Week 2 of No Shampooing

Yes, its been 2 weeks. This is the longest I have been without shampooing mmy hair. I wash and rinse every other day. I don't think I need to do it so often but I wanted to look presentable during the holidays and took extra care.

Now that holidays are over I will wash and rinse only as needed.

The road so far has been good. My hair feel softer and shinier especially on the days I rinse (you can see the difference from Week 1 in the picture above). Even got few compliments from different people which give me more reasons to continue with no shampooing. Can't believe people are actually noticing my hair!!!

Stay tuned to learn more next week.

Good Night.

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Feed your Heart Well!

In the last article we talked about clogged arteries or Atherosclerosis, a condition that occurs when fatty buildup or plaque reduces the blood-carrying capacity of the arteries. The human body relies on the delivery of oxygen and nutrients in the blood to cells and tissues. Atherosclerosis impairs this vital function, setting up a scenario for serious health effects. Although atherosclerotic heart disease gradually takes hold as we age, the condition is accelerated among smokers and those whose diets include excessive amounts of saturated and trans-fatty acids. Therefore, any diet aimed at slowing down the development of atherosclerosis should be low in total fat - especially saturated fat - and low in dietary cholesterol.




Here is some basic advice to slow down atherosclerosis by dietary and lifestyle means:



■Eat more fish. Fish is a good source of protein and other nutrients. It also contains omega-3 fatty acids, which may help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. The American Heart Association recommends two servings a week of omega-3 fatty acid-rich fish like salmon, mackerel, and herring which improve cholesterol levels as well as the elasticity of the arteries.

■Eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and beans. These wonders of nature may be one of the most powerful strategies in fighting heart disease. Increase your consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables for their antioxidant properties. Citrus fruits, broccoli, spinach, carrots, peppers, garlic, leeks and onions are especially beneficial. Eat more oats, apples and beans for their soluble fiber which helps to lower cholesterol intake.

■Limit total fat grams and eat a bare minimum of saturated fats and trans fats (for example, fats found in butter, hard margarine, salad dressing, fried foods, snack foods, sweets, and desserts). When purchasing margarine, oil, or baked/processed goods, check food labels and choose foods low in trans-fats, hydrogenated or saturated fat, and low in sodium.

■When you use added fat, use fats high in monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats (for example, fats found in canola, olive, and peanut oil).

■Eat a variety and right amount of protein foods. Commonly eaten high-fat protein foods (meat, dairy products) are among the main culprits in increasing heart disease risk. Reduce this nutritional risk factor by balancing animal, fish, and vegetable sources of protein and choosing the leanest protein sources.

■Limit cholesterol consumption. This also cuts out saturated fats, as cholesterol and saturated fat are usually found in the same foods. Get energy by eating complex carbohydrates (whole-wheat pasta, sweet potatoes, and whole-grain breads) and limit simple carbohydrates (regular soft drinks, sugar, sweets). The American Heart Association says it is OK to have an egg a day if your cholesterol is normal. When it comes to lowering blood cholesterol levels, limiting saturated fats is more important than dietary cholesterol intake. The recommendation is not to exceed 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol each day.

■Reduce your intake of alcohol to moderate levels. This means one drink per day for women, or two for men. One drink is 12 fl oz of beer, a glass of wine or one measure of spirits.

■Reduce salt intake as this will help you control your blood pressure.

■Leading vitamin C researchers have begun to suggest that vitamin C may be important in preventing heart disease, but only up to 100-200 mg of intake per day. Studies have shown a 15% reduction in the progression of atherosclerosis, compared with placebo.

■Vitamin E (400-800 IU per day to prevent oxidative damage to LDL cholesterol) may lower the risk of atherosclerosis and heart attacks, but current evidence from large, well-designed studies is conflicting.

■Numerous medicinal plants and plant compounds have demonstrated an ability to protect LDL cholesterol from being damaged by free radicals. Garlic, ginkgo, and guggul are of particular note in this regard. Garlic and ginkgo have been most convincingly shown to protect LDL cholesterol in humans.

■Garlic has been shown to be an effective anti-atherosclerotic at 900 mg per day. Research has shown the benefits of garlic to both prevent and possibly slow the progression of atherosclerosis in people at risk. Aged garlic extract, but not raw garlic, has been shown, to prevent oxidation of LDL cholesterol in humans, an event believed to be a significant factor in the development of atherosclerosis.

■Ginkgo may reduce the risk of atherosclerosis by interfering with a chemical the body sometimes makes in excess, called platelet activating factor (PAF). PAF stimulates platelets to stick together too much; ginkgo stops this from happening. Ginkgo also increases blood circulation to the brain, arms, and legs.

■Garlic and ginkgo also decrease excessive blood coagulation.

■Guggul has been less extensively studied, but research suggests it can significantly improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels in people.

