Foods With Good Fats That Nourish Skin and Hair

If you want to have beautiful glowing skin and fast-growing, thick lustrous locks then be sure to make these particular foods part of your diet.

1. Salmon

Salmon nourishes the skin and the hair because it contains Omega-3 fatty acids. It is rich in one particular Omega-3 fatty acid known as DHA that is found mostly in fish and seaweed.

DHA is well known for its anti-inflammatory properties and ability to thin the blood. This in turn aids circulation, which in turn, helps speed up the body’s ability to not only bring nutrients to the surface of the scalp and skin so that they can be nourished but also its ability to clarify the system of toxins.

The fact that salmon is also an anti-inflammatory also discourages your skin from breaking out and your hair follicles from becoming vulnerable to the kinds of immune responses that can cause hair thinning and hair loss.

Wild salmon contains the highest amounts of DHA. It is quite easy to incorporate salmon in your diet by eating tinned fish, fresh salmon that is grilled or baked or by eating it raw rolled in sushi or as sashimi.  Sushi is especially recommended as the seaweed wraps also have high quantities of DHA acids.

2.  Sardines

Like salmon, sardines contain a remarkably high amount of Omega-3 fatty acids and especially DHA acids that can help give your skin elasticity and a soft glow.

Sardines are especially nourishing because they contain a lot of calcium and phosphorous rich bones.  Calcium and phosphorous improve the tensile strength of the hair strand, which means that if you pull the hair it does not break.  These two minerals also skin tissue connectivity making it less likely to wrinkle. 

Pile sardines on whole grain toast to maximize their nutrient potential as the B vitamins in whole grain bread are synergistic with oils in the sardines.

3.   Snapper

Snapper is a tropical fish that is natural source of selenium.  Selenium is the mineral that can helps the skin repair itself sunburn and skin breakouts and that also can help give it a youthful glow. Snapper is also very high in the DHA that keeps skin and hair youthful looking.

The ideal skin and hair enhancing meal would be red snapper, drizzled with olive oil and then baked with almonds sprinkled on top. The almonds provide extra calcium and the olive oil enhances the Omega-3 content of the meal.

4.   Olives and Olive Oil

Olives (and by extension olive oils) are another excellent source of omega-3 acids and oleic acid.  Oleic acid is a good fatty acid that is naturally clarifying and that helps keep your skin smooth and blemish free.

Olives can also be easily added to bread recipes, salads or just eaten raw.

They contain vitamins E and K. Although small black olives contain vitamins A, E, calcium, iron, and copper, they are quite high in sodium. Look for olives with lower sodium that are preserved in vinegar or extra virgin olive oil.

6.  Avocadoes

Avocados contain many B vitamins, vitamins, C, E, and K, magnesium, copper, manganese, and potassium. In fact, avocados contain more potassium than a banana. The synergistic action of these vitamins can help prevent hair loss and improve because they improve circulation.

Avocadoes contain soluble fat can also help your body absorb vitamins more efficiently. The antioxidants in avocadoes help repair damaged cells and prevent further damage to stressed-out skin and hair.

Avocadoes can be eaten raw, added to salads and blended in smoothies. You can also make a skin-and hair-enhancing guacamole from olive oil, garlic, onions, tomatoes and avocado.  The garlic and onions are anti-inflammatorily and contain the skin healing mineral selenium. The tomatoes contain lycopene, which is a powerful antioxidant for the skin and the scalp.

7.  Sunflower Seeds

Sunflower Seeds lower seeds are good for hair because they are high in protein, biotin, potassium, calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium and vitamin E. They also supply and abundance of omega-6 fatty acids. Biotin, in particular, plays a role in improving the tensile strength of the hair. They pack a powerhouse of nutrition and are fat-free.

Sunflower seeds can be eaten raw as a snack, sprinkled on salads or mixed into bread or cookie dough.

The good fats in these foods help clean your arteries, increase circulation and assist with cell regeneration so that your skin always appears to be glowing with health and your hair strands always have tensile strength and shine.

For more information about the Healthy & Active Program please visit our website at www.healthy-active.com. You may also call us in Toronto at (41)440-2217 and ask for Adrienne Wright Bulow or Dr. Micheal Rahman or email us at adrienne@healthy-active.com.