Phyician, heal thyself.

[mbarrick]

Last week, in frustration that I still didn't feel wholly recovered from all the work-related stress from last year I decided to look at what might still be wrong from a biochemical point of view. I took as my point of departure that I have incessantly been craving a certain mundane food item for months on end. On the assumption that cravings are the body's way of notifying you of a shortage, I reseached the nutritional value of said mundane food item. Above all one mineral stood out. I researched the symptoms of a deficiency in this particular mineral and found a perfect laundry list of the what's been ailing me. Everything from the depression and anxiety to skin problems that I hadn't even considered as possibly related.

I seemed to be on to something so I picked up some pills to suppliment my diet (and to keep the particular deficiency in isolation - if they didn't work then I could explore other aspects of the food I was craving). It's been a week now and I am feeling remarkably better. I wish I had put two and two together ages ago, my only excuse being one of the effects of the deficiency I seem to have hit on is a lack of mental acuity.

Comments

[spider--woman.livejournal.com]

would you be ok sharing this info here? I'm curious to know what it could be, as I'm also trying to figure out why my craving has been significantly worse bordering on fanatical, LOL!

[mbarrick.livejournal.com]

Unless you happen to be craving the exact same thing I was craving for the same reason it's the process of figuring out what is amiss that matters rather than the conclusion that I came to for my specific deficiency.

I started by considering two things: 1.) What I was craving, and 2.) Changes in my diet over the last couple years.

I happen to be eating less of the food I've been craving than I used to, which was an additional tip-off. So I Googled it up and looked at what it was high in. Then I looked up other foods high in the same mineral and realised that they were all foods I have also been leaning toward and it all seemed to fit together.

If you are craving something, then look at what is special about that food over everything else you are eating. For example if you craving food "A" that is both high in "X" also a source of "Y", but eating plenty of food "B" that is also provides ample "X", then it is probably "Y" that you need. Look up other foods that provide "Y" and if you find yourself thinking, "Yeah, I'd love some of that" for the other foods you are probably on to something. Look up the symptoms of shortage of "Y" and see if they fit the way you are feeling. Also consider what's going on in your life and look into what that might be drawing out of your body. And with all that bear in mind that your diet might be deficient in more than one area and one suppliment might not be the whole answer.

[heevoling.livejournal.com]

if you don't mind elaborating, what was the deficient nutrient and what were the characteristics of your cravings (specific times of day, forms of the food, etc...)? lately i've been doing my own research into dietary modifications to see if i can reduce (and hopefully reverse) some of the damage new york has done to this body since arriving here. i swear in under 3 years i've aged 10!

[mbarrick.livejournal.com]

Take a look at my response above (http://mbarrick.livejournal.com/709337.html?thread=2519513#t2519513) for the process I went through to decide on what to try. In my case the craving was pretty much constant whenever I was at all hungry. Specifically I wanted (and continue to want) potatoes, preferably with the skin on and boiled or backed rather than as fries. I came to the conclusion that I was starving for potassium. I've been eating fewer potatoes than I used to, plus the work stress was playing havoc with the B vitamins required for metabolizing potassium.

[sebastian6.livejournal.com]

Why not share with us what specific food you were craving?

[mbarrick.livejournal.com]

Potatoes.

[bitogoth.livejournal.com]

good for you! i feel kind of stupid about my supplements sometimes, but considering my continued failure to manage a balanced diet, knowing i'm that i'm at least getting the basics helps. hope that you continue to improve dear! *hugs*

[mbarrick.livejournal.com]

The thing that is blowing me away the most is how my skin feels. OK, the primary goal was to deal with the depression and grumpiness, but the effect on my skin in just a week is bizarre. I was struggling with moisturizers and whatnot to no avail, but a week of these pills and I can feel the difference. Someone I was introduced to Saturday actually mad a fuss after shaking my hand about how soft my skin was. It's such a strange feeling to suddenly find myself starting to feel entirely healthy for the first time in over a year. My hatred for the rotten company that did this to me grows in inverse proportion as the dis-ease they caused in my fades. I am never, ever, going to let a job get to me like this again.

[seymour-glass.livejournal.com]

ever since i quit safeway six years ago i vowed the same thing...it's just not worth it...quality of life is worth more than money any day...that's why i gave up my supervisor's job...i have a friend who just went on a month's stress leave from his job...luckily with the government when you are sick because of your job you can force them to find you something else...i've been telling him to do that for a couple of years now...