Ten Week Challenge

Hi, Sheree. As I await for a response from you, I read the stories in the success page and the stories found there are truly inspirational. Some women were experiencing reduced shedding within days and new growth within weeks. I am so tired of hair loss controlling my life, consuming every bit of it. I'm tired of hair loss holding me back so I've decided to go on a ten week challenge to fully restore my hair. I've been on this diet since July 2013 and I know this diet is working as I'm shedding less now indicative of less hair on my bathroom floor. However, I'm not getting the dramatic growth others have experienced and this will change.


Currently, I'm taking Fo-ti and Chlorophyll. Should I add Vitex and/or Borage oil even though I'm not in menopause?

I am going to eliminate all bread including Ezekiel bread, which I was consuming a slice pretty much every day with peanut butter. I will include more fish- tuna twice a week and if it's on sale, salmon once a week. One to two eggs every day. I'll be eating a salad every day. And no more cheat meal that doesn't follow this diet so no more cakes and the likes. I want my hair back.

I've seen mayonnaise listed as an ingredient in several recipes here so I'm going to assume it's safe to consume mayonnaise. What about ranch dressing? Before this diet, I love eating salads with the Hidden Valley ranch dressing which I believe contains 2 grams of sugar per serving. I also enjoy ham in my garden salad aka cobb salad. Is it okay to eat ham and other deli meats? What about bacon? Of course, not every day.

And tapioca starch/flour as an ingredient in a gluten free recipe?

So for the next ten weeks, I'll be following this very strict diet in hopes that my hair will fully recover. And as always, thank you for this wonderful website.

Comments for Ten Week Challenge

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Mar 01, 2014
 You're on the Right Track
by: Sheree

Hello, and thank you for visiting.

To embrace the diet, you have to be 100 percent committed. And I think by your letter, you've proven that you're in that critical zone.

I was so shocked the first time somebody told me their hair started growing back in three days. And then I thought about men and their five o'clock shadow. They have to shave every single day. Under the right conditions, hair can grow surprisingly fast. So your ten-week challenge is very reachable and realistic.

You asked a few questions about supplements. You can add more to your routine. Borage oil creates abundant, thick hair growth. You can mix in black currant seed oil to break up your routine. You can take vitex if you wish, but I usually recommend vitex for menopause-related hair loss.

Ranch dressing is good. Just make sure you get full fat, not the reduced fat. Reduced fat always has a lot of sugar to make up for the loss of fat.

You can certainly eat bacon in moderation. The only thing about bacon is nitrates. Nitrates are linked to cancer, and now researchers have linked nitrates to Alzheimer's Disease. Nitrate free bacon is expensive, but you can certainly indulge occasionally.

I like to eat bacon on the weekends when I have more time to cook. You can have a beautiful breakfast bonanza that does not contain even the tiniest trace of gluten.

All deli meats are perfectly fine. And they're also great because generally, they do not have nitrates added to them. You can also ask the butcher about this.

The tapoica starch should be used in moderation. And always make sure that you're combining this starch with lower GI index foods.

When you experience results, please write here and let us know about your regrowth. There are men and women who need to hear positive experiences from people just like you. So your story is very important to us.

Good luck to you.

Love,

Sheree
Mar 03, 2014
 10-week challenge
by: E

Hi there!!

I'd love to do the 10-week challenge with you. I've also been on the diet since July, but have fallen off quite a few times. I could use a solid amount of time with no cheat meals! If the support helps, I'm right there with you!

E
Mar 21, 2014
 10 week challenge
by: Anonymous

It's been three weeks since I cut off all bread including Ezekiel. I'm not consuming anything that might have gluten even a minute amount. Two days- one day this week and one day last week, I had two mini snack size Snickers bars last week and two mini snack size Reese Peanut butter cup.

I've noticed more hair on the bathroom floor as well as in the shower. Could the cause be the chocolate? Other than the four pieces of candy I have not eaten any sweets. I did eat a banana a few days during the last three weeks.

