What I have been eating

The purpose of this blog is to keep track of what I have been doing to my hair and the results. Of late I have been experiencing a growth spurt like nothing I have experienced before. I want to make a record of it because I want to maintain it.

Prior to 2011 I didn't have a terrible diet, but it was not extremely healthy either. I would snack in moderation on processed foods such as cookies, cakes, icecream etc. In 2011 my severely acne-prone skin began to break out like crazy and I eventually realised that it was due to wheat (flour) and dairy products.

In August 2011 I gave up flour and dairy and my skin began to improve. From then on I made an effort to to eat a proper diet. I made sure I ate 5-9 different fruits and vegetables a day and I ensured that they were white, red, yellow/orange, dark green and blue/purple. I made sure I drank at least 64 oz of water a day and I took supplements such as cod liver oil and evening primrose oil daily. During this period my growth rate increased just a bit.

Prior to my November relaxer my growth rate was at 0.42 inches a month which is under the 0.5 inches average. I worked this out by looking at shedded strands of hair at 12 weeks post, pulling the new growth taut and then measuring it. Once I get that measurement it is easy to work out a growth rate for the month. Since my November relaxer I have noticed I had a lot new growth and when I measured my new growth after 7 weeks I found I had at least 1 inch of growth. My new growth rate is now 0.57 inches a month which is above average.

I have only been doing two things differently since November. I have been eating a lot of carrots and almonds. I do not know if carrots and almonds can affect hair growth rates but I eat a lot of these two foods. I tend to eat one large carrot a day. I tend to eat half in a salad which accompanies my lunch and the other half at dinner time. I also snack on raw almonds. I buy my almonds in 4.5 oz packs and I eat them in one sitting. I usually have 2-3 packs a week. I am therefore getting a lot of extra protein and Vitamin A in my diet. These are the only two changes. I would need to do more research to see if these two things have any effect on hair growth. I don't know but I intend to keep it up to see if my growth rate will continue.