THE ALTERNATIVE TO...FEELING SLUGGISH

I often have people telling me they’re feeling below par. Not that there is anything actually wrong – they’re not ill – they are simply not well either. There can be a range of symptoms, such as low energy levels, poor sleep patterns, lackluster hair and skin, mouth ulcers, sluggish digestion, low immune system, irritability and many more.

All these symptoms can be caused by a lack of vitamins and minerals in the diet. In fact, tests have shown that the ‘average’ person has 28 symptoms associated with deficiency, dropping to an average of four after six months of supplementation to their diet.

That’s quite scary, isn’t it? I mean, we all think so long as we eat a well-balanced diet we should get all the vitamins we need from our food, but this is actually the greatest lie in nutrition today. Food is no longer what it used to be. Modern farming robs the soil of nutrients, and fruit and vegetables are only as good as the soil they are grown in. Manufacturers then rob the food of vitamins, and don’t even get me started on the transportation of unripe food around the globe, to be ripened in storage sheds and sold to us in the supermarkets months later! I don’t know about well-balanced, but our food is certainly well-travelled…

The easiest way to make sure you get all your bases covered, is to take a good quality multi vitamin and mineral supplement, and unless you eat oily fish at least three times a week I would also take an essential oil supplement every day. This would be good for brain power, dry skin, PMT symptoms, high blood pressure and the immune system, as well as being a good anti inflammatory so therefore great for arthritis sufferers.

The only thing left then, is your digestive system. Inappropriate diet, incomplete breakdown of food or taking antibiotics can lead to the proliferation of bad bacteria in the intestines and the symptoms you may experience include candida, bloating, flatulence and allergic reactions. Taking an acidophilus (or ‘probiotic’) supplement can help to balance this delicate balance of bacteria in your gut, by increasing the amount of good bacteria.

At the moment we have a really good special offer from Quest Vitamins at Elixirhealth.co.uk, which consists of a months’ supply each of multivitamins and minerals, omega 3 & 6 oil, and acidophilus, saving £5 when you buy these together - all packed in a neat little travel bag. There is limited supply of these, so don’t leave it too long if you want to take advantage this great offer!

By Randi Henderson
Elixir Health Foods