Being a registered nurse and weighing the sufferings of poor nutrition has made me a strong advocate in educating others of the benefit of choosing a healthier lifestyle. Many of these sufferings quite possibly could have been prevented with good nutrition. Poor nutrition can contribute to fatigue, illness and increased expenses and just an overall lack of zeal for life. Just making a few tweaks to our daily lifestyle can make a world of difference to our daily quality of life.

In your quest to weigh your sufferings that may be caused by poor nutrition, look at a few of the more obvious areas that may be lacking such as fatigue, illness and expenses.

Fatigue- Are you suffering from fatigue? You would not be alone. As a matter of fact, this has been stated to be one of the most common reasons for someone to see their doctor. Of course, a lot of things could contribute to someone feeling fatigue and these should be evaluated by your physician. It is hard to not to be fatigued though with the stress of today’s world and all the things we deal with on a daily basis. Poor nutrition only makes it more difficult to cope and combat the daily stresses. Obviously, there are other areas in your life that you will need to look at when addressing possible reasons for fatigue such as your stress level, overall health and activity level to name a few. I believe laughter is also a big part. I believe it is important to laugh daily. Good nutrition, however, can increase your energy immensely as well as aid the body in fighting off illness.

Illness- Are you suffering from frequent illnesses or maybe a chronic condition? Poor nutrition makes you more susceptible to illness as well as making it more difficult to recover from illness. It can also worsen certain chronic conditions. Your body requires the proper amounts of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats, protein, amino acids and water to effectively break down foods into forms your body can use. If a deficiency exists, then certain organs or tissues of the body can become more susceptible to illness immediately and over time. There is much research into many conditions that appear to be nutrition related. Good nutrition, however, can help you to stay well and improve existing chronic conditions. Waiting until illness hits to improve nutrition can not only cause needless suffering, but also cost you more money in medical costs throughout your life.

More expense- Are you feeling like there is always more month than money? With the potential increase in illness and low energy with poor nutrition, there will always be the tendency for more medical bills and loss of work. Not to mention the cost wasted on the typical junk food. One does not have to forego all junk food to save money, however, or to be assured of getting adequate nutrition. It’s a balance. The fact is your body needs the proper nutrition to function at its highest level to help you have the most energy possible, the best health possible and optimize your hard earned money. Why not work on that balance and feel as good as you can.

Finding balance- So as you have weighed the sufferings of your possible poor nutrition, how then can you find a balance in your life? It’s a lifestyle change, really starting with your mind set. Realizing it doesn’t have to be made dreadful. You can still eat a fast food burger now and then or have a bowl of ice cream. It’s about looking at your daily intake choices on a consistent basis. Typically, some simple changes can help a lot, like decreasing fast food, eating lower fat, lower sodium and lower sugar as well as choosing baked foods over fried, increasing fruits and vegetables and of course, drinking plenty of water. If your general diet is more nutritious, then it will allow an occasional junk food item without the guilt or consequences of eating a diet generally poor in nutrition content.