The Impact of Minerals

Our bodies are unable to make their own minerals, we must consume them through our diet. Having sufficient mineral levels is imperative for overall good health. Many of our minerals work together or impact one another, so having them in balance with one another is also very important!

Today I’m doing a quick review of our four most important/most impactful minerals:

Calcium (Ca)

We consume calcium largely from dairy sources: milk, cheese, & yogurt
Other high calcium foods: oranges, almonds, broccoli, spinach, okra, salmon, chia seeds

Too high–slow thyroid, restless leg, constipation, kidney stones

Too low-blood sugar fluctuations/drops, anxiety, histamine problems

Magnesium (Mg)

Magnesium rich foods: avocado, spinach, almonds, bananas, cashews, pumpkin seeds, edamame, legumes, black beans, peanuts, whole wheat bread, peanut butter

Mg fuels over 3,000 reactions within the body. Primarily found inside the cell (meaning it is an intracellular mineral). Needed for energy production. Needed to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Converts vitamin D within the body. Reduces inflammation.

Too low-depression, blood sugar issues, anxiety, adrenal insufficiency, low thyroid

Sodium (Na)

Try incorporating a high quality salt like Redmond Sea Salt that hasn’t been stripped of important trace minerals.

Na impacts our body’s ability to respond to stress as well as maintaining insulin sensitivity.

Low- insulin resistance, poor adrenal function, poor digestion, low energy

Potassium (K)

High potassium containing foods: lean beef, ham, chicken, tomatoes, whole wheat bread, cucumbers, celery

Also an intracellular mineral. Regulates blood pressure and fluid balance. Has an insulin like effect on the cells. Makes cells sensitive to thyroid hormone.

Low- insulin sensitivity & inability to properly utilize thyroid hormone. fatigue, constipation, low blood sugar

High levels on an HTMA test (hair tissue mineral analysis) represents a stress response

Check your levels

So, how do we know what our mineral levels are? You can have blood work done through your provider (CMP or BMP with added Mg level)

BUT

this is really not the best way to test our minerals for a few reasons:

• blood work only tells us the level at that specific point in time
• when you get a blood draw, they are only testing the amount found in the blood stream. Magnesium & Potassium are intracellular minerals, this means they largely live INSIDE the cell which would not show up on blood work.

HTMA is a better option because:

• the levels are a reflection of the past three months, not just 1 moment in time
• it is a tissue reading, not blood stream, so we can see how the body is using the minerals and how the body is responding to stress
• gives us insight into your metabolism, thyroid function, insulin sensitivity, blood sugar levels, and adrenal health (stress response)

Are you interested in checking your minerals?

You can fill out this quick application to work with me & I’ll be in contact via email with pricing & more details!

While you wait to hear back from me, I have a free guide for you as well: Three Steps to Start Balancing Hormones Today! Click here to download it.