■Lifestyle factors are also important for a healthy heart. Besides maintaining healthy weight, other very important factors are the avoidance of cigarette smoking and the regular undertaking of physical activity, especially aerobic exercise. Exercise strengthens the heart muscles, improves blood flow, reduces high blood pressure, raises HDL cholesterol ("good" cholesterol), and helps control blood sugars and body weight. Stays adequately hydrated and drink plenty of water.

■These steps, of course, are critical for healing from any disease, and for good health in general. Learning to deal with your anger is also important, as some preliminary studies have actually linked aggressive responses to coronary atherosclerosis.

Combating heart disease is one of the most challenging problems of medical science. Treatment, though advanced, is only one component of the care. It is often expensive and beyond reach of common man especially in developing countries. It would be to our advantage to prevent the disease through diet and lifestyle changes.

Originally Published in Valley India Times, March 2011

References:
A Heart Healthy Diet, WebMd
Anti Atherosclerosis Diet and Lifestyle - Useful Foods, Nutrition and Habits, All 4 Natural Health
Atherosclerosis, Natural Eye Care Inc

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Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors!

The function of the heart is to supply blood to the entire body. The heart in turn gets its nourishment through coronary arteries. It is therefore necessary that coronary arteries are maintained properly throughout the entire body. However, age and certain lifestyle factors injure the blood vessels and coronary arteries and one tends to get diseases associated with cardiovascular system. The term cardiovascular disease includes several diseases such as coronary artery disease, stroke, hypertension, rheumatic heart disease, etc. Focus of this article is on coronary artery disease as this is related with a high rate of hospitalizations and death.
Coronary artery disease (CAD), also called coronary heart disease, is a condition in which plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries. These arteries supply the heart muscle with oxygen-rich blood. When plaque; made up of fat, cholesterol and other substances; builds up in the arteries, the condition is called atherosclerosis. Plaque narrows the arteries and reduces blood flow to your heart muscle. It also makes it more likely that blood clots will form in your arteries. Blood clots can partially or completely block blood flow. When your coronary arteries are narrowed or blocked, oxygen-rich blood can't reach your heart muscle. This can cause angina or a heart attack.

Description of Atherosclerosis

        Adopted from National Institute of Health, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Figure A shows a normal artery with normal blood flow. Figure B shows an artery with plaque buildup.


Over time, CAD can weaken the heart muscle and lead to heart failure and arrhythmias. CAD is not due to any single factor but due to several factors and these are called risk factors. The longer the risk factor operates, the greater is the risk of developing the disease. The presence of multiple risk factors has an additive effect. It is also known that CAD is an unavoidable effect of socio-economic development. It is therefore important to know about the risk factors and then focus on factors that can reduce the risk of developing heart disease. In this article we will talk about the major risk factors and focus on ways to reduce them in subsequent articles.



Blood Lipids

Elevated levels of blood lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides) are the major risk factors for heart disease. Cholesterol and other fats can't dissolve in the blood. They have to be transported to and from the cells by special carriers called lipoproteins. There are several kinds, but the most important are Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL or ‘bad’) and High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL or ‘good’). HDL is the "good" cholesterol which helps keep the LDL (bad) cholesterol from getting lodged into your artery walls. LDL cholesterol is the "bad" cholesterol. When too much of it circulates in the blood, it can clog arteries, increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke. The triglycerides are also important since they influence lipid deposition and clotting mechanisms. Circulating levels of LDL, HDL and Triglycerides are measures of the risk of CAD.

High Blood Pressure

Hypertension is a strong risk factor for cardiac and blood vessel damage. Obesity, particularly fat around the abdomen and excess consumption of alcohol, salt and fat, especially saturated fat, are associated with hypertension. Low intakes of potassium, calcium and magnesium also increase blood pressure. Stress and lack of exercise are other contributing factors.


Blood pressure is typically recorded as two numbers, written as a ratio like this:



Systolic

The top number, which is also the higher of the two numbers, measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats (when the heart muscle contracts)
Diastolic

The bottom number, which is also the lower of the two numbers, measures the pressure in the arteries between heartbeats (when the heart muscle is resting between beats and refilling with blood).

Typically more attention is given to the top number (the systolic blood pressure) as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease for people over 50 years old. In most people, systolic blood pressure rises steadily with age due to increasing stiffness of large arteries, long-term build-up of plaque, and increased incidence of cardiac and vascular disease.



This chart below reflects blood pressure categories defined by the American Heart Association.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease wherein blood and urinary glucose increase. Insulin resistance plays an important role in the development of the disease. There are two major types of diabetes.



Type 1 Diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes is a serious condition that occurs when the pancreas makes little or no insulin. Without insulin, the body is unable to take the glucose (blood sugar) it gets from food into cells to fuel the body. So without daily injections of insulin, people with type 1 diabetes won't survive. For that reason, this type of diabetes is also referred to as insulin-dependent diabetes.


