14 DAY TRIAL // Whether we’re dieting to lose weight or not, suffering from the effects of a bad diet can happen to any of us. This is why it is imperious that we learn to read the signs and, if this truly proves to be the case, change whatever needs to be changed to eliminate the causing factors, nutritionists say for Shape magazine.
Cravings, uncontrollable hunger, depression and fatigue can be just some of the symptoms normally associated with poor nutrition. Since there are no tests to determine that our diet rates the lowest on a scale from 1 to 10, or, come to think of it, to tie these four symptoms together, it’s up to us to make the necessary connections. In this sense, Shape magazine is offering a possible explanation for each symptom, as well as healthy food options that can make it go away.
For instance, fatigue can be caused by “a low-carbohydrate weight-loss diet. Skimping on carbs, the body’s prime source of immediate fuel, may leave you physically tired and mentally sluggish. Not getting enough iron or water also may cause fatigue.”
Feeling bummed out or downright depressed could be blamed on a lack of omega-3 fats or B vitamins (folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12). The solution to this is to eat three weekly meals of fish and plenty of bananas, whole grains and vegetables, and we should feel as good as new in almost no time, the same magazine informs us.
Women with poor nutrition, it also adds, can also suffer from exacerbated PMS symptoms. Mostly, this happens because of low calcium or magnesium, or too much sugar, which can lead to symptoms like moodiness, headaches, uncontrollable cravings and anxiety. The solution in this case is, of course, to cut back on the sweets and indulge instead in calcium-laden foods, like milk, yogurt and soy products.
The constant feeling of hunger can be caused either by a too restrictive fad diet, or by ingesting too many empty calories, such as those included in sweets and junk food. Binging and craving are, according to the same source, rooted in restrictive diets and skipping meals and/or replacing them with sweet or fatty junk foods. Cravings, Shape tells, can also be caused by too much caffeine or alcohol. Last but not least, mental fogginess could be a cause of skipping breakfast (the most important meal of the day), or a lack of vitamin E and antioxidants.
The signs of a bad diet are right here, staring us in the face, Shape concludes by saying. If we just learn to read them properly, then there should be virtually nothing stopping us from making the change that will truly make our life better.