Yoga for Luscious Hair
First things first! Let's zero in on the four major culprits of this beauty menace - stress, hormonal imbalance, digestive problems and inadequate nutrition. Please note that using amla, reetha, heena or any other home remedy for that matter will not drive away these culprits.
Instead of weird home-made concoctions or the super expensive hair treatments in the salon, we turn to yoga and nutritious food for help. Because not only do they promote healthier hair, they will also add glow to your skin and give you a fabulous bod!
Let's start with yoga first:
Don't let stress kill your hair… …Instead kill stress with some breathing exercises. Pranayam is considered to be the God of stress-busting exercises.
Girish Talwalkar, one of the promoters of Talwalkar gym recommends, "Pranayam especially anulom vilom where you breathe in from one nostril and breathe out from the other is excellent for relaxation and stress reduction."
The elixir for your hair…
…Is blood circulation to the scalp that will keep your mane at its glorious best.
Girish Talwalkar recommends three asanas, " Sirsasana - balancing your entire body on your head (see pic above, left), Sarvangasana - balancing your body on your head and shoulders by placing your hips on the palms of your hands (see pic above,centre), Ustrasana or the camel pose - wherein you bend backwards as you kneel and clasp the heels of your feet with your hands."
These asanas boost circulation to your scalp, face and thyroid thereby promoting super healthy hair, youthful and glowing skin and also help cure any hormonal imbalances.
Please note that none of these asanas must be performed without expert supervision unless you want a broken spine!
Constipation is bad for your hair too!
Yes, that's true! If your tummy suffers, your scalp loses hair.
Talwalkar suggests, "Pawanmuktasana (see pic above, right) helps cure constipation. Lie on the floor and breathe in and as you breathe out, hug your knees to your chest. This asana along with Ustrasana (mentioned above) is very good for digestion and metabolism."
Practice these asanas over a period of time and your hair will look and feel divine. But not without some healthy food…
Deficiency of certain vitamins and fat (that's right, dieting is bad for your hair) cause hairfall. Mumbai-based nutritionist Naini Setalvad says, "If you are on a low-fat diet you risk losing hair because fats are necessary for absorbing Vitamin A and E which are a must for healthy hair. Other essential nutrients are - Vitamin B complex, B12, Vitamin C, proteins and carbohydrates."
She lists these foods which are rich in the above mentioned nutrients:
" Vitamin A - pumpkin (richest in Vit A), dried apricot, carrot and spinach
" Vitamin E - wheat germ, almond, avocado and coconut (therefore coconut oil is good for hair)
" Healthy fats to absorb Vit A and E - Kachi ghani tel also known as cold-pressed oil like extra virgin olive oil, mustard oil, and coconut oil. Omega 3 fatty acids like flax seeds, walnuts and oily fish are also very good.
" Vitamin B-complex - Available in most food items rich in carbohydrates like wheat and rice
" Vitamin C - berries (like amla), lemon, oranges and guavas (these have four times more Vitamin C than any other fruits)
And lastly, if you have been vigorously rubbing the tips of your fingernails against each other in the hope of having healthy hair, acupressure specialist Omar Farooque of Mumbai's Evolve Med Spa reveals, "There is no science that proves that doing so will promote healthy hair. Rather this practise is a belief, since the tips of our nails have reflex points that stimulate blood flow to the eyes, sinuses and head onwards."
So get yourself a yoga teacher instead of spending your moolah on a zillion hair products, follow a healthy diet and beat the stress before you start losing hair!
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