Healthy Naturals: Women and Food, How Does What You Eat Affect Your Hair Skin and Nails and the benefits of taking RAW FOOD

Beauty starts from within, to attain a perfect beautiful, radiant skin and shiny hair is not a day job and not just about the make ups and creams, beauty begins from inside out. Many at times we often find our selves asking the question "HOW CAN I GET LUSCIOUS HAIR AND RADIANT YOUNG LOOKING SKIN WITHOUT BRAKING THE BANK FOR RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE COSMETIC SURGERIES'.

How much money do you spend on facials, hair color, cuts, dermatologists, face creams, shampoos, etc?

This is a big industry guys...and gals.

Lets put our money where our mouth is...literally.

Food is the greatest influence on healthy looking skin and hair that is available on the market.

Killing two birds with one stone-your grocery bills and your hair and skin products. All curable with broccoli? Its not THAT simple but its close. Women and food and how we use it immediately affects the glow, shine, and health of our hair, skin, and nails.

Does nutrition really affect the nails, skin, and hair to that degree? Absolutely!! Beyond Botox, beyond hair dye, lets start where it all begins- what we put in our mouths. And end with what is more important which is how we feel and treat our body.
Your skin, hair and nails reflect many biochemical imbalances in the body. Emotional imbalances will also appear in skin irritation and problems with hair and nails. Stress, concern, emotional irritations are all revealed on the outer appearances.
How women eat and the lack of nutrition in their food will immediately appear in the skin.
How we think and feel will also be revealed immediately in the skin.
If you are malnourished it will show up in brittle hair, chipped nails, and irritated skin. It is very important to maintain a proper balance of dense mineral foods to ensure the beauty and grace of the body.
It is also important to learn calm thinking, generosity to the body and genuine love when caring for the body and skin.
Care for the skin, hair and nails begins with attention to the food we eat and thoughts we think.
It affects both men and women the same, but alas women are more concerned and more affected by the dreaded beauty industry than men. So lets turn our attention inside out and achieve long-term lasting beauty results.

Hair and nails usually react to imbalances after six months of any dietary imbalance. However skin is much more immediate. Skin is the largest organ and is responsible for eliminating a variety of toxins. Through the skin we will immediately see what is going on inside the body by the appearance of the skin.
As we eat and live we can use our body as an instrument to inform us of what is going on. Issues, pain, rashes and mild irruptions on the skin, hair or nails inform us of other nutritional imbalances or emotional issues that may be present. The key is to look, feel and listen. Do not just cover up issues. This is something that is becoming more and more obvious in our culture with the increase in plastic surgery to the point of grossly exaggerated freak-like features. Revealed to the extreme by such stars as Michael Jackson and Cher. Covering up pain through physical distortion is a form of illness deeply rooted in our culture. This is the extreme version but one to be contemplated. Can turning simply to a life of well-being and balance and health begin to cure cultural ills?
Never underestimate the power of fruit, vegetables and a healed forgiven heart. Women are mostly at risk around body image due to many factors but the first starting point is over exaggerated spending on beauty products to cover up emotional pain or eating imbalances.
Women and their relationship to food and their body are very powerful. It affects every child. Every mother's self-image deeply affects the well-being of her offspring. Hair, nails, and skin reflect how we eat but also are a strong sentiment to how we feel about ourselves. The strength of our hair, our bodies, our skin and how we cherish the vehicle are important and when done through health, love, and gentleness will produce a glow and feeling of grace and beauty.
When we make poor food choices, abuse our bodies and than force ourselves through unhealthy means to look a certain way we are actually in a form of self-abuse.
Loving the body through each bite,

each thought, and every action is a powerful way women and their eating habits can transform their body- their looks, and their physical nature in their hair, nails, and skin.
WOW! Now that is powerful.
It is time to create a metamorphosis in our self-image from the inside out.

How can changing my diet help?

Diet can dramatically change the health and appearance of your hair, skin and nails. Avoiding carbohydrates, saturated fats, sugar, caffeine and stimulants and increasing your intake of antioxidants is very important.
A qualified nutrition consultant would be able to advise you on specific dietary changes and health improvements.
What kind of lifestyle changes can I make?

