Read the signs
Learn how to decipher the wellbeing and weight loss clues your body is giving you
Looking at yourself in the mirror, your body can give you outward signs to the state of our inner health, from how easy we find losing weight to the state of our hair your appearance constantly give you clues.
Here are a few of the main health signs to watch out for.
Infrequent bowel movements
Healthy and regular bowl movements go hand in hand with a flatter tummy and stable body weight, going every day helps to eliminate toxins and prevent inflammation from spreading from your digestive system to the rest of your body.
The Link to weight loss
If you are having problems going to the loo, you may want to look at what you are putting on your plate. refined processed foods such as biscuits or ready meals are harder for your body to eliminate, which means you feel heavy and bloated, where as eating a higher proportion of vegetables, nuts seeds and fibrous foods like brown rice and oats are easier to digest and will leave you more energised and bloat-free.
Falling tresses
It is totally normal to have some hair loss we tend to lose between 50- 100 strands of hair a day, but if you’ve noticed that you are losing more, it could be a sign of something else. It can be caused by stress and at other time a deficiency in nutrients such as protein. Hair is made from protein so nourishing your hair with more of this nutrient can help strengthen and protect the strands. Signs you be lacking in protein include poor hair growth and dry weak and brittle locks.
The Link to weight loss
Protein is an essential weight loss nutrient, Studies show that it helps to increase the metabolism, increased satiety and improves calorie expenditure.
This means increasing you protein could super charge your weight loss, ain to eat a protein of lean meat protein at each meal, maybe even a tablespoon of raw nuts or seeds on your porridge, a baked sweet potato filled with tuna and a chicken breast with roasted vegetables for dinner.
Spotty Skin
Spots or acne flare ups could indicate a hormonal issue such as an imbalance in oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone which cause the oil-producing glands next to the hair follicles in the skin to become over active producing extra sebum (oil) which causes inflammation. The skin is our largest organ and a blotchy complexion could be assign that it is crying out for help.
Research shows that zinc can help to treat acne with some studies showing an over 50% improvement when sufferers took 200mg zinc orally daily.
The Link to weight loss
Long with keeping your complexion glowing, adequate levels of zinc are implicated in weight loss. It is thought zinc helps to regulate levels of the satiety hormone Leptin which means you are less likely to overeat if your levels are balanced, It also prompts your body to get rid of excess fat. Good sources of zinc are shellfish, pumpkin seeds and red meat.
Poor Immunity
If you feel constantly vulnerable to colds and flu regardless of the time of year, your immunity system could do with a helping hand to strengthen your body’s defence system. Low immunity can be cause by anything from pollution, poor sleep and a nutrient deficient diet which will impair the functioning of important helpers like B and T cells
The Link to weight loss
In addition to protecting yourself from the sniffles improving you immune system can help boost your weight loss results. Vitamin C is crucial in help fend off illness whilst spurring on weight loss. Evidence does show and adequate intake of vitamin C helps to bur 30% more fat during exercise. Vitamin C is not only found in citrus fruits leafy green vegetables, peppers kiwi fruit and strawberries are all excellent sources of this vitamin and help you get towards the recommended daily amount of 40mg.
Pale Skin
Pale skin coupled with weakness, fatigue and brittle nails could be signs or iron deficiency. Iron is an important trace mineral which helps the body manufacture red blood cells which carry oxygen around the body. When iron levels are low you are at risk of iron deficiency anaemia, a condition which can be identified with a simple blood test at your GP’s. Thankfully loading up on iron rich foods can help to even out your levels. Iron- rich foods include red meat, leafy greens such as cabbage and kale. Take your iron rich foods with a source of vitamin c, together makes it easier for the body to absorb the iron.
The Link to weight loss
Increasing your intake of iron-rich foods could help to fight any fatigue that could encourage and energy-induced cravings for sweet foods. If your body is deprived of oxygen you could start feeling tired and lacking in energy meaning you reach for the chocolate bar or a piece of cake in order to give you an energy hit. The problem is this is normally short lived and causes peaks and troughs in your blood sugar which are associated with weight gain. Reach for the iron reach foods to help even out these peaks.