7 Hidden Things That May Affect Your Weight, Mood, and Sleep

Everyone experienced stress and anxiety. But if these conditions are unmanaged, they can affect your digestion, weaken your immune system, and even lead to weight gain. While most people blame stress and anxiety for health problems, there are other hidden factors that may ruin your life and health. Even a lack of at least one nutrient can make you fatigued, overweight, depressed, and weak. Find out seven unobvious factors that may affect your health.

1. Dehydration

Up to 60 percent of your body is water. This is an essential part of your health. Lack of water in your body can cause dry skin, fatigue, and even headaches.

Dehydration may seem easy to eliminate, you simply need to drink more water. This rule will help most people but there are cases when women drink a lot of water but they are still thirsty and dehydrated.

The best method to eliminate this problem is to take a supplement with electrolytes. Women with PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) need to first deal with insulin resistance (even in the absence of diabetes or pre-diabetes) or take care of cortisol or adrenal imbalance.

2. Blood sugar spikes

If you’re constantly hungry, irritable, and have difficulty falling asleep, you might have blood sugar spikes. This may be provoked by improper diet and constant stress. You’ll have sleep problems and mood swings until you get normal blood sugar levels and get rid of stress.

3. Magnesium deficiency

Magnesium is needed for keeping energy, boosting our moods, providing bone and brain health, and helping us fall asleep. Since magnesium is essential for hormonal balance, doctors use it in thyroid dysfunction treatment.

Recommended levels of magnesium levels in your blood are 2.0 to 2.5 mg/dL. A blood test is easily available from your primary care doctor on standard blood chemistry panels. If your magnesium levels are low, this may be the cause of your mood swings and sleep problems. You can get this mineral from avocados, nuts, and spinach.

4. Zinc deficiency

Zinc provides overall hormonal balance, beautiful skin, and a healthy immune system. Recommended daily intake of zinc is only eight mg per day but women especially those who have zinc deficiency can take 30 mg per day. You can take some multivitamins that include 30 mg of zinc or eat more eggs, grass-fed beef, cashews, mushrooms, and oysters.

5. Essential fatty acids

Essential fatty acids help us boost the immune system, reduce any type of inflammation, and regulate hormones that are responsible for mood, sleep, and energy. But beware of oxidized fatty acids that can provoke inflammation and oxidative stress. They are often found in cheap fish oil.

6. Selenium deficiency

Selenium is an important nutrient that keeps our immune system healthy and participates in thyroid hormone activation. The recommended daily intake of selenium is no more than 200 mcg. Two or three brazil nuts per day will provide you with this 200 mcg dose. But don’t overdo it, excess selenium is harmful to your health.

7. Inflammation

Inflammation always causes hormone imbalance which may be the true cause of your mood swings, poor sleep, and unexplained weight gain. Any uncontrolled chronic condition can be exacerbated and this provokes chronic inflammation which in turn will definitely lead to hormonal imbalance. If you suspect inflammation, you can conduct blood tests on blood chemistry panels and inflammatory markers.