Haitian hair advice

[gymfreak336]

my boyfriend is Haitian and dominican. His mother was sick last week and since he was out of town on an audition, I offered to stay at their place so I could watch her and make sure his little brothers get off to school on time.Well while I was their she kept telling me about how my diet was killing my hair. She kept saying how I have such a nice grade of hair but if I keep up my bad eating habits, I would ruin it. She told me that I needed to be eating whitefish every other day or atleast 3x a week, and that I needed more beans and rice. She gave me lots of recipes and a big bottle of black castor oil. She said the reason why haitians have nice hair (for the most part) is their diet. Her hair is about 3 inches past her bra strap. How can I argue with that.

 

[CarLiTa]

I'm Haitian and YES we eat a whole lot of rice and beans! it gets really annoying sometimes. And we eat a lot of fish. there are some months when we do eat lots of fish and I have to say, I do get growth spurts during those times. We eat a lot of chicken to, lean chicken, not fried.

well many Haitians do have nice hair, but still, there's the heat factor. If u're using heat, like I did, things go bad for you.
The first two years after I relaxed my hair was healthy and long because I never ever used heat. I would airdry my rollersets, and did deep conditioning treatments with avocado, or aloe, or castor oil. It was very simple, but all that stuff worked. And it also helped that we only had organic food, u know, with living in Haiti and all. It's when I came to live here that my hair deteriorated, sadly

dont sleep on the castor oil. it's good... the only thing is, THE SMELL! it's bad... and that's why I dont use it as often as I'd like to. Maybe I should, lol.

 

[sweetcakes14]

I'm also Haitian and you definitely won't go to another Haitian's home and not find a bottle of the stinky luile mascreti. Years ago when I use to get my hair done in Brooklyn, the women used to put it on my scalp and aside from the smell, I had no issues from it. I don't think it contributed to any major growth, but many women swear by it, they use it to grease their scalps, they do hot oil treatments with it.

And yes, Haitians consume a diet that is very rich in proteins (meats, fish, chicken) along with their rice and beans. When I think about it, the foods are pretty healthy without a lot of frying and tons of grease.

 

[a_ caribbean_dream]

Another haitian checking in here to say that I recently went back to using the l'huile for my micro braid challange. I took my hair out last night and it was so thick!!!!!!! especially at the root. As for length, i am not sure, but i felt like i was teleported to the old days when my mother herself was afraid of my hair.

 

[Angelicus]

I have traveled to the Carribean a lot and rice, beans, and fish (or chicken) are always on my menu. Rice contains a ton of B vitamins, Beans contain nitrogen, beaucoup amino acids, and vitamins. Whitefish, talapia, and other kinds of lean fish contain good omega-3 and omega-6 acids, not to mention proteins that break down into amino acids, strengthing your hair's health. I eat rice and beans with almost every meal now and my hair has done nothing but thrive.

Bon chance dames!

 

[morehairplease]

ladies

what's is luile mascreti? And how exactly do you use it? Can it be purchased online anywhere?
thanks in advance ladies

 

[lexi08]

ladies

what's is luile mascreti? And how exactly do you use it? Can it be purchased online anywhere?
thanks in advance ladies

I would like to know also. and what is the best way to use it.

 

[CurleeDST]

Interesting. Dominicans have beautiful hair as well I wonder if they subscribe to the same thing as the Haitians since they share an island.

 

[bunny101]

Gmyfreak336,

She told me that I needed to be eating whitefish every other day or atleast 3x a week, and that I needed more beans and rice. She gave me lots of recipes and a big bottle of black castor oil. She said the reason why haitians have nice hair (for the most part) is their diet. Her hair is about 3 inches past her bra strap. How can I argue with that.

What specific kind of whitefish did she ask you to eat? Also, what specific type of beans and specific type of rice? There are so many types of these foods, I would not know where to start. Thanks

 

[CarLiTa]

l'huile mascriti is palm nut oil, unrefined

there's this other oil that we call l'huile mascriti also... but that's black castor oil. and it really stinks...

