Implementing beneficial lifestyle factors for healthy natural hair and body is a choice each individual must make.
When dealing with hair and skin, lifestyle habits can make or break you.
Remember, your hair reflects overall health.
So, making choices to increase wellness and vitality supports a positive, successful natural hair journey.
Keep reading below our 2nd installment in the Lifestyle Factors for Healthy Natural Hair and Body series where we will discuss the importance of water, sleep, and stress management in the journey to overall wellness.
Also, don’t forget to check out Lifestyle Factors for Healthy Natural Hair and Body – Part 1 for other wellness practices to help you get the hair and body your desire.
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Water Up to Make Hair Healthier Naturally
Why is water so important to your wellness?
Simply put, liquid water is the stuff of life.
Approximately, 60% of the human adult body exists as water, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The USGS also details the following as some of the key roles water plays in the human body:
- Water supports the transport nutrients and oxygen to cells, as it is the main component of blood.
- It also helps us regulate our body temperature.
- Water assists with the flushing of wastes from our systems.
- Furthermore, it serves as an essential component in normal cell function.
- H2O aids digestion as a principal building block of both saliva and enzymes.
- It also plays the role of shock absorber in areas of the body, such as joints and around the brain.
But, what about your tresses?
Of significant importance to naturals, water also helps give the skin and hair their suppleness by providing essential moisture.
Supplying your natural hair with improved water is arguably one of the most important parts of a healthy hair regimen.
What defines water as improved?
Improved water refers to the quality of the water being consumed or applied to the hair.
While water from your tap is usually completely safe as is, it can be improved through filtration.
Filtration works to reduce chlorine levels.
Municipal water treatment often introduces chlorine into water supplies to kill microbes that can cause disease.
As presented by Hair Professionals Career College, chlorine robs your hair of its sebum and other oils, leaving strands more vulnerable to damage and breakage.
Subsequently, filtering water before use can lower the amounts of solids in the water.
Many places in the United States have hard water, which has a higher solids content.
Small solids, usually sediment and possibly heavy metals, present in the water can coat the hair shaft, preventing the proper uptake of water, protein, and nutrients.
Are you ready to change your water? One of the drinking water filtration systems I use is ZeroWater. It offers a five-stage water filter to reduce the levels of common water contaminants. Additionally, you receive a water tester so you can analyze the results for yourself. Shop for your new ZeroWater filtration system at the link below.
ZeroWater 20 Cup Ready-Pour Dispenser Water Filter Pitcher
What strategies can you use to ensure your lifestyle choices for natural hair health includes adequate, quality water?
Make sure you are drinking enough water, as this supports optimal hydration for your hair and scalp.
Keeping hydration at ideal levels helps to prevent dryness, which can leave hair prone to damage and breakage.
The National Academies of Science Engineering Medicine recommends women intake about 91 ounces (11.5 glasses) of total water (from all beverage and food sources).
Roughly 125 ounces (15.5 glasses) of total water consumption daily is suggested for men.
Additionally, WebMD recommends drinking ½ ounce to 1 ounce of water daily for each pound you weigh as part of an overall weight management program.
Multiple avenues present themselves to help you boost your water intake.
A smartphone app will effortlessly remind you of when it is time to refresh yourself with a drink of H2O.
Water Drink Reminder helps me stay on track with my water consumption goals.
Furthermore, you should strive to eat more foods with high water content.
Watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, oranges, cucumber, lettuce, celery, and many other foods have lots of water, according to healthline.com.
Additionally, you could try drinking what I have termed water+.
What is that you ask?
Water+ is simply water with a little extra something to make it more palatable for those who tend to shy away from plain water.
Infusing water with fruits or veggies can help provide a hint of taste.
Berries, lemon, lime, orange, watermelon, cucumber, and mint work wonderfully in water infusions.
Likewise, sparkling water may give your taste buds just what they need to prompt you to drink more.
Incorporating more sparkling water into your routine also may help to curb cravings for soft drinks.
