The World Health Organization defines health as the following: “health is not merely the absence of disease but also a state of complete physical, social, mental well-being.” I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. Just because we don’t have a diagnosis doesn’t necessarily mean we are healthy.
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I think many people can relate to having symptoms, going to the doctor, and being told that everything looks normal. It’s frustrating and has left many (myself included) looking for alternatives to conventional healthcare. A big area that is lacking in conventional healthcare is nutrition and a lack of knowledge around what is optimal.
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For example, nutrient deficiencies and recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) give me a headache. A common question I get whenever I talk about certain nutrients is if someone can take too much of x, y, z nutrients if they don’t have a deficiency. What most people don’t realize is that just because you don’t have a deficiency doesn’t mean you have optimal levels of a specific nutrient.
Many people have suboptimal levels of nutrients, which can lead to symptoms and dysfunction in the body, but because you aren’t able to see this with normal ranges on blood work, it is not highlighted.
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When it comes to the RDAs, it’s important to note these recommendations are based on healthy individuals. What about individuals that are not healthy or have health concerns? Can they not benefit from more of specific nutrients? This would require research in order to raise the levels for certain cases, which doesn’t look like it will be prioritized any time soon.
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I am not recommending that people megadose on vitamins or minerals. We have to remember that they are both synergistic. If we take a large amount of one, it could throw off the balance of another and also have health consequences.
If you want to start learning about minerals then look into my minerals 101 guide!
reminder: i’m currently taking on 1:1 clients. if you’d like to explore what it would be like to work together and if we are a good fit, fill out this form to get more details!
