Hair Health: Four Tips for Lustrous Locks

Jessico Dickerson
Wellness Lead, Dill Pickle Food Co-op

Hat season is just about behind us, meaning our tresses will be coming out to play during the longer, sunny days. Having long, thick and lustrous hair is desired by many and is a sign of good health. On the other hand, hair loss and thinning hair can be the result of nutritional deficiencies, hormone imbalance, stress, genetics, hairstyles, chemical products, and many other varying factors.

I myself have been the victim of thinning hair around my temples and for the past few months, I’ve been doing diligent research on natural remedies that have been thought to promote new hair growth.

And I’m excited to share the information I’ve discovered! While healthy hair inherently comes from a healthy diet and healthy lifestyle, supplementing with nutraceuticals, using non-toxic body care products, and receiving weekly scalp massages can all help one achieve a healthy mane of locks.

Here are four such remedies:

1. Biotin, also known as B-7 or Vitamin H, is apart of the B-Vitamin family. One symptom of a Biotin deficiency is thinning hair because Biotin plays a key role in producing amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. Since our hair is made up primarily of protein – collagen and keratin, the more biotin you take, the stronger your hair will be and the less likely it is to split and break off. To counteract a Biotin deficiency, the Mayo Clinic recommends 30-100mcg/day (1).
 

2. Castor oil. Native to Eastern Africa and India, castor oil is derived from the castor tree seeds and is a centuries old remedy used to treat split ends and hair loss. It is rich in omega 6s and EFAs, which accelerate blood circulation to the scalp, and in turn promotes new hair growth. The anti-oxidants in castor oil support the keratin in hair and help make it stronger, less likely to fall out, and less frizzy in about a month or so (2). Because castor oil is so thick, I like to mix it with equal parts of a base oil, such as almond oil. Rub it on your scalp and massage it in for a few minutes. Let it sit on your scalp for 30-45 minutes, then wash it out with shampoo. Do this at least twice a week. If you have dry or high porosity hair like I do, you can leave it in until you’re ready to wash it out, as coarser hair tends to soak up oils a lot faster than low porosity hair does. 
 

3. Rosemary oil is another age old remedy that has been used to stimulate hair growth. Considered sacred by ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greek, rosemary oil stimulates cell division and dilates blood vessels and as a result stimulates hair follicles into producing new hair growth. One study was done on men, where one group was given Rogaine for a period of four months and the other group was given rosemary oil. The men who applied Rosemary to their scalp saw the same amount of growth as the Rogaine group, suggesting that rosemary is an effective remedy against hair loss. It can also be used to treat dandruff and alopecia (3). To facilitate hair growth, mix two drops of rosemary essential oil in two tablespoons of a base oil, such as almond or coconut oil. You can even add castor oil to the mix. Apply it on your scalp and massage for about one minute. Leave it on for at least 30 minutes and then shampoo your hair as usual. This routine may be done several times a week for 3 months before results are seen.
 

4. Scalp Massage. Inadequate circulation is one of the main reasons behind hair loss. Scalp massages can improve circulation and stimulate new hair growth. To grow hair faster you can try a daily scalp massage. Using a circular motion, gently massage your scalp with your fingertips for 5 minutes each day. This kneading motion will help to open blood vessels and increase blood flow to the scalp – providing the area with more oxygen, which is essential for healthy hair (4).

Feel free to stop in to the store to ask me more about these remedies and more!

The content presented above is for informational purposes. Please consult with your doctor if you are interested in implementing any of these suggestions to ensure it is safe for your personal health care needs.

Sources:
1. https://healthyhints.com/biotin-for-hair
2. https://www.hairlossrevolution.com/castor-oil-benefits-for-hair/
3. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319444.php
4. http://www.beyondtalk.net/natural-hair-growth-remedies/

Earth Day 2018: Reduce Plastic, Bulk Up!

Jessico Dickerson
Wellness Lead, Dill Pickle Food Co-op

Earth Day 2018 is taking place once again this Sunday, April 22nd. You might be curious to know that the first Earth Day occurred on April 22nd, 1970 and is the largest secular observance on the world (1). Today people celebrate Earth Day to promote environmental awareness and to push for environmental improvements on a global scale. This year’s Earth Day campaign is “End Plastic Pollution” and is geared towards changing human attitudes about plastic and reducing plastic usage.

You too can participate in this year’s campaign to reduce your plastic consumption. One such effective and affordable means of doing so is by shopping in the bulk bin section of your local grocery store.

