Physical fatigue is the loss of your body's ability to do the things which you used to do easily when you have sufficient supply of energy.  Psychological fatigue refers to your difficulty or inability to concentrate. 

A typical example of severe fatigue is your lack of enthusiasm and energy to get up from your bed early in the morning to perform your daily tasks.

Fatigue is directly associated with lack of sleep or sleep deprivation.  This condition is common among people aged 50 years and above.  Fatigue and prolonged inability to sleep are also linked to the following health risks:

1. Heart Diseases and High Blood Pressure

Coronary heart disease – it is a disease caused by an abnormality of the arteries that cause it to fail to supply blood and oxygen to the heart.

Ischaemic heart disease – it is another type of heart disease which is characterized by blocked arteries.  This can lead to the lack of supply of oxygenated blood to the heart.

Myocardial infarction – it is commonly known as heart attack.

High blood pressure – it is a cardiovascular disease which is characterized by the tightening of the blood vessels.  This condition forces your heart to pump harder, causing your blood to circulate with too much force.  This can lead to stroke, heart attack, and kidney problems.

2. Nervous Disorders

Anxiety – it is a disorder characterized by a feeling of worry and nervousness.  It is often triggered by the coming of an event with an uncertain outcome.

Depression – it is a medical condition which is caused by a persistent feeling of hopelessness, dejection and inadequacy.  It is a chronic illness that affects the way you think, feel and behave.  It is a condition that requires long-term treatment, the Mayo Clinic says.

3. Pregnancy Disorders

Fatigue has a negative impact on the health of pregnant women because it is associated with pregnancy-related conditions such as miscarriage, low birth weight and premature births.

Healthy eating and overeating are separated by a thin line that we often fail to distinguish.  There are times when the food we eat is just so tasty that we can't seem to stop even if we already have our fill.  At other times, hunger can compel us to continue to eat even if we have already eaten the required amount to sustain our body's needs.

Here are some of the known health risks of overeating:

1. It can cause weight gain or obesity.

Obesity is one of the most obvious consequences of overeating.  It is caused by the accumulation of fats and carbohydrates in the body.  It is one of the contributing factors of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and strokes.

2. It increases your risk to diabetes.

Overeating triggers the rise of insulin levels in the body.  The increased sugar level is too much for the pancreas to move glucose from the blood into the body's cells. 

The undigested sugars then move into the blood stream.  This is where diabetes starts to set in.

3. It increases you risk to cardiovascular diseases.

When you overeat, the excess foods can cause the accumulation of fats in arteries and arterial walls.  These fats can block the passage of oxygen-rich blood.  This condition often results to heart stroke. 

4. It can cause indigestion.

People who overeat are often beset with indigestion problems.  The excess foods that they eat can cause a failure of the digestive system in processing the foods naturally.  This often leads to indigestion, stomach pain or vomiting. 

The food overload in the digestive system can lead to liver problems.

5. It can cause sleep apnea.

Overeating slows down the digestion process.  This in turn hampers the body's supply of oxygen to your heart, and because of this, you will begin to develop sleep apnea.

6. It increases your risk to high blood pressure.

Excessive food intake compels your digestive system to work double time.  This can cause an increase of blood supply and this can trigger high blood pressure.

7. It can trigger hormonal imbalance which makes you prone to infertility.

The hormonal imbalance causes the male testosterone levels to go down and reduces the body's ability to produce sperms.  Aside from infertility, overeating is also known to cause impotence.

Overeating is a disorder that has many health risks.  You should stop it by planning your diet and practicing self-discipline.  Remember, everything taken in excess is poison.

Your body needs iron to make hemoglobin, the molecule that transports oxygen to all the cells in the body. 

One of the most common causes of anemia is not consuming enough iron.  But it can also be a consequence of inadequate absorption of consumed iron, pregnancy, or extreme blood loss through menstruation, internal bleeding due to ulcers and other conditions. 

Severe anemia can be fatal and it should be arrested at the earliest signs of its onset.

Early Symptoms

People who are exposed to the risk of iron deficiency include children, pregnant women, and vegetarians.  Its earliest manifestations include paleness, tiredness, low energy levels, decreased mental alertness, and reduced resistance to infection.

These symptoms are difficult to notice.  It is one of the reasons why most people cannot address them promptly.  This causes the condition to worsen. 

