Shiny, healthy hair if you eat this

This morning I was emailing with a writer about nutrients and foods for healthy hair.

My pet peeve with nutrition articles (not the one I’m contributing to of course) is if they lead readers to believe adding 1 random food will produce a major effect. When I’m devising plans for Foodtrainees, if we’re looking to say boost omega 3’s I’ll suggest multiple sources. So if you’re like me with meh hair after a harsh winter (for me it’s likely just as much bleach as winter). Here’s the answer.

HH Salad (Hair salad sounds nasty)

Ingredients:

Brussels Sprouts (great if you can buy shredded, Trader Joes has) if not slice thin for salad base.

Red or yellow bell pepper

Hard boiled omega 3 eggs or salmon or both

Pumpkin Seeds

Walnut Oil

Apple Vinegar

Rationale:

• Brussels sprouts and peppers are high in Vitamin C that boosts collagen that surrounds hair and keeps it strong.
• Eggs and salmon are high in biotin. Biotin creases hair growth and overall scalp health. They’re also good sources of omega 3’s  the natural oils that keep your scalp and hair hydrated. The walnut oil is another omega 3 source.
• Pumpkin seeds have zinc, which regulates hormones in the body that affect hair growth and helps maintain production of oil-secreting glands on the scalp that help your hair grow.
• Eggs and Brussels also have iron. There’s a connection between iron levels and hair loss among women.

• And for a bonus? Wash the salad down with a shot of Sibu sea buckthorn

What do you do to keep your hair healthy? Do you notice a difference between your diet and hair health?

Top 5 Healthy Shots with the Daily Shot and a bonus

I had no success with a screen shot, clearly oh well.

“I look good, I look good, I look exactly the way you wish you could.” Do you think I’ve lost my mind with this sudden burst of confidence? Sorry, I just can’t get the music from The Daily Shot out of my head and if you watch their segments you will know exactly what I mean.  Clients and friends have been asking, “are you having fun with the book stuff? While I will go to all ends of the earth for LBT (I mean I went to Jericho, Long Island in the rain this past weekend) but fun? It’s work except for this segment on healthyshots.

I really think shots are the new vitamins. Rather than mindlessly downing a handful of pills, I favor more of an a la carte, issue specific, approach.Ali Wentworth was so funny during the segment but before we started she was welcoming and sweet. When we arrived she was curled up in the green room reading the book. Her greeting was perfect “I have a ton of questions for you but I really want to ask only the ones that pertain to me”. Don’t we all?

I couldn’t name names for the 5 shots during the segment but here’s more information:

Sea Buckthorn- we used Sibu, sea buckthorn puree. I’vediscussed sea buckthorn before but I am thrilled with this unsweetened versionSibu now has (11 calories an oz., 1 g sugar).

Astragalus- I like a brand called Fushi. A little worried I handed my bottle over to my publicist when her daughter was sick, a winter necessity.

Aloe- if you’ve tried aloe and have been repulsed by the taste, try George’s brand. Part of me worries that without the taste it’s not working but this does.

Turmeric- we used a shot from one of my favorite, juice shops Organic Avenue. I’m also fond of the Turmeric Elixirs.

E3Live- we go way back with E3, an energy boosting necessity you’ll find it in the frozen section of health food stores.

At the end of this segment Ali asks about something for nausea. She was kidding but Snack Queen and I had these with our lunch yesterday. Ginger + probiotic.

Are you more vitamin or shot oriented? If you’re vitamin averse would you be more inclined to do a shot? Are we immature (or Tulanians) or is there not something fun about pulling out the shot glasses during the day?

Sinless Margaritas, Giveaway and Recipe

Yesterday, I had that skin cancer procedure. For me, it was a huge relief to have that behind me but I’m not selfish enough to think that other things weren’t happening in the world. For example, while I was lamenting the band-aid on my face others were celebrating National Tequila Day. I’m sure I’ve made fun of National Donut Day or National Hot Dog Day but Tequila Day? Ole’.