Get More ZZZ’s to Heighten Efforts to Promote the Healthiest Natural Hair and Body
You are supposed to spend approximately one-third of your life asleep.
Yet, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported in 2016 that 35% of adults in the U.S. didn’t get enough sleep.
It’s about more than just counting sheep.
Important body processes supporting health happen during your nightly slumber.
According to the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Your Guide to Healthy Sleep, sleep affects the body in the following ways:
- Supports successful learning
- Helps with memory and insight
- Aids sharpness, focus, and reaction time
- Encourages a good mood
- Provides essential rest periods for the cardiovascular system
- Assists in the production of key hormones, including ones integral to growth, immunity, energy, and weight control
What about sleep’s benefits for natural hair?
First, adequate, quality sleep can contribute immensely to managing stress levels, which can affect natural hair health.
We will dive into more about stress’s impact on your hair a little later in the next lifestyle factor.
Moreover, Dr. Sajjad Khan, Kerluxe hair restoration consultant, states, “Quality sleep is needed for adequate protein synthesis of the hair, as well as the release of growth hormones and enzymes needed for healthy hair.”
Your hair relies on a variety of processes within the body to maintain its optimal condition.
A lack of sleep throws most of the body’s functioning into havoc, leading to a drop in the ability to grow healthy hair or even prevent hair loss.
Furthermore, a good sleep regimen can support natural melatonin production in your quest to make hair healthier naturally.
Melatonin is a hormone best known for its role in our natural circadian rhythm, the body clock governing our wake and sleep cycles.
According to the NIH, melatonin levels can get disrupted when you don’t have a normal sleep cycle.
Abnormal sleep cycles can often plague individuals working rotating or night shifts or who experience long periods of darkness during the day.
Furthermore, melatonin operates as a strong antioxidant.
Thus, it helps fight free radical damage to cells, including your hair follicles.
Some research supports the view that melatonin plays a role in your hair’s growth cycle similar to the one it plays in the circadian rhythm, as per an article published in the International Journal of Women’s Dermatology (as provided at Science Direct).
Simply put, this hormone may signal your hair when it’s time to grow!
Getting to sleep poses a challenge for many individuals. Taking a melatonin supplement can help in this arena. Carlyle Melatonin is a non-GMO, gluten-free supplement designed to help you fall asleep and to support better rest and relaxation. Click the link below and buy your supply of Carlyle Melatonin today.
Carlyle Melatonin 12 mg Fast Dissolve
Given sleep’s importance in an overall lifestyle for natural hair and body wellness, individuals should prioritize healthy sleep habits.
Adults ages 18-64 should get between 7-9 hours of sleep nightly, as per current guidelines provided by the National Sleep Foundation.
Try having a set bedtime and wakeup time.
Most importantly, don’t deviate too much from your established sleep times so your body can form a healthy sleeping habit.
Strive to start a pre-bed routine at least one (1) hour before bedtime.
Use this time to unwind by reading a book or taking a nice, hot bath.
Avoid the use of electronic devices (including TVs) during this time as the light from these can cause sleep disruption.
If you prefer to work out later in the day, do so at least a few hours before bedtime.
Exercise stimulates the body, which can prevent you from falling asleep if the workout is too close to bedtime.
Likewise, you should restrict the consumption of liquids in the hours before going to bed.
Trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night disrupt the normal cycle of sleep.
Last but not least, work to create an optimal sleep environment.
A proper sleep environment provides the comfort needed to ensure quality sleep.
Make sure you have a comfortable mattress and bedding, as you are more likely to easily fall and stay asleep in cozy surroundings.
Moreover, take the room temperature down a few degrees.
Most people find more comfort sleeping at slightly cooler temperatures.
Surround yourself with darkness to signal to the body the time for sleep has arrived.
Blackout shades can help with this.
Also, face items that give off light, like digital alarm clocks, away from the bed.
Lastly, invest in a sound machine if you need some “white noise” to help you fall asleep.
