Your liver has a desk job it never gets to leave.

Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, new work piles up: hormones, medications, alcohol, metabolic waste, compounds coming from your gut, excess nutrients, and environmental exposures.

Your liver is built to handle this work. But after 40, 50 or 60 years, the piles on your desk can look very different from when you were 25.

And somehow, when the desk gets overloaded, wellness culture's answer is usually to put something else on it.

Another supplement. Another herb. Another detox. A peptide.

Sometimes your liver doesn't need more of your help. It needs less work so it has the bandwidth to catch up.

We already test for excess.

For years, I've used hair and blood testing to look at both sides of nutrition: what are you deficient in, and what do you already have too much of?

Maybe you need more zinc or potassium. But maybe copper is high. Iron is accumulating. You're getting too much vitamin A. Or you're taking supplements you never needed in the first place.

This is why I test. More isn't always better.

But vitamins and minerals are only one pile on the desk.

What about everything you're being exposed to?

Glyphosate. BPA. Phthalates. Pesticides. Mercury. Lead. Arsenic. Mycotoxins.

It's very hard to know how much of this stuff you're being exposed to.

Toxic burden doesn't always look like "toxicity"

I think this is where people get confused about toxic burden.

They expect it to look dramatic. One toxin. One obvious symptom. One smoking gun.

In reality, environmental exposures can affect the body through different pathways, including oxidative stress, inflammatory signaling, and endocrine disruption. Depending on the exposure and the person, the effects may be much less obvious.

Fatigue, headaches, brain fog, skin issues, hormonal symptoms, digestive complaints, feeling unusually reactive-or simply feeling like your body is a little irritated everywhere.

Low-grade smoke without an obvious fire.

Does that mean fatigue or inflammation proves toxic burden? Of course not. These symptoms can have dozens of causes.

But when someone eats well, we've corrected the obvious nutritional problems, the basic labs look good, and there's still smoke?

I want to know what else is on the desk.

Where is all this stuff coming from?

This is where exposure gets interesting because it doesn't necessarily come from an obviously unhealthy lifestyle.

Mercury can come from certain fish. Arsenic can occur in water and foods like rice. Lead can come from older homes, plumbing, soil, work, and hobbies. Glyphosate is a widely used herbicide. BPA and other bisphenols are used in certain plastics and food-contact materials. Phthalates are associated with plastics, fragrances, and personal-care products. Mycotoxins can come from certain foods and water-damaged environments.

You don't have to live next to a chemical plant to have an exposure worth knowing about.

And exposure doesn't automatically mean toxicity. Dose, frequency, the specific compound, and the person all matter.

Before you "detox," wouldn't it help to know what?

This is my problem with generic liver detoxes.

Detox what?

Mercury and glyphosate aren't the same problem. Neither is mold exposure and too much vitamin A.

If your desk is overloaded, I'd like to know which piles we're dealing with.

A seven-day liver cleanse also can't undo decades of habits and exposures. It's like saving money for a week, spending recklessly the rest of the year, and wondering why you're not rich.

Supporting your liver isn't something you do for seven days.

It's a lifestyle; consistently giving it less work to do.

And knowing what's creating the work makes that a whole lot easier.

And if weight is a struggle, certain environmental chemicals can disrupt metabolic signaling and have been studied as "obesogens," while some persistent pollutants can actually accumulate in body fat. This means toxic burden may be one overlooked piece of stubborn weight gain-not because your body simply "stores toxins as fat," but because environmental exposures can interact with the very systems that regulate fat tissue and metabolism.

Now we can see another piece of the puzzle

This is why I'm excited to add the Total Toxic Burden Test to the testing I offer.

Hair and blood testing already help me identify nutritional deficiencies and excesses. Total Tox gives us another piece of the puzzle: environmental exposure.

One urine sample measures 87 markers: 20 heavy metals, 29 mycotoxins, and 38 environmental chemicals, including markers associated with glyphosate, BPA, phthalates, pesticides, mercury, lead, arsenic, and more.

That's what I want testing to do: replace a giant list of possibilities with a much smaller list of things actually worth your attention.

What's your toxic burden?

If your liver's desk is overflowing, the answer probably isn't another pile.

It's figuring out what we can take off.

Learn More About Packages That You Can Add the Total Toxic Burden Test To→

See the full list of markers tested here.

The Total Tox Burden test from Vibrant Wellness has not been cleared or approved by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Detection of an environmental chemical, metal, or mycotoxin does not by itself establish toxicity or prove that the substance is causing symptoms.

References:

1. Liu B, et al. Association between bisphenol A exposure and metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Environmental Research. 2024. PMID: 38491337. PubMed
2. Golestanzadeh M, et al. Association of phthalate exposure with insulin resistance: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2021. PMID: 34498187. PubMed
3. Pesticide exposure and risk of metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. 2022. PMID: 35439599. PubMed
4. Association between heavy metal exposure and metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. 2024. PMID: 39610503. PubMed
5. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Obesity and environmental exposures. National Institutes of Health. NIEHS overview of obesogens and obesity

The post Why Your Liver Is Working Overtime appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Here's something nobody in the wellness space wants to say out loud: you can eat too healthily and make yourself sick.

I know. I've seen it in clients more times than I can count.

Not because whole foods are bad. But because certain nutrients - the fat-soluble ones especially - don't just pass through when you get too much of them. They accumulate. And where do they accumulate most?

Your liver.

Your liver is the primary storage depot for fat-soluble nutrients. It holds onto them and releases them into the bloodstream as needed. Which sounds like a great system - until storage is full and the overflow has nowhere to go.

This is one of the most overlooked drivers of chronic symptoms I work with. Not deficiency. Excess. Specifically, excess of three nutrients that nobody suspects because they've always been positioned as healthy: vitamin A, copper, and iron.

Let's talk about each one.

Vitamin A: The Nutrient You're Probably Getting Too Much Of

Vitamin A has long been celebrated as a nutritional superstar - and for good reason. It supports immune function, eye health, hormone production, reproduction, and growth. It's found in almost every food, and most abundantly in a whole foods diet.

That last part is exactly where the problem starts.

How vitamin A toxicity happens

Vitamin A is fat-soluble. That means excess doesn't get excreted in urine the way water-soluble vitamins do - it gets shuttled to tissue for storage, primarily in your liver. And it builds up there quietly over time (think decades, not days).

Here's what a typical health-conscious person might be taking in without realizing it:

From food:

• Liver: 338% DV per 100g
• Sweet potato: 769% DV per cup
• Kale: 206% DV per cup, chopped
• Eggs: 24% DV per 3 hard-boiled eggs
• Butter: 11% DV per tablespoon
• Salmon: 25% DV per 100g
• Fortified cereal: up to 60% DV per cup

Do you see how easy it is to hit - or blow past - the daily value through eggs, a few tablespoons of butter, and a carrot or two? Before touching a single supplement?

Then layer on:

• A multivitamin containing vitamin A
• Cod liver oil (one of the richest supplemental sources out there)
• Organ meat supplements - wildly popular right now, and liver is one of the most common
• Birth control pill (which increases serum vitamin A levels in the body) [3]
• Topical retinoids - skin cycling routines, anti-aging creams, tretinoin - which can contribute up to 24% of the daily upper limit through skin absorption alone [14]
• Prescription acne medications like Accutane or Isotretinoin

That stack adds up fast. And here's the data point I find most telling: a 2018 cadaver study using liver biopsy - the gold standard for assessing vitamin A status - found that 33% of liver samples showed hypervitaminotic concentrations of vitamin A. Only 22% were deficient. [6]

Toxicity is more common than deficiency. We've just been looking for the wrong problem.

What vitamin A toxicity actually looks like

The symptom list for hypervitaminosis A is long - and easy to miss, because nothing about it screams "liver":

• Blurry vision or vision changes
• Hair loss
• Dry, rough, itchy, or peeling skin
• Cracked fingernails and skin at the corners of your mouth
• Bone pain or swelling, osteoporosis
• Headache and dizziness
• Nausea
• Sensitivity to sunlight
• Confusion and irritability
• Jaundiced skin
• Enlarged liver and spleen [15]
• Weight gain [10]
• Respiratory infections

A 2006 study noted that subtoxicity - meaning vitamin A excess without obvious clinical signs - may be a growing concern, since intake from preformed vitamin A often exceeds the RDA in developed countries. Osteoporosis and hip fracture have even been associated with preformed vitamin A intakes only twice the current RDA. [4]

The Livertox database confirms: excess vitamin A accumulates in stellate cells in the liver, leading to activation, hypertrophy, excess collagen production, fibrosis, and liver injury. [10]

Who should be especially cautious

• Pregnant women: excess vitamin A is linked to birth defects and malformations [7]
• People with Gilbert's syndrome: vitamin A may slow the UGT enzyme, further reducing bilirubin clearance
• Children who supplement (9)
• Anyone with a long history of accutane or retinoid use, cod liver oil, or high-dose multivitamins

What to do about it

Start with an audit - supplements, multivitamins, beauty products, prescription history. If vitamin A is showing up in multiple places, that's your first clue. A vitamin A blood lab can give you actual data on severity, though I'll note that standard lab ranges tend to run too high in my clinical experience.

Copper: The Mineral That Messes With Your Mind (and Your Hormones)

Copper is one of those minerals that most people aren't thinking about - until they start connecting dots.

Here's why it matters: copper directly impacts your neurotransmitters. Specifically, it lowers dopamine (your pleasure and reward neurotransmitter) and raises norepinephrine, which functions as a stress hormone. That combination alone can explain a symptom picture that looks a lot like anxiety, burnout, and hormonal chaos - and that most practitioners are missing entirely.

What copper overload looks like

• Irritability, high anxiety, poor stress control
• Headaches and migraines
• Depression and postpartum depression
• Sleep issues
• Difficulty focusing
• Ringing in ears
• Hair thinning and loss
• Premature graying
• Abnormal menstrual cycles
• Estrogen intolerance
• Skin sensitivity to rough fabrics and metals
• Adverse reactions to copper-containing foods like chocolate and shellfish
• Hyperactivity and academic underachievement in children (16)

Sound familiar? I see this pattern constantly - especially in high-achieving women who've been told their hormones are "fine."

How copper overload happens

The most important relationship to understand is copper and zinc - they're antagonists. When zinc drops (from stress, poor diet, or malabsorption), copper rises. This is why copper overload is so common in people who are chronically stressed, eating plant-heavy diets, or on hormonal birth control.

Other contributors:

• Estrogen dominance - estrogen allows copper to rise
• Hormonal birth control and HRT
• Copper IUD
• High-copper diet: dark chocolate, nuts and seeds, shellfish, avocado, shiitake mushrooms
• Old copper pipes in your drinking water
• Pyrroles disorder
• Deficiency of copper-binding proteins (ceruloplasmin and metallothionein)
• Genetic predisposition

Here's the piece that makes copper especially tricky: you can have copper overload and copper deficiency at the same time. Free copper (unbound) acts as a free radical and drives oxidative stress. Bioavailable copper (bound to ceruloplasmin) is what your body can actually use. In a healthy system, 80-95% of copper is bound. When over 25% is free, you're in metal metabolism disorder territory.

Measuring only one marker gives you half the story - which is why I always run both serum copper and plasma zinc alongside hair tissue mineral analysis with my clients.

Copper and cancer - what the data shows

This is the part that doesn't get nearly enough attention. Elevated copper has been found consistently across multiple cancer types - liver, colorectal, lung, and breast - with copper levels directly correlated to cancer progression in the research. [15,16]

A 2024 meta-analysis found that an elevated copper-to-zinc ratio is associated with increased breast cancer risk, and that high copper/low zinc combinations correlate with poorer survival outcomes across multiple cancer types. [13] Copper depletion has even been explored as a viable therapeutic approach in breast cancer treatment. [8]

This isn't fringe. It's a reason to know your numbers.

What to do about it

Pull back on high-copper foods and copper-containing supplements (including multivitamins - copper supplementation is well-linked to liver injury in the literature, 20). Then focus on the nutrients that help your body clear excess copper:

• Zinc
• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin C
• Molybdenum
• Niacin [19]

Iron: The Most Underdiagnosed Overload

You've probably heard about anemia. Iron overload - the opposite problem - doesn't get nearly the same airtime. And yet hereditary hemochromatosis is one of the most prevalent genetic conditions in North America.

Hemochromatosis is a condition where your body absorbs significantly more iron from food than it should. A typical healthy person absorbs about 10% of dietary iron. Those with hemochromatosis can absorb up to four times that amount. [1]

Excess iron acts like a rusting agent in your body. It accumulates in the liver, pancreas, heart, joints, and brain - accelerating aging, increasing cancer risk, and shortening life expectancy. It's also linked to liver disease, cardiovascular disease, hypothyroidism, infertility, and a very long list of other conditions. [11]

What iron overload looks like

Early iron overload is often completely silent. As it progresses:

• Fatigue and weakness
• Joint pain and arthritis
• Abdominal pain
• Heart arrhythmia and heart disease
• Liver disease and cirrhosis
• Hypothyroidism
• Hormonal problems, infertility, loss of libido
• Diabetes
• Depression
• Hair loss
• Yellowing of the skin

On labs, iron saturation and serum iron tend to creep up first. Elevated bilirubin and liver enzymes can also hint at iron overload. [21]

How common is this, really?

More common than you'd think. The two major HFE genes - C282Y and H63D - are present in approximately 1 in 200 Caucasians in their full form. But carriers (with a single copy) can also experience symptoms, and there are at least 20 additional mutations identified so far.

Approximately 1 in 3 people carry at least one hemochromatosis gene. There's no national screening program. And an iron panel used to be standard in yearly blood work - until around 1996-1997, when it was quietly dropped. Now it's only ordered if you or your doctor specifically request it.

That's a massive undiagnosed population walking around with a liver that's slowly rusting from the inside.

Who's most at risk

• Ancestors from Northern Europe
• Family history of early heart attack, liver disease, diabetes, hypothyroidism, or infertility
• Males, or postmenopausal females who are no longer menstruating
• Carriers or those homozygous for C282Y or H63D

What to do about it

Testing is non-negotiable here. At minimum, you want an iron panel: serum iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), transferrin saturation, and ferritin. Genetic testing can tell you whether you carry the HFE genes.

If iron is high, the most common and effective interventions are:

• Regular blood donation
• Therapeutic phlebotomy (Rx-prescribed)
• Reducing high-iron foods (red meat, liver) and iron-fortified processed foods
• Avoiding iron supplements and iron-containing multivitamins
• Limiting alcohol, which increases iron absorption

Iron overload isn't something you cure. It's something you manage for life - which is exactly why knowing your status matters so much.

The Common Thread

Vitamin A, copper, and iron all share the same pattern.

They're nutrients you've been told are healthy - and they are, in the right amounts, for the right person. But in excess, they accumulate in the liver. They slow it down. And the symptoms they create look nothing like "I have too much vitamin A" or "my copper is off." They look like hormonal chaos, stubborn fatigue, anxiety, skin issues, thyroid dysfunction, and a body that stopped responding to the things that used to work.

I've said it before and I'll keep saying it: I test before I recommend. Every single time.

Because deficiency and toxicity can look nearly identical on paper. Guessing keeps you spinning. Data changes everything.

How to Find Out Where You Stand

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) A hair sample that assesses 35 minerals and their relationships - including copper, iron, and the nutrients your liver needs to run its detox pathways efficiently. Available to clients worldwide. This is where I start with almost every client, because it shows us what your liver is working with and what it's up against. Available to clients worldwide. → Learn about HTMA testing

Nutrient Blood Labs For a more complete picture - especially for vitamin A, serum copper, plasma zinc, and a full iron panel - targeted blood labs give us the clinical data to confirm what HTMA points to. Available to US clients. → Learn about nutrient blood labs

Not sure where to start? Book a free 15-minute consultation. We'll look at what you're dealing with and I'll point you in the right direction for your specific situation. → Book a free consultation

References

1. Iron Disorders Institute. Hereditary Hemochromatosis. http://www.irondisorders.org/Websites/idi/files/Content/854256/HHC%20ALL2011.pdf
2. Trace Elements Inc. Nutritional Relationships of Copper. https://www.traceelements.com/Docs/The%20Nutritional%20Relationships%20of%20Copper.pdf
3. Wild J, Schorah CJ, Smithells RW. Vitamin A, pregnancy, and oral contraceptives. Br Med J. 1974;1(5897):57-59. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.1.5897.57
4. Penniston KL, Tanumihardjo SA. The acute and chronic toxic effects of vitamin A. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16469975
5. Iron Disorders Institute. Iron Overload Fact Sheet. http://www.irondisorders.org/Websites/idi/files/Content/854256/HHC%20FACT2010.pdf
6. Olsen K, Suri DJ, Davis C, Sheftel J, Nishimoto K, Yamaoka Y, Toya Y, Welham NV, Tanumihardjo SA. Serum retinyl esters are positively correlated with analyzed total liver vitamin A reserves collected from US adults at time of death. Am J Clin Nutr. 2018;108(5):997-1005. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqy190
7. Mastroiacovo P et al. Teratogenic effects of vitamin A. Sciencedirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0890623897001020
8. Donaldson MS. Copper depletion in breast cancer therapy. Ecancermedicalscience. https://erc.bioscientifica.com/downloadpdf/journals/erc/11/2/15163301.pdf
9. WG. How Much Is Too Much - Vitamin A in children's supplements. https://www.ewg.org/research/how-much-is-too-much
10. LiverTox Database. Vitamin A (Retinol). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK548165/
11. Iron Overload/Hemochromatosis: https://chriskresser.com/iron-behaving-badly-the-role-of-iron-overload-in-metabolic-disease/
12. Guo C et al. Vitamin A, obesity and metabolic risk. Nutrients. 2022. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/3/610
13. Copper/Zinc ratio and breast cancer: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11013867/
14. European Commission SCCS. Vitamin A in face cream products. https://health.ec.europa.eu/publications/vitamin-retinol-retinyl-acetate-retinyl-palmitate_en
15. Medsafe NZ. Vitamin A toxicity overview. https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/profs/class/Agendas/agen56-Vitamin%20A.pdf
16. Walsh WJ. Nutrient Power: Heal Your Biochemistry & Heal Your Brain. 2014.
17. Cancer Treatment Reviews. Copper and cancer progression. https://www.cancertreatmentreviews.com/article/S0305-7372(08)00261-2/fulltext
18. Frontiers in Oncology. Copper levels in cancer patients. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2023.1209156/full
19. Trace Elements Inc. News March-April 1989 - Niacin and copper clearing. https://www.traceelements.com/Docs/News%20March-April%2089.pdf
20. Livertox Database. Copper. Last Update: October 30, 2017 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK548090/
21. Alizadeh BZ, Njajou OT, Houwing-Duistermaat JJ, de Jong G, Vergeer J, Hofman A, Pols HAP, van Duijn CM. Does bilirubin protect against hemochromatosis gene (HFE) related mortality? Am J Med Genet A. 2004;129A(1):39-43. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.a.30163

The post Nutrients That Get Stuck in Your Liver appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Your body doesn't make mistakes.

I know that's hard to believe when you're dealing with chronic fatigue, stubborn weight, hormonal chaos, skin that won't clear, digestion that won't cooperate, and a metabolism that seems to have given up entirely.

But every single one of those symptoms is your body adapting intelligently to the conditions it's living in.

The question isn't what's wrong with your body. The question is: what conditions is it operating under?

Two modes. One body.

Your nervous system has two settings.

Parasympathetic - rest, digest, detox, repair, reproduce. This is the state where healing happens. Where nutrients get absorbed. Where hormones get made and cleared. Where bile flows, digestion runs, and your body invests resources in long-term health.

Sympathetic - fight, flight, survive. This is the state where everything non-essential gets shut down. Digestion off. Detox off. Hormone production deprioritized. Bile sluggish. Metabolism slowed. All resources redirected to one goal: surviving the immediate threat.

Your body is brilliantly designed for both. The problem isn't the stress response. The problem is when it never turns off.

Chronic stress - work stress, financial stress, relational stress, the stress of having an unwell body for years - all registers the same way to your nervous system. There is no distinction between running from a predator and sitting in traffic for the fourth day in a row. The alarm fires the same way. And if it fires often enough, long enough, your body stops waiting for the all-clear and just... stays there.

In survival mode. Indefinitely.

What chronic sympathetic dominance actually looks like

This is where most women get stuck - because the symptoms of a chronically stressed nervous system look exactly like a dozen other diagnosable conditions.

• Inflammation - not a disease. A healing response that never got the signal to stand down.
• Weight gain - not laziness. Cortisol, insulin, and estrogen all tell the body to store fat under certain conditions. Those conditions are chronic stress.
• Constipation - not a fiber problem. Digestion and gut motility are parasympathetic functions. When the sympathetic nervous system is running the show, things slow down and stop because digesting well won't really serve you in an emergency.
• Low energy - not a thyroid problem. Stress hormones suppress thyroid function directly. They also burn through the minerals that drive energy production at the cellular level.
• Skin issues - not a skincare problem. Your skin is a mirror of your liver and gut health - both of which are downstream of nervous system regulation.
• High blood pressure - not just genetics. The stress response raises blood pressure as part of its design. Chronically elevated stress hormones mean chronically elevated pressure.

How many of these are familiar?

Are you chasing the symptom with supplements and quick fixes - instead of understanding what created it in the first place?

Because that's where the real answers are. Not in the symptom. In the conditions that created it.

The cake analogy

Think of your health like baking a cake.

You need the right ingredients - nutrients, minerals, whole foods, the things we talk about around here on the regular. Without them, the cake doesn't have the raw materials to become, well, cake.

But the ingredients have to be right in another way too. Not just present - balanced. Too much flour and the cake turns dense and heavy. Too little sugar and it won't rise properly or taste the way it's supposed to. Too much of even a good thing - or too little of something essential - throws the whole recipe off.

But you also need the right oven temperature. Consistent. Stable. Warm enough to let the chemistry do its work.

Your nervous system is the oven.

If your oven is stuck in energy-saving mode - cycling between too hot and too cold, running on stress, never quite settling - it doesn't matter how perfect your ingredients are. The cake isn't going to rise right. It isn't going to cook properly. Something will always be off.

You need both. The ingredients AND the oven. Nutrition AND nervous system regulation. Neither one works without the other.

What actually helps

This isn't about meditation and positive thinking as a cure-all. It isn't about eliminating all stress - that's not possible, and it's not the point.

It's about lowering what the late Dr. John Sarno first described as the emotional reservoir - the accumulated, often unfelt emotional stress that keeps your nervous system in a low-grade state of alarm even when nothing acute is happening. Dr. Sarno spent decades documenting the link between suppressed emotion and physical symptoms, and his work influenced an entire generation of mind-body practitioners. Nicole Sachs, who studied directly with him, built on that foundation with JournalSpeak - a structured expressive writing practice designed to drain that reservoir regularly and give your nervous system a consistent outlet for the load it's been quietly carrying.

In her book Mind Your Body, Sachs introduces a practice called JournalSpeak - a specific, structured form of expressive writing designed to drain that reservoir. Not to process trauma in a clinical sense, but to give your nervous system a regular outlet for the emotional load it's been quietly carrying. The research behind expressive writing and its effect on physical symptoms is compelling - and the practice itself is simple enough to start today.

The nervous system work doesn't replace the nutrition work. It makes the nutrition work actually land.

The bottom line

Your body wants to heal. It is always, without exception, working toward survival and equilibrium every millisecond of every day.

But healing is a parasympathetic function. And you cannot heal in a body that doesn't feel safe.

No supplement protocol, no elimination diet, no mineral balancing plan works fully in a nervous system stuck in fight-or-flight. But if you've been doing everything right and still not seeing results, this is the layer worth looking at.

Address your nervous system. Nourish your body. Stack the deck intelligently in your body's favor.

Your body has been waiting for exactly that.

Recommended reading: Mind Your Body by Nicole Sachs and her JournalSpeak practice: nicolesachs.com

Recommended next steps: → [Take the assessment - find out which body systems are under the most stress right now] → [Learn about HTMA and mineral testing - find out what chronic stress has depleted]

References:

1. Sachs, N. (2023). Mind your body: A revolutionary program to overcome chronic pain and illness. Sounds True.
2. Sarno, J. E. (1991). Healing back pain: The mind-body connection. Warner Books.

The post Your Body Wants to Heal. But You Might Be in the Way. appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

"You don't need it" or: "just avoid fatty foods."

Neither of those is good enough.

Your gallbladder wasn't optional equipment. It was a critical part of how your body digests fat, absorbs nutrients, clears hormones, and moves waste out. Removing it solved an immediate problem — but it didn't fix what created that problem in the first place.

If you're still dealing with digestive issues, fatigue, skin problems, hormonal chaos, or stubborn weight after gallbladder removal — keep reading.

→ Think your liver and bile flow might be behind your symptoms? [Take the quiz here]

Why You Lost Your Gallbladder

Your gallbladder didn't randomly fail. It was the end result of a system that had been struggling long before removal felt necessary.

Your liver produces bile — a fluid that breaks down fat, carries toxins out of your body, acts as an antimicrobial substance and keeps your digestive tract moving. Your gallbladder stored and concentrated that bile, releasing it in a coordinated surge when you ate.

When bile becomes too thick, too sluggish, or too saturated — from nutrient deficiencies, chronic stress, medications, or hormonal imbalance — it crystallizes. Those crystals become stones. And all too often, symptoms and surgery collide.

The most common contributors:

• Bile too thick to flow - from taurine, magnesium, or selenium deficiency
• Excess estrogen - which thickens bile and slows flow through the bile ducts
• Chronic stress - which shuts down digestive function including bile release
• Long-term medications - particularly statins, HRT, and oral contraceptives
• Nutrient excess - particularly iron, vitamin A or copper overload, all of which burden the liver
• Chronic constipation - which prevents bile acids from being properly excreted

Understanding why it happened matters — because if those underlying conditions aren't addressed, the liver continues to struggle long after the gallbladder is gone.

What Changes When the Gallbladder Is Gone

Before removal, bile was stored, concentrated, and released in a precise surge when fat hit your small intestine. Without the gallbladder, that changes completely.

Bile now drips continuously from your liver — at low concentration, regardless of whether you're eating. Here's what that means in practice:

• Fat digestion becomes unreliable - without concentrated bile at mealtimes, fat passes through poorly absorbed, causing bloating, nausea, and loose stools
• Fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K become harder to absorb - deficiencies can accumulate quietly even when diet is excellent
• Bile acid recycling is disrupted - your liver works harder to produce new bile acids from scratch, increasing its nutrient demand
• Gut motility slows or becomes erratic - bile stimulates peristalsis; without concentrated pulsed release, constipation or bile acid diarrhea are both common
• Estrogen stops clearing properly - bile carries used estrogen out of the body; when flow is inadequate, estrogen recirculates, driving PMS, weight gain, breast tenderness, and mood instability
• The nervous system becomes a bottleneck - bile release was coordinated by the vagus nerve; chronic stress suppresses vagal tone, slows bile production, and keeps the whole system sluggish regardless of what else you do

How to Support Your Body Going Forward

1. Give Your Liver Less Work to Do

The more you reduce what your liver has to process, the more capacity it has to produce bile efficiently and clear waste. The most common things overloading the liver post-removal:

• Alcohol - impairs bile production and liver detox capacity
• Unnecessary supplements and medications - both are processed by the liver
• Excess fat-soluble vitamins in supplement form - particularly vitamin A and D, which accumulate when bile flow is compromised
• Copper overload - from cookware, supplements, nuts, dark chocolate, and copper IUDs
• Iron overload - common and underdiagnosed, particularly in women post-menopause
• High pesticide and environmental toxin exposure - processed through the same liver pathways as hormones
• Heavy metals - lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic are processed through the same liver detox pathways as hormones and metabolic waste. Post-removal, when bile flow is already compromised, heavy metal accumulation creates an additional burden your liver has to work around before it can do anything else.

This doesn't mean you need an elimination diet. It means you need to be strategic about load — doing less of certain things consistently so your liver isn't always running at capacity.

2. Balance the Minerals That Drive Bile Production

Bile production and flow are mineral-dependent. Without the right nutrients, your liver can't make bile efficiently — and what it does make can be too thick to move. Here are the six that matter most post-removal:

Taurine
Conjugates bile acids so they're water-soluble and able to do their job. Without it, bile becomes less effective and the recycling loop breaks down. Found primarily in animal proteins.

Magnesium
Relaxes the bile ducts and supports liver enzyme function. Depleted rapidly by chronic stress — the same stress that contributed to your gallbladder issues in the first place.

Zinc
Essential for liver detox pathways and the primary antagonist to copper. Low zinc allows copper to accumulate — one of the most common and overlooked drivers of liver burden in women.

Selenium
Protects liver cells from oxidative damage and supports thyroid hormone conversion, which directly affects how much bile your liver produces.

Molybdenum
Clears sulfite buildup from gut bacterial metabolism — a quiet but significant liver burden, especially common post-surgery when bile flow is disrupted and gut dysbiosis follows.

Potassium
Keeps gut motility moving so bile has somewhere to go. Low potassium is a direct contributor to the constipation that backs the entire system up.

The critical point: you cannot guess which of these you need. Mineral relationships are not linear — too much of one affects others. The only way to know what your body actually needs is to test at the tissue level.

3. Don't Skip the Nervous System

Bile production is regulated by the vagus nerve. Chronic sympathetic dominance — the state most stressed, unwell women live in — suppresses vagal tone, slows bile synthesis, and keeps digestion in a low-grade state of dysfunction. No supplement protocol fully compensates for a nervous system stuck in fight-or-flight. Mineral deficiency, poor bile flow, and nervous system dysregulation are not separate problems. They are the same problem showing up three different ways — and all three need to be addressed together.

Start With Data, Not Guesswork

The testing I use to support clients post-gallbladder removal looks at:

• Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) - tissue levels of bile-supporting minerals, heavy metal accumulation, and the stress and metabolic patterns driving liver burden. Available worldwide, no needles, no clinic.
• Plasma zinc and serum copper (blood) - to assess the zinc-copper ratio directly
• Iron studies (blood) - because iron overload is frequently missed and directly impairs detox capacity
• Vitamin A (blood) - because fat-soluble vitamin accumulation is a real risk when bile flow is compromised

This combination shows what your liver is deficient in, what it's overloaded with, and where to focus first. A map — not another protocol to guess your way through.

Ready to Find Out What's Actually Going On?

Not sure if your liver is behind your symptoms?
Take the quiz. Two minutes. Immediate answers.
→ [Take the Quiz]

Ready to start with data?
Hair tissue mineral analysis shows exactly what your liver is missing, what it's overloaded with, and where to start.
→ [Learn About Testing] or [Request a Free Consultation]

Ready to do something about it?
The DRAIN Method is the opposite of a detox — a strategic, sustainable approach to giving your liver less work to do while giving it exactly what it needs.
→ [Learn About DRAIN]

Recommended Reading

• What to do INSTEAD of a liver detox
• 13 Signs of Bile Deficiency Syndrome
• Two Must-Have Tests for Mystery Symptoms

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References

1. Lammert F, et al. Gallstones. Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 2016.
2. Hofmann AF. The continuing importance of bile acids in liver and intestinal disease. Archives of Internal Medicine, 1999.
3. Schaffer SW, et al. Physiological roles of taurine in heart and muscle. Journal of Biomedical Science, 2010.
4. Rayman MP. The importance of selenium to human health. The Lancet, 2000.
5. Prasad AS. Zinc: role in immunity, oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care, 2009.

The post No Gallbladder? Here's What's Actually Going On — and What to Do Next. appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Face tape

Face tape, when I remember to use it, has become one of my favorite injectable alternatives. It doesn't treat wrinkles, but it helps train the face to relax habitual expression lines and can give a temporary smoothing effect. Think of it as a little reminder to stop scrunching your forehead or clenching your jaw.

I've used this product and this product; the first is stiffer and more expensive, but my personal favorite.

Microneedling pen

Last spring I bought a microneedling pen and discovered how surprisingly easy it is to use at home-and how nice it is to control both the amount of needles and the depth for a customized recovery time. At-home microneedling is intentionally more shallow than an in-office treatment for safety reasons, but it's still incredibly effective for boosting skin texture and glow over time. I learned so much from one creator's tutorials, and thanks to her, microneedling is now part of my monthly routine.

Here's the microneedling pen I use. For needle cartridges, I alternate between 12, 18 and 36 needles depending on how strong of a treatment I want (less needles equals a more aggressive session).

Chemical peels at home

For gentle exfoliation, mandelic acid at 22% and 40% is my go-to. It's mild, beginner-friendly, and great for brightening. If you want something stronger, there are also glycolic, lactic, and even TCA peel options depending on your comfort level and your skin's resilience. Consistency matters more than strength here, so start slowly at low concentrations and listen to what your skin likes.

I use this brand for my chemical peels.

Wrinkle-preventing pillow

I love sleeping on my side and stomach, which unfortunately means I create wrinkles while I sleep. Switching to a wrinkle-prevention pillow has been a game changer. I removed some of the stuffing to get the neck support just right, but once I dialed that in, it became an essential part of my nighttime routine. If you're a fellow side-sleeper, this is one of the easiest long-term habits to help minimize those sleep-crease lines.

I love this pillow but adjust the stuffing to fit your neck's needs.

Red light therapy

I've been using red light therapy for years and am completely hooked. Red light therapy works by stimulating collagen production and improving circulation, which can help support overall skin health and potentially reduce the appearance of fine lines over time. I've written more extensively about this one here, if details are your thing.

You can find my favorite device right here.

I hope this helps narrow your list of more natural ways to preserve your skin's radiance as you age. Remember, what works for me might not work for you-listen to your skin and enjoy the process.

Your skin isn't just shaped by external factors-it reflects what your body needs on the inside, too. If you haven't tested your vitamin and mineral levels lately, consider it a little gift to your future skin. Knowing what your body is missing can make everything else you do work even better. Get started here.

References:

1. Alqam, A., Hitchcock, M., Jones, R., Akgul, S., Kenkel, K., & Wamsley, G. (2023). Efficacy and tolerability of a microneedling device for treating wrinkles on the face. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35403786/

2. Alqam, A., Hitchcock, M., Jones, R., Akgul, S., Kenkel, K., & Wamsley, G. (2022). Efficacy and tolerability of a microneedling device for treating wrinkles on the neck. Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 42(10), 1154-1163. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35397167/

3. UCLA Health. (2025). 5 health benefits of red light therapy. Retrieved from https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/5-health-benefits-red-light-therapy

4. Allure. (2025). How to do an at-home chemical peel safely. Retrieved from https://www.allure.com/story/at-home-chemical-peel

5. Anson, G. (2016). Sleep wrinkles: Facial aging and facial distortion during sleep. Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 36(7), 815-820. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27329660/

6. Poljsak, B., Godic, A., Fink, R., Oder, M., Lampe, T., & Dahmane, R. (2015). Sleeping on an anti-wrinkle pillow reduces facial wrinkles: Results from an anatomical study. Forensic Medicine and Anatomy Research, 3(2), 48-56. Retrieved from https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation?paperid=55294

The post Non-injectable ways to help prevent wrinkles appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

When faced with digestive issues, they can be poorly tolerated. When they work with your system they provide a good source of soluble fiber and the mineral molybdenum. Both of these are essential for proper detoxification.

With the onslaught of copper overload I'm seeing in clients, I've excluded nuts and seed from this recipe.

I love sprinkling a few tablespoons on an acai bowl or having some plain with a non-dairy milk for a homemade cereal fix.

Simple Granola

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

A simple and quick 5 ingredient granola.

5.0 Stars (206 Reviews)

Print

Ingredients

• 3 cups old fashioned organic oats (gmo and glyphosate free if you can find them)
• ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon maple syrup (use ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons for a less-sweet batch)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Spread granola over the parchment in one flat layer.
3. First bake for 10 minutes before removing from the oven to evenly stir (this will prevent the granola on the edges from burning).
4. Bake for another 10 minutes stirring once again and return to the oven for a last 5-10 minutes. Granola should turn a subtle light golden color but not burnt. 
5. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving

Notes

This is a sweet, but not overly sweet recipe. If you're watching your sugar intake, feel free to reduce the maple syrup as suggested.

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The post Simple Granola appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Bile deficiency syndrome results in the sluggish draining of toxins from your liver along with chronic digestive issues and a myriad of other unpleasant health symptoms.

Signs of Poor Bile Flow

The most common signs of bile deficiency syndrome are:

• chronic constipation
• low energy
• varicose veins
• skin issues
• light colored stools
• itchiness
• persistent gut issues (SIBO, bloating, food sensitivity, etc.)
• frequent nausea
• blood pressure issues
• trouble digesting fats
• pain under right side of rib cage
• chronic fatigue
• weight gain

This is usually the time when someone will show up in a doctor's office to try to resolve these symptoms, only to be offered Rx drugs and/or supplements that often only act as a bandaid while making the root problem worse.

Poor bile flow is usually the result of the body not having the nutrients or 'raw materials' it needs to produce more bile, excess toxicity decreasing bile flow or making it thick and sluggish, nutrient excess reducing the further absorption of toxic nutrients (usually as an attempt to avoid poisoning), an issue with the bile ducts themselves (i.e. cholestatic blockage), or emotional issues causing nervous system disorders (such as sympathetic nervous dominance).

How Bile Is Supposed to Work

Your liver-gallbladder axis is like the garbage disposal of your body.

When it's working properly, you feel like your best self.

However, when there's a clog in the system, your body struggles to do its normal daily work and take out the day's waste products.

This is because it's overwhelmed from being worked too hard (being burdened by decades of dietary and environmental stressors), it gets sluggish and can't clear things from your body as quickly.

You see, your liver produces bile, a fluid that helps to carry toxins from your liver out of your body via your stool.

What kinds of things does your body need to dispose of on a regular basis?

• metabolic waste (from normal bodily functioning)
• toxins
• used hormones (especially at ovulation and right before your period)
• heavy metals
• excess nutrients (especially fat-soluble vitamins, from too much 'health food' and supplements)
• medications, supplements, hormone replacement therapy
• pesticides, herbicides
• and all the other things you're constantly bombarded with in modern life

When bile flow is inadequate, or gets too thick and can't flow properly, like a slow dripping facet vs. a healthy flow of fluid to help flush waste out of your system. This results in the reduced excretion of toxins, encouraging toxic build up over time.

This also means there is not enough bile to stimulate peristalsis (think lack of movement in your digestive tract —hello constipation!) to lubricate the pipes of your digestive system so you can 'go' to the bathroom easily and prevent bacterial overgrowth from happening in your intestines (hello SIBO)!

This is why so many people are bloated, constipated, fatigued and can't lose weight.

Poor Bile Flow and Weight Gain

Dilution is the solution to pollution, meaning extra fat can help dilute a toxic burden making your body feel more 'safe.' This is the same thing as if you have something toxic in your water and you want to reduce the amount, you'd simply dilute it by adding more water.

When waste stops getting removed efficiently, your body goes into accumulation mode vs. clearing; letting more toxic matter build up (read: weight gain). You're now accumulating toxins and excess nutrients faster than you're able to get rid of them.

Testing for Poor Bile Flow and How to Correct it

To support better bile production and flow, you have to identify the imbalances that are contributing to it.

The primary nutrients that should be assessed via testing are: plasma zinc (blood), serum copper (blood), iron (blood), vitamin A (blood), and selenium (hair analysis).

For clients of mine, this testing is easily accomplished with a hair analysis and blood labs package, the standard testing in my 1-1 programs.

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References

1. https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/liver-and-gallbladder-disorders/manifestations-of-liver-disease/cholestasis
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6101675/
3. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2863217/

The post 13 Signs of Bile Deficiency Syndrome (hint: this looks a lot like chronic constipation) appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Having the right kitchen tools can make your food routine a whole lot more pleasant, helping you stay the course. These tools help make eating healthy at home almost as easy as eating out, saving your money and keeping you more in control of your health.

Here's three dynamic must-haves for your kitchen:

1) Top notch blender

I had a Vitamix for about a decade, and more recently a Blendtec the last 7 years. While both are high performance blenders that get the job done, I prefer the Blendtec for my own needs (mostly smoothies, pureeing soups, and miscellaneous tasks). 

Find the Blendtec here.

2) Compact espresso machine

Want a simple, counter-space friendly way to make your morning espresso at home? You'll love having the Bambino Plus as a part of your morning routine.

It's perfect if you're the only coffee drinker in your house and don't need a larger machine. Find it here.

If you want something more suitable for a household with multiple coffee drinkers, I also love the Barista Express. It's a larger machine and has a built-in grinder for your more complex coffee needs.

3) Easy clean juicer

I've been large batch juicing about 2-3x per week for the last 8 years or so and the biggest pain is cleaning up. Having to scrub the fine strainer in your standard juicer is the biggest chore. I was thrilled to learn about Hurom's H400 'easy clean' juicer that does not contain a traditional strainer basket that needs to be thoroughly scrubbed. Most of the time I just need to do a thorough rinse of the juicer components right after juicing and it's good to go for next time.