I’m sorry to be a day late with this crucial cocktail information but trust me it’s ok to margarita anytime…especially when they’re healthy margaritas. You know me too well to think I’m going to tout “skinny” drinks but we looked high and low and found something better.  Enter Sinless Margaritas.

Sinless is all-natural and sugar free. It’s 5 calories per serving and sweetened with stevia. If you have margaritas once in a blue moon and want to use simple syrup…ok but if you like to margarita as much as I do (and I do) these are the way to go. They are in the refrigerated section (or available online) because they use real lime and real lemons. And if you want proof that some people have great jobs Zach, one of the Sinless owners, told us “my wife Cat still makes and tastes every batch in our Atlanta headquarters.” Zach- you let us know when Cat calls in sick, we're here to help taste test.

Sinless makes your life easy. You mix 2 parts of their mix with 1 part tequila. I had healthy skin on my mind yesterday and concocted this Sea Buckthorn (thank you to the reader who corrected my spelling of buckthorn) Sinless Margarita. I’ve mentioned sea buckthorn before as a key ingredient for healthy skin and hair; it also has a tart taste making it perfect with a limey margarita.

Sea Buckthorn Margarita

1.5 ounces Sinless Margarita Mix

1oz Sibu 100% Sea Buckthorn (or in NYC Juice Generation makes Sea Buckthorn shots)

1.5 oz. Tanteo Jalapeno Tequila

Stir to combine and serve over ice

These margaritas come in just over 100 calories.

Zach and Cat didn’t want you to feel left out and so they’re giving away a bottle of their regular and a bottle of their strawberry margarita mix to one lucky reader.

To be eligible:

1. Comment below telling us about the best margarita you’ve ever had OR why you want to try Sinless AND
2. Tweet @Foodtrainers has a @sinlesscocktail #giveaway today.

You have until next Thursday 8/1 to enter.

One of these and band-aid, schmand aid. Cheers! 

Is it Possible to Freeze Your Ass Off?

I am used to freezing when we’re in Vermont; however, I am unprepared for the tundra that NYC has become this week. It is so cold it hurts and while I have moments of finding this invigorating, those are fleeting. So while fleeing the flu was last week’s mission, this week it’s all about heat seeking.

Please avoid this pose should you purchase one of these hats

Hat Head Schmat Heat

I know many women (and my newly vain sons) shun hats because of static and hat head but please.  I can even make the argument that winter hats do not need to be removed at the dinner table. My favorite hats are Mischa Lampert’s. These are as warm as it gets. They’re sold at Anthropologie and online but if you need an excuse to go to Jackson Hole you'll find them at Rodeo, one of my favorite shops.

Matcha Steamer

I talked about my matcha obsession last week. For a hot chocolate riff, I like to heat nut milk and add spices and a little sweetness. On twitter someone suggested a Matcha Steamer-genius. It was like those rare moments when two of your friends like each other as much as you like them. I’m not the type of person who is ever bothered by this. One spoonful of beautiful matcha, a cup of heated homemade almond milk, whisk them together to avoid matcha being antisocial at the bottom of the mug. And at the last minute I invited cardamom and stevia. Try it, it’s good.

White Chili

I have a go-to  Rosaberry Chili recipe.  And most Wednesday nights when my boys have hockey it’s sitting on the stove when then come home. I’ve always been curious about chili variations. I made this White Bean and Chicken Chili VT this weekend. Leave it to smiley Giada to concoct a dish that could rival any traditional chili. This white chili, as the name suggests,  is tomato-free and  incorporates Swiss chard and corn. I used gluten free flour, just watch the chili powder. I increased the recipe and shouldn’t have increased the chili powder by the same factor. The adults liked it. I had the opposite error with this Moroccan Lentil Soup (spinach, cauliflower and turmeric in this one). I used low sodium broth, Pomi boxed tomatoes (very low salt) and we needed to salt it a bit once cooked. Don’t let my seasoning slip-ups turn you off, both are great recipes.

