2020 What Did You Eat For Your Hair Today? Challenge
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prettydarkthing
Well-Known Member
Breakfast: stewed cod, green banana, festival, grapefruit juice
Lunch: pizza, seltzer
Dinner: salad with nutritional yeast, dulse, acv & olive oil, shrimp patty sandwich, mac and cheese, 20oz water
After dinner: yogurt (I've been buying yogurt with 5g sugar or less)
Vit C, vit D, Cal/Mag supp, coq10
Lunch: pizza, seltzer
Dinner: salad with nutritional yeast, dulse, acv & olive oil, shrimp patty sandwich, mac and cheese, 20oz water
After dinner: yogurt (I've been buying yogurt with 5g sugar or less)
Vit C, vit D, Cal/Mag supp, coq10
prettydarkthing
Well-Known Member
I myself am trying to get back into eating more sprouts/microgreens. These are extremely nutrient dense and much more nutritious than fully developed greens. Not to mention when you know how to grow them, easy and cost
I feel like I'm on track with supplements, but need to get food balanced.
Thanks for sharing that link. I've thought about sprouting, but am concerned about having to boil the glass jars. Are those mason jars truly safe to go in hot water?
I do like sprouts in salads, but they can be a little pricey for the quantity you get. I also like to buy sprouted rice and I'll soak my rice in advance if it's not sprouted.
What has been your experience sprouting? Where do you buy your seeds?
halee_J
Don't worry be happy
@prettydarkthing
Yes mason jars are designed for canning they can handle the heat. But honestly I don't do the boiling water thing. I do wash my dishes with very hot water and that works just fine, never had any mould problems. They key with sprouting is to rinse the seeds. Once you do it at least 1x a day and let them drain well, no mould. I don't always use mason jars either I upcycle glass pasta or jam jars. I also get glass jars from the dollar store. They all work well. Here is my current line up:
broccoli, mustard x2, fenugreek, sandwich mix
Some jars mouths are tiny or huge and I cant get/make sprouting lids. For those I just buy cheesecloth from the dollarstore and just cut enough to cover the top leaving an inch of overhang. Like this:
I just secure it with a cheap elastic hairtie (dollarstore ones work great) For big seeds like mung beans/lentils/chickpeas you can sprout them in a colander.
I like this guys method for mung beans (I use a regular colander and a bowl):
You can also sprout in a bowl, plate, even a kitchen towel. Western people act like its a new thing but folks in the eastern hemisphere been doing this for eons. Its a normal part of their traditional diets:
As for the seeds, most health stores and sites selling seeds for sprouting work well. I'm in Canada and buy mine otg from a local healthstore I like the brand "Mum's" just because its Canadian, organic and they source the seeds locally in my region. I also buy from bulk food stores, amzn, etc.
A good one to start off with is "sandwich mix" which is the most common and familiar that you see in the supermarket (alfalfa, radish, clover and mustard).
I also get broccoli and sometimes kale seeds athough the kale I do more of a microgreen (more on that later). I also buy seeds from international markets: I like fenugreek, mustard, mung beans. These are usually good quality and much cheaper than the health stores. (Warning! Mustard is spicy!
If you like wasabi, you will love mustard sprouts)
I love sprouting. I first learned about it about 15 years ago experimenting with raw veganism. I did that on an off for many years and I always felt better eating this way, especially when I ate a large amount of sprouted greens. My most recent stint was 18 months of raw when my hair was falling out about 2+ years ago. That saved me and my hair. You really feel the difference, and I could see how much faster my nails and hair grew. The taste is wonderful, and so much more nutrient density than fully gown greens especially the ones that have been sitting in the supermarket. Its also much more cost effective in the long run. I don't buy much salad greens from the supermarket, except in winter when I can't grow outside/get from my farmers market.
The hardest thing with sprouting as with anything worthwhile, is consistency. The sprouts take anywhere between 2 days- week to grow so you have to plan ahead so you don't run out. Usually every 5 to 7 days works. And like I said before remembering to rinse the seeds and letting them drain. Lean the jars at at an angle upside down, you can do in a bowl or the kitchen sink; I do mine on a wire shelf like this:
Doesn't have to be 4x a day like some people recommend at least 1x. 2x is ideal. But once you work it into your routine its pretty easy.
Long post sorry but I love sprouting
Yes mason jars are designed for canning they can handle the heat. But honestly I don't do the boiling water thing. I do wash my dishes with very hot water and that works just fine, never had any mould problems. They key with sprouting is to rinse the seeds. Once you do it at least 1x a day and let them drain well, no mould. I don't always use mason jars either I upcycle glass pasta or jam jars. I also get glass jars from the dollar store. They all work well. Here is my current line up:
broccoli, mustard x2, fenugreek, sandwich mix
Some jars mouths are tiny or huge and I cant get/make sprouting lids. For those I just buy cheesecloth from the dollarstore and just cut enough to cover the top leaving an inch of overhang. Like this:
I just secure it with a cheap elastic hairtie (dollarstore ones work great) For big seeds like mung beans/lentils/chickpeas you can sprout them in a colander.
