Are You Getting Enough Nutrients?
By Sara Butler
When you eat a healthy diet, it supplies more than just energy. A balanced and healthy diet also provides nutrients your body needs to stay healthy and for the cells in your body to work correctly. That’s why nutrient deficiencies can really wreak havoc on your body. But how do you know you’re not getting enough of the good stuff? Here are a few of the telltale signs that you may not be getting what you need from your diet.
Sign No. 1: Dry, Flaky Skin
Your skin is your body’s largest organ, and it’s a great place to look to determine just how healthy you are. In colder weather, it’s not uncommon to experience dry skin, but if your skin is also flaky then you may be lacking important nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 helps your body to maintain a lipid barrier between your skin and the rest of the world to help keep moisture in. When you’re not getting this essential nutrient, your skin will lose moisture and begin to look scaly. Heck, you might even notice more signs of aging due to the dehydration of the skin.
You can combat this by eating a diet rich in fatty fish such as salmon, flaxseed, walnuts, and chia seeds!
Sign No. 2 Wounds that Won’t Heal
You’re not a superhero, so you can’t expect cuts and scrapes to heal overnight. But if your diet is missing important nutrients, you may notice that these small wounds are taking quite a while to heal.
This is caused by not getting enough protein in your diet, which helps your body to repair and build new tissue. You need to get 20 to 30 grams of protein at every meal, and 10 or 15 grams of protein with each snack throughout the day. You can easily do this by making a few changes to your meal planning. You can have a glass of milk with dinner or have an apple with peanut butter for a snack.
Sign No. 3: Brittle Nails
If your nails seem as if they’re constantly breaking or you have hangnails frequently, then your diet may lack biotin. Biotin helps to keep your nails strong, and if you don’t get enough of it, then you end up with brittle nails.
How can you get biotin? Well, it’s easily found in eggs, whole grains, and nuts. So, boost this nutrient in your diet to make your nails as strong as, well, nails.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic.