Kamal Ghorui
When it comes to haircare, we usually dive straight into the “stuff”—the pricey serums, the overnight masks, the salon-grade oils, and that ten-step routine we saw on TikTok. But we often ignore the most basic truth: healthy hair actually starts from the inside out, long before a single drop of product ever touches your scalp. Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar has been championing this shift for a while now, gently reminding everyone that your dinner plate probably has a much bigger impact on your mane than your shampoo bottle does.In a recent Instagram video, she strips away the marketing fluff and brings the focus back to where it belongs – fundamental nutrition. Her point is refreshingly simple: if your body is running on empty, your hair is the first thing to show it. Those frustrating moments of seeing extra hair in the drain or noticing your ponytail feels a bit thinner aren’t always about “bad” products; more often than not, they are your body’s way of flagging what’s missing from your diet. She’s also pretty vocal about calling out those extreme, “no-carb” diet trends, warning that cutting out entire food groups can quietly wreak havoc on your hair health over time.
Instead of pushing exotic, expensive superfoods that are hard to find, Rujuta sticks to the familiar, everyday ingredients already sitting in your kitchen. Take rice, for example. Despite its unfairly bad reputation in weight-loss circles, she’s a huge advocate for it. Rice provides the essential energy your body needs to function properly, and believe it or not, that steady energy supply is exactly what supports consistent hair growth.Then, there’s the power of seasonal fruits. They aren’t just a snack; they are loaded with Vitamin C, which acts as a key to unlock iron absorption in your body. Better iron levels lead to better hemoglobin, and since hemoglobin carries oxygen to your cells, it has a direct, visible impact on how strong and thick your hair grows.Traditional pulses and legumes – think moong, arhar, and chawli – also top her list of essentials. These are packed with the building blocks of hair, like amino acids and B vitamins, which help cut down on breakage and make your strands feel sturdier over time. It’s definitely not a “magic pill” that works overnight, but it’s a strategy that yields real results if you’re patient and consistent.She also shines a light on the magic of tiny seeds, particularly haleem (garden cress) seeds. These little powerhouses are bursting with folic acid and other nutrients that do wonders for both your skin and hair, especially when enjoyed in traditional ways like laddoos or a comforting bowl of kheer.Of course, she doesn’t tell you to throw away your hairbrush. External care still has its place. Simple, old-school habits like a good weekly oil massage and regular combing still matter because they boost scalp circulation and keep things healthy. At the same time, she suggests being a bit more mindful about “over-processing” – leaning too hard on harsh chemical treatments can cause long-term damage that no diet can fully undo.The whole philosophy is pretty straightforward: great hair isn’t something you just buy in a bottle. It’s the cumulative result of your everyday habits – what you choose to eat, how you gently care for your scalp, and how loyal you are to the basics.
