When you hear the word malnutrition what does it conjure up for you? Possibly a horrific image from the third world, children in particular, in an awful state. But malnutrition is a major problem much closer to home.
The NHS estimates there to be over 3 million people in the UK who are technically suffering from malnutrition. 1 in 3 people admitted to hospital and care homes in the UK are suffering with, or at serious risk of, malnutrition.
But it doesn’t have to even be extreme for malnutrition to be damaging lives. Malnutrition is literally bad nutrition – when the body receives too few or too many nutrients – and sadly a huge proportion of the populations in the US and UK are suffering from that: grossly overweight or underweight individuals. Processed food, lack of fresh vegetables and fruit, excess sugar all lead to malnourishment ie a lack of the right balance of nutrients – a healthy balanced diet avoids it.
Whilst poverty, illness and old age can bring malnutrition on fast, poor knowledge of food, food groups and nutrition is adversely affecting millions of people.
Look at some of the key symptoms of malnutrition:
- weak muscles
- feeling tired all the time
- low mood
- an increase in illness or infections
If these are things you, or anyone close to you, are suffering from then maybe the cause is malnourishment. Of course these symptoms could relate to something else but… do you think it might be what and how much you or they are eating?
So, the quick fix? For those of us in the Western world where we DO have the option then it’s – Get back to basics. Avoid the processed food; eliminate or cut back on sugar and white bread, rice and pasta; increase fresh vegetables and fruit; include healthy protein eg turkey, eggs, tofu; includehealthy oils eg olive oil and butter. Balance is key.
This is a pretty heavy post today but this had been playing on my mind for days and so I had to follow through with it