It’s not hard to miss and you may have actually experienced it feasting on junky, prepackaged foods that taste of nothing but chemicals. That unsavory taste lingers offensively and leaves your taste buds high and dry. Compare this with a meal made from wholesome organic ingredients and the choice is so clear and obvious. You wonder how on earth you could ever prefer processed over fresh food!

Looking good is just as much about taking care of your body inside as it is about radiant outside. And I am not merely talking about your looks alone. A good eat promotes healthy exterior too. Take for instance your hair. It needs protein to produce keratin, the proteins that make hair strong and lustrous. If it doesn’t receive enough of proteins, it could go into a ‘resting phase’ causing noticeable hair loss. Come to think of it…try adding a portion of whey protein to your morning smoothie for simple boost. It may even help you with controlling your appetite and those afflicted with iron deficient anemia. This iron deficiency is primarily associated with koilonychias– a deficiency syndrome characterized by spoon shaped nails. Many would hasten with the advice; “you must eat red meat every day of the week. It will help you get over this deprivation in no time”. Does this mean that you should be consuming it each day, especially when you know that red meat is high in saturated fat, and consuming lots of it hazards increased risk of several health problems including cardiac disease, several types of cancer and type 2 diabetes? I would though say that a lean cut of beef once a week wouldn’t harm you much.

Subtle signs you are missing out on these essential eats!

What do all those healthy foods have in common? Super foods like grilled chicken, lentils, yogurt, and eggs… all are loaded with enough protein to see us through the day. Carbohydrates, fats are also all important to maintain good health quotient. In fact each one of these three macronutrients are high priority foods for a different reason. If you cut back on carbs, your body responds with odd reactions. If you pinch fats you are risking your brain’s health. You may have trouble staying focused at work or even find yourself feeling scatterbrained and foggy. And of course, you wouldn’t want to cut corners on proteins. This is one major source of energy and intrinsic to functioning of your immune system.

There is no one magic number for how much of protein you need each day. Grams differ from person to person. So you would do best if you learn which food carries most and add them in your daily serve, if you feel you are not eating enough. But before that, let’s figure out why proteins are so crucial while making food choices.

Our skin, hair and nails are made primarily from a protein called keratin. Our body derives it from the food we take to produce it. If it doesn’t get enough of it, our skin, hair, and nails get hurt most. Yet another promising protein that is so important for your winsomeness is collagen.  It counts heavily on amino acids proline, glycine and lysine for its production. These amino acids come directly from eating certain protein rich foods. That’s part of why eating salmon, eggs, and yogurt can actually help us if we are looking for better hair slides. But what lies next is even more perplexing!

You may be cramming all the goodness that you think is adequate but still not see the results you actually want to happen to you!  You are taking longer to recover from stress situations or don’t see muscle gain even after a workout. Any number of things could be stalling your progress. In all probability you may have missed the cue to begin with. What is good may not be enough.  This happens when you lack enough proteins.

The proteins that would have otherwise been used for muscle building and repairs, are used to supply more to vital tissues. In fact when your muscles break down during stress activity, they simple wear away instead of building up stronger during repairs. This means that your body needs more of it to build up strength back again. This doesn’t have to come from a protein bar or shake but from nutritious foods in your meals and snacks.

Here’s the foods that could give your hair and nails a boost, your sagging skin a natural lift and texture, those puffy dark circled eyes an unmistakable shine and luster, an envious upturn to six packs and above all help you stay stoked 24/7.

Blueberries We all know that antioxidants help protect our body’s cells against free radical damage.. This damage results in higher levels of stress hormones and inflammation that in turn harm all the cells in the body, including those in the hair and nails. Blueberries could just be the right choice to overcome this depletion. Among other fruits and dark greens, these berries have one of the highest antioxidant properties of all fruits.

Almonds These goodness picks are a rich source of protein and full of magnesium. An anti stress mineral, it helps maintain healthy hair and nails. Look out for those vertical ridges in your nails. This may be the sign of inadequate magnesium in your body. You can also get more magnesium through leafy greens and soybeans.

Beer Interestingly, beer is one rich sources of silicon, a trace mineral that increases circulation to the scalp, which bodes well for hair growth. May be it is why a daily 10-mg silicon supplement is found to be enough to reduce hair and nail brittleness after about five month therapy. No need to go overboard, though. Most single servings of beer carry10 mg + of silicon.  So…no more than single drink a day for women and two for men unless  you intend to ruin your diet plan.