I am devastated to see so much hair. I was doing so well. Didn't see much growth, but I didn't lose as much hair. Now the hair is everywhere, again:-(
Mar 21, 2014
 How Much Hair Should We Shed?
by: Sheree

Hello,

There are a ton of factors that not only lead to hair loss, but can keep it going, including emotional distress.

It's extremely unlikely that the chocolate caused the type of hair loss you're describing. Candy bar type chocolates are actually low on the glycemic index.

When your hair is shedding, you need somebody to look at it objectively and actually see how much hair is actually falling out. When you are distressed about hair loss, the mind can greatly increase the amount you believe you're actually losing.

Your hair is supposed to shed. In order for new hair to come in, the old hair must first fall out. Then the new hair grows back thicker.

If your hair is shedding very quickly, and other people notice it, like it's in their food or all over the furniture, this is a cause for concern.

The hair sheds in cycles, so at one shampoo you're going to notice very little shedding, and at the next shampoo, there may be a little bit more.

It sounds like you're doing the diet perfectly. Keep going with your new program. Some people respond very quickly, and other people take longer.

If you're having stress, the MP3 hypnosis for hair loss will reduce your stress the first time you use it.

Stay grounded and hang in there. This is not easy, and you can do it!

Love,

Sheree
Mar 22, 2014
 10 week challenge
by: Anonymous

Thanks, Sheree, for all your wisdom and encouragement. When you suffer from hair loss, any loss is dramatic. I hope the increased shedding the past couple of weeks will lead to more growth of thicker, healthier hair.

Do you know when one should expect new growth after a shed? I always thought with a normal, healthy individual your hair falls out because new hair is pushing it out so you never noticed the hair loss. Seems like for sufferers of hair loss, new growth doesn't always come in right away.
Mar 27, 2014
 How it Takes Hair to Recover After Shedding
by: Sheree

Hi there,

You asked how long it takes the hair to recover after a shed. You will notice new hair within four to six weeks. This is only an average. It could be much sooner, or a little bit later. But the hair always grows back.

Even if you're under severe stress and you lose your hair because of it, you will recover your hair very quickly, and these bouts of hair loss will be rare or will stop altogether.

Please stay in touch. I'm expecting full hair recovery for you.

Love,

Sheree
Apr 05, 2014
 more
by: Anonymous

Hi, Sheree. Thank you always for the correspondence. The hair shed has slowed down although it hasn't stopped altogether. Some days, I'll get 20 strands of hair fall out while combing my hair.

I've started a new routine. In addition to the diet, which will be a mainstay and foundation to my successful recovery, I've added fenugreek since March 31st. I bought a bar shampoo called 'new' from Lush cosmetics. It contains cinnamon, peppermint, nettle, and rosemary- all conducive to hair growth, However, I'm concerned that it also contains sodium lauryl sulfate. Even with the recent shed, I have noticed new hair sprouting about one to two inches long, but most of the hair is still too thin to make a difference in volume.

I'm not sure if these are new growths from dormant/dead follicles or just hair from affected hair follicles and thus the thinness of the hair shafts. I was hoping these hair strands will thicken as they get longer, but from what I've read the thickness of the shaft nearest your scalp is pretty much the thickness throughout the hair shaft.

Do you think these thin hairs will fall out and be replaced by thicker ones, thus indicating that the androgenic alopecia I've been suffering for over six years is starting to be reversed and cured? What more can I do?

I've gotten desperate to the point of researching hair transplant and laser treatment, but I know hair transplant is not a good option for women with the diffusing nature of our hair loss and laser hair treatment is still inconclusive.

Anyways, that's the latest update, Sheree. I'm just hanging in there. I've gone gluten free since I've started this ten week challenge. I hope by the end of the ten week challenge, I'll see noticeable regrowth, indicating that I'm heading in the right direction and my hair will recover completely in the very near future. I'm so tired of hair loss controlling my life and holding me back. It has to change.

Thank you, Sheree, for such a wonderful site. Thank you.
Apr 14, 2014
 Extreme Patience is Required
by: Sheree

Hello. I'm so sorry for the delay. I did not see this post until today. If this happens again, use the contact form. I get the messages immediately.