Type 2 Diabetes:

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and is associated with obesity. Historically, type 2 diabetes has been diagnosed primarily in middle-aged adults. Today, however, adolescents and young adults are developing type 2 diabetes. This type of diabetes can occur under two different circumstances:



■The pancreas doesn't make enough insulin, or

■The body develops "insulin resistance" and can't make efficient use of the insulin it makes

In diabetes blood lipids are increased and these contribute to premature or accelerated process of cardiovascular disease.

Obesity

Obesity is characterized by an excessive accumulation of body fat through increase in size and number of fat cells. Obese individuals have more body fat and higher levels of blood glucose and cholesterol. For every extra kilogram of fat, one tends to produce 20mg more cholesterol per day. The higher the body weight, the greater is the risk of not only heart disease but also gall stones and cancer. It is therefore necessary to maintain ideal body weight.



Smoking

Nicotine and carbon monoxide in the smoke damage the heart and blood vessels. Nicotine makes the heart beat faster and work harder, therefore more oxygen is required. Carbon monoxide cuts down the oxygen carried by blood vessels. Smoking also increases chronic lung diseases and lung cancer thus reducing the life expectancy in smokers.



Sedentary Habits and Stress

With increasing industrialization and modernization, sedentary lifestyle and stress have become a part and parcel of our lifestyle. Sedentary habits decrease energy expenditure and contribute to obesity and rise in cholesterol levels thus contributing to cardiovascular diseases.
The adage “Prevention is better than cure” is particularly appropriate to chronic heart diseases since cost of treatment far outweighs the cost of disease prevention. A healthy lifestyle that involves regular exercise, a balanced diet and avoidance of over indulgence in foods can prevent heart diseases. In the next article we will highlight the importance of diet on coronary artery diseases.

Originally Published in Valley India Times, February 2011

Sources:
1.National Heart Lung and Blood Institute
2.American Heart Association
3.National Institute of Nutrition, India

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Day 3&4 "No Shampoo"

Morning of Day 3 hair looked oily. So I tried the rinse and cleanse again. This took care of the oily feeling but made the hair little dry. They look good but dry. I like more soft and smooth feeling.

So on Day 4 I tried only the Apple cider vinegar rinse. The hair look really wavy and good in volume but the dry feeling is stll there. This could also be because of the cold weather. My skin and hair are not very fond of winter dryness. Maybe I should add few essential oils in my rinse. Will try this in a day or two.

Pictures coming soon!

Chao,
Parul

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Week 1 of No Shampooing

I was little hesitated to experiment with "no-shampooing" but it has been good so far.

On Saturday while hubby was taking care of the little one I invested some time in preparing the cleanse and rinse. It was pretty quick. I used the following recipes courtsey of  "On Just a couple of Acres Blog" and "Instructables.com".

Baking Soda Cleansing (Shampoo)
1 quart boiling water
1/4 c. baking soda
Add the soda to the water and mix or shake until dissolved. Cool prior to use. Apply liberally to hair and scalp, shaking first if necessary. Massage into scalp and hair then rinse well.
Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse (Conditioner)
1 cup water
1tbsp ACV

Combine both and shake well. After cleansing, apply all over scalp and hair. Allow it to sit for a few minutes before rinsing. If you like you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil, some honey, or some lemon juice.


I also conditioned my hair with egg. So basically I mixed one egg with 1 teaspoon of water and applied the mixture on my hair. After about 15 minutes I cleansed and rinsed using the above recipes.

Experience:
Hair feel softer and shinier. I left the hair untreated on Day 2 and they look the same as Day 1, which is unusal for my hair type. However, I am not sure if this is because of the egg conditioner or the "no shampooing" treatment. Either way I like the result so far.

The above picture is taken at almost midnight on Day 2. I think the hair look manageable even at this hour. What say?

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Trying to be more natural!

Off late my hair have become my biggest enemy. No matter what i do they look dead. I must shampoo every day else the hair look like strands of rope dry and unmanageable.

I believe there are two reasons for this:

1) Change in hormonal levels pre and post pregnancy. Yes, pregnancy does change a lot and its not just your waist line

2) Hard water in Phoenix, I should get a water softener but not ready for that investment yet.

But I am sure there is a soultion to my problem. I am not a product person, would rather try the natural way before buying costly products. So after researching a lot I decided to go "no-poo" or no shampooing my hair.  Let's stay with the more decent term rather than using the slang.

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Welcome Back

Hi All,

I was just looking at my posts and realized I haven't updated anything since Dec2010, that's almost a year.

Not good at all.

I can blame it on my new and most important responsibility of a mommy but I won't. It doesn't take much to write or does it?

Anyways i promise to get back to writing again.

love,
PA

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