November 14, 2024 • 34 mins
In this episode of the Love Your Gut podcast, we dive deep into why minerals are essential for hormone balance, gut health, and overall wellness. I share my personal story of struggling with GI issues for over 20 years, feeling stuck, and why addressing mineral deficiencies was the missing link in my healing journey. Many people try endless diets, detoxes, and hormone supplements without real results, often because they’re overlooking underlying mineral imbalances.
We’ll break down what minerals are, why our bodies don’t produce them, and why they’re foundational to health—even if you’re eating a “healthy” diet. We also cover common mineral deficiencies like low potassium, sodium imbalances, and high magnesium, plus how these can impact digestion, energy, and mood. I share a real-life case study of a client whose bloating and constipation only improved once she supported her minerals, along with the powerful changes she saw in her sleep and stress resilience.
If you’re curious about your own mineral levels, this episode is a must-listen! Be sure to stay tuned for our once-a-year Black Friday HTMA sale to learn more about your mineral health and start making meaningful changes. Grab our free mineral guide for practical tips, resources, and recipes to help you get started!
Links from the episode:
- Join the email list for our HTMA Black Friday sale
- Get 1:1 support for your GI symptoms
- Blog: What is HTMA testing?
- Blog: Top minerals for gut and hormone health
Connect with Dr. Heather
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Dr. Heather Finley (00:03):
Welcome to the Love Your Gut Podcast.
I'm your host, Dr.
Heather Finley, registereddietitian and gut health
specialist.
I understand the frustration ofdealing with GI issues because
I've been there and I spent overtwo decades searching for
answers for my own gut issues ofconstipation, bloating, and
stomach pain.
I've dedicated my life tounderstanding and solving my own
(00:24):
gut issues.
And now I'm here to guide you.
On this podcast, I'll help youidentify the true root causes of
your discomfort.
So you can finally ditch yoursymptoms for good.
My goal is to empower you withthe knowledge and tools you need
so that you can love your gutand it will love you right back.
So if you're ready to learn alot, gain a deeper understanding
(00:46):
of your gut and find lastingrelief.
You are in the right place.
Welcome to the love your gutpodcast.
Welcome back to the next episodeof the love your gut podcast.
I am so glad to be back with youkicking off a couple weeks
series on minerals.
So minerals are something thathas been quite a hot topic over
(01:09):
on Instagram.
And I thought I would justdedicate a couple episodes to
various topics, includingtoday's topic, which is why you
need mineral support.
Even if you eat healthy, We'veseen this so many times
including myself.
I'm also going to be doing anepisode reviewing my own HTMA
mineral results and mypostpartum mineral plan.
(01:32):
I'll be doing an episode abouthypothyroidism and specific
minerals for hypothyroidism orHashimoto's.
And then some, the last episodeof this series will be the best
minerals to supportconstipation, diarrhea, and
other gut issues.
(01:53):
So stay tuned.
If you are interested inminerals and specifically those
topics, those episodes arecoming to you soon over the next
couple of weeks.
So be sure to tune in.
There'll be dropping weekly andI'd love it if you would share
it with a friend and somebodywho could benefit from it.
So today I'm so glad you'rehere.
(02:13):
We are going to be talking abouta topic that's super close to my
heart.
One that I think you willresonate with and why minerals
are absolutely completelyfoundational to both gut health
and hormone health and optimalenergy.
If you feel like you're doingquote unquote, all the right
things.
But aren't seeing results or ifyou're really tired of being
(02:34):
told that your labs are normalwhen you know something isn't
right you've kind of tried somany things then this episode is
for you So I want to share alittle bit of my own journey.
I No, many of and I have acouple episodes on this way back
at the beginning when I startedthe podcast, but I have my own
(02:54):
journey with GI issues.
Honestly, as I was probablyexactly where so many of you are
right now, I spent 20 yearsstruggling with gut issues.
I had tried everything you couldthink of different diets,
elimination plans, detoxes,Supplements, probiotics, but
nothing seemed to work.
(03:16):
And looking back, I can see thata huge part of why I stayed
stuck was because I wasconstantly running on empty.
But it was really celebrated.
I was the type A overachiever,even in high school.
I was the Energizer Bunny, itwas, I kind of even going into
college had this motto of I cansleep when I'm dead and how many
(03:39):
of us have kind of identifiedwith that as our, as a piece of
our identity of I, I can do itall.
I was at the time, especially inmy early twenties, when my GI
issues were their absoluteworst, I was over exercising,
under eating.
I was following these strictelimination diets because I
thought that's what I had to doto get rid of my GI issues.
(04:03):
I was thinking that I was doingthe best thing for my body.
And I honestly.
I honestly want to just go backto that 20 year old Heather and
give her a big hug and tell herlike, look at what you've done
now, 15 years later, I wasdraining myself so much burning
through my energy reserves andminerals in my mineral stores.
(04:25):
Really without replenishing thembecause I had no clue.
Even as a nutrition major, thisis what honestly blows my mind
is I spent four years and somuch money in college studying
nutrition.
And we probably had one lectureon minerals and even now looking
(04:47):
back, even in like nutritionalbiochemistry which I had the
pleasure of teaching actuallylast spring as an adjunct at
TCU, where I went to college, Ilooked at it from such a
different angle.
Because every graph at everymetabolic process, you will see
(05:09):
that minerals are the cofactorsfor all of that.
And like, why was that brushedover?
Why did nobody talk about that?
There's such a broad overview,but when you really zoom in,
it's like minerals are what makethe body run.
So back to kind of my story, itwasn't just the diets, the
workouts, my sleep was terrible.
(05:29):
It was, so inadequate.
I was not giving my body thechance to rest and repair.
I was a competitive swimmer mywhole life and in college and my
body was just used to honestlyrunning on adrenaline.
I didn't know any different.
The thought of rest actuallyterrified me and I know so many
of you can relate to that.
If you do, you're not alone.
(05:51):
And I promise that there is hopeand the thought of rest now is
so delightful.
But the more we neglect sleep,the more we deplete ourselves
over time, the more we depleteour minerals.
And it's really nearlyimpossible for our bodies to
function properly.
When I, was kind of at the pitof my G.
(06:13):
I.
Issues in my early twenties.
I felt absolutely hopeless anddefeated.
Every time I went to a doctor,I'd get my labs drawn.
They would say everything wasnormal, but I knew deep down
that something was wrong.
My energy was so bad.
I was living on coffee and aprayer.
My gut issues were relentless.
I just couldn't seem to breakaway from that cycle.
(06:36):
And it's really exhausting whenyou're told that medication is
your only option when you knowthat's not the solution you're
looking for.
And that's not going to help youbecause, if your labs are
normal, then how is thismedication actually supposed to
help you?
So it really wasn't until Istarted learning More about
minerals and understood that mybody was just super depleted and
(07:00):
missing the raw materials thatit needed to heal, that I really
began to see real change.
So today we're going to diveinto why that is, why minerals
are so essential for both gutand hormone health and why
really without them, all thediets, all the protocols, I
don't care.
How good your protocol is or howquote unquote clean you eat.
(07:22):
If you're depleted, then it'sgoing to be like, what did our
parents used to tell us?
Like walking uphill both ways inthe snow or something.
You'll try everything withoutgetting anywhere.
