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Have you ever had someone come to you who was just low in energy and who always seemed to be worn out? You pray for them and they get better for a short season, then they go back to being worn out again? It may be that the problem is diet induced (such as lack of a vitamin or mineral). And even if God heals the deficiency by increasing the levels of that vitamin or mineral in their blood, that over time their lifestyle will cause it to become deficient again and the symptoms will return.
One of the more common examples of this is the chronic exhaustion that is caused by anemia -- it leaves people weak and tried. Anemia is caused by iron deficiencies and the medical "treatment" is to take iron supplements. This is something easily controlled by diet (mostly green leafy vegetables and iron supplements). So when a person comes to you for prayer about low energy, you might ask them if they are an avid coffee drinker... because there is something about coffee that decreases our ability to absorb iron. Avid coffee drinkers often need to take iron supplements. Anemia is also common in women who are still menstruating, especially just after their "time of the month." It is true that you can pray for God to cure anemia, and He might just do that. But the condition will come back again soon if the person does not make some changes to their eating habits.
Other types of mineral deficiencies can cause low energy, exhaustion and lack of "get up and go" as well. Many of the minerals help us to convert food into energy, such as chromium, copper, iodine, magnesium, manganese and phosphorus. If the person's eating habits are deficient in one of these areas, then chances are very high that the weakness, exhaustion, etc will return gradually over a period of time because their diet is causing the problem. So after you pray for them and God heals them, you should do brief post-healing counseling should be to advise them to get an adequate supply of vitamins and minerals.
The average person knows very little about vitamins and even less about minerals. Both vitamins and minerals are critical to our health. Our bodies require minerals to carry out vital body functions like healthy nerve function and the formation of bones and teeth. They are also used to produce enzymes and they are a vital part of the body's fluid systems. Living things (plants and animals) do not produce minerals -- they are found in soil, water, rocks and metals. Minerals fall into two categories, based on how much of them our bodies require:
The body can't produce minerals itself, but we do find minerals in a large variety of fruits, vegetables, beans and grains. The plants do not produce these minerals, but they do absorb them from the soil.
Minerals are a bit controversial and nutritionalists do not seem to be in agreement about them. Some nutritionalists recommend taking minerals in large quantities because they believe they add special health benefits. However, there is no solid research to back that claim. Other nutritionalists warn that overdosing on some minerals may be detrimental to your health. Too much zinc can interfere with the absorption of calcium, and too much iron can interfere with the absorption of zinc.
Here is a brief description of what each mineral does for your body and of what types of foods contain that mineral.
CALCIUM
The body needs calcium to maintain healthy bones, teeth, nails, and muscle tissue. Calcium also assists in blood clotting and heart and nerve functions. It is critical when the body needs to heal. The recommended calcium intake is higher for children, adolescents, young women and pregnant and lactating women. Benefits include relief from muscle spasms, menstrual cramps, insomnia, and "growing pains." Calcium promotes healthy teeth and bones. It prevents rickets and it regulates the cardiovascular system and helps to regulate our heart beat. Calcium is found in low-fat dairy products such as skim milk and yogurt and eggs. It is also found in nuts including peanuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds and soy beans. It is also found in green leafy vegetables and in broccoli, salmon and sardines with bones.
CHLORIDE
Chloride in the diet works with potassium and sodium, the two electrolytes, to control the flow of fluid in blood vessels and tissues. It also helps regulate the body's level of acidity. It is used to create hydrochloric acid in the stomach to digest food. Chloride is found in table salt as well as kelp, olives, tomatoes, and celery.
CHROMIUM
Our body needs chromium to convert glucose (sugars) into energy. It also plays a major role in our overall health. It is involved in the prevention of high blood pressure and diabetes, it deters arteriosclerosis and it helps in growth. It is found in shellfish, chicken, yeast, lean meat, clams, nuts, cheeses and unrefined grains.
COBALT
Benefits of cobalt include prevention of anemia because it helps to build red blood cells. Natural sources are found in meat, kidney, clams, milk, oysters, and liver.
COPPER
Our bodies need copper for enzyme reactions and metabolizing iron. It helps our body maintain high energy levels and helps us properly ingest vitamin C. It is almost impossible to find non-prescription copper supplements because it is dangerous to overdose on copper. That can cause insomnia, irregular menstrual periods, hair loss, and depression. Copper can be found in whole wheat, prunes, seafood, liver, legumes (dried beans and peas), grains, nuts, seeds and hard water.
FLUORIDE
The body needs fluoride for healthy bones and teeth that are resistant to decay. It can be found in seafood and tea, egg whites, gelatin, seafoods, radishes, cabbage, whole wheat, garlic, lettuce and beets.