Oysters These have 74 grams of zinc per serving, far more than any other food. Not interested enough to eat oysters every day? Or maybe you are a vegan or an absolute vegetarian buff ! Any one of beef, poultry, fortified cereals, and baked beans could help you up your intake of this vital nutrient.

Milk A link between vitamin D and hair loss has evoked renewed interest among those who experience everyday trauma over falling hair. Women who shed hair are believed to have lower vitamin D levels than those who flaunt healthy hair. Calcium is a key mineral in building healthy hair and nails and you need vitamin D to absorb calcium. Of course, vitamin-D fortified milk offers both, but supplements  sans medical advice is a big ‘nay’ even if you think you might be deficient.

Eggs Eggs are a good source of protein and contain little bit of vitamin D and biotin, a B-complex vitamin that plays a key role in keratin development. If you are deficient in biotin then it is very likely that you have weak hair and nails that are brittle and break one too often.

Salmon Salmon is a good source of biotin and protein, along with omega-3 fatty acids which reduce inflammation and promote healthy moisturized skin. And mind you…your scalp is skin too. A healthy scalp means healthy hair follicles, and in turn strong lustrous hair. Omega-3s’ inflammation-reducing effects are also good for your nails.

Sweet Potato This highly nutritious super food is just great for promoting keratin production. It is particularly high in beta carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the body. This vitamin in turn promotes keratin synthesis and is so essential for skin and hair health.

Garlic Garlic carries plentiful amounts of L-cysteine, an amino acid found in keratin and helps in toning the skin health. Garlic is also rich in beneficial micronutrients, including manganese, vitamin B6 and vitamin C including a powerful compound called allicin. Allicin acts as an antibiotic agent and helps cure respiratory infections.

Mangoes A ripe mango is one delicious way to pack in some extra nutrients into your food. It is stuffed with pro-vitamin A that kicks up the synthesis of keratin. Mango is also high in several other key nutrients such as vitamin C and folate.

Sunflower Seeds Savory, satisfying and flavorful, these seeds are a great source of both biotin and protein that support keratin production. The seeds are also rich in a number of micronutrients including vitamin E, copper, selenium and pantothenic acid.

Carrots Carrots are loaded with vitamin C and promote collagen synthesis to support hair, skin and nail health. This vitamin also assists in wound healing, alleviates inflammation and protects against skin damage. These sweet, delicious crunchy taproots hold plenty of biotins, vitamin B6, potassium and vitamin K1 as add-ons. An exceptionally rich source of carotenes and vitamin-A, a 100 g fresh carrot contains 8,285 microgram of beta-carotene and 16,706 IU ( international unit) of vitamin-A.

Kale This leafy green super food is a good source of pro-vitamin- A that supports keratin synthesis. It is also a great source of vitamin C that stimulates the production of collagen, a type of protein that manages the texture, strength and elasticity of your skin.

And don’t forget that quintessential water! Skin, hair, nails and all our cells need water to function as we are mostly made of water. So keep hydrated throughout the day, whether with water or through herbal teas.

Then there are those that you don’t just have to eat… The beauty of using foods to nourish yourself means that often you can use them directly and indulge in a mini pampering session all by yourself. You can make a face mask of mashed avocado, cacao powder and ground turmeric or mashed papaya, coconut yoghurt and turmeric to hydrate, soften and make skin naturally glow. Try applying coconut or avocado oil to the hair, leave overnight as a hair mask, then rinse out in the morning. Or make a homemade body scrub with ground oats, olive oil and sugar or ground coffee, cacao powder and coconut oil.

Trust me, results would amaze you to no end!!

Shore up within and walk off into the sunset

Whatever you do and howsoever you intend to make it happen, simply learn to eat a little better than you have been doing so far. Remember changes didn’t happen to you!! Just aim to strike rich with what you devour. Choosing healthy flavorful foods are known to work best for those who realize that binge eats are your worst enemy and work on diet plans that indulge more on macronutrients.

After all living inside a healthy body doesn’t have to be difficult. One should be in sync with it and have fun together!  Just step out, gather your wits and try new healthy, nutritious foods without gushing over.

You will be surprised how small changes could make a heap of difference !!