Greasy hair & Simple Carbs

[Liss]

I cut simple carbs from my diet about 4 weeks ago, and apart from losing my chubby carb-face, my hair is no longer greasy!

I've never been able to go a single day without washing my oily hair, and for the first time ever it's actually looking normal on the 2nd day!

Is this a mere coincidence, or can removing simple carbs really cut down on the greasies? :confused:

My face is less shiny too. (in a good way)

[MusicalSpoons]

As you've felt the effect elsewhere too, there might be something in it :) you'll probably be told that oil production is controlled by hormones, which I'm sure is true, but there are so many anecdotal experiences of diet / lifestyle changes affecting hormonal issues that it's entirely possible something in those changes affects the hormones which in turn affects (in this context) oil production.

[When I eat too much butter (e.g. on crumpets) I get a weird smell in my nose and my face gets a lot greasier later on in the day and into the next :shrug:]

[Five of Five]

Glad to hear you've had some success in stretching washes!

I very much believe simple carbs have this effect, as well as all processed foods, including oils and refined proteins. Complex carbs, however, are one of the best things for my skin and hair :o Also, dairy (which I no longer consume at all) seems to be one of the worst offenders.

[lapushka]

I'm not one to cut out stuff. I'm careful with that, having had my share of issues as a teen.

I would be careful cutting out food groups as the effects on hair can be of a different nature, especially if you are going to go deficient on things. :flower: Not that that is *now*, but you may enjoy being less oily so much that it can become a whole other issue in the long run.

[Khristopher]

Cutting simple carbs and specially sugar is a great thing to do! You'll probably keep finding more benefits the more time you go without them. I have a mostly animal based diet and when I cheat and eat ice cream or pastries it shows! So I keep that for maybe once a month at the most, or special occasions.

[akurah]

I'm not one to cut out stuff. I'm careful with that, having had my share of issues as a teen.

I would be careful cutting out food groups as the effects on hair can be of a different nature, especially if you are going to go deficient on things. :flower: Not that that is *now*, but you may enjoy being less oily so much that it can become a whole other issue in the long run.

Simple carbs are overprocessed, sugary products. Think white sugar, etc. If you were to cut those out 100% and cut out nothing else, you would still be eating all the food groups, including carbs

[Chromis]

I'm not one to cut out stuff. I'm careful with that, having had my share of issues as a teen.

I would be careful cutting out food groups as the effects on hair can be of a different nature, especially if you are going to go deficient on things. :flower: Not that that is *now*, but you may enjoy being less oily so much that it can become a whole other issue in the long run.

I'm pretty sure I have not seen anyone have ill effect from cutting out sugar, soda, candy, fluffy white breads, etc. That is all the sort of thing people mean when they say simple carbs. A lot of people use this as shorthand for sugar and white flour only. It's really kind of a meaningless phrase to be honest, but cutting these things does not do anyone any harm. Most people could stand to greatly reduce them at the very least.

[Five of Five]

I'm pretty sure I have not seen anyone have ill effect from cutting out sugar, soda, candy, fluffy white breads, etc. That is all the sort of thing people mean when they say simple carbs. A lot of people use this as shorthand for sugar and white flour only. It's really kind of a meaningless phrase to be honest, but cutting these things does not do anyone any harm. Most people could stand to greatly reduce them at the very least.

Very true. Also, it is so simple to make the switch between (say) white bread and wholemeal, or white rice and brown rice, or even coke with water. I am not sure why these things are so popular, particularly in things like children's school lunches, where it would make such a huge difference health-wise to switch, for virtually no extra effort.

[akurah]

Very true. Also, it is so simple to make the switch between (say) white bread and wholemeal, or white rice and brown rice, or even coke with water. I am not sure why these things are so popular, particularly in things like children's school lunches, where it would make such a huge difference health-wise to switch, for virtually no extra effort.
It boils down to $$. If they have the money, they can do it, or if they have the time (which is also money) they can do it. White bread is cheaper than the better stuff, but if you have the time, you can make the better stuff yourself for cheaper, and so on

[Five of Five]

It boils down to $$. If they have the money, they can do it, or if they have the time (which is also money) they can do it. White bread is cheaper than the better stuff, but if you have the time, you can make the better stuff yourself for cheaper, and so on

I think that time/expense has a lot to do with it, as well as children being fussy eaters as soon as they gain a taste for these foods. It is really difficult to go back once this happens, and a lot of the time it isn't even because the parents gave them these things.

