With the onset of the monsoon season all across India, common physical ailments like the flu and other infections are explicitly rampant. However, with the presence of moisture in the air, hair also tends to get frizzy and break. Moreover, when combined with pollution and other factors like stress, hair fall during the season seems to peak and lead to thinning. Hence, including a few easily available foods that are traditional to an Indian diet, proves to be useful in curbing the effects and reducing the chances of further damage.
Fenugreek Seeds
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More commonly known as methi dana, fenugreek seeds are particularly hair-friendly. Apart from adding a few to warm coconut oil and massaging your scalp with it, these seeds can also be added to simple dishes like kadhi and paired with a bowl of khichdi, for dinner. Alternately, fenugreek seeds can also be added to tadkas or in sabzis, for easier consumption that mellows its distinct bitterness. These seeds also help in insulin response, which makes it especially effective to consume for those suffering from hormonal issue-related hair loss like PCOD.
Garden Cress
These iron-rich seeds are best consumed when soaked and mixed with a glass of milk, before bedtime. Garden cress seeds or aliv, as it is known is also excellent to contain the damage and hair loss that occurs with chemotherapy treatments and can be mixed with coconut and ghee – both of which are hair-friendly foods, to make laddoos and consume for better results.
Nutmeg
Adding a small pinch of nutmeg powder to your glass of milk before bed, with or without soaked garden cress seeds, makes it a powerhouse of vitamin B16, folic acid and magnesium. Adding nutmeg to milk and consuming it in this form also enables to sleep well, thereby reducing stress and helping the body relax – leading to better blood circulation and recuperation of the nervous system, which is beneficial for reducing hair loss.
Ghee
Due to its rich content of essential fatty acids, ghee preserves the lustre of hair and strengthens the roots. It also keeps the scalp moisturised, helping prevent dryness that leads to breakage. Adding a tablespoonful of ghee to your portion of rice, roti, soup or sabzi is the ideal way to consume this superfood. Ghee can also be consumed on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning for slow release of energy and helping you stay full – thereby avoiding refined foods that aggravate hair loss.
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Turmeric
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Whether it is turmeric powder or fresh turmeric root, this superfood has immune-boosting properties, which allow the body to combat possible infections or bacteria. Since ailments like the flu or monsoon-related diseases like cholera and jaundice can lead to hair loss, turmeric acts as a shield and fights to keep health-related issues at bay.
Yoghurt
Rich in minerals and probiotics, eating a bowl of fresh yoghurt for lunch or consuming it in smoothies helps to boost digestion and prevent discomfort. Yoghurt, like ghee, helps in maintaining the strength of your hair as well as keeping it shiny and smooth when the humidity levels are high in the atmosphere. Having yoghurt in the form of buttermilk, kadhi or on its own is a great way of consuming this healthy dairy product.