The Hurom H400 is well-oiled machine that helps take the mess out of juicing. It has an easy release button so you can choose when you want to empty your juice, a build-in reservoir for pulp, and a super quiet motor. The only caveat is a juicer without a strainer does tend to produce juice with a bit more pulp, but doing a pass-through through a simple mess strainer at home outweighs a juicer that requires cumbersome cleaning. You can also embrace the pulp in your efforts to eat a higher fiber diet.

Find the Hurom H400 there.

I hope this helps you shop for small kitchen appliances that can make your healthy eating habits a little easier.

What kitchen tools can you not live without? Please share in the comments!

The post 3 Must-have Kitchen Tools appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

If you're doing everything "right" but your body isn't responding… it's time to stop guessing.

You've tried finding support for your lingering symptoms through Western medicine only to find a push for more medication.

Your supplement graveyard tells the truth: you've spent thousands chasing symptoms with products that never moved the needle.

The problem? You're building a protocol on marketing, not data.

The Data Your Doctor Isn't Testing (But Should Be)

Having either one of these data sets when I work with a client is extremely valuable. When a client has both of them together, it's a gift so that I can give them the very best insight into their health and they can get the best results out of our work together.

Nutrient Blood Labs:

Nutrient blood labs are conducted through a traditional blood draw at your doctor's office or at your local Labcorp office (this is where I send my remote clients to get blood labs that are in the US).

Must-have nutrient blood tests (most people have never had these tested with the exception of iron + ferritin):

• Plasma Zinc → think liver detox, fertility, skin health, hormones
• Serum Copper → think mental health, poor detoxification, hormone imbalances
• Iron Panel → think energy, fertility, liver health
• Ferritin → think energy, fertility, liver health
• Vitamin A/Retinol → think mystery health issues, weight gain, poor detox, chronic skin issues, fatigue, gut issues
• Whole Blood Histamine → think methylation status, mental health factors
  
  *it must be THESE specific labs. Don't let someone order you something similar (i.e. there are a few different labs for zinc, histamine, etc. make sure you are getting exactly what you ask for)!

• Copper overload
• Vitamin A toxicity
• Zinc deficiency
• Iron dysregulation
• Methylation issues

Because of this, it's common for my clients to request these labs from their doctor so they can get insurance to pay (as long as the doctor visit and co-pays doesn't exceed the price of ordering the test through me) and then bring these results to a new client consultation. That way you can get the best of both worlds.

How to order: if you are located within the US and not don't reside in New York, Rhode Island or New Jersey, you can order these through me as an add-on to any consultation service for under $180. However, insurance doesn't cover nutritional therapy, so this will be an out of pocket expense.

You are also free to take this list to your *open minded doctor* and request that they run these labs for you. That way, your doctor can bill your insurance. However, most doctors won't be too keen on running labs they don't understand or know how to interpret, so don't be surprised if you run into some resistance. Also take note, that your doctor won't be able to interpret these labs for your correctly unless they are trained in nutritional therapy and the training on the specialty areas I discuss on the blog regularly.

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (35 different mineral levels):

Hair tissue mineral analysis is a hair sample that you collect at home and drop in the mail with the help of a simple test kit I send you in the mail. It uses a very small amount of fresh hair growth (first inch) from the root of the head typically in the half ponytail area (this is needed to get 'fresh' data) . Hair from other parts of the body can be used in the absence or unavailability of scalp hair, but contact me for those specific details and instructions. Those who color their hair are typically instructed to collect the sample right before their next coloring to ensure the maximum amount of virgin hair growth in the sample.

Most important minerals we pay attention to on hair analysis:

• calcium
• magnesium
• sodium
• potassium
• zinc
• copper
• selenium
• molybdenum
• heavy metals
• and more!

Interpretation notes: it's very important that whom you choose to interpret your HTMA knows how to do so. There are many different 'schools of thought' in the hair analysis world and your advice will wildly vary depending on who you choose. Choose someone who you trust, is trained, and aligns with your own approach to health. It's not uncommon for me to speak to people who have gotten bad advice from from the cheapest person they could find on the internet to get hair analysis from, and their health has paid the price.

How to order: hair analysis is available for purchase from my office to clients around the world with the exception of those who live in New York state. You can find package options here.

Traditional doctors will not run hair analysis labs and they will likely look at you sideways if you ask them about it (don't say I didn't warn you!). Some functional medicine doctors and naturopathic doctors may offer these services if they are trained in hair analysis and see the value of mineral data in their practice.

If you already have these results (should be recent within the last 3-4 months) and don't need a new test, you can always bring them to a new client consultation and we can review them together.

Ready to stop guessing and finally see results?

• Get the exact labs I run on every high-performing client
• Learn what your body needs (and what it doesn't)
• Use your results to build a real strategy-not a supplement pile

Tap here to request your labs + consultation or book a free 15-minute discovery call to find out where to start.

The post The Tests Your Doctor Will Never Order (But Might Save Your Health) appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Selenium is an important and powerful mineral that you may not have heard much about. It doesn't get nearly as much attention as b-vitamins, zinc or vitamin C, but that needs to change.

Read on to find out all the important cliff notes that are essential to optimizing your selenium status.

Signs of selenium deficiency:

If some of the symptoms below are familiar to you, it may warrant checking your selenium levels:

• IBD
• Crohns
• cardiovascular diseases
• infertility
• myodegenerative disorders
• cognitive decline
• poor immune function
• thyroid dysfunction
• increased susceptibility to infection
• inflammation
• skin abnormalities
• loss of pigmentation of hair and skin [1,2,3,4]

Role of selenium

The perks of optimizing selenium levels are plentiful. While selenium is perhaps most known for being a key ingredient to help your body make glutathione peroxidase, the master antioxidant in the body that combats oxidative stress, it also supports detoxification, gut and skin health.

Selenium is a cholagogic mineral, meaning it can help increase bile flow. This supports better detoxification and elimination (read: helps your body take out the trash and assists in reducing constipation). Poor bile flow, from a lack of bile building nutrients , dietary co-factors and/or Rx medications is extremely common and leads to increased toxicity in the body. This is because when your bile flow is inadequate, you're more likely to accumulate bodily 'trash' faster than you're capable of getting rid it. Over time this can lead to increased inflammation, fatigue, weight gain and malaise.

A deficiency of selenium is also linked to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): "Selenium deficiency is a common finding in patients with IBD and correlates with disease severity. In addition, patients with IBD have a lower abundance of protective gut microbiota, and selenium can increase it". [10]

Other benefits of selenium include supporting skin health, as it's been proposed as a nutrient that can fight psoriasis and skin cancer. [9]

How to get more in your diet

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for selenium in adults is 55 micrograms (mcg), with a safe upper limit of 400 mcg.

Getting more selenium in your diet can be tricky, especially if you have any nutrient excess influencing your dietary choices.

For instance, several high selenium foods are high in copper or vitamin A, which could be a conflict of interest when trying to easily increase selenium levels with food. [7]

• brazil nuts, 1 ounce: 989% daily value*
• yellowfin tuna, 3 ounces: 167% daily value***
• sardines, canned in oil with bone, 3 ounces: 82% daily value
• ham, 3 ounces: 76% daily value**
• roasted turkey, 3 ounces: 56% daily value
• cottage cheese (1%), 1 cup: 36% daily value
• ground beef, 25% fat, 3 ounces: 33% daily value
• egg, one: 27% daily value**
• regular quick oatmeal, 1 cup prepared: 24% daily value

*denotes high copper food
**denotes high vitamin A food
***denotes high mercury food

Supplements for selenium deficiency

Supplements for selenium can be tricky.

While it can be a better route for those who have a hard time loading up on high selenium foods due to dietary restrictions, it's common to have reactions to selenium supplementation. This is because selenium is a potent mineral and food is just so much better tolerated than supplemental sources. That said, always start low and slow with selenium supplementation to avoid taking more than your body can handle.

There are two main forms of selenium found in supplements, selenium selenite and selenomethionine.  Research suggests that 90% of selenomethionine (this is the form found in animal tissue) is absorbed in humans verses only around 50% of the selenium from selenite. [9]

Supplementation based on testing is always the way to go since selenium toxicity is also something you want to avoid. Common signs of toxicity include garlic breath, skin lesions, and brittle hair and nails. [9]

Testing for selenium deficiency

When it comes to assessing selenium levels in my clients around the world, hair tissue mineral analysis is my go-to. Using a small hair sample, you can discover your selenium level along with 34 other minerals. The balance of these minerals is key (no deficiency or excess) for optimal health and so you can target your symptoms from a holistic nutrition perspective.

Ready to find out your selenium level?

Get started right away here or enter your email below to learn all about the best way to understand your own mineral levels with hair analysis.

Are your selenium levels falling short? Please share in the comments!

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References:

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29489289/#:~:text=Research%20suggests%20that%20selenium%20deficiency,myodegenerative%20disorders%2C%20and%20cognitive%20decline.
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22381456/
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36768955/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31078905/
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35874733/
6. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/selenium-deficiency
7. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Selenium-HealthProfessional/
8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/982619/
9. https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/19/10/3059
10. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0899900721000150

The post 12 Signs of Selenium Deficiency appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

As someone who doesn't have kids, my dog is my family.

After working with clients from around the world for over 12+ years in my nutrition practice, a common finding that I see on testing is people are overdosing on vitamin A,  a fat soluble vitamin that is stored in the body and doesn't easily leave if you get too much. It hangs around and bogs down your liver. This happens from over-consuming dairy/liver/eggs, eating too many brightly colorful vegetables (think sweet potatoes, carrots, red peppers, etc.), topical vitamin A products like anti-aging retinol creams, and taking vitamin A containing supplements like multivitamins, prenatals and cod liver oil. Over several decades, the liver gets overloaded resulting in sluggishness and toxicity.

This phenomenon is well-documented in the literature:

"Vitamin A in high doses is a direct toxin. Excess vitamin A is stored in stellate cells in the liver and accumulation can lead to their activation and hypertrophy, excess collagen production, fibrosis and liver injury. The toxicity is dose related and can be reproduced in animal models." [1]

"The acute and chronic effects of vitamin A toxicity are well documented in the literature. Emerging evidence suggests that subtoxicity without clinical signs of toxicity may be a growing concern, because intake from preformed sources of vitamin A often exceeds the recommended dietary allowances (RDA) for adults, especially in developed countries." [3]

Once you understand the epidemic of vitamin A subtoxicity and toxicity in humans, it's easy to see how it's happening in dogs. This is because unlike humans, dogs eat the same thing every day, and these dog foods are loaded with high vitamin A foods (since when did dog diets heavy in orange vegetables and liver become so 'normal'?).

It's important to note that vitamin A toxicity is a slow burn, meaning it can take decades to show up in humans, and years to show up in dogs. This is because if you get a 'little bit too much' of something every day, not much happens in the short-term, but after years, it can push your body (or your pet's) to the tipping point and health issues result.

Signs of Vitamin A Toxicity in Dogs and Humans

In humans, vitamin A toxicity can look like:

• blurry vision or other vision changes
• osteoporosis
• swelling of the bones
• bone pain
• poor appetite
• dizziness
• nausea and vomiting
• sensitivity to sunlight
• dry, rough skin
• itchy or peeling skin
• cracked fingernails
• skin cracks at the corners of your mouth
• mouth ulcers
• yellowed skin (jaundice)
• hair loss
• respiratory infection
• confusion
• kidney damage
• headache
• irritability
• rash
• weight gain and obesity 

In dogs, I would expect the symptoms to be similar, with a heavy emphasis on skin issues being on the forefront since dogs can't tell us what's wrong.

Vitamin A Basics and Human Requirements

Vitamin A is considered by nutrition science as one of the fat-soluble vitamins along with vitamin D (actually a hormone), vitamin E, and vitamin K. Excess fat soluble vitamins like vitamin A are shuttled to tissue for storage, whereas excess water-soluble vitamins get excreted in urine.

Vitamin A is known for its role in a healthy immune system, eye health, reproduction, hormone production, as well as growth and development. Some amount of vitamin A is found in almost all foods, but the most abundant sources are usually easy to identify by their bright colors (usually red, orange and green from vitamin A carotenoids). "Eating the rainbow" has been said to be an easy way to get not only optimal nutrition, but to make sure you get an abundance of vitamin A in your diet.

Vitamin A is found in plant foods in the form of proform A carotenoids and also found in animal products (retinol - preform version). The plant version of vitamin A carotenoids requires conversion in your body to become useable vitamin A, a process that's efficiency has a genetic component, i.e. the conversion rate varies per person based on gene expression like BCMO1 (rs11645428). Animal sources like liver and egg yolks do not require conversion for use.

The RDA for humans is as follows:

• Men over age 19: 900 mcg RAE for men (equivalent to 3,000 IU)
• Women over age 19: 700 mcg RAE for women (equivalent to 2,333 IU)

Recommendations for dogs are not as straightforward (but way too high in my opinion):

• AAFCO recommendations a minimum of 5,000 IU/kg vitamin A for adult dogs and a maximum of 250,000 IU/kg (this is confusing, I know)
  • A 50-pound dog eats approximately 2-3.5 cups of food per day OR 220-385 grams per day of food (1kg =1000grams)
    • based on above, daily intake would be at a minimum of 1,100-1,925 IU per day for a 50lb dog

I reached out to Acana (a popular dog food brand), regarding their Wholesome Grains, Red Meat Recipe and they said it has a vitamin A content of 34,000 IU/kg as fed. Based on the example above, the same size dog would be getting significantly more vitamin A, 7,840-13,090 IU per day based on the same feeding. Now note this compared to the adult human recommendations above — a 50 pound dog would be getting 2-5x more vitamin A than is recommended for a human that is likely at least double-triple the dog's body weight.

If vitamin A subtoxicity is a huge problem in humans that hasn't even gained awareness, certainly no one is paying attention to in it pets!

The Sins of Dog Food

Dog food tends to get marginalized, ignored and stuffed with low quality, subpar ingredients resulting in feeding that is not evolutionarily consistent. Not to mention all the synthetic vitamins for dog 'health'.

Extremely high vitamin A foods have now become mainstays in dog food, namely liver, sweet potato, pumpkin, and carrots.

Amount of vitamin A in common very high vitamin A foods (often found in dog food):

• Beef Liver, 1 oz: 5,099 IU*
• Sweet Potato, ½ cup chopped: 10,692 IU*
• Carrots, ½ cup cubes: 9,434 IU*

*note 2,333-3,000IU is the RDA for adult males and females, since there is no official RDA for dogs

Now let's look at some popular high-end dog foods:

• Acana Whole Grains Dog Food -Beef, pork, beef meal, oat groats, whole sorghum, whole millet, pork meal, whole oats, beef fat, lamb, fish oil, ground miscanthus grass, natural pork flavor, beef liver, pork liver, pork kidney, beef tripe, beef kidney, potassium chloride, whole butternut squash, whole pumpkin, salt, taurine, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, dried kelp, zinc proteinate, mixed tocopherols (preservative), vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin A acetate, niacin, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, dried chicory root, turmeric, sarsaparilla root, althea root, rose hips, juniper berries, citric acid (preservative), rosemary extract, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product.
  • ACANA Wholesome Grains, Red Meat Recipe has a vitamin A content of 34,000 IU/kg as fed
• Ollie Dog Food - Beef, carrots, beef kidneys, potatoes, peas, sweet potatoes, beef livers, chickpeas, spinach, tricalcium phosphate, salmon oil, salt, taurine, zinc gluconate, vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulphate, copper amino acid chelate, manganese amino acid chelate, cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), thiamine hydrochloride (vitamin B1), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), potassium iodide.
  • Ollie has not responded to my request 2 weeks ago for vitamin A levels.
• Maev Dog Food (this one had so much liver in it my dog wouldn't even touch it) -  USDA Beef, USDA Beef Liver, USDA Sweetbreads, Potato (Blanched), Green Beans, Zucchini, Peanut Butter, Kale, Blueberries, Fish Oil, Flaxseed Oil, Mineral Blend.
  • When I asked Maev for the vitamin A content per serving, they replied 'Thanks for getting back in touch. We are unable to share specific percentages as they are proprietary information. I have attached our Full Nutritional Panel for your review."

So not only are dog foods loaded with very high vitamin A foods, but some companies won't even tell you how much vitamin A is in it. It's 'proprietary information.'

Compounding the issue, most owners serve dog treats of cheese or containing cheese further stacking their vitamin A intake.

It's highly likely that dogs' livers are being overloaded with nutrition excess from vitamin A likely shortening their lifespan. Take a look at Bobi, the worlds oldest dog that lived to age 31 and ate what his humans ate.

What To Do

If you're reading this and following my logic, there's a few simple next steps.

1. Research the issue yourself. Don't automatically agree with a well-intentioned nutritional therapist that loves dogs on the internet, but dive into it yourself and come to your own conclusions. Consider researching first about vitamin A toxicity in humans and find out if you're overdosing on vitamin A in your own diet too (there is testing for this). It's so much easier to understand the issue with dogs if you first 'get' how it's happening in humans.
2. Contact your dog food company and find out how much vitamin A you're actually feeding to your dog. It may be difficult to get an answer, which is super discouraging, but be persistent!
3. If you're not happy with the health of your dog on your current food, mix it up and consider decreasing your current kibble by crowding it out with high quality human grade food that is low in plant toxins and vitamin A (I personally do this by feeding my dog roughly ¾-1 pound of ground beef per day and some grains, usually oats or rice to reduce amount of standard dog food I feed). You can also contact several dog food companies and see if you can find one that is on the lower end of the spectrum when it comes to vitamin A. (<---- if you do this, please report back and I'll add the levels of more dog food to the article)
4. If you disagree - please start a debate in the comments but please include your science and data!

I hope this helps give you some ideas about how to improve the health of yourself and your pet!

Suggested Resources

• 12 Signs of Vitamin A toxicity
• Vitamin A Detox Diet
• Is Wellness Culture Making You Sick?
• Livertox Database - Vitamin A
• Testing - Find out your Vitamin A level

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References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK548165/
2. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-a/#:~:text=Recommended%20Amounts&text=RDA%3A%20The%20Recommended%20Dietary%20Allowance,cause%20harmful%20effects%20on%20health.
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16469975/
4. https://www.aafco.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Model_Bills_and_Regulations_Agenda_Midyear_2015_Final_Attachment_A.__Proposed_revisions_to_AAFCO_Nutrient_Profiles_PFC_Final_070214.pdf
5. https://ggenereux.blog/

The post Are we slowly poisoning our pets? appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

You see, your liver has no nerve endings so you're not going to feel pain in your liver when it's not happy.

Instead, you're going to feel things like inflammation, fatigue, leaky gut, low thyroid, gallbladder discomfort and pain in surroundings areas.

This is why:

...your monthly cycle (length, symptoms) is a report card for your liver.
...pregnancy is a stress test on your liver.
...your skin is a mirror into the health of your liver.
...your gallbladder and gut health is a reflection of your liver health.

So, if you feel like your liver is struggling to do its job, you're probably right.

If you're still not sure, here's some more clues:

• History of alcohol/drug use or hepatitis
• Long term prescription drug use
• Sensitive to chemicals (tobacco smoke, fumes, perfume, cleaning agents, etc.)
• Pain between the shoulder blades
• Stomach upset by greasy foods
• Greasy or shiny stools
• History of nausea, motion sickness, or morning sickness
• Light or pale colored stools
• Headache over the eyes
• Gallbladder attacks
• Bitter taste in the mouth (especially after meals)
• Become sick or easily intoxicated if drinking wine
• Easily hung over
• Pain under right side of rib cage
• Hemorrhoids or varicose veins
• NutraSweet (aspartame) consumption
• Chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia

If your liver is speaking to you, what do you do next?

Liver Detoxes and Cleanses

Most people's next step is searching the internet for the best 7-10 day liver detox or cleanse, and this is where the approach really starts to go sideways.

Liver detoxes and cleanses don't work.

It's like saving money for a week but spending money every other day and expecting to get rich.

A liver detox is like a 'get rich quick scheme' that only drains your wallet.

Liver issues are the result of decades of gentle abuse and repairing that takes a consistent change in habits.

You don't need to do a liver detox; you just need to give your liver less work to do.

Giving your Liver Less Work to Do

Here's some of the most basic work your liver does - are you giving it extra?

• regular metabolic waste (think normal bodily functioning)
• used hormones that have served their purpose and need to be detoxified or flushed out of your system (think your hormones at different points in your menstrual cycle)
• hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
• pesticides
• alcohol
• Rx + over the counter drugs (these can injure your liver too)
• bacterial endotoxin from bad bacteria overgrowth in your gut
• heavy metals
• plant toxins from too much 'health food,' (think nightshades, high oxalate foods, and caffeine for starters)
• extra supplements that you don't actually need (these can injure your liver too)
• vitamin A excess (from overdoing dairy and high vitamin A health foods/supplements, topical retinoid skin creams, etc. testing here)
• copper excess (think supplements, nuts and dark chocolate, testing here)
• iron excess
• too much fat
• herbal pills
• and the list goes on!

If you want to see a change in your liver, you just need to consistently give it less work to do than you did yesterday.

It's that simple.

Now what this looks like will largely vary from person to person. It doesn't mean you need to exist on a highly limited diet, you just need to do LESS of certain things over the course of the week, month, and year. Having some data on what from the above list is a problem for you definitely helps narrow your focus and simplify your approach.

Nutrient Deficiencies and Other Considerations

Aside from giving your liver too much work to do, you can also have nutrient deficiencies that keep your liver from doing its best work and doing that work efficiently.

This can look like:

• protein deficiency
• zinc deficiency (testing here)
• taurine deficiency
• molybdenum deficiency (testing here)
• potassium deficiency (testing here)
• chronic constipation
• inadequate calories that slow thyroid function (and detoxification)

Aside from deficiency, nutrient excess is super common due to 'wellness culture,' leading to the liver being overloaded with the following nutrients:

• vitamin A toxicity (testing here)
• copper overload (testing here)
• iron overload (testing here)

This is why I always do a hair tissue mineral analysis test (tests for 35 different minerals and available to clients all over the world) on my clients along with some nutrient blood labs (zinc, copper, iron, vitamin A and whole blood histamine, available to clients in the US only) to identify any weak spots in their own body that could be slowing down the liver's detox work. Learn more about these important labs here (and how to get them no matter where you live!)

Liver issues today are often from a combination of too much work (especially Rx meds, over the counter meds and alcohol), nutrient deficiency, and nutrient excess.

The great news is all of this can change when you change your health approach.

I hope this empowers you to reach your health goals by getting to the root of the problem (hint: your liver) and always giving your body what it needs.

How to take a next step to support your liver

There are many next steps you can take to support your liver as described in this article. For even further assistance, consider one of the following:

1. Not sure if your liver is behind your symptoms? Take the quiz. Two minutes. Immediate answers. Most people are surprised by what they find. → [Take the Quiz]
2. Stop guessing. Start with data. A hair tissue mineral analysis tells us exactly what your liver is deficient in, what it's overloaded with, and where to start - no needles, no clinic, available worldwide. This is how we find what years of standard testing missed. → [Learn About Testing] or [Request a Free Consultation]
3. Ready to actually do something about it? The DRAIN Method is the opposite of a detox. No protocols. No elimination diets. No overwhelm. It's a strategic, sustainable way to give your liver less work to do - while giving it exactly what it needs to run efficiently. Because if your weight, hormones, energy, and skin are all connected to your liver, fixing your liver changes everything. → [Learn About DRAIN]

Recommended reading:

• Two Must-Have Tests for 'Mystery' Symptoms
• 7 Signs of Liver Injury (and what supplements and meds can cause it)
• 3 Ways Wellness Culture is Making You Sick

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The post What To Do Instead of a Liver Detox appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Did your great-grandparents have chronic gut issues?

Mine sure didn't. It's a stark contrast to the growing epidemic of digestive problems we see today-getting worse with every generation.

So why didn't your great-grandparents have gut issues? It's really quite simple…

1) They ate seasonal, chemical-free food that was rich in fiber

Food came fresh from farms without preservatives, additives, or synthetic chemicals. Without processed foods, their diets were naturally higher in fiber, which fed beneficial gut bacteria and supported liver detox by binding toxin-rich bile.

Babies were often breastfed, receiving prebiotics and probiotics that helped build a healthy gut microbiome from birth.

They also weren't exposed to GMOs, pesticides, or food thickeners-common gut disruptors in today's industrial food supply.

2) They weren't chronically constipated from liver and gallbladder issues

Your great-grandparents didn't overload on processed foods and dairy products that can congest the liver-gallbladder axis over time, so they experienced less bloating and constipation. Bile acids-produced by the liver and released by the gallbladder during meals-play a key role in regulating gut health. That's why many gut issues are actually rooted in liver and gallbladder dysfunction.

When transit time slows down, bacteria have more time to overgrow and toxins are more likely to be reabsorbed and recirculated.

3) They took fewer supplements and prescription drugs

Your great-grandparents didn't rely on daily supplements or medications, and their gut-liver axis was healthier for it. Overuse of things like herbs, vitamin A, copper, and iron can burden the liver and even cause damage.

They also didn't run to the doctor for antibiotics and heartburn meds that can harm the liver. When they got sick, they waited it out, ate soups and broths, and got plenty of rest. They didn't have their doctor or nurse on speed dial-they trusted the body's natural healing process far more than we do today.

4) They didn't "eat the rainbow" or obsess over wellness

The wellness industry wasn't yet in full swing, so your great-grandparents weren't influenced by trendy diets that can actually backfire. Overloading on plant toxins or fat-soluble vitamins-enough to burden the liver and disrupt the gut-just wasn't mainstream.

5) They cooked at home using traditional methods

Buying processed food wasn't an option, and eating out was a rare luxury. Fortunately for your great-grandparents, these home-cooked habits actually supported better health.

6) They got dirty outside

Your great-grandparents didn't wash their hands constantly or use hand sanitizer every time they changed tasks.

They also didn't have screens to keep them indoors. Instead, they played outside-on bikes, swing sets, and in good ol' Mother Nature.

What do you think? Please share in the comments!

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The post Why your great grandparents didn't have leaky gut...but you do! appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

In Health, All Roads Lead to the Liver

(and most women don't realize theirs is struggling)

There's a particular kind of fatigue that sleep doesn't fix.

The kind where you wake up heavy. Where digestion feels unpredictable. Where hormones feel chaotic. Where your skin, mood, weight, and energy all seem… off.

You've probably been told these are separate issues - hormones, gut, thyroid, inflammation, stress.

But in physiology, they're rarely separate.
They share a bottleneck.

Your liver.

The problem is: your liver doesn't hurt

Your liver has no pain receptors. So when it's overwhelmed, stagnant, or overburdened, you don't feel liver pain.

You feel fatigue. Inflammation. Poor digestion. Hormone chaos. Gallbladder symptoms. Thyroid slowdown. Skin changes. Chemical sensitivity.

Your body doesn't say, "your liver is struggling."
It says: "Something feels wrong."

And most women spend years chasing symptoms without ever looking at the organ coordinating them.

Your body already shows liver strain - if you know where to look

Your menstrual cycle is a liver report card.
Pregnancy is a liver stress test.
Your skin reflects liver clearance capacity.
Your gallbladder and gut depend on liver output.

So if you feel like your body isn't clearing, processing, or regulating well, you're not imagining it.

You're noticing physiology.

Quiet signs your liver is under strain

Many women reading this recognize themselves immediately:

• sensitive to alcohol, medications, or supplements

• headaches over the eyes

• nausea, motion sickness, or morning sickness history

• greasy food intolerance

• bloating or sluggish digestion

• pale or greasy stools

• gallbladder discomfort or attacks

• pain between the shoulder blades

• bitter taste after meals

• chemical sensitivity (perfume, smoke, cleaners)

• fatigue or fibromyalgia patterns

• hemorrhoids or varicose veins

• right-side rib discomfort

None of these are random. They're clearance signals.

Why most "liver support" makes things worse

When women suspect liver issues, they usually do one of three things: detoxes, cleanses, or more supplements.

It feels proactive. But physiologically, it often increases load on the very organ already overwhelmed.

Because liver strain rarely comes from lack of detox products. It comes from too much work + wrong inputs + missing resources.

Your liver is doing far more than you think

Every day, your liver processes hormones your body is finished with, medications and supplements, alcohol and environmental toxins, gut-derived bacterial endotoxin, metabolic waste, excess nutrients, pesticides and chemicals, heavy metals, plant toxins, and fats.

And modern wellness culture quietly adds more: more supplements, more "superfoods," more fortified foods, more biohacks - many of which require liver processing.

The hidden driver: nutrient excess and deficiency

Most people assume liver issues come from alcohol or drugs. Today, I see something different constantly:

nutrient overload and nutrient depletion at the same time.

Especially vitamin A excess, copper overload, iron accumulation, low potassium, low zinc, protein deficiency, and taurine deficiency.

This combination slows detox pathways, hormone clearance, bile flow, and thyroid signaling - which shows up as stubborn weight, fatigue, estrogen dominance, inflammation, poor digestion, and low resilience.

Not because your body is broken. Because it's overburdened and under-resourced.

Here's what most women don't realize

You can't guess this from symptoms.

You cannot feel copper overload, vitamin A excess, mineral imbalance, zinc deficiency, or potassium depletion - yet these directly determine how efficiently your liver works.

Two women can eat "healthy" diets and take supplements and have completely opposite liver burdens.

Without data, you're guessing.

This is why I test - not guess

When I run hair mineral analysis and targeted nutrient blood labs, we often see patterns like elevated copper blocking detox and thyroid signaling, vitamin A excess burdening liver storage, low potassium slowing metabolism, zinc deficiency impairing hormone clearance, and mineral ratios showing chronic stress physiology.

Suddenly symptoms make sense. And the approach becomes precise instead of generic.

If you suspect your liver is struggling, guessing keeps you stuck

You can keep trying detoxes, rotating supplements, changing diets, and wondering why nothing fully shifts.

Or you can see what your liver is actually dealing with.

The fastest way to know: mineral + nutrient testing

I use two foundational assessments with clients:

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis
→ shows mineral status, ratios, and metabolic stress patterns
→ available internationally

Targeted Nutrient Blood Labs
→ vitamin A, zinc, copper, iron, histamine
→ available in the U.S.

Together they reveal overload vs deficiency, detox capacity, metabolic pattern, nutrient stressors, and liver burden drivers.

This is the missing context behind many "mystery" symptoms.

Learn about testing here

Liver issues today are rarely random

They're usually the result of decades of accumulated inputs, nutrient imbalance, supplement load, medication history, environmental exposure, and gut-liver interaction.

The good news: when you reduce burden and correct imbalance, physiology often shifts faster than expected.

Energy improves.
Digestion stabilizes.
Hormones regulate.
Weight responds.

Not from forcing the body.
From removing friction.

If this feels familiar, trust that recognition

Most women sense when their body isn't clearing or regulating well. They just don't have language or data for it.

If you want clarity on your own liver load and mineral status:

👉 Explore hair + blood testing here
👉 Or request a 15-minute consultation

Because supporting your liver shouldn't be guesswork. And neither should your health.

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The post Overworking your Liver = Weight Gain appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

And this confuses people because, what does 'tolerate' really mean?

Generally speaking, well-tolerating a food means it doesn't change your gut, mood, bowels, sleep, energy or any symptom in a negative way. You feel the same as you usually do or even better!

Fiber can have great benefits for your:

• bowel movements
• gut microbiome
• inflammation levels
• blood sugar
• cholesterol levels
• weight homeostasis

But what's not so well known is the type of fiber that is super beneficial for detoxification. It can quite literally act as a 'drain' on your liver.

The Power of Soluble Fiber

You may already know that there are two kinds of fiber, soluble and insoluble.

Soluble fiber turns into a gel-like substance in your digestive tract whereas insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stool.

Most fiber-rich foods contain a mix of soluble and insoluble fiber. However, there are a few foods that are predominately soluble fiber. These being:

• beans/legumes (by far the highest food-accessible source)
• oats
• apples
• some whole grains (especially oat bran and barley)

Soluble fiber has the unique ability to act like that of a sponge. It absorbs bile (and the toxins within the bile) that are released into your small intestines when you eat a meal. The soluble fiber is able to soak up and trap more toxins than other kinds of food matter for removal from the body in your stool. This is due to soluble fiber's ability to turn into a gel-like substance.

Most people don't know that toxin-containing bile is released into the first part of your small intestines, the duodenum. Then at the end of your small intestines (called the ileum) it is reabsorbed and recycled, with only approximately 5% naturally making it's way out of your body in your stool. That means 95% of your bile acids are absorbed and recycled at the end of your small intestines in a process called enterohepatic circulation. So if you don't have enough soluble fiber to absorb and carry toxins out of the body, they can recirculate, building up over time.

In short, soluble fiber short-circuits enterohepatic circulation and forces more bile and toxins to make their way into your stool. This helps to alleviate an overworked and sluggish liver.

This is why eating processed food and the standard American diet can be harmful and toxic decade after decade, it just doesn't provide enough support in the way of soluble fiber to help 'drain' your liver on a regular basis. A low fiber diet can lead to a build-up of toxins and a decrease in overall health.

The Caution of Soluble Fiber

Getting more soluble fiber in your diet can do really great things for your gut-liver axis. But some people just aren't ready for it yet. It's not uncommon for people to not tolerate high soluble fiber foods at all. This is especially true for those who are sick and dealing with a lot of chronic health symptoms. They might not be 'healthy enough' yet for soluble fiber in their diet and might do better on a low-fiber diet or foods higher in insoluble fiber. After you work on other parts of your diet (minerals, nutrient excess, protein deficiency) you may be better able to tolerate different kinds of fiber with time.

Always look out for the most common signs of not tolerating soluble fiber. They include bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, edema/puffiness, fatigue and an increase in symptoms of any kind. These are all signs you're pushing your detoxification too hard and should slow things down by reducing the quantity of soluble fiber in your diet. Never ignore what your body is trying to tell you, as it will lead to more health imbalances in the long run.

Add Soluble Fiber In Gradually If it Works For You

In summary, soluble fiber can help support liver function by binding to toxins and bile acids, ensuring that they are excreted from the body. This process can reduce the workload on the liver, allowing it to function more efficiently. A healthy liver means better overall health (especially gut, metabolic and circulatory) and a lower risk of diseases such as liver cancer, cirrhosis, and hepatitis. Always add soluble fiber into your diet gradually and see how your body responds before slowly increasing it.

Ideally, draining your liver is combined with a systematic approach that gives your liver less work to do while addressing any nutrient deficiencies and/or nutrient excess.

Ready to learn more about how to detox and drain your liver to optimize your health? Consider working together or purchasing the DRAIN Detox Method Masterclass.

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References:

1. https://www.karenhurd.com/

The post The Type of Fiber That Can Help Detox and Drain Your Liver appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

 Homemade gluten free chicken teriyaki is quick and delicious way to get more protein into your diet. This recipe uses chicken thighs which are not only less expensive than breast meat, but also more supportive of your liver-gallbladder axis. Thigh meat is higher in the amino acid taurine than breast meat, which helps to support bile synthesis, helping your body take out the trash.

Homemade Chicken Teriyaki (gluten free)

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

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Print

Ingredients

• Teriyaki marinade — I use this often, but any Teriyaki sauce will work (you're just soaking your thighs in this for a minimum of 30 minutes prior to grilling). You could always just use a little Tamari and splash of rice wine vinegar too as a backup.
• 2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken thighs
• ¼ cup Tamari (gluten free soy sauce)
• ¼ cup Sake
• ¼ cup Mirin or Aji-Mirin
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 cup rice of choice (I use Organic Jasmine rice)

Instructions

1. Prep sauce — In a small saucepan, combine the Tamari, Sake and Mirin. Bring to a boil and then immediately reduce to a simmer. Add 2 tablespoons of white sugar and let simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly and will coat the back of a spoon. DO NOT BURN or it will taste awful.
2. Prep rice — prepare according to package instructions.
3. Prep chicken —
4. Marinate chicken in marinade for at least 30 minutes prior to grilling.
5. Grilling: Preheat grill for about 10 minutes, clean and oil the grate lightly to prevent sticking. With the grill on full heat, place thighs on the middle of the grill and close for 2 minutes. Then flip and let the other side grill at full heat for 2 minutes. Then open the grill, turn down the middle flames to the lowest setting, and turn the outer ones to medium. Let cook for about 10 minutes, flipping again once mid-way. Remove thighs from grill and let rest for at least 5 minutes prior to serving.
6. Chop chicken, lay over rice, and top with teriyaki sauce.

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The post Homemade Chicken Teriyaki (gluten free) appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

This my friends, is why I postulate that people taking little to no supplements (and Rx meds) are often better off health-wise than those choosing to take many.

The LiverTox database ranks supplements and drugs on a 5-point scale [A to E] to estimate whether a substance is known to cause liver injury. The scale is defined below:

• A=Well known cause
• B=Highly likely cause
• C=Probable cause
• D=Possible cause
• E=Unlikely cause
• E*=Suspected but unproven cause
• X=Unknown

Signs of Liver Injury

A liver injury is at the core of so many health issues I see in clients. When the liver is impaired by not being able to do its job properly, all the body systems take a hit. This is because the liver is an important intersection point that influences the functioning of all of your body's systems.

While below you can find the most severe indications of a liver injury, it's important to know that there's a large spectrum of ways your liver can be impacted that aren't always so obvious. Sometimes it takes days, weeks, or months to see a noticeable impact, and at that rate, it's hard to correlate it with a supplement or drug because the change happened so slowly over time.

• Nausea or vomiting
• Abdominal pain or swelling
• Fatigue or weakness
• Loss of appetite
• Dark urine
• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)
• Bruising or bleeding easily

Cholestasis, a condition considered as a subset within liver injuries is particularly troublesome. Essentially, it's when your bile (think river of fluid helping toxins and waste leave the body through your stool) thickens up and starts stalling in your biliary track.  In nutritional therapy we often refer to this as biliary stasis or sluggish bile flow. It's extremely common.  Just imagine the drain on your detoxification system slowing down, getting backed up and the impact that has on your whole body. This is awful for your health and directly linked to more common symptoms such as:

• chronic fatigue
• constipation
• diarrhea
• SIBO, IBS and other gut issues
• estrogen dominance
• mental health symptoms (especially anxiety + depression)
• poor detoxification

It's important to note that a liver injury can also be compounded by certain nutritional deficiencies, especially not eating enough high quality animal protein and zinc insufficiency.

Supplements Linked to Liver Injury

This morning I took a few hours to go through the supplement research and below are the most common supplements I hear people taking that are ranked between A-C. Typically I like to see supplements ranked E or lower to really consider them safe enough for my clients to take.

If you'd like more information on any of the below, please feel free to hop on over to the LiverTox database and do a simple search to read about why each supplement got the score it did.

1. Ashwagandha Likelihood score: C (probable cause of clinically apparent liver injury).
2. Kava Kava Likelihood score: A (well known cause of clinically apparent liver injury). 
3. Green Tea Likelihood score: A (well established cause of clinically apparent liver injury). 
4. Black Cohosh Likelihood score: A (products sold as black cohosh are well established causes of clinically apparent liver injury, but the specific ingredient or component that accounts for the injury is unclear).
5. Aloe Vera Likelihood score: B (likely but rare cause of clinically apparent liver injury).
6. Garcinia Cambogia Likelihood score: B (likely rare cause of clinically apparent liver injury).
7. Hydroxycut Likelihood score: B (likely cause of clinically apparent liver injury).
8. Comfrey Likelihood score: C (when taken orally, a probable cause of clinically apparent liver injury due to sinusoidal obstruction syndrome).
9. Valerian Likelihood score: C (probable rare cause of clinically apparent liver injury).
10. Turmeric Likelihood score: B (likely rare cause of clinically apparent liver injury).
11. Kratom Likelihood Score: B (likely cause of clinically apparent liver injury).
12. Skullcap Likelihood score: B (very likely but rare cause of clinically apparent liver injury).
13. Ba Jiao Lian Likelihood score: B (likely cause of clinically apparent liver injury).
14. Noni Likelihood score: C (probable rare cause of clinically apparent liver injury).
15. Iron Likelihood score: A[H] (well established cause of clinically apparent acute and chronic liver injury when given in high doses). Read more on iron overload.
16. Vitamin A Likelihood score: A[H] (well established cause of liver injury when used in high doses). Read more on vitamin A toxicity
17. Energy Drinks Likelihood score: C[H] (probable rare cause of clinically apparent liver injury when used in high amounts).
18. Niacin (B3) Likelihood score: A[HD] (well known cause of clinically apparent liver injury, but only when given in high doses).
19. Copper Likelihood score: A[HD] (well known cause of acute and chronic liver injury but only when taken in high doses). Read more on copper overload.

Common Rx Meds and Over The Counter Drugs

While the following are not supplements, but instead popular Rx and over-the-counter drugs, I thought I'd include them as well to highlight the often-forgot impact they can have on your health, and why they are often a big part of the problem. This is especially true for those who have been taking them daily for long periods of time.

Heavy exposure to the list below is almost always a common denominator in my complex client cases.

