Have you ever made a self-improvement resolution? Was it organizing your closets, losing weight, or maybe giving up smoking? How about getting your hair back in tiptop condition? This is a resolution that doesn’t involve breaking a sweat or feeling deprived.

Exactly what is the prescription for getting rid of dry brittle hair and growing shiny, bouncy hair? Lets look at some factors of hair health.
Healthy hair starts from the inside, at the root of each follicle, the blood supply that feeds it and the nutrients we consume play an important part of the process.

Nutritionists have pinpointed certain vitamins and minerals that have proven to be beneficial. I have listed some here along with the foods in which they can be found.

The B vitamin biotin appears to thicken hair fibers, lessen shedding and enhance hair growth. You will find this in brewers yeast, soy flour, cereals, egg yolk, milk, nuts, vegetables, raw beef liver, raw oysters, and cauliflower.

It is also reported that an iron deficiency can cause a woman’s body to stop producing hair until the iron is replaced. Foods high in iron are liver, lean red meat, chicken, pork, salmon, egg yolk, pumpkin seeds, dried peas and beans, bran, blackstrap molasses, prune juice, raisons, peanut butter, apricots, green beans, walnuts, cashews, pecans and almonds. Iron absorption is increased by Vitamin C, so it seems we also need to make sure we get the recommended amount of that nutrient by eating oranges, grapefruit, potatoes, broccoli and brussel sprouts, red and green peppers, tomatoes, cabbage and collard greens.
Nutritionists say that too little protein in a diet can cause dull hair and a loss of luster. We can get the protein that is recommended daily from meat, chicken and fish as well as soy and milk products and even stinging nettles (boiled).

Let me conclude with a warning that crash diets can cause hair loss and a poor quality of hair. Any woman who loses twenty pounds or more in a three-month period is likely to have a problem with hair loss. A habit of eating a well-rounded diet of the foods named here will go along way in keeping our hair thick and healthy.

Experts agree that there are many factors for healthy hair growth and since it is hard to isolate any one nutrient that will strengthen hair, many recommend taking a multivitamin and mineral supplement. Whether you choose to include more of the above foods in your menu planning or to take supplements, chances are; you will have shinier thicker hair by this time next year.