BODY TALK 1: NAILS - WHAT'S HAPPENING + WHAT TO DO!
Originally published: MARCH 6, 2019
Secrets! Our body is always talking to us in the only way it knows how. By giving us signals that things are in balance, or not. A lot of these clues show up in how healthy we look - how healthy our hair, nails, and skin are. These rashes, peeling nails, and thinning hair do not happen overnight. These are weeks, months… years of imbalance, inflammation, poor nutrition, increased stress, reduced sleep, not enough exercise, food sensitivities, etc. Thankfully your body also responds fairly quickly, to let you know what is working once you start changing your lifestyle. Let’s break it down below and see if some of these things resonate with you. Obviously there are more nail conditions to list, but let's chat about the most common.
Dry/cracked/brittle/thinning/peeling nails:
Lifestyle factors may play a role (using chemical nail polish remover often, washing hands a lot), but it can also signal a deficiency in B vitamins, especially Biotin. Check out my link below for a quality supplement.
Eat more: Increase your gut health with probiotic rich foods such as Kombucha, sauerkraut, organic tempeh, miso, kimchi. As well, make sure you get your daily dose of B rich foods that come from: brown rice, lentils, organic eggs, dark leafy veggies, sunflower seeds, avocados.
Horizontal Ridges:
These ridges run across your nails and can be from recent trauma, seen in some people with psoriasis, uncontrolled diabetes, circulatory issues, or severe zinc deficiency.
Zinc rich foods: shellfish, chickpeas, brazil nuts, hemp seeds, organic plain yogurt, quinoa/ brown rice
Vertical Ridges:
These are generally typical with aging, and most of us have some amount on our nails. Although they can signal deficiencies in B12, and/or magnesium.
Magnesium rich foods: spinach, kale, bananas, raspberries, black beans, chickpeas, salmon, tuna, avocado. Also, a deficiency in magnesium may signal your need for chill time: epsom salt bath, Lunah magnesium spray, Natural calm magnesium before bedtime, more nature walks, try meditation, or delegating tasks that you can!
Spoon/thin/curved nails:
These nails turn upwards at the edges, and could signal low iron or low iron absorption.
Foods high in iron: beans, lentils, organic tofu, cashews, dark leafy greens, sweet potatoes, organic meats (in moderation).
Best supplements for nails:
Collagen: This bad boy is a staple as we grow older. Why? Because ours naturally decreases with age but it's responsible for so many things such as healthy hair and skin, and beautiful nails. As well as well lubricated joints for easy exercise and mobility. It also has a super high amount of protein per serving, which is the building block of your connective tissues, elasticity for your skin, and keeps blood sugar balanced (say bye boy to cortisol induced breakouts).
Zinc: If spots of discolouration (white) are showing up on your nails, it could be a zinc deficiency. It’s necessary for nail growth because they’re a part of your body that reproduces cells quickly, and zinc is responsible for this.
Folic Acid: A big player in pregnancy supplements, and we all the ladies that have taken these, their skin is glowing and their hair grows so fast! This baby also helps generate new cells in the body, so promotes nail growth.
Iron: Now this supplement should not be taken unless you know you need it. If you take iron, without having a deficiency, your body doesn’t like it. So please make sure you are diagnosed by your medical/ health partitioner. Iron is an essential component in keratin production, the thing that helps build beauty nails. a building block of healthy nails. I love this liquid version because it's easy on my body, and my stomach, and easy to take.
B-Complex: You want to grab a quality B supplement that has all of the b-vitamins together, because they help each other absorb and assimilate into the body together.
What’s my daily regime?
-Lunah Beauty Collagen in coffee, and this B complex from an amazing brand in the supplement world, for all the beauty things.
-This nutrient dense potion from one of my fav local companies is a must. It has so many health benefits, super supportive to thyroid and adrenal health, and is easy to mix into your morning meals/ smoothies, salad dressings etc. Both ingredients are mega blood cleansing, very alkaline (disease can not thrive in alkalinity), and high in super-absorptive plant protein.
-SUPER IMPORTANT! Make sure you do not go too long without eating (if you are not intermittent fasting). Regular healthy snacks + meals keeps your blood sugar even stephen. This is key for internal balance. And internal balance does not show signs of unhealthy skin/ hair/ nails.
-Water + herbal teas. I love these two teas, and always have something brewing daily. Herbal teas are an easy way to get your water intake in if you don’t like water, or you have a hard time drinking your daily requirements, or you just like warm beverages. These are my favs: Lunah beauty tea, and New New Age Herbal tea.
K guys! Love ya, and keep taking baby steps to making yourself the best version of YOU!
Love Nicole + Roggie bear