Just what is your body trying to tell you?

Not enough of us actually listen to our bodies.  Sometimes we experiment cravings for certain foods such as cheese or red meat.  Our bodies are far wiser than we are.  We, after all, are conditioned from the amount of advertising we see on a daily basis to crave sugar, fast food, etc..  But sometimes we suddenly get a craving for a specific food like cheese.  Cheese is high in an essential amino acid called tryptophan which is a precursor to Serotonin, also known as the happy hormone.  If you aren't getting enough tryptophan you may have a problem producing enough Serotonin.

However, there are other little "everyday" minor health problems that annoy us which could simply be our bodies trying to make us aware that there is a nutritional deficit which is not being met and could be easily remedied.

For example:

Swollen ankles.  This could be a sign that you are not getting enough potassium in your diet.  Potassium helps regulate the body's water balance and a low potassium count can contribute to water retention that, in turn, causes blood pressure to rise - this happens especially when combined with too much dietary salt.

The Dallas Heart Study in the U.S. examined data from 3,300 people which showed that the amount of potassium in urine samples, and therefore reflecting dietary intake, was strongly related to blood pressure readings.  Almost a quarter of all women and teenagers and 16% of people over 65 years of age have low intakes of potassium as a result of their diet, as found by the National Diet and Nutrition Survey data.

The recommended daily allowance of Potassium is 3,500mg.  Bananas are naturally high in potassium, and if you are getting your 5 a day of fruit and vegetables should stop you being deficient.

Those annoying and painful cracks at the side of the mouth could be attributed to a lack of vitamin B2, this also goes for fissures and sores around the mouth.  Vitamin B2 is essential for cell production and growth, without it, the body cannot renew skin and mucosal cells around the lips.  Vitamin B2 is also necessary for converting food into energy, so if you also suffer from fatigue and migraines it may well be a B2 deficiency that is provoking them.

The recommended daily allowance of Vitamin B2 is 1.3mg for men and 1.1mg for women.  Although I am not an advocate for milk and/ or milk produce, a daily glass of 250ml of milk should solve a deficiency.  I, personally, would take a supplement.

Are you constantly in a bad mood?  Grumpy all the time?  Then you could have an iron deficiency.  The usual symptoms of iron deficiency are pale skin, spoon-shaped nails and light-headedness, however, feeling grumpy together with tiredness and poor concentration, is an early warning sign for lack of iron due to reduced levels of oxygen reaching the brain - as stated by the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Iron is an important component of red blood cells which allows them to collect oxygen and transport it around the body.  As much as 30% of teenage girls and 17% of women suffer from low iron counts, and the risk is even higher in women who have heavy periods.

The recommended daily allowance for iron is 8.7mg in men and 14.8mg in women.  Red meat, nuts and greens are packed with iron, the easiest to absorb come from animal sources such as beef, eggs and sardines.  However nuts, pulses, green leafy vegetables are also a good source, however you must accompany them with a source of Vitamin C such as fresh tomato with the skin left on or natural orange.  For a more severe deficiency supplements will be needed but you should see your doctor before taking supplements.

Has food become bland and unappetizing?  It might not just be your cooking (or your Mum's!).
Inadequate levels of zinc in the body can affect our sense of taste.  The University of Ulster  conducted a study on 387 participants and found that those participants with lower levels of zinc in their blood cells were less able to detect salty tastes.

Zinc is required for the production of salivary enzymes and development and maintenance of tastebuds which may point to the relationship between the lack of zinc and debilitated taste - although this is still unclear.

But a low zinc level does not just affect your tastebuds, other signs of zinc deficiency include more frequent infections such as colds and flu, wounds that take a long time to heal - this is due to the zinc's vital role in immune system function and the repair and renewal of cells.

Teenagers are most at risk, nearly one fifth of girls and a tenth of boys have been found to have unacceptable levels of zinc due to their diets.

The recommended daily allowance of zinc is 5.5 - 9.5 mg for men and 4-7mg for women.  Red meat - beef and lamb are among the best sources of zinc, so try to eat at least one to two portions a week.  Other sources include nuts, especially Cashews and Peanuts and other whole grains.

Those general aches and pains may not just be down to getting older!  Vitamin D is such an important part of a healthy body.  Weak bones are known symptoms of a long term Vitamin D deficiency but general aches, weakness and tiredness can also indicate a lesser deficiency.

Low Vitamin D levels occur across all age groups, this vitamin helps regulate calcium and phosphorous, minerales that are vital for developing and maintaining bone and muscle.  It is also thought that Vitamin D is important to the immune system and may boost cancer protection.

The recommended daily allowance is 5mcg (micro grams)  However it can be easier than that, 20 minutes of sunshine a day with no sunscreen on will keep your Vitamin D levels topped up, also you can eat two portions of oily fish such as salmon or sardines per week to prevent deficiency.

So, take a good look at your body, what is it trying to tell you?  Do you have any of the symptoms I've described?

Social Nutrition:
You can make an appointment to improve your health with Social Nutrition either in person (Madrid) or online (Skype).  Just send an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com