One key to creating health is to listen to ourselves and our bodies. Being aware is a powerful tool, one that allows us to understand clues and symptoms of both health and disease. These tips come in the form of cravings, moods, or physical cues and can make the difference between losing weight and looking great or being frustrated with our health. Here are five quick ways to tell how your health stacks up today:
Never Let ‘Em See You Sweat- Not true! Sweating easily is a sign of physical conditioning and health. It removes toxins and too much sodium from the body and helps regulate body temperature when you exercise. One of the goals of any fitness routine should be to work up at least a light sweat. Sweat can also give you clues into your health. A lack of sweat can mean you are dehydrated while night sweats can mean trouble with your thyroid.
Blue Mood: You might not think that nutrition has much to do with fatigue, but think again. Ditto PMS, and mental fogginess-
* Many times, fatigue, especially in the middle of the day or early evening, is directly related to not getting enough complex carbohydrates, enough water, or enough iron.
* the bloating and moodiness associated with PMS can be caused by not getting enough calcium and magnesium and by eating too much sugar. Taking a calcium supplement that also includes magnesium (for proper calcium absorption) and cutting back on sugar can really help ease the symptoms of PMS.
* Depression can also be exacerbated by poor nutrition, mainly not getting enough Omega 3 fatty acids, which is why many people on a low fat diet can experience sadness, anxiety and anger. Supplementing with wild caught fish, nuts, and flax seed oil in dressings, sauces, and soups is a great way to make sure you are getting enough healthy fats.
* A lack of vitamin E and/or iron is associated with mental fogginess. This can also be caused by not eating enough vegetables and a lack of antioxidants. Nuts and seeds are wonderful for vitamin E while leafy greens such as kale, spinach, and chard are good sources of antioxidants and iron.
Craving Health: They come in so many forms and can really spell torture for those of us trying to get ourselves healthy.
* Craving carbs? You might not be eating enough calories. Not only are you slowing your metabolism but you aren’t getting enough vitamins for good health.
* Craving salty foods? Exhausted adrenals might be to blame. Try drinking more water, sleeping more, and relieving anxiety.
* Sugar getting to you? An overabundance of yeast may be to blame. Chances are, if you cut sugar out of your diet for a week or two those cravings will begin to disappear. Drinking water with lemon and avoiding white flour, vinegar, and mushrooms for a bit may also help.
A Sensitive Topic: Not many of us like to look at, let alone talk about our eliminations, but poo really does show us how healthy we are. Healthy poo should have the size and shape of a banana, shouldn’t smell, should float, and should be golden brown in color. Some common aberrations?
* Color-dark colored eliminations can mean you aren’t eating enough vegetables or are eating too much salt. Greenish poo can mean too much sugar in the diet.
* Frequency-going once to twice a day is ideal. Less means that toxins aren’t leaving your body properly and can mean you are allergic to dairy or wheat, aren’t eating enough vegetables, or are not drinking enough water.
* Consistency-your eliminations should be the consistency of an unripe banana. Pebble like poo means you aren’t getting enough fiber while more liquid stool can point to allergies or lactose intolerance.