That said, brown rice and bread are incredibly cheap products, even if they are slightly more expensive than processed white products. Also, a lot of the other common processed products in school lunches (muesli bars, salami/bacon, fruit juice, cheese, packets of chips) are very expensive. Even if you couldn't do an ideal healthy and tasty lunch, there are plenty of options which would at least be healthier/cheaper/nearly as fast as those sorts of things.

[nycelle]

I cut simple carbs from my diet about 4 weeks ago, and apart from losing my chubby carb-face, my hair is no longer greasy!

I've never been able to go a single day without washing my oily hair, and for the first time ever it's actually looking normal on the 2nd day!

Is this a mere coincidence, or can removing simple carbs really cut down on the greasies? :confused:

My face is less shiny too. (in a good way)

Yep, absolutely.
Every time I've been able to stop (but I always go back) I noticed reduced bloating, better skin, and just felt better overall.

[Joules]

Oil production is controlled mostly by hormones, yes, but diet plays a role there too. I become more oily when I take flaxseed oil. I've never been able to fully cut simple carbs from my diet, but I wonder how it would affect me :hmm: I recently started putting 1 teaspoon of sugar in my tea instead of 3.5, and that's already a great achievement for me, I'm the biggest sugar addict in the world and I hate my addiction.

[lapushka]

Simple carbs are overprocessed, sugary products. Think white sugar, etc. If you were to cut those out 100% and cut out nothing else, you would still be eating all the food groups, including carbs


I'm pretty sure I have not seen anyone have ill effect from cutting out sugar, soda, candy, fluffy white breads, etc. That is all the sort of thing people mean when they say simple carbs. A lot of people use this as shorthand for sugar and white flour only. It's really kind of a meaningless phrase to be honest, but cutting these things does not do anyone any harm. Most people could stand to greatly reduce them at the very least.

Yes but do you guys remember first butter and fat was considered to be so so bad for you, and they had to recant that quite a bit.

Still, yeah... At first glance it couldn't hurt. I don't consume a lot of sugar as it is, though, but I still have some of it. I think my motto is more of everything in moderation.

But if you do consume too much of this, then by all means; IMMHO!

[MusicalSpoons]

Yes but do you guys remember first butter and fat was considered to be so so bad for you, and they had to recant that quite a bit.

Still, yeah... At first glance it couldn't hurt. I don't consume a lot of sugar as it is, though, but I still have some of it. I think my motto is more of everything in moderation.

But if you do consume too much of this, then by all means; IMMHO!

The point is that the average modern diet (generally) has too much refined sugar and carbohydrates. Decades ago people had to go out of their way to add sugar or to find white bread, for instance, now it's the opposite. Besides, just cutting out refined sugar and carbohydrates is not the same as cutting out food groups - one would still have natural sugars in their diet, and presumably whole grains. (Special diets, on the other hand, I agree can potentially be problematic unless they're medically necessary.)

I actually do need to attempt to reduce the simple carbs in my everyday eating - Liss your experience is encouraging! Please let us know if the effects continue :D

[lapushka]

The point is that the average modern diet (generally) has too much refined sugar and carbohydrates. Decades ago people had to go out of their way to add sugar or to find white bread, for instance, now it's the opposite. Besides, just cutting out refined sugar and carbohydrates is not the same as cutting out food groups - one would still have natural sugars in their diet, and presumably whole grains. (Special diets, on the other hand, I agree can potentially be problematic unless they're medically necessary.)

I actually do need to attempt to reduce the simple carbs in my everyday eating - Liss your experience is encouraging! Please let us know if the effects continue :D

Yes, that is totally true! There is a difference. I still get a little "afraid" when someone talks about cutting something from their diet, whatever it is; maybe due to my issues as a teen. I was also "convinced" it was just "fat" and "sugar", but I did a lot more damage, because it starts somewhere and then... it derails. Not saying that that is what OP is doing - NOT AT ALL! Just my story of how I slipped into something more serious.

I am also curious to see where it takes the OP.

I'm quite good with sugar. I drink my coffee black (no milk, no sugar), so I don't add it. Yes my mom adds 4 heaping tablespoons of brown sugar to our red cabbage with apples because otherwise it is too tart (secret ingredient, shhh ;)). But that's about all the "added" sugar I get. And we eat that once a month on our meal plan.

With pasta's we're whole wheat and not the white kind, so we do pay attention.

