The Nutrition Salon is NOW Open!

Did you know that your hair tells your eating secrets?  It is definitely a way that practitioners can determine your nutritional status.   What can you eat to grow healthy hair, regardless if you are vegans/vegetarians or not?

Protein is the primary nutrient that provides the structure for our hair.  In addition to proteins, there are supplemental nutrients such as zinc, sulfur, essential fatty acids that give us that rich and ‘bangin’ hair that we all hope for.       

For Vegans/Vegetarians:   

Best protein sources:  beans, green peas, chickpeas, tempeh, tofu, edamame, nuts, quinoa (pronounced keen-wah),  butternuts, leafy green vegetables, hemp, chia seeds, sesame, sunflower and poppy seeds, seitan (wheat gluten that looks like duck meat, but taste delicious when added to meals), non-dairy milk, and unsweetened cocoa powder (1 tbsp =1g of protein)

Zinc: bran cereal, roasted cashews and almonds, chickpeas, boiled lentils and lima beans, and tofu

Sulfur: as for sulfur, it is a component of two vitamins thiamin and biotin that helps with cell metabolism, and is essential to the structure of hair, skin, and nail.  Therefore, taking an organic multivitamin-mineral supplement can help meet your recommended nutrient needs to promote growth.   Food sources:  legumes, nuts, onions, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, garlic, leeks and shallots

Essential fatty acid: olives and olive oil, sunflower and safflower oil, seeds, flaxseeds, grapeseeds, walnuts, whole grains, avocados, canola oil, hempseeds, and chia seeds, sea vegetables and microalgae, dark green leafy vegetables

For Meat Eaters:

Best Protein sources:  lean meats, eggs, fish, seafood, beans, lentils, peas, nuts and nut butters, and low-fat milk and dairy products  

Zinc: red meats, oyster, soybeans, nuts and wheat germ

Sulfur:  lean meats, eggs, cheese, milk, nuts and legumes

Essential fatty acid:  fatty fish such as salmon, herring and mackerel, eggs, olives and olive oil, sunflower and safflower oil, whole grain, flax seeds, walnuts and almonds, green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts,

Whether your hair is long, short, relax, perm, natural, or colored -- there is one thing for certain, we all want healthy, lustrous hair.

Until next time, love and take care of ‘yo’ hair.

Food Jonezi, RDN

_________________________________________________________________________________

 In since we are talking about hair… I uploaded the “Beautiful hair” scene from my favorite movie “School Daze,” by Spike Lee. There is no such thing of good or bad hair just HEALTHY HAIR!

Additional Sources:

Webmd: http://www.webmd.com/beauty/hair-styling/top-10-foods-for-healthy-hair 

Twenty-ONE Days of Veganism! Jay and Beyonce are doing it. And, Tia Mowry has decided to make it a LIFESTYLE!

               

Tia Mowry promotes veganism--"Don't knock it before you try it"
Source: www.peta.org 

“I’m like hold up, who you smacking on?/ I’m only trying to eat what you snacking on.”   If you are truly a Jay-Z fan, you would know this famous line from his song, “Dead Prez’ Hell Yeah” remix.  And, I think it fits perfectly with his new 21-days vegan challenge. 

In case you haven’t heard, Queen Bey and Jigga are going vegan for 21 days.  What’s the noise about being “veggie vegans?”   First, being vegan requires a full commitment to a 100% plant-based diet.  It means everything you eat, must be grown from the ground up—from seeds, beans, soy, oats, to fruits and vegetables.  You get the picture.  

Extreme veganism requires that an individual must not wear products or clothes derived from any animal source.  Therefore, your favorite leather shoes, fur coat, or non-organic make-up must go!

However, if you decided to take on the 21-days vegan challenge like the Carters, I want to offer a few nutrition tips and resources as you plan nutritious meatless meals throughout the day!

Make Sure You’re Eating Well Balance Meatless Meals!                                                                   

Let’s be clear, going vegetarian or vegan does not always make you healthier than your meat-eating friends.  You have to make sure that your body is getting the recommended servings of protein, fat carbohydrates, water vitamins and minerals for daily maintenance.   I bolded the word “protein” because eating enough high-protein foods seem to be the biggest issue with veganism, since no animal-source foods are consumed. I  recommend that you try eating:   

• Beans/lentils and rice
• Bean burritos
• Bean chili or soup
• Vegetable hummus wraps
• Peanut butter, soy milk, banana smoothies

Check out ChooseMyPlate.gov for vegetarian/vegan recipes that are high in proteins and those essential nutrients.

Don’t Forget About Bone Health!

Don’t believe the news hype that soy causes breast cancer! There has not been any link to soy and cancer.  In fact, fortified-calcium soy products are convenient ways that vegans and vegetarians can get their recommended servings of proteins and calcium. Actually, research has shown that consuming soy products can lower your risk of cancer, and also add variety to your meals.  So drink your soy milk my fellow veggie vegans!   

However, soy is not the only food that provides calcium for your bones.  Kale, broccoli, bok-choy, to name a few, are vegetables that can give your body calcium.  However, some vegetables such as spinach and rhubarb are good sources of calcium, but they are high in oxalates, which decrease calcium absorption, so include a wide variety of other green vegetable more often.

Remember, calcium, Vitamin D and protein works together to build strong bones.  To ensure that you get the recommended 1,000 mg of calcium daily intake, I suggest that you spread your green veggies intake throughout the day and choose calcium-fortified foods such as non-dairy milk, ready-to-eat cereals, orange juice and tofu.  

In addition to following a nutrient-rich diet, weight-bearing exercise such as yoga, running, walking and strength training is an essential component for increasing bone strength.

Good luck with your meatless challenge everyone!  You will definitely be snacking on a whole lot of fruits and vegetables…and that’s a good thing!

~ Food Jonezi, RDN~