5 Signs of Health Your Should Pay Attention To
There are many signs that point to good health. The common vital signs include blood pressure, temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate. Other important signs that come to mind are blood labs results like glucose, lipid, hormone levels, nutrient levels (iron, B12, D), inflammatory markers, red and white blood cells, etc. Have you ever gotten a “normal” lab result back and still felt like something is off? Although labs can give amazing info on how different aspects of your physiology are functioning, people are not numbers.
There is so much we can know about our health just by tuning and observing the five things I’ll cover today. These are signs I look for and ask Every. Single. Client I have the pleasure of working with. But even if you are not working with me, learning to bring awareness to these signs can give YOU the information you need so that you feel empowered to take of your body in the way that you see fit. Some of these things may seem obvious or maybe you are already paying attention to them. If so, go you! But I get you if you feel like the days just go by in a blur and you can’t even remember how your signs were a week ago. This is an opportunity to reconnect with your body and mind.
I want to share this topic with you today because I truly believe that health is so tied to awareness and education. I know that many people think because what they’re going through is common that means it is normal, or that they just need to tolerate their pain and discomfort.
You do not need to tolerate unhealth!
Here are five signs you can bring awareness to today without needles, machines, or even a doctor.
1. Energy Level
2. Sleep Quality
3. Bowel Movement Frequency and Quality
4. Skin Health
5. Menstrual Cycle (for females)
Let’s get into it.
1. Energy Level
Your energy levels can key you into many factors of health. If you have trouble waking up, experience afternoon energy crashes, experience chronic fatigue, or rely on caffeine for energy, these are all signs of something deeper. Ideally, you wake up without too much difficulty in the morning, have consistent natural energy and a clear mind throughout the day without needing caffeine, and get tired at the end of the day without needing sleep aids. If this is not your experience, that is okay! Time to just pay attention.
Root causes of low energy may include undereating, blood sugar imbalance, hormone imbalance, nutrient deficiencies, chronic stress, and poor sleep quality.
How to support your energy levels today:
Eat balanced means regularly (Protein + healthy fat + carbs with fiber every 3-4 hours)
Prioritize sleep (more on this next)
Be mindful of caffeine intake. Avoid drinking after 12pm and try taking days off caffeine to boost natural energy.
2. Sleep Quality
Can you relate?: difficulty falling asleep, waking up during the night, trouble waking up in the morning, or having sleepless nights.
Most people need 7-9 hours of sleep. Ideally, this looks like feeling rested in the morning and not having much difficulty falling asleep at night.
If you experience poor sleep, this may be your body’s way of signaling blood sugar imbalance, poor sleep hygiene, chronic stress, or hormone imbalance.
How to support your sleep quality today:
Be mindful of your last meal. High sugar content or alcohol may lead to a blood sugar drop, waking you up in the middle of the night.
Optimize your circadian rhythm by avoiding blue light before bed and getting sunlight on your face in the morning.
Incorporate practices to help you wind down at night like drinking calming tea, reading, turning the lights low, and getting ready for bed earlier.
3. Bowel Movement (BM) Frequency and Quality
I don’t want you to feel weird that we’re talking about poop. Just like eyes are said to be the windows to our souls, poop is a window to our health. Let’s normalize poop talk!
Healthy BM’s mean you are going 1-3 times a day, it looks well-formed (like a banana), and you can go with ease.
Poor quality BM can look and feel a variety of ways including pebbly, dry, thin and stringy, pale, green, red, have undigested food, feel painful, difficult to pass, loose, etc.
What is your poop trying to tell you? Could be a number of things such as underhydration, food sensitivities, imbalanced gut microbiome, lack of fiber, stress, anxiety, excess refined carbs and sugar, excess alcohol, liver needs, fat malabsorption, stomach acid imbalance, bacterial overgrowth, infection, etc.
When it comes to poop probs it’s harder to give simple recommendations because everyone will need different types of support. But here are some foundational things to consider:
Make sure you are hydrating enough. Half your weight in oz of water is a good baseline. (i.e. 120lb person should drink at least 60oz of water a day).
Eat 25-35g of fiber a day from a variety of sources. If your symptoms get worse with fiber, that’s something to take note of.
Practice mindful meal practices. Our bodies digest the best in a relaxed, parasympathetic state. Chew your food, sit down at a table (not at your desk), and eat with loved ones. I’m talking to myself with this one too!
4. Skin Health
Do you struggle with dry or oily skin, acne, breakouts, redness, puffy face, eczema, dry patches, scaly skin, itchiness, hives, or any other skin issues?
Skin issues are typically signs we are more aware of but are not always able to connect to the root causes of what’s going on. Although taking care of the skin barrier with products can make a huge difference in skin quality, it doesn’t always get to what is going on inside.
The root causes of skin issues could be connected to hormone imbalance, food sensitivities, histamine intolerance, gut imbalance, infection, liver congestion, underhydration, nutrient deficiencies, etc.
Here is a good place to start to give your skin some love:
Stay hydrated (see recommend amount above)
Eat healthy fats such as salmon, olive oil, avocado, and nuts/seeds.
Eat food rich in fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) such as leafy greens, eggs, organ meats, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, and broccoli.
5. Menstrual cycle
Last, but certainly not least: The cycle. This is a BIG one ladies.
If you are struggling with your cycles or periods, you do not have to live this way. It may be common to experience difficulty with your cycle, but it is not normal or healthy. Unfortunately, most of us were not given the education on how a female body works when we were teenagers which may have led to tolerating discomfort or pain or band-aiding the issue with medication.
Listen up if you can relate to any of the following: PMS like headaches, breast tenderness, mood swings, cravings, breakouts, bloating, and heavy cramping, heavy periods, irregular or missing periods, midcycle spotting, intense cramping, missing or delayed ovulation, etc.
A healthy cycle ranges from around 24-35 days in length (29 day average), ovulation occurring between day 10-23 (day 15 average), with no PMS or intense cramping. It is important to note that if you use hormonal birth control you do not have an actual period or ovulation and it may be difficult to tell what your menstrual cycle health looks like.
Underlying causes of menstrual cycle issues include undereating, over-exercising, chronic stress, nutrient deficiencies, insulin resistance, thyroid imbalance, estrogen dominance, etc.
How to support your cycle today:
Track your cycles to bring awareness. Take note of when you are getting your period, what symptoms you experience, and when. There are many apps out there for this or you can track manually.
Be mindful of overexercising and undereating. Although movement is a very healthy practice, it can also be a stressor. Make sure you are fueling before and after workouts, prioritize walking, resistance, and strength-based workouts over cardio, and take days off as much as you need.
If you are using hormonal birth control, tune in to if it is working for you. If it is, great! Many women don’t feel great using the pill for a variety of reasons. If this is you, consider getting additional support. There are many optional for birth control beyond using hormones. Read this article for more info on contraceptive options.
If you made it this far, I am so proud of you. I love that you’re taking steps to learn more about your body and the ways it talks to you! I would love to hear from you if you found this helpful, have questions, or want additional support.