A healthy, balanced lifestyle will do wonders to the hair, skin and nails.
Make sure you are getting regular exercise. if you can not get to the gym do a light walk, stroll, participate in exercise classes such as dance classes, aerobics and so on
Keep it organic. Try and avoid toxins or chemicals in your foods or vegetables. Keep it fresh.
Stress is never beneficial to your health, therefore identify any areas of stress and adopt more effective time management allowing space for relaxation. Yoga classes or breathing techniques could be helpful. To promote healthy skin doctors recommend getting enough sleep (8 hours), reducing stress, using a mild soap, avoiding the sun, and.... Getting the proper amount of vitamins and minerals (which is where raw food comes in).

Will raw food make a difference?

The greatest way to improve the quality of your skin, hair and your nails is to bring in raw, fresh organic vegetables and juices.

Beautiful skin starts from the inside out. As suggested by nutrition experts, People who switch to eating mostly raw food often see an improvement in their skin and look younger.
When you heat food up above 105 degrees Fahrenheit you will destroy many of the healthy enzymes [sighted in raw food diet.com]. I am not suggesting you go 100% raw. But just increase your healthy, organic raw foods
According to health nutritionist experts, 50% of the protein and 70-90% of the vitamins and minerals are destroyed when food is cooked. Eating cooked food overtaxes the body’s enzyme reserves.
Eating more raw food decreases the amount of digestive enzymes your body has to produce. Raw foods are foods in their natural state with the enzymes left intact.

Enzymes are needed to perform many functions in the body including digestion, assimilation and elimination of food. A drained enzyme supply can result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies, premature aging and low energy as suggested by nutrition experts. Raw foods high in enzymes include sprouts, papaya and pineapple. But eating a mostly raw food diet will increase your enzyme supply and your energy!

Women who eat raw food notice a noticeable difference in their skin texture, hair and nails from the added minerals and supplements they receive from the healthy foods they are eating.
Premature aging can come from Free radical damage which interferes with the production of collagen. Free radicals include but are not limited to:pollution, smoking, processed foods, fat-free and sugar-free foods, many added chemicals.
Antioxidants counteract free radicals that age the skin.
Berries, especially blueberries, are potent antioxidants that promote collagen which reduces wrinkles.
Raw cacao is also a wonderful way to increase your antioxidants.

Citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons and grapefruit help rid the body of free radicals keeping the skin looking young. Foods high in the antioxidant beta carotene like apricots protect the skin against sun damage.

Raw food in terms of vegetables and fruits are highly beneficial to the Skin, Hair and General Health Condition. Continuous intake of Raw food such a

apple ,avocado ,banana ,basil ,beetroot ,carrot, cashew ,cauliflower ,celery, cilantro, coconut ,cranberry, cucumber, dates ,dill ,flax ,seeds, garlic ,ginger, root ,green, onion, hot pepper ,kale, lemon, lettuce, lime, macadamia nuts, mango, mint, mushrooms, orange ,parsley ,pine nuts, pumpkin seeds ,raisins ,raw honey, red onion ,spinach ,sprouts ,strawberry, sundried tomato ,sunflower seeds ,sweet pepper, tomato ,vanilla ,walnut, and zucchini does help promote beautiful healthy skin and hair.

How Diet Affects Your Hair. A change in diet, such as switching to raw, cleanses the body of old toxins and builds stronger healthier follicles that will eventually transform into healthier, more luxurious hair. And if your system is starting over, your system is altered, and changes take longer and are more obvious as things begin to rejuvenate. From this time the hair will begin to improve but as everyone knows, growing hair takes time.

[Adopted from Tonya 2008]

Best Raw Foods for Your Hair. For overall hair health, include in your diet: sulfur foods (onions, radishes, hemp seeds, aloe vera)… silicon foods (cucumbers, red peppers, and other shiny-skinned produce)…vitamin A foods (carrots, arugula, papaya)…zinc foods (coconut, nuts and seeds)…vitamin C (citrus fruits)…vitamin E (avocado and olives)…and so on. In short, all raw foods;

People embarking on a raw food lifestyle can anticipate some initial changes in hair growth, they can also expect subsequent improvements in their overall hair health if they eat a diet rich in greens, and exercise patience.

Below are my personal diet for the week.

having lunch [sweet pepper, lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, and roasted chicken]