How to Get Healthy Hair & Nails

Healthy Hair

Are your nails brittle, breaking or peeling? Is your hair full of split ends, thinning, or itchy? All of these symptoms indicate a lack of true nutrients in your system. Yes, you may be eating healthy, training hard, and even trying to go more organic, but the truth is our foods are not what our grandparents were eating.

Nail Health

Your nail health is a reflection of the overall health of your bones. Every 10 years, adults rebuild their entire skeletal structure, so yes, you can make changes! If your nails are splitting, breaking, or pealing, your body is deficient in iron, calcium, magnesium, B12, zinc and possible suffering from low folate levels. You could even be under adrenal stress or need to have your thyroid checked.

Good bone minerals, that also help your nails, include calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, and boron.

Hair Health

Your hair loves essential fatty acids and minerals. However, if you have low levels of zinc and biotin, you could be losing your hair and perhaps have a dry, itchy scalp. If you have low levels of Vitamin C, your hair could be breaking. Your hair is truly a reflection of your body’s inner process.

How do we increase our overall hair and nail health?

Get out in the sun more! Increase your water intake. Make sure you’re getting some fish, walnuts, flaxseed and krill in your diet to keep your hair hydrated. For hair loss, increase your eggs, oysters and seeds. If your hair is breaking, increase your citrus fruits and berries. Check your hair products, read the labels, you don’t want anything with parabens in it. There’s a chance of parbens being linked to breast cancer.

And, when in doubt? Make sure you’re taking a quality vitamin and supplements. Even if you’re eating as healthy as you can, our foods are not our only resource anymore. Your food and your vitamins should give you energy and vitality.

Stacia Kelly: Stacia D. Kelly, Ph.D. is a Holistic Health Coach. She works with clients around the world on fitness, nutrition and stress management. She is the co-author of "9 Months In ~ 9 Months Out" and recently released "Reduce You." You can learn more about her work at www.studio13bymbsworks.com, on Facebook - www.facebook.com/StaciaDKelly, or even check out her twitter #healthchat by following @StaciaKelly.