Do You Know What Your Body Thinks of You?

It's often difficult to get a doctor's appointment if you want
to fit a quick health check into your busy routine. Fortunately,
examining your own hair, skin, teeth and nails can reveal a lot
about your general wellbeing.

Your crowning glory

Healthy hair is a sign that you have strong, healthy kidneys.
To ensure that you have strong, luxurious hair, take care of
your kidneys by:

* Drinking lots of water.
* Avoiding salt.
* Cutting out nasty foods such as coffee, refined sugar,
alcohol, dairy and fatty foods.
* Eating more onions, seaweed, salmon, beans and grains.

You can also improve the way your hair looks by increasing your
intake of the protein keratin. Hair is largely made up of this
protein, which is found in beans, seeds, grains, tofu sprouts
and fish.

Other hair-healthy vegetables, such as nori, hijiki and arame
can be added to delicious soups, salads and casseroles. Many
common vegetables, including onions, garlic, carrots and bell
peppers, are a great source of silica – another of the main
building blocks of hair.

Health information at your fingertips

Another useful indicator of overall health is the condition of
your fingernails. A healthy nail will be strong and flexible. It
should also be pink in colour and free of blemishes. If your
nails are thin and brittle, prone to splitting or pale and
transparent, this is a sure sign that something is wrong.

The health of the nails is connected to your liver, so any
problems could point to trouble with this vital organ. To
improve liver function, you should avoid alcohol, enjoy a low
fat diet, and introduce liver-purifying juices into your daily
routine. Useful ingredients include beetroot, cucumber, carrot,
apple and aloe vera.

Something to get your teeth into

The condition of your teeth and gums is another sign of
internal health. If your gums bleed easily, this is an indicator
that things could be seriously wrong.

Fortunately, it doesn't take a huge sacrifice to improve the
health of your teeth. If you increase your calcium intake,
especially through plant sources of calcium such as seaweed,
sesame seeds, figs and quinoa, this should quickly strengthen
your teeth and bones.

Drink herbal teas such as tea tree and myrrh and begin a course
of vitamin C supplements to give your teeth and gums a real
boost.

Your skin's deepest secrets

As the largest organ in the body, the skin is also a great
indicator of any imbalance in your diet and the effect this
could be having on you.

Dry skin can be caused by many things, including age, stress
levels and climate. However, nutritional deficiencies can also
cause dry and chapped skin, and you personally can do a lot to
fix this.

If you avoid red meat, alcohol, salt and refined sugar, you
should see an improvement in your skin condition after a couple
of weeks. Eating more foods rich in antioxidants, such as
berries, spinach, broccoli and romaine lettuce is also highly
beneficial.

Flax oil and evening primrose oil both promote healthy, radiant
skin. Moreover, if you take up yoga and regular meditation, this
will help naturally rejuvenate the skin, as well as improving
circulation.

It's hardly surprising that what is happening on the outside of
the body is a reflection of what is going on inside it, and it
is always useful to know what you can do to improve the general
health of your body.

About The Author: Nutritionist Gillian McKeith gives more
information on how you can get to know your body and recognise
the signs of common ailments on her website
http://www.mckeithi nteractive. com/yourfacts. aspx. This article
was written by Gordon Parkes, a copywriter with an interest in
healthy living.

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