Not to be confused with buying in bulk from a large box store. When you “buy in bulk” you often get more of a product than you need with a lot of extra packaging.

Bulk is Green summarizes the benefits of buying from bulk bins:

1. Saving money — Buying natural and organic foods in the bulk section of the grocery store offers an average savings of 30 percent and 50 percent versus packaged food.
2. Helping the environment — Eliminating packaging reduces carbon footprints. Buying in bulk mitigates the amount of garbage that ends up in landfills and streamlines the transportation needed to deliver goods to market, helping to reduce CO2 emissions.
3. Reducing food waste — Buying in bulk allows shoppers to make smarter decisions, by purchasing the exact amount of foods they need, as opposed to purchasing consumer packaged goods with a pre-determined amount that may not get used before its expiration date.
4. Flexibility to buy a pinch or a pound — Buying in bulk offers a broad selection of natural and organic products that can be purchased in the exact quantity desired. If shoppers need a large quantity of nuts for a holiday party or just a pinch of curry powder for a new recipe — bulk foods provide both options. (2)

Shopping in the bulk section also provides the opportunity to buy small quantities to try out new grains/nuts/beans/spices/etc. without having to commit to a whole package.

You can reduce plastic waste even more so by “bringing in your own containers” or BYOC and filling them up, but make sure you get a tare weight at the registers before filling them up.

Remember to Bulk Up this Earth Day!


Sources:
1. https://www.earthday.org/about/
2. https://www.mnn.com/food/recipes/blogs/the-many-benefits-of-buying-bulk-foods

The Dirt on Getting Clean

Jessico Dickerson
Wellness Lead, Dill Pickle Food Co-op

Even though Chicago is still struggling to enter the Spring season, now is the time when most folks begin to let go and purge what doesn’t serve them anymore in the form of spring cleaning.

Cleaning during the spring season is thought to have originated due to the onset of warmer weather and longer days, both of which functioned as a stimulant for people and caused them to become more active.Nowadays, spring cleaning is associated with opening the windows, letting in fresh air, and scrubbing down the goonk from the sink and toilet bowl. For me, it’s one of the most rewarding chores I do because afterwards I get to show off and display my freshly scrubbed down home to friends and family.

In the US, a deep clean typically requires using harsh cleaning products. However, going back forty years ago, most people in the United States used vinegar to clean their windows and baking soda to wash their saucepans. According to estimates by the Clean Water Fund in Washington D.C., the average person uses about 40 pounds of toxic household cleaning products, like chlorine bleach, formaldehyde, phosphates, phthalates, petroleum products, and sulfuric acid, each year (1).

The ingredients listed above have been deemed carcinogenic by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). Founded in 1993, the EWG is an American environmental organization that specializes in research and advocacy in the areas of toxic chemicals, agricultural subsidies, public lands, and corporate accountability (2). Other environmental advocacy groups, such as the University of Bergen Norway concluded in a recent study that people exposed to harsh modern cleaning products are of greater risk for obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchitis and asthma (3). This information should raise the hairs on your arms since the Global Healing Center estimates that people are exposed to up to 2,100,000 toxins daily. For more information on these toxins, please refer to Nerve Doctor source below (4).

Luckily, it's easy to make the switch to natural cleaning products. The co-op is a great resource for simple green cleaning products. If cost is a factor, you can easily make your own cleaning products using ingredients you probably already have in your cupboards.

Here are some of my favorite DIY cleaning recipes:

1. For a homemade cleanser to scrub the bathtub and sink, use ¾ cup baking soda, ¼ cup castile soap, one tablespoon water, and 10-15 drops of your favorite essential oil.
2. For an all purpose cleanser, mix the juice of ½ lemon, 1/4 cup white vinegar, two tablespoons baking soda, and four cups hot water to wipe down and disinfect general surfaces.
3. To wipe down mirrors and windows, mix equal parts vinegar and water.
4. To unclog drains, place one cup of baking soda in the drain and pour four cups of boiling hot vinegar onto the baking soda.
5. To create a natural air freshener, boil one quart of water, one sliced lime, and one chopped piece of ginger.

What are your favorite cleaning products, or—if you're a do-it-yourselfer—what are your best recipes for cleaning products? Drop a line below!
 

