Is your Diet getting you all the nutrients and minerals required on a daily basis? Is your Gut health in good shape to be able to properly absorb all the good stuff you are eating?
If you are not eating 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, likely you are behind. If you suffer from gut based symptoms like bloating, gas, pain, diarrhea; you most likely aren’t able to absorb adequately.
Do you have high stress? From work, family, school, life in general – you may be burning up valuable nutrients/minerals prior to absorption.
VITamin D
If you are not supplementing with Vitamin D, there is a good chance you are deficient; especially in the winter months. Even in summer, if you are wearing sun shirts or applying sunscreen before getting outside, you probably aren’t absorbing enough. Vitamin D is vital in supporting Thyroid and Adrenal hormones along with other systems. Vitamin D also aides in tissue formation (hello!!!!: bone, muscle, hair, skin, it literally could be an underlying root cause to everything)
Some common Symptoms:
Fatigue/Lethargy
Weak Immune System: increase frequency of viruses/colds. Taking longer to recover
Brain Fog
Poor Sleep Patterns
Pain/achiness
Hair thinning/loss
Low Mood
Proper Level:
Optimal: Lets get between 50-80 nmol/L; especially if you are symptomatic.
Natural Supplementation:
Sunshine – full body sun to the point you get a tan.
Food: Salmon, Sardines, Mackerel, Egg Yolks, Beef Liver
Supplementation:
Liquid form: combined with fat – makes this highly absorbable and easy to add to smoothie or under tongue
How to test:
Blood test – talk to your medical doctor or check out at home lab testing below
Keep in Mind:
CoFactors that may help with absorption
Medications that may prevent absorption
Digestive Conditions that decrease absorption
Vitamin B6
Most common talked about B12 could also fit here but lets discuss B6 for now.
Why is B6 low on so many people? Stress burns up B vitamins. Alcohol intake can limit absorption.
So What?
Serotonin and Melatonin require B6 as an enzyme/converter to formulate
Ex) Tryptophan➡ Serotonin (requires B6 to convert)
Ex): Serotonin ➡ Melatonin (if lower levels of Serotonin low production of Melatonin and difficulty sleeping)
Decreased B6 levels: increase risk for heart disease
Helps control healthy blood sugar levels
Some Common Symptoms:
Low Energy
Low Mood
Difficulty sleeping
Blood sugar dysregulation
Proper Level
>5.1 mg/L
Natural Supplementation:
Sweet Potato
Spinach
Banana
Green Peas
Beef
Liver
Chickpeas
Avocado
How to test:
Candida Metabolic and Vitamins test: includes a ton of data regarding your gut health and B vitamins
Blood test
Omegas
If you are not eating wild caught fish most days of the week, chances are your omega levels are out of range. It is important to note we pay attention to total omega-3 levels and the omega-6/omega-3 ratio. Literature shows that if you optimize your Omega levels, you may decrease your risk for heart disease, stroke and inflammation levels.
Optimal Range:
Omega-6/Omega-3: 3:1 Ratio
Total Omega-3 saturation rate: 9 %
How to test:
Simple blood test
Natural Supplementation:
Fish: wild caught: salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines
Seeds: Flax, chia
Nuts: walnut
AVOID: Fried foods, animal fat that is not grass fed, seed oils, processed foods
Supplementation:
look for an omega support supplement that has a 2:1 ratio of EPA to DHA.
Keep in mind:
There are cofactors that may influence your omega outcome: B vitamins, vitamin C, Magnesium, Zinc, unbalanced blood sugar
Get in touch:
If you would like to talk about at home lab testing, toxicity levels, mineral/nutrient deficiencies, and diet visit my site at: http://www.movewellwellness.com
Disclaimer:
This is not intended to be medical advice in anyway – please consult your physician prior to making any decisions.