Healthy Diet equals Healthy Hair !!!

You see how beautiful this looks on the outside? Just imagine the tremendous work it does on the inside!!
Like i mentioned in the previous post, I am from the Caribbean, and here we are blessed with natural fruits and vegetables, with little or no chemical use at all. This makes it even more nutritious & beneficial for our bodies.

It is important to maintain a healthy diet not only for beautiful hair and skin, but also to keep our organs, cells & blood vibrant with wellness. If the vital organs are healthy then it will naturally reflect in your hair and skin.
So it is important to develop or create a fruit & vegetable diet daily and stick to it. Now, not all persons are privileged in going in the backyards and picking fresh fruit, luckily, there are supplements such as Seven Seas Omega3 One-A-Day Capsules which are filled with the vitamins and minerals needed in a day...now this does not mean to neglect eating natural fruits and vegetable, or else you will be defeating the purpose of having long, thick, natural tresses.

In the Caribbean and in many places on the earth you can find the following hair lovers in your local market, supermarket and even in your own garden, these can also be prepared in many creative ways:

• Avocados
• Guavas
• Mango
• Cherries
• Papaya or "Pawpaw"
• Bananas or "Ripe Fig"
• Beet
• Eggplant
• Cocoa
• Carambola or "Star Fruit"
• Coconuts or as we call them "Jelly", and they are known around the world as the "Tree of Life"
• Carrots
• Celery
• Cucumbers
• Lettuce
• Limes
• Ochro
• Oranges
• Grapefruits
• Tangerines
• Pumpkins
• Sweet Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Water Cress
• Watermelons

And the list goes on and on of the endless fruits and vegetables that are locally grown, but tremendously beneficial for a healthy body, hair, skin & nails.

Now it is not possible, neither is it practical to eat all these listed above (: , so you could choose what suits you best. However in those listed above, the following benefits can be found in more than one fruits and vegetables.

• Vitamin B6 prevents hair loss, toning and also moisturizes your hair. 
• Iron is vital blood enhancer and can be found in spinach, lentils and egg yolks. Healthy blood + proper circulation = Happy Hair (:
• Collagen found in fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, tangerines etc.
• Biotin
• Zinc found in green leafy vegetables like spinach
• Keratin found in legumes, nuts, dairy and eggs
• Copper

With all of this, don't forget our bodies' best friend...WATER!! The recommended intake of water is 6-8 glasses or cups of water. Water is essential and serves as a vehicle in our bodies to transport all the vitamins and minerals round our bodies.

Beware though, an excessive water intake can cause the removal of important nutrients that are essential not only for healthy hair but for the overall heath of your bodies.

My Natural Hair

Introduce yourself.
A: My name is Aretha, I’m from the Caribbean Island of Dominica. 

Why did you go natural?A: I have always been natural, long, thick, black, healthy hair. However, during my teenage years i knew nothing about the maintenance of natural hair, so my hair was normally cornrowed or in a ponytail which never really caused my hair to get damaged. however i was frustrated because i had TOO MUCH hair to deal with!!! 

When i entered college i "texturized" my hair. It was a horrible experience, from the time the chemicals touched my scalp i was in tears because it was burning HOT!! I'm sorry to say though, i did not take many pictures in college and high school. About a year into texturizing my hair, my hair was dropping in patches!! i decided i could not take the torture any longer. so through research thank God for Youtube, Google and Blogers i decided to grow out my hair for about 6-8 months through protective styling such as braids, i covered my hair alot, and i hardly styled it in fear that all my hair would fall off. 

In what ways (if any) has going natural affected you?
A: Starting the natural journey has caused me to find out who the real me was. I got in touch with my femininity, and i was able to express myself through my hair. i no longer saw myself as a "tom-boy", i grew out of the phase of being reluctant, and unconcerned about my looks. The journey made me realise that my hair too had its own personality and i learned to embrace it. 

How would you describe your hair?
A:  A curly texture, naturally thick, and very soft.

What is a brief description of your regimen?
A: i have no "set regimen", i do what i feel like doing and i use watever products i have at the time and my hair responds fabulously all the time. i will say that i was my hair every one to two weeks, i deep condition once a month and i steam whenever i wash, and whenever i feel like my hair is to heavy but not "dirty" then i do a quick co-wash.

How do you retain length and moisture in your hair?
A: to maintain the moisture in my hair i normally spritz in the morning and evening with some water and a few drops of tea tree oil and growth oil from Profectiv  I occasionally alternate with shampoos and Ioc products for re-twisting. Currently I am using  VO5 Moisturizing Shampoo, Lucky's Hydrating Conditioner, Organic's Loc and Twist Gel, Murray's Beeswax, Profectiv Mega Growth Anti-Breakage Strengthener Cream. Now remember i said earlier that i have no set products, so i change whenever i feel like.

What mistakes have you made with your hair that you’ve learned from?
A: Well besides texturzing my hair in my college years, in March 2011 - January 2012 i decided to start a loc journey, though i would not call it a mistake, i would say that, i dont think im quite ready for this type of hairstyle, i love it, but i have to develop the patience to go through the many stages of forming beautiful locs. Fortunately, during that time i grew personally in standing up for what i really wanted. The feedbacks were not all positive, it made me bolder and stronger, i learned that there is no need to please anybody, because your hair defines who you are, your hair should not represent someone else. Like i said, my hair responds quickly and magnificently, the only breakage i had to deal with was when i decided to take down the locs, i had to cut off about 5 inches of hair, coupled with the hair loss from detangling, i felt a bit saddened, but i bounced back quickly into loving every strand God has blessed me with.

What’s the best/most effective thing you do for your hair?
A: Keeping my scalp moist and healthy, letting it be–and not putting any added stress on it.