Tired of Always Being Tired?, By: Lisa Van den Berg

Do you often complain of one or more of the following ailments?

-I feel tired all the time
-I have no energy or stamina
-I can't concentrate and my memory is shot
-I've always got a cold or sore throat
-How come I'm developing allergies?
-I ache all over
-I can't seem to eat what I used to, without suffering painful indigestion

How does this affect your quality of life? Must make it pretty miserable to get up in the morning, right?

Even though studies show that most of us have sufficient proteins, carbohydrates and fats in our diets, we are lacking in vital nutrients. These nutrients are obtained from plentiful portions of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Or are they?

Minerals, are the basic building blocks of life. In fact, our bodies need a whole range of nutrients, in the balanced form that Nature provides, or should provide, for healthful well-being.

We need over 90 minerals and micro minerals or trace elements, vitamins and amino acids as well as enzymes and the essential fatty acids.

Modern methods of agriculture and many generations of using chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides on the land, in an effort to make it more fertile and increase food production, have robbed the soil of the very nutrients the plants should be providing us.

For proper function and structure, each living cell in this world depends on minerals. They're needed for the nerve system to work efficiently, for the proper composition of body fluids, for the formation of our blood and bones and for muscle tone. Minerals, like vitamins, also assist the body to perform the functions of energy production, growth and healing.

Seriously though, it is important to know that minerals cannot be created. Once extracted and eaten they've gone from the soil forever. While plants can create Proteins, Carbohydrates and many other nutrients including vitamins, they cannot create minerals. The soil either contains minerals, or it doesn't. Are they being replaced? I think not.

Of the 60 essential minerals, generally only 3 - Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium otherwise known as NPK are being put back on the land. But why would cost conscious farmers keep spreading NPK on the soil every year? It's because each season's crops absorb them all and the minerals have to be put onto the land all over again.

So what has happened to the other 57 essential minerals? They were leached from the land hundreds of years ago.

'Ah Yes' I hear you cry, but I buy organic produce. But you must understand that organic just means not contaminated by chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, and that's good, but we still won't be getting the mineral content we need.

We must be aware, of the vital importance of giving our bodies, on a regular basis, all the nutrients they need for brimming good health. As we've said, the nutrients we need are now not coming from the soils via our food, so supplements have to fill the gap.

Without these supplements, our bodies, for the most part, are minerally deficient and a host of diseases can be traced to mineral deficiency.