• Ibuprofen Likelihood score: A (well known but rare cause of clinically apparent liver injury).
• Acetaminophen (Tylenol): Likelihood score: A[HD] (well established cause of liver injury, but severe cases occur only with high doses).
• Aspirin Likelihood score: A[HD] (well known cause of clinically apparent liver injury when given in high doses).
• Birth Control Pills Likelihood score: A (well known cause of various forms of clinically apparent liver injury).
• Anti-depressants
  
  • Fluoxetine (Prozac) Likelihood score: C (probable cause of clinically apparent liver injury).
  • Citalopram (Celexa) Likelihood score: C (probable cause of clinically apparent liver injury).
  • Sertraline (Zoloft) Likelihood score: B (likely but rare cause of clinically apparent liver injury).
• Antibiotics
  • Amoxicillin Likelihood score: B (highly likely but rare cause of clinically apparent liver injury).
  • Azithromycin Likelihood score: A (well known but rare cause of clinically apparent liver injury).
  • Amoxicillin and Clavulanate Likelihood score: A (well established cause of clinically apparent liver injury).
  • Cephalosporin Likelihood score: B (cephalosporins as a class are very likely but rare causes of clinically apparent liver injury).

If after examining the lists above you see a few things that you take regularly (past or present), you may want to consider them as a possible cause of your health symptoms, especially the 'mysterious' symptoms that no practitioner can help you figure out.

The more often you've taken these things, the higher probably of the seemingly 'rare' side effects (that are not that rare from my clinical experience).

Concerned About Your Liver Health? Here's How to Get Real Answers

If you suspect your liver might be compromised, testing is a powerful first step to uncover what's really going on.

Here are some key labs that can reveal valuable insights:

Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP) - Measures essential liver markers:

• AST, ALT (liver enzymes)

• Bilirubin (waste product)

• Alkaline Phosphatase (enzyme linked to bile flow)

Nutrient Blood Labs - Checks for common liver-impacting nutrients:

• Vitamin A, Iron, Copper - These nutrients, often overemphasized in wellness trends like "eating the rainbow," can become excessive and contribute to liver sluggishness.

Other Blood Labs - GGT (Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase), a key indicator of liver function.

Imaging Tests - Liver/gallbladder ultrasound to detect biliary stasis or fatty liver.

Need Help Supporting Your Liver?

Get the Answers You Deserve. Don't leave your liver health to guesswork. Become a client today to access expert-led nutrient testing and personalized support for optimal liver function.

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References:

1. Livertox Database https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547852/
2.  Drug Induced Cholestasis https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3089004/

The post 7 Signs of Liver Injury (and what supplements and meds can cause it) appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

If some healthy food is good, more must be better, right? In the context of the following three areas, too much of a good thing can actually be very bad for your health.

1. Nutrient Excess

The primary nutrients causing problems by way of excess are vitamin A, copper and iron. Often a client has an issue with more than one of these.

• Vitamin A excess - Getting too much vitamin A from overdoing rich foods like dairy products, butter, and eggs for decades along with taking multivitamins, Rx drugs like Accutane or Tretinoin and consuming liver regularly can push your levels to the limit.
  
  The Livertox database which covers clinical and research information on drug-induced liver injury confirms the toxicity: "Vitamin A in high doses is a direct toxin. Excess vitamin A is stored in stellate cells in the liver and accumulation can lead to their activation and hypertrophy, excess collagen production, fibrosis and liver injury. The toxicity is dose related and can be reproduced in animal models." [1]
  
  With my one-on-one consultation clients we take advantage of blood lab testing (you can live anywhere in the US other than a few states) to check in on Vitamin A levels.
  
  Read more about vitamin A toxicity.
  
  
• Copper overload - Wellness culture tends to encourage high copper foods such as dark chocolate, nuts/seeds, avocado, shellfish, liver, and multivitamins. This can easily tip the copper scales in the wrong direction, particularly for your liver and mental health.
  
  Copper overload can manifest for a variety of reasons, one strong influence being the antagonistic relationship between copper and zinc. When zinc is depleted by stress, dietary insufficiency or malabsorption, copper can increase. 
  
  Read more all about copper overload.
  
  
• Iron overload - While you've probably heard of anemia or low iron levels, talk about milder forms of iron overload is not nearly as common. Excess iron acts as a rusting agent in your body and can accumulate in tissues, particularly in the liver, pancreas, heart, joints and the brain. This speeds up the aging process and puts you at a much higher risk for vascular disease, cancer, and a shortened life expectancy.
  
  Iron overload is also linked to liver disease, cardiovascular disease, gout, infertility, hypothyroidism, and a very long list of others, making it essential for you to know your iron status. [2]
  
  This way you can be better informed to make decisions about taking iron-containing supplements.
  
  Read more about iron overload.

2. Plant Toxin Overload

Most plants contain various plant toxins, but some have ones that are more problematic when consumed in excess.

A big part of the problem with these foods comes from eating them out of season. You see, certain plants contain plant toxins that create more work for your immune and detoxification systems. While your body can handle gentle exposure for several weeks while a plant like a tomato is in season, eating them regularly starts to put more stress on your system over time (constantly giving your liver more work to do).

The foods that really get people here are over-consuming high oxalate foods and nightshade veggies.

• Nightshade veggies:
  
  Nightshades are a member of Solanaceae family of plants with strong ties to inflammatory action. They contain problematic plant toxins, compounds like calcitriol, solanine, nicotine and capsaicin that have been linked to chronic pain, arthritis [4] and an increase in intestinal permeability [3].
  
  The nightshade family includes hot peppers, tomatoes, ashwagandha (popular for adrenal support), bell peppers (a.k.a. sweet peppers), cape gooseberry, eggplant, goji berries (also called wolfberry), paprika, potatoes (including potato starch found in many gluten-free foods), and tobacco.
  
  Because nightshades play such a pivotal role in the standard American diet foods like pizza, pasta, salsa, and Mexican food, it can be very difficult to identify an issue if you're eating these foods regularly.
  
  Read more about nightshades and inflammation.
  
  
• High oxalate foods:
  

  Oxalates (or oxalic acid) are a natural compound found in plants foods but can also be synthesized by the body (via the glyoxylate pathway). They are commonly linked to chronic pain and kidney stones.
  
  High oxalate foods that are commonly over-consumed in wellness culture include:

  • Spinach
  • Almonds
  • Cacao (dark chocolate)
  • Rhubarb

  While oxalate testing is available (OAT test), perhaps the best way to see if these plant toxins impact you is to eat less of them and more foods that are low in plant toxins and see if you feel better.

3. Over-supplementation

With over 90,000 dietary and vitamin supplements on the market, how can you possibly get lucky enough to choose one that fits you? It's a dying statistical game that you play every time you go to the supplement store. In the end, it just costs you a boatload of money along with adverse symptoms you may have to those very expensive supplements.

If every single day, 365 days a year (maybe even multiple times a day) you're taking supplements that don't work with your body chemistry and instead just give your liver more work to do that has a huge impact on your health. From influencing your digestion to overburdening your liver, and maybe even giving you nutrients that you don't actually need because you have a surplus of them already (back to #1 nutrient excess), supplements are often the problem and not the solution.

Some vitamins have a negative impact other nutrient levels in your body, because nutrients work together (hint: vitamin D is a big one here).

According to a 2013 article in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the debate about supplements should be over:

"In conclusion, β-carotene, vitamin E, and possibly high doses of vitamin A supplements are harmful. Other antioxidants, folic acid and B vitamins, and multivitamin and mineral supplements are ineffective for preventing mortality or morbidity due to major chronic diseases. Although available evidence does not rule out small benefits or harms or large benefits or harms in a small subgroup of the population, we believe that the case is closed- supplementing the diet of well-nourished adults with (most) mineral or vitamin supplements has no clear benefit and might even be harmful. These vitamins should not be used for chronic disease prevention. Enough is enough." [5]

A 2007 study in JAMA had similar findings:

"Treatment with beta carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E may increase mortality. The potential roles of vitamin C and selenium on mortality need further study." [6]

Remember, less supplementation = more. Find out what your body needs, and then spend the extra supplement money you're saving on your groceries instead (not the profit margin of some supplement company).

Takeaways

If you gleaned anything valuable from this article, it should be to pay attention and listen to your body, not wellness culture. Overdoing these specific foods and nutrients adds stress to your body and increases the workload of your liver, which can have big consequences for your energy levels, mood, digestion and weight.

Nutrient blood labs for (copper, zinc, vitamin A and iron) are available to my clients in the US (except NY, NJ and RI), while hair tissue mineral analysis is available to clients worldwide. You can add on these tests to any consultation or package to check in on your own body and discover what is standing in the way of you and optimal health.

Is wellness culture working for you? Please share in the comments!

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References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK548165/
2. https://chriskresser.com/iron-behaving-badly-the-role-of-iron-overload-in-metabolic-disease/
3. Jensen-Jarolim E et al. "Hot spices influence permeability of human intestinal epithelial monolayers." J Nutr. 1998 Mar;128(3):577-81.
4. Childers N.F., and Margoles M.S. "An Apparent Relation of Nightshades (Solanaceae) to Arthritis" Journal of Neurological and Orthopedic Medical Surgery (1993) 12:227-231
5. https://annals.org/aim/fullarticle/1789253/enough-enough-stop-wasting-money-vitamin-mineral-supplements
6. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/205797

The post 3 Ways Wellness Culture is Making You Sick appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

When it comes to low thyroid issues, subclinical or otherwise, it's easy to get caught in the weeds with what to do about it.

But going down rabbit holes with expensive testing + supplements often doesn't yield results and can even be counterproductive.

If you zoom out, the reason for low thyroid symptoms is pretty obvious and easy to change with a focused approach.

Root Causes of Thyroid Issues

When it comes to pinning down the root cause of your thyroid issues, these are the key areas you'll want to pay attention to. I've yet to see a client with thyroid issues that doesn't line up with at least one of these (usually multiple).

The Liver

The liver (along with the thyroid and gut) are the key locations that thyroid hormone conversion occurs. This is where the conversion of inactive thyroid hormone (T4) to active thyroid hormone takes place (T3) that helps to give you energy and make your metabolism run flawlessly.

What do you think happens when the liver is overwhelmed with too much work to do because the body is accumulating toxins ('work') faster than it can get rid it? If you guessed reduce thyroid hormone conversion, you're right on target.

Improve liver health to improve thyroid hormone conversion.

Key supports: adequate protein, carbohydrates, therapeutic fiber and zinc to support healthy detoxification, along with reducing nutrition excess and toxin exposure. Read more on how to support your liver here.

The Gut

Just like the liver, the gut is key for activating thyroid hormone. When your gut is overwhelmed with poor digestion, bacterial overgrowth, pathogens and inflammation, its going to have a ripple effect on thyroid health.

Recent integrated medicine case reports support this, finding that symptoms originally attributed to thyroid dysfunction were instead caused by suboptimal gastrointestinal health. [1]

Key supports: short-term probiotics and dietary modifications, long-term focus a healthy biliary-liver axis

Under eating, over exercising or dieting (especially low calorie, low protein and low carb diets)

Low thyroid symptoms (or hypothyroidism) can be self-induced by not meeting your body's fuel needs. Just like you wouldn't expect your house to stay warm in the winter if you couldn't afford to pay your electricity bill, the body works in a similar way. This is an adaptive mechanism to help you survive when your body's not getting the amount of fuel it needs.

Meet your body's daily caloric and macronutrient needs to set the stage for thyroid hormone homeostasis.

Key supports: adequate calories for daily expenditure, balanced macronutrient diet

Mineral Imbalances

Several years ago in my nutrition studies, I learned about the mineral balance needed to support optimal thyroid health, namely calcium and potassium. These two super-important minerals must be in good balance with each other, but it's something that I rarely see when working with my clients experiencing thyroid symptoms.

So, if you're dealing with these thyroid symptoms, the first line of nutritional and in this case mineral defense, may be getting your calcium and potassium levels back in balance! If you don't know your calcium and potassium levels, you may want to. It's pretty easy to find out with Hair Analysis.

Alright, so we need proper balance between calcium and potassium (a.k.a. the thyroid ratio in hair analysis) to support optimal thyroid health from the mineral perspective, but the common American lifestyle compounds this problem twofold - forcing calcium level too high (often by supplementing too much vitamin D), and potassium levels too low.

This makes the thyroid ratio go way out of balance, and chances are, you may be familiar with the way that makes you feel.

You see, calcium slows things down in the body if you have too much of it, but high calcium levels are now commonplace due to Vitamin D supplementation. In short, it's often not from eating too much calcium-rich food, but instead a product of vitamin D supplementation. Vitamin D supplements tell your gut to absorb more calcium from your food than you would otherwise. The even worse supplement combination would be supplementing high amounts of vitamin D and calcium at the same time.

According to Trace Element Lab, "The inhibitory action of calcium on the thyroid has been suspected since the last century, but more recent studies have confirmed its effects. It is known that calcium decreases thyroid activity and that calcium absorption is increased in thyroid insufficiency. Vitamin D would also be considered to contribute to lowered thyroid function due to its close, synergistic relationship to calcium." [2]

Key supports: balancing calcium and potassium levels (more on that here)

Fluoride

Fluoride has been shown to have a serious impact on thyroid function. In fact, fluoride was prescribed as anti-thyroid drug in the 1950's to treat over active thyroid (hyperthyroidism) in Europe and South Africa. Consistent with fluoride's thyroid suppressing effects, a 2015 study showed fluorinated water can double the risk of hypothyroidism. The findings of the study report:

"We found that higher levels of fluoride in drinking water provide a useful contribution for predicting prevalence of hypothyroidism. We found that practices located in the West Midlands (a wholly fluoridated area) are nearly twice as likely to report high hypothyroidism prevalence in comparison to Greater Manchester (non-fluoridated area)."

Key supports: Consider reducing your fluoride exposure. Examples include:

• Eat less processed food. The more processed a food, the more fluoride it contains.
• Watch your intake of tea. Tea plants absorb fluoride from the soil resulting in high fluoride levels in the leaves.
• Choose fluoride-free toothpaste and seek out a holistic dentist that is aware of the dangers of fluoride.

What about thyroid meds?

While thyroid meds can be extremely helpful in the short-term (and long term for people with thyroid removal), they can be a double-edged sword.

In an over-simplification, taking thyroid medication is like buying energy for your body with a credit card.

Seems harmless at first, right?

Wrong…

Credit cards can be an incredible tool for getting things you want, but they can also be very dangerous if the right money management is not in place to back up what you are "spending".

If you take thyroid medication without addressing the root cause behind it, you are essentially purchasing that "increased energy" with a credit card! If your body doesn't have the nutritional stores to pay for that energy, that thyroid medication could be digging you deeper and deeper into a nutritional deficit that will worsen things over time.

This if often why someone needs to 'up' their thyroid med dose over time.

The message I am trying to get across is that if your energy is low by way of reduced thyroid function, then there is a nutritional aspect that needs to be addressed.

No Magic Pill

This is what is REALLY causing low thyroid symptoms, and there's not a magic pill or supplement that's going to change it. Only habit changes and addressing the root cause.

When it comes to your thyroid health, remember to zoom out.

Sometimes the cause is clearer than you think!

Need help?

Need help navigating thyroid symptoms with nutrition support? Consider the following:

• Free 15 Minute Consultation
• Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis with lab testing
• Thyroid Reset Bootcamp
• Drain Detox Method
• Bulletproof Gut Masterclass

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References:

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35999903/
2. http://www.traceelements.com/Docs/The%20Nutritional%20Relationships%20of%20Thyroid.pdf
3. http://jech.bmj.com/content/early/2015/02/09/jech-2014-204971

The post Thyroid Triggers Everyone Ignores appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

What is Histamine?

Histamine is a compound that is released by the cells in your body. The release of histamine can be triggered by inflammation, an allergic reaction (food allergy or otherwise), injury or threat.

Typically histamine is broken down either through the process of methylation with the help of the HNMT (histamine-N-methyltransferase) enzyme or by DAO (diamine oxidase, the main enzyme that breaks down histamine in the gut).

If you've never investigated if histamine could be a factor in your presentation of symptoms, you may want to familiarize yourself with the signs and symptoms:

• itching
• flushing and redness
• nasal congestion
• irregular cycles
• anxiety and mood issues
• ADHD
• hives
• edema
• postprandial abdominal distension
• diarrhea
• abdominal pain and constipation
• dizziness
• headaches/migraines
• hypotension
• allergies
• tachycardia

How to Get Rid of Histamine Intolerance by Addressing the Root Cause

Addressing the underlying cause of histamine issues requires paying attention to where the increased load of histamine is coming from, including:

• gut health (usually stemming from an overloaded liver)
  • certain gut bacteria are 'histamine producers' and when overgrown create a higher histamine load in the body
  • you need a healthy gut to produce enough DAO enzyme to break down histamine in your gut
• liver/gallbladder dysfunction
• methylation status (undermethylation & genetics) [3]
• your cells, histamine is produced by your body especially in response to potential allergens (mold, pollen, problematic foods)
• diet (the food you eat, especially aged and fermented foods)

Now that you know the five main causes of histamine intolerance, let's dive into each one of them in greater detail.

Histamine Producing Gut Bacteria

One very common cause of high histamine levels is a dysbiotic gut, meaning a gut where bacteria levels are out of balance.

You see, certain gut bacteria produce histamine, so if you have an overgrowth of them, your body could be overloaded with histamine regularly solely based on your gut health.

If you completed a GI Map Stool Test, you'll want to pull yours out and look on page 3 to see if you have elevated amounts of any of the major histamine-producers that could be adding to your daily histamine burden. They are:

• Morganella
• Klebsiella
• Klebsiella pneumoniae
• Pseudomonas
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa
• Citrobacter freundii
• Proteus
• Proteus mirabilis

When the bacteria above are outside of the normal ranges, it's a big clue that a big part of your high histamine levels causing histamine intolerance are rooted in your gut, and gut support is absolutely vital to bring the levels of histamine-producing bacteria down.

Short term relief can come from avoiding constipation, increasing short chain fatty acid production (especially butyrate) and probiotics, but for long term symptom relief and resolution, you've got to focus on supporting the organs that regulate your gut to begin with, your liver and gallbladder.

The Liver, Gallbladder and High Histamine

Now that you know that one big source of histamine can come from your gut health, it's important to emphasize the role your liver and gallbladder play on keeping your gut in good balance.

You see, your liver-gallbladder axis regulates your gut microbiome long-term.

You can do all the 'gut support' interventions you want, but the changes won't stick if you don't fix the problem that created them in the first place.

The liver-gallbladder axis governs digestion in so many ways.

If this were a math equation it would look something like this: A sick liver = poor bile acid composition & bile regulation = bad gut environment (more opportunities for histamine-producing bacteria overgrowth).

This is why so many people get reoccurring episodes of histamine intolerance, SIBO, LIBO, dysbiosis etc., because they are just chasing the gut and ignoring the liver/gallbladder. That's why you see those chronically focusing on their gut and ignoring the liver don't actually get better. It keeps coming back.

So how do you support the liver to help aid in decreasing high histamine levels? You have to start giving the liver 'less work' to do so it can function with more ease.

There are seven super easy ways to get started supporting your liver gallbladder health to reduce histamine intolerance:

1. Learn about what's increasing your toxicity. A state of toxicity to me is loosely defined as accumulating toxins faster than you are able to excrete them. This might involve mineral (HTMA) and blood testing to learn more about your iron and copper levels. It also might involve gut testing to see what kind of state your gut is in and how best to support it.
2. Eat more fiber - this helps to passively support detoxification, and a low-fiber combined with a toxic diet and lifestyle is probably the #1 dietary problem impacting your health.
3. Eat enough high-quality animal protein. Protein deficiency by itself can impair liver detoxification.
4. Take less supplements (find out what nutrients your body needs and forget about the rest!)
5. Be mindful of the impact of Rx and over the counter drugs on your liver (i.e., liver injury). Antibiotics, pain meds and accutane are big here.
6. Reduce alcohol intake.
7. Reduce plant toxins in the diet that give the liver 'more work' to do.
   1. Nightshade veggies are one example of a family of foods with a higher plant toxin load, such as hot peppers, tomatoes, ashwagandha (popular for adrenal support), bell peppers (a.k.a. sweet peppers), cape gooseberry, eggplant, goji berries (also called wolfberry), paprika, potatoes (including potato starch found in many gluten-free foods), and tobacco.
   2. Intake of high oxalate foods like spinach, almonds, rhubarb, chocolate and cocoa/cacao should also be considered.
8. Address nervous system dysregulation.

Undermethylation and Histamine

Another way histamine levels can build up is if there are methylation issues causing the histamine to not be broken down properly.

This is why it's helpful to know a little bit about your methylation status (undermethylator, overmethylator or normal methylator), something you can glean from labs such as whole blood histamine and homocysteine.

Undermethylators tend to have higher histamine levels and can benefit from more B-vitamins and methyl group containing foods in their diet.

Read more about high histamine and undermethylation here.

Increased Histamine Release from Your Cells

Another way histamine intolerance can occur is when your body's producing too much in response to a stimuli.

This could be something as simple as a food you're allergic to, a contaminant in your environment (mold and pollen are big here), an injury, or a threat perceived from your body.

Investigating any possible food or environmental triggers is essential to a thorough histamine reducing protocol.

High Histamine Foods

Foods contain varying levels of histamine. One of the predominant factors to consider when choosing low-histamine foods is the freshness of the food. As a general rule, the longer a food sits in your fridge the higher level of histamine it's going to contain.

Consider reducing the following high histamine foods below until you get your symptoms under control:

• aged foods - aged cheeses, salami, red wine, processed and smoked meats
• fermented foods - beer, yogurt, vinegar, kefir, soy sauce, sauerkraut, pickles, and olives
• leftovers - the longer the food sits, the more histamine it has as a general rule
• high histamine foods - citrus fruits, canned/smoked seafood, especially tuna and mackerel
• high histamine supplements - probiotic bacteria strains that produce histamine should be avoided

While in the short-term reducing high histamine foods with a low-histamine diet that emphasizes fresh foods can bring quite a lot in terms of system relief, longer-term I do not recommend it. Restrictive diets of any kind can be detrimental and unintentionally calorie-restrictive, posing other health risks.

Addressing the underlying cause of your histamine intolerance is key to getting back to eating a wide variety of foods without symptoms.

How to Reduce Histamine Levels

How do you reduce histamine producing bacteria and block its inflammatory effects? Here's a few great places to start:

• get data on your body so you can zero in on the cause of your histamine issues. Suggested testing includes:
  • vitamin A, zinc, copper, iron and whole blood histamine (lab testing available to US clients only, except those in NY, NJ and RI)
  • Hair tissue mineral analysis to assess minerals that impact the liver as well as heavy metal load (available to clients worldwide)
  • GI Map Testing to assess histamine levels in the gut (available to clients worldwide)
• improve overall liver health - the Align to Detox Masterclass is a great place to start!
• high dose probiotics - choose one that doesn't contain histamine producing bacteria strains, I discuss all my favorite products in the Bulletproof Gut Masterclass.
• fiber - only if tolerated from foods and/or prebiotic supplements
• serum bovine immunoglobulins
• DAO enzyme supplements
• low-dose lactulose (outside the US available over the counter, in US Rx only)
• avoid constipation - constipation encourages bacteria overgrowth which contributes to high histamine levels
• support methylation
• consider your environment and any nervous system dysregulation

I hope this encourages you to investigate the root causes of your high histamine levels and find more health clarity.

Change your histamine level, change your symptoms 💪🏻

Need help?

Reach out to find more about comprehensive testing and support for histamine-related symptoms.

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References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC68527...
2. https://www.diagnosticsolutionslab.com/blog/gas-histamine-producers-gi-map
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35565742/

The post 16 Signs of Histamine Intolerance (and WHAT causes it) appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

You can quite literally kill some good bacteria species out of existence, and they won't come back.

So, if the emphasis on getting rid of the bad bacteria is not helpful, what is the solution?

The Liver-Gallbladder Axis Governs Digestion

In nutritional therapy, biliary issues, especially biliary stasis (or sluggish bile flow) is something that we are taught to never ignore.

And I'm telling you, it all comes back to liver and biliary issues in clients with chronic gut symptoms that don’t *easily* resolve.

The liver-gallbladder axis governs digestion in so many ways. A sick liver = poor bile acid composition & bile regulation = bad gut environment resulting in symptoms like:

-mood issues (anxiety and depression are big here)
-constipation
-diarrhea
-bloating
-systemic inflammation (from an overgrowth of endotoxin producing gram negative bacteria)
-sensitivity to everything (foods, supplements, environment, etc.)

This is why so many people get reoccurring episodes of SIBO, LIBO, dysbiosis etc., because they are just chasing the gut and ignoring the liver/gallbladder. That's why you see those chronically focusing on their gut and ignoring the liver don't actually get better. It keeps coming back.

How The Liver Impacts the Gut

Analogy time — I want you to think of your biliary tract as a river connecting your liver to your small intestines. Your liver in a sense flags toxins, collects them for removal and dumps them in your 'river of bile' to flow into your digestive system and hopefully make it out of your body via your stool.

But what happens if your bile is thick and sluggish like a stagnant river that's just not moving fast enough? Toxins are not getting out of your body fast enough and your bile is not flowing like it must to have the therapeutic anti-microbial impact on your gut microbiome keeping overgrowth 'in check.'

And what happens if once these toxins in your bile acids finally make it to your small intestines but then don't have anything to cling to (i.e., fiber, specifically soluble fiber)? They can recirculate because 95% of your bile acids are absorbed and recycled at the end of your small intestines called the ileum (this is called enterohepatic circulation).

If you're still following, you now know that sluggish or decreased bile flow and recirculating toxins can impact your gut. In a sense, your liver and gallbladder can poison your gut environment.

A 2021 study illustrates the role of bile acids (BA) in regulating the bacterial ecosystem of the gut quite well:

"The decreased levels of fecal BAs promote depletion of Firmicutes, particularly Blautia and Ruminococcus species, and expansion of proinflammatory pathogenic bacteria of the phylum Proteobacteria, particularly Enterobacteriaceae. This is because colonic microbial groups are responsible for deconjugation and 7-alpha dehydroxylation of BAs, and it is hypothesized that the presence of microbe toxic BAs (particularly deoxycholic acid [DCA]) in the intestine is one of the factors that keep undesirable microbial populations under control" [1]

In addition, Dr. Ray Peat has been talking about this for a long time: "I see bowel toxins rather as a relatively late-acting factor that accelerates a process which develops for other reasons. Once our detoxifying mechanisms begin to fail, bowel toxins pass the bowel with relative ease, and rapidly destroy the remaining systems of defense and detoxification. The altered hormonal environment and weakened digestion of an aging organism create a new balance between the animal and the bowel flora, sometimes allowing the proliferation of more toxic flora."

How To Support Your Liver/Gallbladder Axis

How do you start to turn the table on your symptoms and support your liver and biliary health?

There are five super easy ways to get started:

1. Learn about what's increasing your liver toxicity (and impacting your digestion). A state of toxicity to me is loosely defined as accumulating toxins faster than you are able to excrete them. This might involve mineral (HTMA) and blood testing to learn more about your iron, vitamin A, and  copper levels. It also might involve gut testing to see what kind of state your gut is in and how best to support it. We offer these services to clients around the world.
2.  Eat more fiber - this helps to passively support detoxification, and a low-fiber combined with a toxic diet and lifestyle is probably the #1 dietary problem impacting your health. However, if you're too toxic and/or have a liver injury, fiber won't be tolerated, as it will be too advanced and aggressive for you (ie. make you feel awful).
   1. A few big benefits of fiber:
      1. delays gastric emptying - keeping you fuller longer while aiding in blood sugar management and mood
      2. feeds your good gut bacteria - encouraging a healthy gut microbiome, reduced dysbiosis and increased internal production of vitamins (especially b-vitamins and K2)
      3. reduces constipation (specifically insoluble fiber)
      4. aids in binding toxins and bile acids for excretion supporting liver and gallbladder function in a very passive way (specifically soluble fiber). If you need a fiber reminder, the best sources of soluble fiber are:
         1. beans/legumes (if you are sensitive to beans, start slowly and try the brand 'Eden' which contains the seaweed Kombu to help reduce the raffinose in beans that can cause gastric discomfort)
         2. oats
         3. other whole grains
         4. fruits
         5. vegetables
3. Eat enough high quality animal protein. Protein deficiency by itself can impair liver detoxification.
4. Take less supplements (find out what nutrients your body needs and forget about the rest!)
5. Be mindful of the impact of Rx and over the counter drugs on your liver (i.e. liver injury). Antibiotics, pain meds and accutane are big here.

Need help?

Ready to learn more about what's going on in your body and what you can do to support it? There's a number of ways to get started:

• New Client Consultation with hair and blood testing
• Request a Free Consultation

Always keep digging to find *your* health answers. And don’t be fearful of asking for help. 

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References:

1. https://www.jcehepatology.com/article/S0973-6883(21)00222-X/fulltext
2. http://www.karenhurd.com/
3. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/10/9/1792

The post Is Your Chronic Gut Issue Really a Liver/Gallbladder Issue? appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

But there are problems. Major problems, that no-one is talking about. Till now.

Problem #1 - The deficiency ranges:

What even classifies vitamin D deficiency? The answer varies. In short, it depends on who you talk to. Some of the biggest authorities wildly disagree:

 Problem #2 - Reasons vitamin D can be low that don't stem from not enough vitamin D: 

• Low magnesium [2]
• Low boron [3]
• Low vitamin C [4]
• Inflammation/infection - as someone who tests gut bacteria, I can tell you gut infections are extremely common. In these cases the 'storage form' of vitamin D is often low, but the active form is high (which is not typically tested). [1]
• Low glutathione [7]
• Glyphosate (i.e. Roundup, GMOs, non-organic food) [6]
• Favorable gut bacteria conditions (i.e. healthy guts) [5]
• Normal seasonal variations (i.e. vitamin D levels will be the highest after sunny summer months and fall during the winter, or darker months)

I believe these reasons are why so many people are supplementing only to *not see* levels easily come up. They are hitting the wrong nail with their hammer.

Additionally, automatically sprinkling 'high dose vitamin D supplements' on everyone who has low serum D is NOT the answer and can do harm in some cases. Bringing us to the next problem...

Problem #3 -The side effects:

Mega-dosing any vitamin supplement can have side effects, but this is especially true for fat soluble vitamins that are stored in the body and cannot quickly leave. Vitamin D is stored in your fat cells and subject to toxicity. You can't just pee it out when you get too much.

Vitamin D has well-known side effects and is used as a potent rat poison for those very reasons.

According to a 2022 report entitled: Vitamin D toxicity due to self-prescription: A case report, the general population is unaware of the risks: "People are taking vitamin D orally or intramuscularly in mega doses as a supplement without adequate medical monitoring and indication. This leads to vitamin D toxicity causing hypercalcemia, acute kidney injury, and altered sensorium. Vitamin D is fat-soluble and remains in the body for long time and is released slowly. People are not aware of this phenomenon." [8]

A few important markers for vitamin D supplementation are as follows:

• The upper limit is 4,000iu per the NIH [9]
• The Endocrine Society recommends 1,500-2,000iu
• Some research says adverse effects can start at 3,800iu [10]

Personally I see anything over 1,000-2,000iu impacting hair tissue mineral levels in the following ways:

• Increased calcium levels (calcium slows things down in the body)
• Decreased potassium levels
• This disrupts mineral patterns in a significant way and can impact your thyroid's ability to do its job. A disrupted calcium:potassium ratio can look like:
  • fatigue
  • brain fog
  • low body temperature
  • blood sugar issues (hypoglycemia)
  • sluggish digestion
  • sluggish thyroid

As someone who tests mineral levels using hair tissue mineral analysis on clients worldwide, I see calcium levels creep up in a dose-dependent manner in relation to vitamin D supplement intake (dose and duration determine with how elevated calcium gets), along with other non-vitality supporting mineral changes.

Problem #4: High doses were not intended to be taken orally

I never see high calcium levels from people getting vitamin D from the sun. It's always supplement sources. What does that tell us?

Vitamin D from the sun and oral supplements do not act identically in the body.

It is also very hard to find high amounts of oral vitamin D in nature. Nearly impossible to get close to 'supplement levels' consistently.

For instance, one of the top food sources for vitamin D is wild salmon. You'd have to eat 1 pound of salmon every day to get approximately 2,384iu of vitamin D from food. If you tried doing that every day, you'd put yourself at risk of mercury toxicity pretty quickly.

This is common in nature. It's hard to find large amounts of fat soluble vitamins (those being A, D, E & K) that are stored in the body for a reason.

Some may think nature's 'trying to kill you,' while I believe nature is communicating a message and trying to keep you alive.

So the bigger question is — what is nature trying to tell you? Perhaps vitamin D is meant to be part of chemical reaction that happens on the skin and largely not absorbed through the oral route (without risking side effects long term). Trying to 'outsmart' nature with supplement after supplement never works in the long term from what I've seen in my nutrition practice.

Supplement wisely, and more importantly - don't forget to let your body control how much vitamin D it needs to make from getting adequate sun exposure (the superior source of vitamin D). Remember, it's fat soluble, so your body can store it for those dark winter months.

Next Steps

Have you been taking high dose vitamin D without awareness of the consequences it can have on your mineral levels and left with symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, low body temperature, blood sugar issues (hypoglycemia), sluggish digestion and sluggish thyroid? These are all symptoms that your calcium levels are too high and your potassium levels are too low from taking vitamin D supplements. This can be tested using hair tissue mineral analysis.

 

Some vitamin D is good. More is not better. Testing (both storage + active forms) and thinking critically before taking high dosages is smart.

 

Are you really vitamin D deficient (storage and active forms)? Please share in the comments!

PIN IT:

 

References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4160567/
2. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181214093837.htm
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4712861/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2170601
5. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-19793-8
6. https://myersdetox.com/transcript-166-glyphosate-and-how-to-detox-it-with-dr-stephanie-seneff/
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6208166/
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9067206/
9. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-Consumer/
10.  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40520-020-01678-x

The post Are You Really Vitamin D Deficient? 4 Things to Consider appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Is anxiety and/or depression-like symptoms taking over your life?

Common strains of proteobacteria include (all tested for on the GI map):

• Citrobacter freundii
• Citrobacter spp.
• Enterobacter spp.
• Escherichia spp.
• Klebsiella pneumoniae
• Morganella spp. (linked to major depressive disorder) [6]
• Proteus mirabilis
• Proteus spp
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa
• Pseudomonas spp.

Bacteroidetes is another large phyla of gram negative bacteria implicated in mental health.

An overgrowth of the gram-negative bacteria found in the bacteroidetes and proteobacteria phylas are well-documented to impact mental health:

• "Patients exceeding thresholds of distress, anxiety, depression, and stress perception showed significantly higher abundances of Proteobacteria (q = .020-.036). Patients with anxiety were characterized by elevated Bacteroidaceae (q = .036)." [1]
• "An altered fecal microbiota composition was found in patients with depression." and Enterobacteriaceae and Alistipes were over-represented in patients with depression. [4]
• "Mendelian randomization analysis indicated a potential causal effect of Morganella on major depressive disorder, consistent with observational incident disease analysis." [7]
  *Note: Enterobacteriaceae is part of the proteobacteria phyla and Alistipes is part of the Bacteroidetes phyla. Morganella is a proteobacteria species.

What increases gram negative bacteria in the gut?

A variety of factors can increase gram negative bacteria in the gut, but the most common are:

• Western diet, low in whole foods and fiber
• Antibiotics, as they 'kill' beneficial bacteria they create the environment for gram negative bacteria to thrive and overgrow
• Proton pump inhibitor (PPIs)
• Diets low in fiber and prebiotic foods (think fertilizer for your good gut microbes)
• Keto and carnivore diets (often low in fiber, but not always)

How your gut impacts your mental health

There are three major ways that are well-documented in the research that show how your gut bacteria can cause mental health symptoms.

1) Too much Lipopolysaccharide Endotoxins (LPS) Creating Inflammation

As more gram-negative bacteria grow in the gut, so does the amount of inflammatory LPS, which:

• causes inflammation - as LPS gets into the blood stream, it creates pro-inflammatory events leading to behavioral alterations like anxiety, depression and cognitive dysfunction. Saturated fat can increase these inflammatory events, as it increases the amount of LPS that leaves the gut and enters the blood stream.
• slows the production of S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe) a molecule made in the body that acts as a natural serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Low SAMe can lead to more anxiety, insomnia, depression and less creatine. [8]
• Higher circulating LPS concentrations have been linked to insulin resistance. [13]

2) Altered Serotonin Production

Low serotonin starts in the gut, where approximately 90% of it is manufactured.

Stress and LPS/endotoxin (from an overgrowth of gram negative bacteria, think antibiotics, PPIs, processed food diet) shunts tryptophan (an amino acid found in your proteins) from being made into serotonin, and instead shuttles it down the Kynurenine pathway towards neurotoxic quinolinic acid.

"As the link between the kynurenine pathway and major depressive disorder became more apparent, the serotonin hypothesis was proposed stating that upon activation, the kynurenine pathway would divert available tryptophan away from serotonin production towards further catabolism" [9]

The Organic Acids Test (OAT) tests for tryptophan metabolites like kynurenic, quinolinic, and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic/5-HIAA (a breakdown product of serotonin).

3) B vitamin Production Alteration

When your gut's been abused by too much processed food and repeated antibiotics use, not only is there an increase in bad bacteria, but your beneficial bacteria counts take a huge hit.

Bifidobacteria is one of those super beneficial good bacteria that you want in robust quantities to support your mental health.

That's because bifidobacteria produce highly absorptive and bioavailable B-vitamins like:

• B1 thiamine
• B2 riboflavin 
• B3 niacin
• B5 pantothenate 
• B6 pyridoxine
• B7 biotin
• B9 folate

And then there's lactobacillus, another healthy bacteria strain that produces the following:

• Thiamine (B1)
• Riboflavin (B2)
• Niacin (B3)
• Pantothenate (B5)
• Pyridoxine (B6)
• Biotin (Vitamin B7)
• Folate (B9)
• Cobalamin (Vitamin B12, although the quantities are small, so you should still make sure to get enough B12 from your diet)

So if you're low on good gut bacteria like bifidobacteria and lactobacillus, you're likely also low on B-vitamins to support your mental health.

Science supports this:

"For example, scientists can distinguish between individuals with and without depression by analyzing their microbiome makeup. In fact, studies using the 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing method have observed abnormalities in the gut bacterial microbiomes of individuals with MDD. Specifically, depressed patients are shown to have reduced microbiome abundance and alpha diversity. For example, Aizawa et al. found that the amount of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus in the feces of patients with major depression is typically less than that of healthy individuals. [10]

Certain stool tests will show you the amount of bifidobacterium and lactobacillus in your stool to help you identify if it is above or below desired levels.

What can you do about it?

If you're reading this while tabulating your antibiotic use in the last decade and thinking 'this is me,' you're probably wondering what you can do about it.

Here's a few steps to get your started:

• Stop guessing and know for sure. Get tested to find out your levels of gram-negative bacteroides, proteobacteria, as well as beneficial bacteria like bifidobacteria to see where you need to make changes. If you want to do this with me, checkout with a New Client Consultation and choose the "Alternative Stool Test Instructions Add-on" at the bottom of the checkout page. The GI Map is another option and gives you slightly different data. Reach out if you need help choosing the best test for you.

• Reduce bacteroides and proteobacteria (gram negative). A few easy ways if you KNOW this is your issue is to increase your fiber and omega-3 intake while reducing your overall fat intake.

• Reduce your stress level to up-regulate digestion and serotonin production.

Ready to dive deeper into this topic and learn all the nitty-gritty details you need to know and what steps to take? Enroll in the How to Change Your Mood with Food Masterclass!

Hopefully in another decade gut microbiome testing will be an integral part of mental health care, but until then, you have me 😉.

PIN IT:

References:

1. 1. A Microbial Signature of Psychological Distress in Irritable Bowel Syndrome. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30095672/
   2. Proteobacteria: A Common Factor in Human Diseases. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2017/9351507/
   3. Hawrelak, Jason. Depression, Anxiety and the GIT microbiota.
   4. Altered fecal microbiota composition in patients with major depressive disorder. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2015.03.016
   5. Metabolic endotoxemia initiates obesity and insulin resistance. doi:10.2337/db06-1491
   6. Gut microbe linked to depression in large health study. https://www.science.org/content/article/gut-microbe-linked-depression-large-health-study
   7. Combined effects of host genetics and diet on human gut microbiota and incident disease in a single population cohort. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-021-00991-z
   8. https://www.facebook.com/drbenjaminlynch/videos/2090598277635661
   9. What is the tryptophan kynurenine pathway and why is it important to neurotherapy https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4482796/
   10. A Microbiome-Driven Approach to Combating Depression During the COVID-19 Pandemic. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.672390/full
   11. https://microbiomeprescription.com/Library/Details?taxon=1678
   12. https://microbiomeprescription.com/Library/Details?taxon=1578
   13. Effect of Lipopolysaccharide on Inflammation and Insulin Action in Human Muscle. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3660322/

The post 3 Ways your Gut Makes or Breaks Your Mental Health appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

I sure have. But now I avoid them as much as possible because the costs of overuse are just too high. Here's why...

