What You Need to Eat to Grow Long African American or Black Hair
Posted: Monday, July 09, 2007
by Jenny Olabode
Crazy Over You Hair Boutique
To grow longer African American hair, you MUST maintain a healthy diet, use quality hair care products, and take hair growth stimulating vitamins. Below I have outlined, some tried and true steps that will help your gow longer hair. If you try them, within 3 to 4 months, you will notice a major difference.
Step #1: Eat leafy greens. Dark green leafy vegetables are the best foods for hair growth because greens are loaded with vitamins and minerals your body and hair needs to stay healthy, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and fiber. Try eating mustard greens, spinach, salads, and cabbage. These are your normal Sunday dinner foods, however, to grow your hair longer, you should incorporate them into your weekly meals. Of course, this will require you to cook more from home. But, there is hope. If you are not a chef, try buying fresh vegetables and using olive oil to sauté your veggies. You can also do this with frozen vegetables. Also, below is a list of some very tasty, green, hair growth stimulating leafy vegetables and methods for cooking them. These tips are recommended by the Center for Young Women's Health .
Chicory has a slightly bitter flavor and is rich in vitamins K, C, and calcium. Chicory is best eaten with other greens in salad or when added to soups and pasta sauces.
Collard Greens have a spinach-like flavor and are rich in vitamin A and calcium. They are best if you boil them briefly and then add to a soup or stir-fry. You can also eat collard greens as a side dish. Just add your favorite seasoning and enjoy!
Dandelion Greens have a bitter, tangy flavor and are rich in vitamin A and calcium. They are best when steamed or eaten raw in salad.
Kale has a slightly bitter, cabbage-like flavor and is rich in vitamin A, C, calcium, folic acid, and potassium. Kale is tasty when added to soups, stir-fries, and sauces.
Mustard Greens have a hot, spicy flavor and are rich in vitamin A, C and calcium. They are delicious eaten raw in salads or in stir-fries and soups.
Spinach has a sweet flavor and is rich in vitamin A, C, iron and calcium. Spinach tastes great eaten raw in salads or steamed.
Swiss Chard tastes similar to spinach and is rich in vitamins C, K, and calcium. It is beststir-fried or eaten raw in salads.
Step #2: Eat More Protein. Try eating more fish and BEANS. Yes, beans, nuts, and meat all contain protein, which will keep your hair shaft it’s strongest and prevent hair breakage. Limit your intake of pork, bacon, etc… Don’t even use them to season your leafy vegetables. Again, if you are not a cook, try buying soy protein shakes. Protein shakes come in many different flavors and are especially great to help thicken thinning hair.
Step #3: Change What You Drink: Limit your intake of alcohol, acids, and drinks that contain unnatural sugars. Instead, substitute water! By drinking at least 6 to 10 glasses of water everything in your body will function at optimal condition barring any major illness. Your hair will thrive because your increased water intake will transport the necessary nutrients your follicles need to your scalp.
Step #4: Use all natural hair care products that contain ingredients you can place in your body and that are great for hair growth. Try Beauty 4 Ashes Super hair growth shampoos and products. They contain many hair healthy ingredients, such as amino acids, essential fatty acids, vitamin A, B, C, D, E, and natural herbs. But, if you need to repair your hair, eating well as well as using a hair healthy product will help. Instead of focusing on hair growth, try GodHead Silky Smooth by Beauty 4 Ashes. It will repair any hair damage that you have. wwwdiscoverb4acom
Step # 5: Also, consider taking vitamins. Omega 3 and 6 are great for African American hair, as well as Amino Acids and Vitamin B. If you do not like vitamins, eat more biotin-enriched foods, such as cauliflower and bananas. Biotin is one of the few B family vitamins; yet, biotin is an important player in energy metabolism and the production of various enzymes. Consequently, it plays a vital role in determining the health of your hair.
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)Jenny, an interesting article with valuable information. A proper diet is link with everything about our overall health. Sometimes we abuse our bodies and yes, our hair and nails may suffer along with other vital organs. I liked how you began this article! I look forward to reading more from you!
This is very good information for black women who desires healthy, long hair. This is exactly what I have been searching for. I will be reading more of your articles and will tell other sisters about it!
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