Listen to your Body- Signs & Symptoms

This month’s blog posts are all about what your body is trying to tell you through the symptoms that it manifests. These can range from trivial to downright distressing. Either way it’s worth paying attention to them. Often a few tweaks to the diet, lifestyle and supplement programme can make all the difference.

Here we’ll look at what those signs and symptoms around the body are telling you about your nutrient status and overall state of health.

Hair

Dry Hair – maybe lack of essential fats (EFAs) or overuse of products or heated styling gadgets.

Prematurely greying hair – maybe vitamin B5, biotin or folic acid deficiencies. Stress is often an issue. May also indicate thyroid problems.

Hair Loss – maybe B vitamin deficiencies, EFA deficiencies, environmental toxicity or thyroid problems. 

Dandruff or flaky scalp – maybe lack of EFAs, selenium, B vitamins, low stomach acid, yeast overgrowth.

Poor hair condition – maybe low biotin or B12. Sometimes hormonal imbalances or thyroid problems. 

Nails

Spoon Shaped Nails – iron deficiency.

Ridges – mineral deficiencies often due to poor absorption or poor diet. Maybe due to low stomach acid.

Hang Nails – often zinc deficiency.

Skin

Dry Skin – deficiencies in EFAs, vitamin A or E. 

Pimples on top of arms – deficiencies in vitamin A, E, EFAs. Maybe malabsorption of nutrients possibly due to imbalanced but bacteria or low stomach acid or digestive enzymes.

Slow Wound Healing – deficiencies in zinc, vitamins A, C or E. Possible sign of diabetes.

Easy Bruising – deficiencies in vitamins C, E, K or bioflavanoids. Maybe due to long term use of aspirin or ibuprofen. Aging also makes bruising more likely. 

Skin Tags – glucose intolerance or insulin resistance.

Acne – deficiencies in zinc, vitamin A or EFAs. Decreased stomach acid and over consumption of trans fats or sugar. Maybe hormonal imbalances or dysbiosis of the gut microbiome.

Mouth

Tooth Decay – deficiencies in calcium, magnesium, boron, vitamin D3, K2 or B6. 

Bleeding Gums – deficiencies in vitamin C or bioflavanoids. 

Cracks at Corners of Mouth – B vitamin deficiencies.

Ears 

Excess Ear Wax – lack of EFAs. Avoid dairy, processed fats and saturated fats.

Before making any changes to your diet or lifestyle it may be advisable to get checked out by a medical practitioner. The information here is not designed to replace medical advice.