1) Contribute to the development of autoimmune disease

Antibiotics-literally meaning "anti-life"-are designed to kill bacteria, but they don't distinguish between beneficial and harmful strains. As a result, they can disrupt the gut microbiome, creating an environment where harmful bacteria may overgrow.

Some of these bacteria produce lipopolysaccharides (LPS), or endotoxins, which can contribute to inflammation and may affect the integrity of the gut lining (often referred to as intestinal permeability), allowing substances to pass into the bloodstream and trigger immune responses.

So what's the connection to autoimmunity? According to the British Society of Gastroenterology, "in several autoimmune conditions it appears that increased permeability is a constant and early feature of the disease process." [3]

2) Trigger food allergies

With antibiotics taking such a toll on the delicate balance of the gut, and increasing the likelihood of intestinal permeability, it's no wonder they can trigger food allergies. In a recent article, Gabe Noble reports that:

Dr. Martin Blaser, a microbiologist and professor at New York University, is working tirelessly on groundbreaking research into this dramatic spike in food allergies. His hypothesis is that exposure to antibiotics early in life is diminishing positive gut bacteria and thus weakening children's immune systems, making them more susceptible to allergies. Blaser warns parents: "Antibiotics are not free, they do have a cost. And it is not just monetary but in the development of the immunity in children."

3) Drug induced liver injury (DILI)

According to this 2008 study, "Antibiotics are the single largest class of agents that cause DILI." [1]

A 2017 study paints a similar picture: "Some widely used antibiotics such as amoxicillin–clavulanate have been shown to have a delayed onset of liver injury and recently cefazolin has been found to lead to liver injury 1–3 weeks after exposure of a single infusion. The other extreme is the nature of nitrofurantoin-induced liver injury, which can occur after a few years of treatment and lead to acute liver failure (ALF) or autoimmune-like reaction. Most patients with liver injury associated with use of antibiotics have a favorable prognosis. However, patients with jaundice have approximately 10% risk of death from liver failure and/or require liver transplantation. In rare instances, the hepatoxicity can lead to chronic injury and vanishing bile duct syndrome." [17]

If you're in the know about how important your liver and gallbladder health are to how you feel (and age), drug induced liver injury is not something to take lightly. Get more information on the risk associated with specific antibiotics from the LiverTox Database.

4) Increase cancer risk

If autoimmune disease, food allergies and liver damage aren't enough of a deterrent to take personal responsibility for your body and do everything you can to support your health to prevent getting yourself into a position to have to take antibiotics, how does cancer sound?

According to the International Journal of Cancer, “those who had taken 2-5 antibiotic prescriptions had a 27% increase in cancers compared to those who took none. Those who took six or more prescriptions had a 37% increase in cancers.” The study also noted that the "findings of the present study suggest that antibiotic use, especially repeated prescriptions is associated with increased risk of cancer." [5]

A recent study from 2021 paints a graver picture, "There is a clear link between taking antibiotics and an increased risk of developing colon cancer within the next five to ten years. This has been confirmed after a study of 40,000 cancer cases. The impact of antibiotics on the intestinal microbiome is thought to lie behind the increased risk of cancer." [15]

5) Immune system suppression

Have you ever noticed that taking antibiotics can make you more prone to repeat infection?

That's immune system suppression at work! According to Dr. Mercola, "We take antibiotics when we are sick, when our immune systems weaken. The mycotoxins pharmacies dispense for use as antibiotics only exacerbate the problem, because the lion’s share of these substances have been shown to be immunosuppressants (CAST Report No. 116. November 1989.). Not only are they capable of hamstringing our immune systems, they also destroy the friendly bacteria that guard our intestines." [7]

Dr. Mercola also warns, "Remember, antibiotics are dangerous mycotoxins — fungal metabolites. Just as importantly, medical experts have written articles maintaining that these drugs kill people. But, other experts insist on remaining skeptical as to the problem, even though these same experts readily recognize the link between weakened immune systems and death." [7]

6) Weight gain

According to researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, antibiotic use can trigger weight gain in children, when compared to those who do not take antibiotics as frequently. This trend likely continues through adulthood.

"The results showed that at age 15, children who had received antibiotics seven or more times during childhood weighed about three pounds more than those who had never taken the drugs. Approximately 21 percent of the study participants -- about 30,000 kids -- had taken antibiotics seven or more times during childhood." [8]

7) Permanent damage

Some antibiotics are far riskier than others. The fluoroquinolones family of antibiotics fall into that category.

According to the FDA:

"Fluoroquinolones are antibiotics that kill or stop the growth of bacteria. While these drugs are effective in treating serious bacterial infections, a FDA safety review found that both oral and injectable fluoroquinolones are associated with disabling side effects involving tendons, muscles, joints, nerves and the central nervous system. These side effects can occur hours to weeks after exposure to fluoroquinolones and may potentially be permanent." [11]

FDA-approved fluoroquinolones include:

• levofloxacin (Levaquin)
• ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
• ciprofloxacin extended-release tablets
• moxifloxacin (Avelox)
• ofloxacin
• gemifloxacin (Factive)

8) Long-term microbiome changes

Antibiotics are known to decrease the diversity of microbes in the gut, and a new study suggests those changes just may be permanent.

According to Dr Liam Shaw (UCL Genetics Institute and CoMPLEX), “If you picture the state of the microbiome as a ball resting in a valley, antibiotics can ‘kick’ the ball up and out of the valley into a different valley, where it may not be able to return to the first one.” [12]

9) Increased depression

Antibiotics can reduce not only harmful bacteria, but also beneficial strains like lactobacillus and bifidobacteria.

This disruption may create an opportunity for opportunistic bacteria to overgrow due to the loss of protective microbes.

One concern is an increase in gram-negative bacteria, which contain lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an endotoxin that can promote inflammation when released.

The link between antibiotics and depression is clear:

• antibiotics reduce bifidobacteria, a source of mood-supportive B-vitamins
• LPS or endotoxin shunts tryptophan from being made into the neurotransmitter, serotonin, and instead is shuttled down the Kynurenine pathway (proteobacteria is a major phylum of gram negative and endotoxin releasing bacteria that often become opportunistic after antibiotic use)
• LPS or endotoxin slows the production of SAMe which is important to methylation (think anxiety, insomnia and less creatine)

Knowledge is POWER

This article is not meant to say there is never a reason for antibiotics, often there is! But antibiotics are grossly over-prescribed.

According to Dr. Wilson, "Doctors prescribe antibiotics at what can only be termed an incredible rate.  According to several studies done around the year 2000, obstetricians and gynecologists wrote 2,645,000 antibiotic prescriptions every week. Internists prescribed 1,416,000 per week.  This works out to 211,172,000 prescriptions annually, just for the two specialties! Pediatricians prescribe over $500 million worth of antibiotics annually just for one condition, ear infections."

As you can see, the cost of antibiotic overuse is very high and shouldn't be taken lightly. 

If you know your gut-liver axis has been impacted by antibiotic use, the following tools can be incredible to help you get your gut back on track:

• How to Build a Bulletproof Gut Masterclass
• DRAIN Detox Method Masterclass
• Microbiome Testing

As with everything else, knowledge is power, and applying that knowledge is even better.

Pin it:

References:

1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18955056
2. http://chriskresser.com/the-healthy-skeptic-podcast-episode-4
3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1856434/
4. http://news.yahoo.com/dr--martin-blaser-researches-link-between-food-allergies-in-children-and-antibiotics-111302595.htmlc
5. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ijc.23622/full
6. http://www.drlwilson.com/articles/antibiotics.htm
7. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/06/18/antibiotics-bacteria.aspx
8. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/too-many-antibiotics-may-be-making-kids-fatter/
9. Photo Credit: Depositphotos.com/markcarper
10. Photo Credit: Depositphotos.com/mirusiek
11. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm513183.htm
12. https://www.technologynetworks.com/biopharma/news/how-antibiotics-change-human-microbiome-diversity-long-term-317454
13. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25539109/
14. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28276834/
15. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210901090057.htm#:~:text=Summary%3A,the%20increased%20risk%20of%20cancer.

The post 9 Side Effects of Antibiotics appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

You may have been told you have a MTHFR (Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase) genetic variant that has the potential to impact methylation.

The key word here is potential. While genetic testing for MTHFR can be helpful, it can also be counterproductive, especially when there's an inexpensive blood test that can give you precise clues to what is happening with your methylation in the now. You see, genetics only show you what can happen.

What is Methylation?

Methylation is the biochemical process of moving a methyl group (CH3) from one substance to another. In an oversimplification, undermethylators have a shortage of methyl groups and can benefit from getting more methyl donors, whereas overmethylators have too many methyl groups. Both extremes can cause unpleasant and uncomfortable symptoms, many impacting mental health.

Dr. William Walsh, a lead researcher in arena of biochemical illness estimates that 21% of people are undermethylatiors, 9% are overmethylators and around 70% have normal methylation. Knowing your methylation status over your genetic MTHFR status can be extremely helpful if you're accustomed to mental health challenges. Methylation status can be assessed by checking histamine levels in the blood. High histamine can indicate undermethylation, as the methylation process breaks down histamine (suggesting under-activity), whereas low histamine levels can suggest overmethylation (suggesting over-activity). Of course, one can also be a 'normal' methylator with average histamine levels (more on histamine later).

Signs of Overmethylation

According to Dr. William Walsh, the signs of overmethylation are abundant:

• high anxiety
• dry eyes and mouth
• hirsutism
• sleep disorder
• non-competitive
• low libido
• talkative
• strong empathy
• musical/artistic talent
• low motivation during early school years
• obsessions without compulsive actions
• absence of seasonal allergies
• estrogen intolerance
• food and chemical sensitivity
• postpartum depression
• antihistamine intolerance
• adverse reaction to SSRI anti-depressants, Sam-E and methionine [1]

Conditions associated with overmethylation are panic/anxiety attacks, paranoid schizophrenia, ADHD, behavior disorders, and depression. [3]

Causes of Overmethylation

The cause of overmethylation typically boils down to one of the following:

• Impaired creatine synthesis (genetic and/or glycine or arginine deficiency)
• Genetics, such as methyltransferase and/or CBS genetic mutations [3]

Remedy to Overmethylation

Nutrient therapy and dietary interventions can be extremely beneficial to balancing the biochemistry of overmethylators.

Important nutrients to support overmethylators include:

• Folate (overmethylators tend to thrive on folates)
• Niacinamide (B3 helps to mop-up excess methyl groups)

Other supportive nutrients on a case-by-case basis:

• Glycine (collagen can be a good source)
• Thiamine (B1)
• Riboflavin (B2)
• Calcium pantothenate (B5)
• Pyridoxine (B6)

As overmethylators have an excess of methyl groups (the opposite of undermethylators), they should typically avoid supplements that contain methyl groups:

• Methionine
• Sam-e
• TMG (trimethylglycine or betaine)

Other factors to consider:

• Avoiding vitamin A toxicity (can deplete folate + B12)
• Getting adequate sun exposure (for vitamin D and other factors that aid in histamine reduction)
• Improving overall gut health

Overmethylation Debate

Using whole blood histamine levels to assess methylation status is not without controversy. Some big names in the nutrition world detest this method of methylation classification due to blood histamine's ability to be influenced by other factors, such as gut health and diet. Certain opportunistic gut bacteria are histamine-producers and when overgrown increase histamine levels in the body. Such histamine producers include Morganella, Klebsiella, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Citrobacter freundii, Proteus, and Proteus mirabilis. Histamine is also found in food, so a high histamine diet can impact blood histamine levels.

As someone who regularly tests gut bacteria levels in clients, I absolutely agree that both gut microbiome status and diet can impact histamine levels and should be taken into account when assessing a person's methylation status, but I still think testing blood histamine is an amazing tool to get insight into what is going on right now in regard to methylation.

Knowing a client's methylation status opens up a world of information for how I can best support them and where their body is currently at.

Testing for Overmethylation

Testing for whole blood histamine is the primary tool for helping to identify methylation status. Elevated whole blood histamine suggests undermethylation, whereas low whole blood histamine suggests overmethylation, but other factors and symptoms should always be taken into account. There are also other testing panels available that look at the SAMe/SAH ratio. Testing for methylation status:

• Low whole blood histamine combined with low absolute basophils
• Elevated SAMe/SAH ratio

You can find whole blood histamine testing in a 'blood labs' package here (US only) or grab the Mood eCourse on so you can make sure your body has all the raw materials it needs to support its natural desire for health.

Regardless of your methylation status, methylation imbalances are a sign your liver needs support. Get the data you need on your body so you can give it what it needs!

Does overmethylation sound familiar to you? Please share in the comments!

References:
[1] Walsh Research Institute
[2] Walsh, William. Nutrient Power: Heal Your Biochemistry and Heal Your Brain. Skyhorse; Revised, Updated ed. edition (May 6, 2014).
[3] "The Role of Methylation and Epigenetics in Brain Disorders" presented by William J. Walsh, PhD

The post 18 Signs of Overmethylation appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

You may have been told you have a MTHFR (Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase) genetic variant that has the potential to impact methylation.

The key word here is potential.

While genetic testing for MTHFR can be helpful, it can also be counterproductive, especially when there's an inexpensive blood test that can give you precise clues to what is happening with your methylation in the now. You see, genetics only show you what can happen.

What is Methylation?

Methylation is the biochemical process of moving a methyl group (CH3) from one substance to another.

In an oversimplification, undermethylators have a shortage of methyl groups and can benefit from getting more methyl donors, whereas overmethylators have too many methyl groups. Both extremes can cause unpleasant and uncomfortable symptoms, many impacting mental health.

Dr. William Walsh, a lead researcher in arena of biochemical illness estimates that 21% of people are undermethylatiors, 9% are overmethylators and around 70% have normal methylation.

Knowing your methylation status over your genetic MTHFR status can be extremely helpful if you're accustomed to mental health challenges.

Methylation status can be assessed by checking histamine levels in the blood. High histamine can indicate undermethylation, as the methylation process breaks down histamine (suggesting under-activity), whereas low histamine levels can suggest overmethylation (suggesting over-activity). Of course, one can also be a 'normal' methylator with average histamine levels (more on histamine later).

Signs of Undermethylation

According to Dr. William Walsh, the signs of undermethylation are abundant:

• obsessive compulsive tendencies
• seasonal allergies
• strong willed
• competitive
• ritualistic behaviors 
• high libido
• poor pain tolerance
• addictive tendencies
• sparse arm leg and chest hair
• perfectionism
• chronic depression
• high fluidity (tears, saliva)
• phobias
• good response to antihistamines and SSRIs
• tend to have lower levels of serotonin and dopamine [1]

Conditions associated with undermethylation include autism spectrum disorders, antisocial personality disorder, schizoaffective disorder, oppositional defiance, anorexia and depression.

Causes of Undermethylation

The causes of undermethylation are typically a combination of the following:

• Protein deficiency (undermethylators do not do well on low animal protein diets such as vegan and vegetarian)
• Malabsorption
• Histamine overload (gut health is big factor)
• Genetic mutations (MTHFR, MS, COMT, etc.)

Remedy to Undermethylation

Nutrient therapy and dietary interventions can be extremely beneficial to balancing the biochemistry of undermethylators.

Important nutrients to support undermethylators include getting more methyl donors in the diet:

• Methionine* (an amino acid found abundantly in protein)
• Sam-e*
• B12
• TMG (trimethylglycine or betaine)

*Methionine and Sam-e act as natural selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) that can aid in increasing serotonin or the 'feel good hormone' in the brain.

Other supportive nutrients on a case-by-case basis:

• Calcium
• Magnesium
• B6
• B2
• Folate (some undermethylators do great on folate, whereas it can make symptoms worse for some undermethylators with depressive-like symptoms)
• Creatine (helps to spare Sam-e)

Other factors to consider:

• Avoiding vitamin A toxicity (can deplete folate + B12)
• Getting adequate sun exposure (for vitamin D and other factors that aid in histamine reduction)
• Improving overall gut health (important since gut bacteria can be a source of histamine as well as help manufacture B vitamins)

Undermethylation Debate

Using whole blood histamine levels to assess methylation status is not without controversy.

Some big names in the nutrition world detest this method of methylation classification due to blood histamine's ability to be influenced by other factors, such as gut health and diet. Certain opportunistic gut bacteria are histamine-producers and when overgrown increase histamine levels in the body. Such histamine producers include Morganella, Klebsiella, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Citrobacter freundii, Proteus, and Proteus mirabilis. Histamine is also found in food, so a high histamine diet can impact blood histamine levels.

As someone who regularly tests gut bacteria levels in clients, I absolutely agree that both gut microbiome status and diet can impact histamine levels and should be taken into account when assessing a person's methylation status, but I still think testing blood histamine is an amazing tool to get insight into what is going on right now in regard to methylation. In a perfect world gut health should always be addressed before methylation, since gut infections will cause methylation issues on their own.

Knowing a client's methylation status opens up a world of information for how I can best support them and where their body is currently at.

Testing for undermethylation

Testing for whole blood histamine is the primary tool for helping to identify methylation status. Elevated whole blood histamine suggests undermethylation, whereas low whole blood histamine suggests overmethylation, but other factors and symptoms should always be taken into account. There are also other testing panels available that look at the SAMe/SAH ratio.

Testing for methylation status:

• Whole blood histamine combined with high absolute basophils (methylation marker)
• SAMe/SAH ratio

You can find whole blood histamine testing in a 'blood labs' package here (US only) or grab the Mood eCourse on so you can make sure your body has all the raw materials it needs to support its natural desire for health.

Regardless of your methylation status, methylation imbalances are a sign your liver needs support. Get the data you need on your body so you can give it what it needs!

Does undermethylation sound familiar to you? Please share in the comments!

References:
[1] Walsh Research Institute
[2] Walsh, William. Nutrient Power: Heal Your Biochemistry and Heal Your Brain. Skyhorse; Revised, Updated ed. edition (May 6, 2014).
[3] "The Role of Methylation and Epigenetics in Brain Disorders" presented by William J. Walsh, PhD

The post 14 Signs of Undermethylation appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Have you ever heard of Pyroluria, Pyrroles, Mauve Factor, or Kryptopyrrole?

I'll take a guess that for most of you, that's a 'no'.

However, if mental health struggles plague you, you may want to keep reading about Pyrroles, a disorder not recognized by Western Medicine.

Pyrroles can be genetic in nature as well as brought on by episodes of oxidative stress. Both can trigger an overproduction of something called kryptopyrroles (HPL) which are found in urine. Kryptopyrroles bind with zinc and b-6, increasing their depletion quite rapidly.

To put it simply: genetics and/or oxidative stress can trigger Pyrroles which rapidly depletes zinc and B6 levels.

Why Zinc and B6 Are Important

Depletion of zinc and B6 can set the stage for big changes in mood and the way in which one is able to cope with stress.

Zinc plays an incredibly vital role in the body as it's a mineral that is essential to over 100 enzymes in the human body. Sounds pretty important right?

It is essential for proper immune system function, the production of hemoglobin, reproduction, as well as growth and development. It's also called a hormonal balancer because it's required to manufacture hormones as well as maintain hormonal balance. Zinc has been said to be therapeutic for PMS, excess estrogen and mental health.

One of the reasons that zinc is so key to mental health is due to its relationship with copper. Low zinc can lead to elevated copper because of the antagonistic relationship between the two minerals, which can manifest in a multitude of mental health symptoms.

Vitamin B6 on the other hand is key to the production of hormones like progesterone, and essential to manufacture neurotransmitters such as GABA (think calming), serotonin (think happy), and dopamine (think pleasure and reward). [8]

Pyrroles and Mental Health Conditions

The following neurobehavioral disorders are associated with elevated kryptopyrroles:
Down syndrome 65-71%
Schizophrenia, acute 59-80%
Schizophrenia, chronic 40-50%
Criminal behavior - Adults, sudden deviance 70-71%
Criminal behavior - Youths, violent offenders 71-33%
Manic depression 47-50%
Depression, non-schizophrenic 12-46%
Autism 46-48%
Epilepsy 44%
Learning disability/ADHD 40-47%
Alcoholism 20-84% [6]

Isn't it empowering to know how many conditions can be so strongly influenced by nutrients?

Signs of Pyrroles Disorder

If most of these symptoms describe you, a test for urinary HPL may be helpful.

• poor stress control
• poor short-term memory
• sensitive to noise and bright lights
• reading disorder
• little to no dream recall
• fearfulness
• dry skin
• poor growth
• abnormal fat distribution
• high anxiety
• spleen area pain
• underachievement
• frequent infections
• extreme mood swings
• severe inner tension
• affinity for spicy + salty foods
• tendency to skip breakfast
• delayed puberty [4]

Genetic Connection to Pyrroles and Lower B6 Levels

Pyrroles is said to be more common in those of Scandinavian or Irish decent, so while there is a genetic link to Pyrroles, it isn't widely accepted.

Below you can find the genetic snip that is commonly associated with lower B6 levels and Pyrroles disorder.

Here's an example of the gene (risk allele C) on the 23andMe raw data browser:

Because the genes present in this example are C / T, and C is the risk allele, this person would be heterozygous (one copy or a carrier) for NBPF3, PFN1P10.

Also note, that just because you have the genetics for something, doesn't mean you are expressing those genetics. That's where urine testing comes in.

According to OpenSNP.com:

Order a 23andMe report right here for $79.*

*23andme is constantly updating what is included in the raw data (read: less data is included with every "chip" or update). I can't make any promises that these markers are still included, so it is best to check with them before you check out.

Testing For Pyrroles

Testing for Pyrroles is done with an easy at-home urine test that can be done through the mail.

Typically, they'll have you freeze your sample prior to sending mailing to preserve it for testing.

Testing for Pyrroles is currently available to current and new clients.

Nutritional Support for Pyrroles

There is no permanent fix for Pyrroles but it can be managed through nutritional therapy.

Nutrition support for Pyrroles includes:

• Magnesium
• Zinc
• B6
• Essential fatty acids like gamma linolenic acid

I hope this article helps empower and inform you so you can take control of your mental health.

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References:

1. https://www.integrativepsychiatry.net/pyroluria-a-hidden-cause-of-addictions-adhd-anxiety-and-other-afflictions/
2. https://www.facebook.com/groups/230824260340671/posts/Carol-Savage-posted-in-MTHFR-Gene-Mutation/1426096904146728/
3. https://opensnp.org/snps/rs4654748
4. Walsh, William J., PhD: Nutrient Power: Heal Your Biochemistry & Heal Your Brain, 2014.
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33902305/
6. http://www.walshinstitute.org/uploads/1/7/9/9/17997321/discerning-mauve-factor-part-1-galley-feb-2008.pdf
7. http://www.walshinstitute.org/uploads/1/7/9/9/17997321/discerning-the-mauve-factor-part-ii-galley.pdf
8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29685187/

The post Pyroluria or Pyrroles – An Often Unknown Mood + Stress Disorder appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

I always struggle with holiday shopping because I'm a total minimalist and I like to give gifts that are healthy, practical or that will get used...

Not just the newest or trendiest gadget that will collect dust for the next 365 days... and then end up in the trash.

My gift suggestions are those that with either a) get used daily, or b) encourage a healthier lifestyle or home environment, and preferably both!

Plus, I want to support the joy that comes from sweat pant culture 🙂

1) Cozy Sleepwear ($148)

I don't know about you, but my sleepwear got a TON of extra use this year. I don't think anyone would oppose to this sleepwear set from Eberjey. Find it here.

2) Bambino Plus Espresso Machine ($499)

Want a simple, counter-space friendly way to make your morning espresso at home? You'll love having the Bambino Plus as a part of your morning routine.

It's perfect if you're the only coffee drinker in your house and don't need a larger machine. Find it here.

If you want something more legit, I also love the Barista Express. It's a larger machine and has a built-in grinder for your more complex coffee needs.

3) Testing (hair + blood) and consultation package ($677)

Know someone whose health needs attention in 2023?

Give the gift of a test and consultation package (includes hair analysis and select blood labs). Available to US clients only, except those residing in NY, RI, and NJ.

The knowledge your love one will gain is priceless. 🤩 🤩

4) Silent Down Patagonia Jacket ($269)

Is the person you're shopping for a jacket person - because I sure am — I live in my jackets!

I'm totally guilty of having this jacket in two colors because I like it so much and it's the perfect weight for Seattle weather. Find it here.

5) Linen Duvet ($159)

Raise your hand if you spent more time in bed this year than normal?

So who wouldn't enjoy a linen duvet cover for the holidays? I love the look + weight of linen. Find my affordable favs here.

6) The Perfect Cozy Shirt ($35-$50)

Cozy shirts that layer well are the ultimate Winter staple. I love Everlane's Supima/Prima Micro-Rib lines that includes their Funnel-Neck Tank, Turtleneck, and Long-Sleeve Henley.

Find them over at Everlane for the perfect Winter gift (P.S. — these are on sale this week for Black Friday, only $35!).

7) Personal Style Easy Button ($25 & up)

Stitch Fix is a California-based company that is making it possible for every woman to have her own personal stylist by mail at a very reasonable price! Each month Stitch Fix sends you five items that match your "style profile" and any personal requests you might have. Then just keep what you want and mail back what you don't. It's THAT easy and the perfect way to get some more stylish items into your wardrobe.

I personally am addicted to this service because I HATE shopping at the mall, and I really like the idea of someone else keeping an eye out for things I might LOVE! Learn more about how it works here. You can also snag gift cards for your friends and family; it makes for a very thoughtful gift!

8) Cozy Slippers ($100)

Looking for the perfect gift for a homebody you know? Look no further than these cozy UGG slippers! And it's totally okay if you need a pair for yourself too 😉

Find them here.

9) Cozy Cave Bed ($varies)

Your dog needs this but just does't know it yet. Trust me, Milo is on his third cozy cave and can't live without it!

Find it here.

10) Walking Pad ($170)

I purchased one of these a few months ago and it was for sure money well spent. Easily get more exercise while responding to emails, browsing the web and shopping 🙂

Find the one I've been happy with here.

I hope you found my very targeted gift giving ideas helpful. Cheers to shopping early and remotely 🙂

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The post Holiday Gift Suggestions appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Balancing copper to prevent copper overload can be a delicate process in today's modern world, especially among high estrogen females.

Copper is a mineral, a metal and an essential nutrient that impacts neurotransmitters in the brain. Specifically, copper lowers dopamine levels (think pleasure and reward centers in the brain) and increases the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, which acts as a stress hormone.

In order for the copper you take in to be used by your body and enter your cells it needs special binding proteins, specifically metallothionein and ceruloplasmin. These binding proteins make the copper bio-available so it can be used by your body.

Getting Too Much Copper

Getting too much copper can decrease energy levels though adversely impacting thyroid activity, as well as mental well-being. Other symptoms include:

• irritability
• headaches and migraines
• hyperactivity
• academic underachievement
• skin sensitivity to rough fabrics and metals
• sensitivity to food dyes
• sleep issues
• high anxiety
• ringing in ears
• adverse reactions to copper (including multivitamins, chocolate, shellfish)
• estrogen intolerance
• poor stress control
• premature graying of hair
• abnormal menstrual cycles
• hair thinning/loss
• depression and postpartum depression
• difficulty focusing on tasks

How Copper Overload Happens

Copper overload can manifest for a variety of reasons, one strong influence being the antagonistic relationship between copper and zinc. When zinc is depleted by stress, dietary insufficiency or malabsorption, copper can increase. Other contributing factors include:

• estrogen dominance (estrogen lets copper levels rise)
• hormonal birth control or hormone replacement therapy
• copper IUD
• high copper diet
• low zinc diet resulting in low zinc levels
• pyrroles disorder
• chronic stress (depletes zinc levels, increasing copper)
• genetic predisposition and/or nutrient inheritance
• vegetarian and vegan diets (high in copper, low in zinc)
• a deficiency of copper-binding proteins

High Copper and Cancer Link

The data associating higher than normal copper to various cancers is strong.

Elevated copper levels have been found to be associated with cancer progression - "Numerous studies in the literature have reported that both the serum and tumor copper levels are elevated in a variety of malignancies, including both solid tumor and blood cancer. Further, the elevated copper levels have been shown to be directly correlated to cancer progression."

Another study concludes that high serum copper levels could increase the risk of lung caner while others link high levels to various cancers, "The levels of copper in blood and tissues are significantly elevated in various types of cancer patients, including liver cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, and breast cancer."

Copper deletion has even been used as a viable therapy in breast cancer, "Copper depletion has emerged as a viable cancer therapeutic approach in breast cancer due to increased cellular uptake by malignant cancer cells and reliance on copper-dependent signaling pathways."

Most recently, a 2024 meta analysis concluded that "an increased Cu/Zn ratio is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Epidemiological studies assessing the relationship between high copper and low zinc levels and survival have shown relatively poor survival for various cancer types." 

Sources of Copper

Copper is pretty easy to find in the diet, especially for those who are on paleo-type diets that are avoiding grains and instead loading up on large amounts of nuts, seeds and chocolate. These foods also tend to be over emphasized in 'wellness culture,' making zinc to copper imbalances commonplace.

Some of the most common copper sources are:

• multivitamins
• other copper-containing supplements (it's important to note that taking high doses of copper is well-linked to liver injury)
• copper IUD
• old copper pipes contaminating drinking water
• shellfish
• dark chocolate
• shiitake mushrooms
• nuts/seeds, especially almonds, cashews and sunflower seeds
• avocados
• copper sulfate anti-algae agents used in some swimming pools/jacuzzis

Types of Copper

Evaluating copper levels can be confusing because there are different forms of copper. If you just measure one component of copper, you're only getting half of the story on your true copper levels and overall copper homeostasis.

• Free copper is copper not bound to copper binding proteins. When over 25% of copper is free or unbound this can create metal metabolism disorder, and leads to copper issues. This is because free copper acts as a free radical, leading to oxidative stress.
• Bio-available copper - in healthy, copper-balanced persons, approximately 80-95% of copper is bound to ceruloplasmin, with only 5-20% of copper being 'free' or 'unbound.'

To make things even more confusing, one can have copper overload (too much free or unbound copper) and be copper deficient (not enough bio-available) copper at the same time.

Testing for complete copper status and your zinc:copper ratio can be measured using blood testing (available to my US clients) that includes serum copper and plasma zinc paired with hair tissue mineral analysis (available to worldwide clients). It's also important to have someone familiar with copper overload and optimal lab ranges (not the standard ones provided by the lab) so any imbalances don't get missed or overlooked.

This testing is standard with my clients in my 1-1 programs.

Correcting Copper Overload

Correcting copper overload takes a multifaceted approach including dietary and supplement strategies.

The first step is cutting back on high-copper foods and supplements while increasing the nutrients that support your body in clearing out excess copper, such as:

• zinc
• vitamin b6
• vitamin C
• molybdenum
• niacin [10]

I hope this post better helps you understand a not-so-commonly known nutrition imbalance that can have a huge impact on how you feel and empowers you to discover ways to feel better.

Have you struggled with copper overload? Please share in the comments!

References:

1. Walsh, William J., PhD: Nutrient Power: Heal Your Biochemistry & Heal Your Brain, 2014.
2. https://www.traceelements.com/Docs/Nutrient%20Interrelationships-Minerals-Vitamins-Endocrines.pdf
3. https://www.traceelements.com/Docs/The%20Nutritional%20Relationships%20of%20Copper.pdf
4. https://www.cancertreatmentreviews.com/article/S0305-7372(08)00261-2/fulltext
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6300955/#:~:text=Conclusions,the%20development%20of%20lung%20cancer.
6. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-27559-z
7. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2023.1209156/full#:~:text=The%20levels%20of%20copper%20in,the%20blood%20return%20to%20normal.
8. https://erc.bioscientifica.com/downloadpdf/journals/erc/11/2/15163301.pdf?pdfJsInlineViewToken=183877275&inlineView=true
9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK548090/
10. https://www.traceelements.com/Docs/News%20March-April%2089.pdf
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11013867/

The post 16 Signs of Copper Overload appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Below each video there is a link to learn more about the 'why' behind each choice.

The videos are all under one minute long each — I promise!

Part 1: Pink Salt

Read more on the topic here.

Part 2: Vitamin D3

Read more on the topic here and here.

Part 3: Tuna

Read more on the topic of mercury levels in seafood here.

Part 4: Low Carb + Keto Products

Read more on the topic of low carb diets here and here.

Part 5: Cacao Powder

Find out more about copper overload and the symptoms here.

Want more nutrition tips like these? Subscribe to be an insider!

Don't forget to leave a comment and tell me if you agree or disagree!

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The post What NOT To Buy at Costco appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Deficiency

Common signs of GLA deficiency can be vague, but include:

• inflammation
• dry hair
• skin issues
• bumps on the back of your arms
• cracked fingertips
• unwanted gene expression
• increased body fat

GLA Status Determinants 

GLA is a potent anti-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acid that is synthesized in the body from linolenic acid (LA). Linolenic acid is found abundantly in omega-6 fatty acids like safflower, sunflower, sesame, corn, and cottonseed oils, which there is no shortage of in the standard American diet.

If the precursor to GLA is abundant in most people's diet, why is GLA deficiency so rampant? 

It all comes down to conversion modulators as well as your general health.

You see, there are certain modulators that support the conversion of LA into GLA via the enzyme delta-6-desaturase. These include:

• Zinc
• B6
• B3
• Magnesium
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E

If your body's deficient in some of these, your GLA conversion status will likely be impaired.

And then there are also modulators that block or reduce the conversion of LA into GLA. They include:

• Age
• Insulin
• Coffee
• Alcohol
• Trans fats

So as you can see, improving your GLA status naturally requires a full body nutrition approach, although there are also shortcuts...

Sources of Preformed GLA

The biggest shortcut to skipping any conversion issues (which should be addressed as well) is taking preformed GLA.

Sources of preformed GLA include [1,2,3,4]:

• leafy greens
• hempseed
• oats
• spirulina
• breastmilk (source for infants)
• borage oil (20-27% GLA)
• evening primrose oil (7-14% GLA)
• black currant seed oil (15-20% GLA)

Benefits

The perks of GLA sufficiency are abundant, so take note below of what optimizing your levels could mean for you:

GLA can have the following impact:

• Anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic, antiproliferative (inhibit cell growth in tumor cells), lipid-lowering potential: "GLA, via conversion to PGE1, exhibits anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic, antiproliferative, and lipid-lowering potential. It also enhances smooth muscle relaxation and vasodilation. In addition, EFAs including GLA are important constituents of membrane phospholipids, including the mitochondrial membrane, where they enhance the integrity and the fluidity of the membrane" [1]
• Body fat mass reduction: A study from 2000 linked GLA to reducing body fat accumulation. "It was suggested that dietary gamma-linolenic acid attenuates body fat accumulation through the increase in gene expressions of uncoupling protein 1 in brown adipose tissue. An increase in hepatic peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation may also contribute to the physiological activity of gamma-linolenic acid in decreasing body fat mass." [3]

GLA has also been studied for a number of clinical applications with promising outcomes for: [1]

• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Atopic Eczema
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Asthma
• Premenstrual Syndrome
• Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
• Cancer
• Dry Eye Syndrome
• Osteoporosis

Testing

My favorite test for GLA is a simple at home blood-spot collection kit. After collecting a small drop of blood on a sample card, you pop your sample in the mail and get your results emailed in approximately one week. I also created a 30 minute video training you can watch to help you understand your results and what you can do about it.

I typically test myself every 6 months or so to make sure I'm keeping my fatty acid balance in check to combat cellular inflammation.

Find the simple at-home test kit here.

A Sane Nutrition Approach

My approach to nutrition is pretty simple — make sure your body has all the raw materials it needs (and the right environment) to support your body's natural desire for health.

Give your body what it needs (based on testing), and then get out of the way.

Live your life without stressing about it.

If you need help, you can find it here.

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References:

1. https://altmedrev.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/v9-1-70.pdf
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17168669/
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11079375/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3768453/
5. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319099698_Spirulina_A_source_of_gamma-linoleic_acid_and_its_applications

The post 7 Signs of Gamma Linolenic Acid Deficiency appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

I’m a big fan of believing women when they feel sick and I'm not seeing this information about breast implants getting shared enough.

But first a little history. Breast implants started off as experimental devices in the 1960's. The FDA did not regulate medical devices until 1976, so breast implants were considered 'grandfathered devices.' Essentially this means safety reviews and clinical trials were never initially required.

Today, breast implants are one of the top cosmetic surgeries around the world, but they carry some dirty little secrets that you may not be aware of.

1. Silicone Migrates From the Implant Shell To The Rest of The Body

Silicone typically makes up the exterior shell of breast implants and sometimes inside as well (they are typically filled with silicone or saline). The silicone migrates from the exterior shell of the implant to the rest of the body and can cause something called Breast Implant Illness (BII), commonly characterized as an autoimmune reaction leading to symptoms such as fatigue, skin rashes, hair loss, weakness, and neurological problems, among others.

This is due to silicone's ability to migrate from the implant to the rest of the body as confirmed by biochemist Nic Cohn and Dr. Bernard Patten.

According to the research conducted by biochemist Nic Cohn who was hired to do experiments on breast implants by the manufacturer, over the course of 6-8 months silicone was excreted from the silicone shell of the implant. When Cohn shared this information with the manufacturer, nothing was changed or fixed. The information was suppressed and controlled by the breast implant industry.

Dr. Bernard Patten also confirm this with toxicology reports of hair, skin, nails and blood. Silicone leaks from the implant and is mobilized, moving all over the body.

This migration of the silicone may be the basis for BII, a condition NOT recognized by Western medicine, yet there are over 100,000 women in groups across the world claiming their implants are making them sick.

Some doctors recognize this and specialize in removal of not only the implant but the capsule as well. The capsule is fibrous scar tissue that the body creates about the implant, which for some people, if not removed along with the implant, prolongs symptoms of BII.

According to Dr. Patten, patients with BII tend to recovery over the course of two years after the implants are removed as the body secretes the silicone in urine, stool, and bile over time.

While BII is definitely not the case for everyone who gets implants, I think it's important to represent the risks.

2. Implants = A Lifetime of Surgery

When you agree to breast augmentation you're agreeing to a lifetime of surgery. Most silicone implants are FDA approved for 10-20 years. The longer you keep them in, the higher the risk of rupture over time.

Studies show breast implants carry a 7-10% chance of rupture at 10 years. [2] 

That means that if you get implants in your 20's, you'd likely have to have at least 3-4 replacement surgeries at a minimum over your lifetime. Additionally, if you ever want to get them removed completely and not replaced, you'd likely want to have reconstruction to eliminate the skin stretching that the implant caused over the years.

3. Breast Implants Have A Black Box Warning

Did you know breast implants carry a black box warning? This is the FDA's most stringent warning for medical devices and drugs that are brought to the market as a warning for consumers that the product can produce serious side effects and injury, including possible death.

Here's an example of the black box warning found on breast implants via the FDA: [4]

Regardless of if you choose breast implants for yourself or not, it's important to be an informed consumer and know enough about the risks that you can include them in your decision making process.

What has your experience with implants been? Please share in the comments!

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References:

1. Explant Documentary by Jeremy Simmons. 2021.
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4228218/
3. Photos courtesy of Dr. Jae Chun and used with permission of the patient.
4. https://www.fda.gov/media/131885/download

The post What You Don't Know About Breast Implants appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

So while I'm not a fan of counting calories, if you are addicted to tracking, here are five things I find far more important to pay attention to than calories.

In fact, try focusing on one of these each week for five weeks to help you break your calorie counting habit, and I guarantee you will feel better for it.

1. Fiber

Fiber is naturally found in whole plant foods, especially in fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes. Fiber can be an incredibly important element for gut health, as fiber feeds your beneficial bacteria allowing them to thrive and keep your gut microbiome healthy.

Fiber also helps to increase fecal bulk, reducing constipation.

Most people don't get enough fiber because they simply eat too many processed foods. Women should aim for around 20-25grams of fiber per day, while men may need closer to 30-35 grams per day.

My favorite way to see if you are eating enough fiber to support a healthy gut is GI Map or stool testing. If you have low levels of beneficial bacteria, it's a key indicator that your good bacteria aren't getting the food they need to thrive.

**It's important to note that while fiber works wonders in most people I work with, there are a few that have certain genetics or gut conditions where fiber is not tolerated well. Find out what works best for you.

2. Potassium

Potassium is by far one of the most common mineral deficiencies I see in my hair tissue mineral analysis clients. 

Potassium has many important roles in the body. It’s a critical mineral in the body for maintaining healthy function of cells, tissues, and organs. Potassium is also an electrolyte, meaning it conducts electricity along with sodium, chloride, calcium, and magnesium in the human body. Heart, digestive, and muscular function rely on this key nutrient. In addition, healthy hormonal balance depends on potassium because it helps speed the conversion of cholesterol to progesterone.

Not getting enough potassium is typically caused by dieting (especially low carb), chronic stress (the stress response depletes potassium), and eating too many empty calories in the form of processed foods.

Aim to get around 3,500-4,700mg of potassium a day.

Testing potassium levels can be done through hair tissue mineral analysis.

