Healthy Nails

Super Seeds for Super Nails  By: Lindsey Duncan All my life I had complained about flimsy nails – they simply won’t grow out, they tear (not break!) easily, and thin layers will flake off near the edge of the fingernail. I had never been able to flaunt nail polish the way I wish to because it simply doesn’t look cute on my teensy weensy nails. About a year ago, I noticed a sudden change in my fingernails. My flaking and tearing nails were at once super solid and strong! I could bend my nails and they would bounce back in a way they never had before, as if on springs! I could scratch my head and it felt so good – like when your hairdresser gives you a little bonus scratch during the wash part of your haircut. I hadn’t been doing anything differently that I could think of, no vitamins or topical treatments of any kind, so I started thinking about what I had been eating recently, and that’s when I had my epiphany! Bob’s Red Mill seeds changed my nails forever. You see, our team was working on the new, beautiful seed packaging when I realized I never really ate our seeds. Inspired by these gems that are “packed with potential,” I stopped at our Bob’s Red Mill store on my way home and picked up a few different varieties. When home, I created a seed blend: 50% chia seeds, 25% hulled hemp seed hearts, and 25% golden flaxseed meal. There was nothing magic about this ratio; I just liked the way the blend looked in those proportions and it was easy to measure and blend to a homogeneous mixture. I’d been sprinkling the blend on my eggs and hot cereals in the morning and on my salads at night. I didn’t really mean for this to be an experiment but it sure did work out that way! The only new thing in my diet and routine that could have affected my nail strength was the seed blend. Ah, yes! Photo courtesy of ministryofhemp.com   So why do seeds make nails grow stronger? Excellent question. Before we get there, I must disclaim that you will necessarily have these results – you may not. I’m a marketer after all, not a doctor, and am just sharing my story. Individuals’ nails will vary as their diets, ages, sexes, and environmental conditions affect the molecular makeup of their nails. While the primary component of nails is keratin, there are many other components as well, including cholesterol, many minerals, and even DNA! Just like any other part of our bodies, we need to supply our nails with the nutrients they are made of in order for them to be the strongest, healthiest nails we can have. This is where our seeds come in of course! Keratin is a protein which means it’s made of amino acids. We need to consume proteins to give our bodies the building block to create other proteins, in this case, keratin. Chia, hemp, and flax seeds all provide a (vegan!) source of protein. Hemp seeds even have all of the nine essential amino acids (though not in a sufficient proportion to be considered a complete protein). Each offer iron, magnesium, zinc, which are mineral components of nails, and omega-3 fatty acids which have been shown to boost healthy growth of nails. The other great thing? Because hair and nails are made of just about the same materials, you are promoting your hair’s best growth when you are promoting your nails’ best growth! Have you added seeds to your diet? Did you notice anything change after making them a part of your diet? Share in the comments!   Reference: http://www.bobsredmill.com/blog/healthy-living/super-seeds-super-nails/