Eating Your Way to Wellness

So in a previous article, I promised to share some tips on how to improve overall health, and even reverse disease by addressing underlying energy imbalances. One of the least controversial means of preventing and altering disease is through nutrition. Everyone pretty much recognizes that better eating habits can help prevent obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer. So I won't focus on that here.

But did you know that specific nutritional deficiencies could be the underlying cause of otherwise unexplained symptoms? You are what you eat. The energy derived from food plays a huge factor in the vibrational energy state of the cells of your body. Cells are constantly responding to this energy. Nutritional deficiencies are often overlooked by physicians, since associated symptoms are often vague, non-specific, and chronic. It is also important to note that not all illnesses have a nutritional deficiency as their underlying cause - but there are certainly some known links to consider.

Here are some common nutritional deficiencies and their associated symptoms:

B Vitamins : fatigue, pale skin, numbness or tingling, a poor sense of balance, inflammation and bleeding in the gums, confusion, dermatitis.

Iron : fatigue, lack of energy, weakness, pale mucosal linings, rapid heartbeat, brittle nails or hair, shortness of breath, headache.

Essential Fatty Acids: fatigue, acne, dull, dry skin and hair, poor wound healing, eczema, premenstrual syndrome, and attention deficit disorder. EFAs are also great at reducing systemic inflammation and decrease risk of heart disease, stroke, and dementia.

Antioxidants: pre-maturely aging skin, cataracts, brown skin spots, stiff, numb fingers, and oversensitivity to sunlight. Antioxidants act as free radical scavengers and help prevent cancer, heart disease, and macular degeneration.

If I had to pick two of the most underutilized nutrients that are vital to disease prevention, it would be EFAs (omega 3, 6, and 9 acids) and antioxidants. Together, these decrease inflammation, stress, and accumulated damage from free radicals in the body, which are underlying components of almost all illness.

For a more complete list, I particularly like the information in the following site :
http://1stholistic.com/nutrition/hol_nutr-def-symptoms.htm

If you have any of the these symptoms, try adding a variety of foods to your diet that are rich in whatever vitamin or mineral you are lacking. Alternatively, you can also try a vitamin supplement. One of the keys to altering nutrition is that it takes time (a period of weeks) to see changes. A lot of times, people don't notice a big difference right away, so it's easy to give up or think your changes aren't working. Remember, this isn't a quick fix. You have to give your cells time to recalibrate and absorb the new energy. Most importantly, nutrition is one of the best means of prevention, so don't discount the added benefit of all of the problems that you will be avoiding by eating well in the first place! Happy eating!