The Hidden Hunger ??

Is there anything more important than proper digestion, immune function and intestinal health?

Whilst this does not sound like a fun plan to many, it can be. Once you have healthy eating and lifestyle strategies in place you can go back to letting loose a little knowing that the foundation is good.

Macronutrients, aka carbs, proteins, fats, fibre are consumed not just for energy but to provide micronutrients such as your vitamins and minerals.

If this is news to you, you may be ill because of a ‘hidden hunger’ – ie micronutrient deficiencies. This can happen because of poor food choices (too much ultra-processed food), poor digestion – sooooo many reasons! and nutrient depletion because of the drain from toxic medications (all!) including antibiotic overuse and PPIs.

Stress is another drain on nutrients – any type, physical, mental; the body cannot tell the difference.

Access to food is all too easy, so how do people present with malnutrition in this day and age?? Well, perhaps defining ‘what is food’ is a good first question. The ‘food industry’, an oxymoron IMO, spend a lot of moolah on finding the perfect combination of fat and carb to make awesome ‘mouth feel’ and other psychological tricks to keep you firmly addicted. Colourful labelling and strategic marketing ensure that you buy packaged foods which call to you from the supermarket shelf while pressuring the producers of fresh produce for ever keener pricing – which can only lead to a reduction of quality.

There is agreement widely in the natural health community that a couple of very common deficiencies or insufficiencies exist. Magnesium is probably top of the list. Magnesium is inextricably linked to energy production in the body and we surely need energy to run any organ, system, muscle or brain ?

Iodine is another micronutrient we struggle to consume enough of and it is critical for the thyroid and hormone health just for a kicker.

Vitamin D is probably in focus since the recent increase in infections and is something we are famously low in. In fact, testing on the NHS is limited as we are all to assume here in the northern hemisphere that we are automatically deficient.

Anyone with darker skin actually needs more D and should be encouraged to supplement with the inclusion of vitamin K2 to take it to the right place in the body.

There is more to do but starting with a varied, homegrown diet along with some good salt or seaweed capsules and clean water to drink is a great start !

Get cooking, even just once per week some batch cooking of stews, curries, soups and bone broth will have a beneficial impact on health. YouTube videos abound with ideas and recipes. Enjoy!