Advanced Symptoms

Some indications of advance stage anemia include headaches, dizziness, irritability, and appetite loss.  It can also trigger shortness of breath, rapid palpitation, chest pain, angina, and enlargement of the heart.  Aside from these, severe iron deficiency can also cause tongue swelling and a tingling feeling in the legs. 

Many people, most especially children who have advanced stage anemia develop cravings to eat non-food items like dirt and ice. 

It can delay the physical and mental development of children.

Pregnant women who are severely deficient in iron are also at risk of delivering their babies prematurely or at low birth weights.  

Word of Caution

Iron deficiency is a problem that needs action because it can negatively affect your energy levels and overall health.  If you notice any of its earliest symptoms, you need to talk to a medical professional for proper evaluation and checkup. 

Iron deficiency has plenty of serious negative consequences.  You should not neglect or ignore it to avoid complications.

But you should avoid taking iron supplements without your doctor's recommendations.  Excess iron in the system can also lead to liver damage and other health issues.

Eating is an essential aspect of our existence and survival, but eating excessively can have a negative impact on your health.  Only a few people understand the difference between healthy eating and overeating.  This makes us prone to eat in excessive quantities.  Here are some of the health risks of overeating:
 
1. It can cause excessive weight gain or obesity.

If they are not expended accordingly, your body will store the substances of the excess foods that you eat.  These will become fats that can make you gain extra weight.  If you won't control your excessive eating habits, you will deposit an extra 5 to seven pounds in a month, and this can lead to obesity.

2. It raises your risk to diabetes.

Your excessive food intake can also cause the sugar levels of your body to rise, but your pancreas won't be able to produce enough insulin to break sugar into glucose and move them from the blood into the cells.  When undigested sugar enters your bloodstream, it makes you prone to diabetes.

3. It raises your risk to cardiovascular diseases.

The excess foods that you eat are stored in your body as fats.  When these fats get into the arterial walls, it makes the heart work harder to pump sufficient amounts of oxygen-rich blood.  This can be a cause for heart attack. 

4. It can trigger indigestion.

People who overeat are prone to indigestion.  This is because the digestive system is able to process only normal amounts of food that you eat.  This is manifested by stomach pain, vomiting, or diarrhea.

5. It can cause sleep problems.

Inability to sleep and sleep apnea are two of the most common sleep-related problems that overeating brings.  Overeating causes the digestion process to work slowly.  This hampers the supply of oxygen to the heart, and this can cause sleep problems.

6. It makes you prone to infertility.

Overeating increases the amounts of fats in the body, and this can cause hormonal imbalance.  This can lead to low testosterone levels and reduced sperm production. 

7. It raises the risk of arthritis and osteoporosis.

The deposit of excess fats around the bones can cause osteoporosis because these fats block essential minerals like calcium and phosphorous to reach the bones. 

Arthritis is caused by the degeneration of the synovial fluid, whose main function is to serve as a lubricant in the joints, tendon sheaths and bursa. It can also be caused by excess fats which secrete cytokines.  These are signaling molecules that trigger inflammation.

These are some of the most common health risks of overeating.  You should maintain healthy eating habits; they will reward you with a healthy body and a healthy life.

Our bodies are designed for organic, unrefined foods.  They are our main sources of health, nutrition and energy over the ages that have come and gone. 

Processed and chemically enhanced foods came into the market for just about 100 years.  They were produced as a result of an increasing demand due to population explosion and industrialization.  But despite their ability to curb hunger, these foods carry little food value and they contain chemicals which can be hazardous to human health. 

These foods are believed to play a big role in the onset of chronic or degenerative diseases like arthritis, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other major illnesses.

Here are the six most common foods that can weaken your immune system:

1. Dairy Products

Dairy products like milk, cheese and butter can be bad for you, theherbprof.com asserts.  The site added that among the living creatures, human beings are the only species that continue to ingest milk after the weaning period. 

Cow milk is for cows and it contains nutrients which are intended to nourish young cows and not humans.  Its calcium content is not ideal for humans because it contains very little magnesium.  You can find better quality calcium from fresh orange or carrot juice.

2. Refined White Flour

This food product contains very little food value that bread made from it can't even nourish laboratory animals such as mice and guinea pigs.  This has prompted the government of America to force the bread industry to add the required amount of vitamins when they use refined white flour for baking or making bread.  

