The adage “You are what you eat” is essentially true. Food and water provide you with the building blocks your body needs to maintain itself, and when those building blocks are missing, a lot can go wrong. Here are several ways your diet affects your body and how to address any diet-related issues.
Heart
Your heart health impacts nearly every system in your body, and if it’s unhealthy, it won’t bode well for you. Diets high in saturated and trans fats can increase your risk of elevated cholesterol or heart attack. Obesity increases your risk of heart disease as well, particularly if you carry fat around your midsection. Fortunately, consuming polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats lessens the risk of heart attack. If you’re worried about cholesterol, the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and soy and the plant sterols in yogurt and margarine can cut down on bad LDL cholesterol.
Bladder
Your bladder probably doesn’t come to mind when you think about your well-being, but when something is off with your bladder, you’ll certainly notice it. Your diet can affect your bladder health in many ways. First, you should balance your water intake—cloudy urine may indicate dehydration, which can affect your entire body. Too much caffeine or carbonation is a typical culprit of bladder irritation, and cutting back is wise.
Nerves
Another way in which your diet may affect your body is the development neuropathy, or nerve damage that leads to numbness. Nerves use “electrical signals” (in simple term) to over every inch of your body, and their dysfunction means you may lose coordination or control over your body — typically starting with your limbs. Diabetic neuropathy is caused by chronic high blood sugar, which can result from excessive sugar intake and obesity. Vitamins B12 and B6 are also connected to neuropathy—get your recommended amount of B12 and avoid too much B6 to keep nerve damage at bay. Also be aware of how your diet could introduce toxins to your body. For example, mercury in fish can lead to nerve deterioration. If you’re already experiencing nerve damage, significant alcohol consumption can inhibit beneficial nutrients such as B12 from absorbing properly, which can cause neuropathy.
Skin
Your skin’s condition is also closely tied to what you consume. Dehydration often dries out skin and other organs, while sugar intake is thought to contribute to acne. Keep your water intake up and your sugar down. To fight against melanoma development, try incorporating more fish and leafy greens into your diet.
