Have you ever told someone that you don’t wash your hair every day? Their faces snarl, sometimes they even make a noise indicating their disgust. For someone like me with very, very coarse and curly hair, daily washing isn’t a necessity. If anything, it’s doing more damage than good considering how much shampoos can dry out your hair, strip shine, and wear down the general health of each strand.

Shampoo isn’t the only thing wrecking your hair, a greasy fast-food habit can be just as destructive. The health of each strand of hair shows more than just your showering regimen, it’s an indicator of your total wellness.

“The condition of your hair reflects your nutritional status as well as your overall health,” said Dr. Jessica Wu, Daily Glow‘s Skin + Beauty Expert, Los Angeles dermatologist, and author of Feed Your Face. “If you’re feeding your body plenty of protein and other essential nutrients, your hair is more likely to be strong, shiny, and easier to style. On the other hand, certain dietary deficiencies or imbalances can make hair weak, brittle, difficult to style, or even change color. If you’re not eating the right foods, your hair can get dull, dry, and thin.”

Yes, once again, what you’re eating shows up in more places than the mustard stain on your shirt or the bulge around your belly. Your hair is taking a beating every time you opt for fries over a salad or a Coke instead of a water. Your hair is a reflection of what you eat, making it even more important to be mindful at each meal.

Dr. Wu broke out some impressive science to explain why our hair needs specific amino acids to ensure more than an occasional good hair day.
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When my ears heard the words “50 calorie ice cream” I stopped to listen. It was a promo for an afternoon talk show and I wasn’t home to catch the segment. I nearly forgot about it and then I read the same phrase online and figured enough was enough. What was this miracle that they were referring to? A little searching lead me to many sites about a low-calorie, one-ingredient ice cream. It seemed too good to be true, but then I learned this dessert oasis was nothing more than pureed frozen bananas.

The word was that this one ingredient would create a sweet treat that was just like ice cream. Not believing what I was hearing, I had to find out for myself.

There were several recipes online, if you can call one ingredient a recipe. I stuck to the ones that did nothing more than freeze bananas and blend them, just to be a purist.
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Though National Ice Cream Day is in July, sky-high August temperatures might have you craving cool, sweet treats. Whether you eat a vegan diet, a dairy free diet or are simply trying to incorporate more fresh fruit into your diet, frozen bananas are a simple, healthy and unpretentious way to get your summer dessert fix.

At the Smorgasburg Market in Brooklyn NY, Rob & Anna’s (raw bananas- get it?) provides an organic, vegan, unprocessed frozen banana dessert that boasts the same consistency and flavor of ice cream, but with no dairy or added sugar. While New Yorkers are lucky to have this option at their fingertips, the rest of us don’t have access to frozen banana “ice cream.”

For those who are craving a homemade banana-based treat, there are a few ways you can enjoy frozen bananas as a dessert, whether it’s dipped in yogurt and granola or coated in your favorite cereal.

Frozen bananas are great in smoothies and milkshakes, but if you have a blender or food processor you can make one-ingredient ice cream that tastes rich, creamy and sweet, like decadent ice cream.

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By Rebecca Scritchfield, RD a nutrition expert based in Washington, D.C. www.rebeccascritchfield.com.

March is National Nutrition Month and we are eating our way through the rainbow-ROYGBIV style. Today’s color is Yellow! What makes these foods the color of the sun? The bright yellow color shows you these yellow foods are loaded with vitamins and minerals. The bright yellow color in fruits and vegetables comes from flavonoids, beta-carotene, and vitamin C, which helps prevent against aging, cancer and build overall health!

Make sure to color your plate with these yellow foods!

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Feeding your family both nutritiously and inexpensively can be a challenge. Are you up for one?

When I posted a link to the Whole Foods Initiative, Feed Your Family of 5 for $25, many readers suggested that the $25 threshold wasn’t that big of a challenge. Readers felt that it would be more difficult to feed either a large family with that figure or spend less money. I decided to try to do both, and went to my local grocery store with a week of dinners planned. I gave myself a budget of $75 to feed 8 people for dinner. I did not include charges for staples or spices that you should have in your house, like garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil and honey. I was surprised to see that it was not as tough of a struggle as I had anticipated. 
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