Identification

• The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture has recently revised its well-known "food pyramid" but many of its recommendations are familiar: eat 3 servings of whole grains, several servings of vegetables and fruits and eat low-fat dairy, fish and poultry over fatty meats.
  Dr. Weil recommends boosting omega 6 oil in the diet by eating salmon and sardines. Vegetarians can eat 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds or the same amount in flax seed oil. Walnuts are also a good source of omega-6 oils. These foods will help keep your hair healthy.
  
  

Features

• Healthy hair means you are not losing hair from poor nutrition by not getting adequate vitamins and minerals from a well-balanced diet. Genetic or other factors can cause hair loss that is not related to poor nutrition. Blemishes can clear over time if you eat a good diet and use gentle skin products that are not scented.
  
  

Significance

• By eating a wide variety of whole foods that have vitamins A, B, C and E, you are feeding your body the vitamins that protect and help repair skin and hair, according to dermatologist Susan C. Taylor, MD, FAAD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University in New York, NY. While you can supplement with vitamins, it is still important to get much of your nutrition from actual foods, too. Dr. Weil emphasizes the importance of eating omega-6 oils found in flax seeds, walnuts, salmon and sardines.
  
  

Considerations

• If you routinely skip breakfast or slurp down sugar coffee drinks and sodas, you are depleting your body of vitamin B, which forms biotin---a component of healthy hair and skin. While you can buy shampoos and skin creams that claim to have biotin, consuming foods that contain vitamin B are more likely to create a visible change more quickly. Eating a varied diet will mean you can more easily manage weight and stress, as eating sugar and caffeine contributes to blood sugar swings. When blood sugar roller-coasters, you are more likely to binge on fried, sugary or fatty foods that do not help maintain healthy hair or skin and can increase the risk for heart disease and other serious illnesses.
  
  

Misconceptions

• It is a misconception that using expensive shampoos, hair conditioners and skin products will improve the appearance of your hair and skin. If you do not eat a diet with vitamins A, B, C and E and other minerals on a consistent basis, the health of your hair and skin will show signs of it, with thinning hair and skin breakouts.