Sources:
1. https://www.modernherbaleducation.com/articles/clean-your-home-dont-poison-it.html
2. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_Working_Group
3. https://www.ajc.com/news/world/study-this-common-household-chore-damaging-smoking-cigarettes-day/wmiEaATyLwwWwqViW7Ma8M/
4. http://nervedoctor.info/daily-toxin-intake-how-many-toxins-are-you-accumulating/amp/
 

Springtime Allergies: Natural Remedies

Jessico Dickerson
Wellness Lead, Dill Pickle Food Co-op


Even though it may not feel like it, spring has finally arrived here in Chicago! You may be feeling symptoms from seasonal allergies that come with the blooming trees and flower buds, such as congestion, headaches, runny eyes, itchy eyes, and sneezing. And you’re not alone – it’s estimated that 1 in 5 or 50 million people in the US suffer from seasonal allergies.

These allergy symptoms can be triggered by particles in our environment, like pollen and mold. Our body treats these particles as foreign substances and attempts to filter out these invaders through the liver. Once filtered, these particles need to be released from the body, so our body uses three exit strategies to flush them out - through the skin, urinary tract, and digestive tract.  However, if these elimination systems are not optimally functioning, the irritants will eventually recirculate back to the liver. 

When the liver has more toxins than it can handle, it stores them and releases a chemical called histamine, which results in allergy symptoms. Seasonal allergy symptoms are a result of the liver’s inability to keep up with the workload it is dealt (1).

Fortunately, there are many natural remedies one can seek out to reduce the production of histamine, restore the liver, and balance the systems of elimination.  Here are five of those remedies:

Stinging Nettles

Stinging nettles grow wild here in the Midwest, but be careful if you go out to harvest them, as they can “sting” you with their prickly hairs, known as trichomes.  Research has shown that stinging nettle leaves naturally control the production of histamines (2). You can ingest nettles as a tea or in tincture form. It is advised to brew a tablespoon of dried nettle leaves per 8oz cup of water and to consume 3-4 cups per day to help flush out the particles more efficiently.

Honey

Another ancient remedy used to provide allergy relief is local, raw honey. Studies suggest that eating a tablespoon of raw honey, sourced within a 100 mile radius, is equivalent to an allergy shot because when one eats honey you are ingesting smaller amounts of the local pollen and over time a person may become less sensitive to the pollen and experience less symptoms. In one study, it was noted that one has to consistently consume the honey everyday for at least 8 weeks in order to feel relief from symptoms (3).

Propolis

If you’re looking to avoid sweet substances, you can try another bee product called Propolis. Propolis is a resinous mixture that honey bees produce by mixing saliva and beeswax with a substance called exudate, gathered from tree buds, and is used as a sealant for unwanted open spaces in the Beehive. Local Propolis has been shown to be effective in the relief of allergy symptoms, where in one study scientists gave propolis to rats for two weeks and found that it significantly inhibited the production of histamine in the rats (4). It can easily be consumed in tincture form.

Fiber

To help improve detoxification, increase your daily intake of fruit, vegetables, and seeds. The average American gets a total of 15 grams of fiber per day, where primal predecessors were getting upwards of 120 grams of fiber per day. Fiber assists in regular bowel movements and also binds to toxins for excretion. To protect and detoxify the liver, eat more bitter vegetables, such as as arugula, dandelion leaves, mustard greens, and chicory, which helps promote the production and flow of bile (5).

Water

Last but not least, drink plenty of water! Drinking water helps flush our urinary system and supports elimination of foreign substances by thinning mucous in the nasal passageways, while encouraging sinus drainage. It’s recommended that one drink at least half your body weight in ounces to help flush out the foreign particles. And yes, those 3-4 cups of stinging nettles tea do count towards your daily water goal. 😀

The content presented above is for informational purposes. Please consult with your doctor if you are interested in implementing any of these suggestions to ensure it is safe for your personal health care needs.

Sources:

1. https://blog.honest.com/natural-allergy-solutions/
2. Roschek, Bill, et al. “Nettle extract (Urtica dioica) affects key receptors and enzymes associated with allergic rhinitis.” Phytotherapy research 23.7 (2009): 920-926.
3. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ptr.2763/abstract
4. Saarinen K, Jantunen J, Haahtela, “Birch Pollen Honey for Birch Pollen Allergy – A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study” 2011
5. Shinmei Y, Yano H, et al.“Effect of Brazilian propolis on sneezing and nasal rubbing in experimental allergic rhinitis of mice” Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol. 2009;31(4):688-93.
6. https://www.thewolfeclinic.com/wp/seasonal-allergies-and-your-liver/