Artic Skin

Bon Appetit declared sea buckthorn the ingredient of the moment. Let’s be clear that I blogged about it first. They said it has a “sour patch kid flavor” raw. You sour patch people may be intrigued. I’m loving sea buckthorn lotion and slathering it on every family member. I’m also relying on Joanna Vargas’ Daily Serum, which was described to me as “green juice for your skin”. Sold.

Love a Good Placemat

I must be nesting/hibernating because suddenly I’m talking hats and housewares. I’m crazy about these placemats from Chilewich.

And to answer the initial question, it turns out you can “freeze your ass off” sort of.

This is a fun post but this time of year when it’s cold and dark can be difficult. If there’s someone who may be having a hard time or simply someone you haven’t heard from, reach out. Make them matcha, drop off some soup. Don’t wait until it’s too late.

It is freezing where you live? What are your favorite wintry items or recipes? Do you like hats? Can you think of anyone to reach out to this time of year?

Do you prefer Sally Field or Elizabeth Olsen Foods?

I have mixed feelings about food fashions. Some trends can get out of hand. For example, there is kale which I suggested was getting Kardashian like. Though the trendiness annoys me, I still like kale. As for Kim and Kourtney…still don’t quite understand. Other foods are more Elizabeth Olsen-ish. They are intriging and appealing but you may or may not have heard of them. With any new foods there’s a vetting process we go through to find out if it’s not only new but worthy.

Irish Moss

Irish moss is a seaweed that’s high in protein, iodine and some B vitamins

It’s commonly used as a thickener; you soak it and then blend it. It works well in smoothies and many vegan desserts such as mousses and custards. Unfortunately some reports lead us to believe it’s potentially a health hazard and can increase the risk of certain cancers. This is a good reminder that just because something is natural doesn’t mean safe. I wouldn't "cast" this one.

Sea Buckthorn 
(see photo above)

I first started thinking about sea buckthorn a couple of winters ago. Sea buckthorn oil is used in many lotions and topical preparations and is one of my go-to weapons for dry, flaky “winter skin”. Sure enough, I wasn’t the only one comtemplating buckthorn and now I’m hearing about it more and more. Sea-buckhorn’s Latin name means “making horses shine” and this interesting omega-7 oil, rich in beta carotene and vitamin C, is helpful for many skin conditions. Sea buckthorn is a shrub with a brightly colored berry; it has a tart flavor. A company called Sibu makes a sea buckhorn juice product; my only hesitation is that due to the flavor it is paired with apple juice concentrate. Dr Weil’s restaurants True Food use sea buckthorn juice in a number of dishes including a sorbet. We’ve seen sea buckthorn jelly and teas. I look forward to more options and edible forms, my concern is that since the taste is sour and acidic many preparations like the Sibu will be sweeter. This is a food I’d put into the “one to watch” category.  For now, lotions such as Weleda’s Sea Buckthorn Lotion and buckhorn oil used topically are good options.

Yacon

Photo via Eattheweeds

Yacon is a root vegetable but not just any root vegetable. It has prebiotic properties meaning it helps intestinal flora as probiotics feed on prebiotics. Jerusalem artichokes are also prebiotics. Yacon is one of the highest vegetable sources of FOS (fructooligosaccharides), which help GI health (less bloating and less constipation), immunity and potentially mood. Yacon also boats a sweet taste but doesn’t raise blood sugar levels. I use yacon in smoothies using a powdered form from Navitas Naturals that has been increasingly hard to find.  There is also yacon syrup, which can be used in baking, and yacon slices which makes a nice snack.  Yacon, with interesting attributes, is definitely worth checking out. Yacon aced its audition.

So whether it’s foods or film, there’s nothing wrong with reliable standbys. Sally Field or Sally Field foods broccoli, cauliflower etc. aren’t going anywhere and are great options. However, whether for variety or for specific health benefits it’s fun to branch out, you just might not like what you find every time.

Do you like experimenting with new ingredients? Which ones are you enjoying lately? Would you say you like Sally Field or Elizabeth Olsen foods?