3. Polished Rice

Polished rice is another food product that has lost its nutritional value.  Rice contains about 16 essential vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.  But these nutrients are found near its coating or bran and when rice is milled and polished, these substances are removed.

Brown rice has had only its husk removed during milling, and it retains more of its fiber, vitamins and minerals to sustain your nourishment needs.  Additionally, brown rice also contains vitamin E. 

4. Refined Sugar

Refined sugar is also referred to as the "sweet poison."  It can weaken your immune system as well as the hydrochloric acid in your stomach.  This can lead to poor digestion and absorption of vitamins, minerals and protein.  These will translate to the onset of degenerative diseases.  It also speeds up the aging process.

5. Processed or Preserved Meats

Processed or preserved meats include ham, bacon, sausage, frankfurters, corned beef, etc.  These are produced with preservatives and chemicals that destroy the meat's food value and when you eat them, these chemicals enter the cells of your body. 

These meats also contain nitrates that your body converts to nitrites.  This substance oxidizes hemoglobin which is a major cause for its inability to transport oxygen to your cells.  This can give a negative impact to your immune system and increase your risk to heart diseases, arthritis, cancer and other degenerative diseases.

High-fructose corn syrup is actually similar to table sugar in chemical composition.  But the fact that it is processed is a concern to many health experts because they believe that its effect on the body can be worse than other types of sugar.

Medical science has linked sugar consumption to many health issues such as dental cavities, obesity, diabetes, and increased triglyceride levels which are related to heart attacks.  But it has not established that high-fructose corn syrup can do much worse to human health.

The American Heart Association, a U.S. organization that fosters proper heart care to reduce deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases, recommend the daily consumption of no more than 100 calories (six teaspoons) of added sugar for women and no more than 150 calories (9 teaspoons) of added sugar per day for men. 

Here are some ways to minimize consumption of high-fructose corn syrup and sugar:

1. Avoid drinking sweetened non-diet sodas.  Water is still the best drink for hydration and it can't be substituted by any other beverage.  But if you want to drink a beverage, choose the unsweetened type.

2. When choosing breakfast cereals, pick the one which do not contain sugar.

3. Minimize consumption of processed foods such as cakes, cookies and microwave meals.

4. For your snacks, you should choose fruits, vegetables, whole grain crackers, yogurt or low-fat cheese instead of sugary snack foods like cookies, pastries and candies.

We all know that sugar and many types of sweeteners are only pleasing to your taste buds but they are not beneficial to your health.  You should avoid consuming them in large amounts in order to avoid its health risks which can be fatal.

Some of the most common causes of negative self-script include:

1. Negative beliefs and negative statements you have about yourself; 

2. Negative descriptions that you receive from peers or members of your own family when you were young, which you hold on to even as you grow up;

3. Negative comments that you incorporate into your belief system;

4. Negative images you have about your body and looks;

5. Negative assessments that others have about your ability and intelligence that you believe is true of you;

6. Negative visualizations you have of your current status or state in life to your personal detriment.

7. Feelings of anger, resentment, hostility or rage you feel toward others for real or imagined mistreatment. This so immobilizes you that your emotional growth gets stunted and you feel negatively about both yourself and life in general.

Negative self-script and a negative self-image can lead a person to lose self-confidence, and it can blow up into depression, social anxiety, difficulty to concentrate, insomnia and other psychological problems. 

Negativism is not a genetic abnormality, but it can affect or influence the lives of people who surround the sufferer, like the members of his family.

Here are some of the destructive effects of negative self-script:

1. It makes you dependent on the approval of other people.

Negative self-script makes you create a need to receive positive reinforcement for what you are as a person.  Your actions and decisions are totally dependent on what other people think or say.

2. It makes you lose self-esteem.

Negative self-script can make you lose your sense of self-worth.  It makes you unable to see your real value in any endeavor.  It makes you see a misshapen image of yourself and you won't have confidence in your competency to succeed in life.

3. It makes you afraid to take risks.

By consistently talking negatively to yourself, you become fearful of taking risks.  It can result in fear of making changes because you have lost faith in your own capabilities.

4. It makes you develop negativity and pessimism.

By constantly articulating negative self-script, you will develop into a negative creature that sees a world in a negative light.  It makes you think and act like a "loser" and it makes you believe that nothing around you seems to be in a positive light.  It makes you see nothing ahead but failure and defeat.