3. Magnesium

Magnesium deficiency is all too common. It likely also affects you, because it’s estimated that 68 to 80 percent of Americans are magnesium deficient. This should not be surprising because magnesium is needed for over 300 biochemical reactions in the body; however, it is not sufficient in the food supply, and it is also wasted by your body during times of stress.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of magnesium is 400-420mg for men and 310-320mg for women; these values are not getting met through the average (or even stellar) diet. According to Dr. Carolyn Dean, ND, MD, “Magnesium is farmed out of the soil much more than calcium… A hundred years ago, we would get maybe 500 milligrams of magnesium in an ordinary diet. Now we’re lucky to get 200 milligrams.”

Track your magnesium intake for a week or so, and see if your diet is adding up. If not, it may be time to add in some supplemental magnesium.

If you'd rather find out via testing, my favorite way to test magnesium is hair tissue mineral analysis.

4. Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Based off of the fatty testing I do with my clients, I would estimate that about 80% have an omega 3 fatty acid deficiency.

Omega 3 fatty acids are very important to make healthy cell membranes - a double layer of lipids that protect your cells (all 30 trillion cells that you have in your body) and give them their structure. Cell membranes have very important jobs to do to keep you healthy like:

• act as a gatekeeper to protect your cells from unwanted substances
• act as a gate to allow the transportation of nutrients in and allowing waste products to leave
• play an important role in cellular communication

But what if the health of your cell membranes are stiff and rigid restricting the transportation in and out due to the fats in your diet? How are your cells supposed to communicate, get nourished, and take out the trash? I mean, that's the equivalent of having a relationship where no one buys groceries, cleans, or takes out the trash and when you try to communicate with each-other you both wear earplugs. Nothing good can come out of it and it instead equates to cellular inflammation in your body.…

And remember cells create tissues, tissues create organs, and you are made up of a system of organs. If your cell membranes are compromised, the integrity of each cell, tissue and organ in your body can suffer.

So get more omega fatty acids in your diet from low-mercury sources.

Needs will vary based on genetic factors, but most people can aim for around 500mg of omega fatty acids per day. 

If counting milligrams per day is not your thing, Omega Fatty Acid testing is an inexpensive way to see if what your currently getting is adequate or not.

5. Protein

Getting enough protein is necessary for achieving optimal health.

Protein is found in virtually every single part of the body and is extremely important for growth, development, detoxification, blood sugar balance, and tissue repair.

It's one of the three macronutrients, along with carbohydrates and fat. Unless you're on a low carbohydrate or low fat diet, most people don't have problems getting enough of these two, but protein can get left behind at mealtime.

Most adults need a bare minimum of 60-70grams of protein per day, but most benefit from significantly more.

Find out how much protein you need here  — and count it for a few days to get an idea of what it looks/feels like.

It's pretty easy to count how much protein you're eating in a day, so I don't typically do any testing for protein. It's relatively straight to try to get a high-quality protein source in each of your meals of the day (focus on progress, not perfection).

So remember, it's not all about calories — it's what's in your calories that matters the most for how you feel. I hope this helps you break your calorie-counting habit and feel better along the way.

Do you count calories? Please share in the comments!

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The post 5 Things to Count to Feel Better Today (hint: it's NOT calories) appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Your gut could be the source of your issues, and commonly is based on my work with hundreds of clients around the world.

Today I want to share with you 8 ways a stool test can explain your symptoms, so you can finally get to the root cause of your issues!

Weight gain

Weight gain is largely tied to gut and liver health. Gut dysbiosis can be the cause of bloating, water retention, and estrogen dominance, all which typically cause an increase in pounds. The three specific markers I look at for assessing if weight gain is being caused by gut issues are:

• Low Akkermansia Muciniphila
  Akkermansia Muciniphila (A. muciniphila) is a mucin-degrading bacterium naturally found in the human gut that is associated with obesity, diabetes, inflammation, and metabolic disorders. [1] According to a 2017 study, "Since its discovery in 2004 by Derrien et al. (2004), A. muciniphila has quickly become a popular research topic due to its newly discovered probiotic properties. The bacterium is more abundant in the gut of healthy subjects than in that of diabetic and obese patients and patients with bowel diseases and metabolic disorders. Recent intervention studies also confirmed an inverse correlation of A. muciniphila abundance with body weight, inflammation, metabolic syndrome, and both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Collectively, the increasing body of evidence from animal and human studies suggest that A. muciniphila is a highly promising probiotic, especially its potential for the prevention and treatment of diabetes, obesity, and their associated metabolic disorders, which is of great interest for future research and development." [1]
• High Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes Ratio
  Research over the last few decades has identified certain human gut microbiota or "fatbugs" that can increase the caloric energy harvest from the foods you eat. Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes bacteria are two classifications of gut flora that are used to characterize the composition of the microbes in your gut. Research has found a high ratio of Firmicutes "fatbugs" to Bacteroidetes "thinbugs" (F/B ratio) in obese subjects when compared to the F/B ratio of lean subjects. They also saw that as obese subjects lost weight, the F/B ratio decreased.
• High Beta-Glucuronidase (hinting at estrogen issues)
  High beta-glucuronidase is a dead giveaway for estrogen dominance-related weight gain. You see, an imbalance of gut bacteria can cause estrogen dominance through the re-circulation of estrogens. This is because certain types of gut bacteria produce beta-glucuronidase enzymes that can re-activate (or deconjugate) estrogens that were already detoxified (conjugated) and on their way out of the body. Decreasing levels of beta-glucuronidase enzyme producing bacteria in your gut is the key to stopping the cycle of estrogen recirculation. [6]High beta glucuronidase can also cause PMS-like symptoms.

Skin issues (acne, eczema)

Mood problems

Did you know your gut impacts your mood in big ways?

Specifically, there's three main ways that are well-documented by research:

1. Too much Lipopolysaccharide Endotoxins (LPS) Create Inflammation - Inflammation caused by LPS leads to:
   1. slowed production of S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe) a molecule made in the body that acts as a natural serotonin reuptake inhibitor. 
   2. Pro-inflammatory events contribute to behavioral alterations like anxiety, depression and cognitive dysfunction.
2. Altered Serotonin Production - Consider 95% of serotonin is manufactured in the gut by your gut bacteria. Stress and LPS/endotoxin (from an overgrowth of gram negative bacteria, think antibiotics, PPIs, processed food diet) shunts tryptophan (an amino acid found in your proteins) from being made into serotonin, and instead shuttles it down the Kynurenine pathway towards neurotoxic quinolinic acid.
3. B vitamin Production Alteration - Poor gut health leads to a decrease in beneficial bacteria that manufacture b-vitamins, specifically bifidobacteria and lactobacillus. 

Want to dive deeper into the mood:gut connection? Look no further than this article.

Blood Sugar

Did you know that blood sugar issues like insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes are linked to imbalances in your gut? [19, 20]

Change your gut, change your blood sugar! Need help learning how to change your gut? Look no further than the how to build a Bulletproof Gut Masterclass

Fatigue

Fatigue is all too common when it comes to chronic infections in the gut. When your system is constantly coping with underlying infections, it uses up your body's bandwidth so-to-speak, leaving less energy for other metabolic processes. 

Constipation

An overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria and biliary insufficiency are huge triggers for constipation. The key to resolving chronic constipation is reestablishing healthy bile flow, microbiome balance in the gut, and supporting peristalsis.

Bloating

Bloating is often the results of biliary insufficiency (poor bile flow and/or inability to digest your fats), pathogen overgrowth, and general microbiome imbalances. With proper testing and supplementation, I've seen dramatic changes in bloating severity in just a few days. You do not have to live with bloating, you just need to understand why it's happening (so you can do something about it).

Diarrhea

Diarrhea is a dead giveaway for bacteria overgrowth. You see, certain microbes when overgrown can create something called secondary bile acids (particularly Clostridia, Enterococcus, Enterobacteriaceae, Klebsiella, and Lactobacillus). Typically bile is reabsorbed and recycled within your small intestines, but secondary bile acids do not get reabsorbed in the intestines and move into your colon (where they aren't supposed to be) causing diarrhea and inflammation. [10]

Acid Reflux

Stool testing checks for the presence of a Helicobacter pylori infection (commonly called h-pylori). A H-pylori infection of the stomach suppresses stomach acid secretion, and is extremely common. [11] In fact, it comes back on most of the GI Map (stool tests) I run on my clients. It’s estimated that over 50% of the world is infected with this chronic bacterial pathogen, and the research between h-pylori and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is very strong. [12-14]

What's going on in your gut?

The first step to seeing real change in your body is understanding what the problem is.

Without knowing what is going on, you're just taking shots in the dark and hoping to get lucky.

If you're ready to get to the root of your issues instead of just chasing the symptoms, a GI Map test is the way to go. I typically pair this test with 3 months of support to help my clients gain control of their gut and find lasting change.

The GI Map test is shipped straight to your door and you can complete it in the comfort of your own home (I can even have it shipped outside of the US). The kit includes 2-day return shipping back to the lab. Results take about 2-3 weeks to process from the mailing date.

Interested to see what all is tested? View sample results here.

 I hope this gives you more insight into possible causes of your most annoying and persistent symptoms.

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References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6223323/
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31336737/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5933040/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4644874/
5. https://www.diagnosticsolutionslab.com/sites/default/files/gi-map-white-paper_2.pdf
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5017946/
7. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/09/gut-feeling
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4259177/
9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6678709/
10. https://rebelhealthtribe.com/acid-reflux-h-pylori-ulcers-upper-gi-solutions-2/
11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9207257/
12. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8547526/
13. https://europepmc.org/article/med/11873099
14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6502218/
15. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16965415/
16. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7350295/
17. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6678709/
18. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6042414/
19. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21636801/
20. https://diabetesjournals.org/diabetes/article/56/7/1761/12590/Metabolic-Endotoxemia-Initiates-Obesity-and

The post 9 Ways a Stool Test Can Explain Your 'Symptoms' appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Western medicine does not do a great job at preventing thrombotic events like blood clots and deep vein thrombosis (VTE). Reasons being — screening is expensive, genetic risk factors are not common enough for general public screening, and genetic testing for asymptomatic persons may induce undue stress.

Western medicine's purpose is treating and managing disease, not preventing it.

But what if you were to instead view good blood circulation like that as a nutrient, and address it proactively?

Importance of good circulation

If you were to take all the blood vessels out of an adult body (talking about arteries, veins, capillaries) and lay them out in a straight line, it would end up spanning a length of approximately 100,000 miles. [10]

This is the highway for your immune system as well as for your body to deliver oxygen, nutrients, and hormones to cells as well as remove waste products.

What if your circulation highway is more like a 5'clock traffic jam due to thick, sticky blood slowing down the flow of 'traffic' in your bloodstream?

How is that going to make you feel?

If you're thinking perpetually inflamed, overly sensitive, chronically ill, and fatigued — you're on to something...

When nutrients and toxins are slowed in transit, the outcome isn't going to be great for how you feel.

Your cells get starved of nutrients and oxygen as well as toxins hang out in your body longer than they should...

When coagulation and circulation goes wrong

Blood clotting serves an important job in the body. When you cut your finger, it's the coagulation cascade that initiates the clotting process to prevent excessive bleeding and blood loss. Inflammation, however, can cause your coagulation cascade to go rouge.

Chronic inflammation triggering hypercoagulation causes a fibrin layer (think tough protein mesh-like buildup) to get deposited along your blood vessel walls. This further impedes circulation by reducing blood flow. It's as if your circulation superhighway not only is a traffic jam by sticky, thick blood, but now a lane is blocked or closed by way of fibrin buildup. The buildup of fibrin can also serve as a protective biofilm, creating a safe haven for infections, viruses and pathogens to hide from your immune system. [4]

Signs of Hypercoagulation

Normally when people think of hypercoagulation, it's mostly in relation to cardiovascular disease — heart attack, stroke, and hypertension. But what about hypercoagulation's links to inflammatory bowel disease, migraines, diabetes, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and chronic fatigue? [9]

Perhaps hypercoagulation is a lot more common than previously thought.

Do any of these signs of hypercoagulation look familiar to you?

• pale, swollen tongue with scalloped edges
• brain fog, anxiety, irritability
• poor AM appetite
• exercise intolerance
• mottled skin
• cold/clammy hands and feet
• sensitive teeth
• limbs fall asleep easily
• insomnia, restless leg syndrome
• 'doughy' and tender abdomen
• red/purple feet, edema in legs
• mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS, associated with abnormal coagulation)

Risk Factors/Conditions that lead to more Hypercoagulation

Hypercoagulation often has underlying causes or risk factors that upset the balance of the coagulation cascade, encouraging a tendency towards clotting over blood thinning mechanisms. Most simply, inflammation triggers a hypercoagulative state [11], but you also have to identify and address the root cause of of the inflammation.

• toxicity, causing a sluggish liver and biliary system
• genetic factors, 20% have a genetic predisposition (see testing details below)
• increasing age
• major surgery
• cancer
• mold
• chronic stress
• immobilization
• dehydration
• viral infections
• bacterial infections (especially gut infection due via endotoxin) 
• inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• infections, especially chronic gut infections
• estrogens (especially birth control pills, etc.)
• underlying inflammation
• pregnancy
• obesity
• smoking [3]

Testing for Hypercoagulation

From my exposure, testing for hypercoagulation is not common, especially in Western medicine. If you are interested in testing, you may need to find a hematologist, functional or naturopathic doctor to run coagulation labs for you. Here are some of the most common labs used to assess coagulation:

• Antithrombin III - a powerful anticoagulant
• Protein S - act as the 'brakes' on clots (deficiency, seen in liver disease, vitamin K deficiency, hereditary deficiency)
• Protein C - act as the 'brakes' on clots (deficiency, seen in liver disease, vitamin K deficiency, hereditary deficiency)
• Homocysteine
• D-Dimer
• Fibrinogen Activity
• Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor (PAI-1)
• Factor II Activity
• Prothrombin Fragment 1 + 2
• Anti-thrombin Activity
• Lipoprotein (a)
• Alpha-2-Antiplasmin
• Genetic testing - Factor V Leiden (F5, see below)
• Genetic testing - Prothrombin g20210a (F2, see below )
• Genetic testing - Antithrombin III deficiency (rare)

Genetic Factors

There are two main genetic factors to look out for that will predispose one to hypercoagulation or a greater tendency towards blood clotting — Factor V Leiden and Prothrombin g20210a.

Factor V Leiden is most common in the Caucasian population of European decent at 3-8% being carriers, and less common in other populations. Those with two copies (homozygous) is even more rare occurring in only approximate 1 in 5,000 people. [8]

Prothrombin g20210a is less common impacting approximately 1-3% of the general population. [8]

Persons with these genetic variants need to be more virulent about further stacking the hypercoagulation deck with additional clotting risk factors — i.e. estrogens/birth control pills, obesity, smoking, inflammation, certain vaccinations, etc.

If you have your 23andme genetic data, you can easily check for these yourself in your account using the links below.

Factor V Leiden gene F5 (risk allele T):

Because the genes present in this example are C / T, and T is the risk allele, this person would be heterozygous (one copy or a carrier) for F5 —Factor V Leiden. Carriers are said to have a 4 fold increase in blood clot risks vs. 11 fold increase for those who are homozygous ( T / T, or have two copies of the gene).

Prothrombin g20210a gene F2 (risk allele A):

Because the genes present in this example are G / G, and A is the risk allele, this person would not be a carrier, as they have two typical normal genes. Someone with A / G genes would be heterozygous, and someone with A / A genes would be homozygous.

Natural Blood Support

If you find yourself with a genetic predisposition for hypercoagulation, symptoms or conditional risk factors, it may be a good idea to check in with your doctor about how you can support your blood coagulation cascade and prevent blood clotting tendencies before it becomes a problem. Addressing toxicity and gut infections that could be congesting your gut-liver axis is key here.

Beyond prevention, two of my favorite natural supports are enzymes that break down fibrin in the blood, supporting the reduction of hypercoagulative states. Always check with your doctor before using substances that can thin the blood. Even natural blood thinners are contra-indicated in a variety of situations like pregnancy, breastfeeding, certain allergies, those taking specific medications and persons with bleeding disorders.

• Lumbrokinase: Lumbrokinase is an earthworm extract that has a long history of use in Chinese medicine for cardiovascular health. It's known for its potent fibrin dissolving properties when taken on an empty stomach and can lower blood viscosity.
• Nattokinase: Nattokinase is an enzyme derived from fermented soybean (called natto) that supports the breakdown of soluble fibrin when taken on an empty stomach.

Additional support for hypercoagulative states:

• Dan Shen: Dan Shen is a herb used in traditional Chinese medicine to support vascular health and blood circulation. [12]
• Nitric Oxide Support: Nitric Oxide is a molecule that has anti-coagulant properties, opposes plaque formation, supports healthy blood pressure, and can reduce cholesterol levels. Levels of nitric oxide tend to decline after age 30, and are typically 50% less by age 45. Maintaining healthy levels of nitric oxide reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease. [13]

In short, addressing hypercoagulation can speed up healing, improve symptoms and sensitivity to treatment (thus outcome), and support an overall recovery from chronic illness.

I hope this helps you better understand your own body and what you can do to support it.

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1. https://www.geneticlifehacks.com/factor-v-leiden/
2. https://www.cell.com/immunity/pdfExtended/S1074-7613(19)30463-7 (endotoxin causing coagulation)
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_rrv8HMzd4 
4. https://drtoddmaderis.com/hypercoagulation-in-lyme-disease
5. https://www.townsendletter.com/May2018/lumbrokinase0518_2.html
6. https://www.stitcher.com/show/betterhealthguy-blogcasts/episode/episode-123-hypercoagulation-with-dr-ann-corson-md-75588620
7. https://medical.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/VTE_two_F5_one_F2.pdf
8. https://www.genome.gov/Genetic-Disorders/Factor-V-Leiden-Thrombophilia
9. https://drmeletis.com/articles/hypercoagulation
10. https://www.fi.edu/heart/blood-vessels
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538251/
12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5421141/
13. Bob Miller - Genomic Nutrition

The post 12 Signs of Hypercoagulation (thick, sticky blood that is prone to clotting) appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by iHerb. My opinions remain my own.

Constipation is by far one of the most common digestive complaints at large, as well as with my own clients. While the cause of constipation largely depends on the person, most frequently I can attribute it to:

• dieting or not eating enough, slowing gastric motility
• low carb or carnivore diets (carbohydrates increase motility)
• low potassium levels
• high processed food diet combined with low fiber intake
• chronic stress (low mineral levels, especially magnesium)
• dehydration
• Rx medications that cause constipation (especially true with pain medication)
• microbiome imbalances - dysbiosis, bacterial overgrowth, sibo, etc.
• poor bile flow

Getting constipation under control is always my #1 priority with my clients, because of the way it can impact appetite, mood and energy levels in very undesirable ways, creating a vicious cycle of misery.

In working with iHerb on this post, I picked out some of my favorite digestive products to support gut motility. The products I chose all come from different angles to support digestion (depending on what the trigger is) because constipation support is not a one-size-fits-all approach.

Most of my go-to products fit under the category of bile support, fiber, magnesium or probiotics to increase motility to ease constipation naturally. Here's a few products from iHerb that I think you should know about:

Bile Support

• Flora, Red Beet, Soluble Crystals: Beets are one of my favorite tools for helping to thin bile and encourage bile flow. What does bile have to do with constipation? Well, healthy and adequate bile flow does a number of things for your digestive system, like: act as an antimicrobial substance to keep pathogens at bay, bile gives your stools their healthy brown color (pale stools can indicate bile issues), helps you digest and absorb your fats properly and plays a role in gut motility. So in short, beets support a healthy digestive system. These beet crystals from Flora make it super easy to get benefits of beets into your diet effortlessly. Just stir a spoon into water to get digestive supporting beets into your daily routine.

Fiber

• Natural Factors, Organic Low Fodmap Reliefiber: Not everyone gets enough fiber in their diet, especially if you do not eat enough fruits, vegetables and legumes. While there are a host of genetic factors that determine how much fiber one needs, it's at the top of the list of things to try when you are feeling constipated. Fiber increases fecal bulk helping to ease constipation. This particular fiber comes from a pre-digested form of guar gum (called partially hydrolyzed guar gum - PHGG) that is well-tolerated and stirs into coffee or a smoothie effortlessly to give a fiber-boost when needed. However, fiber doesn't work for everyone, especially if there are certain overgrowth conditions in the gut, so always test using a small amount at first to see how your body responds.

Magnesium

• Aerobic Life, Mag O7, Digestive Cleanse & Detox: Magnesium is a very popular helper when it comes to constipation. Magnesium works in two major ways to ease constipation - it relaxes the muscles of the intestines, and draws water into the colon to help initiate peristalsis (propel matter through your digestive tract).
  While there are many forms of magnesium on the market, magnesium citrate and magnesium oxide are the commonly used laxative forms (while great for their laxative effects, they are not a good choice for reversing magnesium deficiency). Other forms are better for that purpose. Mag 07 by Aerobic Life supplies a form of ozonated magnesium oxide that is an incredibly effective digestive mover. Just be careful not to overdo magnesium, or your body will let you know in the form of loose stools.

Probiotics

• Culturelle, Probiotics, Health & Wellness: Probiotics can be effective at helping to remodel and influence the makeup of bacteria in your gut microbiome. This particular probiotic contains a strain called Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG which is linked to your digestive health, cognition, mood, nutrition and immune system.
• Jarrow Formulas, Jarro-Dophilus Infant: These probiotic drops are a perfect starting point for someone who is sensitive to probiotics and needs to start low and slow. Typically probiotics made for infants are in liquid dropper form, so it's easy to titrate the dose up slowly as compared to capsules. This particular probiotic contains a single strain called bifidobacterium longum subsp infantis M-63 which is abundant in the microbiome of breastmilk fed infants. B. infantis is positively associated with intestinal membrane integrity, and may even support mental health. [1]
• Jarrow Formulas, Jarro-Dophilus Mood: Did you know that your mood impacts your digestion? Stress and anxiety play a huge role in reducing digestive function (especially decreasing gastric juices), which can contribute to constipation. This particular probiotic contains strains that are backed up by research to support mood. [2]With probiotics, it's also important to note there are dozens of commonly used probiotic strains and different ones work for different people. There is no silver bullet when it comes to probiotics and it may require some trial and error to find one that works well for you and your unique digestive situation.

Shopping with iHerb

Finding supplements online can feel like a huge chore, especially if you're trying to find all the products you're looking for in one place. Shopping at iHerb for your supplement needs is so easy (plus super quick shipping!). With a wide variety of products (over 30,000 natural products and ships to over 180 countries), it's perfect for my global clientele. iHerb orders are shipped from climate-controlled distribution centers to ensure the quality of their products (so you don't have to worry about counterfeit products which is a problem on other popular online stores). They also provide customer service 24 hours a day / 7 days a week in 10 different languages and free shipping over $20 (which is pretty easy to achieve in even the smallest orders)!

iHerb Rewards You For Shopping!

iHerb just launched a revamped Rewards Program that's Give 5% - Get $5. That means, iHerb Rewards will allow you to share your favorite iHerb products with others. They will get a 5% discount on their orders, while you will get $5 Rewards Credit for their orders.

You can share your favorite products, previous orders, wish lists and more using your personalized Rewards link or code. Review the products you have purchased at iHerb, and get $1.00 USD in Rewards credit for each review you post.

Plus, get $0.10 USD in Rewards Credit for each helpful vote, up to $100.00. Answer questions posted by other customers or visitors regarding the products you have purchased in the past, and get $0.10 USD in Rewards Credit for each helpful vote your answer gets, up to $100.00.

I hope this post helps give you some information about possible tools to use in your battle with constipation.

Shop my favorite iHerb products here and save!

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References: 

1. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329553515_Bifidobacterium_infantis_M-63_improves_mental_health_in_victims_with_irritable_bowel_syndrome_developed_after_a_major_flood_disaster
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6682904/

The post Supplemental Support for Constipation appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

A troubling thought that should leave us all pondering what needs to change...

So why do I think your grandparents or even great grandparents were better off? Here's my opinion:

1. Currency of comparison

Nowadays comparison via social media is a big thief of joy.

Back in your great-grandparent's day, you could only compare yourself to those immediately around you that you came into contact with, whereas today, there are digitally millions of people to compare at your fingertips, making it incredibly easy to fixate on what you don't have.

Now Instagram feeds act like a gateway drug to jealousy, envy and want that can later fuel inadequacy, depression, and loneliness.

Yes, that's right. The digital pocket pacifier that keeps you coming back for more all the while subliminally encouraging you to define your life by pictures that act as trophies and help construct and stroke an ego.

Real life is a series of moments interacting with each other, not a single still.

At the end of your life, you'll remember your relationships, connections, real people, and maskless human interaction.

And the last thing you'll wish when you're 10 feet under is that you spent more time on Instagram.

2. Over injected and over medicated

Western medicine today would like you to think that you are survived only because of the medications and injections available to you.

That's right, the human immune system [and a healthy diet +lifestyle] apparently no longer functions well enough to keep you healthy by Western medical standards.

Instead of focusing on personal responsibility for taking care of one's health, its pushed to ignore the control you have over your health and instead succumb to every medication and injection that may or may not keep you from dying.

Create your own destiny or live in fear and die in theirs. 

3. It was easier to be healthy 100 years ago.

Okay, part of this one is because they didn't really have any other choice...

Maybe your grandparents or great grandparents remember when there didn't need to be a part of the store that was considered the "health food section" because food was legitimately intact. Unlike the plethora of processed, genetically modified and pesticide-laden foods we are bombarded with today.

There was more walking, time outside, less TV watching and more manual activities allowing people to live more active lives.

While some may argue against this by the increase in life expectancy, let's keep in mind that the length of one's life doesn't necessarily increase the quality.

4. Simpler, more connected lives

Less multitasking. Less chaos. Less stuff. Less glorification of busy. Less screen time. Less digitalization.

More connection with people that matter and less with objects that don't.

You are the CEO of your life. Make your days count.

Agree or disagree? Please share in the comments!

Photo Credit: "FAMILY" by Mark Pauls is licensed under CC BY 2.0

The post Why Your Grandparents Were Better Off appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

But what causes that chemical imbalance?

Because I'm more into finding out the root cause...

For starters, consider the following:

95% of serotonin is manufactured in the gut by your gut bacteria and the neurotransmitter serotonin is often examined when talking about depression and anxiety. Gut dysbiosis can change the delicate balance of your gut microbiome influencing the synthesis of neurotransmitters. [5,6]

And if you dig deeper into the genetic influencers and pathways of serotonin production, you'll find even more answers. The body needs certain raw materials and cofactors (i.e. nutrients) like B6, Tryptophan (amino acid), B2 (riboflavin) and the right conditions for all this to happen (i.e. no gut infections, inflammation, and/or chronic stress that mess with serotonin production).

Just like you can't bake a cake without the right ingredients and the right oven temperature, your body can't produce neurotransmitters like serotonin if it isn't getting what it needs and your gut isn't in good shape.

But let's keep digging..

Research tells us that bifidobacterium (a good gut bacteria) creates the following by fermenting the fiber that you eat (a.k.a. they eat the fiber you consume and in a sense 'poop out' the following byproducts): [1]

• Acetate (short chain fatty acid)
• Biotin (Vitamin B7)
• Butyrate (short chain fatty acid, food for your colon cells)
• Folate (B9)
• Gamma-Amino butyric acid (GABA - helps you to feel 'calm')
• Indole-3-propionate (neuroprotective antioxidant)
• Lactic acid
• L-Tryptophan (precursor to serotonin)
• Niacin (B3)
• Pantothenate (B5)
• Propionate (short chain fatty acid)
• Pyridoxine (B6 - cofactor in making serotonin)
• Thiamine (B1)
• Vitamin K

Did you notice several of those listed are associated with mood (hint: folate [3], thiamine, [4] niacin, L-Tryptophan (serotonin production), B6 and GABA)?

Pretty interesting, huh?

Let's keep going because this is fun...

Now let's look at another common gut bacteria, lactobacillus and its byproducts: [2]

• Acetate (short chain fatty acid)
• Acetylcholine
• Biotin (Vitamin B7)
• Butyrate short chain fatty acid)
• CO2
• Cobalamin (Vitamin B12)
• D-Glucose
• Folate (B9)
• Gamma-Amino butyric acid (GABA)
• Histamine
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Lactate
• Lactic acid
• Niacin (B3)
• Pantothenate
• Pyridoxine (B6)
• Riboflavin (B2)
• ß-galactosidase
• ß-glucuronidase (estrogen related)
• Sulfate
• Thiamine (B1)
• Trimethylamine
• Tyramine
• Vitamin K

Similar pattern here, as you see folate, thiamine, niacin, GABA, B12, B6... 

If this is the impact of only two bacteria in your gut, what do you think happens when you have...

• Insufficient good gut bacteria?
• Overgrowth of bad bacteria?
• Take antibiotics that wipe out your good gut bacteria?
• Don't eat enough prebiotic fiber to keep your good gut bacteria alive and thriving?

If you're following along, you're probably seeing the direct influence your gut has on your mental health.

Your body needs the right amount of raw materials (a.k.a nutrients) to support your body and its natural desire for health.

If you dig deep enough, you will always find the answers!

What would your gut bacteria reveal?

You can learn all about my gut testing packages here.

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References:

1. https://microbiomeprescription.com/Library/Details?taxon=1678
2. https://microbiomeprescription.com/Library/Details?taxon=1578
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28759846/
4. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/7c1b/53c8c4dbfdccf441a16bcc1464b2b26c9c55.pdf
5. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/09/gut-feeling
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4259177/

The post Does Anxiety + Depression Start in the Gut? appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

I always struggle with holiday shopping because I'm a total minimalist and I like to give gifts that are healthy, practical and that will get used most days of the year...

Not just the newest or trendiest gadget that will collect dust for the next 365 days... and then end up in the trash :/

My gift suggestions are those that with either a) get used daily, or b) encourage a healthier lifestyle or home environment, and preferably both!

Plus I want them to support the new working from home sweat-pant culture 🙂

1) Cozy Sleepwear ($132)

I don't know about you, but my sleepwear got a TON of extra use this year. I don't think anyone would oppose this sleepwear set from Eberjey. Find it here.

2) Red Light Therapy Device ($varies)

Red light what?? Three years ago, I became absolutely addicted to red light therapy (read why here). Once you understand the benefits of red light therapy, you can you'll see how it's great for the whole family, and a gift you can all enjoy together. 

I have mine right next to my bed, so I can just switch it on and get my red light therapy while I am stilllllllll in bed. It's a great way to start the morning!

You can find my favorite device right here.

3) Glandular Nutrition ($21 and up)

Organ glandulars make the perfect gift or stocking stuffer for the nutrition conscious person you're shopping for this year.

Packed with whole-food nutrition (especially B-vitamins, copper, zinc, and iron), organ glandulars are the best way to get more nutrition into your diet without even trying.

My favorites are bone marrow, kidney and pancreas.

Read more here.

4) Patagonia Vest ($149)

There is no doubt that 2020 was the year of loungewear, and what better way to shift into winter by gifting a comfy vest to dress up your work from home attire.

I love the vests from Patagonia. Find them here.

5) Brooklinen Sheets ($varies)

Raise your hand if you spent more time in bed this year than normal?

So who wouldn't enjoy a new sheet set from Brooklinen for the holidays? I love the look + feel of Brooklinen's sheet. Find out all your bundle options here.

6) Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis ($325)

Does your hair know things about your nutrition and health that you don't? This year I'm gifting my hair analysis service which includes the lab test, a 30-minute consultation, and a custom mineral balancing supplement plan to a few select family members that I know will benefit.

I've seen them just buy the latest trendy supplement at Costco that they probably don't need, and I know they could feel so much better if they supplemented based on their own body chemistry instead.

And in case you want to gift it to someone other than yourself, you can checkout here and save $50 off the list price using coupon code: "HOLIDAY50".

If you've been waiting to have this done yourself, you could always forward this page as a hint on to your significant other 😉

7) The Perfect Sweater ($135 and $155)

Warm and slightly oversized sweaters make the perfect winter staple. The Cloud Turtleneck Sweater and the Stroopwafel Turtleneck in ReCashmere from Everlane the perfect winter gift. 

8) Personal Style Easy Button ($25 & up)

Stitch Fix is a California-based company that is making it possible for every woman to have her own personal stylist by mail at a very reasonable price! Each month Stitch Fix sends you five items that match your "style profile" and any personal requests you might have. Then just keep what you want and mail back what you don't. It's THAT easy and the perfect way to get some more stylish items into your wardrobe.

I personally am addicted to this service because I HATE shopping at the mall, and I really like the idea of someone else keeping an eye out for things I might LOVE! Learn more about how it works or sign up here. You can also snag gift cards for your friends and family; it makes for a very thoughtful gift!

9) Cozy Slippers ($89-$99)

Looking for the perfect gift for a homebody you know? Look no further than these cozy UGG slippers! And it's totally okay if you need a pair for yourself too 😉

Find them here and here.

I hope you found my very targeted gift giving ideas helpful. Cheers to shopping early and remotely 🙂

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The post Holiday Gift Ideas appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

So if you feel like you're experiencing unexplained weight gain, look for these markers in your GI Map test, so you can address any imbalances and support your microbiome appropriately.

Let's get started!

1) Low Akkermansia Muciniphila

Akkermansia Muciniphila (A. muciniphila) is a mucin-degrading bacterium naturally found in the human gut that is associated with obesity, diabetes, inflammation, and metabolic disorders. [1]

According to a 2017 study, "Since its discovery in 2004 by Derrien et al. (2004), A. muciniphila has quickly become a popular research topic due to its newly discovered probiotic properties. The bacterium is more abundant in the gut of healthy subjects than in that of diabetic and obese patients and patients with bowel diseases and metabolic disorders. Recent intervention studies also confirmed an inverse correlation of A. muciniphila abundance with body weight, inflammation, metabolic syndrome, and both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Collectively, the increasing body of evidence from animal and human studies suggest that A. muciniphila is a highly promising probiotic, especially its potential for the prevention and treatment of diabetes, obesity, and their associated metabolic disorders, which is of great interest for future research and development." [1]

And the good news? A. muciniphila can be increased through dietary interventions such as polyphenols, specific probiotics containing specific Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains, sodium butyrate as well as prebiotic foods like inulin. [2]

2) High Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes Ratio

Research over the last few decades has identified certain human gut microbiota or "fatbugs" that can increase the caloric energy harvest from the foods you eat.

Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes bacteria are two classifications of gut flora that are used to characterize the composition of the microbes in your gut.

Research has found a high ratio of Firmicutes "fatbugs" to Bacteroidetes "thinbugs" (F/B ratio) in obese subjects when compared to the F/B ratio of lean subjects. They also saw that as obese subjects lost weight, the F/B ratio decreased.

If your high F/B ratio is too high, studies suggest decreasing fat intake while using certain probiotics, prebiotics and glutamine to help modulate Firmicutes: Bacteroidetes balance. [3,4,5]

3) High Beta-Glucuronidase (hinting at estrogen issues)

High beta-glucuronidase is a dead giveaway for estrogen dominance-related weight gain.

You see, an imbalance of gut bacteria (called gut dysbiosis) can cause estrogen dominance through the re-circulation of estrogens. This is because certain types of gut bacteria produce beta-glucuronidase enzymes that can re-activate (or deconjugate) estrogens that were already detoxified (conjugated) and on their way out of the body. Decreasing levels of beta-glucuronidase enzyme producing bacteria in your gut is the key to stopping the cycle of estrogen recirculation. [6]

Typical signs of estrogen dominance are weight gain, hair loss, edema, infertility, varicose veins, mood swings and depression around cycle time, breast tenderness, variations or skipped cycles, vaginal dryness or itchiness, excessive or scanty blood flow during period, cyclic insomnia, night sweats and fatigue. Read more on the topic of estrogen dominance here.

And if you're already dialed into your gut bacteria, hint — the major beta-glucuronidase producing bacteria are Bacteroides fragilis, Bacteroides vulgatus, Bacteroides uniformis, Clostridium paraputrificum, Clostridium clostridioforme, Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli, Eubacterium, Peptostreptococcus, Ruminococcus and Staphylococcus.

GI Map Testing is Invaluable

My go-to test that includes markers for all three of these (and more!) is the GI Map Test. While it's not the cheapest test (around $400 and considered "out of network" by insurance companies) keep in mind it is a stool test that is looking  at gastrointestinal microbiota DNA. I have found the clinical value of this test to be priceless in my tough client cases.

The GI Map test is one that is shipped straight to your door and you can complete in the comfort of your own home. The kit includes 2-day return shipping back to the lab. Results take about 2 weeks to process from mailing date.

Looking at the gut helps us get to the root cause of common everyday symptoms. I hope this gives you more insight into possible causes of weight gain with or without gut symptoms.

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References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6223323/
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31336737/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5933040/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4644874/
5. https://www.diagnosticsolutionslab.com/sites/default/files/gi-map-white-paper_2.pdf
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5017946/

The post 3 Lesser Known Causes of Weight Gain appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

The answer is anything but simple because it depends on what is going on in your gut. And there are a lot of possibilities and combinations, like:

• Liver and biliary issues (at the top of the list for a reason because it can 'set the stage' or allow most of the following to occur in the first place)
• Bacterial pathogens
• Parasitic pathogens
• Viral pathogens
• H-pylori
• Disruption of normal bacterial flora
• Imbalance of phyla microbiota
• Overgrowth of opportunistic bacteria
• Parasites
• Fungi/yeast
• Viruses
• Worms
• Food allergies
• Hypothyroidism

*Most of the above are tested on the extensive GI Map stool test that I use with my clients (sample results can be found here).

Gut health and gut healing protocols often seem confusing, expensive and complicated. Today I hope to shed light on what is behind a good gut healing protocol and how to best go about finding the next course of action in fixing your own gut.

When I speak of gut problems, I'm generally talking about a mix of the following symptoms:

• Belching or gas within one hour after eating
• Heartburn or acid reflux
• Histamine intolerance
• Feeling bloated within one hour after eating
• Bad breath
• Loss of appetite
• Stomach upset by taking vitamins
• Feel like skipping breakfast/feel better when you don't eat
• Sleepy after meals
• Fingernails chip, peel, break, or don't grow
• Anemia unresponsive to iron
• Stomach pains or cramps
• Chronic diarrhea or shortly after meals
• Chronic constipation
• Undigested food in stool
• Estrogen dominance symptoms (namely weight gain around hips/thighs, breast tenderness, more here)

Incredibly unpleasant and life-sucking, right? Believe me, I know.

How gut issues start

Why do these kinds of issues start in the first place? The reasons for gut issues are endless, but here's some of the most common triggers:

• Liver problems and biliary stasis - when the liver and biliary system isn't able to do its job of filtering and removing toxins from the body, toxins can re-circulate and build up in the body. When the liver and biliary axis is overwhelmed by toxins it impacts the digestive environment in a number of unfavorable ways. You see, bile is produced in the liver and stored in the gallbladder. Then it is released when you eat a meal to aid in the digestion of fats as well as the digestive process. Bile not only helps to emulsify your fats for digestion, but it also helps with peristalsis or motility, and acts as an antimicrobial substance to help keep your digestive tract clear of bacterial overgrowth.
• H-Pylori - a H-pylori overgrowth decreases stomach acid and opens the door to what I call "gut chaos". And by gut chaos, I mean it opens the door for pathogens, bacteria, viruses and more to overgrow in your gut. This is because stomach acid (often called hydrochloric acid or HCL) is the protector of your gut. If it's production is insufficient or compromised by H-Pylori bacteria your gut can become something like an open-door house party for any invader.
  How do you get H-Pylori? You can get it from drinking water. About 50% of the population has H-Pylori in their stomach, but it may not be a problem if your immune system and gut are balanced and can keep growth at bay.
• Motility issues from liver/biliary stasis and/or:
  • Dietary changes - drastic changes in your diet set the stage for serious changes in your gut microbiome. One big example I see is when someone shifts from a normal diet to a low carbohydrate, ketogenic or carnivore diet. You see, your good gut bacteria need proper food to survive and they really like fiber (fruits, veggies, non-gut irritating fiber supplements) and polyphenols (green tea, blueberries, cranberries, etc.) So if you all the sudden take out all the fiber and polyphenols to just eat meat, your good gut bacteria can commit suicide letting the bad bugs prosper and overgrow leading to something called small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) or large intestine bacterial overgrowth (LIBO). While some studies and carnivore dieters claim fiber-free diets can have a positive impact on your gut biome, that's just not what I see in my own practice, and I think it's more person/genetics specific. There is a huge genetic component to gut health. Drastic dietary changes also tend to cause constipation, which can set the stage for bacteria overgrowth due to lowered gut motility.
  • Dieting - restriction of food or calories in the diet can slow gut motility creating the perfect conditions for overgrowth as well as cause nutritional deficiencies that can impact hydrochloric acid production (again talking about stomach acid because it is so important!) [3,4]
• Chronic stress - when your body is stressed, it's focused on survival and digestion is down regulated to re-direct energy to other areas of the body since surviving stress is prioritized over digestion. This means less digestive juices to digest food properly, causing you to assimilate fewer nutrients. Chronic stress also impacts the immune system and the ability your gut has to keep pathogens under control.
• Antibiotic use - antibiotics not only kill off the intended target but also can reduce levels of beneficial bacteria. This then allows pathogenic or opportunistic bacteria the chance to grow and overgrow. 
• Food poisoning - a large influx of pathogenic bacteria in a susceptible gut can spark overgrowth conditions if your immune system is suppressed.
• Aging - stomach acid can naturally decline with age increasing the probability of gut-related issues. 
• Proton pump inhibitors - PPIs turn off stomach acid disrupting an important part of the digestive process. Stomach acid's job is to kill off bacteria and pathogens as they come in your body through your mouth. If the stomach acid is reduced, it's going to cause downstream issues in the digestive tract.

