My New Improved Hair Friendly Diet Seems To Be Making Me Lose Hair!!

berti Mon May 30, 2011 1:15 pm

Hi Guys

Around six months ago on discovering this site I removed gluten (very hard for me as I live in France and it's like a crime not to eat bread!!), dairy, sugar, bad oils and processed foods from my diet. I had a pretty healthy diet to begin with but thought I would make the full effort for the sake of my hair. I also now choose my food wisely i.e local organic produce, grass fed or game meats etc. No beer and red wine in moderation.

Also now I practice the warrior diet, eating very little during the day except vegetable juices, raw nuts, raw carrots and apples then have a large meal or two in the evening. I recently added the Ultimate meal to this as an after workout recovery drink.

When I initially started losing my hair 10 years ago (diffuse thinner) it was falling out quite quickly for the first few years until I started using a laser, eased on my party lifestyle and improved my diet. Since then it's very slowly been getting thinner, but for the last few months my shedding has rapidly increased to a level similar to when it first started falling out!! Especially the crown.

I am really confused by this as I feel and look much healthier since making these improvements, so I don't understand why my hair is getting worse!!

The only conclusions I can come to are either my hair doesn't like the warrior diet or because I work away from home half the month where I have no control over the food quality (i.e meat, cooking oil choice) and now that my diet is so clean at home maybe my hair is more sensitive to the food I eat while at work?

Anyone have any ideas as to why this could be happening?

Thanks

Berti

berti Mon May 30, 2011 1:25 pm

One more thing I forgot to mention is now when I drink my morning coffee on an empty stomach I get a real buzz from it, far more than I used to when I had breakfast. Is that caffeine rush having a negative impact on my hair perhaps?

CausticSymmetry Mon May 30, 2011 1:42 pm

berti - Diet alone may not be enough, it isn't for me anyway. You can incorporate safe breads such as sourdough and pumpernickel.

berti Mon May 30, 2011 2:34 pm

Hi CS,

I realise that diet alone won't stop my hair loss but I'm confused as to why my improved diet is making my hair fall out even quicker? My hair loss was always quite slow until recently and as I have not started a supplement regime yet the only thing I have changed is my diet.

Do you think the fasting everyday is putting my body under stress?

itzmecorey Mon May 30, 2011 3:38 pm

Hey... I have adopted the Paleo Diet for the most part and its very similar in nature to yours.... Except you dont fast throughout the day and then gorge at night...

I noticed my hair has been getting worse too... It could be becuase of improved hormone profile and hair thats already genetically predisposed to hormonal hairloss...

any thoughts?

abc123 Mon May 30, 2011 4:10 pm

As CS said, diet alone may not be enough.

The paleo diet is definitely a improvement in the right direction when compared to the diet the general populous eats. However people tend to execute it with too much muscle meat and not enough sugar. This is very pro-stress and anti-thyroid, two things you don't want to mess with when it comes to hair. Also some people tend to eat way to many nuts and seeds on the paleo diet which is equally as bad.

berti Mon May 30, 2011 4:57 pm

Abc, could you explain more about the "too much muscle meat not enough sugar" comment you made. This could well be the problem for me.

LittleFighter Mon May 30, 2011 5:01 pm

Too much muscle meat and not enough FAT I would say.

Fatty meat is better because it provides more calories, better energy.

Fruit and nuts in moderation are OK and beneficial.

Add more omega-3's to your diet.

CausticSymmetry Mon May 30, 2011 7:02 pm

This test might help suggest what is the correct diet for an individual:

http://www.naturalhealthyellowpages.com/metabolic/self_test.html

Oxidant stress is a major factor in hair loss, the requirement of sufficient minerals, antioxidants, fatty acids and riddance of heavy metals.

abc123 Mon May 30, 2011 7:26 pm

berti wrote:Abc, could you explain more about the "too much muscle meat not enough sugar" comment you made. This could well be the problem for me.

