Healthy You Equals Healthy Hair

For me, embracing my natural hair taught me to become more aware of myself on different levels. Although hair is technically "dead," hair growth and the state of our hair starts with our insides. I remember last Spring when I was getting ready to graduate from college I had a whole laundry list of stress that took a toll on my hair. Besides direct neglect on my part, I wasn't eating well nor was I sleeping much because of the stress I was dealing with. The natural "sheen" to my hair went dim and it was constantly dry and tangled and I experienced some breakage.

I've changed my diet recently to non-meat eating, not for moral reasons but because I simply don't care for eating it at the moment--but better believe that when I crave some carne I will be eating it. Eating meat is actually not bad for our health because it's an excellent source of protein which is of course great for hair growth. I usually ate poultry (chicken) with the occasional red meat saved for when I went to Chipotle or Good Burger (omnomnom). Right now I've occasionally been consuming other sources of protein like fish, dairy and eggs and taking cod liver oil in pill form. (I used to have to drink the liquid as a child, and can't deal with the fishy taste so the pills are easier). Cod Liver Oil has omega-3 fatty acids which are great for hair. It also helps with vision and skin health and the immune system. I take 2 capsules daily.

I've also always been a heavy consumer of veggies, particularly green ones like spinach, broccoli and green beans. They are really easy to cook and great to add to a meal. I don't always eat organic, but I do shop at my local fruit and vegetable stand. Just like caring for your hair, caring for your body doesn't have to be expensive and I live in New York City where everything is pricey and I still more or less live like a "broke college student."