I know when I haven’t had enough leafy greens in my diet. My pounding headache tells me so. As soon as I eat some cabbage or collards or juice a fresh green drink, my headache ceases. Though I haven’t narrowed down the exact issue I have at the time, I know that whatever these foods have in common keeps me from having a headache. In fact, many foods we eat protect us from common ailments, but if we don’t know what vitamins and minerals we lack, we may be suffering with the solution just a food away. Here are a few common issues that I have dealt with and what nutrients I found I lacked that improved my problems:

Anxiety—magnesium, manganese
Arthritis/Back pain—manganese
Colds—Protein
Exhaustion—Vitamin B12, manganese
Grey hair—copper
Hair loss—zinc

• Know what the recommended daily allowance (RDA) is for all nutrients. Ask your doctor or check a website like this one.

• Check to see if you have a deficiency. Once you know the RDAs, compare them with your intake. You may have to read food labels and keep a food diary to ascertain this.

• Strive to get the nutrients you need. Simply make an effort to eat so that you obtain the RDAs. Choose foods that have the higher amounts of nutrients you need so you aren’t overeating.

• Stand back and see the difference. Once you start giving your body what it needs, you’ll probably look and feel better and this should be enough to help you continue to make the healthy choices that you need.