One problem with paleo is people think it's a good idea to eat steaks 3x/day because hunter gatherer tribes ate animal meats. This is a big misinterpretation. Hunter gathers ate the muscle meat...and the skin, bones, hooves, brain, thyroid, liver and heart. Basically the whole animal.

Consuming muscle meat with inadequate liver glycogen increases cortisol/adrenaline and decreases thyroid hormone conversion. This is bad news for the entire body, especially hair. This stress is somewhat mitigated if you eat the entire animal, which will provide a better amino acid profile therefore reducing stress. Eating the thyroid of an animal also helps, but how many paleo dieters do that...? There is only one culture that eats close to no carbs and that is the inuit, who still have mediocre health in comparison of kitavans/okinawans/pima.

With regards to carbs, many paleo dieters also demonize them with bad logic. They are not "essential" to live so they claim you don't need them. It's like saying, sex is not needed so don't have sex. Carbs are very essential in terms of achieving optimal health, they have many benefits.

You need sucrose to fill liver glycogen stores, or else your body will break down muscle tissue to accomplish this. This is a very catabolic process, because your body increases adrenaline and cortisol to achieve this. You are in double trouble if your muscle tissues are saturated with poly unsaturated fats (over eating nuts, seeds, etc). When these fats get released they will inhibit glucose metabolism, making you even more insulin resistant.

If you had just had some carbs in the first place, you could of avoided this entire process. This is why carbs are so optimal. This is why clueless vegan zealots like Joel Fuhrman and Mc Dougal manage to reverse diabetes by stuffing their patients with whole food and nutritious carbs.

LittleFighter Mon May 30, 2011 7:32 pm

abc123 wrote:
berti wrote:Abc, could you explain more about the "too much muscle meat not enough sugar" comment you made. This could well be the problem for me.

One problem with paleo is people think it's a good idea to eat steaks 3x/day because hunter gatherer tribes ate animal meats. This is a big misinterpretation. Hunter gathers ate the muscle meat...and the skin, bones, hooves, brain, thyroid, liver and heart. Basically the whole animal.

Consuming muscle meat with inadequate liver glycogen increases cortisol/adrenaline and decreases thyroid hormone conversion. This is bad news for the entire body, especially hair. This stress is somewhat mitigated if you eat the entire animal, which will provide a better amino acid profile therefore reducing stress. Eating the thyroid of an animal also helps, but how many paleo dieters do that...? There is only one culture that eats close to no carbs and that is the inuit, who still have mediocre health in comparison of kitavans/okinawans/pima.

With regards to carbs, many paleo dieters also demonize them with bad logic. They are not "essential" to live so they claim you don't need them. It's like saying, sex is not needed so don't have sex. Carbs are very essential in terms of achieving optimal health, they have many benefits.

You need sucrose to fill liver glycogen stores, or else your body will break down muscle tissue to accomplish this. This is a very catabolic process, because your body increases adrenaline and cortisol to achieve this. You are in double trouble if your muscle tissues are saturated with poly unsaturated fats (over eating nuts, seeds, etc). When these fats get released they will inhibit glucose metabolism, making you even more insulin resistant.

If you had just had some carbs in the first place, you could of avoided this entire process. This is why carbs are so optimal. This is why clueless vegan zealots like Joel Fuhrman and Mc Dougal manage to reverse diabetes by stuffing their patients with whole food and nutritious carbs.

Amen.

tooyoung Mon May 30, 2011 9:44 pm

abc, how much sugar and carbs should we be eating per day?

LittleFighter Mon May 30, 2011 9:52 pm

CS's comment has merit.

There's no single diet that is ideal for everyone, people can thrive and be healthy in different diets.

Paleo is such a healthy diet, but the more refined version, not being afraid of FAT and some carbs/starches.

