large bell pepper. To fatten it up, add on lettuce, avocado, and alfalfa sprouts. If that doesn’t fill you up, have a side of roasted yellow, green, butternut squash or beets instead of chips or French fries.

Desserts (cookies, cakes, and pastries): We already went over that gluten-free snacks are not the best swaps. Instead have two squares  of 80% organic dark chocolate with a few raw almonds or a baked apple or pear with cinnamon. You can also sprinkle a few crumbs of gluten-free granola and add Stevia before baking and it makes it taste like you are eating pie.

It may sound like I’m advocating a very low-carb diet over a gluten free diet. But the case for most people is we end up making up the carbohydrates regardless if we want to live a normal existence. If you go to a friend’s house for a meal or out  to dinner, it’s okay to let yourself go a little. So by being conscious on your own time, you have the room to be less strict in public as long as you’re open about being on a gluten free diet.

It’s totally accepted now that no one will think it’s strange. Yet, if you’re in a summer share house with friends and start making sandwiches wrapped in cucumber slices they will think you’re a nut job! So know your company and make choices to the best of your ability with the foods that are being served. Go with the flow, knowing you will go back to your routine in the comfort of your own kitchen. Alternatively, if you go to a restaurant with a gluten-free menu, it’s better to bypass the gluten-free pastas or breads for the novelty. Instead, choose from carbohydrates that are higher in fiber and naturally gluten- free. Quinoa, sweet potato, brown rice, and butternut squash make the best side dishes. But remember, it’s not in unlimited quantities. These starchy foods are best if eaten earlier in the day rather than at night.

To live the Gluten-Free lifestyle, here are my takeaways to get the most benefit:

#1. Ask yourself, “Was this product manufactured for a gluten-free diet?” “Or is this a naturally gluten-free food?”

#2. Follow as many of my suggested food swaps that are realistic when you are in the privacy of your own home (so people don’t laugh and discourage you) and go easy on the grains (even if gluten-free). Eat double portions of green leafy and starchy vegetables for extra fiber and fullness.

#3. Aside from high-quality protein bars and shakes, abandon the habit of eating gluten-free snack foods. This means anything that comes in a box, bag, or contains a wrapper. You can eat them recreationally – but understand it’s not much better for your figure than eating a brownie or slice of cheesecake.