And I really want to help youavoid those same struggles
because it's miserable.
So let's talk about why mineralsare foundational to health.
Think of minerals like thebuilding blocks of your body.
(07:44):
So they're kind of like thelittle nuts and bolts that keep
everything working smoothly.
They help our body to do a lotof important things that keep
you feeling good.
For example, minerals are likethe little helpers that keep
your digestion moving and theykeep our hormones balanced.
They give us energy withoutadequate minerals.
It's like trying to build a Legoset.
and it has missing pieces orlike trying to complete a puzzle
(08:06):
and then you're missing twopieces at the end and you're so
frustrated.
If you've been there, you getthat feeling.
It just doesn't work, right?
Like it doesn't look complete.
Nothing works.
So our bodies need theseminerals to stay strong.
To manage stress, to keep ourenergy up, and even digest food
properly.
Unlike some things, our bodiescannot make their own.
(08:28):
So just like certain vitaminsthat our bodies can make, like
vitamin K2, etc.
Our bodies cannot make minerals.
So unless you're eating them, ortaking a supplement, then It's
like needing gas for your car.
Your body's not just gonna, oryour car's not gonna just
miraculously fill itself withgas.
You have to stop and get gas.
(08:50):
So we have to fill our mineraltank by eating the right foods
and sometimes by takingsupplements if we're really low.
But what are minerals?
Minerals are natural elementsfound in the earth, water,
plants.
They're tiny, but they're verymighty.
And when we eat foods grown inthe ground, like vegetables,
(09:11):
grains we, nuts, etc.
We get those minerals into ourbody.
So some important ones aremagnesium, potassium, and
sodium.
And if you tune in to the nextepisode where I talk about my
postpartum mineral consumption.
Journey, you'll learn a littlebit more about those minerals
specifically.
(09:32):
So each mineral has a specialjob they keep our systems
running, they keep our heartbeating muscles working.
But let's talk specifically froma gut health, energy and hormone
perspective, why these arehelpful.
So for our gut to digest food.
Minerals like magnesium andpotassium are super important
because they calm our digestivesystem.
(09:53):
They help things move smoothly.
They help loosen things and theykeep the train kind of running
on time.
Without minerals, you can feelbloated, you can feel
constipated, you can havestomach cramps.
Magnesium helps draw water tothe bowels.
Potassium helps your gut muscle.
Yes.
Your gut is a muscle to actuallycontract from an energy
(10:14):
standpoint, minerals like sodiumand potassium give us energy
because they help our cells getthe right balance of water and
nutrients.
So you can think of yourselvesright now, if you're super
dehydrated and mineral depleted,they're like shriveled up little
raisins.
We want our cells to be likegrapes.
We don't want raisins.
So they're kind of these sodiumand potassium are kind of like
(10:36):
the charging stations for yourTesla.
They keep your energy up.
They keep your cells energized.
When you are low on theseminerals, you might feel tired.
You might feel like your phonebattery is always on empty,
which That's the case for me.
My phone is always on less than10 percent battery.
Not a fun place to be.
Hormones.
(10:56):
For your hormones to staybalanced, you need minerals like
zinc, magnesium, copper, so manyminerals to make sure your
body's actually producing theright amount so that things like
mood, sleep, skin, All thosethings stay on track.
You actually cannot makehormones without adequate
(11:16):
minerals.
You cannot make energy withoutadequate minerals.
You can't even produce thingslike stomach acid without
adequate minerals.
So you could be doing all theprotocols in the world, taking
hormone balancing supplements orDoing a protocol for H.
pylori or SIBO or whatever itmight be, perhaps the reason
(11:40):
that your symptoms either aren'tgetting better or are coming
back is because your bodyactually lacks that foundational
mineral support to do what itneeds to do.
Let's list off four reasons whyyour minerals could still be
low, even if you eat quoteunquote healthy.
Cause this is the type of clientthat we see.
(12:00):
They're like, I eat reallyhealthy.
I, I do all the things.
Why am I so mineral depleted?
Why is my body not absorbingthese things?
And there's a few reasons andthere's more than four, but here
are the top four.
Number one is stress.
When you're stressed, your bodyactually uses up more minerals.
So it's like when you're on aroad trip and you need to stop
(12:22):
for gas more often, stress burnsthrough magnesium, potassium,
specifically those minerals, butothers faster, which means you
need to be even more intentionalabout your mineral intake when
you are stressed.
And I'm not just talking aboutyou're stressed about your job.
Other stressors can include yourtraining for a marathon, you are
(12:46):
pregnant, you're trying toconceive, perhaps you're going
through GI issues, so you haveSIBO or other underlying GI
issues perhaps you've beenexposed to mold, maybe you just
are a mom of several kids andlife's just busy.
That's a stress.
That's stress.
The second reason can beactually digestion and
(13:07):
absorption.
Sometimes your bodies don'tabsorb all the minerals from
your food because your digestionisn't working properly.
So for example, if you havebloating, constipation, even
especially diarrhea.
And you're going to the bathroommore frequently, you might not
be able to break down and absorbminerals in your food properly.
(13:28):
So your mineral needs are goingto be higher.
The next and third reason couldbe soil quality.
And it's super interesting.
The soil grows our food and oursoil is just not as mineral rich
as it was years ago.
So even if you're eating plentyof fruits, vegetables, nuts,
seeds, etc.
They're not as mineral rich asthey used to be.
(13:50):
So you actually have to eat moreto get that amount of minerals
that you might need.
And then lastly, it could bediet related.
There's certain types of diets,foods, et cetera, like
elimination diets.
Low carb diets that are going tocut out mineral rich foods.
If you're eating mostly rawveggies or a lot of fiber
(14:11):
without enough balance, that'salso going to make it harder for
your body to absorb minerals.
I know I have plenty of otherepisodes on variety, etc.
If you are eating the same thingevery day, You're perhaps
missing out on some of theminerals that you might need.
Stress, digestive issues, soilquality, and different diets can
(14:33):
make it harder for your body tokeep and get the minerals that
it needs, which is why focusingon mineral balance can be such a
game changer for your health.
So I want to talk about some ofthe main mineral balances and
their impacts that we often see.
Number one is high doses ofmagnesium.
Either you're taking high dosesof magnesium for constipation or
(14:56):
maybe sleep.
Magnesium is often one of thefirst things that people try for
constipation, especially ifyou're looking for something
more quote unquote natural thanMiralax or something else.
Which, that's not a bad option.
Magnesium is great.
It helps relax muscles.
Makes it easier to go, butsometimes you could be taking a
lot.
(15:16):
We have seen clients taking 1200milligrams of magnesium and
still constipated.
Number one, you have to look atthe form.
I have another podcast episodeon the different types of
magnesium.
So I'll link that in the shownotes.
But magnesium needs otherminerals.
Like sodium and potassium forabsorption.
So we've actually seen severalclients that are able to cut
(15:40):
their magnesium dose in a thirdby supporting their other
minerals.
When your other minerals arelow, it's like trying to get
your car to move.
without gas.
You can add a lot of magnesiumbut it's just not going to move
the way that it would if itactually had fuel.
So the mineral balance reallymatters.
(16:01):
Your minerals are like asymphony.
They all work together.
Low potassium is another mineralimbalance that we see, and it's
really a big deal.
