Analyzing Your Nutritional/Emotional Balance

Putting together a personal nutrition plan for optimal emotional health is a delicate balancing act. One way to start is by taking stock of your nutritional and emotional status - paying particular attention to habits and situations that can drain you of essential nutrients and becoming sensitive to those emotional symptoms that may caused or aggravated by resulting deficiencies.

Here, then, is a two - part check list to help you determine where you may be coming up short.

Part I

If you are:	You may have to increased needs for:
Under emotional stress	B vitamins, C, calcium
Physically active	B vitamins, C, E, iron
On a reducing diet	All nutients, depending on the diet
Exposed to pollution	Vitamins A, C, E, calcium, iron, zinc
Taking diuretics	Folate, magnesium, potassium, zinc, phosphorus
Taking oral contraceptives	Thiamine, riboflavin, B6, folate, B12, C, zinc
Pregnant	B vitamins, calcium, iron
Breast feeding	Calcium
A coffee drinker	Thiamine, C, all minerals
An alcohol drinker	Thiamine, B12, C, copper, calcium, zinc, potassium, magnesium
A vegetarian	Riboflavin, vitamin B12, folate, iron
A smoker	Vitamins B12, B6, C, E, calcium
Recovering from illness or injury	Vitamin A, thiamine, pantothenate, folate, C, E, iron, zinc, calcium

Part II

If you suffer from:	You may benefit from higher intake of
Fatigue	Thiamine, riboflavin, B6, B12, folate, pantothenate, potassium
Irritability, nervousness	Same as above
Insomia	Same as above
Lack of concebtration	Folate, B12, iron
Forgetfulness	Choline (lecithin), thiamine, iron
Depression	Thiamine, riboflavin, B6, B12, folate, pantothenate
Premenstrual tension	B6, calcium, magnesium

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