I dont even know the names of the beans in English actually i hardly know any name of veggies in english and i've been living here for 5 years. Lemme go to google translator to find the names...

anyway, lots of green legumes. We do this thing called "Legumes" and it's different types of leafy vegetables, with meat, with olive oil, carrots, etc. It ends up looking like a thick stew of meat and veggies.

we also cook this meal called "bouillon" and it's almost the same but the meat is beef, and its like a soup with a lot of things in it, lol. Tastes great. what's in it? beef, leafy veggies, this thing called "boy" (it actually is flour and seasoning, rolled up into 3" long rolls) and that's in there too and other kinds of vegetables that grow under the soil... wow my english is poor, i cant even remember the names in French either to translate them.

For rice, either white rice and bean sauce. Sorry, dont' know the names of the beans either. We just either call them: red beans, white beans, black beans, and "pois France" for the green beans etc. We also have "du ris jonjon" which is Mushroom rice, they put the mushroom in water and use that black water that comes from it to make the rice...

I think everyone in the Caribbean cooks the same types of food. My Hispanic friends eat rice and beans almost everyday too, but we have more meat in our diet and probably more veggies as well. We also eat a lot of fish. Not the nasty tasting fish they sell at the grocery stores, but the ones that u take the scales off yourself and cook it.

i dont know if i've been much help b/c i dont know the English names, but perhaps some other Haitian lady can enlighten u some more...

 

[morehairplease]

thanks CarLiTa!

Please correct me if I am wrong but the l'huile mascriti =black castor oil? Would this be the same kind that is sold at www.sams24-7.com
thanks in advance,
CarLita

 

[CurleeDST]

It sounds like from what the original poster said overall eat healthy, cut out junk food and you should notice healthy hair growth.

I know people who have severe cases of acute asthma and they were on meds all of their lives, their hair texture has changed over the years due to the medication (more frizzy, less shiny, etc.) so what you put into your body definitely will show on the outer in your skin, nails, hair and eyes.

l'huile mascriti is palm nut oil, unrefined

there's this other oil that we call l'huile mascriti also... but that's black castor oil. and it really stinks...

I dont even know the names of the beans in English actually i hardly know any name of veggies in english and i've been living here for 5 years. Lemme go to google translator to find the names...

anyway, lots of green legumes. We do this thing called "Legumes" and it's different types of leafy vegetables, with meat, with olive oil, carrots, etc. It ends up looking like a thick stew of meat and veggies.

we also cook this meal called "bouillon" and it's almost the same but the meat is beef, and its like a soup with a lot of things in it, lol. Tastes great. what's in it? beef, leafy veggies, this thing called "boy" (it actually is flour and seasoning, rolled up into 3" long rolls) and that's in there too and other kinds of vegetables that grow under the soil... wow my english is poor, i cant even remember the names in French either to translate them.

For rice, either white rice and bean sauce. Sorry, dont' know the names of the beans either. We just either call them: red beans, white beans, black beans, and "pois France" for the green beans etc. We also have "du ris jonjon" which is Mushroom rice, they put the mushroom in water and use that black water that comes from it to make the rice...

I think everyone in the Caribbean cooks the same types of food. My Hispanic friends eat rice and beans almost everyday too, but we have more meat in our diet and probably more veggies as well. We also eat a lot of fish. Not the nasty tasting fish they sell at the grocery stores, but the ones that u take the scales off yourself and cook it.

i dont know if i've been much help b/c i dont know the English names, but perhaps some other Haitian lady can enlighten u some more...

 

[toinette]

l'huile mascriti is palm nut oil, unrefined

there's this other oil that we call l'huile mascriti also... but that's black castor oil. and it really stinks...

I dont even know the names of the beans in English actually i hardly know any name of veggies in english and i've been living here for 5 years. Lemme go to google translator to find the names...

anyway, lots of green legumes. We do this thing called "Legumes" and it's different types of leafy vegetables, with meat, with olive oil, carrots, etc. It ends up looking like a thick stew of meat and veggies.

we also cook this meal called "bouillon" and it's almost the same but the meat is beef, and its like a soup with a lot of things in it, lol. Tastes great. what's in it? beef, leafy veggies, this thing called "boy" (it actually is flour and seasoning, rolled up into 3" long rolls) and that's in there too and other kinds of vegetables that grow under the soil... wow my english is poor, i cant even remember the names in French either to translate them.

