The Top Three hair growth stimulating Brazilian foods

Since creating this blog, I was often asked why Brazilian women have such long, thick hair and why my hair is growing at such a fast rate since I went to Brazil. I guess with Brazilian women it also has a lot to do with really good genes, often women have some Indio (Native) origins - and Indios and Indias here are known for their thick, beautiful hair. In my own case I would say that there are a lot of factors involved, part genes (German, Hungarian and Russian hair princesses :D just kidding ;) haha), part the new environment with new circumstances such as the hot weather and more relaxed life style, but also my own happiness, and frequent exercising.

Maintenance November 2013: Hair length around
hip (jeans cut) length straight across

The fact that I cut my own hair might play a crucial part as I can decide how many times per month or year I cut, currently it is 1-2 times a month about 1-2 inches depending on the growth. I currently keep my hair length just above my jeans and pretty much straight (across) - obviously as it is self cut it is certainly not perfectly straight, but when I shake it, it looks more loose and wavy anyway (on the picture it has been thouroughly brushed), but as it grows that quickly it does not really matter because after a few weeks it is all unruly in its length again.

But let's get back to probably one of the main reasons for this wonderful hair growth: Foodie Goodies <3 ;).

That's why I decided to make my top three hair growth stimulating Brazilian foods list, there you go:

1. Beans

The winner of this list of course are the good old beans. If I had to pick one product that I added to my core nutrition (and eat almost if not every single day since I came to Brazil), then I would always decide to mention BEANS. There are a looot of different sorts here, but the sort we (and most Brazilians of all backgrounds) eat every day, is called "feijao carioca", "Pinto beans" in English.

We also occasionally eat "feijao fradinho", also known as "feijao de corda" (Black eyed beans) and "feijao preto" (Black beans, mostly eaten in the Rio region). We mostly get them in their dried form and cook the whole lot (1kg per package) in our pressure cooker to then freeze portions for convenient quick re-heating during the week.

(And of course the odd Chili Con Carne now and then, with Red Kidney Beans. But I wouldn t count it as one of the beans Brazilians often eat compared with the other beans.)


2. Protein loaden meat, fish and poultry

Extended family dinner last Christmas with loads of
 meat and poultry

I know the vegetarians reading this might not like it, but a lot of Brazilians don't really count a main meal as a meal if there is no meat involved. They love their frequent barbecues in the evenings and weekends and might even eat their meat or chicken without anything else (something that I truly love, I always say it's due to my origins of O (blood group of - they say - meat eaters) but most probably I just am in love with the taste really.... The meat people buy is mostly of very high quality, it is probably (together with the beans) one of the last things to get cut back on their budget.



3. Beta-carotine rich food such as pumpkin, squash, carrots, cabbage and sweet potatoes

Here one of our beloved lunch meals, chicken grilled on our
stove grill pan, rice and on the left, chayote squash. 

Pumpkin and chayote squash are one of the most consumed vegetables in Brazil. Something that really surprised me in the beginning. Especially the smaller round pumpkins (called abóbora) and the green squash called chuchu (=chayote). It also 
tastes lovely to serve the pumpkin and squash side by side in the same bowl in a colourful red-green purée!Carrots are mostly mixed into dishes, such as rice with tiny carrot stripes or as part of the much-loved farofa de cenoura.

(http://thegermanbrazilianlondoner.blogspot.com.br/2012/09/farofa-de-frango-e-cenoura.html) (farofa is manioc flour mixed with fast-fried vegetables). Sweet potatoes are often eaten on their own or with a bit of butter, mostly cooked, sometimes also fried (my favourite!). And cabbage is often eaten raw, finely cut in stripes as part of a salad side dish or quickly cooked or fried in a bit of oil and water, again as its own side dish, or as part of a bean dish.