5. It makes you prone to depression.

Your bitterness, anger, hurt and disappointment can become so stuck and constricted that it can take you into a deep sense of melancholy and loss of hope. It makes you prone to depression which could escalate into a worse physical or mental problem.

Obesity affects the health of all people around the world.  Each year, tens of thousands of people die of diseases associated with obesity.  In America alone, an estimated 300,000 people die each year due to obesity-related sicknesses, the Center for Disease Control reported.

Being conscious of your weight or body mass index is an important step towards maintaining your health and increasing your longevity.  It does not only involve keeping your weight normal by controlling your diet and engaging in physical exercises; it also entails knowledge of the consequences should you fail to keep your weight within normal.

Here are some of the health risks of obesity:

1.  Heart Diseases

An overweight person is exposed to an increased risk of heart attacks and cardiovascular diseases.  The excess fat in the body also raises a person's chances of getting high blood pressure and decreases his level of good cholesterol.

2. Stroke

Obesity is associated with high cholesterol and lack of physical activity.  This can lead to the formation of plaques in the arterial walls which can narrow the arteries and trigger high blood pressure.  Atherosclerosis or the narrowing or the arteries is a precondition to many cases of strokes.

3. Type 2 Diabetes

According to the Mayo clinic, persons who are 11 to 18 pounds overweight are twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes as persons whose weights are within normal.  It further stated that more than 80 percent of people who have type 2 diabetes are obese.

4. Cancer

Obesity is also associated with the increased risk of cancer, including cancer of the uterus, cancer of the kidney, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and post menopausal breast cancer. 

5. Fatty Liver Disease

Obesity can trigger insulin resistance which can lead to fatty liver disease.  Insulin resistance is a metabolic disorder which causes the cells to become insensitive to insulin.

6. Gallbladder Disease

Obese people are three times more prone to develop gallstones than people with normal body mass index.

7. Breathing Problems

Obesity is associated with cases of obstructive sleep apnea, asthma, severe bronchitis, respiratory insufficiency and hypoventilation syndrome.

8. Arthritis

Joint pains, osteoarthritis and musculoskeletal disorders are among the negative consequences of obesity.  Recent studies show that most people who have osteoarthritis are overweight. 

9. Pregnancy Related Problems

Obesity can have a negative effect on the health of expectant mothers and their babies both during pregnancy and after childbirth.  Pregnant women who are obese are ten time more likely to develop high blood pressure than non-obese women.  This is one of the leading causes of deaths of both baby and mother. 

These are some of the health risks of obesity.  You should reduce or shed off excess weight to reduce your chance of developing diseases related to it.

But there are people who overdo their health moves by taking too much vitamin supplements, thinking that it is not associated with any health risks.

Your body needs vitamin supplements or multivitamins for optimum health, that's for sure.  But there's a risk of vitamin overdose if you take them excessively and without regard to prescribed amounts.  They can even result in negative consequences to your health. 

Here's a list of vitamins that can be harmful when taken in excessive quantities.   

1. Vitamin A

Main Function: This vitamin works main to maintain eye health.  It also works to improve vision and keep your skin, hair, bones and teeth healthy. 

Required Daily Intake: 5,000 IU

Symptoms of Overdose: Symptoms of vitamin A overdose include Vision impairment, fatigue, diarrhea, hair loss, menstruation problems and liver problems.

2. Vitamin B6 also known as Pyridoxin

Main Function:  The primary function of vitamin B6 is the production of red blood cells.  It also aids in the body's metabolic process and keep your blood in good health.

Required Daily Intake: 2 milligrams

Symptoms of Overdose: Depression, general fatigue, loss of sensation in the hands and feet, headaches.

3. Vitamin C

Main Function: To maintain the health of the immune system, cleanse the body from free radicals, prevent cancer and produce collagen.

Required Daily Intake: 60 milligrams

Symptoms of Overdose: Headache, hot flashes, general fatigue and insomnia.

4. Calcium

Main Function: To maintain bone health and to help the body producing hormones and to maintain the body's enzyme interaction.

Required Daily Intake: 1,000 milligrams

Symptoms of Overdose: General fatigue, kidney stones, slow nerve functions.

4. Vitamin D

Main Function: To maintain bone strength and oral health, aids in the body's efficient absorption of calcium.

Required Daily Intake: 400 IU

Symptoms of Overdose: General weakness, nausea, high blood pressure, headaches, hearing problems and increased cholesterol levels.

