Holistic healing has been practiced by many with multiple successes. Here I will be sharing the key elements of research in regards to holistic healing and what made me change my diet. Disclaimer - I am not a medical professional, this is purely what works for me and what I have concluded to after suffering with Alopecia for up to thirteen years.
There are multiple treatments and methods that have been found to tackle Alopecia, but there is no specific cure for the auto-immune disease to this day. I have tried multiple methods such as steroids, injections, topical treatments, UV light rays, herbal remedies, essential oils and so on. I have looked in to holistic healing thoroughly, and although I have not experienced complete regrowth, I can safely say that I have seen a huge difference in comparison to once upon a time where I was completely bald. On top of that, I have seen a massive change in my mood, energy levels and quality of life overall.
If you are reading this with the intention to go holistic to solely bring your hair back, you are on the wrong page. I started eating clean first with the intention to grow my hair back and I became too obsessive in everything I was eating and found that I was in-fact just stressing myself out and being too hard on myself.
When you start this process with the intention for a better quality of life, because you love your body and want to take care of it, you are much more likely to reap multiple rewards. As I said, Alopecia has no steady cure so there is no promise that internal healing will definitely bring your hair back as everyone’s responses and bodies are different. However, I would recommend to look at holistic methods of healing for an overall better well-being and day to day life. What we eat affects every aspect of our body. Our functioning, our moods, our skin, our hair, nails, muscle function, hydration levels, how prone we are to diseases and so on.
So, what kind of diet is good for Alopecia?
Through my research so far, I have found that the best type of diet for hair growth and good internal health overall consists mainly of colorful eating, maximum hydration and prime focus on consuming iron enriched fruits, nuts and vegetables. With that being said, it is also crucial to remember that whilst on this journey you should try your hardest to avoid foods that can hinder this process. These would be things such as refined sugar found in chocolates/sweets, dairy, white bread/rice/pasta and fizzy drinks!
The focus is on consuming nutritionally enriched foods because we would be giving our hair cells exactly what they need, which is a healthy balance of proteins, complex carbs, iron, vitamins and minerals. I have narrowed my research down to some nutritional must do’s which hopefully should be a beginning guide for anyone wanting to take this route, have a look below.
Eat breakfast – This sounds like a basic point but you’d be surprised at how many people neglect eating breakfast. This is a perfect time to incorporate some protein in the start of your day!
Hydrate (1.5 – 2l a day)
Snack healthily on a complex carb such as fruit, veg, wholemeal bread/crackers
Eat enough protein (your hair is composed primarily of protein (85% keratin)
Breakfast & Lunch: at least 120g of protein/complex carbs. Could be quinoa, eggs, beans, legumes, nuts, tofu, seitan, etc.
Crush on vitamin C. Iron is only absorbed with vitamin C. Found in orange juice/fruits/veg
Be wary of diary. Limit cheese and whole milk consumption.
Eat a varied diet. You don’t need to eat the same foods everyday, include a wide range of vitamins/minerals through having colorful foods throughout your day.
IMMUNE POWER FOODS
Cold pressed seed oils such as avocado oil, seeds, nuts, fresh fruit & vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, beansprouts. Lentils, ground seeds, beans, brown rice and fish.
Nutritional soups/broths such as bone broth and carrot soup.
A large salad with lunch and dinner – include a selection of ‘seed’ vegetables such as broad beans, broccoli, grated carrot, beetroot, courgettis, watercress, lettuce, tomatoes and avocados.
Berries as a snack – Berries are AMAZING for nutrients! Strawberries have more vitamin C than oranges. Blueberries have the highest antioxidant power ‘ORAC’ score of all. Raspberries are also excellent. Berries contain many phytonutrients that boost the immune system.
Nutritional teas such as cat claw tea with ginger 1-4x a day or pure ginger tea
VITAMIN C POWER FOODS
Oranges, lemons, guava, strawberries, blackcurrants, kiwi, cantaloupe, watermelon, kale, broccoli, brussel sprouts, red/green peppers, sweet potatoes, potatoes.
PROTEIN POWER FOODS
Quinoa, tofu, eggs, lentils, rice, legumes, mushrooms, nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, eggs, kidney/soya beans.
SEEDS JAR
Seeds are incredibly rich in essential fats, minerals, vitamin E and protein. You need a tablespoon a day for 100% health.
1. Fill a glass jar with a sealing lid, half with flax seeds (rich in omega 3), and half with sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds (rich in Omega 3).
2. Keep the jar sealed, and place in the fridge to minimize damage from light, heat and oxygen.
3. Put a handful in a coffee/seed grinder, grind up and put on cereals or soups.
Best seeds in general to snack on are flax, hemp, pumpkin, sunflower and sesame. By grinding these you get more goodness out of them.
These are just a few examples of foods that work towards maintaining a healthy gut.
There are so many more foods and drinks that aid optimum health that you can incorporate in your daily lives. There is an amazing amount of research for this online and in books that put the link between holistic healing and minimizing disease perfectly which has allowed me to share my knowledge with you today. I will be sharing the books and resources that I feel have helped me tremendously and hopefully can give you a better insight too!
What's Up With My Hair?
Mary Corrigan
This was the very first book I read that gave me the perfect insight into how curing Alopecia holistically can be possible. Mary goes through every area of internal healing and how this links to our hair. She also touches on how to maintain good mental health during this journey and shares photo's of her regrowth. Highly recommend this book!
Alopecia & Wellness
Molly Vazquez
Molly also has a cookbook for Alopecia wellness and shares her unique story of how she grew her hair back through diet and focusing on her well being. She shares the ups and downs of her journey and narrows down key area's to focus on when prioritizing a diet change!
@winningalopecia
I have been following this page for a while now on my Instagram (analopecianstory) and have found so much interesting material on her page! It is about all things to do with internal healing for Alopecia and there is amazing documentation of how she has managed to grow back some of her daughters hair who is diagnosed. Her website provides informative and thorough insight on how this method can aid towards regrowth and better well being with simple understanding. Highly recommend!
Deliciously Ella
Cookbook
I have been obsessed with Ella's journey and cookbook for a while now! She has an amazing story of how she healed herself of severe chronic disease through healthy eating and practicing wellness. I love to refer to this cookbook when I need some healthy cooking inspiration!
There is so much more amazing research out there by professionals such as Patrick Holdford, Philip Kingsley and so many more. I know it can be stressful trying to find the answers and putting our hope and faith into different treatments, so I hope I gave a simple insight to plant some food for thought. If you know any other informative forms of research that you think would be beneficial, please leave a comment below!
''Be willing to do whatever it takes to be a warrior for your own health.''