hello everybody,

im new here. My question for now is the following:

i have the following symptoms:

hunger after 3.5 hours of meal, unable to eat much compared with peers during meals, hypersomnia, difficulty waking up in morning, weak focus/ easily distracted.

Could all this be caused by a nutritional imbalance? I probably definately dont get enough fruits and vegetables.

Just started taking flax pills.

Any Advice?

B Redmond.

Hello!
I'm definatly not an expert on nutrition but I can try to give some advice.

First of all I wouldn't compare how much you are able to eat to your peers. People in general usualy eat too much and the portion sizes people have become used to are sometimes double the size of an actual serving. Just eat until your full. And if your hungry 3 1/2 hours later then eat again. Have a healthy snack ( fruit, raw veggies, whole wheat crackers with hummus, air popped popcorn....)

Also you say you don't get enought fruits and veggies. Eat more fruits and veggies! This will certainly make a huge difference in how you feel. You will notice increased energy and be able to focus better if your body is getting what it needs to thrive.

If you aren't taking a multi vitamin I would suggest starting. This will help support your new healthy diet and fill in the gaps if you still missing something.

Good luck to you. I hope you start to feel better soon.

~ Aileen

hi b redmond, not eating enough fruit/veggies may be the main reason why you feel hungry so shortly after meals because you are probably only eating "empty calories". fruit/veggies are great in providing bulk and fiber (in addition to their wonderful vitamins/antioxidants) which make you feel full!

just curious, why are you taking flax pills?

they say that the omega 3s from the flax pills are good for the brain, especially for people like myself who have been diagnosed with ADD.

Hi, I think if you start a healthier eating routine you will feel a lot better. Of course exercise will help as well. You already found one flaw(not eating enough fruits and veggies). Fruits and veggies contain vital nutrients and antioxidant properties that are important for your health. If you have a problem getting them in, i would suggest making a smoothie at home. I buy big bags of frozen fruit for my smoothies. Fruit and veggies are very easy to grab to take to work and school. Try to limit your refined sugar intake. In the afternoon, I often crash if I eat something "not so healthy" Beaware of the ingridents list and pick the least processed foods when shopping. Stick to whole grains of course which is also loaded with fiber. I would start like a mini journal to see what you are lacking when it comes to foods. Also, are you sure your eating less than your friends, or are they eating too much? Try for a couple days to see how many calories you are consuming. This will help you see if you are really undereating. Undereating will slow your body down and make it hard to concentrate. Its ok if your hungry 3.5 hours after eating. Eating small meals is a great thing. Just remember its always recommended that you get your requiremnts from food. If you are struggling, I would do some research on some good supplements. Fish is also great for your brain! There are just so many foods out there that will make you feel better. Try to fix your diet into a healthy routine and exercise, if that doesn't work: i would speak to a registered dietitan along with a doctor.

Hi B Redmon, not sure about your gender but thought to draw your attention to Gloria's article Omega 3 - Fish or Plant if you are a gentleman

WOW!!! I had no idea. i definately dont want that. After i finish this bottle, i will turn to Fish oils suppliments...

But what if i want to be a vegan?

Nice discussion here too!

For vegan gentlemen, the best option would be eating the actual seeds/ nuts such as ground flax seeds and walnuts until more is unknown

http://sciam.com/article.cfm?alias=flaxsee...;modsrc=reuters

now they are saying that flaxseed CURES prostate cancer

Hi Breadmond812,
In your opening statement you said you "probably definitely did not get enough fruit or vegetables", so becoming a vegan would be a huge leap I think and a huge learning curve, for a start you really need to know quite a bit about food and complementary blending of proteins ( amino acids) to make sure you don't become deficient in something important, and finish up with a bulging stomach like the African kids you frequently see on T.V., or suffer pernicious anemia from a deficiency of cyanacobalamin (B12).
Returning to Flax seed oil, you have to depend a fair bit on the integrity of the company doing the extraction process or you may not have very much of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) anyway, its highly unstable and has to be extracted under a cold vacuum process and stored in a dark container, even then dissipation rate is high and lifespan is only about 6 weeks when stored in a refrigerator, from memory.
When you are trying to offset hunger adding a small amount of protein to each meal is the best way to guarantee success for it is protein and exercise (increased body temperature) that regulates satiety not carbohydrates.
Best of luck
John Bobbin BNat

I can't give you that much advise but I can say that probably you need to change your habit...eat nutritious foods...drink right amount of water and eat fruits too...have a proper exercise...be healthy...anyway, sometimes out illness is just psychological...