How Your Diet And Your Body Function As Partners
Thursday, December 16th, 2010Everyone has heard the old adage that tells us we are what we eat. But when you are busy and moving quickly through your daily routine, it can be hard to remember how closely the way we feel is related to the way we eat. It is essential that you pay attention to your diet and your body. There are many ways that our physical being tells us whether or not it likes the way we are eating. Learning to pick up on those cues can help us to learn how to eat better.
Your Energy Level
Often, people feel tired and have no idea why. If you are getting enough sleep each night, and are not engaging in any kind of strenuous physical activity that it out of the ordinary for you, your energy level should be relatively stable. If you are noticing fluctuations that seem unrelated to your seep patterns, your eating habits may be the problem.
There are lots of different dietary problems that could cause fatigue and lack of energy. A good place to start is to figure out how many calories you generally consume in a day. Too few calories means that your body is not getting enough energy. A surplus of calories that go unburned can also contribute to fatigue. Write down everything you eat for a few days, and determine whether you are eating too much, too little, or the right amount.
If you are eating the right amount of calories and still experiencing a depletion of energy, look at what you are eating. Make sure you are getting enough protein. Too many carbohydrates and not enough protein is a common theme in modern diets, and can certainly contribute to lethargy. Anemia, or even just a mild iron deficiency, can cause fatigue, as can a lack of certain vitamins. Too much sugar or caffeine causes a burst of energy and then a plummet, often leaving you lethargic for the rest of the day. Dehydration can be a big factor as well. Everyone should drink at least 8 glasses of water each day.
The Nails, Hair and Skin
When a person is getting enough protein and drinking enough water, their skin, nails and hair look strong and healthy. But if the skin becomes dry or blotchy, the hair becomes full and breaks off, and the nails become weak and brittle, chances are there is a nutritional deficiency of some kind.
Your Digestive Processes
Lots of people do not like to think about their bowel movements, but these things are great indicators of whether or not our eating habits are on the right track. You should have regular, fairly easy bowel movements. Any time that is not the case, there is probably something wrong with the way you are eating. Diarrhea can be an indicator, and can bloating and constipation. For your health and for your comfort, it is a good idea to maintain eating habits that keep your digestion regular.
Paying attention to these signs gets easier over time. Eventually, it becomes somewhat instinctual. Once you get a good feel for the way that your diet and your body function together, you learn to make better choices, and to avoid foods that make you feel worse in favor of foods that make you feel better.
Your diet and your body really counts. You’ll find acne prevention, treatment and remedies. These are available to you and we want to tell you more about them.
