A Lack of Proper Nutrition Could Be the Cause of Your Fatigue and Other Ailments

The nutrition problem in the United States grows increasingly troublesome as processed foods overtake the American diet, leaving much of the population without adequate amounts of the vitamins and nutrients they need to sustain good health.

As a family medicine practice, our team here at Lafferty Family Care, under the leadership of Dr. Scott Lafferty, wants to partner with our patients in Bentonville, Arkansas, for better health. And what you feed your body has an incredibly enormous impact on how you function.

So, if you find yourself chronically fatigued, here’s a look at why poor nutrition may be at the heart of the problem and what we can do about it.

Nutrition problems by the numbers

There have been hundreds of studies done on nutrition in the United States and most point toward a growing problem. The government itself has conducted surveys and found that a majority of our population doesn’t eat according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. To wit, the government reports that:

• Approximately three-quarters of the population falls short on vegetables, fruits, dairy, and healthy fats
• Many people eat enough grains, but aren’t getting the recommended half of them as whole grains
• While more than half of the population is getting enough (or more than enough) protein, many don’t include enough seafood and plant-based sources of protein, such as nuts, seeds, and legumes
• Most Americans eat far too much added sugar, saturated fat, and sodium
• Large percentages of the population fall short on all of the vitamins as well as several key minerals, including calcium and magnesium

If you look around our world of fast food and processed foods, these numbers may not come as a surprise. What may surprise you are the effects that these poor nutritional habits can have on your overall health and wellness.

Eating for your health

A poor diet can affect almost every area of your health, because your body isn’t get the tools it needs to function optimally. Your cells rely on the food you eat for energy, but if you’re not providing the right balance of nutrients, the impact can be widespread. For example, if you burden your cells with too much sugar but don’t eat enough vegetables, your body has to deal with the excess glucose, but doesn’t have the vitamins and minerals it needs for a variety of metabolic reactions. As a result, you can feel run down and even get sick.

While the title of this blog is about the link between poor nutrition and fatigue, the effects of an improper diet can go well beyond fatigue, leading to:

• Type 2 diabetes
• Heart disease
• Digestive disorders
• Kidney disease
• Osteoporosis

This list is by no means comprehensive, as there’s little that a poor diet can’t affect when it comes to your health and wellness.

Finding a better balance

If you find yourself chronically fatigued, instead of grabbing the nearest energy drink, why not have us perform an assessment so that we can guide you on the proper nutrition and supplements that will provide the get-up-and-go you need?

This approach to your wellness doesn’t mask your problems, it delivers results that will sustain you for a lifetime instead.

We offer critical nutritional counseling that’s tailored to your unique circumstances, and we also provide you with a supplement program that boosts your vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients in areas where you’re falling short.

If you’d like to re-energize through proper nutrition, not to mention lose weight and stay healthy, please give us a call at (479) 464-0400 or use the online scheduling tool to set up a consultation.