
How would you know if you had a nutritional deficiency? Signs & symptoms
Do you eat a healthy, balanced diet that contains all the essential vitamins and minerals? If you do, then you probably think that your body is getting all the right nutrients it needs to function properly, right? Unfortunately, due to modern farming methods and processed foods, this is not always true! Even if you are a healthy eater, certain factors such as age or digestive problems can affect your body’s ability to absorb the nutrients in food. Added to that processing and storage can also impact the nutritional value in our foods, providing us with produce that is deficient in essential nutrients. To top it all, many of us don’t always eat healthily and it is therefore quite possible that our bodies may be lacking vital nutrients. How would you know if you are suffering from a nutritional deficiency?
Read on as the Feelgood Health Team takes a look at some of the common tell-tale signs of a nutritional deficiency and what you can do about them.
What are the tell-tale signs of a nutritional deficiency?
- Tired all the time
Feeling tired all the time? No energy? Sluggish, irritable and lackluster? These are signs that your vitamin C levels may be at an all-time low. Because fatigue is often a common symptom of so many illnesses, it can be difficult to pinpoint if it is a vitamin C deficiency.
What you can do about it
Good sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits, kiwi, pineapple, spinach, bell peppers, tomatoes and broccoli. Add a herbal remedy such as Fatigue Fighter for an extra energy boost, to help combat tiredness and rejuvenate you again.
2. Muscle cramps in your calves, back of legs, arches of feet and toes
Muscle cramps can strike when you least expect it. If you frequently experience sudden jolts of cramping pain down the back of your leg or during a workout, this can be a sign of a magnesium, calcium and potassium deficiency.
What you can do about it
Increase your intake of foods rich in magnesium such as leafy, green vegetables like lettuce, cabbage, spinach and broccoli.
If you’ve cut milk and dairy out of your diet, now is the time to include it again. Incorporate more calcium into your meals by eating and drinking milk, yoghurt and cheese. Non-dairy sources of calcium include soya beans and soya products like tofu, kale and bok choy. Supplement with magnesium and calcium to treat muscle cramps or try a natural topical remedy like Rollaway Reliever that contains Magnesium Oil and Arnica for quick relief. Because magnesium is poorly absorbed in the digestive tract, using magnesium oil on your skin will allow you to absorb magnesium transdermally, which is the best way.
Potassium is available in most common foods but people may still develop a deficiency if they cut fruit, veggies, grains and cereals from their diet. This tends to happen when people go on fad diets or decide to eat less than usual. In order to boost your potassium levels, eat at least five or more servings of fruit and veggies daily.
- Tingling, prickling and numbness in hands and feet
Have you ever felt those tingling, prickly sensations in your hands or feet? Tingling, prickling and numbness in the hands and feet can be symptoms of a vitamin-B deficiency (B6 and B12). These symptoms affect the peripheral nerves causing numbness in the arms and legs, loss of balance, weakness as well as fatigue, anemia, hormone imbalance, anxiety and depression.
What you can do about it
Vitamin B is available in high protein foods and animal products. Stock up on beets, asparagus, spinach, organic free-range eggs, poultry or grass-fed beef to relieve tingling, prickling and numbness. Use a good quality natural supplement such as Solgar Megasorb 50 Vitamin B Complex to increase vitamin B levels in your body.
- Cracks at the corners of your mouth
If you get cracks at the corners of your mouth frequently, this could be tell-tale signs of a deficiency in iron, zinc and B-vitamins like niacin, riboflavin and B12. It could also be a sign that you aren’t getting sufficient protein. This deficiency is quite common in vegetarians and elderly people.
What you can do about it
Increase your intake of poultry, eggs, salmon, tuna, Swiss chard, sundried tomatoes, tahini and lentils into your daily diet. As vitamin C increases iron absorption, include more vitamin C-rich veggies such as red bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower and kale and say goodbye to cracks around the mouth for good.
- Hair loss
Hair loss can be a sign of a vitamin B7 (biotin) deficiency. Biotin helps to strengthen hair and nails in the body but it also metabolises fats, carbohydrates and amino acids.
What you can do about it
The best source of biotin is egg yolks from organic free-range eggs. It is recommended that you eat your eggs raw if you have a biotin deficiency. Other sources of biotin include salmon, mushrooms, cauliflower, bananas, avocados, raspberries and nuts. Natural remedies like Solgar Skin, Nails & Hair Supplement stimulates and nourishes weak hair follicles and promotes healthy hair growth.
As you can see your body has a way of letting you know when you are lacking important nutrients. By knowing what the tell-tale signs are, you can give your body exactly what it needs and feel better again in no time!.
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