"One cannot think well, love well or sleep well if one has not dined well"

Virginia Woolf put it best.

and these are the 20 most common reasons why you don't always feel 100%

1: POOR DIGESTION
Chew your food properly. This increases the surface area available to enzymes that extract the nutrients. Go and see a good dentist who can give you back some back teeth !

2: HOT DRINKS and HOT SPICES
Everything in moderation. Excessive consumption can cause inflammation of digestive tract lining, drop in secretions and poor extraction of nutrients.

3: ALCOHOL
Excessive alcohol damages the liver,pancreas, and linign of the stomach and intestines. Poor absorption of nutrients is compounded by the increased requirement for B vitamins, particularly thiamine, niacin, pyridoxine, folic acid and B12. It also uses up Vit A, Vit C,and minerals zinc, magnesium and calcium. So nutrition is hit with a double whammy.

4: STRESS and EXCESSIVE EXERCISE
Chemical, physical and emotional stress increases the body's requirement for Vit B2, B5, B6 and C. As well as producing toxins and acidic metabolites, the body needs a much greater supply of raw nutrients to recover.

5: SMOKING
Smoking increases the metabolic requirement for Vit C by at least 30%. The chemicals in the cigarette smoke depress the immune system and damage tissue repair cells.

6: LAXATIVES
By hastening the transit time through the intestines, laxatives diminish absorption. The oils used in laxatives absorb fat soluble vitamins A, D ,E and K, and cause loss of potassium, sodium and magnesium.

7: FAD DIETS
Bizarre diets that miss out on food groups can produce a serious lack in the daily requirement ofessential amino acids, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids.

8: OVERCOOKING
Lengthy cooking oxidises and destroys heat susceptible vitamins B group,C and E. Boiling depletes water soluble vitamins as well as many minerals.Steaming is preferable.

9: FOOD STORAGE
Unless food is stored well, it will carry a burden of bacteria and fungus that will place an added burden on the digestive tract and the immune system.

10: CONVENIENCE FOODS
Highly refined carbohydrates, such as cane sugar, white flour, corn syrup, and bleached white rice require a lot more Vit B to process than low GI carbohydrate. These high GI foods produce severe demand on insulin production and result in poorly controlled blood glucose levels. The result is mood swings, energy swings, irritability, lethargy and sleep disorders.

11: FOOD ALLERGIES and SENSITIVITIES
Gluten and lactose are blamed for the bulk of dietary intolerance. People who are sensitized to these foods can take digestive enzymes to prevent the immune system reactions. A diet that avoids these foods can be low in thiamine, riboflavin and calcium. ( for more information see http://www.eatwellbreathewell.com.au/gluten-free-foods.php )

12: POOR CROP NUTRIENTS
Australia's soils are poor in trace minerals. Decades of intensive agriculture can deplete the soil. Crops become gradually less nutritious.

13: ANTIBIOTICS:
Antibiotics are a valuable treatment for infection but also kill of friendly bacteria in the gut which produce B group vitamins. The intestines are then open for infestation by Candida which thrives on the food the you eat.

14: ACCIDENTS and ILLNESS
Burns lead to loss of protein. Surgery and healing requires zinc, Vit E and nutrients for cell repair. Magnesium, calcium, B5 B6 and Vit C.

15: PMT and ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES
60% pf women suffering from PMT benefit from a B6 supplement to prevent the headaches, irritability, bloating, breast tenderness, lethargy and depression.The Pill decreases the absorption of folic acid and increases the need for B6, VitC, zinc and riboflavin.<

16: NOT ENOUGH WATER :
A normal sedentary adult needs at least 2 litres of water. Air-conditioning, hot weather, high altitude, low humidity, caffiene, soft drink, alcohol, medications, obesity, exercise and illness all increase the daily requirement for clean pure mineral rich water to over 3 litres a day. br>
17: LIGHT EATERS
If an average adult woman eats 7560 kilojoules a day, at this level, it is likely that she is low in thiamine, calcium and iron.

18: LACK of SUNLIGHT
Invalids, shift workers and anyone who avoids the sun can suffer from insufficient Vit D whic is required in clacium metabolism every day. Vit D is produce by the UV light contact on the skin.

19: LOW BODY RESERVES
Although the body can store some nutrients such as VIt A and E, there is a minimum daily requirement for all the other nutrients if you want your body to wrok and repair properly.

20: POOR SLEEP:
The body needs 2 hours of deep slow wave rest and recovery sleep a day. This is when the lymph cleansing system functions and when growth and repair happens. Neurotransmitters that affect normal mood and cognitive activity are produced in deep sleep.