Life for the young modern woman can be highly stressful. Apart from juggling corporate ladder and seeking out The One, there’s also the daily dilemma of which dress to wear and oh, don’t even get me started on matching shoes! What with all these stress on daily basis, it’s only a matter of time before you break down if you don’t watch your diet. A woman’s emotions are a funny thing and these emotions in turn affect what we eat. Happy, we eat. Sad, we eat. Angry, err, we eat too.

The problem is these comfort food that we partake makes us feel better temporarily but can be problematic to us in the long term. An unhealthy diet can lead to premature aging because of the lack of certain vitamins that help reproduce healthy new cells! Do you know what other nutritions your body needs apart from the basic carbs, proteins and vitamin Cs? No? Then read on!

VITAMIN B COMPLEX

Vitamin B complex is a combination of the essential B Vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12, Biotin, Choline and Inositol) and you need it for proper functioning for almost every process in your body. It helps digestion, converts carbs to glucose for energy, gives you healthy skin, hair and nails, and keeps you from feeling stressed, anxious or depressed by regulating hormones. You can find Vitamin Bs in pork, eggs, fish, poultry, bananas, nuts, seeds and oats.

ANTIOXIDANTS

If you didn’t know already, natural antioxidants rid your body of harmful toxins to prevent premature aging. You can find them in strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries and grapes as well as green tea!

SELENIUM

Selenium also works as an antioxidant when combined with Vitamin E and it works to eradicating free radicals that cause aging as well as the dreaded heart disease and cancer. Studies have shown that if you take less than 200 mcg of selenium a day, you have a higher risk of developing diabetes. Foods that contain selenium include wheat germ, liver, butter, fish (mackerel, tuna or herring), garlic, whole grains and sunflower seeds. However, selenium is destroyed when foods are refined or processed, you can take these in supplement forms alternatively.

CALCIUM

Osteoporosis, is a brittle bone disease that is common in women and when you’re old and finally decide its time to ‘take care’ of yourself, calcium doesn’t absorb as well then as it does when you’re young. Calcium also reduces the risk of high blood pressure and if you’re often affected by premenstrual syndrome, consumption of up to 1200 mg of calcium a day can reduce your symptoms by half. Calcium can be found in all dairy products such as milk, yogurt, tofu, cheeses and ice cream as well as seafood like salmon, sardines and shrimp. If you’re a vegan, you’d be glad to know that brocollis and green leafy veggies are rich in them too.

CoQ10

If you’ve heard of the brand Blackmores but have no idea what it is, it’s a coenzyme found naturally in the body and helps produce energy in all cells to ensure health in all human tissues and organs. CoQ10 helps maintain heart health and helps reduce the risk of heart disease.

With all that’s said, do attempt to include all the above nutrients in your diet today and do share with us if you notice a difference in your life!