Often someone with chronic gut issues has a combination of these triggers. For instance, H-Pylori is commonly seen with small intestine bacteria overgrowth (SIBO) and large intestine bacteria overgrowth (LIBO). The longer the gut issue has been going on, the more likely there is a bigger overgrowth party going on in the gut.

How to Fix Your Gut

When you start off on the journey to fix your gut, having data on your gut really helps (I use a GI Map and/or Organic Acid test in my clients to assess their gut terrain). Sure there are some generic things you can do, which I will talk about, but it really helps to know exactly what is invading and/or overgrowing in your gut, so you know how to approach it with accuracy instead of just guessing.

Guessing can be even more expensive than testing, because many of these gut supporting supplements are not cheap (and if you use the wrong ones you can also exacerbate bloating and discomfort). You only want to use what is indicated and needed to get the best results while spending the least amount of cash money (as my nephews call it).

Upstream and Downstream Factors

There are two main ways I like to look at gut issues - upstream and downstream.

• Upstream looks to address the communication between the brain and the gut via the vagus nerve, the liver/biliary system, cellular inflammation, and cellular energy production.
• Downstream is the most typical approach, addressing what is going on in the gut and supporting what needs to be supported.

It's important to address both upstream and downstream gut issues. For instance, a common cause of upstream digestive dysfunction is an impaired migrating motor complex (MMC) that is super important for gastrointestinal (GI) contractions that help move your food through your digestive system. A slowed MMC can trigger bloating, constipation and bacterial overgrowth simply by a decrease in digestive motility due to insufficient communication from the brain.

An upstream approach would address — why isn't the MMC doing its job? Are nutritional deficiencies impairing cellular energy production? Is there cellular inflammation that needs to be addressed first? Is the client eating enough food to support proper thyroid health?

A downstream approach would support peristalsis, address overgrowth, and get the bowels moving in one way or another.

Sometimes if you fix the problems upstream, the gut can repair itself without a lot of dietary and supplemental intervention needed. This is always my goal, but it often boils down to a combination of support on both ends.

There are 3 main stages to fixing your gut:

Each practitioner has their own approach, so this will vary slightly (order and includes) by who you work with, but these are the common basics.

Stage 1: Change the digestive environment

Stage one is all about diet and setting the stage to change your digestive environment (that allowed the situation to occur in the first place).

Things that are therapeutic here are things like:

• Diet - generally speaking, is your diet adequate?
  • Are there foods, supplements and toxins in your diet that are overwhelming your liver and perhaps the root cause of the problem?
  • Are you eating enough protein to get vital minerals and support detoxification by supplying adequate amounts of amino acids?
• Probiotics - to encourage gut diversity and knock down opportunist bacteria loads. The type of probiotics is confusing, as different strains are therapeutic for different conditions. Some of my favorites are:
  • Lactobacillus Reuteri can be helpful in cases of H-Pylori and Clostridioides difficile [5]
  • Saccharomyces Boulardii has been shown to be helpful in some SIBO cases, specifically more diarrhea prone cases
  • Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains
  • Spore based probiotics

It's important to remember that all probiotics were not created equal and certain probiotics are helpful to some and disastrous in others. Again, knowing what is going on in your gut can help narrow your support options.

Something else I think is incredibly, incredibly important for stage 1 is fatty acid balance (omega-6:omega-3 and your AA:EPA ratio). If your fatty acid imbalance is off, it can cause cellular inflammation, and that can make fixing your gut an uphill battle.

Stage 2: Support digestion, liver/gallbladder, pancreas function and calm inflammation (organ + digestive support)

If you get a GI Map (stool test) done, your results will indicate if you need digestive, gallbladder, pancreas, immune or anti-inflammatory support through markers like elastase-1, secretory IgA, steatocrit and calprotectin.

This support category includes things like bitters, bile support (super important), digestive enzymes, immunoglobulins (one of my favs), butyrate and more to help support proper digestion and calm down any inflammation present. Again, data helps narrow down what exactly you need to be best supported. But let's break down what each of these do a little further...

Digestive Enzymes — can be either plant or animal based and contain enzymes to help you break down your proteins, carbohydrates and fats when your body is not producing adequate amounts.

Bitters — digestive bitters have been around a long time. They are typically herbal concoctions that are taken before meals to help stimulate stomach acid as well as bile so that you can properly digest your food and absorb nutrients.

Beets — While I've probably talked about my love of beets and beet juice all over the blog for gallbladder support, they really do a great job at helping to thin bile flow which helps keep your digestive tract moving, clean, as well as supports toxins leaving your body.

Serum Bovine Immunoglobulins — immunoglobulins are one of my very favorite gut support products (they are a "support" and not an intervention). Immunoglobulins are immune proteins extracted from bovine blood and act like police in your gut. They bind and deactivate bacteria, pathogens and toxins so they can't do more harm. I love using them in my gut protocols because they help to lessen inflammation while binding to bad guys and escorting them out of the body. They are also used on a higher dose more therapeutic level in cases of chronic diarrhea. Research can tell a great deal about the value of immunoglobulin — "Numerous studies have demonstrated that oral administration of plasma- or serum-derived protein concentrates containing high levels of immunoglobulins can improve weight management, normalize gut barrier function, and reduce the severity of enteropathy in animals." Enteropathy refers to the pathology of the intestine, for reference. [8]

Lactoferrin — is another kind of immune protein. Lactoferrin is found in mammillary milk and has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. [13] Lactoferrin and immunoglobulins are the important immune-regulating proteins found naturally in colostrum products, but can also be found in isolated form.

Butyrate —  is something called a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA). Certain bacteria are what we call butyrate producers. In short, fiber is their fuel source and they use it to create butyrate and other SCFA which becomes fuel for your colon cells. This is extremely important because your colon cells need enough butyrate to keep your colonic mucosal barrier healthy which protects you from inflammation.

Peptides (specifically BPC-157, BPC= Body Protection Compound) — peptides are signaling molecules that can help with regeneration, brain inflammation and be incredibly therapeutic in gut issues. BPC-157 is a gastric juice peptide that can help with gut brain communication in the body as well as gut healing. [9,10,11]

Prokinetic agents — prokinetic agents help gastrointestinal motility by supporting the strength of contractions in the digestive tract. They are particularly important in gut issues involving chronic constipation. Some common prokinetics are:

• Ginger
• Motilpro
• Iberogast
• Triphala

Stage 3: Support a healthy gut by feeding your good bacteria

Stage three is all about diet and helping to make sure your healthy gut bacteria have a 5-star meal every day to keep them thriving. You see, often you can counteract bad bacteria overgrowth in a subtle and gentle way by just letting your good bacteria grow and crowd out the bad guys. This is always the preferred way to go, so typically it is the first step and is given some time to see how your body responds (everyone's gut is different).

Things that are therapeutic here are things like:

• Prebiotics - fiber-rich prebiotic foods provide food for your good gut bacteria to thrive. While prebiotic fibers can be an amazing way to support altering your gut microbiome, there are certain types of prebiotics and conditions where fiber is not tolerated well. Common prebiotics are:
  • Fibers found in fruits/veggies, especially oats, beans and whole grains (if tolerated)
  • Inulin/resistant starch
  • Galactooligosaccharides (GOS)
  • Fructooligosaccharides (FOS)
  • Partially Hydrolyzed Guar Gum (PHGG)
  • Lactulose
  • Human milk oligosaccharides (HMO)
• Polyphenols - foods like green tea, blueberries, cranberries, beans, etc.

Stage 4: Reducing the bad bugs if still needed, this is a last resort

The forth stage typically involves herbal microbial agents, antibiotics (typically the route mainstream doctors will take), biofilm disruptors (lumbrokinase, nattokinase are some of my favs) and other natural (or unnatural) interventions to aid in reducing unwanted pathogens. Sometimes, this you can avoid this stage all together by just changing the terrain in your gut to make it inhospitable to bad critters and supporting any organs under stress. It's all so person specific and depends on what kind of bacteria party is happening in your own gut.

According to my evolving body of knowledge on this topic, it actually can be counterproductive to use antimicrobials, especially too early or for too long because of the impact they can have on the gut microbiome as a whole. When I do use them, I typically choose the gentlest ones and use them for a short period of time that is only deemed necessary by testing. Some of my favorites are:

• Allimax
• Berberine
• Mastic gum
• Monolaurin
• Neem

Whether or not you need stage 1, 2, 3, 4 or all of them depends on what is going on in your gut per testing, and how your body reacts and changes in response to interventions given.

Dietary Changes

Often special diets are done in addition to the stages above. It really just depends on the practitioner you are working with and what they find works best with their clients.

If testing is not in the budget for you or you're just not interested in that route, there are some therapeutic diets that can help decrease symptoms but they can be limiting, and involve a lot of trial and error, especially if you go it on your own. These diets include:

• The Simple Carbohydrate Diet (this is my personal favorite)
• FODMAPS
• Gluten free diets
• Dairy free diets
• Grain free diets

Note: these diets are NOT intended to be done for an extended period of time. While these can be incredibly helpful for providing quick relief, they often do not solve the underlying gut issue, and the issues may return. Dietary changes are best done in combination with a solid gut support protocol designed for you.

While this post barely scratches the surface of gut healing, I hope it helps demystify gut healing protocols and helps you understand new possible steps and/or a direction for your own gut healing journey.

How to Build a Bulletproof Gut Masterclass

This is a paid online digital masterclass with the information spread out over 2-3 days.

I'll be sharing things I CAN'T share in a public place like:

• The exact process I go through with my clients to improve their gut 🚀
• The exact supplements, supports and food-based approach I use to change the gut environment 🔬
• All my favorite probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, motility support and therapeutic foods (and how I use them) 💊
• The liver and gallbladder connection to chronic gut issues 💀
• Recommended testing and more!

So if you're:
...eating well
...doing everything 'right'
...but STILL having gut symptoms and not sure what step to take next, this masterclass will inform you, empower you, and accelerate your results without the high cost of working one-on-one 🚀🚀🚀 Join the gut-changing masterclass here.

And as Hippocrates so wisely said, "All disease begins in the gut.

PIN IT:

References:

1. https://www.diagnosticsolutionslab.com/
2. https://matrixhealthwell.com/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5609274/
4. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12328-015-0611-x
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31174707/
6. https://drruscio.com/3-best-probiotics-of-2020-how-to-use-them-effectively/
7. http://www.hormonesmatter.com/thiamine-deficiency-causes-problems/
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4041178/
9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29879879/
10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27138887/
11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28228068/
12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5751248/
13. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.759507/full

The post How To Fix Your Gut appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Cliff notes: Thiamine deficiency was not solved decades ago by enriching grains and is alive and well. The implications of this have a huge impact on modern day health and disease.

It's always been amazing to me that a country with an endless food supply and resources can coexist with so much disease. It's almost as if the eating system established was set up to fail. But maybe the answer lies in the problem, hiding in plain sight...

Enter Thiamin(e) or vitamin B1, one of the first vitamins discovered and named appropriately as vitamin B for curing beriberi. Beriberi was a disease initially discovered when it plagued populations eating large amounts of polished white rice in which the bran and germ (containing the thiamine) was removed in the polishing process. A disease caused simply by the body using up thiamine faster than it takes it in.

The Western diet provides a wide buffet of thiamine-deficient foods, so much in fact, that's exactly where the enrichment of refined grains come from. To put back in what was taken out during processing and is required by the human body for proper functioning.

The enrichment of refined foods was thought to "fix" thiamine deficiency decades ago, and it has largely been ignored since, except by a few researchers...

But perhaps here's where thiamine gets lost in translation. Enough thiamine, or in the right form.

According to Dr. Derrick Lonsdale, retired doctor, thiamine expert, researcher and author of the book, Thiamine Deficiency Disease, Dysautonmia, and High Calorie Malnutrition, thiamine is far overlooked:

"Thiamine deficiency appears to have been relegated to the annals of history, a disorder that once plagued populations. Now, however, it is generally believed that it is no longer a relevant issue, thanks to modern nutrition."

Lonsdale also adds:

"My experience of more than 30 years of nutritional therapy in the U.S.A. has clearly shown that malnutrition is extremely widespread. Thiamin figures high on the list of nutrient deficiencies, although it can also be said that is more an excess of simple carbohydrates that overwhelms the oxidative system rather than a strictly defined vitamin deficiency. Because of vitamin fortification of processed foods and the relative affluence of our present culture, we are not ready to consider that obscure symptoms, particularly those that are generally termed functional, are of dietary origin." [2]

Symptoms of Thiamine Deficiency

While thiamine deficiency is said to be rare in developed countries such as here in the US, there is likely a much larger subclinical deficiency population due to the wide range of symptomology that may be present.

To put it simply, thiamine is needed to turn what you eat into energy (ATP). Because of the foundational importance of thiamine in the body, the ramifications of deficiency can be vast and extreme. And easy to miss or mis-diagnose as another health issue.

Because of thiamine's role in energy production and the autonomic nervous system — your body's ability to adapt to your environment and shift between parasympathetic nervous system - think rest and relax to sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight), the symptoms can really feel non-specific and vary quite a bit.

For starters, there's:

• fatigue
• loss of appetite
• irritability
• dysautonomia (dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system)
• beriberi
• peripheral edema
• tachycardia
• diminished reflexes
• gait issues
• muscle weakness
• blurry vision
• shortness of breath
• heart rate variability 

If enough of those apply to you, continue on to an extended list of the conditions that are connected to thiamine deficiency:

• gut issues/constipation/small bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) - The connection between thiamine and digestive issues is twofold. First, bacterial overgrowth conditions, specifically involving bacillus and clostridia species deplete thiamine. Secondly, thiamine is required to produce acetylcholine, the primary neurotransmitter used to communicate with your gut via the vagal nerve. The vagal nerve governs digestive motility and explains the upstream connection between gut dysbiosis and thiamine deficiency. You can read about this particular topic in depth here. [5,6]
• estrogen dominance [7]
• thoracic outlet syndrome (via dysautonomia, tightness of the scalene muscles due to being stuck in "fight or flight")
• postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)
• diabetes
• spontaneous abortion [8]
• vascular issues [9]

I don't know about you, but these lists include the most common health issues I see my clients struggling with.

Alright, if I have your attention by now, you're going to want to keep reading…

Thiamine Deficiency could be Widespread

By and large, the primary cause of thiamine deficiency is processed food because empty carbohydrates require thiamine to create energy (so they use up thiamine), but don't actually provide any thiamine. This causes you to use up thiamine at a faster rate than you are getting from your diet. This makes thiamine a vitamin that is highly subject to depletion just based on the Western diet.

Dr. Lonsdale dubbed this "high calorie malnutrition." [10]

A lower carbohydrate diet therefore would be technically more thiamine-sparing, but low carb diets can also cause other problems.

And don't forget, there are a variety of other thiamine-depleting factors like:

• alcohol abuse [10]
• chronic gut issues [5,6]
• poor absorption [10]
• increased loss (diuretics, diarrhea) [10]
• birth control pills may lower thiamine [11,12]
• bariatric surgery [10]
• dietary intake of anti-thiamines found in coffee, tea, raw fish, shellfish [10]
• genetic mutations of the SLC19a3 gene [13]
• antibiotic use [14]

These thiamine depleters are pretty popular and common, wouldn't you say?

Benefits of Thiamine

The benefits of thiamine are endless because it is absolutely necessary for your cells to make energy which has a positive impact on the functioning of your whole body. But a few very important ones to note are:

• supports autonomic nervous system balance
• reverses fatigue in both animal and human studies [15]
• improves glucose tolerance [16]
• supports gut health and motility [5,6]
• increased endurance and grip strength [17]
• anti-stress and anti-anxiety via supporting autonomic nervous system regulation [22]
• protective effect on breast cancer [23]

The Best Sources of Thiamine

When it comes to thiamine-rich foods, animal products are key. Some of the best sources of thiamine-rich foods are listed below:

• pork Italian salami 4oz 68% daily value
• pork bratwurst 85 grams 26% daily value
• chicken liver 100grams, 20% daily value
• black beans 100 grams, 16% daily value
• beef liver 100grams 13% daily value
• lentils 100 grams 58% daily value
• macadamia nuts 1 ounce 13% daily value [10,18]
• pure organic and unadulturated orange juice, 8 ounces, 10% daily value
• whole grains (unprocessed)

If the list above contains several foods you commonly crave or enjoy, maybe your body is trying to tell you something...

Thiamine Deficiency Testing

According to Elliot Overton, Nutritional Therapist and Thiamine guru of the UK, whole-blood thiamine pyrophosphate (TPPE) is the best lab test to check your thiamine levels and is available through LabCorp.

However, there are also other markers that can hint at Thiamine deficiency, such as elevated urinary pyruvate, lactate and oxalate markers that are found on an organic acids test. [6, 24]

Thiamine Supplements

There are several different forms of Thiamine or B1 on the supplement market.

Thiamine mononitrate and thiamine hydrochloride (HCL) are the water soluble forms of thiamine and the ones you'll find about 99% of the time in B-vitamin complexes and multivitamins. They however, do not have the best bioavailability and are considered inferior supplemental sources of thiamine. [5,26]

More superior and bioavailable forms are the fat soluble forms — Benfotiamine and Thiamine Tetrahydrofurfuryl Disulfide (TTFD) sold under the names of Lipothiamine and Allithiamine. Thiamine TTFD forms have the best therapeutic effect. [5, 21, 25]

According to Lonsdale, "The use of thiamin, and its disulfide derivatives in particular, is much neglected in Western medicine. It was one of the earliest vitamins to be discovered and synthesized and it is surprising that it has not been featured more in clinical reports and reviews involving nutritional therapy. The nutritional diseases have been long associated with poverty and starvation. Starvation, however, represents loss of both calorie yielding food components as well as the non-caloric nutrients, usually a slow attrition to death. If calories are maintained without appropriate vitamin and mineral content (empty calories), the outcome is quite different." 

It is worth noting that Dr. Lonsdale would often note a paradoxical reaction to new thiamine re-feeding in cases of deficiency that would usually subside within a week.

According to Lonsdale, "Its therapeutic potential is largely untapped in America."

While supplements can be helpful in the short-term, they aren't a long-term solution. Because your gut bacteria produce the full spectrum of B-vitamins for you (all except B12 in substantial amounts), it's important t address the root of the problem which is often low levels of beneficial gut bacteria.

Sometimes complicated problems can actually be quite simple.

Have you ever paid attention to your Thiamine intake? Please share in the comments!

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References:

1. Lonsdale, Derrick, MD. Thiamine Deficiency Disease, Dysautonomia, and High Calorie Malnutrition. 2018, Pages 161-211
2. Lonsdale 2012 - Thiamin(e) The Spark of Life retried from http://www.tahomaclinic.com/Private/Articles4/Thiamine/Lonsdale%202012%20-%20Thiamin(e)%20The%20Spark%20of%20Life.doc
3. Elliot Overton via Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi0O_fzczYA minute 23
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1261114/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1375232/
6. https://www.eonutrition.co.uk/post/thiamine-deficiency-a-major-cause-of-sibo
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17754352/
8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22889588/
9. https://www.nmcd-journal.com/article/S0939-4753(13)00159-2/fulltext
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537204/
11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/769494/
12. https://www.contraceptionjournal.org/article/0010-7824(75)90025-6/pdf
13. https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/gene/slc19a3/#resources
14. https://nutritionreview.org/2016/12/practical-guide-avoiding-drug-induced-nutrient-depletion/
15. https://www.hormonesmatter.com/ttfd-thiamine-derivative/
16. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23715873
17. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29966293/
18. https://nutritiondata.self.com/
19. https://www.eonutrition.co.uk/post/got-sibo-here-s-why-you-need-to-get-your-thiamine-status-checked
20. https://www.hormonesmatter.com/ttfd-thiamine-derivative/
21. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6073388/
22. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/7c1b/53c8c4dbfdccf441a16bcc1464b2b26c9c55.pdf
23. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0138318
24. https://www.hormonesmatter.com/marginally-insufficient-thiamine-intake-oxalates/
25. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1776825/
26. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Thiamin-HealthProfessional/

The post 13 Signs of Thiamine Deficiency appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

If you had an invisible enemy causing inflammation in your body at the cellular level, wouldn't you want to know?

You know, so you could do something about it?!

I want to introduce you to your cell membrane. A double layer of lipids that protect your cells (all 30 trillion cells that you have in your body) and give them their structure. Cell membranes have very important jobs to do to keep you healthy like:

• act as a gatekeeper to protect your cells from unwanted substances
• allow the transportation of nutrients in and allowing waste products to leave
• play an important role in cellular communication

But what if the health of your cell membranes are stiff and rigid restricting the transportation of important matter in and out due to the fats in your diet? How are your cells supposed to communicate, get nourished, and take out the trash?

I mean, that's the equivalent of having a relationship where no one buys groceries, cleans, or takes out the trash and when you try to communicate with each-other you both wear earplugs. Nothing good can come out of it...

And remember cells create tissues, tissues create organs, and you are made up of a system of organs. If your cell membranes are compromised, the integrity of each cell, tissue and organ in your body can suffer.

Because unhealthy cells make an unhealthy body and healthy cells make a healthy body.

But, back to you. What would a sign of omega fatty acid imbalance look like in your body?

Signs of Omega Fatty Acid Imbalance

Do any of the following look familiar?

• weight gain/obesity
• chronic inflammation
• insulin resistance
• unwanted gene expression
• chronic infections or gut issues
• immune system suppression
• crave fatty or greasy foods
• history of low fat or low calorie diet
• tension headaches (base of skull)
• sunburn easily
• headaches from sun exposure
• dry or flaky skin
• muscles easily fatigued
• experience pain relief with aspirin

These can all be signs that your omega fatty acid balance is tipping the scales in the wrong direction. 

But what if there was a test you could take to find out just how healthy your cell membranes are, so you actually knew the exact food changes you needed to make to create healthier cell membranes while reducing symptoms of imbalance at the same time?

Omega Fatty Acid Testing

That's why I am absolutely in LOVE with this simple omega fatty acids test that you can take at home. So much so, I'm now recommending it for each and every one of my one-on-one clients.

Just a simple finger prick and a drop of blood sent into the lab will tell you your:

• Omega 3 Index - a measure of the most important omega-3s-EPA and DHA-in your blood. Their purpose is to respond to inflammatory events and help the cells (and you!) stay healthy. Hundreds of studies have demonstrated that having an Omega-3 Index of 8% or higher offers significant protection from health outcomes like dying from heart disease, poor cognitive health, anxiety and depression, muscle soreness and joint pain, dry eyes and much more. One study showed that the Omega-3 Index was actually a better predictor of risk of death from heart disease vs. cholesterol. [3]
  
• Omega 6: Omega 3 Ratio - this shows if your balance of omega 3 fatty acids is in or out of balance with your intake of omega 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids abundantly found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, and smaller amounts in animal products. Research suggests that during evolution this ratio was closer to 1:1, and the Western diet today hovers closer to 20:1 creating huge implications on human health, especially obesity. "A balanced omega-6/omega-3 ratio 1-2/1 is one of the most important dietary factors in the prevention of obesity, along with physical activity." [6]
  
• AA: EPA Ratio (arachidonic acid: eicosapentaenoic acid ratio) - Research shows, "Several studies have shown that an unbalanced AA/EPA ratio in favor of AA fatty acid, leads to the development of different metabolic disorders, including obesity, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)" [4] and "Since AA and EPA are the precursors of the most important inflammatory mediators, AA/EPA ratio is an index to better evaluate inflammation and nutritional status of cell membrane." [5] This is my favorite ratio of the omega fatty acids test and the one I focus the most on bringing into balance with my clients. 
  
• Trans Fat Index - you've probably heard about trans fats. They are only found in the food that we eat (the body can't make them). These are hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats that have negative consequences for human health and should be minimized as much as possible in the diet. 
  
• Full Fatty Acid Report Profile - a full report on your fatty acid makeup. This is extremely helpful for identifying gamma linolenic acid deficiency (GLA). GLA is a potent anti-inflammatory fatty acid that is important for hormonal and immune system health (as well as healthy hair and skin). Signs of deficiency include bumps on the back of the arms, dry hair, and cracked fingertips.
• SPECIAL BONUS - a video training from me, walking you through understanding your results and how to make changes to support the health of your cells in the best possible way!

One of the best ways to make changes to your health is to have data on your body to pinpoint problem areas, motivate real change, and keep you accountable along the way. With the information provided in the omega fatty acid report and video training, you will gain the knowledge and understanding of your body to:

• Adjust the makeup of fats in your diet to support bringing your fatty acid balance back into balance so you can fight chronic inflammation, unwanted weight gain and cardiovascular in a scientific way (no more guessing!)
• Choose omega fatty acid containing foods and food-based supplements that support the health of your cells. Not just something generic off the shelf that may not be a good fit for you.
• And most importantly, give you actual data on your body to help you understand how to take back control of your health one bite at a time.

So, if you've done everything else under the sun to improve your health but are still having problems and lingering issues, it's time to address the very foundation of your body, the health of your cells!

Give all 30 trillion cell membranes you have some TLC.

Where Is Your Omega Fatty Acid Balance At?

Ready to find out your omega fatty acid balance so you can tip the scale on inflammation?

Get your test kit here.

PIN IT:

References:

1. Signs and Symptoms From A Functional Perspective by Dicken Weatherby
2. https://www.bioriginal.com/gla-a-healthy-omega-6-fatty-acid/
3. https://omegaquant.com/publications/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6163829/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6515168/
6. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/8/3/128/htm
7. Matrix Integrative Family Health

The post How to Flip the Switch on Inflammation appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

It can make simple decisions, interactions, and routine tasks painful as well as cripple relationships, careers and overall wellbeing.

Signs of Anxiety

The signs of anxiety manifest very differently from one person to another, but they generally involve some of the following signs and symptoms:

• excessive worry
• agitation
• irrational fears
• irritability
• restlessness
• fatigue
• trouble concentrating
• trouble sleeping
• panic attacks

Top Anxiety Hacks

While Rx medications are common for anxiety such as low-dose SSRIs (Lexapro, Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Luvox, etc.) or straight anxiety medication like Benzodiazepines, Buspirone and Beta Blockers, the side effects are often concerning for sensitive individuals.

Luckily, whether or not you choose to medicate, there are a large number of things you can easily do at home to support mental health naturally. Here's a few of my favorites:

1. Get More Thiamine (B1)
Did you know that Thiamine deficiency was not solved decades ago by enriching grains and deficiency is actually widespread? The implications of this have a huge impact on modern day health and disease, especially anxiety. [15]

You see, Thiamine is essential for your cells to create energy from food, and a deficiency can cause something called dysautonomia (dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system). This is a really big deal with huge implications for how your body handles stress, your digestion, healing and more. Your autonomic nervous system is like a seesaw. On one side, you have your parasympathetic nervous system, also known as the rest and relax arm of your nervous system. On the other side, you have your sympathetic nervous system, a.k.a your fight or flight response, that would would come in hand during times of stress. [14,15,16]

So essentially Thiamine deficiency can mean your body is no longer able to seesaw back and forth between between one or the other and you can actually get stuck in stress or fight or flight mode by a simple thiamine deficiency!

You can read way more about thiamine deficiency here, but getting more thiamine into your diet (pork, meat, macadamia nuts for starters) and consider supplementation of a highly bio-available form.

2. Eat A Big Breakfast
You'll probably want to graze over and ignore this one because it sounds so basic, but you really shouldn't (I put it first for a reason!).

You see, cortisol levels are usually at their highest point about 1-2 hours after waking up. This is especially true for those under more stress than normal. High cortisol combined with low blood sugar upon waking (from a lack of food/fasting overnight) is the perfect storm for anxiety to fester out of control. Luckily, the best way to combat this is to eat a substantial breakfast, and I'm not just talking about a bar or shake.

When you skip or skimp on breakfast (read: intermittent fasting when your body's not healthy enough for it), you're not doing anything to blunt the surging cortisol and knock your blood sugar back into check. While this suggestion may sound juvenile, I've seen it transform my clients' anxiety levels, mood, and energy levels throughout the day.

Try having some high protein pancakes tomorrow and see how you feel. The winning breakfast combination will contain nutrient dense protein, carbs, fat, and enough calories to fill up your body with energy to start the day. You may also want to skip the coffee or choose decaf instead to support a greater sense of calm.

3. Check for copper overload
Did you know having too much free coper in the body is a recipe for anxiety and chronic mental health struggles?

Find out more about exactly what you need to know to take inventory of your copper status here.

4. Improve Sleep
There's no doubt that lack of sleep can make one go crazy. And insanity is not exactly good for managing anxiety. While I won't bore you with sleep tips, I will show you were to find some of my favorites --->here<---.

5. Avoid Restrictive Diets (and dieting in general)
If you've ever been around someone on a diet or on one yourself, you'll know that anxiety and irritability are commonplace.

So, this won't be a newsflash, but your body likes regular abundant nourishment to keep anxiety at bay. When your body isn't getting what it needs to get you through the day, the stress hormone cortisol surges to signal your body to break down proteins and fats to create much needed energy. Triggering the release of cortisol unnecessarily is a perfect storm for anxiety. Instead, eat regularly throughout the day and include snacks if your body demands it to keep your cortisol and stress levels in a happy place.

Research also supports a strong link between restrictive diets and increasing anxiety. While some research suggests vegan and vegetarian dieters may be an increased risk for mental disorders such as anxiety and depression, some studies correlate this to changes in protein intake while some find the correlation more specific to diets with increased food restrictions of any kind. [11,12]

The take home message from my research here is eat the widest variety diet that you are able. Those diets with the least amount of restriction correlate to the widest variety of nutrition available to support mental health in the most natural way. And this will help ensure you get adequate amounts of nutrients that are known to help fight anxiety, including magnesium, zinc and B vitamins. [1,2,3]

6. Lithium
When most people hear the word lithium, they don’t think about a naturally occurring mineral found in tap water, grains and vegetables that is an important trace mineral for health.

Instead, what often comes to mind is the drug version of lithium (lithium carbonate) that has been used in mental health facilities to treat mania and bipolar disorders as far back 1871. Here, the mineral lithium is being used as a drug in very high dosages (pharmacologic psychiatric dosages start at around 300-600mg per dose, and are often taken multiple times per day).

But what about micro-dosing or low-dose lithium (typically defined as around 1-30mg of lithium orotate per day, taken at the lowest effective dose)? Doses so small that they more closely translate to the amount you could find in food? This is a supplemental version of lithium that most are unfamiliar with, which is unfortunate because naturally occurring and low-dose lithium has some great perks, including promising research that it can reduce anxiety.Get all the details on low-dose supplemental lithium here.

7. CBD
If CBD is legal where you live it can be a huge anxiety hack. While I'm not a fan of using it in large quantities or long-term due to toxicity concerns, it can work wonders in some people.

8. Breath and Mindset Work (+ skip the social media)
Another item on this list that will probably be overlooked...

But just for a minute consider that you have 175 brain cells which spy on your breath and alter your state of mind accordingly: if you have stressful thoughts, your breath changes, your stress hormones fire, and your body releases more cortisol.All this can push your body further deeper into the depths of anxiety, or away from it. The choice is yours.

So skip your anxiety-inducing social media habit and catch a few good audio books that can challenge your mindset and breathing practices.

Some of my favorites include — Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art (here) and Breaking The Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One (here).

9. Pay Attention to Your Protein Choices (!)
Well over a decade ago when I was first starting my nutrition career, one of my favorite nutritionists was Jennifer Adler.

I loved what I learned from her about the energetics of food, something you've probably never heard of.

According to Adler: "For carnivores, the type of meat we eat affects us as well. Although its not common practice in the United States, traditional forms of medicine always consider the energetics of food; energy from cow meat affects us differently than energy from chicken meat, for example. When I walk into a room full of people I've never met, I can often tell within the first few minutes of talking to them what types of meat proteins people eat by the way they act. Nervous, flighty women with lots of sparkly jewelry typically eat a ton of chicken. Slow-talking, methodical folks are beef eaters. Determined, self-preserving types or natural dissidents are often big fish eaters; they swim upstream."[4]

If this describes you, just getting more calming beef into your diet may be the ticket, or perhaps you may need more chicken energy or fish for more perseverance. Give it a try and see how you feel.

10. Address Your Gut
Because 95% of serotonin is manufactured in the gut by your gut bacteria and the neurotransmitter serotonin is often examined when talking about anxiety, addressing gut health is key. Gut dysbiosis can change the delicate balance of your gut microbiome influencing the synthesis of neurotransmitters. [9,10]

I personally use two gut tests (urine and stool) in my nutrition practice to help get to the root of gut issues. 

11. Check in with Your Fats (this is a big one!)
Did you know your fat intake can have a real impact on how you feel?

Specifically, I'm talking about your intake of omega 3 and omega 6 polyunsaturated oils. Research shows getting the right amounts of omega 3 fatty acids can support mental health symptoms such as anxiety, depression and anger. [7,8,13]

Fatty acid testing (through an at-home finger poke method) is one of my favorite ways to assess your own omega fatty acid balance, so you can find out if therapeutic levels of omega-3s are needed to shift the balance of fats in your body. Learn more here.

12. Check for Pyrroles
Pyrroles disorder is an often unknown mood and stress disorder. While it can be genetic in nature, it can also be triggered by oxidative stress. Those with Pyrroles lose an abnormal amount of zinc and B6 leading to nutritional deficiencies that destabilize mood homeostatsis.

Get all the details on Pyrroles disorder here.

13. Find out your Methylation Status
Most people know that methylation imbalances can cause anxiety symptoms. But what can you do about it? Knowing your genetic MTHFR status tells you about your methylation 'potential' but isn't really helpful to tell you what is going on with your methylation in the NOW.

Get all the details you need to know on methylation here.

Get Data on Your Body So You Can Stop Guessing

While there are a number of health and nutritional factors that play into anxiety, they can often be tough to pinpoint without testing.

And because of the nutritional, gut and lifestyle factors that contribute to anxiety, knowing what's not working can help you make it right. Get some data on your body using my favorite modalities: hair analysis to assess minerals, urine and stool testing to address gut issues + environmental concerns, and fatty acid testing to assess cellular inflammation. Learn more here.

The more you know about you, the more you can work to push your body in a new direction of mental health and wellness.

Do you have anxiety? What works best for you?

PIN IT:

References:
1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24130388/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3198864/
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15582752/
4. Passionate Nutrition by Jennifer Adler
5. https://www.healthline.com/health/morning-anxiety#2
6. https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/24/9/1694/htm
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30127751/
8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21784145/
9. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/09/gut-feeling
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4259177/
11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22676203/
12. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30404246/
13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2275606/pdf/nihms-41356.pdf
14. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/7c1b/53c8c4dbfdccf441a16bcc1464b2b26c9c55.pdf
15. Lonsdale, Derrick, MD. Thiamine Deficiency Disease, Dysautonomia, and High Calorie Malnutrition. 2018.
16. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3046018/

The post 13 Anxiety Hacks appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Multivitamins are no exception to this (read why here), so I thought I'd share my real food alternative, and what I consider to be a safer, more holistic and more bioavailable option.

You've probably heard about consuming organ meats, specifically liver for the nutritional benefits, which is justified as liver has a pretty stellar nutrition profile. But eating just liver misses the point of nose-to-tail eating. You're supposed to eat far more than just one organ. Exclusively eating liver as your organ meat staple also poses risk of nutrient excess due to its high vitamin A content, so I'm only a fan of using it in very small quantities in those without vitamin A overload risk (read: too much dairy, eggs, butter + vitamin A containing supplements).

Eating a wide variety of organ meats provides a vast array of real food nutrition, in just the right amounts and ratios as designed by nature. According to ancient wisdom "like supports like" when it comes to organ meats, meaning, consuming heart tissue supports heart health, kidney tissue consumption supports kidney function, and so forth.

So why are we paying high prices for inferior synthetic supplements when we could easily be getting the real thing from food?

Organ Meat Nutrition

Most organ meats are rich incredibly rich in B-vitamins, while some are also a great source of zinc, iron, copper, vitamin A and more.

So if you've ever struggled with...

...digestive issues
...hormonal imbalance
...low energy
...sleep issues
...fatigue

You can definitely benefit from getting more B-vitamins as well as the minerals organ meats supply into your diet.

So what does a more diverse organ meat rotation diet look like? Here's some organs you'll want to consider incorporating:

Kidney

Beef kidney tissue is a great source of vitamin B12 providing approximately 128% of your daily needs in a single one ounce serving. It's also rich in riboflavin or B2 (47% daily value), pantothenic acid or B5 (11% daily value), selenium (56% daily value), vitamin A (8% daily value) and iron (7% daily value). I see kidney as a real food B12 supplement, with a variety of other nutrients to boot. [1]

Kidney also contains the enzyme diamine oxidase (DAO) which helps to break down histamine in the body. This may be therapeutic to those with histamine intolerance as kidney can help naturally boost DAO levels. [11]

Heart

Beef heart tissue is an excellent source of B12 (40% daily value), selenium (9% daily value), iron (7% daily value), niacin (11% daily value), riboflavin or B2 (15% daily value), and copper (6% daily value). Heart tissue also contains naturally occurring coenzyme Q10, making heart a great way to get the nutrient naturally. [2]

Pancreas

Pancreas is a pancreatic enzyme powerhouse supplying amylase (to break down carbohydrates), protease (to break down proteins + peptides), and lipase (to break down fats). It's also a great source of vitamin B12 (77% daily value), pantothenic acid or B5 (13% daily value), riboflavin or B2 (8% daily value) and vitamin C (7% daily value). [3]

Pancreas is also said to contain large amounts of vitamin K2, which can be hard to come by in the standard American diet. [4]

Some alternative cancer doctors even use pancreatic enzymes in a special way as a part of their treatment plans. [5]

Bone Marrow

Bone marrow is where this gets fun.

Research shows bone marrow can be high in calcium, vitamin B2, iron and vitamin E. It also contains vitamin K2, although the exact amount is unclear. [6, 7]

Additional research shows bone marrow to contain the hormone called adiponectin, which, according to a study "helps maintain insulin sensitivity, break down fat, and has been linked to decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity-associated cancers." [8]

Liver (caution: vitamin A toxicity)

A one ounce serving of beef liver contains abundant amounts of Vitamin A (95% daily value), B12 (277% daily value), riboflavin or B2 (45% daily value), niacin or B3 (18% daily value), pantothenic acid or B5 (20% daily value), B6 or pyridoxine (52% daily value), folate or B9 (20% daily value), zinc (7% daily value), copper (137% daily value), iron (8% daily value), selenium (16% daily value), and phosphorus (11% daily value). [9]

It's important not to overdo liver, especially if you are taking other sources of vitamin A like cod liver oil, multivitamins, and eat a lot of vitamin A-rich dairy.

From what I see in my clients, for most liver is not a good fit.

Spleen

Spleen tissue is incredibly high in iron, so I often call it nature's iron supplement. One ounce provides approximately 69% the RDA for iron, as well provides selenium (25% daily value), B12 (27% daily value), and vitamin C (21% daily value). Because the high amount of iron in spleen tissue, I'm typically only a fan of this for people who have lower iron levels confirmed by testing. This is because more iron in the diet is not better and can cause serious health concerns if you get too much. [10]

With all of these nutrients easily available in organ meats, why even bother with synthetic supplements? They're just not necessary in most cases.

Other Organs

Other larger organs like intestines, lung and brain can be therapeutic organs to include in an organ rotation diet, but they are harder to come by in the glandular world (at least without being cut with another organ, like liver, or other supplements). Much smaller organs such as hypothalamus (another one of my favorites), adrenal cortex, gallbladder, prostate, thyroid, and thymus are very powerful and often have specific uses.

These glandulars should be used under the supervision of a practitioner.

*Note: nutrition values are based on nutrition data available for 1 oz servings. Due to the natural variation of vitamins and minerals in organ tissue, you will never find nutrition facts on organ glandular supplement labels.

How to Use Glandular Supplements

While I know you're probably not a fan of actually eating these organ meats at your dinner table (bonus points if you do), you can find freeze dried organ tissue in capsules, commonly referred to as a glandular.

Side note —  it's extremely important when choosing a glandular source to do your research on where the animal tissue comes from. Healthy and humanely treated animals = healthier organs and a better glandular product.

Glandular tissue supplements are the easiest way to get organs in your diet easily and consistently. They are also very reasonably priced, with the exception of some of the smaller organs in the body. They are more expensive because the glands are harder to come by.