Potassium is so key for so manythings.
It energizes us, it hydrates us,it helps with your heartbeat.
When potassium is low, you'llfeel tired, maybe crampy, maybe
(16:22):
dizzy.
It's one of the minerals thatyou'll really notice when it's
low because it affects how everysingle cell in your body works.
Potassium also helps balance outsodium.
So if it's too low, you mightfeel bloated.
You might feel puffy.
We see this with a lot of ourhypothyroid clients.
They're super puffy.
(16:42):
They feel swollen and they startreally pushing potassium and all
of a sudden the swelling goesaway.
We also see this sometimes whenpeople push sodium too fast.
Even if they're low in sodium,on an htma test or something if
they are doing this sodium waytoo fast, we need to focus on
(17:02):
potassium first and all of asudden the puffiness and the
swelling goes away.
Potassium is really importantfor muscle contraction,
especially like your gut muscle.
So if you struggle with gutmotility, potassium is a big
one.
Another one is salt.
How many of you raise your handif you are scared of salt still?
(17:23):
The 90s made us so afraid ofsalt, but it really is
essential.
It helps keep our blood pressurestable.
Obviously, if you have highblood pressure, this is a
different conversation, but ithelps us to stay hydrated.
It helps get energy to oursystem.
cells.
Obviously this is a Goldilocksmentality.
Too much can cause issues, buttoo little can also leave you
(17:44):
feeling really weak, tired, orlightheaded.
We see a lot of clients that eata very whole foods based diet,
which is great, but they're notsalting their food and they
become very sodium deficient.
And they're like, why am I sotired?
You also lose lots of saltbetween sweat and stress
hormones.
So if you exercise and you aresweating a lot.
(18:07):
Or if you live in a hot climateand you sweat a lot, your sodium
needs are going to be higher.
And if you're stressed, you aregoing to have a higher sodium
loss.
So rather than avoiding salt, weneed to pair it with other
minerals like potassium to staybalanced.
It's good to use a mineral richsalt like Celtic salt or Redmond
(18:31):
salt.
And then next up is some of theratios.
So like I mentioned, mineralsreally work together.
So we're not just focused on onemineral.
We want to look at how are theyall working together.
So specifically one that we seeis sodium and potassium.
Like I mentioned, when sodium istoo high and potassium is too
(18:51):
low, you might feel puffy orbloated.
Your heart and your bloodpressure can be affected.
So it's not really just gettingenough of one or the other.
It's about the balance betweenthe two.
Another that we see is thebalance between copper and zinc.
If you take a multivitamin, yourhomework is to go look at your
multivitamin and look and see ifit has copper and zinc.
(19:14):
Copper and zinc are two mineralsthat work very closely together.
Zinc is probably more common orfamiliar to you.
It's great for your immunesystem, your skin, your energy.
But copper is often forgotten,and you cannot really supplement
zinc, or you should notsupplement zinc without
(19:35):
supplementing copper.
Because the higher zinc goes,the lower copper will go.
You need to do this together.
Copper helps things like bloodhealth, collagen production, So
if you're concerned about skinor wrinkles, copper is a big
one, but like I said, there's abalance there.
So too much zinc can push downcopper levels, making it harder
for our body to make enoughenergy.
(19:58):
Copper is really helpful forfertility.
So it actually helps with theimplantation.
So low copper can be part ofmaybe the reason someone might.
Be having trouble gettingpregnant zinc is especially
important.
I think we often think of forimmune health, but also hormone
health, skin health, et cetera.
(20:18):
And then the last part that weoften see, which this mineral
might not be super familiar toyou.
So maybe learning something newtoday, but.
Cobalt.
Cobalt is a trace mineral thatis needed in super tiny amounts,
but it can actually tell us alot about how your liver and
your stomach are working.
We see this a lot on the HCMAtest.
(20:40):
Cobalt is a part of vitamin B12.
It's key for energy and brainfunction.
If cobalt or B12 levels are low,it can signal that our liver
might need support or that ourstomach acid levels are low,
which is going to affectoverall.
mineral balance.
So low stomach acid means thatwe can't absorb certain
minerals, which can cause aripple effect on things like
(21:02):
energy digestion, mineralbalance.
So cobalt is really helpfulbecause it will give us clues
about whether we're gettingnutrients that we need from our
food.
So some of these mineralimbalances might just show us,
how Each mineral is playing aspecific role in our body, what
we can do to help you feel yourbest.
(21:24):
Our bodies need the full mineralteam working together.
So you might be thinking how doI know if I have mineral
imbalances?
So I want to kind of go throughthis like little symptom
checklist.
So are you experiencing any ofthese issues from a gut health
standpoint, bloating gas,constipation, diarrhea, stomach
(21:44):
aches, low appetite.
Cravings for sweet and saltyfoods, recurrent GI issues, food
in your stool, just poordigestion, feeling like things
kind of sit like a brick in yourstomach.
Any of those can indicate a needfor minerals.
Lack of gut motility,gastroparesis type symptoms,
(22:06):
from a hormone perspective,irregular or painful periods, a
lot of PMS or PMDD symptoms,irritability, fatigue, low
energy, low sex drive,difficulty concentrating, brain
fog and then from an energystandpoint.
Standpoint, maybe you feelunusually tired, you feel
sluggish, you have musclecramps, weakness, trouble
(22:26):
sleeping.
Maybe you wake up not feelingrested, you're dizzy or
lightheaded.
If you're nodding with any ofthese symptoms, it might be a
sign that you need ral supportand that your minerals are out
of balance.
I have several differentresources that can help you
including our mineral guide.
We also have our upcoming BlackFriday sale, which I'll tell you
(22:48):
more about.
And you might be thinking can'tI just run a blood test to check
my minerals?
Blood tests can often miss animportant piece of the picture.
And I want to break down justthe difference between blood
testing and hair testing.
Our bodies are incrediblyresourceful.
(23:08):
They will keep prioritizing theblood levels of minerals.
in a normal range, even if thatmeans pulling them from our
tissues.
So for example, let's use iron.
Iron is a mineral.
Your blood might show normallevels of iron, but that does
not give you the whole picture.
You could still have low ironstores in your body which is
what really counts for energyand overall health.
(23:31):
Same thing with potassium.
If your potassium levels are offin your blood work, we have a
very serious problem usually.
But low potassium on an HTMA isreally just kind of a warning
signal like, hey, I don't have alot of reserves.
So let's work on that.
So this means that by the timeblood work shows something is
(23:52):
off, the mineral issue haslikely been present for a long
time.
And chronic deficiencies canlead to more serious health
issues.
So hair testing can helpidentify these problems before
they escalate, or in a lot ofcases, they can also help give
us more insight into the wholepicture.
So hair testing like htma orhair tissue mineral analysis
(24:15):
really can just provide abroader overview of your mineral
status by showing the levelstored in your body's tissues
and that way we can see patternsand trends over time we can
predict potential deficienciesbefore they become a major
concern.
We can also be a lot moreproactive and have a more
comprehensive overview of allthe minerals and the symphony of
(24:37):
how they're all workingtogether.
So minerals in the blood arelooking at your immediate needs.
Minerals such as calcium,magnesium, potassium, they're
crucial, right?
For immediate physiologicalfunctions.
