Many of us know that stress can rob us of the nutrients we so need to be healthy. But stress is just one of the many ways you are robbed of nutrients.

First of all, why do we need nutrients? Because your body uses them to make healthy cells, to digest food, to operate your organs, to smell, to think, to breathe, to pump your heart, to circulate your blood, and to move your muscles. Everything you do, conscious or unconscious, voluntary or involuntary, requires nutrients.

What are some of the things that rob you of nutrients?

Stress is a big one. It deprives you of nutrients because it sucks them up for the fight or flight response. I read recently that your body needs ten times the amount of calcium when you're under stress. Can you believe this? One of my theories on chronic illness is that you get so low on nutrients, your body cannot recover without extra support.

Now, if your digestive system is clogged, you are going to have poor nutrient absorption. If you have a history of constipation or Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), lack of nutrient absorption can be a huge block to healing. Food allergies, whether known or hidden, can also contribute to a digestive system that is lined with gunk, preventing proper absorption of vitamins, minerals, etc.

There's another thief of nutrients that I've recently read about. What you think this one is? It's parasites.

I wasn't sure if I should really believe that parasites could be a problem. The article said that 30% of people have parasites and guess what? They do steal your nutrients. They use the food you eat to maintain their survival, depriving you of energy and so much more.

What else is ruining our nutrients supply? Depleted soils. If there's no zinc in the soil, there can't be any zinc in the plants grown in that soil. (Zinc, is a very common deficiency. Incidentally, zinc helps kill parasites! The pieces start to fit, do you see? More evidence that all-around good nutrition is needed.)

What else do you think is stealing our nutrients? What comes to my mind is the way that food is transported. In a period of three weeks, as a fruit travels from the tree to the grocery store to your stomach, that fruit has lost much of it's nutrient value. That's robbing your body of what it needs to operate.

Lack of a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, whether because of decreased nutrient value from the start, decreased supply, or lack of effort on your part to eat 5-9 fruits and veggies/day, knocks down your intake of nutrients.

Another modern practice that steals our nutrients is genetically modified food that is grown for consumption. This is because the genetically modified fruits and vegetables are made to grow big, made to grow tasty, and made to resist bugs, but they're not made to have a higher nutrient value.

With "heritage plants" your body can recognize these plants in their original form, digest them, and you will better be able to benefit from them.

Supplements that don't dissolve in your system are also depleting you of nutrients, because if they don't dissolve, your body cannot use them. They're also depleting your wallet, because if you not getting benefit from them--even if you only paid five bucks for the bottle--you are wasting that $5.

The other thing that is robbing us of nutrients is fast food, junk food, or highly processed food. Add to this our busy lifestyles, and it's so easy, sometimes necessary, to eat this stuff--but it's not giving us much in nutrient value.

When manufacturers take a loaf of bread, remove all the B-vitamins, and put back only three B-vitamins, that's denying you of nutrients. Drinking soda and coffee robs us of nutrients. Drinking fruit juice instead of the eating the whole fruit robs you of nutrients, not to mention the fact that it removes fiber from your diet.

So, all of these factors that combine to rob you of nutrients are the reason why I believe ensuring the absorption of quality supplements is a necessary strategy in regaining and maintaining your health.