For rice, either white rice and bean sauce. Sorry, dont' know the names of the beans either. We just either call them: red beans, white beans, black beans, and "pois France" for the green beans etc. We also have "du ris jonjon" which is Mushroom rice, they put the mushroom in water and use that black water that comes from it to make the rice...

ah, you are making me so damn hungry right now. i havent had legume or bouillon in years!!!! i love "boy." when i was younger my mom used to cook "boy avec sos pwa" so good!!! but my fave thing that i havent had in forever is "soupe joumou" *sigh* with some good haitian bread. am i wrong for saying thats what i miss the most about living with my dad in Haiti is that they would cook soup almost every sunday i also love me some "mais moule." But i hate "sos pwa France" though; all that green sauce freaks me out.

 

[nurseN98]

But i hate "sos pwa France" though; all that green sauce freaks me out.

I thought I was the only one....lol....can't stand that one or the white bean sauce pois either.

But I agree on the diet, when I moved out, my hair health went downhill very fast. I was trying to experiment and cook all these different types of food. I still do try different recipes everynow and then but I've definitely gone back to the Haitian way of eating.

 

[Sassygoddess]

Ummm! i'm hungry too.

So what are you saying? should we start a Fish and bean challenge?

 

[Isis448]

I would love to try some new recipes. I find that I ate lots of beans and rice last year and I got tired of the eating the same thing over and over again. Maybe we should post some of the tasty Haitian recipes in the off topic section! Or could someone please recommend a good Haitian cookbook?

 

[napgurl]

Alright now! I just started my low carb diet and ya'll got me craving rice and beans. My college roommate was from Haiti and she use to cook up some serious rice and beans etc.

I went to Punta Cana Dominican Republic and they killed me with the fruit. Every morning it was papayas pineapples and natural everything. But the women had banging hair and skin.

After I loose these couple of pounds I'm going to search from these Haitian soup recipies.

Thanks for sharing ladies for breaking down how natural food really does make a difference.

 

[karezone]

Ummm! i'm hungry too.

So what are you saying? should we start a Fish and bean challenge?

I love a challenge . I like beans and rice. But I can not stand fish. That is one challenge that I will not be on.

 

[TJD3]

I thought I was the only one....lol....can't stand that one or the white bean sauce pois either.

But I agree on the diet, when I moved out, my hair health went downhill very fast. I was trying to experiment and cook all these different types of food. I still do try different recipes everynow and then but I've definitely gone back to the Haitian way of eating.

Ya'll are nutty! Pwa france, and those white beans are the bomb! I love me some sauce pwa.

 

[JazzyFLPeach]

Good thread!

My best friend is Haitian and her hair is gorgeous! However, I happen to know that it has nothing to do with her diet. I love her to pieces, but she eats more junk than I do. She doesn't eat nearly as much fish as I do and rice and beans...she eats sparingly. I think it's really her genetics as she is a beast with her hair.

My significant other is Haitian and Puerto Rican and I always have to ask him what he's doing to his hair because it grows like a brushfire in the California hills. I know it's not his diet though. He refuses to eat fish period. For him it's genetics as well...from both sides.

All the information here is very interesting though. Very interesting. You ladies keep me on my toes.

 

[Keen]

Ya'll are nutty! Pwa france, and those white beans are the bomb! I love me some sauce pwa.

Me too! Does lambi grow hair too? I can tear up some lambi and rice.

My American friends LOVE tassot for some reason.

 

[rai]

Hey Ya'll, I'm not Haitian, but I am West Indian (my mom is from Trinidad and my father is from Grenada). Anyways, like it was said I think most West Indians eat similar foods (although we may call it something different from island to island). Carribbean people eat alot of carbs, meat and vegetables. In my house, we used to have Fish on fridays, soups on Saturdays, big meals on Sundays.

In terms of beans, the ones we use for our rice and peas are:
Red kidney beans or pigeon peas
We make the rice and beans with coconut milk in it.
Lima beans are used in stews.

