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Causes Of Weight Loss Resistance That Your Physician May Not Have Told You About
This week on the Harmony With Food Radio Show, we talked about the role that micronutrients play in your health plus how they affect your metabolism.
Micronutrients
Your body needs more than just macronutrients (fat, carbohydrates, and protein) to function. It also needs micronutrients, which are vitamins and minerals. Micronutrients play a role in metabolism, growth, and development. Deficiencies in one or more micronutrients, which are very common in the U.S., may lead to detrimental health impacts, including chronic diseases.
The term "hidden hunger" is used to describe vitamin and mineral deficiencies. When someone's habitual diet consists of foods that lack the necessary level of micronutrients, the resulting health impact may not always be visible. So, you may not always know that you aren't getting certain vitamins and minerals and that it's affecting your metabolism, endocrine system, immune system, and even your cognitive function.
In the U.S., common nutrient deficiencies include magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron, and Vitamins A, C, and D. Of these, only Vitamin D and iron are routinely tested by doctors.
Micronutrients and Your Metabolism
What's a normal metabolism? Normal metabolism means that you don't have to starve yourself, you don't have to worry about the occasional dinner out, and you don't skip meals all day because you're worried about gaining weight. We shouldn't have to count, weigh, or ruminate about food and what we're going to eat.
I offer micronutrient testing that not only measures your micronutrients, but also looks at your metabolism, which includes your body's ability to break down carbohydrates and fatty acids so we can see where you need support.
Specific Micronutrient Deficiencies
Below are a few micronutrients we test that you may not have heard of before and are important to pay attention to:
Omega 3, 6, and 9 - fatty acids that are associated with a risk of cardiac death
Arachidonic Acid - low levels of arachidonic acid are associated with ADHD and Add
Linoleic Acid - low levels may result in eczema
DHA - low DHA may be a risk factor for the development of neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's Disease and dimentia
DPA - low levels are associated with increased risk of thrombosis, stroke, and death
Glutathione - deficiency can lead to fatigue, increased oxidative stress, which can put you at risk for developing cancer, inflammation, and infections
CoQ10 - deficiency can cause muscle weakness and fatigue, high blood pressure, slow thinking, chest pain, seizures, and heart failure
MMA - affects metabolism
Magnesium - symptoms of magnesium deficiency include weakness, heart irregularities, muscle cramps, twitches, insomnia, mental confusion, and fatigue
This is only a small snippet of the micronutrients that you need to survive and feel your best. Schedule a free call with me if you're interested in learning more about micronutrient testing.
Is your doctor checking all of your labs?
I recently had a patient who was getting good results, and losing weight, and her symptoms were resolving. She was getting to her goals, but she still had some thyroid symptoms. When she went to the doctor, they would check her T3, T4, and TSH, which were all normal.
I showed her the full list of labs that I use to check for thyroid health, and she printed the list out, brought it to her doctor, and asked for the tests. Her doctor told her that they couldn't check those labs because her other labs were normal so insurance wouldn't cover it.
I don't know about you, but to me, it doesn't make much sense not to check all the labs if you're still having symptoms. That's why it's so important to be proactive with your health. You can go beyond what insurance covers to dig deeper and really find out what's going on with your health. If you're ready to be proactive about your health, click the button below.
Grow Your Own Food
If you want to avoid pesticides and grow your own food but don't quite have a green thumb, a tower garden is my favorite way to do it! I have been using mine for a while now and I grow basil, lettuce, tomatoes, spinach, and more. It's so nice having those ingredients readily available to use, not to mention cheaper than the grocery store. I gifted one to my sister and she loves it too. Plus, you can grow your own food year-round without having to worry about the temperature outside!
