It's thinspo Thursday! I've had a bit of a rough week (what else is new... eh?) but Thursday is all about pushing through! So if you've had a rough week too... put it behind you and start fresh again! And if you're doing good I'm proud of you... keep pushing! Thin is within your reach! ♥

Keep your hair healthy and strong!

It's a common problem... hair loss. A good place to start in repairing your hair, and preventing loss, is watching your vitamin intake! You must always be conscious of your vitamin intake when restricting to avoid serious health problems. Taking vitamin supplements is not always enough since your body is more receptive to vitamins coming from a natural source. If you take vitamin supplements in combination with the right foods you will benefit from the supplement much better than without! Here are some key vitamins for hair health and complimenting low-cal foods!

Vitamin A - Helps produce healthy sebum in the scalp. You can find vitamin A in eggs, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, apricots and peaches. You should try to get at least 5,000 IU a day... but remember; too much vitamin A can actually cause hair loss! Keep your dose well under 25,000 IU a day.

Vitamin C - Not only good for your hair, but also great for your skin! In my opinion, you can never get enough vitamin C. Remember not to take chewable supplements, because they will erode the enamel on your teeth! You can find vitamin C in plenty of foods, especially broccoli, tomato, papaya, mango, red, green and yellow peppers, and kiwis. Try to get at least 60mg in a day, but many doctors advise as much as 1000mg a day to help support a healthy immune system. Never go over 2000mg, or else you will have some skin discolouration. I did this once and wound up with yellow eyes! Not sexy.

Vitamin E - Enhances scalp circulation and can be found in leafy green vegetables. Eat up your salads! Take up to 400IU a day, and if you have high blood pressure you should research more into your vitamin E intake, and discuss with your doctor, as too much can cause problems.

Biotin and Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) - Specifically helps reduce and prevent hair loss! Unfortunately these vitamins are usually found in more high-cal foods such as whole grains and meats, but I recommend trying egg yolks. Get 150-300mg biotin and 4-7mg B5 in a day.

Inositol - Helps keep your hair follicles healthy on a cellular level. This can be found in any citrus fruit, like oranges, lemons, grapefruits and tangerines. You can have up to 600mg a day.

Vitamin B6 - Also specifically prevents hair loss and produces melanin to help keep your colour vibrant. It can be found in egg yolk, as well as many fruits and vegetables such as bananas, kiwi, limes, plums, avocado, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, corn, leeks, mushrooms, onions, spinach and zucchini. Get a daily dose of 1.6mg, but watch your intake! Too much vitamin B6 can cause numbness of hands and feet.

Vitamin B12 - Also prevents hair loss! This one is a toughy, but very important for overall health! I struggled with a b12 deficiency for a very long time and it caused me very serious health problems. Take your supplements, and whenever you can bite the bullet and find a natural source of b12. It can only be found in animal based products, or soy products. I recommend chicken or fish, egg yolks, or soy milk. 

I know all this vitamin jargon can be a lot to take in at once, especially if your not well versed in nutrition. So to help make your first steps a little easier, I've included a recipe that meets all your hair-health needs!

Citrus Broccoli Salad!  (120cal)

*Remember, you can change up any of the vegetables in this recipe. I chose broccoli because it covers a lot of your necessary vitamins!

1 egg, boiled and cooled.

1/2 cup of fresh broccoli flourettes

1/2 fresh garlic clove

1 slice of fresh lemon

1 cup mixed greens

pinch of salt and pepper for taste

Place rinsed broccoli in a steam basket and steam in pot with 1 inch of water for three minutes. (Raw or boiled broccoli will do if you do not have a steamer.) Remove from heat immediately to avoid over-cooking, and place in a serving bowl to cool. In a separate bowl mix juice from lemon slice, garlic, salt and pepper, then pour over cooled broccoli. Slice boiled egg in half, and place on mixed greens along with broccoli. Eat and enjoy!

Fashion Thinspo: Eniko Mihalik for Bergdorf Goodman Resort