The body regulates these verytightly to ensure.
nerve transmission, musclecontraction, blood sugar they
can fluctuate also throughoutthe day.
(24:59):
So your hydration, your diet,your physical activity, all can
affect the levels of minerals inyour blood.
So if you're dehydrated on theday that you give blood, it will
show up on your blood work.
These are going to provide justa mineral snapshot at that given
moment of, what's going on atthis moment versus long term
(25:21):
nutritional status.
So the difference here then isminerals in the tissues are more
The reserves.
So tissues, including liver,bones and muscles hair, et
cetera.
These serve as reserves that candraw the body can draw on when
needed.
So these stores are reallyessential for long term health
(25:44):
and stability and the minerallevels in these tissues can
indicate chronic deficiencies orimbalances that might not be as
apparent in a blood test.
Because, for instance, if yourbody has been pulling calcium
from your bones to maintainblood levels, you may end up
with healthy blood calcium, butweakened bones.
(26:07):
We've seen this quite a bit withosteoporosis, osteopenia, and
then we've also seen it withiron and iron issues as well.
So hair testing, And justlooking at mineral levels in the
tissues is going to look at kindof this insight into long term
nutritional status and can helpus just to identify some of
(26:29):
these patterns that couldmanifest as symptoms.
So one is not necessarily betterthan the other, they're just
looking at different things.
And sometimes, especially withiron issues, it can be helpful
to compare the hair and theblood to see the whole picture.
So blood tests can offer areally quick view of mineral
status, but they can be prettymisleading if we're relying on
(26:53):
them solely for our healthassessment, and we're not
getting all the minerals from ablood test, so the two of them
together can work.
Great.
So how do we actuallypractically focus on mineral
repletion?
Number one is through food.
So we want to include verymineral rich foods.
Things like leafy greens, nuts,seeds, mineral rich salt,
(27:17):
potassium rich foods likebananas, sweet potatoes,
avocados citrus foods likeorange, etc.
Copper rich foods like nuts,cashews seeds, even shellfish,
oysters and then calcium richfoods as well.
We also want to focus on makingsure that our bodies are
hydrated.
(27:38):
So hydration is going to helpmaintain that balance.
But it's not just about drinkingplain water.
You might find that if you drinkplain water all day, especially
if you filter your water, thatyou're still constantly thirsty.
Mineral mocktails beverages thathave electrolytes and minerals
can be Delicious and a great wayto stay hydrated.
(28:00):
We also don't want to overdo it.
Sometimes we have clients thatare drinking way too much water
because of the thirst issue.
They're drinking 160, 200 ouncesof water a day.
And they're like, I'm still sothirsty.
We actually want to cut back onthe water intake and focus more
on minerals and getting yourbody to actually absorb the
(28:22):
water.
So your cells are kind of goingfrom that grape or their raisin
to the grape.
And then, like I mentioned,making sure that if you're
filtering your water, which is agreat thing, that you're
actually replenishing thoseminerals.
Sometimes we do need to fill inthe gap.
So even if you have the bestintention, with your diet,
(28:43):
supplementation can be helpful.
You can think of it.
Kind of like a big ditch in youryard.
It didn't get there overnight,years of elimination diets
restricting food groups, stress,lifestyle factors.
These can cause mineraldeficiencies to accumulate over
time.
I'd also add in their pregnancy,giving birth, et cetera.
(29:07):
Just as you would need to kindof fill that ditch gradually in
your backyard, supplementingminerals can help restore
balance and it can help you tofeel a lot better.
So I want to give you apractical example and a case
study.
So I'm going to share a storywith you about our client,
(29:27):
Sarah, we'll call her Sarah.
Sarah had been struggling withbloating and constipation for
many years.
And like many women, you'reprobably nodding your head.
She tried tons of diets,supplements.
Nothing really seemed to work.
She had tried high fiber diets,low carb diets, lots of
supplements, high doses ofmagnesium.
(29:48):
She really thought that themagnesium would solve her
constipation issues, but reallykind of despite all of this, she
just remained really stuck.
Every time she visited herdoctor, her labs looked normal,
even her colonoscopy was normal,which is great.
She had ruled out all the reallyserious things, but why was she
so constipated?
Why did she feel tired?
(30:09):
Why did everything come backnormal, even though she really
didn't feel normal?
So when she came to us, she justsaid, please fix my
constipation.
That's my main concern.
But we ended up fixing a lotmore than that.
So we started with HTMA, whichmight seem kind of crazy.
Why would you start with HTMAwhen somebody's constipated?
(30:30):
But why we did that is becauseminerals are foundational to
every metabolic process in thebody.
And we knew, okay, she's notresponding to this high dose of
magnesium.
What's going on with her otherminerals.
She was severely deficient insodium and potassium.
And like I mentioned at thebeginning of this episode, those
(30:51):
are critical for magnesiumabsorption.
And this was definitelycontributing to her constipation
and bloating.
So she was a little scared atfirst especially when our
recommendation was to increaseher sodium intake and the
potassium less scary, but thiswas going to help her
(31:11):
absorption.
It was going to help her musclecontractions and.
Not just focusing on magnesium.
Was going to really helpcomprehensively support her
minerals.
So once we began to support Notonly just sodium and potassium,
but also all the other mineralsand the balance of minerals She
noticed huge changes So herbloating and constipation
(31:35):
gradually improved constipationdefinitely improved a lot faster
than bloating, which is prettytypical bloating is usually the
last thing, but it really didn'tstop.
She experienced much bettersleep, a lot of mood
improvement, and she felt moreresilient to stress.
So she felt more energetic.
(31:56):
She felt less overwhelmed by herdaily stressors.
So I think the takeaway here isthat we often look for really
quick fixes with diets andsupplements.
But really true healing lies inaddressing the foundational
elements of our health likeminerals and it actually makes
things so much more simple.
(32:17):
Think about how much time shespent thinking about the food
she couldn't eat or thinkingabout, okay, what is the next
supplement that's going to helpme?
By doing a simple test andlooking at what her mineral
levels actually were.
She.
Not necessarily shortcuttedbecause she had spent so much
time, but she finally got theanswers that she'd looking for.
(32:39):
And she got out of that cycle ofjust trial and error.
And I think that I could tellyou hundreds of stories like
this.
If you're relating to this atall, it might be worth, Looking
at how your mineral status isimpacting your overall health,
regardless of if you'restruggling with energy issues,
(33:00):
hormone issues, or GI issues.
So I hope that this encouragesyou.
This is where our mineral guidecan really provide some valuable
insights and support you on yourjourney.
You can download the mineralguide using the link in the show
notes.
But thank you for joining me forthis episode.
I hope that you loved it.
(33:21):
If you had any insights, pleasefeel free to reach out and share
what was insightful to you.
And then the last thing that Iwant to share with you is that
don't forget Black Friday isjust around the corner.
This is our once a year HTMAsale.
This is an excellent opportunityto gain insights on your mineral
(33:42):
levels and help you know exactlywhat you need to do.
So make sure you're on our emaillist.
If you've downloaded the mineralguide, then you are on the email
list and you will be the firstto know we will have 30 spots.
This will include the HTMA testas well as a one on one consult
to review your health history,your concerns, questions, your
(34:02):
results, and your specific plan.
So until then, take care of yourLove your gut and it will love
you right back.
