Apart from blood tests. I dont have any fears of getting blood taken or anything like that, i just not have the time to go through all the hassle. so yea...cause I think im malnourished, not really sick... :/
I proberly wouldent call it malnutrictian*spelling* because that is realy people who have been without large ammounts of food for a prolonged period of time... i think.. you proberly would more or less would have a defficency in vitamens... i think blood test is the best way of finding out but you can also found out throught other things i think... stool samples... ect...
There's not really any specific way to diagnose undernutrition other then blood tests. More then likely you have a vitamin or mineral deficiency. If you would explain to me (PM or in here) WHY you think you are malnourished i can tell you what you're lacking, how to get it easily and what else u should increase your intake of.
If you are eating a healthy diet with fruits, vegetables protien and carbohydrates in the required quantities there is no reason for you to be mal nourished. The recommended amounts vary on sex, age, and your life style but basically if you are eating 5 fruits or vegetables a day, some protien in the form of fish, meat, nuts or pulses and some carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice, potatoes)you should be good. Avoid fatty, salty or sweet foods (apart from fruits of course) and you can't really go wrong. You just need to look at what you eat to know if you are malnourished.
This is something I'm worried about too. Because aside from being freakishly skinny last time I saw my aunt (which would be easter) she told my mom that she is worried that I'm not eating enough. And I'm getting headaches and feeling tired when I really shouldn't be. I don't see my diet as unhealthy at all though. MAYBE a little too much of the good ole potater chip..but otherwise I have healthy breakfasts, lunches, and suppers. ...So symptoms I have right now? -Headaches/feeling tired easily -Getting horrible bouts of sadness from time to time... ^Would those be bad signs? Great...now I'm worried...
If you could try and summarise your diet a bit for me so i get a general idea of what u could be missing it would really help. But tiredness and headaches sounds like an iron deficiency, but that deficiency could be the result of a zinc or vitamin c deficiency. And can you tell me your weight, height and skin tone compared to the skin tone of your family?
Height...Tall.. Weight...Light...round 100 I guess? I don't know any exact measurements.. Skin tone...very white (not quite pale) Diet. Morning: Bowl of cereal and milk. Cheerios Lunch: Wrap with lettuce, chicken, cheese...Quesidia's sometimes with green pepper chicken, cheese, salsa...Soup with grilled cheese... Supper: Your usual nuclear family dinner of chicken or porkchops or liver or steak or whatever...usually meat, potatoes and some kind of vegetable. ...
Well from the sounds of it you are not especially malnourished, maybe a bit more fruit wouldn't kill you. Maybe your problem is quantities, you might be undernourished. A person of your age is still growing and needs lots of calories for this... about 2000 Tiredess, headaches and horrible bouts of sadness are unfortunately the lot of many adolescents, even more so for those who have to deal with what you have to. You could well be suffering from mild depression. If you can, try not to hide your unhappiness, let people help you when you need it (says she queen of the hiding unhappiness!) I know it is easier said than done but I am speaking from experience. (*hug*)
It is actually possible to be malnourished and be overweight, depending on what you eat. If you eat a lot (extreme amounts of) fatty and salty foods, then you'll have high levels of (bad) fats and salts, but very low levels of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. It is generally easiest to just get a blood test and go to the doctors.
Undernutrition is a lack of any of the 6 nutrients and doesn't necessarily relate to weight at all. Although being underweight is one form of undernutrition. InaRut i would say that you need more Vitamin C intially, it sounds as though you lack iron but not iron intake. Meaning it's your absorption. Vitamin C and Zinc have a large impact on the absorption of many vitamins and minerals. Maybe some larger meals, added fruit and a Vitamin C supplement could help?
The information Louise gave about daily requirements is correct. Girls need at least 2000 calories per day- boys need at least 2500 calories per day. Where many adolescents in western countries fall short is protein, calcium and vitamin D needs. Young girls often have additional shortfalls in iron (because of menstrual blood loss) and total calories (because of dieting or skipped meals). The simplest way to determine if you're getting the nutrition that your body needs is to keep a food journal for 10-14 days. There are websites that you can then use to calculate your calorie, vitamin and mineral intake. It's very simple to do.