From what you wrote in your post, it sounds like your hair is growing back. Hair regrowth is a slow, grinding process. And when we have anxiety about it, it feels so much slower. But yet, the hair is actually growing back.

So just close your eyes and imagine running your hands through a lush, thick, healthy head of hair.

I can't even begin to tell you how much I can feel your pain. Stick to this diet. I had a client that took an extremely long time to see regrowth, something like six months. And this is with no visible signs of regrowth.

We just hung in there and hung in there. Then one day, six months later, completely without warning, her hair started to grow back.

So yes, I do believe your hair is going to grow completely back. And the thing is this: Even two and a half months is not very long. You may see regrowth during this time, but for thick hair growth after six years, you have to be extremely patient. Once you start to see regrowth, thick hair growth is about 18 months to two years away. Now, of course this varies with each individual.

I had a young man in coaching who started this diet back in December, and he's already recovered 80% of his hair. So it can be incredibly fast, incredibly slow, or somewhere in between.

I've heard conflicting reports about surgery. I know that you can get scarring, and I'm unsure if the diet will be effective after that.

In coaching and other interactions with people, some have said they've used laser. None of them have reported hair regrowth. They have, however, reported that laser is very expensive.

You have to also make sure that every single trace of gluten is removed from your diet. If you need help identifying gluten, write me here. This will speed up your hair growth.

Also, be sure to take care of the emotional side. Use meditations and self-affirmations with strong positive emotions. You can do this!

Love,

Sheree
Jun 06, 2014
 Ten week challenge woes
by: Anonymous

Hi, Sheree. I'm back, again, seeking your wisdom and words of encouragement. It's now June. I've been on this diet since July of last year. Then I didn't know how detrimental gluten was. I was eating a slice of Ezekiel bread almost daily.

I started the ten week challenge at the end of February, cutting out all wheat. Then I realized that soy sauce has wheat as well so I began to read all ingredients. I've been strictly gluten free for about two weeks now. Today I went to jack in the box and got a taco, thinking I'll use my cheat meal on the taco. Turns out their tacos contain wheat along with corn. I'm devastated. Does this mean that I have to start all over, again?

Do you think I'll be okay since it was a one time exposure and wheat wasn't the only ingredient? Is there anything I can do to flush out the gluten from my system?
Jun 08, 2014
 Don't Worry Be Happy!
by: Anonymous

Hi there,

The thing about processed food is that gluten is in everything. Gluten has so many uses, they even use it in envelopes. I'll bet you 10 to 1 that the taco meat probably also had gluten in it as well. One thing is for sure. If you eat out, you can almost guarantee that there's going to be traces of gluten in the food unless they certify it as gluten free.

You can buy Tamari soy sauce, which does not have gluten. But some of them do, so double-check. Even if you've been using soy sauce, that's okay too. Most people are eating pure wheat products in the form of bread, and this is much more serious.

So don't worry at all about the one-time exposure. Just eating the tacos one time is not going to affect your system at all. This does not mean you have to start over. The only way you would have to hit the reset button is if you did it for a bunch of days in a row. But not just one time.

Good luck!

Sheree
Jun 08, 2014
 10 week challenge
by: Anonymous

Thank goodness! I'm so relieved. Thank you, Sheree, for the prompt response. I was beating myself up all day. I'm really desperate. I need this diet to work and regain control of my life, again. My hair loss has affected me on so many levels and for so long. Hair loss is not just a cosmetic issue; it affects you emotionally to the point that it's debilitating. Thank you so much, Sheree, for this wonderful site. You've been a blessing.
Jun 08, 2014
 You're Welcome
by: Anonymous

Hello,

You're so welcome. I love building this website more than anything. It would take an army to tear me away from it.

When you feel emotional panic or you're upset, just write your feelings down here. Your page is getting a lot of hits, and there are a lot of people who would love to support you. It's really helpful when you have people around you who understand how you feel.

When you experience significant regrowth, we would love to have you post your before and after pictures. It can take months for you to get the results you want, so hang in there for me.