I like this guys method for mung beans (I use a regular colander and a bowl):
You can also sprout in a bowl, plate, even a kitchen towel. Western people act like its a new thing but folks in the eastern hemisphere been doing this for eons. Its a normal part of their traditional diets:
As for the seeds, most health stores and sites selling seeds for sprouting work well. I'm in Canada and buy mine otg from a local healthstore I like the brand "Mum's" just because its Canadian, organic and they source the seeds locally in my region. I also buy from bulk food stores, amzn, etc.
A good one to start off with is "sandwich mix" which is the most common and familiar that you see in the supermarket (alfalfa, radish, clover and mustard).
I also get broccoli and sometimes kale seeds athough the kale I do more of a microgreen (more on that later). I also buy seeds from international markets: I like fenugreek, mustard, mung beans. These are usually good quality and much cheaper than the health stores. (Warning! Mustard is spicy!
If you like wasabi, you will love mustard sprouts)I love sprouting. I first learned about it about 15 years ago experimenting with raw veganism. I did that on an off for many years and I always felt better eating this way, especially when I ate a large amount of sprouted greens. My most recent stint was 18 months of raw when my hair was falling out about 2+ years ago. That saved me and my hair. You really feel the difference, and I could see how much faster my nails and hair grew. The taste is wonderful, and so much more nutrient density than fully gown greens especially the ones that have been sitting in the supermarket. Its also much more cost effective in the long run. I don't buy much salad greens from the supermarket, except in winter when I can't grow outside/get from my farmers market.
The hardest thing with sprouting as with anything worthwhile, is consistency. The sprouts take anywhere between 2 days- week to grow so you have to plan ahead so you don't run out. Usually every 5 to 7 days works. And like I said before remembering to rinse the seeds and letting them drain. Lean the jars at at an angle upside down, you can do in a bowl or the kitchen sink; I do mine on a wire shelf like this:
Doesn't have to be 4x a day like some people recommend at least 1x. 2x is ideal. But once you work it into your routine its pretty easy.
Long post sorry but I love sprouting
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halee_J
Don't worry be happy
My pleasure @GGsKin you're welcomed to post here anytime 
I'm passionate about sprouts and greens because nutrition is vital These along with sea veggies are the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. We tend to focus a lot on topical things and certain vitamins. Yes they help, I myself use them but there is no replacement for good nutrition. Nutrients in food are much more readily absorbed by your body than man made supplements. The state of your hair often times is a reflection of your internal situation. Get your hair right by getting your diet right first.
I'm passionate about sprouts and greens because nutrition is vital These along with sea veggies are the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. We tend to focus a lot on topical things and certain vitamins. Yes they help, I myself use them but there is no replacement for good nutrition. Nutrients in food are much more readily absorbed by your body than man made supplements. The state of your hair often times is a reflection of your internal situation. Get your hair right by getting your diet right first.
GGsKin
Well-Known Member
My pleasure @GGsKin you're welcomed to post here anytime
I agree 100%.
halee_J
Don't worry be happy
Not mandatory for others but I want to keep sharing pictures of things I've been eating. It motivates me and hopefully others as well, to eat something nutritious and be more mindful of what goes into my mouth:
This 2 small beets, 2 med carrots, 2 apples, 1 inch piece of ginger juiced. No juicer? No problem. See here.
Chia seed pudding which is just chia seeds soaked. A lot of people do it overnight so its ready in the am. I soak mine in a plant based milk, sweetened with honey or dates and a splash of vanilla easy and filling. Basic recipe here. You dont even need to soak so long I've done 10 mins and its delicious. Lots of plant omega 3s for healthy skin (your scalp is skin) and hairgrowth. Also high in calcium, trace minerals. Nutrition benefits here.
Penne pasta with lentils and a mix of homegrown sprouts on top. I use red lentils to thicken my sauces and they and lentils in general add a ton of nutrition. See here. More on sprouts here.
Red lentils cook really quickly 10 -15 mins and they have a very neutral taste so you can add them to almost anything. I love to make curries with them and add them to any soup or stew.
Quinoa, honey garlic eggplant with sesame seeds on top and baby bok choy. I eat quinoa as a rice replacement. Very tasty and also less starch than rice and higher in fiber.
Quinoa is very high in protein, iron and minerals. Lack of iron can seriously stunt hair growth, among other more serious things. more on quinoa here.
This 2 small beets, 2 med carrots, 2 apples, 1 inch piece of ginger juiced. No juicer? No problem. See here.