I'm giving you a thumbs upbecause you just finished
another episode of the love yourgut podcast.
I am so excited because blackFriday is just around the
corner.
And honestly, Thanksgiving andblack Friday are some of my
(34:23):
favorite days of the year.
The buzz on Instagram has beenwild with questions about our
black Friday specials.
And guess what?
The answer is a resounding yes.
So make sure that you're part ofour email list to be the very
first in the know about ourfantastic.
Black Friday deals on HTMA orhair mineral testing.
(34:43):
You do not want to miss out onthese gems.
I promise the link to join ouremail list is in the show notes
below.
And as always remember that whenyou love your gut, it'll love
you back.
And that's what we're all about.
Welcome to the Love Your Gut Podcast.
I'm your host, Dr.
Heather Finley, registereddietitian and gut health
specialist.
I understand the frustration ofdealing with GI issues because
I've been there and I spent overtwo decades searching for
answers for my own gut issues ofconstipation, bloating, and
stomach pain.
I've dedicated my life tounderstanding and solving my own
(00:24):
gut issues.
And now I'm here to guide you.
On this podcast, I'll help youidentify the true root causes of
your discomfort.
So you can finally ditch yoursymptoms for good.
My goal is to empower you withthe knowledge and tools you need
so that you can love your gutand it will love you right back.
So if you're ready to learn alot, gain a deeper understanding
(00:46):
of your gut and find lastingrelief.
You are in the right place.
Welcome to the love your gutpodcast.
Welcome back to the next episodeof the love your gut podcast.
I am so glad to be back with youkicking off a couple weeks
series on minerals.
So minerals are something thathas been quite a hot topic over
(01:09):
on Instagram.
And I thought I would justdedicate a couple episodes to
various topics, includingtoday's topic, which is why you
need mineral support.
Even if you eat healthy, We'veseen this so many times
including myself.
I'm also going to be doing anepisode reviewing my own HTMA
mineral results and mypostpartum mineral plan.
(01:32):
I'll be doing an episode abouthypothyroidism and specific
minerals for hypothyroidism orHashimoto's.
And then some, the last episodeof this series will be the best
minerals to supportconstipation, diarrhea, and
other gut issues.
(01:53):
So stay tuned.
If you are interested inminerals and specifically those
topics, those episodes arecoming to you soon over the next
couple of weeks.
So be sure to tune in.
There'll be dropping weekly andI'd love it if you would share
it with a friend and somebodywho could benefit from it.
So today I'm so glad you'rehere.
(02:13):
We are going to be talking abouta topic that's super close to my
heart.
One that I think you willresonate with and why minerals
are absolutely completelyfoundational to both gut health
and hormone health and optimalenergy.
If you feel like you're doingquote unquote, all the right
things.
But aren't seeing results or ifyou're really tired of being
(02:34):
told that your labs are normalwhen you know something isn't
right you've kind of tried somany things then this episode is
for you So I want to share alittle bit of my own journey.
I No, many of and I have acouple episodes on this way back
at the beginning when I startedthe podcast, but I have my own
(02:54):
journey with GI issues.
Honestly, as I was probablyexactly where so many of you are
right now, I spent 20 yearsstruggling with gut issues.
I had tried everything you couldthink of different diets,
elimination plans, detoxes,Supplements, probiotics, but
nothing seemed to work.
(03:16):
And looking back, I can see thata huge part of why I stayed
stuck was because I wasconstantly running on empty.
But it was really celebrated.
I was the type A overachiever,even in high school.
I was the Energizer Bunny, itwas, I kind of even going into
college had this motto of I cansleep when I'm dead and how many
(03:39):
of us have kind of identifiedwith that as our, as a piece of
our identity of I, I can do itall.
I was at the time, especially inmy early twenties, when my GI
issues were their absoluteworst, I was over exercising,
under eating.
I was following these strictelimination diets because I
thought that's what I had to doto get rid of my GI issues.
(04:03):
I was thinking that I was doingthe best thing for my body.
And I honestly.
I honestly want to just go backto that 20 year old Heather and
give her a big hug and tell herlike, look at what you've done
now, 15 years later, I wasdraining myself so much burning
through my energy reserves andminerals in my mineral stores.
(04:25):
Really without replenishing thembecause I had no clue.
Even as a nutrition major, thisis what honestly blows my mind
is I spent four years and somuch money in college studying
nutrition.
And we probably had one lectureon minerals and even now looking
(04:47):
back, even in like nutritionalbiochemistry which I had the
pleasure of teaching actuallylast spring as an adjunct at
TCU, where I went to college, Ilooked at it from such a
different angle.
Because every graph at everymetabolic process, you will see
(05:09):
that minerals are the cofactorsfor all of that.
And like, why was that brushedover?
Why did nobody talk about that?
There's such a broad overview,but when you really zoom in,
it's like minerals are what makethe body run.
So back to kind of my story, itwasn't just the diets, the
workouts, my sleep was terrible.
(05:29):
It was, so inadequate.
I was not giving my body thechance to rest and repair.
I was a competitive swimmer mywhole life and in college and my
body was just used to honestlyrunning on adrenaline.
I didn't know any different.
The thought of rest actuallyterrified me and I know so many
of you can relate to that.
If you do, you're not alone.
(05:51):
And I promise that there is hopeand the thought of rest now is
so delightful.
But the more we neglect sleep,the more we deplete ourselves
over time, the more we depleteour minerals.
And it's really nearlyimpossible for our bodies to
function properly.
When I, was kind of at the pitof my G.
(06:13):
I.
Issues in my early twenties.
I felt absolutely hopeless anddefeated.
Every time I went to a doctor,I'd get my labs drawn.
They would say everything wasnormal, but I knew deep down
that something was wrong.
My energy was so bad.
I was living on coffee and aprayer.
My gut issues were relentless.
I just couldn't seem to breakaway from that cycle.
(06:36):
And it's really exhausting whenyou're told that medication is
your only option when you knowthat's not the solution you're
looking for.
And that's not going to help youbecause, if your labs are
normal, then how is thismedication actually supposed to
help you?
So it really wasn't until Istarted learning More about
minerals and understood that mybody was just super depleted and
(07:00):
missing the raw materials thatit needed to heal, that I really
began to see real change.
So today we're going to diveinto why that is, why minerals
are so essential for both gutand hormone health and why
really without them, all thediets, all the protocols, I
don't care.
How good your protocol is or howquote unquote clean you eat.
(07:22):
If you're depleted, then it'sgoing to be like, what did our
parents used to tell us?
Like walking uphill both ways inthe snow or something.
You'll try everything withoutgetting anywhere.
And I really want to help youavoid those same struggles
because it's miserable.
So let's talk about why mineralsare foundational to health.
Think of minerals like thebuilding blocks of your body.
(07:44):
So they're kind of like thelittle nuts and bolts that keep
everything working smoothly.
They help our body to do a lotof important things that keep
you feeling good.
For example, minerals are likethe little helpers that keep
your digestion moving and theykeep our hormones balanced.
They give us energy withoutadequate minerals.
It's like trying to build a Legoset.
and it has missing pieces orlike trying to complete a puzzle
(08:06):
and then you're missing twopieces at the end and you're so
frustrated.
If you've been there, you getthat feeling.
It just doesn't work, right?
