Nutrient Robbers – Who are they?

Are you able to identify some of the nutrient robbers around you? And what can you do about it?

Needless to say that urban modern lifestyle places enormous stresses and strains on both our minds and bodies, i.e. from air pollution to unwise choices of foods, right down to our hectic lifestyle... all these work against our bodies, i.e. robbing us of vital nutrients, affecting our immune system and thought processes.

In order to cope with modern stressful hectic lives, many of us resort to using food, alcohol and other stimulants for a quick temporary fix in order to induce a false sense of "feeling better," right? But this only further depletes essential nutrients and plunges us into an emotional pendulum of guilt and pleasure.

You may want to know that when we are under stress, our body reacts by releasing a hormone called “Adrenaline.” What adrenaline does is it increases our heart rate and blood pressure, causing our muscle become tense, slows our digestion process, and when this continues, it creates a situation of what we often called “fight or flight.” For your healthcare info, coffee, alcohol and many other prescription drugs, medications and alternative medicine can cause the same.

What is going to happen if adrenaline is constantly over-produced?

The answer is general fatigue. The long term effects of this phenomenon, will rob our body of essential minerals, vitamins and nutrients such as vitamins B complex and C, manganese, zinc and chromium. The result of this is suppression on our immune system that leaves us vulnerable to colds and flu, infections, proper workings of our gastrointestinal tract, and increases the risk of infections and diseases such as cancer.

Besides stress, other nutrient robbers that we should concern include alcoholic beverages and liquor, cigarettes, coffee, caffeinated cola drinks, chocolates, and certain prescription drugs and medications.

What are the consequences if we are facing vital nutrients loss? What are their effects on our body?

In general, you will notice the following on our body:

• Slows down metabolism
• Interferes with digestion
• Higher tolerance to stimulant
• Slows down cell repair and regeneration or accelerated aging
• Decreases immune system
• An addiction to stimulants
• Inability to control blood sugar levels, resulting in irritability, depression, nervousness, fatigue, insomnia, dizziness, anxiety, headaches, palpitations and excess sweating.

Generally, if we live a fast-paced lifestyle marked by constant stress, it is important for us to eat well-balanced and healthy nutritious meals, e.g. wide variety of fruits, vegetables and grains that provide us with essential vitamins and minerals. Learn to say “NO” to junk food and processed foods that are full of fat and sugar, however tempting they are, as these foods do not provide any nutrients and can even make our body worse in the long run. However, it is no harm to pamper our body and opt for more nutritious snacks such as fresh or dried fruits, a handful of raw nuts, or a few crackers topped with peanut butter. By all means, everyone should make an effort to eat balanced meals because nutritional supplement works only as supplements!

What are the food sources of vital nutrients?

Magnesium - Soybeans, nuts, brown rice, seeds, blackstrap molasses, dark-green leafy vegetables, and sea vegetables such as kelp (the highest source).

Vitamin B - Foods rich in B Complex group of vitamins (comprises B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, B9 or folic acid) and Biotin. They are fresh green vegetables, whole grains of millet, buckwheat, rye, quinoa, corn and barley, eggs, organ meats, brown rice, dairy products, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, soybeans and lentils.

Vitamin C - Citrus fruits, kiwi fruit, berries, peppers, cauliflowers, strawberries, potatoes, blackcurrants, guavas, mangoes and papayas.

Zinc - Usually found in seafood especially oysters, sunflower seeds, legumes, mushrooms, eggs, meats, wheat germ and brewer's yeast.

Chromium - Oysters, meats, egg yolk, molasses, brewer's yeast and whole grain cereals.
Lastly, it is important for us to adopt a holistic approach to a healthy lifestyle, i.e. exercise, balanced diet, with supplementation of essential nutrients, and ample rest and recreation.


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