Chia seed pudding which is just chia seeds soaked. A lot of people do it overnight so its ready in the am. I soak mine in a plant based milk, sweetened with honey or dates and a splash of vanilla easy and filling. Basic recipe here. You dont even need to soak so long I've done 10 mins and its delicious. Lots of plant omega 3s for healthy skin (your scalp is skin) and hairgrowth. Also high in calcium, trace minerals. Nutrition benefits here.
Penne pasta with lentils and a mix of homegrown sprouts on top. I use red lentils to thicken my sauces and they and lentils in general add a ton of nutrition. See here. More on sprouts here.
Red lentils cook really quickly 10 -15 mins and they have a very neutral taste so you can add them to almost anything. I love to make curries with them and add them to any soup or stew.
Quinoa, honey garlic eggplant with sesame seeds on top and baby bok choy. I eat quinoa as a rice replacement. Very tasty and also less starch than rice and higher in fiber.
Quinoa is very high in protein, iron and minerals. Lack of iron can seriously stunt hair growth, among other more serious things. more on quinoa here.
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prettydarkthing
Well-Known Member
Breakfast: codfish, bread, strawberry/blueberry/banana smoothie, 10oz water
Lunch: chips, yogurt 10oz water
Dinner: salad with acv/olive oil dressing topped with nutritional yeast and dulse, chicken marsala with pasta (DH cooked), seltzer, grapefruit juice, a little bit of ice cream
Vit C, vit D, Cal/Mag supp
I'm switching my yogurts back to dairy-free. I've been eating dairy yogurts for the past couple of weeks in order to enjoy more flavors of low sugar varieties while I see if they would help the stomach issue I had. However, I notice they're too congesting for me.
I had this stomach issue when I was vegan and since returning to eating meat again. So I don't believe dairy helps or doesn't help. My stomach is currently stable so I'll leave the dairy yogurts alone.
Lunch: chips, yogurt 10oz water
Dinner: salad with acv/olive oil dressing topped with nutritional yeast and dulse, chicken marsala with pasta (DH cooked), seltzer, grapefruit juice, a little bit of ice cream
Vit C, vit D, Cal/Mag supp
I'm switching my yogurts back to dairy-free. I've been eating dairy yogurts for the past couple of weeks in order to enjoy more flavors of low sugar varieties while I see if they would help the stomach issue I had. However, I notice they're too congesting for me.
I had this stomach issue when I was vegan and since returning to eating meat again. So I don't believe dairy helps or doesn't help. My stomach is currently stable so I'll leave the dairy yogurts alone.
prettydarkthing
Well-Known Member
Long post sorry but I love sprouting
Thanks for all this info. That's good to know about the jars, I just didn't want to deal with that. I will look into buying some sprouting seeds. You're right, I just have to work it into my particular schedule.
I ate quinoa and lentils very frequently as a vegan. I've been on a hiatus from lentils for a good long time because of how frequently I ate them and they sometimes seemed hard to digest even as a stew/soup.
Also, quinoa I eat way less frequently because I ate it almost daily as a vegan.
halee_J
Don't worry be happy
I have the same issue with dairy. I can eat small amounts, but if I have it too often or a large gelping I get serious sinus issues.
Everytime I treat myself to dairy icecream yogurt or pizza I pay for it later. Delicious, but not worth it.
halee_J
Don't worry be happy
I ate quinoa and lentils very frequently as a vegan. I've been on a hiatus from lentils for a good long time because of how frequently I ate them and they sometimes seemed hard to digest even as a stew/soup.
Lol I get sick of eating stuff too
But there are so many other pulses. Have you ever tried navy beans? Those are the baked bean "bean" Also pretty neutral and when they cook through they give a nice creamy texture.How you feel about quinoa is how I feel about rice. Don't get me wrong rice isn't the devil, but there are so many oher things we can eat in terms of grains. I want to try Amaranth and Teff next. You ever tried any of these?
To the end of "digestion"
I find soaking hard beans in water with a sprinkle of baking soda helps. They also cook faster. I find too that if you start with just a little and often your body will quickly adapt.IDareT'sHair
PJ Rehabilitation Center
Veggies!
prettydarkthing
Well-Known Member
Breakfast: 11oz water
Lunch: shrimp burger, chips, 11oz water, 12 oz water with chlorella
Dinner: salad with acv/oo dressing and nutritional yeast and dulse, chicken marsala with pasta, a couple of spoonfuls of ice cream, 16oz water
Vit D, Vit C, Mag/Cal supp/CoQ10
Lunch: shrimp burger, chips, 11oz water, 12 oz water with chlorella
Dinner: salad with acv/oo dressing and nutritional yeast and dulse, chicken marsala with pasta, a couple of spoonfuls of ice cream, 16oz water
Vit D, Vit C, Mag/Cal supp/CoQ10
halee_J
Don't worry be happy
Girl how do you drink chlorella in just water? Doesn't it have a strong taste?
prettydarkthing
Well-Known Member
Lol I get sick of eating stuff too
How you feel about quinoa is how I feel about rice. Don't get me wrong rice isn't the devil, but there are so many oher things we can eat in terms of grains. I want to try Amaranth and Teff next. You ever tried any of these?