My favorite way to incorporate tissue glandulars is twofold:

1. Get some data on your body so you can find out what your body needs more of to thrive (I use hair analysis on myself and my clients). There are many cases where organ meats are NOT good for a particular client (especially with gut-liver axis issues).
2. Choose a variety of organ meats that help fill in your known nutrition gaps. A typical glandular will contain about 500mg of glandular tissue per capsule, making 6 capsules or 3000mg roughly equivalent to 1 ounce of fresh organ meat. While I think 1 ounce of organ meat a day is a total overkill (and possibly harmful long term), I'm much more comfortable will a more conservative intake of around less than ½ of an ounce a day (mixed, not just liver or you'll get too much vitamin A over time). Organ glandulars are potent - and more is NOT better.

A common question I get is "what about organ complexes on the market?" I'm generally not a huge fan. Most of them have liver as the primary ingredient, which can pose problems if one is unsure of their nutrition status (namely iron and vitamin A) and/or taking a slew of other supplements containing these nutrients (what I call supplement stacking). Plus, they might already be eating a healthy diet high in these specific nutrients. I much prefer creating custom organ capsule combinations to target a person's specific needs.

Glandular therapy is powerful

Remember to go slow when getting started with glandulars. Start with one capsule and build up your ideal dosage slowly over several weeks as tolerated to avoid any side effects as your body gets used to this kind of potent nutrition.

Also be aware of toxicity that can happen with organ supplements, such as vitamin A toxicity particularly when using liver and kidney glandulars.

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References:

1. https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/beef-products/3466/2
2. https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/beef-products/3464/2
3. https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/pork-products/2200/2
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6515216/#:~:text=Menaquinone%2D4%20(MK%2D4,with%20type%202%20diabetes%20mellitus.
5. https://thegonzalezprotocol.com/research-efforts/history-enzyme-therapy/
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3417664/
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18287355/
8. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140703125216.htm
9. https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/beef-products/3468/2
10. https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/beef-products/3476/2
11. https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/85/5/1185/4633007

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Gluten Free Strawberry-Rhubarb Muffins

Yield: 15 muffins

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

4.7 Stars (3 Reviews)

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Ingredients

Muffin Batter

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• 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries, more for garnish (if desired)
• ¾ cup diced fresh rhubarb
• 2 cups gluten-free flour mixture (I use 1 cup sweet rice flour and 1 cup Pamela's baking mix)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup butter, reserve 1-2 tablespoons for cooking strawberry-rhubarb mixture
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon Kosher salt

Topping

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• ¼ cup sweet rice flour
• ¼ cup Pamela's Gluten Free Baking Mix
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons room temperature butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a muffin tin with baking cups.
2. In a small saucepan, combine rhubarb, strawberries and two tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.
3. Bring strawberry rhubarb mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until it has reduced to roughly 1 cup. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: the rice flour, baking mix, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
5. In another bowl combine the wet ingredients starting by creaming together the softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Then add the eggs, vanilla, apple cider vinegar and 1 cup of the strawberry-rhubarb mixture and stir to combine. Set aside.
6. While mixing the wet ingredients, slowly add in the dry ingredients until it all is well incorporated. Set aside.
7. Next, make the topping: combine the baking mix, sweet rice flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon. Stir to combine. Then cut the cold butter into several pieces and add it to the topping mixture. Mix with your fingers until the butter is well worked into the topping mixture.
8. Next fill the muffin cups half way full. Then add a generous amount of topping and a thinly sliced strawberry for garnish (if desired).
9. Bake for 30-32 minutes or until light golden brown.

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With many having more time to focus internally, now's as good of a time as ever to focus on the awareness of self in a variety of ways. Whether it's mindset work, discipline, self-care, health, fitness; awareness is where change and new possibility can find a beginning.

When I work with my clients, we do a number of things that work to increase self-awareness and examine personal habits.

1. First we take a look at supplement patterns and analyze why each supplement is there and if any possibly pose more harm than good via either nutrient excess or liver injury. The goal is to be as intentional as possible when it comes to supplements.
2. Next we look at what your body says it needs with testing to determine nutrient deficiency and nutrient excess. We do this with data from Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (available internationally) and select nutrient blood labs (available in the US only, with the exception of those in NY, NJ and RI). Learn more about these services here.
3. Additionally, if you are taking Rx medications, we also discuss potential nutrient deficiencies and the risks of liver injury you must be aware of while taking those drugs.
4. Finally we work through a food-based (or food-based supplement) approach to help the body find nutrient homeostasis in a gentle, sustainable way.

Pretty simple and logical, right?

And luckily, there is one of these things you can easily do at home right now!

There is a wonderful tool called Mytavin that can calculate probable nutrient deficiencies based on your own pharmaceutical cocktail. You can also try to get your hands on Drug Induced Nutrient Depletion Handbook, but you'll want to find one as up to date as possible to accommodate for newer drugs on the market that you may be taking.

To save you a little time and research on your own, I've included some research-backed data on the top pharmaceutical drugs. However, please keep in mind, it is generally not very easy to identify or link nutrient deficiency to current symptoms because they typically develop slowly over course of taking a drug.

Therefore, it can be hard to know whether your symptoms are caused by life's stressors, diet, getting older, or a medication you have been taking for a long period of time.

Ross Pelton, a pharmacist, nutritionist, author and health educator summarizes this phenomenon well, and it may be the reason you don't hear about drug-induced nutrient depletion much:

"Consider the following scenario: a woman who has been taking oral contraceptives for eight years, seemingly without any problems. However, over the past six months, she has been increasingly complaining to her husband that she is tired all the time. She has trouble getting up in the morning, or by mid-afternoon, she feels so exhausted, she can hardly function. Oral contraceptives deplete folic acid, vitamin B12, coenzyme Q10, and magnesium. Each of these nutrients is critically important for energy production. A depletion of any one of these nutrients can cause tiredness, weakness, lethargy and/or anemia over time. However, this woman probably doesn’t realize that the medication she has been taking for years has been causing nutrient depletions that are now causing health problems."

Probable Nutrient Depletion by Drug

Birth Control Pills

Commonly prescribed for: preventing pregnancy

Potential nutrient deficiencies for Mircette: B12, B6, magnesium, folate, roboflavin (B2), zinc, tyrosine, vitamin C (source)

Potential nutrient deficiencies for Natazia: B6, magnesium, C0Q10, vitamin C, folate (source)

Potential nutrient deficiencies Nordette: B12, B6, magnesium, folate, B2, zinc, tyrosine, vitamin C (source)

Potential nutrient deficiencies Lo Ovral: B12, B6, magnesium, folate, B2, zinc, tyrosine, vitamin C (source)

Potential nutrient deficiencies Ortho-Novum: B12, B6, magnesium, folate, B2, zinc, tyrosine, vitamin C (source)

Potential nutrient deficiencies Ortho Tri-Cyclen: B12, B6, magnesium, folate, B2, zinc, tyrosine, vitamin C (source)

Anti-Depressants

Commonly prescribed for: alleviating depressive symptoms, anxiety

Potential nutrient deficiencies for Citalopram (Celexa): melatonin, folate, sodium (source)

Potential nutrient deficiencies for Escitalopram (Lexapro): melatonin, folate, sodium (source)

Potential nutrient deficiencies for Fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem, Symbyax): melatonin, folate, sodium (source)

Potential nutrient deficiencies for Sertraline (Zoloft): melatonin, folate, sodium (source)

Potential nutrient deficiencies for Paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva): melatonin, folate, sodium (source)

Vicodin (hydrocodone/acetaminophen)

Commonly prescribed for: pain

Potential nutrient deficiencies: glutathione (source)

Simvastatin (Generic for Zocor)

Commonly prescribed for: high cholesterol

Potential nutrient deficiencies: zinc, selenium, omega-3, C0Q10 (source)

Lisinopril (Generic for Prinivil or Zestril)

Commonly prescribed for: high blood pressure

Potential nutrient deficiencies: zinc, B12, B6, phosphorus, magnesium, B1, potassium, folate, C0Q10, sodium (source)

Levothyroxine (generic for Synthroid)

Commonly prescribed for: hypothyroidism

Potential nutrient deficiencies: iron (source)

Azithromycin (generic for Zithromax, Z-PAK)

Commonly prescribed as an antibiotic.

Potential nutrient deficiencies: B12, B6, B7, vitamin K, potassium, B3, probiotics, B1, B2 (source)

Metformin (generic for Glucophage)

Commonly prescribed to treat high blood sugar levels

Potential nutrient deficiencies: B12, folate (source)

Lipitor (atorvastatin)

Commonly prescribed to treat high cholesterol and triglyceride levels

Potential nutrient deficiencies: zinc, selenium, omega-3, C0Q10 (source)

Amlodipine (generic for Norvasc)

Commonly prescribed for: high blood pressure and chest pain

Potential nutrient deficiencies: zinc, selenium, omega-3, C0Q10 (source)

Amoxicillin

Commonly prescribed as an antibiotic.

Potential nutrient deficiencies: B12, B6, B7, Vitamin K, B1, potassium, B3, probiotics (source)

Hydrochlorothiazide

Commonly prescribed for: high blood pressure

Potential nutrient deficiencies: B12, B6, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, thiamine (b1), potassium, folate, C0Q10, sodium (source)

Symptoms of Nutrient Depletion

And just a little reminder of what these nutrient depletion symptoms may look like:

• B1 - fatigue, memory loss, anorexia, constipation, depression, poor coordination, confusion, shortness of breath, anxiety, difficultly digesting carbohydrates [4]
• B2 - cracks and sores in the corner of the mouth/lips, red sore tongue, increased light sensitivity, sluggishness, burning/itching of the eyes [4]
• B3 - pellagra (dermatitis, dementia, diarrhea), cracked/scaly dermatitis, muscular weakness, confusion, memory loss, depression, loss of appetite, indigestion, diarrhea, vomiting [4]
• B6 - confusion, depression, convulsions, water retention in pregnancy, cracks around mouth, lips, eyes, poor glucose tolerance, impaired nerve function, numbness and cramps in the arms/legs, visual disturbances [4]
• B7 - dermatitis, scaling/hardness of the skin, anorexia, nausea, loss of hair, muscular atrophy, low energy [4]
• B9 - megalobastic anemia, neural tube defects in pregnancy, digestive disturbances, restless legs, depressed reflexes, insomnia, weakness [4]
• B12 - swollen red tongue, B12 deficiency anemia, peripheral neuropathy, depression [4]
• Magnesium - asthma, blood clots, bowel diseases, cystitis, depression, detoxification, diabetes, fatigue, heart disease, hypertension, hypoglycemia, insomnia, kidney disease, liver disease, migraines, muscle, nerve problems, osteoporosis, tooth decay, Raynaud's syndrome, anxiety, panic attacks
• Selenium - cardiomyopathy and heart failure (Keshan disease), striated muscle degeneration, deforming arthritis (Kashin-Bek disease) [9]
• Zinc - stretch marks, decreased immune response, increased susceptibility to viral infections, diabetes, loss of appetite, hair loss, skin problems (acne, eczema, etc.), white spots on the nails, slow wound healing, anorexia nervosa
• Potassium - acne, weakness, tiredness, or cramping in arm or leg muscles, numbness and/or tingling, constipation, excess water consumption, depression, nausea or vomiting, edema, fatigue, insomnia, nervousness, mental impairment, abdominal cramping and/or bloating, fainting due to low blood pressure, heart palpitations (irregular heart beat)
• Phosphorus - loss of appetite, anemia, muscle weakness, bone pain, rickets, osteomalacia, increased susceptibility to infection, numbness and tingling of the extremities, difficulty walking, and respiratory failure [8]
• Sodium - nausea and vomiting, headache, confusion, low energy, drowsiness and fatigue, restlessness, irritability, muscle weakness, spasms/cramps, seizures, coma [7]
• Tyrosine - depression, low blood pressure, low body temperature, hypothyroid, apathy, edema, fatigue, mood disorders, weakness, joint pain, weight gain, PMS [1, 10]
• Vitamin C - dry hair, slow wound healing, bruise easily, dry/rough skin, gingivitis and bleeding gums, poor immune function, frequent nosebleeds, and scurvy (extreme deficiency).
• Omega-3 - rough/scaly skin, dermatitis, fatigue, memory loss, heart disease, inflammation, mood swings, depression, poor circulation [1]
• C0Q10 - seizures, intellectual disability, poor muscle tone, involuntary muscle contractions, progressive muscle stiffness , abnormal eye movements, vision loss, hearing loss [5]
• Probiotics -  food allergies, digestive issues, bad breath, frequent UTIs, depression [6]
• Vitamin K - easy bleeding, hemorrhage, inappropriate bruising, osteoporosis [4]
• Glutathione - low energy, hair loss, poor sleep, brain fog, weak immunity, aches and pains, weakened liver detoxification
• Melatonin - insomnia, fatigue, ADHD, irritable bowels, breast cancer risk [1]

The point of this post is not to encourage you to run out and supplement every potential nutrient deficiency that may be caused by a drug you are taking (I would strongly discourage that). The point of this post is to help you see and understand your body in a more holistic way and address any issues that may simply be caused by something you are taking every day that may unconsciously have a big impact on how you feel.

Liver Injury

It's important to add that most Rx drugs also carry a risk of liver injury that can impair your body's detoxification abilities short or long-term.

One of the best places to find out how certain drugs can impact your liver is the Liver Tox Database. You can use it to search for any drug and gauge the liver injury risk factor.

According to a 2008 study, Drug Induced Liver Injury (DILI) "was caused by a single prescription medication in 73% of the cases, by dietary supplements in 9%, and by multiple agents in 18%. More than 100 different agents were associated with DILI; antimicrobials (45.5%) and central nervous system agents (15%) were the most common. Causality was considered to be definite in 32%, highly likely in 41%, probable in 14%, possible in 10%, and unlikely in 3%. Acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was the final diagnosis in 4 of 9 unlikely cases. Six months after enrollment, 14% of patients had persistent laboratory abnormalities and 8% had died; the cause of death was liver related in 44%." [12]

The study concluded that "DILI is caused by a wide array of medications, herbal supplements, and dietary supplements. Antibiotics are the single largest class of agents that cause DILI." [12]

The more you know about what you're taking, the more power you have to take better care of your health.

Ready to find out what your body needs?

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) is a nutrition screening tool that provides a unique snapshot into your body, showing your stress, energy profile as well as insight into 35 different minerals in your body. HTMA testing includes: calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, copper, zinc, phosphorus, iron, manganese, chromium, selenium, cobalt, germanium, molybdenum, sulfur, uranium, arsenic, beryllium, mercury, cadmium, lead, aluminum, barium, bismuth, rubidium, lithium, nickel, platinum, thallium, vanadium, strontium, tin, titanium, tungsten, and zirconium. It can also detect imbalances sooner than blood tests can and show you early trends toward health problems.

HTMA acts as a simple nutrition checkup so you can find out what your body needs now while also preventing deficiencies before they start. I often pair HTMA with a few simple nutrient blood labs to get important nutrient data on you no-one else is typically looking at. Find out more about these services here.

I hope this post helps give you more awareness in your own personal health realm or perhaps you can pass it on to someone you know who could benefit. ♥

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References:

1. https://mytavin.com/
2. https://www.medicinenet.com/top_drugs_prescribed_in_the_us/views.htm
3. https://www.townsendletter.com/article/436-drug-induced-nutrient-depletions-pelton/
4. Nutritional Therapy Association
5. https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/primary-coenzyme-q10-deficiency
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16827601
7. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hyponatremia/symptoms-causes/syc-20373711
8. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/phosphorus
9. https://arupconsult.com/content/trace-minerals
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2736402
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547852/
12. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18955056/

The post What Your Rx Drug Can Do To Your Body appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

About 13 years ago I had a brief encounter with insomnia. It was an awful, staring at the ceiling, couldn't fall asleep kind of feeling that you just never quite forget. Within a week or so of the insomnia symptoms, my research ensued and a calcium deficiency was among the first to come on my radar. Calcium made a lot of sense at the time, because my diet was fairly low in calcium. Within a day or two of upping my calcium intake, the insomnia vanished.

The point of my story is how different this could have gone. I could have gone to a traditional doctor who would have likely dismissed diet and nutrition, and gone straight to recommending a prescription medication to help me sleep. The Rx medication could have created side effects and other problems within my body, and my calcium deficiency could have just gotten worse over time...

Now 13 years later, with the help of hair analysis, I can keep my calcium levels right where I want them and avoid the calcium dips that can trigger symptoms, like insomnia, anxiety, and blood sugar issues.

Signs of Low Calcium

The following symptoms have been linked to calcium deficiency and could be clues that you're just not getting enough:

• insomnia
• anxiety
• poor blood sugar regulation
• PMS
• osteoporosis and osteopenia
• depression
• muscle cramps and spasms
• dental problems

Of course, there are other reasons your calcium can be low like kidney disease, excess vitamin A in the diet from food and/or supplements (super common), magnesium deficiency, and low vitamin D levels. That's why it's important to investigate the situation and discover exactly how your body needs to be supported with data.

Role of Calcium

Calcium has many important roles in the body. It's the most abundant mineral in the human body and the vast majority of calcium is found in the bones and teeth. A much smaller amount (around 1%) is found in the blood and soft tissues. Calcium is such an important mineral in the human body that when intake it too low, demineralization of bone begins to make calcium available to maintain normal blood calcium concentrations.

So how does this play in the body? Well, when blood calcium levels decrease (from lack of dietary calcium), it triggers parathyroid hormone or PTH (which controls calcium metabolism in the body) to break down bone to buffer the pH of the blood. This increases stress, and is an inflammatory process that can play a role insomnia and other symptoms.

According to Dr. Dr. Ray Peat, PhD, parathyroid hormone (PTH) is an important regulator of calcium metabolism. If dietary calcium isn’t sufficient, causing blood calcium to decrease, the PTH increases, and removes calcium from bones to maintain a normal amount in the blood. PTH has many other effects, contributing to inflammation, calcification of soft tissues, and decreased respiratory energy production.”

How to get more in your diet?

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for calcium is 1,000-1,200 mg.

Boost your intake with the following calcium-rich foods:

• Sardines w/the bones (3.2oz): 346.54mg
• Whole Milk (1 cup): 276mg
• Sesame Seeds (¼ cup): 351mg
• Whole Milk Yogurt (1 cup): 296mg
• Cheese (1oz): 202mg
• Nettle Infusion (1 cup): 250mg
• Collard Greens (1 cup): 267.90mg
• Whole Milk Mozzarella Cheese (1oz): 141mg

Supplements for calcium deficiency?

I'm pretty insistent on making sure one knows their calcium status before taking a calcium supplement, and only if food sources aren't doing the job. I prefer hair analysis testing to access calcium status. The reason for this is that excess calcium is a real problem, and it is more common than calcium deficiency (in my office at least).

The other concern with calcium supplementation is often the co-factors are not included such as magnesium, silica, boron, and vitamin K2 that you get when you eat calcium from food sources.

Typically calcium levels won’t get too high on their own from food alone. It’s when a calcium-rich diet is paired with calcium supplements and/or vitamin D3 supplements that calcium levels start creeping up. Soaring calcium levels can lead to calcification of your body. Think stiffness among other undesirable things, like back pain, joint issues, and osteoporosis.

A better bet for strong bones? Get some food-sourced calcium in your diet along with magnesium K2, silica, and boron (if you know you’re low in these). And don’t forget about the benefits of weight-bearing exercise for maintaining bone health.

My translation here should be no surprise: there is no shortcut to health. Real food is always the safest supplement.

Testing for calcium deficiency

My favorite way to assess your own calcium level is by completing a hair analysis. It's a non-invasive test that can give you so much information about your mineral levels and how you can go about balancing them for optimal nutrition!

If your levels come back low, I typically like to check vitamin A/retinol levels through a simple blood test (available to all US clients, except NY, NJ and RI). This is because excess vitamin A can deplete calcium.

Ready to find out your calcium level?

Get started right away here or enter your email below to learn all about the best way to understand your own mineral levels with hair analysis.

Are your calcium levels falling short? Please share in the comments!

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References:
https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/calcium
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3542443/
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=45
https://nutritiondata.self.com/
Images by Stephanie Ghesquier from Pixabay

The post 8 Signs of Calcium Deficiency appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Instead, what often comes to mind is the drug version of lithium (lithium carbonate) that has been used in mental health facilities to treat mania and bipolar disorders as far back 1871. Here, the mineral lithium is being used as a drug in very high dosages (pharmacologic psychiatric dosages start at around 300-600mg per dose, and are often taken multiple times per day).

But what about micro-dosing or low-dose lithium (typically defined as around 1-20mg of lithium orotate per day, taken at the lowest effective dose)? Doses so small that they more closely translate to the amount you could find in food? This is a supplemental version of lithium that most are unfamiliar with, which is unfortunate because naturally occurring and low-dose lithium has some great perks.

Benefits of Lithium

The benefits of lithium are plentiful, but it's important to note here that I'm including research on lithium as a whole — both low and high dosages. Most of the research on lithium has stemmed from medical application and therefore pharmaceutical form, and not that of low or micro-dose lithium therapy.

Promotes longevity, Anti-aging and increases grey matter in the brain [3, 4, 6, 10]

Dr. Jonathan Wright, MD and a real pioneer in the natural health movement, says low dose lithium is an "anti-aging secret for your brain." Wright also notes that "there are also some very strong reasons to believe that lithium therapy will slow the progression of serious degenerative mental problems, including Alzheimer’s disease, senile dementia, and Parkinson’s disease." [6]

Anti-aggression, anti-suicidal and anti-impulsivity properties [1, 9, 12]

According to James Greenblatt. M.D, there are some very interesting studies that use hair analysis to assess the lithium levels in the hair of criminals: "Hair analysis is one of the most accurate methods for testing long-term mineral status and is therefore highly advantageous for determining where deficiencies are present. This study found that violent criminals had little to no stores of lithium when tested via hair mineral analysis, bringing forth the idea that perhaps lithium deficiency was contributing to defiant behaviors. More recent research has shown that a daily dose of 400 mcg of lithium in participants with histories of aggression and impulsivity had significant impact on happiness, friendliness, and other mood-related parameters." [1]

One journal article from 2018 even poses the question "Is impulsivity in part a lithium deficiency state? The article states: "Evidence from both basic and clinical researches support that lithium may decrease impulsivity and may at least partially, exert its antisuicidal effect via reinforcing "top-down brakes" of impulsive action. Considering the research data, we may suggest that even natural lithium level intake can influence impulsivity, a possible core factor that mediate to the manifestation of both suicidality and aggressiveness, or even criminality. Moreover, we may suggest that a lithium deficiency state may precipitate these situations." [12]

It also concludes: "Lithium may have superior antisuicidal effects relative to other mood stabilizers." [12]

Mood stabilizer [4]

Lithium is often used to support conditions such as anxiety, depression, ADHD and mental health disorders. [4, 17, 18]

As noted in the American Journal of Physiology, "Lithium, a trace element essential for health, has been a valuable first-line treatment for bipolar affective disorders for the past 50 years. In addition to serving as a mood stabilizer, lithium has been successfully used to treat a variety of other disorders in humans, including migraine and cluster headache, arthritis, leukopenia, neurodegenerative diseases, and more." [4]

Supports Folate and B12 Metabolism [11]

According to a 2002 study, lithium supports B12 and folate synthesis: "Since vitamin B12 and folate also affect mood-associated parameters, the stimulation of the transport of these vitamins into brain cells by lithium may be cited as yet another mechanism of the anti-depressive, mood-elevating and anti-aggressive actions of lithium at nutritional dosage levels.” [11]

Lithium in Food

You can find trace amounts of lithium in everyday foods. According to Biological Trace Element Research, lithium is naturally found in the following foods: [14]

Cereals 4.4 mcg
Fish 3.1 mcg
Mushrooms 0.19 mcg
Vegetables 2.3 mcg
Meat 0.012 mcg
Dairy products 0.5 mcg
Nuts 8.8 mcg

The level of lithium in food is largely dependent on the environment in which you live, i.e. the amounts present in the soil, rock and water in your area.

Lithium was even used historically in the beverage industry and could have been in the old versions of your favorite soda. Before 1950 the soda now known as 7-Up, was previously Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda. With added lithium carbonate, it was pushed as a mood-enhancing beverage. But lithium soda production stopped soon after the Food and Drug Administration banned the addition of lithium to soda and beer in 1948. [15]

Lithium Toxicity and Adverse Effects

Lithium, like many other vitamins and minerals is subject to overdose and toxicity.

It's well-established that high dose lithium is toxic to the thyroid and kidneys. It also can produce unwanted side effects such as weight gain, and feeling dull, flat or zombie-like. Low dose lithium, however, offers benefits with less risk of side effects. [13]

Low dose lithium taken short term has even been shown to have a kidney protective effect. [4]

While lithium therapy of any kind does have the possibility of impacting thyroid function, according to Dr. Wright's experience administering low-dose lithium therapy was relatively safe:

"At first I was exceptionally cautious and asked all of my patients taking lithium to have regular “lithium level” blood tests and thyroid function tests. After a year or so, I quit asking for the lithium level blood tests, since 100 percent of them came back very low. Another year after that, I stopped requesting routine thyroid function tests, too, only doing one when I was suspicious of a potential problem. In the 30 years since, I’ve rarely found one." [6]

Some doctors would disagree and advise that any amount of lithium therapy should be carefully monitored.

Low dose lithium therapy is not recommended during pregnancy or lactation, as well as in cases of renal disease.

Low Dose Lithium Therapy

There doesn't appear to be an official recommended daily allowance (RDA) established for Lithium, but an article from 2002 pointed out: "a provisional RDA for a 70 kg adult of 1,000 microg/day is suggested." [11]

Note: 1,000micrograms = 1mg

When it comes to low dose lithium therapy, it's important to note, a little lithium goes a long way. Working with your doctor or practitioner can help you discover if lithium is right for you as well as help establish the lowest effective dose.

Before considering or embarking with any form of lithium therapy, always run it by your doctor or healthcare team that is well-versed in alternative medicine to avoid adverse effects.

Finding out Your Lithium Level

Curious to find out your lithium level? Lithium is included in all hair analysis packages.

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References:

[1] http://www.lowdoselithium.com/lithium-as-a-therapy
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3712976/
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4850359/
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5210210/
[5] https://vimeo.com/26165981
[6] http://tahomaclinic.com/2010/05/lithium-the-misunderstood-mineral-part-1/
[7] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/evolutionary-psychiatry/201201/could-you-have-lithium-deficiency
[8] http://tahomaclinic.com/2010/06/lithium-the-misunderstood-mineral-part-2/
[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4369538/#B2
[10] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3151375/?report=reader
[11] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11838882
[12] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30605431
[13] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2248201/
[14] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6443601/
[15] https://books.google.com/books?id=5BB1DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT83&lpg=PT83&dq=
[16] https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/cognitive-behavioral-therapy/low-dose-lithium-different-important-tool
[17] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22796912
[18] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12154153

The post Are You Lithium Deficient? What You Need To Know About Lithium Therapy appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

This smoothie is great choice in the AM hours because it not only tastes fab, but it's high in vitamin C (over 100% daily value), a great source of manganese and potassium, and is rich in the digestive enzyme bromelain which is found abundantly in pineapple.

I am super lazy in the kitchen (something my nutrition clients know well about me), so I need to have easy staple recipes that I can whip up in a snap. To make things even easier, I often open a can of full fat coconut milk (without additives or gums) and pour it over an ice cube tray. That way, I always have the perfect amount of smoothie-ready frozen coconut milk for any recipe.

Pina Colada Smoothie

Yield: 1 serving

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 3 minutes

4.6 Stars (11 Reviews)

Print

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons full-fat coconut milk (I use one coconut milk ice cube — just freeze a can of full fat coconut milk in ice cube trays for convenience)
• 1 cup frozen pineapple (organic if you can find it)
• ½ frozen ripe banana
• ¾ cup water
• 1 ½ tablespoons of collagen powder to provide roughly 10 grams of protein

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in blender.
2. Blend until smooth.

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The post Pina Colada Smoothie appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Typically I only get sick once a year — something I call it my "annual immune system workout".

But this one was a little different than usual...

I had an abnormally stressful month for a variety of complex reasons (many of which were out of my control), and the day after Christmas I came down with that all too familiar feeling in the back of my throat.

About 7-10 days into my cold I was feeling like it was a little bit more severe than normal. I was basically a walking miserable disaster, so I finally made an appointment as soon as I could with my doctor. By the time I was able to go in for the appointment, I was about two weeks into this cold.

Going to the Doctor

My doctor quickly concluded that I had strep throat, a sinus infection and an ear infection. This was of course surprising to me since I'd never had a sinus infection or ear infection before, but it also made me feel a little bit better about myself for feeling so helpless and out of it for the last two weeks.

Because I knew that I had already struggled through 70% of this on my own and felt like maybe I was about to turn the corner, I made a little deal with my doctor.

I should note, I'm not exactly an easy patient.

My doctor wrote me a prescription for antibiotics and we agreed that I would take it if I wasn't feeling better by the next day.

Now that I knew what was going on, I had some tools that I wanted to try and didn't want to take antibiotics if my immune system had already done most of the work.

And you may be thinking, "why didn't you go to the doctor earlier?!" and it probably would have been smart to do that but quite frankly I get this kind of cold every year, and I have been blessed to have never had an ear or sinus infection before in my life, so I had no idea what that even felt like.

Now it is very familiar feeling I won't forget...

On my way home from the doctor I picked up a few things, and by the next day I was feeling a bit better. I felt like my ear infection had decreased by about 80% and I felt that it was good enough improvement that I didn't need to fill my prescription.

By the next week I was feeling almost completely better.

I don't recommend getting sick and staying sick for 2-3 weeks, but in light of cold season I thought I'd share a few of my favorite tools and remedies with you.

However, keep in mind, that the best defense against this kind of thing to begin with is good nutrition, self-care, stress control, and a positive mindset.

My Favorite Tools:

Here's what worked for me through the worst cold of my life:

Garlic Mullein Oil (like this) - A study that used a similar naturopathic concoction of allium sativum (garlic), verbascum thapsus (Mullein), calendula flores (Calendula), hypericum perfoliatum (St. John's Wort), lavender, and vitamin E in olive oil, concluded that "in cases of ear pain caused by AOM in children in which active treatment, besides a simple 2- to 3-day waiting period, is needed, an herbal extract solution may be beneficial." [2]

I used the Garlic Mullein oil about twice daily as soon as I knew I had an ear infection. I put it in one ear while lying down on my side and let it soak in for about 5 minutes, then I removed the excess and repeated the process in the opposite ear. Fair warning - It will make your ears smell like garlic bread, but it's totally worth it.

Xylitol Nasal Spray (like this) - Xylitol spray administered to the sinuses is backed by research and proven to have a positive effect on nasal congestion. [1] I picked up some of this and use it multiple times a day to help clear my sinus congestion. Now, I always have to have some on hand at all times just in case I start to get a cold.

Colloidal Silver (like this) - Colloidal silver has a long reputation of use (over 2,000 years) and is an effective antimicrobial. Silver is also a natural element that is naturally found in food and water. [6,7]

When it comes to using silver for health and immune supportive purposes, the type of silver is very important. Bio-active Silver Hydrosol, which is typically diluted to 10 parts per million (10ppm) is the best that I've come across and the only kind I trust to use in my home. I used this once or twice per day in my ear (just a drop or two), and alternated it with the Garlic Mullein oil. But of course always talk this kind of thing over with your doctor!

While my list could stop there, food also plays an important role, most importantly:

Vitamin C - Vitamin C's role in supporting immune function is nothing new. Deficiency of vitamin C is known to depress the immune system and increase susceptibility to infection. [8]

One of my favorite ways to get a food based form of vitamin C as often as possible is by eating tropical fruit smoothies regularly. Pineapple, mango and kiwi are some of my favorites.

Natural antiviral and antibiotic agents - Foods that contain natural antiviral and antibiotic compounds such as ginger [4] and garlic [5] are essential dietary additions when fighting a cold. I love steeping sliced ginger in a cup of hot water and honey for an easy ginger tea, or throwing a nub of ginger in my fruit smoothie to kick things up a notch.

I hope this gives you some extra ideas for fighting your cold naturally and keeping yourself out of the doctor's office this cold season.

What are your favorite cold remedies? Please share in the comments!

References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24574278
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12728112
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2778074/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2957173/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4417560/
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2364932/
7. https://sovereignsilver.com/silver101/
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5707683/

The post 5 Must-Have Cold Remedies appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

• Metabolic type (fast or slow) via the calcium:phosphorus ratio
• Stress supportive mineral balance (think always stressed, fight or flight syndrome) via the sodium:potassium ratio
• Thyroid supportive mineral balance (think fatigue, brain fog, sluggish digestion, weight issues) via the calcium:potassium ratio
• Hormone supportive mineral balance (think PMS, hormonal imbalance) via the zinc:copper ratio
• Adrenal supportive mineral balance (think always tired, feel run down) via the sodium:magnesium ratio
• Blood sugar supportive mineral balance (think hangry, moody, energy dips during the day) via the calcium:magnesium ratio

Significant Ratios - What do they represent?

Metabolic Type (calcium:phosphorus ratio)

Stress Ratio (sodium:potassium ratio)

Thyroid Ratio (calcium:potassium ratio)

Hormone Ratio (zinc:copper ratio)

Adrenal Ratio (sodium:magnesium ratio)

The sodium to magnesium ratio is all about adrenal regulation. Sodium is regulated by adrenal hormones whereas magnesium is greatly depleted under the stress response giving a snapshot of your adrenal health from the mineral perspective.

Blood Sugar Ratio (calcium:magnesium ratio)

The parathyroid and thyroid glands, along with estrogen, largely regulate calcium and magnesium levels. A low Ca/Mg ratio suggests low insulin levels, while a high Ca/Mg ratio can suggest parathyroid hormone dominance.

Where is your body at?

I hope this gives you further insight into why I'm such a fan of hair analysis and the unique snapshot it provides of your unique body chemistry. If you're ready to get this kind of insight into the interworking of your own body, you can get started with hair analysis here.

Important note: I always recommend a consultation with any hair analysis purchase to dive deep into your health history, supplement usage that can influence mineral health, lifestyle factors and habits that can contaminate hair mineral results (zinc-based dandruff shampoos, water softeners, Epsom salt baths where the hair is soaked and more). That way, you can get the most value out of your Hair Analysis Purchase.

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References:

1. http://t.traceelements.com/Docs/newsletternov-dec2010.pdf
2. http://www.traceelements.com/Docs/The%20Nutritional%20Relationships%20of%20Thyroid.pdf

The post Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis: Significant Ratios appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Disclaimer: I reached out to Molekule after researching air purification units and they agreed to sponsor this post. My opinions remain my own.

There are few things as precious as the air we breathe. But what if the integrity of the air in your own home is a slow-burning burden on your body?

That's the question I started asking myself back in September. You see, I've known for a few years that I have multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) —  which wasn't a surprise as I've always been sensitive to strong smells, such as perfumes, diesel, cleaning products, and such. Over the summer my doctor did some allergy testing that showed mold was an active trigger for me, and hence, this is the reason for my post today.

So here I am sharing the findings of my research with you.

10 Signs of Mold Sensitivity

Mold impacts the human body in the same way allergens do, by activating the innate immune system. The innate immune system is your evolved system of protection; and has a number of important jobs, including identifying and clearing foreign matter from your body.

That means mold symptoms often look a lot like allergy symptoms, including things like...

• Coughing
• Feeling stuffy
• Breathing difficulty
• Red eyes
• Headaches
• Pain
• Fatigue
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Cognitive deficits

Now, there are many types of mold but they all can cause reactions. The most common problematic ones in damp buildings are:

• Stachybotrys chartarum (black mold)
• Penicillium
• Cladosporium
• Ulocladium
• Geomyces pannorum
• Sistronema brinkmannii [5]

If you suspect mold exposure, sensitivity or poisoning, your doctor, allergist, or naturopath can run lab tests or skin-prick tests to check your reaction to different mold species.

Dealing with Mold

A typical approach to combating mold sensitivity is multifaceted and at a minimum will include:

1. Identifying and eliminating the source of the mold - looking for physical mold, rooms with moisture or poor ventilation, obvious leaks or water damage and then doing the necessary clean up and repairs.
2. Cleaning up indoor air with the help of filtration.
3. Taking binders to help remove mold build up in the body (if need is indicated through testing). Typically binders include activated charcoal, bentonite clay, food-grade diatomaceous earth and chlorella as well as sometimes prescription binders (like Cholestyramine or Welchol). Some binders work better on different types of mold than others, so testing and research is key.
4. Over-the-counter allergy medications or nasal rinses and sprays may also be indicated to help ease symptoms.

In my case, I couldn't find the source of my mold exposure or if it was present or past exposure from other places I've lived. So I chalked it up to just living in Seattle's typically damp conditions (a.k.a. a mold spore's best friend).

This got me going on the small things I could do to improve my indoor environment; like cleaning the air I breathe 75% of the time.

Indoor Air vs. Outdoor Air

Indoor air pollutants are a real big problem in homes today, but you can make a lot of little changes that have a big impact. According to Walter Crinnion of Clean, Green, and Lean: Get Rid of the Toxins That Make You Fat, the biggest indoor air pollutants are combustion byproducts (things like fireplaces, smoking, furnaces), solvents (like perfumes, scented products, paint, glue, carpeting, cleaning products), dust and particles (pet dander, molds, pesticides and building chemicals). But because some of these toxins require more intervention than others, I want to focus on one of the easiest things you can do in your home RIGHT NOW and that's improving air quality.

Enter Molekule Air

Back in September after discovering my mold sensitivity, I did a bunch of research on indoor air filters, and reached out to the #1 company that kept coming up in my research — Molekule. Not only are their units real great to look at, but they also have the hottest science-backed technology on the market.

Founded by a family trying to address the adverse impacts of polluted air, Molekule was created with a goal of using the power of science to eliminate indoor air pollution around the world. The science behind what is now Molekule started over two decades ago by a family struggling with debilitating asthma and allergies. When scientist Dr. Yogi Goswami couldn’t find helpful remedies for his son Dilip’s symptoms he started researching possible solutions to fix dirty and unhealthy indoor air.

Over 20 years of research went into the breakthrough Photo Electrochemical Oxidation (PECO) technology that runs Molekule Air's purification process. PECO technology utilizes free radicals to break down pollutants in the air including mold, bacteria, viruses, allergens and VOCs. [2] Unlike common air purifiers that use HEPA-grade filters to capture air pollutants, Molekule Air's process not only captures but also destroys pollutants.

As Jaya Rao, Co-founder and COO of Molekule explains, "While air purifiers with HEPA filters capture dust and some other airborne pollutants, they are unable to destroy them, so these pollutants continue to live on the filter. Molekule’s PECO technology does not trap, but rather destroys pollutants that pass through the filter."

Molekule and Mold

Basically Molekule is airborne mold's worst nightmare. You see, bioaerosols (air pollutants that include bacteria, mold, viruses, and endospores) have a big impact on human health. Your typical air filter is only capable of capturing bigger bioaerosols but the job stops there.

Molekule’s purifiers have PECO technology that destroys and sterilizes bioaerosols of all sizes. That includes mold spores and the tiny, toxic fragments of mold that cause allergies in moldy homes.

How Molekule Air works

Here's how Molekule works:

1. Air intake from 360 degrees at the base of the unit.
2. Pre-Filter - this traps large allergens like dust and dander (these need to be replaced every 3 months).
3. PECO-Filter - This is where the magic happens. A chemical reaction occurs when a nanoparticle-coated filter is activated by light breaking them down on contact. The PECO-Filter needs to be replaced every 6 months.
4. Clean air is dispensed at the top of the unit after the filtration is complete.

Why I Chose Molekule

I chose Molekule Air for my home for a variety of reasons. First, their breakthrough PECO technology positions them well above the common air purifiers on the market, giving you much more bang (or clean air) for your buck. Secondly, Molekule's units look more like a piece of art than a clunky air filter you'd expect to see, which is a great perk. And finally, I tend to gravitate towards products with amazing stories of conception. The best products often come from firsthand experience and struggle, which often leads to the most dedicated research and commitment to the cause.

A few more things I adore about Molekule Air — there is an app you can download on your phone that lets you switch modes (3 modes - silent, auto and boost) as needed. It also has dark mode so you can schedule the light to turn off at night if you don't want that little bit of light at night.

Molekule makes two home purification units to choose from:

• Molekule Air $799 - Ideal for large rooms, up to 600 sq. ft. (master bedrooms, living rooms & family rooms) and includes 6-months of filters with the device purchase in the box.
• Molekule Air Mini $399 - Ideal for small spaces, up to 250 sq. ft. (studio apartments, kids' bedrooms, and home offices) and comes with a 6-month filter.

I personally have the Molekule Air and I keep it close to my bed at night and often move it into my office during the day. The device is pretty quiet, but also has additional modes (silent and boost) you can use as needed.

Learn more or get your Molekule unit here so you can help improve the air quality in your home.

How do you cope with mold in your home? Please share in the comments!

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References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31751617
2. https://molekule.com/technology
3. https://molekule.cdn.prismic.io/molekule%2Fb78ec18a-a14e-4bec-950b-cc3b4c64b62d_bioaerosols.pdf
4. https://www.healthline.com/health/black-mold-exposure#symptoms
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC145304/

The post How to Fight Mold with Molekule appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

And happy dogs are just about the best thing ever?