[akurah]

Yes but do you guys remember first butter and fat was considered to be so so bad for you, and they had to recant that quite a bit.

Still, yeah... At first glance it couldn't hurt. I don't consume a lot of sugar as it is, though, but I still have some of it. I think my motto is more of everything in moderation.

But if you do consume too much of this, then by all means; IMMHO!

This isn't widely known, but the butter and fat is bad for you business came from the sugar industry. https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/13/493739074/50-years-ago-sugar-industry-quietly-paid-scientists-to-point-blame-at-fat

Sugar is a pretty big pain in the butt to get all by itself, this is a slightly recent invention, and it's even more recent that it's so common. If you're eating your major food groups, skipping anything that has added sugar won't hurt you because foods do naturally contain sugars.

Edit to add: the reason why the butter and fat trends were bad, also, is that unlike sugar, fats can be removed from foods pretty readily, so consequently people on a low fat diet weren't getting enough. It's my understanding that actively removing sugar is uncommon (and potentially not possible?) and people are simply choosing not to add more sugar to their foods. Comparing the two (removing fat VS removing sugar) is not quite the same thing even though it mighty look like it at first glance

[Five of Five]

Yes but do you guys remember first butter and fat was considered to be so so bad for you, and they had to recant that quite a bit.

Still, yeah... At first glance it couldn't hurt. I don't consume a lot of sugar as it is, though, but I still have some of it. I think my motto is more of everything in moderation.

But if you do consume too much of this, then by all means; IMMHO!

Almost all of those studies saying that butter and saturated fats are not bad or are good are funded by the egg industry, the same way the sugar industry funds science to sell their products. People believe it because these foods are delicious, and it gives people a reason to continue.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/dec/12/studies-health-nutrition-sugar-coca-cola-marion-nestle

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/jan/09/eggs-new-us-dietary-guidelines-cholesterol

I think your idea of not hopping on the bandwagons and going by your own personal health is the safest bet with all of this corruption around.

[lapushka]

This all confuses me beyond belief.

I think I am going to have to believe my parents who stick with the motto everything in moderation, a good healthy diet, veggies, potatoes and meat mostly and once a week pasta. That's what we do. We are low on dairy & sugar. We do eat cheese, though just not much milk and added sugar.

[Five of Five]

Very true, Lapushka. Sadly, I think confusing us all is exactly the point. It's like you have to be a top scientist today just to figure out what to eat... and even they disagree with each other. I am glad you're happy with what you are doing and that your health is good (by your own terms) that way!

[lapushka]

Very true, Lapushka. Sadly, I think confusing us all is exactly the point. It's like you have to be a top scientist today just to figure out what to eat... and even they disagree with each other. I am glad you're happy with what you are doing and that your health is good (by your own terms) that way!

Thank you so much that is very nice of you to say! Well, my "internals" are healthy (I hope LOL), and that's good.

OP, sorry if I confused you and put stuff on you that was my own (my own issues with food as a teen). :flower:

[AutobotsAttack]

It depends on how your body partitions carbs, which is dependent on your fitness level. Esstentially, cutting out simple carbs can be beneficial if you aren’t as physically active as you could be, or your metabolism isn’t processing carbs as efficiently as it could.

I’ve been in sports since I was a child, and cutting out carbs is a complete no-go for me. My skin and hair suffers, so does my metabolism, my concentration, ability to perform well in my sport, etc.

So I’d say it’s definitely dependent on your own personal body and it’s needs.

[Angry Cockatiel]

I read yeast build up on the secretion of the scalp's skin. Sugary diets tend to promote yeast growth in feminine health so it leads me to believe it could have a similar effect on scalps. This is not scientific proof by an means but a thought of mine.

[Liss]

Thanks everyone for all your input!

I do completely agree with an 'everything in moderation' approach - my problem over the past decade has been an inability to find that moderation balance.

I feel good with the decision I've made and the progress I'm making. I'm not going to freak out if granny offers a biscuit, but I'm keeping myself on track to try to repair all the mess my years of indulgence and poor habits have caused.

I've been really pleasantly surprised and happy that my hair isn't a greasy mess anymore. I was even complimented on it today, which hasn't happened in years - yay!

I'm enjoying reading everyone's input & I like learning the things that people have been able to teach & suggestions to research!

Thanks

[Five of Five]

Liss that is great to hear that the difference is so noticeable that others are commenting on it!

I would definitely accept that biscuit from grandma, too :)