Like it doesn't look complete.
Nothing works.
So our bodies need theseminerals to stay strong.
To manage stress, to keep ourenergy up, and even digest food
properly.
Unlike some things, our bodiescannot make their own.
(08:28):
So just like certain vitaminsthat our bodies can make, like
vitamin K2, etc.
Our bodies cannot make minerals.
So unless you're eating them, ortaking a supplement, then It's
like needing gas for your car.
Your body's not just gonna, oryour car's not gonna just
miraculously fill itself withgas.
You have to stop and get gas.
(08:50):
So we have to fill our mineraltank by eating the right foods
and sometimes by takingsupplements if we're really low.
But what are minerals?
Minerals are natural elementsfound in the earth, water,
plants.
They're tiny, but they're verymighty.
And when we eat foods grown inthe ground, like vegetables,
(09:11):
grains we, nuts, etc.
We get those minerals into ourbody.
So some important ones aremagnesium, potassium, and
sodium.
And if you tune in to the nextepisode where I talk about my
postpartum mineral consumption.
Journey, you'll learn a littlebit more about those minerals
specifically.
(09:32):
So each mineral has a specialjob they keep our systems
running, they keep our heartbeating muscles working.
But let's talk specifically froma gut health, energy and hormone
perspective, why these arehelpful.
So for our gut to digest food.
Minerals like magnesium andpotassium are super important
because they calm our digestivesystem.
(09:53):
They help things move smoothly.
They help loosen things and theykeep the train kind of running
on time.
Without minerals, you can feelbloated, you can feel
constipated, you can havestomach cramps.
Magnesium helps draw water tothe bowels.
Potassium helps your gut muscle.
Yes.
Your gut is a muscle to actuallycontract from an energy
(10:14):
standpoint, minerals like sodiumand potassium give us energy
because they help our cells getthe right balance of water and
nutrients.
So you can think of yourselvesright now, if you're super
dehydrated and mineral depleted,they're like shriveled up little
raisins.
We want our cells to be likegrapes.
We don't want raisins.
So they're kind of these sodiumand potassium are kind of like
(10:36):
the charging stations for yourTesla.
They keep your energy up.
They keep your cells energized.
When you are low on theseminerals, you might feel tired.
You might feel like your phonebattery is always on empty,
which That's the case for me.
My phone is always on less than10 percent battery.
Not a fun place to be.
Hormones.
(10:56):
For your hormones to staybalanced, you need minerals like
zinc, magnesium, copper, so manyminerals to make sure your
body's actually producing theright amount so that things like
mood, sleep, skin, All thosethings stay on track.
You actually cannot makehormones without adequate
(11:16):
minerals.
You cannot make energy withoutadequate minerals.
You can't even produce thingslike stomach acid without
adequate minerals.
So you could be doing all theprotocols in the world, taking
hormone balancing supplements orDoing a protocol for H.
pylori or SIBO or whatever itmight be, perhaps the reason
(11:40):
that your symptoms either aren'tgetting better or are coming
back is because your bodyactually lacks that foundational
mineral support to do what itneeds to do.
Let's list off four reasons whyyour minerals could still be
low, even if you eat quoteunquote healthy.
Cause this is the type of clientthat we see.
(12:00):
They're like, I eat reallyhealthy.
I, I do all the things.
Why am I so mineral depleted?
Why is my body not absorbingthese things?
And there's a few reasons andthere's more than four, but here
are the top four.
Number one is stress.
When you're stressed, your bodyactually uses up more minerals.
So it's like when you're on aroad trip and you need to stop
(12:22):
for gas more often, stress burnsthrough magnesium, potassium,
specifically those minerals, butothers faster, which means you
need to be even more intentionalabout your mineral intake when
you are stressed.
And I'm not just talking aboutyou're stressed about your job.
Other stressors can include yourtraining for a marathon, you are
(12:46):
pregnant, you're trying toconceive, perhaps you're going
through GI issues, so you haveSIBO or other underlying GI
issues perhaps you've beenexposed to mold, maybe you just
are a mom of several kids andlife's just busy.
That's a stress.
That's stress.
The second reason can beactually digestion and
(13:07):
absorption.
Sometimes your bodies don'tabsorb all the minerals from
your food because your digestionisn't working properly.
So for example, if you havebloating, constipation, even
especially diarrhea.
And you're going to the bathroommore frequently, you might not
be able to break down and absorbminerals in your food properly.
(13:28):
So your mineral needs are goingto be higher.
The next and third reason couldbe soil quality.
And it's super interesting.
The soil grows our food and oursoil is just not as mineral rich
as it was years ago.
So even if you're eating plentyof fruits, vegetables, nuts,
seeds, etc.
They're not as mineral rich asthey used to be.
(13:50):
So you actually have to eat moreto get that amount of minerals
that you might need.
And then lastly, it could bediet related.
There's certain types of diets,foods, et cetera, like
elimination diets.
Low carb diets that are going tocut out mineral rich foods.
If you're eating mostly rawveggies or a lot of fiber
(14:11):
without enough balance, that'salso going to make it harder for
your body to absorb minerals.
I know I have plenty of otherepisodes on variety, etc.
If you are eating the same thingevery day, You're perhaps
missing out on some of theminerals that you might need.
Stress, digestive issues, soilquality, and different diets can
(14:33):
make it harder for your body tokeep and get the minerals that
it needs, which is why focusingon mineral balance can be such a
game changer for your health.
So I want to talk about some ofthe main mineral balances and
their impacts that we often see.
Number one is high doses ofmagnesium.
Either you're taking high dosesof magnesium for constipation or
(14:56):
maybe sleep.
Magnesium is often one of thefirst things that people try for
constipation, especially ifyou're looking for something
more quote unquote natural thanMiralax or something else.
Which, that's not a bad option.
Magnesium is great.
It helps relax muscles.
Makes it easier to go, butsometimes you could be taking a
lot.
(15:16):
We have seen clients taking 1200milligrams of magnesium and
still constipated.
Number one, you have to look atthe form.
I have another podcast episodeon the different types of
magnesium.
So I'll link that in the shownotes.
But magnesium needs otherminerals.
Like sodium and potassium forabsorption.
So we've actually seen severalclients that are able to cut
(15:40):
their magnesium dose in a thirdby supporting their other
minerals.
When your other minerals arelow, it's like trying to get
your car to move.
without gas.
You can add a lot of magnesiumbut it's just not going to move
the way that it would if itactually had fuel.
So the mineral balance reallymatters.
(16:01):
Your minerals are like asymphony.
They all work together.
Low potassium is another mineralimbalance that we see, and it's
really a big deal.
Potassium is so key for so manythings.
It energizes us, it hydrates us,it helps with your heartbeat.
When potassium is low, you'llfeel tired, maybe crampy, maybe
(16:22):
dizzy.
It's one of the minerals thatyou'll really notice when it's
low because it affects how everysingle cell in your body works.
Potassium also helps balance outsodium.
So if it's too low, you mightfeel bloated.
You might feel puffy.
We see this with a lot of ourhypothyroid clients.
They're super puffy.
(16:42):
They feel swollen and they startreally pushing potassium and all
of a sudden the swelling goesaway.
We also see this sometimes whenpeople push sodium too fast.