Chris, the Jaminets recommend at least 400 cal's from starches p day. You might need more or less depending on your activity and other factors. For instance, if you have poor blood sugar control then probably less starches are better. Still, there are things you can do to deal with that issue.

tooyoung Mon May 30, 2011 10:03 pm

Thanks for the reply LittleFighter, one more question, does "starches" include fruit? Or is it just things like rice and potatoes? It seems I've fallen into the trap of eating too much steak and not enough carbs...

abc123 Mon May 30, 2011 10:44 pm

tooyoung wrote:abc, how much sugar and carbs should we be eating per day?

I echo lf's and cs's statements. Nothing is ideal for everyone. You have to do what feels best. Another clue is what your mother ate around the time of your birth. If she ate high fat, please go high fat. Same for carbs.

For a 80kg man id want:

50-200g sucrose
100-300g starch

best sucrose is orange juice
best starch is potato, sweet potato, white rice

LittleFighter Mon May 30, 2011 10:48 pm

tooyoung wrote:Thanks for the reply LittleFighter, one more question, does "starches" include fruit? Or is it just things like rice and potatoes? It seems I've fallen into the trap of eating too much steak and not enough carbs...

I fell into the same trap. but now eating more veggies and starches (to up calories, as I need to put healthy weight) and some small amount of fruit. You can make fat the main source of calories, and that's perfectly fine and healthy. Of course, only saturated like coconut oil and things like olive oil are good. Some omega-3 like krill oil is a good addition (or eat salmon).

Starches are rice, potatoes, yams, tubers, etc.

Fruits are another group.

You can eat fruit, eat them whole, not in juices (probably pomegranate juice is ok). Low sugar fruits like berries are good. The fiber in fruits is beneficial, and the sugar too in moderate amounts, I believe. The fiber keeps your gut flora happy, a happy gut flora means less inflammation and many other benefits. Veggies provides beneficial fiber too of course, and greens are nutrient dense.

I'm also trying to improve my glucose metabolism, with supplements and learning to do HIIT. I have things to try (besides the things I know work great) like pterostilbene (Gibson!), berberine (CS), resveratrol (me, LOL).

One should aim to have glucose readings lower than 120, 2 hrs after eating. Less is better, IMHO. I prefer things that modify gene expression for the good, like resveratrol, pterostilbene (and many others) and other things versus starch blockers.
,
I just finished eating a convection oven cooked steak (rib eye), with white potatoes (can't get the sweet variety :/), steamed green peas with broccoli. I added Ghee to the potatoes and veggies, nice.

In the morning, because I'm always in a big hurry, I will grab a handful of blueberries, add water, a tablespoon of liver powder, 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil all blended (I actually blend the blueberries a little before adding the other stuff). I'll also try to add a piece of fruit to this super quick breakfast. At least this is better than cheap coffee and god knows what I can get where I work at, not only to few calories, but those calories from crap that only spike insulin levels, distrurbs your flora, etc.

tooyoung Mon May 30, 2011 11:11 pm

Thanks for the reply, only thing I ask is, why do you say not to drink fruit juices? I've been reading some Ray Peat articles and people that support him are drinking quite a bit orange juice.

abc123 Mon May 30, 2011 11:17 pm

tooyoung wrote:Thanks for the reply, only thing I ask is, why do you say not to drink fruit juices? I've been reading some Ray Peat articles and people that support him are drinking quite a bit orange juice.

Ray peat doesn't like the fiber in orange juice, he says it promotes endotoxin. Not good for the flora in general.

Vegetables like carrots, tend to be way more beneficial for the gut because they work like an antibiotic.

abc123 Mon May 30, 2011 11:18 pm

LittleFighter wrote:
tooyoung wrote:Thanks for the reply LittleFighter, one more question, does "starches" include fruit? Or is it just things like rice and potatoes? It seems I've fallen into the trap of eating too much steak and not enough carbs...

I fell into the same trap. but now eating more veggies and starches (to up calories, as I need to put healthy weight) and some small amount of fruit. You can make fat the main source of calories, and that's perfectly fine and healthy. Of course, only saturated like coconut oil and things like olive oil are good. Some omega-3 like krill oil is a good addition (or eat salmon).

Starches are rice, potatoes, yams, tubers, etc.