To the end of "digestion"
I also avoid rice because I frequently ate brown rice. If I buy rice I try to get sprouted.
I've only ever had teff in the form of injera at the Ethiopian restaurants. I haven't had amaranth or navy beans yet. I have tried millet and it wasn't bad just very chewy and neutral.
I typically soak my beans if they're dry, but lentils seem to give me that growling stomach effect more often than not.
halee_J
Don't worry be happy
Millet? Hmm ok may try that one. When you say chewy, is it like wild rice chewy? What would you compare it to?
To the end of lentils, if they bug you leave them out, esp if you are eating other pulses. I just repping them cause they cook fast and I'm lazy
prettydarkthing
Well-Known Member
At first it tastes like beach water with an extra helping of seaweed, then you get used to it.
I do like green drinks, I think it's mental, the taste is better than the smell.
I prefer wheatgrass out of all the green powders I've tried, I think it has the best taste, and is craveable in flavor.
prettydarkthing
Well-Known Member
Millet? Hmm ok may try that one. When you say chewy, is it like wild rice chewy? What would you compare it to?
To the end of lentils, if they bug you leave them out, esp if you are eating other pulses. I just repping them cause they cook fast and I'm lazy
I think it's chewy like tapioca pearls, but maybe it was how I cooked it.
halee_J
Don't worry be happy
At first it tastes like beach water with an extra helping of seaweed, then you get used to it.
I do like green drinks, I think it's mental, the taste is better than the smell.
I prefer wheatgrass out of all the green powders I've tried, I think it has the best taste, and is craveable in flavor.
Extra helping of seaweed is right!
I love me a green drink too but algae and seaweed I gotta mix it with something lol ... Respect! 
halee_J
Don't worry be happy
Breakfast was a kiwi, nectarine and chia seed pudding made with almond milk. Fresh berries on top. Also took my fish oil.
Lunch: Quinoa, eggplant and about 4 baby bok choy steamed
Dinner: Currently snacking on chex mix..I wanted something salty and crunchy but not eating potato chips.
Also having a smoothie:
Banana
Dates
Cashews
cocoa powder
moringa powder
nettle leaf
dulse
Will take vits before bed
Lunch: Quinoa, eggplant and about 4 baby bok choy steamed
Dinner: Currently snacking on chex mix..I wanted something salty and crunchy but not eating potato chips.
Also having a smoothie:
Banana
Dates
Cashews
cocoa powder
moringa powder
nettle leaf
dulse
Will take vits before bed
IDareT'sHair
PJ Rehabilitation Center
Veggies and Nzuri Liquid Hair Vitamin
prettydarkthing
Well-Known Member
Breakfast: none
Lunch: thai basil chicken, kombucha, 12 oz water chlorella
Dinner: chicken marsala with water, 20oz water, handful of walnuts, 10oz water
Didn't eat a reasonable amount of veggies today, which is so rare for me. I only had veggies with my basil chicken. Mushrooms are in the marsala, but I don't really count those as veggies. Will get back on track tomorrow.
Vit C, vit D, Coq10, Cal/Mag supp
Lunch: thai basil chicken, kombucha, 12 oz water chlorella
Dinner: chicken marsala with water, 20oz water, handful of walnuts, 10oz water
Didn't eat a reasonable amount of veggies today, which is so rare for me. I only had veggies with my basil chicken. Mushrooms are in the marsala, but I don't really count those as veggies. Will get back on track tomorrow.
Vit C, vit D, Coq10, Cal/Mag supp
prettydarkthing
Well-Known Member
Breakfast: small pastry, orange juice, 16oz water
Lunch: shrimp burger, apple juice, crackers and cheese from an event
Dinner: chicken marsala and spinach, 16oz water
Vit D, Vit C, Mag/Cal supp, Coq10
Lunch: shrimp burger, apple juice, crackers and cheese from an event
Dinner: chicken marsala and spinach, 16oz water
Vit D, Vit C, Mag/Cal supp, Coq10
prettydarkthing
Well-Known Member
Yes, I have to pick and choose when I eat, because the consequences are annoying. When I ate vegan I realized how a little bit of dairy could instantly congest me. I just find that some vegan versions of dairy items can be much higher in sugar than their non-vegan counterparts, so I opt for dairy in those cases.
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