I’ve been keeping an extra close eye on my nails making sure they are in tip-top condition and growing well. Look in my desk at work and you’ll see I’m obsessed with nuts. At any one time you can be sure to find bags of almonds, walnuts and cashews tucked away ready to be devoured. Not only are these really tasty and keep me going when hunger pangs arise, but they’re also packed with loads of goodness for healthy nails.
Walnuts
Walnuts are rife with omega 3 and biotin, two key components for nail growth.
Omega 3 is known to keep keratinocytes (cells in the body that produce keratin) in good condition. Keratin helps make sure your nails are strong and healthy; and is also key for well-nourished, long and strong hair.
Biotin is a necessary vitamin because it encourages nail growth and gets absorbed into the part of the nail where cells are generated. It then goes without saying that if the nail is able to absorb such a powerful element, it will be able to grow to the best of its ability. Additionally, biotin helps the body metabolise proteins and fats for healthy skin, hair and nails.
Cashews
Cashews are full of zinc which plays an important roll in the growth of nails and divisions of cells. Zinc is important because a deficiency can lead to discolouration (gross) and slow or abnormal growth (just think about my ugly nail I recently shared).
Other food options
Oranges and beetroot are other foods that I love to eat which are amazing for healthy nails (even though I only eat them because they are addictive and yummy). Citrus fruits and beets are rich in folic acid and vitamin A, making them ideal additions to a meal.
Proteins are obviously another great food group to incorporate for healthy nails, but as I’m not a huge fan of most sources of protein (meat, dairy etc – except for cheese because DUH), I struggle to include these. That said I have been taking chewable calcium supplements from Holland & Barratt, which are great for bone strength so I like to think that they also do something useful for my nails too.
UPDATE. Since sharing my nail history and talking about my supposedly infected nail, I’ve seen another doctor who did indeed confirm my nail infection. I’m currently on terbinafine and have started seeing small improvements on my nail. It’s expected that I’ll be on it for three to six months (right now it’s been almost two months), but I will keep you updated.
For more tips on how to keep your nails healthy, check out Live Strong who wrote a great article on how to make your nails grow fast, and an impressive meal plan idea. Food NDTV also have a great article on healthy nails, which you can check out here.
alice
xo