Fruits are another group.

You can eat fruit, eat them whole, not in juices (probably pomegranate juice is ok). Low sugar fruits like berries are good. The fiber in fruits is beneficial, and the sugar too in moderate amounts, I believe. The fiber keeps your gut flora happy, a happy gut flora means less inflammation and many other benefits. Veggies provides beneficial fiber too of course, and greens are nutrient dense.

I'm also trying to improve my glucose metabolism, with supplements and learning to do HIIT. I have things to try (besides the things I know work great) like pterostilbene (Gibson!), berberine (CS), resveratrol (me, LOL).

One should aim to have glucose readings lower than 120, 2 hrs after eating. Less is better, IMHO. I prefer things that modify gene expression for the good, like resveratrol, pterostilbene (and many others) and other things versus starch blockers.

Good post. Have you tried vinegar or cinnamon? They work well for me and are cheap. The studies backing them up are on the wikipedia pages I believe.
,
I just finished eating a convection oven cooked steak (rib eye), with white potatoes (can't get the sweet variety :/), steamed green peas with broccoli. I added Ghee to the potatoes and veggies, nice.

In the morning, because I'm always in a big hurry, I will grab a handful of blueberries, add water, a tablespoon of liver powder, 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil all blended (I actually blend the blueberries a little before adding the other stuff). I'll also try to add a piece of fruit to this super quick breakfast. At least this is better than cheap coffee and god knows what I can get where I work at, not only to few calories, but those calories from crap that only spike insulin levels, distrurbs your flora, etc.

LittleFighter Mon May 30, 2011 11:23 pm

tooyoung wrote:Thanks for the reply, only thing I ask is, why do you say not to drink fruit juices? I've been reading some Ray Peat articles and people that support him are drinking quite a bit orange juice.

Ray peat is controversial... but I bet he may be right in different things he preaches. Probably Orange Juice is ok, if freshly pressed and not bought in the store (the magnesium and other nutrients).

The problem with juices, specially if bought from stores, is that they contain added sugar and other crap... also they might be pasteurized. The end result is that your blood sugar might get too high and also the sugar feeds pathogens in your gut (ok, good species too, to some degree). This rises inflammation, I think there is a study linking juice consumption to rises in TNF-a (once again, probably processed ones).

The bottom line IMHO, if you drink juices, only drink freshly pressed ones, and never things you buy in the store... and I would not over do them specially if you have less than ideal glucose metabolism and you're sedentary.

LittleFighter Mon May 30, 2011 11:25 pm

Haven't tried vinegar... tried powdered cinnamon, tastes great but seems to be constipating for me.

I don't underestimate the power of simple remedies at all, thanks for reminding me of vinegar, will try it.

berti Wed Jun 01, 2011 3:09 pm

Thanks for all the replies guys. I have definitely been eating way too few starchy carbs, I have only been trying the Warrior diet for 4 months now so am still trying to find the best way to manage it. Generally I undereat all day, carrot juice and coffee in the morning and then raw carrots/apples and nuts for the rest of the day. This has been ideal for me as when I'm not working I'm out climbing most days and I find that eating like this helps to avoid energy crashes during the day. As soon as I get home after a day of climbing I now have a shake with the ultimate meal, banana, acai pulp and blueberries for recovery. In the evening I eat lots of meat of some kind, mostly muscle meat but I do also eat offal, with lots of green vegies, usually asparagus, spinach or broccolli. I will start adding more potatoes or rice into the mix from now on. I have been getting really bad sugar cravings lately, is this due to my glycogen levels being depleted? (excuse my ignorance, still lots to learn confused

) Also I have really upped my training over the last six months so I think that will be contributing too.

With regards to fat I always cook with olive oil, my wife doesn't like the taste of coconut oil, so I am planning to start eating 2 or so tablespoons of coconut oil a day to supplement, good idea?