Even if they're low in sodium,on an htma test or something if
they are doing this sodium waytoo fast, we need to focus on
(17:02):
potassium first and all of asudden the puffiness and the
swelling goes away.
Potassium is really importantfor muscle contraction,
especially like your gut muscle.
So if you struggle with gutmotility, potassium is a big
one.
Another one is salt.
How many of you raise your handif you are scared of salt still?
(17:23):
The 90s made us so afraid ofsalt, but it really is
essential.
It helps keep our blood pressurestable.
Obviously, if you have highblood pressure, this is a
different conversation, but ithelps us to stay hydrated.
It helps get energy to oursystem.
cells.
Obviously this is a Goldilocksmentality.
Too much can cause issues, buttoo little can also leave you
(17:44):
feeling really weak, tired, orlightheaded.
We see a lot of clients that eata very whole foods based diet,
which is great, but they're notsalting their food and they
become very sodium deficient.
And they're like, why am I sotired?
You also lose lots of saltbetween sweat and stress
hormones.
So if you exercise and you aresweating a lot.
(18:07):
Or if you live in a hot climateand you sweat a lot, your sodium
needs are going to be higher.
And if you're stressed, you aregoing to have a higher sodium
loss.
So rather than avoiding salt, weneed to pair it with other
minerals like potassium to staybalanced.
It's good to use a mineral richsalt like Celtic salt or Redmond
(18:31):
salt.
And then next up is some of theratios.
So like I mentioned, mineralsreally work together.
So we're not just focused on onemineral.
We want to look at how are theyall working together.
So specifically one that we seeis sodium and potassium.
Like I mentioned, when sodium istoo high and potassium is too
(18:51):
low, you might feel puffy orbloated.
Your heart and your bloodpressure can be affected.
So it's not really just gettingenough of one or the other.
It's about the balance betweenthe two.
Another that we see is thebalance between copper and zinc.
If you take a multivitamin, yourhomework is to go look at your
multivitamin and look and see ifit has copper and zinc.
(19:14):
Copper and zinc are two mineralsthat work very closely together.
Zinc is probably more common orfamiliar to you.
It's great for your immunesystem, your skin, your energy.
But copper is often forgotten,and you cannot really supplement
zinc, or you should notsupplement zinc without
(19:35):
supplementing copper.
Because the higher zinc goes,the lower copper will go.
You need to do this together.
Copper helps things like bloodhealth, collagen production, So
if you're concerned about skinor wrinkles, copper is a big
one, but like I said, there's abalance there.
So too much zinc can push downcopper levels, making it harder
for our body to make enoughenergy.
(19:58):
Copper is really helpful forfertility.
So it actually helps with theimplantation.
So low copper can be part ofmaybe the reason someone might.
Be having trouble gettingpregnant zinc is especially
important.
I think we often think of forimmune health, but also hormone
health, skin health, et cetera.
(20:18):
And then the last part that weoften see, which this mineral
might not be super familiar toyou.
So maybe learning something newtoday, but.
Cobalt.
Cobalt is a trace mineral thatis needed in super tiny amounts,
but it can actually tell us alot about how your liver and
your stomach are working.
We see this a lot on the HCMAtest.
(20:40):
Cobalt is a part of vitamin B12.
It's key for energy and brainfunction.
If cobalt or B12 levels are low,it can signal that our liver
might need support or that ourstomach acid levels are low,
which is going to affectoverall.
mineral balance.
So low stomach acid means thatwe can't absorb certain
minerals, which can cause aripple effect on things like
(21:02):
energy digestion, mineralbalance.
So cobalt is really helpfulbecause it will give us clues
about whether we're gettingnutrients that we need from our
food.
So some of these mineralimbalances might just show us,
how Each mineral is playing aspecific role in our body, what
we can do to help you feel yourbest.
(21:24):
Our bodies need the full mineralteam working together.
So you might be thinking how doI know if I have mineral
imbalances?
So I want to kind of go throughthis like little symptom
checklist.
So are you experiencing any ofthese issues from a gut health
standpoint, bloating gas,constipation, diarrhea, stomach
(21:44):
aches, low appetite.
Cravings for sweet and saltyfoods, recurrent GI issues, food
in your stool, just poordigestion, feeling like things
kind of sit like a brick in yourstomach.
Any of those can indicate a needfor minerals.
Lack of gut motility,gastroparesis type symptoms,
(22:06):
from a hormone perspective,irregular or painful periods, a
lot of PMS or PMDD symptoms,irritability, fatigue, low
energy, low sex drive,difficulty concentrating, brain
fog and then from an energystandpoint.
Standpoint, maybe you feelunusually tired, you feel
sluggish, you have musclecramps, weakness, trouble
(22:26):
sleeping.
Maybe you wake up not feelingrested, you're dizzy or
lightheaded.
If you're nodding with any ofthese symptoms, it might be a
sign that you need ral supportand that your minerals are out
of balance.
I have several differentresources that can help you
including our mineral guide.
We also have our upcoming BlackFriday sale, which I'll tell you
(22:48):
more about.
And you might be thinking can'tI just run a blood test to check
my minerals?
Blood tests can often miss animportant piece of the picture.
And I want to break down justthe difference between blood
testing and hair testing.
Our bodies are incrediblyresourceful.
(23:08):
They will keep prioritizing theblood levels of minerals.
in a normal range, even if thatmeans pulling them from our
tissues.
So for example, let's use iron.
Iron is a mineral.
Your blood might show normallevels of iron, but that does
not give you the whole picture.
You could still have low ironstores in your body which is
what really counts for energyand overall health.
(23:31):
Same thing with potassium.
If your potassium levels are offin your blood work, we have a
very serious problem usually.
But low potassium on an HTMA isreally just kind of a warning
signal like, hey, I don't have alot of reserves.
So let's work on that.
So this means that by the timeblood work shows something is
(23:52):
off, the mineral issue haslikely been present for a long
time.
And chronic deficiencies canlead to more serious health
issues.
So hair testing can helpidentify these problems before
they escalate, or in a lot ofcases, they can also help give
us more insight into the wholepicture.
So hair testing like htma orhair tissue mineral analysis
(24:15):
really can just provide abroader overview of your mineral
status by showing the levelstored in your body's tissues
and that way we can see patternsand trends over time we can
predict potential deficienciesbefore they become a major
concern.
We can also be a lot moreproactive and have a more
comprehensive overview of allthe minerals and the symphony of
(24:37):
how they're all workingtogether.
So minerals in the blood arelooking at your immediate needs.
Minerals such as calcium,magnesium, potassium, they're
crucial, right?
For immediate physiologicalfunctions.
The body regulates these verytightly to ensure.
nerve transmission, musclecontraction, blood sugar they
can fluctuate also throughoutthe day.
(24:59):
So your hydration, your diet,your physical activity, all can
affect the levels of minerals inyour blood.
So if you're dehydrated on theday that you give blood, it will
show up on your blood work.
These are going to provide justa mineral snapshot at that given
moment of, what's going on atthis moment versus long term
(25:21):
nutritional status.
So the difference here then isminerals in the tissues are more
The reserves.
So tissues, including liver,bones and muscles hair, et
cetera.
These serve as reserves that candraw the body can draw on when
needed.
So these stores are reallyessential for long term health
(25:44):
and stability and the minerallevels in these tissues can
indicate chronic deficiencies orimbalances that might not be as
apparent in a blood test.