Love,

Sheree
Jul 28, 2014
 One Year to Date
by: Anonymous

It's been one year since I started this diet. Although at the beginning I was consuming a slice of Ezekiel bread daily, so technically I've been on this diet since the end of February, which makes it 5 months.

I want to feel hopeful and sometimes I feel like my hair is coming back and then I'd look in the mirror and the devastation washes over me once more. How can I tell if I'm experience regrowth from my damaged/dormant follicles and not just regular hair growing?

My understanding is that even with androgenic alopecia, your hair still grows, but doesn't stay in the growing phase long enough and falls faster and the diameter of the hair shafts decreases on those from affected hair follicles.

So how do I know if what I'm experiencing is hair regrowth from my damaged hair follicles and not just my regular hair growing? Not all of my hair follicles are affected as it's only on the top and back of my head that are affected.

Also, maybe this is better suited for a new thread in case others might have the same inquiry. It's been so long that I've suffered from hair loss that I don't remember how it all started. I just remembered being at the dinner table and running my fingers through my hair like I sometimes do and coming up with a handful of hair. It was a startling moment and ever since then I've been seeing hair falling out everywhere. I don't remember where I was losing first.

I think I remember reading that when your hair started to regrow, it started at your hairline and moved backwards. Do you know what pattern of hair regrowth we should be expecting? Do we regrow the hair we lost at the beginning or the ones we lost later on?

And this comment just continues. I'm sorry. I'm having a difficult time gaining weight. I think I managed to gain one pound in the last year, but would love to gain 3-5 pounds for a curvier build.

I've read several places that dairy is bad for your hair. Is it true? I see a lot of cheese listed in menus posted here. I'm not a fan of cheese, but I know you can gain a lot of weight from dairy.

I've been eating peanut butter every day, avocado when I remember to pack it for lunch, and spoonfuls of olive oil to increase my fat intake. What else can I do?

Thanks, Sheree.
Jul 30, 2014
 Don't Quit
by: Sheree

Hello there,

Thank you for visiting The Healthy Diet Paradise.


It sounds to me like your psychological distress is overshadowing your progress. This is a very real phenomenon that requires immediate attention.

I've had clients who's hair was actually growing back, and because of their stress, they had an optical illusion that it was falling out again. I call it Hair Loss Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

Two days later when the stress stopped, they realized their hair was actually still growing back. Stress will play tricks on your mind. That is because hair loss is one of the most difficult and profound experiences you will ever have.

Whenever I see somebody who's on the diet, and they're under severe stress from their hair loss, I look at that before I tackle the diet. I've said this many times: Stress can override the diet. Stress can create bowel disorders, malabsorption issues, inflammation, and all of these issues can lead to hair loss.

I believe it's possible that your weight problem could be due to stress as well. If you're having trouble increasing your weight, you could try increasing your carb intake and see if that helps.

There's no way for me to tell from your letter how your pattern of hair growth is going to come back in. I would need a lot more information about you. A picture would help tremendously.

If there are any issues in your life that are going on besides hair loss, this has to be handled first. Of course it's always extremely important to eat correctly as well.

I get asked this question all the time in coaching, how does the hair grow back. My experience is that the hair grows back in the same pattern that it fell out. The only problem is that since most people don't notice their hair loss until it's advanced somewhat, it's very hard to tell where it began. But if it fell out towards the temple first, then generally, that's where the hair grows back first.

To be safe, it's important to rule out issues that can cause hair loss by a doctor. There are illnesses that can affect hair growth as well. So hopefully you've already done that.

I'll tell you this for sure. The people on this diet who've succeeded took a serious whipping. They had to try over and over and over again. When they fell down, they got back up. There were setbacks, and there was heartbreak.

The one thing that sets them apart from everybody else is they did not quit. And that's why they're here, because deep in their hearts, they knew there was a solution.

This hair loss diet program takes dogged determination. So the best advice I can give you is don't quit. I've seen hair loss reversals after 25 years. That's no exaggeration. They did it. And you can do it too.

So chin up. I got your back.

Love,

Sheree

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