Tim Weeks, former olympic Coach has come on board as Nioxin UK & Ireland Health and Fitness Coach who explains that ‘being able to look and feel your best has a real impact on how you tackle the challenges of the day. It’s something that’s important for all my clients, from top athletes to people who are completely new to fitness’. In fact, adding exercise to your daily regime helps to boost your mood and energy levels, making you more productive and focussed. Did you know that regular exercise has overall health benefits, including improved circulation, which helps to bring oxygen and nutrients to the scalp and hair follicle, benefitting your hair?
1. Forget the ‘perfect workout’…Don’t aim for Everest. Otherwise the psychological barrier to ‘starting’ is just too overwhelming and you end up saying “tomorrow”. Don’t forget that small steps all add up. Little and often frequently is way better than trying to find the ‘perfect sixty minutes’ – especially if you are short of time.
2. Put your exercise sessions in the diary…Treat them like fixed appointments. You can’t move or shift them. Remember it’s not about time, it’s about choices. How are you spending your choices? You need to schedule your priorities. Not prioritise your schedule.
3. Kickstart your day and exercise before midday…Why? Because it’s likely you’ll get more done on the days you exercise, despite taking time out for your workout and before you get caught up on the treadmill of ‘life’. It will increase your productivity, give you an opportunity to set a positive tone for the day, and it will act as a massive mood booster. It also helps to create a ‘habit’.
***WIN! A Nioxin hamper worth approximately £100 and get more tips from Tim Weeks here.***
Madeline Shaw adds another perspective through her nutritional coaching and holistic approach to wellbeing as Nioxin UK & Ireland’s Wellbeing and Lifestyle Coach – the mantra ‘ you are what you eat’ most definitely applies to hair and scalp health. As a creative chef, blogger, presenter and self-professed yoga enthusiast, Madeline is committed to helping her clients enliven the hottest, healthiest, happiest versions of themselves.
The effect of a poor diet can play havoc with your general health and condition of your hair. Madeline stresses that’s it’s ‘so important to get the right balance of nutrients to help your locks stay looking luscious and bouncy. I recommend plenty of protein. Fish is a great source for example.”
Here are just some of Madeline’s tips for the healthiest, happiest version of you:
1. Eat Your Protein…Keep your energy up during the festive season with a nutritious diet. To keep yourself glowing and looking fab for the party season a healthy balanced diet is essential. Eating good quality protein daily like salmon, chicken and eggs will provide you with essential amino acids to help give luscious looking locks that are party worthy.
2. Get Your Sleep…Sleep plays a crucial role in allowing our body to repair. The key is to sleep and eat well giving your body, hair and scalp time to rejuvenate – they don’t call it beauty sleep for nothing.
3. How to ensure the festive period is full of healthy but enjoyable snacks?…Raw veg is a great snack but can get repetitive, take a batch of ttahini sauce for dipping your veggies into. Tahini sauce – Mix 3 tbsp of tahini, 6 tbsp of cold water, a pinch of salt and 2 tsp of cumin.
4. Best times to indulge and certain times to avoid snacking or big meals?…Try to aim for 3 meals and one snack. Try not to snack after dinner and try to eat before 8pm. Indulge in the morning when you are more active and you can burn it off during the day.
5. Which key products can you use to hide late nights?…Maca powder, pop it in your smoothies or porridge.That and Nioxin Diaboost! The treatment actually thickens each hair strand, making the hair more manageable and fuller looking – which is what everyone wants as a pick me up from a late night!
6. From left overs which types of smoothies can be blended together to make use of them?…Bananas are great but because lettuce is surprisingly useful too – you can blend this with some almond milk, 1 tbsp of almond butter and an avocado for a great green smoothie.
7. What foods help to achieve healthy, thicker looking hair?…Tuck into plenty of fish , red meat, eggs, green leafy vegetables and sweet potatoes – these are full of protein, iron and the amino acids can help thicken your hair and don’t forget a small amount of ‘good’ carbs which help absorb the protein that your hair needs so badly
To complete the trio is Marilyn Sherlock, Chairman of the Institute of Trichologists. Marilyn is a leading expert in the field of Trichology. Since 1998 Marilyn has been Chairwoman of the Institute of Trichologists. Marilyn works closely with the medical profession through her clinical practise and patient referrals and with the legal profession as an Expert Witness in court cases. Marilyn’s wealth of experience and knowledge is much sought after and is frequently asked to lecture to audiences around the world. Marilyn has worked with countless people concerned with hair thinning – she tells us that there are in fact approximately 50 causes of hair loss/thinning.
Luckily there are many practical changes that people can make to their routines to make the most of the hair you have, helping to prevent further damage during the festive season when you want your locks to look their best.
1. A common cause of apparent hair thinning these days is lack of hair care e.g. not washing it correctly, failure to condition the hair daily etc. Use a specialized hair care regime to care for the hair and scalp – many people think about protecting their skin and forget the scalp environment which is so important.
2. Avoid rubbing your hair when towel drying, pat hair dry or wrap into a turban to absorb the excess water.
3. Comb the hair at the ends to start with, then gradually work up the hair shaft. I’ve seen plenty of people who forget this in a rush, leading to breakage. Try not to stretch the hair when wet as this can weaken it.
4. A wide toothed comb is friendlier for the hair. Elastic bands are a real no, soft, padded hair ties only! Ensure you are conditioning your hair regularly (after every shampoo),to help prevent breakage, the Nioxin Deep Repair Hair Masque is great for this and a nice treat too.
5. A great heat protection product is essential to help protect against styling tools such as Wella Professionals Thermal Image– it should become a habit every time you reach for your straighteners.
*This is a sponsored post.