Because, for instance, if yourbody has been pulling calcium
from your bones to maintainblood levels, you may end up
with healthy blood calcium, butweakened bones.
(26:07):
We've seen this quite a bit withosteoporosis, osteopenia, and
then we've also seen it withiron and iron issues as well.
So hair testing, And justlooking at mineral levels in the
tissues is going to look at kindof this insight into long term
nutritional status and can helpus just to identify some of
(26:29):
these patterns that couldmanifest as symptoms.
So one is not necessarily betterthan the other, they're just
looking at different things.
And sometimes, especially withiron issues, it can be helpful
to compare the hair and theblood to see the whole picture.
So blood tests can offer areally quick view of mineral
status, but they can be prettymisleading if we're relying on
(26:53):
them solely for our healthassessment, and we're not
getting all the minerals from ablood test, so the two of them
together can work.
Great.
So how do we actuallypractically focus on mineral
repletion?
Number one is through food.
So we want to include verymineral rich foods.
Things like leafy greens, nuts,seeds, mineral rich salt,
(27:17):
potassium rich foods likebananas, sweet potatoes,
avocados citrus foods likeorange, etc.
Copper rich foods like nuts,cashews seeds, even shellfish,
oysters and then calcium richfoods as well.
We also want to focus on makingsure that our bodies are
hydrated.
(27:38):
So hydration is going to helpmaintain that balance.
But it's not just about drinkingplain water.
You might find that if you drinkplain water all day, especially
if you filter your water, thatyou're still constantly thirsty.
Mineral mocktails beverages thathave electrolytes and minerals
can be Delicious and a great wayto stay hydrated.
(28:00):
We also don't want to overdo it.
Sometimes we have clients thatare drinking way too much water
because of the thirst issue.
They're drinking 160, 200 ouncesof water a day.
And they're like, I'm still sothirsty.
We actually want to cut back onthe water intake and focus more
on minerals and getting yourbody to actually absorb the
(28:22):
water.
So your cells are kind of goingfrom that grape or their raisin
to the grape.
And then, like I mentioned,making sure that if you're
filtering your water, which is agreat thing, that you're
actually replenishing thoseminerals.
Sometimes we do need to fill inthe gap.
So even if you have the bestintention, with your diet,
(28:43):
supplementation can be helpful.
You can think of it.
Kind of like a big ditch in youryard.
It didn't get there overnight,years of elimination diets
restricting food groups, stress,lifestyle factors.
These can cause mineraldeficiencies to accumulate over
time.
I'd also add in their pregnancy,giving birth, et cetera.
(29:07):
Just as you would need to kindof fill that ditch gradually in
your backyard, supplementingminerals can help restore
balance and it can help you tofeel a lot better.
So I want to give you apractical example and a case
study.
So I'm going to share a storywith you about our client,
(29:27):
Sarah, we'll call her Sarah.
Sarah had been struggling withbloating and constipation for
many years.
And like many women, you'reprobably nodding your head.
She tried tons of diets,supplements.
Nothing really seemed to work.
She had tried high fiber diets,low carb diets, lots of
supplements, high doses ofmagnesium.
(29:48):
She really thought that themagnesium would solve her
constipation issues, but reallykind of despite all of this, she
just remained really stuck.
Every time she visited herdoctor, her labs looked normal,
even her colonoscopy was normal,which is great.
She had ruled out all the reallyserious things, but why was she
so constipated?
Why did she feel tired?
(30:09):
Why did everything come backnormal, even though she really
didn't feel normal?
So when she came to us, she justsaid, please fix my
constipation.
That's my main concern.
But we ended up fixing a lotmore than that.
So we started with HTMA, whichmight seem kind of crazy.
Why would you start with HTMAwhen somebody's constipated?
(30:30):
But why we did that is becauseminerals are foundational to
every metabolic process in thebody.
And we knew, okay, she's notresponding to this high dose of
magnesium.
What's going on with her otherminerals.
She was severely deficient insodium and potassium.
And like I mentioned at thebeginning of this episode, those
(30:51):
are critical for magnesiumabsorption.
And this was definitelycontributing to her constipation
and bloating.
So she was a little scared atfirst especially when our
recommendation was to increaseher sodium intake and the
potassium less scary, but thiswas going to help her
(31:11):
absorption.
It was going to help her musclecontractions and.
Not just focusing on magnesium.
Was going to really helpcomprehensively support her
minerals.
So once we began to support Notonly just sodium and potassium,
but also all the other mineralsand the balance of minerals She
noticed huge changes So herbloating and constipation
(31:35):
gradually improved constipationdefinitely improved a lot faster
than bloating, which is prettytypical bloating is usually the
last thing, but it really didn'tstop.
She experienced much bettersleep, a lot of mood
improvement, and she felt moreresilient to stress.
So she felt more energetic.
(31:56):
She felt less overwhelmed by herdaily stressors.
So I think the takeaway here isthat we often look for really
quick fixes with diets andsupplements.
But really true healing lies inaddressing the foundational
elements of our health likeminerals and it actually makes
things so much more simple.
(32:17):
Think about how much time shespent thinking about the food
she couldn't eat or thinkingabout, okay, what is the next
supplement that's going to helpme?
By doing a simple test andlooking at what her mineral
levels actually were.
She.
Not necessarily shortcuttedbecause she had spent so much
time, but she finally got theanswers that she'd looking for.
(32:39):
And she got out of that cycle ofjust trial and error.
And I think that I could tellyou hundreds of stories like
this.
If you're relating to this atall, it might be worth, Looking
at how your mineral status isimpacting your overall health,
regardless of if you'restruggling with energy issues,
(33:00):
hormone issues, or GI issues.
So I hope that this encouragesyou.
This is where our mineral guidecan really provide some valuable
insights and support you on yourjourney.
You can download the mineralguide using the link in the show
notes.
But thank you for joining me forthis episode.
I hope that you loved it.
(33:21):
If you had any insights, pleasefeel free to reach out and share
what was insightful to you.
And then the last thing that Iwant to share with you is that
don't forget Black Friday isjust around the corner.
This is our once a year HTMAsale.
This is an excellent opportunityto gain insights on your mineral
(33:42):
levels and help you know exactlywhat you need to do.
So make sure you're on our emaillist.
If you've downloaded the mineralguide, then you are on the email
list and you will be the firstto know we will have 30 spots.
This will include the HTMA testas well as a one on one consult
to review your health history,your concerns, questions, your
(34:02):
results, and your specific plan.
So until then, take care of yourLove your gut and it will love
you right back.
I'm giving you a thumbs upbecause you just finished
another episode of the love yourgut podcast.
I am so excited because blackFriday is just around the
corner.
And honestly, Thanksgiving andblack Friday are some of my
(34:23):
favorite days of the year.
The buzz on Instagram has beenwild with questions about our
black Friday specials.
And guess what?
The answer is a resounding yes.
So make sure that you're part ofour email list to be the very
first in the know about ourfantastic.
Black Friday deals on HTMA orhair mineral testing.
(34:43):
You do not want to miss out onthese gems.
I promise the link to join ouremail list is in the show notes
below.
And as always remember that whenyou love your gut, it'll love
you back.
And that's what we're all about.
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