4 Things This Nutritionist Does Every Week to Support Beautiful Hair
So, supporting beautiful hair and your hair wellness really means that you’re focusing on your overall health! Here are my non-negotiables for my hair wellness every week.
1. I Balance My Diet for Nutrition (and Fun!)
I love food, and I firmly believe nutrition needs to be health-supportive and enjoyable. I love helping my patients find that balance in a sustainable way because that means they’re taking care of their health as effortlessly as possible.
And for most people, the key is moderation. I intentionally focus on balancing my macro and micronutrients about 90% of the time in enjoyable ways. This gives me the flexibility to enjoy really fun foods without stress! Food is information for our body. It provides resources like vitamins and minerals necessary for day-to-day functions and also the fuel we need.
Shop: Erica’s Favorite Hair Wellness Products
2. I Hydrate, Then I Hydrate Some More!
Approximately 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. This is a big problem for our hair and our health! Research shows that even mild levels of dehydration can reduce blood flow to your skin and scalp. This could restrict the blood supply to your hair follicles and affect hair growth or accelerate hair loss.
Unfortunately, for most people, the commonly cited eight glasses of water each day won’t meet their hydration needs. A better starting place is to get at least half of your body weight in ounces each day. If you weigh 150 pounds, you should start with 75 ounces of water or other hydrating beverages daily. You may need more if you exercise regularly, are pregnant or breastfeeding or are trying to heal from illness or injury. Since I work out and I am currently breastfeeding, I need significantly more than half of my body weight in ounces to stay optimally hydrated.
3. I Have a Targeted Vitamin and Supplement Regimen
As a nutritionist, I believe we should strive to meet all our needs through food first. But for a variety of reasons, that is incredibly difficult to do. This is where a targeted supplement regimen can help fill in any gaps and support your body’s unique needs.
Think of your supplements like an insurance policy. You don’t want to rely on it, but you have peace of mind knowing it’s there. A broad multivitamin/multimineral like GRO Biotin Gummies is appropriate for most. However, if you have a chronic disease, are recovering from an illness or injury, or have a complex health condition, I strongly urge you to work with a qualified nutrition professional to design a supplement regimen that will support your unique situation.
4. I Prioritize Stress Management
Let’s be real: the world is stressful. And unfortunately for our hair, stress is a major contributor to increased hair shedding, loss of shine and breakage. Our bodies do not recognize the difference between the stress of a tight work deadline and a bear trying to attack! All stress is considered a threat to survival. When we’re in a survival state, our body will prioritize living to see the next day over wellness every time. So we must tell our bodies that we’re safe as often as possible.
Every day I have a small stress reduction practice that includes movement, breathing, healthy food, hydration and as much sleep as I can manage (with a newborn, it’s a challenge!). And at least once each week, I have an expanded stress reduction routine that includes a long, hot bath, a face mask, a scalp detox with a scalp massager and some massage and stretching.
However, my stress reduction doesn’t need to be your stress reduction! Find the small or large practices you enjoy that can easily fit into your life. In other words, don’t stress over your stress reduction! A little bit consistently can go further than an extensive practice that is intermittent.
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