IODINE
Our bodies need iodine for regulation of body temperature, thyroid hormone synthesis, metabolic rate, reproduction, growth and nerve and muscle function. Benefits include promotion of healthy hair, teeth, skin, nails, and lymphatic system, particularly healthy tonsils. Iodine enhances mental alertness and efficient thinking; helps burn excess fat; energy booster; encourages growth; prevents hypothyroidism and goiter. Iodine is found in vegetables, seafood, kelp and iodized salt.
IRON
Our bodies need iron to make healthy red blood cells and deficiency of iron will lead to anemia. We need the red blood cells for our blood to carry oxygen to all of the cells in our body. Benefits of iron include prevention of fatigue and anemia; builds a healthy skin tone and resistance to disease. Avid coffee drinkers tend to deplete their iron supply and need to take iron supplements. The same is true for menstruating women. You can find iron in lean red meats, shellfish, legumes, dried fruit, green leafy vegetables. There are also many over the counter iron supplements. However, if you take iron supplements, be careful. Iron is toxic (it can hurt your health) if taken in too large of quantities.
MAGNESIUM
Magnesium helps the body use calcium and vitamin C, as well as convert blood sugar to usable energy. Magnesium is good to take directly after a meal since it neutralizes stomach acids. Benefits include prevention of heart attack, calcium deposits, kidney stones, and gall stones. Magnesium also helps with indigestion and depression, and it works in helping our muscles to relax. It is found in yellow corn, apples, seeds, nuts, figs, dark green vegetables, lemons, and grapefruit.
MANGANESE
Manganese intake is useful for avid meat eaters and milk drinkers. Manganese is essential for the digestion and metabolism of food. Benefits include improving memory and reflexes; eradicates fatigue; calms nerves and reduces irritability. It promotes proper development of thyroid hormones, skeletal, reproductive , and central nervous systems. You can find manganese in whole-grain cereals, egg yolks, beets, vegetables, nuts, leafy green vegetables, and peas.
MOLYBDENUM
Molybdenum is a big contributor to iron usage in the body, as well as helping convert food into useful energy. It helps to prevent anemia. You can find molybdenum in dark leafy green veggies, beans, peas, nuts, and whole grains.
PHOSPHORUS
Our bodies need phosphorus to grow, to maintain our bone density and to convert food into energy. It also helps to regulate the blood chemistry. Benefits include prevention of rickets and pyorrhea, and it reduces arthritis pain and strengthens bones and teeth. Phosphorus also helps to regulate heart beat and kidney function. You can find phosphorus in lean meat, fish, poultry, low-fat dairy products, eggs, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.
POTASSIUM
Our bodies need potassium to maintain a normal heart rhythm, to help prevent muscle cramping and to regulate/balance body fluids. Potassium also helps to lower blood pressure, helps slow the aging process and promotes clear thinking. Certain conditions or life-styles can cause your body to require higher levels of potassium: high salt users, those with hypoglycemia, high stress, or those doing long periods of fasting/dieting. Potassium can be found in bananas, citrus fruits, potatoes, sunflower seeds, leafy green vegetables, mint leaves, legumes, low fat milk.
SELENIUM
Selenium works best when it's combined with vitamin E. It is used to help prevent heart disease and dandruff. It slows the aging process by helping tissues remain elastic. Some nutritionalists believe it protects from some cancers and fights toxic metals in the environment. It can be found in bran, wheat germ, tuna and seafood, broccoli and onions.
SODIUM
Many westerners tend to overdose on sodium. It is found in table salt (sodium chloride) which many people use in excess. Our bodies use sodium to regulate body fluids and maintain our acid-base in the blood chemistry. It also assists in nerve transmission and muscle contraction. Sodium also helps us to metabolize carbohydrates. It can be helpful in the prevention of sunstroke and heat prostration. It is found in most foods because most foods have salt added to them. It is natural to beets, artichokes, and carrots.
SULFUR
Our bodies use sulfur to produce healthy nails, skin and hair. It also aids in oxygen balance for the brain, assists the liver to secrete bile, and fights bacterial infections. We can find sulfur in eggs, dried beans, beef, fish, and cabbage.
ZINC
Zinc as a supplement should be taken with vitamin A, and it is recommended for alcoholics and diabetics. Our bodies use zinc to help prevent prostrate problems in men and regulates menstrual periods in women. Our bodies also use zinc for healthy skin and prevention of adult acne and hair loss. Zinc also helps with infertility, wound healing and creating insulin. It also serves a function in the senses of taste and smell. Some nutritionalists believe that zinc helps to reduce the level of cholesterol in our blood. Foods that contain zinc include: eggs, ground mustard, pumpkin seeds, yeast, wheat germ fish, and nonfat dry milk.