Soups can be anything: split peas, pumpkin, callolou, etc. We normally add meat in it (smoked turkey or pork, and beef)

Fish: Herring, snapper, jacks, king fish, cod fish (saltfish) are the ones that I normally eat

Salads, plantains, and vegetables are eaten alot...



However, I think the most important thing is to have a well rounded diet, get protein, and exercise. The food is great, but those carbs and the portion sizes can add inches to the belly if your not active.

 

[rai]

Good thread!

My best friend is Haitian and her hair is gorgeous! However, I happen to know that it has nothing to do with her diet. I love her to pieces, but she eats more junk than I do. She doesn't eat nearly as much fish as I do and rice and beans...she eats sparingly. I think it's really her genetics as she is a beast with her hair.

My significant other is Haitian and Puerto Rican and I always have to ask him what he's doing to his hair because it grows like a brushfire in the California hills. I know it's not his diet though. He refuses to eat fish period. For him it's genetics as well...from both sides.

All the information here is very interesting though. Very interesting. You ladies keep me on my toes.

Yeah, it probably is the genes. Damn them!

 

[Healthb4Length]

I'm definitely going back to eating a more wholesome way! I noticed looking at photos when I was younger how shiney and long my hair was. I remembered eating nothing but rice and peas, stew chicken, and plenty of fish (snapper, tilapia, lobsters)...I'm getting hungry as I type ! I will make a concious effort to eat the way I did growing up in JA, I know this will help with hair growth and beautiful skin! I can't wait! I will be looking out for some Huille Masketti too!

 

[MeccaMedinah]

Ladies, I looked for a rice & peas/beans recipe in the "Recipe" sticky & couldn't find one, last night.
Can you please add you favorite Carribean dish recipes so that we can try them out? I am especially looking for fish & rice & beans recipes. Thanks

 

[Candygirl]

All the ladies inquiring about Haitian recipes or any carribbean recipes need to go to www.islandflave.com They have some bomb recipes there you all will enjoy and alot of the recipes some of the ladies have talked about in the posts atre there as well. Enjoy!!

 

[BrEE]

All the ladies inquiring about Haitian recipes or any carribbean recipes need to go to www.islandflave.com They have some bomb recipes there you all will enjoy and alot of the recipes some of the ladies have talked about in the posts atre there as well. Enjoy!!

THANKKKK YOUUU soo much for that site. oh, how i love lambi and bouillon

 

[Healthb4Length]

All the ladies inquiring about Haitian recipes or any carribbean recipes need to go to www.islandflave.com They have some bomb recipes there you all will enjoy and alot of the recipes some of the ladies have talked about in the posts atre there as well. Enjoy!!

Your the best Candygirl! I'm going make me some rice and peas and stew chicken this weekend!

 

[Mizani_Mrs]

OT: anyone know a good recipe to Stewed Tuna. I had it at the Atlantis Resort last year and you guys just reminded me that i wanted to try to make it....it was sooo good. i can't remember all that was in it... tuna, potatoes, onions.....???

 

[CarLiTa]

my mom has recipe books but they're in French. Translating and type it might take a while.

i dont think DIET only has to do with many Haitians having nice hair. What about the ones who don't, eh? the thing is, in Haiti, we got LOTS of protein, but not necessarily a GREAT VARIETY of vitamins, because some of the fruits are limited, except for plantains, organes, mangoes, for the most part. But yeah, in Haiti, everything is organic, like there's no such thing as milk in the grocery stores u get your milk delivered fresh from the cow and then you boil it. that's what we did to preserve our milk during the hurricane over here And we drink a LOT of water, unless u wanna make orange juice or lemon juice from the fruits from the backyard, hehe. I loved it in Haiti. Here though, even though I still eat Haitian food, i seem to become more conscious of the calories, damn those calories and what they do

i really would like to re-implement some l'huile mascriti in my hair care thingie, but i dont wanna parade around in school with that thing in my hair, ya know? My mom had made this concoction of grease, minoval, l'huile mascriti and black castor oil and i'd use it on my hair from time to time and i'd use this other concotion she made (without the grease) on my hair for pre-poo treatments. I did that often and my mom would say how nappy my roots were getting... turns out, it was increased growth. I'd leave it overnight by the way. I may start doing that again.