The real thorn in my side when it comes to controling my diet is when I am away at work, out there we have to eat at designated times and I have no control over the quality of the produce or the type of oil used to cook. I try to choose my food wisely but it's still not ideal. I have started using the ultimate meal as a post workout supplememnt while out there and am considering good quality grass fed whey protein as well. This should help because at the moment I train at lunch time and the only thing available to me afterwards are the nuts and seeds I take out there with me. I will now also supplement with the coconut oil while there too.

Interesting info about eating what your mother ate around the time she gave birth to you! My mum has been diabetic since her teens and has always eaten a healthy, although grain heavy, diet. I know she eats a high carb low protein diet now but I will ask her what she ate back then.

Any ideas or critisisms of my current diet welcome

Cheers
Berti

berti Wed Jun 01, 2011 3:12 pm

My matabolic profile is for a high protein diet, seems about right.

diffuse Wed Jun 01, 2011 7:35 pm

Regarding fats, as I understand it olive oil (extra virgin) is ok for dressings but shouldn't be used for cooking due to low smoke point so may wish to switch to saturated fats for this - lard, coconut oil, palm oil are examples. Other thing that struck me is you greatly increased your training load in recent months and, I guess, reduced total calories consumed so you may be undereating for your needs.

abc123 Wed Jun 01, 2011 8:51 pm

berti wrote:Thanks for all the replies guys. I have definitely been eating way too few starchy carbs, I have only been trying the Warrior diet for 4 months now so am still trying to find the best way to manage it. Generally I undereat all day, carrot juice and coffee in the morning and then raw carrots/apples and nuts for the rest of the day. This has been ideal for me as when I'm not working I'm out climbing most days and I find that eating like this helps to avoid energy crashes during the day. As soon as I get home after a day of climbing I now have a shake with the ultimate meal, banana, acai pulp and blueberries for recovery. In the evening I eat lots of meat of some kind, mostly muscle meat but I do also eat offal, with lots of green vegies, usually asparagus, spinach or broccolli. I will start adding more potatoes or rice into the mix from now on. I have been getting really bad sugar cravings lately, is this due to my glycogen levels being depleted? (excuse my ignorance, still lots to learn ) Also I have really upped my training over the last six months so I think that will be contributing too.

With regards to fat I always cook with olive oil, my wife doesn't like the taste of coconut oil, so I am planning to start eating 2 or so tablespoons of coconut oil a day to supplement, good idea?

The real thorn in my side when it comes to controling my diet is when I am away at work, out there we have to eat at designated times and I have no control over the quality of the produce or the type of oil used to cook. I try to choose my food wisely but it's still not ideal. I have started using the ultimate meal as a post workout supplememnt while out there and am considering good quality grass fed whey protein as well. This should help because at the moment I train at lunch time and the only thing available to me afterwards are the nuts and seeds I take out there with me. I will now also supplement with the coconut oil while there too.

Interesting info about eating what your mother ate around the time she gave birth to you! My mum has been diabetic since her teens and has always eaten a healthy, although grain heavy, diet. I know she eats a high carb low protein diet now but I will ask her what she ate back then.

Any ideas or critisisms of my current diet welcome

Cheers
Berti

No one can tell you what the best diet for you is. My advice is to keep experimenting and studying, don't believe what anyone "diet guru" says unless they can back it up with legitimate science. I will say the one universal thing most diet experts worth their salt will tell you is to keep omega 6 very very low.

In my opinion, these are some people to learn from:

raypeat.com
perfecthealthdiet.com
180degreehealth.blogspot.com
wholehealthsource.blogspot.com
gapsdiet.com
thehealthyskeptic.org
alanaragonblog.com

With regards to your sugar craving, in my opinion, it's likely due to insufficient liver glycogen. The best way to replenish this is not by eating more starch like potatos, but to eat some fruit like orange juice. This is because the fructose in orange juice will go straight to your liver to replenish glycogen. Blood sugar should become much more stable, and you will have less food cravings.

Also, in my opinion, I would stop eating nuts/seeds all together because they contain too much omega 6 and anti-nutrients.

Good luck.

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