5. Vitamin E

Main Function: Promote the health of red blood cells, aids in the body's metabolic processes, promotes skin health.

Required Daily Intake: 30 IU

Overdose Symptoms: Extreme fatigue, high blood pressure, increased blood clots, slow healing process.

6. Iron

Main Function: Helps in the body's metabolic processes, promotes the body's production of neuro transmitters, helps in promoting healthy blood.

Required Daily Intake:   men: 8 Milligrams
                       women: 18 milligrams

Symptoms of Overdose: Heart problems, liver damage, constipation, complications in the pancreas.

7. Vitamin B3 also known as Niacin

Main Function: Promotes the health of the digestive system and nerve system and the skin, helps to provide the body with energy.

Required Daily Intake:   men: 16 milligrams
                       women: 14 milligrams

Symptoms of Overdose: Gout, liver problems, high blood sugar, irregular heartbeats.

8. Selenium

Main Function: Promotes thyroid health and proper hormone production and functioning.

Required Daily Intake: 150 micrograms

Symptoms of Overdose: Weakness, nausea, loss of fingernails and toenails.

9. Zinc

Main Function: Promotes health of the immune system and normal activity of enzymes, helps in the normal physical development and facilitates healing of the body from injuries.

Required Daily Intake:   men: 11 milligrams
                       women: 8 milligrams

Symptoms of Overdose: Loss of muscle control, abnormal shaking of hands, speech problems.

In this section, we will unravel the facts that surround two of the most self-destructing consequences of low self-esteem, distorted body image and insecurity.

Distorted Body Image

Body image is refers to a person's subjective perception of his physical appearance and his emotional responses to those perceptions.

A person with a distorted body image has a false perception of himself.  He often sees himself as having plenty of physical defects.

Distorted body image is common in people who are suffering from anorexia and eating disorders.  All of these emotional or behavioral responses are closely associated with low self-esteem. 

Persons with high self-esteem see themselves as attractive because of the positive image that they have developed. 

Your self-esteem and how you perceive your physical appearance are closely knitted to each other.  If you have low self-esteem, you will most likely develop a poor self-image and your negative perception of yourself increases as your fear of becoming unworthy of love and acceptance escalates. 

How to Overcome Distorted Body Image

You really need to develop a healthy self-esteem in order to get past this bent outlook of your body.  You need to understand that flaws and imperfections are part of being a human being.  You should love and accept yourself and be thankful for what you have.

Here are some tips that can help you to overcome distorted body image:

1. Understand that nobody is perfect.

Perfectionism is another side effect of low self-esteem.  You should accept imperfection as a normal part of being human.  Don't be too concerned of other people's opinion about you; they too are imperfect.

2. Stop being negative about yourself.

Thinking negative thoughts and talking negative things about yourself is an indication of poor self-image.  You should be consciously aware of your thoughts and what you're saying about yourself to other people.  If they're negative, stop it right there for nothing good can come from it.

3. Develop a good body image by focusing on the good.

You should develop the habit of regularly taking notice of the things that you like about your body.  This won't fail to make you feel good about yourself.

4. Set realistic goals.

Doing something to help you improve your body, like toning your muscles is good for you, as long as they are attainable.  Becoming proactive is a sign that your self esteem is getting better.

5. Get help if necessary.

You should know when to get help.  Being constantly down on your self-image can be a sign of Body Dysmorphic Disorder.  You will be able to deal with it better with a counselor.

Insecurity

Insecurity is related to lack of self confidence in a lot of ways.  It is a state of mind that makes a person feel and think that he is vulnerable, threatened and lacking in protection.  It is also associated with the feeling of incompetence and helplessness.

The most common causes of insecurity are lack of self confidence, fear of rejection, shyness and an intense desire to be accepted and appreciated.

Overcoming Insecurity

1. To overcome insecurity, the first think you need to do is to be aware that you are feeling it and ask yourself why you are feeling that way.  It will help you to identify the problem.

2. Once you have identified the problem, you need to address it by focusing on your strengths, improving your self-image and stopping your feeling of unworthiness.  If your problem involves skills, you need to improve it to make you feel more secure and confident.

3. Through positive inner talk, reassure yourself that you are not unworthy.  Stop being a perfectionist and learn to accept that failure is a normal part of life.

4. Learn to be assertive of your needs.  This will help to make you overcome shyness.