Are you Struggling to get through your day?

Nutrient deficiencies are the biggest culprits for feeling generally unwell. Symptoms can be simple things like regular headaches, gut pain, forgetfulness, increased heart rate, mood swings, fatigue and so much more. They are also the most understated medical problems across the world, yet so easy to correct. Our health care industry does not put anywhere near enough emphasis on the importance of supplementing for nutrient deficiencies, as they do as taking medication to ward off symptoms.

Don’t get me wrong, you don’t need to supplement unless you are in fact deficient. This too can be dangerous as you can over supplement and then you have another problem. Hypervitaminosis (too much of a nutrient) can be just as dangerous if not more so, than a deficiency.

It is a good idea to have regular blood tests to ensure you have sufficient levels of vitamins and minerals, particularly iron, Vitamin D, Calcium, and B12. These are the most common sorts of deficiencies. ‘Regular blood test’ being every 3 months.

Symptoms of these deficiencies:

Iron:

• Heart palpitations (often mistaken for anxiety, especially if someone suffers with anxiety)
• Light-headedness
• Fatigue and tiredness
• Dizziness
• Brittle nails
• Shortness of breath
• Blackness under the eyes
• Pale skin
• Cold hands and feet
• Inflammation
• Soreness in the tongue
• Unusual cravings for non-nutritive substances, such as ice, dirt or starch
• Loss of appetite

Vitamin D:

• Fatigue and tiredness
• Bone pain
• Mood changes like depression
• Muscle weakness, muscle pain, muscle cramps
• Getting sick or infections frequently
• Back pain
• Inability for wounds to heal
• Hair loss

Calcium:

• Excessive dental issues
• Muscle weakness, muscle pain, muscle cramps
• Fatigue and tiredness
• Brittle nails
• Skin problems
• Severe Premenstrual Stress and menstrual issues
• Mood swings and depression

Vitamin B12:

• Mood Swings or depression or irritability
• Yellow coloring to skin
• Loss of memory or forgetfulness
• Struggles with thought processes
• Pins and needles
• Mouth ulcers
• Soreness in tongue
• Changes in movement such as how you walk and stand

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, a simple blood test can identify any deficiencies and can be rectified simply by supplementing if required.

When you have a blood test when not feeling well, it is also a good idea to look out for things such as:

• Unusually high cholesterol where ​​your ‘Triglycerides’ are under 1.0. Cholesterol can elevate if you have nutrient deficiencies. If Triglycerides are over 1.0 then it is more likely that Cholesterol is elevated due to poor nutrition choices.
• Elevated Blood Glucose. When the body is stressed your blood glucose elevates. Deficiencies cause stress on the body. It is a rippling effect. Bring your nutrient levels back up to the safe zone and you will likely find your blood glucose also settles down.

And finally, if you suffer unexplained high blood pressure or low blood pressure, ​follow up your nutrient levels. A deficiency can also be the cause of abnormal blood pressure.

– Coach Terri