5 important signs that your body is asking for help

Have you been experiencing more stress lately? Joint pain? Decreased performance? Do you have low energy or feel tired without a clear reason? This could be a sign that your body is asking for help. Your body always sends a signal when it's out of balance and something isn't right. In this article, we'll provide 5 important signals your body may give and how to improve them.

1. Increase your protein intake

Proteins are important. Protein is an essential nutrient that provides the primary building blocks for every cell in your body. Proteins also help your body recover and build muscles after a workout and maintain (lean) muscle mass.

The amount your body needs varies from person to person, but here are a few body signals that indicate you may need more protein:

• Experiencing significant muscle soreness and slow recovery after a workout
• Feeling more fatigue after a workout
• Increased hunger and poor satiety
• Slow wound healing

2. Don't eat too much protein

While proteins are very important for your body, consuming too much protein can be a burden on your body and have a negative effect.

Enough is enough. It can put unnecessary strain on your kidneys and also leave less room in your diet for other healthy nutrients like carbohydrates and healthy fats.

Have you eaten too much protein? Even now, your body will start giving signals:

• You're extremely thirsty
• Increased hunger (an excess of protein in your diet can actually make you feel even more hungry)
• Experience flatulence (with a very unpleasant odor, as a result of the burning of excess protein)
• Skin issues (troubled skin, acne)

3. Ensure sufficient magnesium

Magnesium is also known as the stress mineral and is one of the most important minerals for your body, involved in numerous processes. Important signals of a magnesium deficiency include:

• Sleep problems and reduced sleep quality
• Fatigue, headaches, lethargy, and irritability
• Feeling cold and poor circulation

Do you have these symptoms? Listen to your body by making adjustments to your diet and potentially using an additional supplement. (Read more about the importance of magnesium here).

4. Drink more water

Your body consists largely of water. Throughout the day, you lose this water, so it's not surprising that your body frequently asks for fluids to prevent dehydration.

Especially if you regularly exercise (and therefore sweat more), it's important to keep drinking well, as even a slight lack of hydration in the body can lead to reduced performance. Good hydration prevents signals such as:

• Headaches, cramps, and joint pain
• Nausea (during exercise)
• Decreased fitness and strength
• Feeling sleepy or dizzy

Of course, these symptoms don't always mean you're dehydrated, but drinking enough water daily can prevent many of these complaints and ensure that your body performs optimally.

5. It's time for rest

Sleep and rest are essential for your body, but unfortunately, they are still often underestimated and/or ignored. Good sleep contributes to recovery, more energy, improved metabolism, and reduced cravings for sugary snacks. Body signals include:

• Reduced sleep, irregular sleep patterns, and waking up in the middle of the night.
• Difficulties with training. Poor performance, despite (what feels like) intense training.
• Increased hunger and more cravings.

If this sounds familiar, it's time to listen to your body and take more rest to recover.

And now?

You can now recognize several important signals from your body. Your body, just like you, wants to perform optimally, and it's important to listen to the signals you receive.

Maintain the right protein balance, drink enough water, sleep well, and take occasional breaks to recharge.

Not only will you feel better, but you'll also achieve better results. Your body will thank you.