Don’t Neglect Stress When Looking at Factors Contributing to Healthy Hair and Body
High-stress levels, especially for extended periods, can wreck your overall wellness.
According to the Mayo Clinic, stress potentially causes the following impacts on well-being:
- Headaches
- Pains in the chest
- Muscle aches or tension
- Fatigue
- Stomach issues
- Problems with sleep
- Variations in sex drive
Subsequently, changes in mood and behavior often accompany elevated stress levels.
Generally, stress leaves one with an awful mood, characterized by depression, irritability, and/or anger.
Also, stress frequently leads individuals to start or continue with behaviors most would deem harmful to overall health.
Excess stress can greatly impede your journey to make hair healthier naturally.
Stress can increase the normally low levels of androgens in the female body.
The increased amount of these substances, primarily classed as male hormones, can lead to hair loss.
Moreover, stress may impact the ability to fall asleep and/or the quality of sleep.
We already discussed in some detail the importance of sleep in your natural hair journey.
Emotional, mental, or physical strain also may disrupt normal eating habits.
The ensuing poor nutrition robs hair follicles of the nutrients needed for growth and maintenance of strong, healthy hair.
Furthermore, stress may leave individuals more vulnerable to scalp challenges like dandruff or oiliness, according to happi.com.
Minor changes now in the stress management lifestyle factor for natural hair and body can produce large wellness wins in the future.
Taking the first step to better stress management doesn’t have to be hard.
However, it does require recognition of poor coping habits and a commitment to change them.
Start with small behaviors to make controlling your stress more feasible.
It is unrealistic to believe you will completely rid yourself of all stress.
A little stress for short periods can be helpful or even lifesaving, as with our instinctual fight or flight response, for example.
Instead of trying to eliminate all stress, shoot for goals to aid yourself to better cope with stress when it happens and decrease the potential for chronic stress.
So, what can you do to ease your stress daily?
Participate in activities you find calming.
Meditating, getting a massage, enjoying a cup of herbal tea, listening to music, etc. can provide wonderful sanctuaries from the stressfulness of life.
Additionally, find time to feed your social butterfly.
Call a friend to catch up on life happenings.
Play board games or go watch a movie with your family.
Make opportunities to meet new people when you can.
Most importantly beware of falling into the online social trap.
Social media is a wonderful tool, but it is not a substitute for relationships built in the real world.
Moving on, remember to leave time for self-reflection.
Start a gratitude journal or write out affirmations for your health, career, and/or life goals.
You could also nurture your spirituality and mindfulness through reading and study.
Reflection can provide clarity, which turned into actions can help solve problems and reduce stress.
Finally, learn to make time to care for your body.
You need adequate time to eat right, exercise, sleep well, and properly groom yourself.
Don’t overload your schedule so much that these things slip through the cracks.
That will only put you under more strain and derail your attempts to make hair healthier naturally.
The Western lifestyle can often leave you feeling like you are being pulled in many directions at once. When that happens, it may be time to center yourself with a little fun and distraction. A Sensory Fidget Toys Set may help you play, squeeze, stretch, and flip your way to entertainment and stress release. Both kids and adults can enjoy these trinkets. Shop for yours today below.
Sensory Fidget Toys Set, 25 Pcs., Stress Relief and Anti-Anxiety Tools Bundle
Additional Lifestyle Factors for Healthy Natural Hair Posts You May Enjoy
Lifestyle Factors for Healthy Natural Hair and Body – Part 1
Lifestyle Factors for Healthy Natural Hair and Body – Part 3
Stop Your Abuse by Breaking These 5 Natural Hair Bad Habits
Natural Hair Fails: 8 Behaviors to Sidestep During Your Journey to Prepare for Success
Final Thoughts
Making sound choices around water intake, sleep, and stress management can help you to improve your natural hair and overall wellness.
Changes in the way you look, feel, and perform can result from consistent, correct execution of healthy lifestyle habits.
We have a few more behaviors to cover together during our quests to make hair healthier naturally.
So, you should stay tuned as we conclude with Part 3 of this series.
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