One of the most common patterns I see on hair mineral tests is low sodium and potassium. If you’re wondering how you can improve these minerals, I have 3 tips for you!

1. Increase sodium and potassium-rich foods at the same time. These two minerals work closely together. If we only increase sodium-rich foods like salt, bone broth, fermented foods, etc. then we can lower potassium further in the process. If we only increase potassium-rich foods like potatoes, winter squash, fruit, coconut water, salmon, and beef we can lower sodium in the process. The goal is to get a balance between the two.

2. Avoid too much magnesium. When we supplement with magnesium it lower aldosterone, which is the hormone that increases sodium retention. This is why I don’t recommend starting with magnesium supplements for most people. A small amount (100-200mg) may work for some people. Talk with your practitioner.

3. Support your thyroid! We need adequate thyroid hormone to support our sodium/potassium pump. We have these pumps on every cell in the body. Low sodium and potassium impact thyroid health, but a lack of active thyroid hormones also impairs the functioning of these pumps and can make it harder to increase sodium and potassium levels.

My favorite way to start supporting the thyroid is to eat breakfast and eat regularly throughout the day. The goal is to balance meals with adequate animal protein and then add in whole foods carbs (there’s your potassium) to support blood sugar balance.

If you are interested in hair mineral testing and want to learn more about what actions you can take after testing, check out my Master Your Minerals course.

You can also check out the potassium deep dive and sodium deep dive I did on the Are You Menstrual? Podcast.

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