The health of the plants is directly proportional to the nutrition their soil contains. And scalp is the soil for the hair. Therefore the health of hair depends exclusively on the health of the scalp.
Ayurveda has a very holistic approach to hair health. That's why it has an organic and lasting impact on hair.
Ayurvedic hair health works from the inside out. Our digestive system is the door for all nutrition. So, the nutrition of the scalp and hair also depends on it. Therefore, for beautiful Rapunzel hair, let's look at some of the vital Ayurvedic dietary recommendations –
Food for Hair
Ayurveda says "Like builds like". Therefore, for excellent hair, you need a good supply of proteins.
Following foods are highly recommended by Ayurveda for great hair -
Dairy products
Fish
Chicken
Duck
Seafood like crabs, prawns, etc.
Meat is a natural source of proteins. However, try to stick to birds, small animals, and seafood.
Red meat (beef, pork, etc.) is hard to digest. It may destroy the digestive fire " agni" and produce ama or digestive toxins.
But don't think that beautiful hair is not for vegans or vegetarians. Strictly vegetarian Indian ladies are known for their shiny knee-length tresses.
Protein sources For vegans or vegetarians -
Lentils, green gram, chickpea, pigeon pea, red beans,
Black gram, Bengal gram, black gram, soybean, tofu
Wheat, barley, millets, farro, Quinoa
Almonds, cashews, walnuts, peanuts, etc.
Flaxseeds, Chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, hulled hemp hearts
Scalp Massage
Regular scalp massage helps to improve blood circulation and nutrition to the hair. You can choose the best option depending on your Prakriti or body type -
Vata dominant body type - Castor oil, Almond oil, Sesame oil, Mustard oil, Macadamia oil
Pitta dominant body type - Coconut oil, olive oil, groundnut oil, sesame oil
Kapha dominant body type - Sesame oil, Macadamia oil, Jojoba oil
Preserve the Fire
After selecting the best food for your body and hair, you should try to maintain great digestion. Otherwise, how will you absorb nutrition? So, here are some essential tips to maintain excellent digestion -
Early to bed and early to rise
Maintain regular meal time
Avoid mid-meal snacking
Don't drink water immediately before or after a meal
Diet is one of the three pillars of great hair health. The other two are Nindra (sleep) and Brahmacharya (right conduct).
Sleep for Healthy Hair
There is no rule that you should sleep for 8 hours every day. Everyone is different. And if you are fine with 5 or 10 hours of sleep, go for that. Don't fret over a perfect standard sleep. Stress is most dangerous for hair health than less sleep
But here are some crucial sleep tips for healthy hair -
Make a bedtime routine and gradually tune your mind and body for better sleep,
Don't watch TV or cook your eyes on mobile!
Instead, Practice 5-10 min meditation before sleep.
Music or mantra meditation might also work for people uncomfortable with normal meditation.
Hair Abundance Mind-set
The normal saying goes like a healthy mind resides inside a healthy body. But, Ayurveda says that a healthy body resides inside a healthy mind. And now, it is scientifically proven that stress and anxiety are the most damaging factors for the entire body, including the hair.
So, adopt the right conduct -
Avoid being angry,
Try out stress management
Practice journaling or diary writing
Regularly practice yoga and meditation.
In short, don’t let your hair bear the heat of stress. Hair naturally grows best on the chill-pills!