Here's my hand curated (and Milo approved ?) list of dog and dog parent essentials that can make the perfect gift this holiday season.

RadDog All-In-One Collar + Leash

This is probably one of the best discoveries I've had as a dog owner. This collar has a built in little fanny-pack that holds a grab and release retractable leash. While it's not meant for or good for legitimate dog walks, it's great for city living, quick potty breaks, and off-leash adventures to help you quickly wrangle your pup if needed. My dog wears this leash 90% of the time and he loves it.

Find this collar on Amazon here.

West Paw Qwizl Dog Toy

I bought this toy by chance through a wholesale dog-related buying group I'm a part of in Seattle. It turned out to be amazing entertainment for my pup. I love placing a whole string cheese right in the middle for endless dog entertainment when I need it.

Find this toy on Amazon here.

Voyagers K9 Winter Coat

When I got a Vizsla puppy last year, I was told by some other Vizsla owners that this was the go-to brand for breed specific dog jackets that don't restrict movement. Dogs aren't immune to cold temperatures, especially short-haired dogs, so a jacket is essential for a high energy pup in the wintertime.

The Voyagers K9 jacket (shown above with Milo) keeps him chipper and warm on those non-negotiable cold or wet weather walks. It's also the first piece of dog clothing he hasn't ran away from. He actually gets excited when I get it out to put it on him, and he typically doesn't want to take it off.

Learn more about Voyager K9 breed specific dog jackets here.

Dog Rook Bark Collar

There is quite a lot of controversy over bark collars, but sometimes they are a necessary evil in certain work or living situations. This is the most humane bark collar I could find and just makes a beeping sound at the start of barking, and progresses to a short vibration if the barking continues. It does not shock the dog at all, can be a short-term way to control barking while you are working on correcting the problem in other ways.

Learn more about the the collar here.

Treat Dispensing Chew Ball

Treat puzzle toys for dogs are a must have for both puppies and adults. Place a few treats in one of these chew balls and let your dog enjoy ??.

Find this toy on Amazon here.

Are you shopping for your pup this holiday season? Please share in the comments!

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The post Holiday Gift Guide For Dog Parents appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Contrary to popular belief, heartburn is actually a common symptom of not having enough stomach acid (a.k.a. hydrochloric acid), and not for having too much as you've been led to believe.

According to Dr. Jonathan Wright, "Since 1976, I've checked literally thousands of individuals with "heartburn" and indigestion for stomach acid production using a commercially available, extremely precise, research-verified procedure. Over-acidity is almost never found, especially in those over age 35."

Instead, it’s estimated that 90% of Americans have low stomach acid.

While in the short term your acid blocker may give you immediate heartburn relief, what are you doing to your digestion and the rest of your body in the long run? Heartburn meds turn off your most important digestive tools, leading you down the path of malnourishment, aging, and eventually disease. So it makes a lot of sense why often on the back of these medications, you may notice they are often only labeled for 14 days of use.

"When you get past 35, 40, 45, and start to develop indigestion, it's highly likely that the indigestion is due to a weaker stomach, not a stronger one, a stomach making less acid, less pepsin. The very word "indigestion" implies lack of digestion, not overdigestion." - Dr. Jonathan Wright

The big questions remains, then why are doctors recommending acid blockers?

According to Chris Kresser, "Drugs for acid reflux and GERD are cash cows for the pharmaceutical companies. More than 60 million prescriptions for GERD were filled in 2004. Americans spent $13 billion on acid stopping medications in 2006. Nexium, the most popular, brought in $5.1 billion alone – making it the second highest selling drug behind Lipitor." [3]

Good Health Depends On Strong Stomach Acid

Strong stomach acid is a precursor for good health. It is an incredible substance that helps keep you healthy and youthful by creating a highly acidic pH of 1.5-3 in your stomach. Remember when you were a kid and you could eat and digest anything? That was in large part due to your high metabolism and strong hydrochloric acid levels — a very good reason not to self-induce inadequate hydrochloric acid with the use of acid blockers. Acid production typically slows with age, poor nutrition, and a slowed metabolism, but millions around the globe are doing it on purpose with over the counter meds!

It's also required for the absorption of important vitamins and minerals, as well as the breakdown of your proteins so that they can be properly absorbed. If you can't actually break down and absorb your food, it can't be USED to nourish your body, which creates a large problem, considering nutrition affects EVERY cell in your body. The health of your cells is dependent on nutrients. Cells create tissues, tissues create organs,  and you are made up of a system of organs. If your digestion is inadequate, the integrity of each cell, tissue, and organ in your body will suffer, thus opening you up to a host of health problems. And that's just the tip of the iceberg...

Why are acid blockers/suppressors harmful?

• Increased cancer risk:
  • "There appear to be at least two major mechanisms by which hypochlorhydria and achlorhydria elevate the risk of stomach cancer: by raising gastrin levels (hypergastrinemia), and by promoting bacterial over-growth." -Dr. Jonathan Wright [4]
  • "In principal, current [acid-suppressing drug] therapies might be advancing the cancer clock by converting relatively benign gastric inflammation into a more destruction, premalignant process." Julie Parsonnet, M.D., Stanford University of Medical School [4]
  • "Taking PPIs is associated with a small excess of cause specific mortality including death due to cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and upper gastrointestinal cancer." [7]
• Increased likelihood of dementia:
  • Those who take PPIs are 44% more likely to suffer from dementia, according to this study from JAMA Neurology [5]
• Bad breath:
  • Because food doesn't move as efficiently out of the stomach, it can decay in there, and bacteria levels can increase which can cause bad breath
• Digestive distress/bloating:
  • Acid blockers set off the digestive cascade with an incorrect pH leading to no bicarbonate/enzymes/incomplete digestion in the small intestines causing intestinal problems
• Increased kidney disease risk:
  • "The drugs, known as proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), appear to significantly elevate the chances of developing chronic kidney disease, according to a study involving more than 250,000 people." [2]
• Increased risk of infection:
  •  Reduced stomach acid weakens the first line of defense against pathogens in the stomach
• Reduced absorption of nutrients, namely:
  • B12
  • Iron
  • Zinc
  • Folate
  • Calcium (increasing hip fractures)
• Depression:
  • "I am convinced that in a large percentage of cases, depression is the result of a neurotransmitter deficiency which is most often due to low stomach acid. In over 50 percent of cases, depression is treatable by supplying (relatively) large quantities of the essential amino acids." -Dr. Jonathan Wright [4]

What is really behind heartburn?

Research tells us some important things about what is really behind heartburn and acid reflux.

First, Helicobacter pylori infection (commonly called h-pylori) of the stomach suppresses stomach acid secretion. [8] H-Pylori is incredibly common. In fact, it comes back on most of the GI Map (stool tests) I run on my clients. It's estimated that over 50% of the world is infected with this chronic bacterial pathogen. [9] The research between h-pylori and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is very strong. [11, 12]

When stomach acid secretion is suppressed, it creates the perfect environment for bacterial overgrowth conditions in the GI tract. Without adequate stomach acid keeping invaders out and digestion in tip top shape, opportunistic bacteria can have a party in your gut manifesting in conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).

Bringing this full circle, research shows an increased prevalence of those with IBS also having GERD. [10]

Additionally GERD symptoms can also be caused by bile acid reflux, which often presents with the same symptom presentation. Bile is a fluid made the liver, stored in the gallbladder, and released into your small intestines in tandem with the digestive process. This fluid can reflux from the small intestines into the stomach causing similar symptoms.

Bottom line, chaos in your liver and gut axis (via h-pylori and/or overgrowth conditions = increased likeliness of heartburn symptoms as well as acid reflux and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

What to do?

First of all, consult your doctor and do not take this post as medical advice. While heartburn is actually more likely caused by a decrease in stomach acid (not too much), this is not something your typical mainstream medicine doctor will address.

Second, assess what is going on in your gut with comprehensive stool testing (I recommend and use the GI Map with my clients). The GI Map will give you some really good information about how much H-pylori is hanging out in your gut as well as if you have gut imbalances suggestive of those found in SIBO.

Another great thing to do would be to assess your mineral levels with hair analysis to see if the medication has causes any nutritional deficiencies that need to be addressed. That way you can find out the nutritional support your body needs most.

Lastly, if you suffer from heartburn, you may want to try this natural remedy: try to drink less fluids with your meals (more fluids=more diluted stomach acid=higher stomach pH instead of the acidic low pH that you want). Instead, try add 1-2 tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar diluted with ¼-½ cup water and consume with your food. This can help to temporarily increase your stomach acid to help you digest your food more efficiently, and prevent heartburn while you work on fixing the root cause of heartburn (hint: your gut).

If you're looking for more ways to understand and improve your gut, you'll want to check out the: How to Build a Bulletproof Gut Masterclass.

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References:
1. http://www.life-enhancement.com/magazine/article/212-how-to-accelerate-aging
2. http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/01/11/462423759/popular-acid-reflux-drugs-are-linked-to-kidney-disease-risk
3. http://chriskresser.com/what-everybody-ought-to-know-but-doesnt-about-heartburn-gerd/
4. Why Stomach Acid is Good for You by Jonathan Wright, MD and Lane Lenard, PhD M. Evans and Company
5. http://archneur.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2487379
6. http://www.slashgear.com/popular-heartburn-medicine-may-be-linked-to-dementia-16427260/
7. https://www.bmj.com/content/365/bmj.l1580
8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9207257/
9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8547526/
10. https://europepmc.org/article/med/11873099
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6502218/
12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3481226/

The post How Heartburn Meds Harm (and What Really Causes Heartburn) appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

One thing I love doing with all my recipes is just turning up the nutrient density a litttttttle bit, so while you're getting a bit of a sweet treat, when you eat two of these bad boys, you're also eating one whole egg which contains a nice amount of choline, B vitamins, six grams of protein, and a little dose of fat soluble vitamins A, and D. Because balance...

But as always, don't take my word for it. Whip up a batch and see for yourself 😉

What's your favorite coffee cake recipe? Please share in the comments!

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The post Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake Muffins appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

I always struggle with holiday shopping because I'm a total minimalist and I like to give gifts that are healthy, practical and that will get used most days of the year...

Not just the newest or trendiest gadget that will collect dust for the next 365 days... and then end up in the trash :/

My gift suggestions are those that with either a) get used daily, or b) encourage a healthier lifestyle or home environment, and preferably both!

1) Stainless Steel Coffee Mug ($24.95)

This mug is legit. It's a on-the-go essential for my decaf coffee on my morning dog walks! Find it here.

2) Red Light Therapy Device ($varies)

Red light what?? Two years ago, I became absolutely addicted to red light therapy (read why here). Once you understand the benefits of red light therapy, you can you'll see how it's great for the whole family, and a gift you can all enjoy together. 

I have mine right next to my bed, so I can just switch it on and get my red light therapy while I am stilllllllll in bed. It's a great way to start the morning!

You can find my favorite device right here.

3) Clean Air for The Whole Family ($varies)

I'm loving my Molekule Air Filter, which destroys pollutants in large spaces like master bedrooms, living rooms & family rooms (up to 600sq. feet). Two decades of research went into Molekule's patented PECO filter technology (a light-activated catalytic reaction on the surface of the filter allows it to break down VOCs, bacteria, mold, viruses, and allergens in the air). I love using it in my bedroom to improve air quality at nighttime.

Learn more about what Molekule can do for your family here.

4) Brooklinen Sheets ($varies)

Who wouldn't enjoy a new sheet set from Brooklinen for the holidays? I love the look + feel of Brooklinen's sheets — they are so cozy! Find out all your bundle options here.

5) 23andMe Ancestry Service ($69 and up)

I got one of these tests a few years ago and was blown away by what it taught me. Aside from knowing more about my ancestry, I was also able to learn about my genetics, including things like my risk for iron overload the MTHFR genetic mutation, and so much more.

I gave this to several family members a few years ago and it helped them learn a lot about their own genetics.

You can find 23andme here, or you can grab it on Amazon here.

And... if you have privacy concerns, you can alway register your kit with a fake name or new email address!

6) Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis ($325)

Does your hair know things about your nutrition and health that you don't? This year I'm gifting my hair analysis service which includes the lab test, a 30-minute consultation, and a custom mineral balancing supplement plan to a few select family members that I know will benefit.

I've seen them just buy the latest trendy supplement at Costco that they probably don't need, and I know they could feel so much better if they supplemented based on their own body chemistry instead.

And in case you want to gift it to someone other than yourself, you can checkout here and save $50 off the list price using coupon code: "HOLIDAY50".

If you've been waiting to have this done yourself, you could always forward this page as a hint on to your significant other 😉

7) The Perfect Leather Bag ($175)

I absolutely love this 100% Italian leather bag from Everlane. It's the perfect size to fit all the basics, including your laptop.

8) The Traveler's Wallet ($120)

Does someone you know need a wallet upgrade? The best thing about gifting a wallet is that you know they will use it everyday, making it the perfect gift! This one also comes from from Everlane.

9) Personal Style Easy Button ($25 & up)

Stitch Fix is a California-based company that is making it possible for every woman to have her own personal stylist by mail at a very reasonable price! Each month Stitch Fix sends you five items that match your "style profile" and any personal requests you might have. Then just keep what you want and mail back what you don't. It's THAT easy and the perfect way to get some more stylish items into your wardrobe.

I personally am addicted to this service because I HATE shopping at the mall, and I really like the idea of someone else keeping an eye out for things I might LOVE! Learn more about how it works or sign up here. You can also snag gift cards for your friends and family; it makes for a very thoughtful gift!

10) Cozy Slippers ($99)

Looking for the perfect gift for a homebody you know? Look no further than these cozy UGG slippers! And it's totally okay if you need a pair for yourself too 😉

Find them on Amazon here.

I hope you found my very targeted gift giving ideas helpful. Cheers to shopping early and remotely 🙂

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The post Holiday Gift Ideas appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

PSA: I reached out to Happsy to work together on this post and received complimentary product for my collaboration in writing a review. However, my opinions remain my own, and if you've been a reader for a while, you know I'm pretty picky and do very few sponsored posts.

Alright ya'll. Little story for you, but I'll try to make it short.

A few years ago, I noticed my eyes becoming a little more sensitive to light (read: I wanted to wear sunglasses ALL the time). I've also long been irritated by strong chemical smells from that of cleaning products, cheap cologne ;), gas fumes, and all that other stuff that is a part of daily living.

Anyways, long story short, after some testing with my favorite Naturopath, we discovered I have Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MSC).

MCS in short means that you're more sensitive to things in your environment than the average person. While most people can handle some amount of chemicals in their furniture, additives in their food, strong fragrances, a somewhat moldy environment, someone with MCS is more likely to react and have negative symptoms from the same exposure.

In other worlds, people with MCS have to be more careful about creating a safe environment, because in a sense they're a "canary in a coal mine."

This discovery started a little wave of change at my household to say the least.

I mean, there's the basics — clean air, clean water, organic food, and then the "other stuff" that fills your home environment (my detox your home email series covers most of this stuff). But I was still ignoring a few larger items...

So, I got rid of all carpet in my house, started working on improving air quality (especially in my bedroom), and most recently, overhauled my sleep environment.

I was sleeping on a mattress that was probably close to 15 years old and let's just say mattress guidelines surrounding human health have changed over the years...

It was time to #sleeporganic.

Why Sleep Organic?

The average person spends about 8 hours a day sleeping (but I'm totally guilty of going above and beyond that number).

That's about 26 years of your life you spend sleeping (if you trust my math), or roughly 33% of your life (average lifespan in the U.S. is about 78.7 years). [1]

So, if you're spending those passive, and hopefully blissful sleep years sleeping on a sea of unknown chemicals, you're probably not doing yourself any favors.

Especially if you're one of the special sensitive people like me 😉

You see, the mattress and bedding industry isn't very clean. The following are pretty important to know about, so you can avoid them in your mattress:

• Chemical flame retardants: mattresses are required to pass flammability testing, and well, chemical flame retardants are the quick + inexpensive way to "pass the test." That doesn't however, mean that they are good for your health! Common flame retardants that have been used are - polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), boric acid, antimony trioxide, decabromodiphenyl oxide, melamine, vinylidene chloride and PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers). Most of these have been proven harmful to human health and some of these have already been banned or phased out due to health and toxicity hazards.
• Petroleum-based chemicals: polyurethane foam, memory foam and synthetic latex are petroleum-based and big problem in the mattress industry. They are widely used because they are cheap and lightweight. As these chemical foams off gas, they release VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) into the air. These foams are also highly flammable, so they need even more chemical flame retardants to pass burn testing.
• Other compounds to avoid: vinyl (makes mattresses waterproof + bacteria resistant), and formaldehyde (used as an adhesive/glue).

You see the problem here? Who wants to spend a third of their life sleeping on (and breathing in) chemicals when they can be avoided?

Instead, you want to look for things like organic latex, natural latex, organic cotton, organic wool (natural flame retardant), and organic rubber.

The organic seal is something you'll want to look for when mattress shopping, since the term "natural" is largely unregulated and therefore, pretty meaningless in the mattress industry.

Enter Happsy

I received a queen Happsy with a mattress topper, and organic pillows delivered straight to my door last month.

The boxes were a little heavy so I grabbed one of my favorite humans to help me out. 

The mattress and topper come super compressed and rolled up in the box, so you just take it out, unroll, and let it sit for about 30 minutes or so — super easy!

Milo (pup) is THRILLED to have a bigger bed, so there's a higher probability for him to snag a spot 😉

Here's a few things I really liked about Happsy products:

• Are GOTS, GOLS, and GREENGUARD GOLD certified (just to name a few). These are important to look for when you're shopping for an organic mattress.
• Is never made with any harmful flame retardants or gules.
• Is made of a 2" comfort layer, followed by an 8" support layer.
• Is backed by a 20-year warranty and offers 120 night trial period (4 months to try it out ya'll!)
• Supports 1% for the Planet, so you can feel good about buying from a company that gives back.
• Delivered, roll-packed to your doorstep. Easy to get into your living space and to set up.
• For a plusher night's sleep, add the Happsy topper to your mattress.

Happsy is also on the more reasonable side when it comes to organic mattress brands. Mattresses range from $899 for a twin up to $1,699 for a California King.

My final thoughts

Fair warning — I'm a bit of a picky sleeper and I have a shoulder injury, so I'm tough to please. I like a firmer mattress with a plush top and I was a tad worried that the Happsy mattress would be too soft...

When my mattress + topper arrived I tested out different sleep variations for a few nights —  (1) mattress alone and (2) mattress with topper.

And here's what I thought:
1) Just mattress — feels like a soft(er) mattress when you climb on and off, but actually feels pretty firm when you are lying down and your weight is evenly distributed.
2) Mattress + topper — feels very plush on the surface, and really gives you that feeling of sleeping on a cloud or melting into your mattress and becoming one with your bed.

Both cozy — it just depends on your own preference!

Now I sleep confidently, knowing I'm not surrounding myself with chemicals for 8+ hours every night! It's great piece of mind.

And most importantly, it's paw approved too. ?

Ready to sleep organic with Happsy too?

Save $250 off your mattress purchase with code SAVE250 or 40% off your topper purchase with code TOP40 at checkout!

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References:

[1] https://fortune.com/2018/02/09/us-life-expectancy-dropped-again/
[2] https://www.doh.wa.gov/YouandYourFamily/HealthyHome/Contaminants/PBDEs
[3] https://happsy.com
[4] http://sleeplily.com/mattress-materials-toxic-chemicals/

The post Sleep Organic with Happsy appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

I surely wouldn't be writing this without collecting data from hundreds of clients from all over the world (thank you to all my wonderful clients that participated in my salt study!).

Let me explain.

When doing Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) with my clients, we assess the hair for around 35 different minerals, including — calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, copper, zinc, phosphorus, iron, manganese, chromium, selenium, cobalt, germanium, molybdenum, sulfur, uranium, arsenic, beryllium, mercury, cadmium, lead, aluminum, barium, bismuth, rubidium, lithium, nickel, platinum, thallium, vanadium, strontium, tin, titanium, tungsten, and zirconium.

HTMA a very non-invasive and cost-effective way to obtain a tissue sample. Similar to that of a biopsy, except with HTMA we aren’t looking for disease like a biopsy would, we are looking for nutrient status.

“Hair is a keratinized tissue consisting of protein. As the hair is being formed it is exposed to the internal metabolic environment including the blood, lymph, and extracellular fluids. Constituents entering the body are then accumulated into the hair and reflect a time-weighted exposure record of nutritional and toxic metal intake.” [4]

Something I see frequently with my clients is high-ish tin levels according to their hair tissue mineral analysis report (available internationally).

Sources of Tin

There are several common sources of tin, like: [1]

• Canned Foods
• Herbs
• Fungicides
• Dental Treatments
• Toothpaste
• Cooking Utensils
• Solders
• Dental Fillings
• PVC
• Ceramics
• Stannous Fluoride
• Marine Paints
• Collapsible Metal Containers
• Mining

But one source of tin I see much more than others is pink Himalayan salt. In fact, it's now the number one question I ask my clients when I see elevated tin levels.

While I don't see high tin levels in everyone that uses pink Himalayan salt, that may be due to the amount of salt used, as well the tin content may vary depending on the source, mining, and processing methods used by various pink salt brands.

So What Is Wrong With High Tin?

Tin doesn't have a biological function in the human body, and tin levels should hover close to zero. According to Trace Element Lab, "it has been reported that an excessive level of tin can interfere with iron metabolism and will produce heme breakdown. Elevated tin also increases the excretion of selenium and zinc from the body." [1]

Tin toxicity is also linked with the following symptoms [3, 9]:

• abdominal pain
• vomiting
• nausea
• chronic fatigue syndrome
• skin and eye irritation
• cholangitis of the lower biliary tract
• hepatotoxicity (liver damage)
• neurotoxicity
• psychomotor disturbance 
• depression
• headache

Other Concerns with Pink Himalayan Salt (hint: heavy metals)

Aside from my concerns about pink Himalayan salt contributing to higher tin levels, there are other problems with the popular salt.

You see, pink Himalayan salt does contain some important minerals, but it also contains some toxic heavy metals (in bold below), as well as radioactive substances (show with * below), and known poisons (shown with ^^ below). [5]

According to The Meadow Spectral Analysis, the following are the minerals found in pink Himalayan salt:

"actinium, aluminum, antimony, arsenic, astatine, barium, beryllium, bismuth, boron, bromine, cadmium, calcium, carbon, cerium, cesium, chlorine, chromium, cobalt, copper, dysprosium, erbium, europium, fluorine, francium, gadolinium, gallium, germanium, gold, hafnium, holmium, hydrogen, indium, iodine, iridium, iron, lanthanum, lead, lithium, lutetium, magnesium, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, neodymium, neptunium, nickel, niobium, nitrogen, osmium, oxygen, palladium, phosphorus, platinum, plutonium, polonium*, potassium, praseodymium, protactinium, radium*, rhenium, rhodium, rubidium, ruthenium, samarium, scandium, selenium, silicon, silver, sodium, strontium, sulfur, tantalum, tellurium, terbium, thallium^^, thorium, thulium, tin, titanium, uranium*, vanadium, wolfram, yttrium, ytterbium, zinc and zirconium."

According to a 2020 study, heavy metals in pink salt can pose serious concern:

"Few studies have reported the mineral content of pink salts internationally, and found pink salt to contain a variety of essential nutrients including iron, zinc, and calcium, but found some samples also contained impurities or relatively large amounts of non-nutritive minerals such as arsenic, lead, and cadmium. No study has evaluated the nutritional composition of pink salt available for purchase. Non-nutritive minerals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, or mercury have no established health benefit and in relatively small doses, lead to multiple organ damage." [7]

Speculation about about lead in pink salt is not new. [10] 

Other concerns include that iron oxide (a.k.a rust) is what that gives pink Himalayan salt it's rosy color [6, 7], as well as the environmental concerns associated with importing fancy salt that is a finite resource from the mines in Pakistan.

Bottom Line

While pink Himalayan salt may have tiny amounts of minerals that are good for health, it also contains those that are not good for your health as well, outweighing any positive benefit.

Based on this and what I see in HTMA data, I choose to use a plain white Kosher salt without additives (like this or this).

When it comes down to what salt to use, it's a personal decision. Take my clinical opinion and observations with a grain of salt and do what feels best for you.

Ready to Learn About Your Mineral Levels?

Ready to find out your where your body stands when it comes to minerals and toxic heavy metals?

Get started with hair analysis today or learn more here about why you'd want to test your hair for 35 different mineral levels!

Do you think fancy Himalayan salt is worth the hype? Please share in the comments!

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References:
[1] Trace Elements Lab
[2] https://themeadow.com/pages/minerals-in-himalayan-pink-salt-spectral-analysis
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3291572
[4] https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/b504/3481a060ed8b81113b97c3899b493bf4eabd.pdf
[5] https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/pass-the-salt-but-not-that-pink-himalayan-stuff/
[6] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/different-types-of-salt
[7] https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/9/10/1490/pdf
[8] https://acu-cell.com/tin.html
[9] https://www.chelationcommunity.com/2018/06/26/tin-toxicity/
[10] http://www.hormonesmatter.com/himalayan-salt-lead-poisoning-global-scale/

The post Why I Don't Recommend Pink Himalayan Salt appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Before we dive into these, first, always check the side effects of any medications you are taking or started taking around the time you noticed the hair loss. Medication use is a very common cause of hair loss. If you've already checked your medication list and asked your doctor about it, move on to the next part of the article.

Here's six quick reasons for hair loss to consider:

1. Iron Deficiency

Iron is one of those super-important minerals that you don't want to have too much or too little of. Having too little iron is also well-known cause of hair loss. [1]

Iron deficiency is more common in women due to the loss of iron from childbearing and menstruation, but can also be caused by eating disorders, vegan or vegetarian diets, gut absorption issues (such as low stomach acid), and donating blood too frequently.

Checking in with your doctor or dermatologist to request an iron panel that includes ferritin (iron stores in the body) is often a good place to start when it comes to finding the source of your hair loss.

Many doctors agree that ferritin should be above 40-50 ng/mL to stop hair loss, and over 70 ng/mL for healthy hair regrowth. This is part of the reason blood donation can cause hair loss if you're not monitoring your ferritin levels — each blood donation can drop your level significantly, about 30 ng/ml.

You can request an iron panel and ferritin through your doctor or through a consultation that adds on blood work. 

2. Zinc Deficiency

Although the connection between zinc and hair loss is not completely clear, there is often a correlation found between hair loss and those with low zinc levels.

You can find zinc abundantly in animal proteins and some plant foods, although the bioavailability of zinc is greater in animal proteins. This puts vegans and vegetarians at a greater risk of deficiency.

I keep tabs on my clients' zinc levels using Hair Analysis and plasma zinc.

3. Over-supplementation

In American culture it's common to think that more nutrients, often in supplement form, is better. But that couldn't be further from the truth, especially when it comes to hair loss.

According to a 2017 article in the Dermatology Practical & Conceptual Journal, "Over-supplementation of certain nutrients, including selenium, Vitamin A, and Vitamin E, has actually been linked to hair loss. It is therefore surprising that the best-selling hair supplement on Amazon.com contains both vitamin A and vitamin E, while the next contains selenium, vitamin A, and vitamin E." [3]

Over-supplementation often happens unknowingly, as it's not rare to see clients taking laundry lists of supplements, which often contain many of the same vitamins and/or minerals. Before you know it, you're getting the same nutrients from several supplements on top of what you are getting from your food. Risk of nutrient overload beyond that that can be seen by the naked eye include: liver toxicity, inflammation, stomach upset, and bloating. [3] This is especially true when it comes to fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K). Fat soluble vitamins are not easily excreted in urine like water soluble vitamins, and are instead stored in the body.

The conclusion here is clear. There are certain nutrients that in deficiency states only can support slowing hair loss (namely zinc, iron, and selenium) but those same nutrients if supplemented in absence of deficiency could pose no benefit and even cause hair loss (especially vitamin A). To avoid the risk of over-supplementation and it's adverse effects, supplement only when needed in cases of proven deficiency and only long enough to correct the imbalance. This includes multivitamins!

4. Hypothyroidism 

Low thyroid function is common can be a large contributor to hair loss, especially if the hypothyroidism is severe.

Hypothyroidism in short means that your body is not producing enough thyroid hormone. It can be caused by the autoimmune condition Hashimoto's thyroiditis, as well as self-induced through dieting, over-exercising and other means of overextending your body.

Hair follicles are a direct target of thyroid hormones, and have modulating effects on hair follicle cycling and pigmentation. [2]

From the nutritional therapy perspective, it's essential to make sure your body is getting all the macronutrients it needs (protein, carbs + fats), as well as all the raw materials it needs (specifically calcium and potassium) to support thyroid function as well as your body and its natural desire for health.

5. Protein Malnutrition

So much as a dramatic drop in protein intake can be enough to cause telogen effluvium (TE). TE is a condition that causes the roots of the hair to prematurely go into the resting state and is typically caused by stress or some sort of shock to your system. TE can cause as much as 70% of scalp hairs to shed two months following the trigger event as the resting hair is eventually pushed out of the scalp. [4]

Find out more about how to meet your protein needs here.

6. Stress

Stress is by far one of the biggest sources of hair loss I've seen in my nutrition practice. The stress could come from a variety of sources, but is not limited to dieting, calorie restriction, sudden weight loss, over-exercising, menopause, childbirth, severe emotion stress (divorce, death of a family member, illness), and eating disorders.

All of these stressors can also trigger TE sending a large amount of your scalp hair into hibernation followed by the shedding cycle.

7. Hormonal Issues (like estrogen dominance)

Hormonal imbalance can trigger hair loss in a big way. The most common that I see is that caused by estrogen dominance where estrogen levels are too high relative to progesterone levels. Estrogen dominance is commonly caused by imbalances in the gut as guy dysbiosis can cause the re-circulation of estrogens. This is because certain types of gut bacteria produce beta-glucuronidase enzymes that can re-activate (or deconjugate) estrogens that were already detoxified (conjugated) and on their way out of the body. Decreasing levels of beta-glucuronidase enzyme producing bacteria in your gut is key to stopping the cycle of estrogen recirculation. Gut testing is the best way to find out if estrogen dominance is to blame for your hair loss.

I hope this helps give you a few routes to explore as you get to the root of your own hair loss. The more you can learn and discover about your own body, the better you can reach your most enjoyable levels of health!

Have you experienced hair loss? Please share in the comments!

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References:

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5315033/
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18728176
[3] https://elemental.medium.com/the-problem-with-supplements-e0f5f2fb1d74
[4] https://www.aocd.org/page/telogeneffluviumha

The post 7 Reasons For Hair Loss (and What to do About it) appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

The best part about this gluten free Swedish pancake recipe is that it's incredibly nutrient dense. There is approximately 24 grams of protein per serving along with a plentiful amount of nutrient dense fat and easy to digest carbohydrates. It's also got close to your daily needs for choline (from the egg yolks) which is needed to support gut health, specifically by supporting bile production (healthy bile flow = healthy intestines, digestion and detoxification). Choline is also important for supporting the methylation cycle of detoxification (especially important if you’re one of the many MTHFR genetic mutation folks) and helps to prevent fatty build up in the liver.

Just a few more reasons to eat your eggs, and in this case in pancake form.

Gluten Free Swedish Pancakes

Yield: 2 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

5.0 Stars (7 Reviews)

Print

Ingredients

Pancake Batter

Toggle ingredient group

• 6 organic eggs
• 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons collagen (like this)
• 2 tablespoons sweet rice flour, (like this — do not use regular rice flour)
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup, could use honey or simple syrup too
• ¼ cup milk, i used non-enriched rice milk
• 1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla, (like this)
• ½ teaspoon salt

Lingonberry Butter

Toggle ingredient group

• 3 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon lingonberry preserves (like this)

Lingonberry Syrup

Toggle ingredient group

• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup lingonberry preserves, (like this)

Instructions

1. Combine 3 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon lingonberry preserves in small bowl and set aside for the lingonberry butter.
2. Combine ¼ cup maple syrup and ¼ cup lingonberry preserves in a small saucepan and let warm on very low heat for lingonberry syrup.
3. In a blender, blend six eggs until combined.
4. Then add salt, vanilla, collagen, rice flour, milk, and maple syrup and blend until smooth.
5. In a pan (I use my stainless fry pan), melt 2 tablespoons of butter for the batter over medium/low heat. When the butter melts, pour it into the blender until combined.
6. Pour roughly ⅓ cup of batter into your buttered pan on medium-low heat and wait patiently until the pancake is cooked enough to easily flip.
7. Then flip, and cook until it’s done on each side.
8. Top these gluten free Swedish pancakes with lingonberry butter and lingonberry syrup.

What's your favorite pancake recipe? Please share in the comments!

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The post Gluten Free Swedish Pancakes appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you're barking up the wrong tree!

Traditional doctors study medicine, not nutrition by default.

So, if you're looking to transform how you feel through how you eat, live, and think, you're going to have to try something new, something dramatically different than the approach traditional Western Medicine provides.

That's where a nutritional checkup comes to the rescue...

A nutritional checkup can show you:

• what your current nutrition status is (35 nutritional elements to be exact), giving you the knowledge to take control of your health
• what you're doing right with your nutrition right now that is working 
• what habits or patterns are preventing you from reaching higher levels of health
• what supplements are throwing your nutrition out of balance and wasting you precious money
• what changes you need to make right now!

Plus, with Hair Analysis's Significant Ratios report, you can find out your:

• Metabolic type (fast or slow) via the calcium:phosphorus ratio
• Stress supportive mineral balance (think always stressed, fight or flight syndrome) via the sodium:potassium ratio
• Thyroid supportive mineral balance (think fatigue, brain fog, sluggish digestion, weight issues) via the calcium:potassium ratio
• Hormone supportive mineral balance (think PMS, hormonal imbalance) via the zinc:copper ratio
• Adrenal supportive mineral balance (think always tired, feel run down) via the sodium:magnesium ratio
• Blood sugar supportive mineral balance (think hangry, moody, energy dips during the day) via the calcium:magnesium ratio

And so much more!

Enter Hair Analysis, the Nutritional "Checkup"

You want me to cut off a small piece of my hair at the root?

Yup.

I know, it sounds a little strange, but the truth is, Hair Analysis is a nutrition screening tool that provides a unique snapshot into your body, showing your stress and energy profile along with your status of 35 different minerals in one cost effective test.

It's also a very non-invasive way to obtain a tissue sample. Similar to that of a biopsy, except with Hair Analysis we aren't looking for disease like a biopsy would, we are looking for nutrient status.

“Hair is a keratinized tissue consisting of protein. As the hair is being formed it is exposed to the internal metabolic environment including the blood, lymph, and extracellular fluids. Constituents entering the body are then accumulated into the hair and reflect a time-weighted exposure record of nutritional and toxic metal intake.” [1]

Hair Analysis can also detect imbalances sooner than blood tests can and show you early trends toward health problems...

Before and After Hair Analysis

Last week I sent in my own hair analysis - something I do regularly (usually 2x per year) not only to keep tabs on my own nutrition but also to test out different supplements and nutrient dense foods to see if they actually DO what they are supposed to.

Yep - I experiment on myself for the sake of my own clients!

(that's my own hair sample... shhhh.... I'm not really a natural blonde 😉

It was such a freeing moment when I discovered hair analysis almost 3 years ago. Gone were the days of taking trendy supplements, multivitamins included (that I’m now discovering are doing way more harm that good) and instead eating strategic foods and just a few strategic whole food supplements that my body actually needs based on data.

Less when it comes to supplements is really better...

It’s been game changing in my own life, simplifying the way I not only spend money on supplements but also the way I view and treat my own body.

It goes against the grain of conventional nutrition marketing, comparing your nutrition plan to what others are doing (as well as the latest and greatest thing) and instead brings the focus back to YOU, and not anyone else.

Where the focus really belongs...

And after almost 13 years studying nutrition, one thing I'm seeing more and more is supplements becoming a bigger part of the problem and not a part of the solution.

Why is that?

Take this hair analysis client that sent me an email update last week. She's been supplementing for years just based on generic advice from the internet, doctor, and great supplement marketing without any knowledge of what her deficiencies or excesses actually are [read: what her body needs].

She had no idea if why she felt bad was her diet, a health condition or her supplement plan.
It was as if she was blindfolded playing a game of darts just hoping to get "lucky" with various pills.

She was so confused on what to do...

That's not exactly the way you want to stack the deck in your favor. Chance favors knowledge...

For her though, she did get lucky. A few months ago we hopped on the phone to discuss some options to work together, and we decided Hair Analysis was the next best option for where she was at.

She didn't need a lot of hand-holding, but she did need some direction, insight on her body and how she could bring out the best in it from a nutritional perspective.

About three weeks after getting her hair analysis results, conducting a supplement review, and getting her own mineral balancing plan with food + minimal supplement recommendations she emailed me saying:

"Just giving you an update Catherine: my mineral balancing plan is going super! I'm no longer constipated and going to the bathroom regularly (and naturally) and it feels so good. My mood has of course improved too 😉 I'm being diligent with all of your recommendations and it's working perfectly so far. Thanks Catherine!

If you haven't already learned about the benefits of hair analysis and what an amazing tool this is, here's what you need to know....

Hair analysis...

• ...can tell you if your current supplement plan is messing you up so you can stop cycling through random supplements just hoping to "get lucky" from what worked for someone else (because we're all different)! (especially important if you take vitamin D3 supplements regularly)
• ...shows you if you minerals are in good balance (or not) to support thyroid health, hormonal health, adrenal health +more!
• ...tests for 35 elements including calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, copper, zinc, phosphorus, iron, plus more!
• ...can identify if you have thyroid stress (fatigue, brain fog, sluggish digestion) or adrenal insufficiency (always tired, feel run down) as reflected by your mineral levels, so you can start supporting your body appropriately
• ...helps you assess the accumulation of toxic heavy metals like uranium, arsenic, beryllium, mercury, cadmium, lead, and aluminum
• ...tells you what your metabolic type is (fast or slow)
• ...exposes your mineral deficiencies and excesses, so you know what nutrients your body actually needs and finally stop taking supplements that are just are the latest fad, trend, or available at your local Costco and stop forcing things on your body that it doesn't need (saving you lots of $$ in the long run)
• ...gives you crystal ball like insight into your body's chemistry so you can start using real data to learn what your body actually needs while setting yourself up to get results much faster

If you're ready to start making decisions on your health based on real data about your body, hair analysis is for you!

They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results...

So if you've been playing the do-it-yourself nutrition game for quite some time and don't feel any better, isn't it time to try something different?

Are you ready to approach your nutrition with the accuracy of your body's chemistry instead?

Get started with hair analysis.

Health > Diet

Because what your body really needs isn’t another diet.

It isn’t another supplement protocol.

It isn’t a fasting or starvation either.

Your body needs the ONLY thing that all of these common dieting patterns avoid — PAYING ATTENTION TO YOU.

Finding out what your body needs, and then giving it that (this is called health)!

Is that simple enough for you?

Because, amazing things happen when you make sure your body has all the raw materials (vitamins + minerals +calories) that it needs to support your body’s natural desire for health.

Give your body what it needs, and then get out of the way by letting it do it’s thing.

This is real health.

Sustainable health.

And here's a preview of what our clients are saying:

“Hair analysis is easy and very interesting. I learned proper eating to make up for my deficiencies per the hair analysis. Catherine is amazing. Super knowledgeable about balancing your body and a pleasure to talk to. She can explain things that would normally make no sense to most people, like the charts, in a clear and pleasant manner.” (Lee, Hair Analysis Client)

“The Hair Analysis process is simple and easy to complete. I learned what nutrients I was lacking and how to raise the levels by using real food and not more pills. Catherine reviews the results and give practical solutions through food to correct your balances. Catherine is knowledgeable, thorough and communicates very well. EVEN when you are not sure what you are talking about. She weeds through all the information from your results and focuses on your needs.“ (Jean, Hair Analysis Client)

"I found out some things about nutrition that I NEVER knew. I know it will help me feel better and ultimately that is what I wanted out of this process! I would highly recommend it! If you have been following Catherine for a while, you surely understand her philosophy on nutrition, and she is extremely smart, helpful and really knows what the hair analysis shows. Catherine is genuine and takes the time needed to help you understand." (Bella, Hair Analysis Client)

"I loved the consultation. You were so clear and took as much time as was needed to make sure that I understood everything. I learned where I am doing well and I learned what minerals I am low in, as well as how some supplements I was taking were throwing my mineral balance out of whack." (Amy, Hair Analysis Client)

“Catherine covered everything — the test was very thorough. I learned my mineral deficiencies and excesses, plus a lot of other new things about myself and useful information. Catherine alleviated any concerns I had as well.” (Sara, Hair Analysis Client)

"I am very satisfied with my hair analysis purchase. The hair analysis and Catherine’s views based on the questionnaire were very helpful, really a wealth of information. I found answers to long-lasting issues I have." (Onsel, Hair Analysis Client)

"I learned more in depth information about the vitamins my body is lacking than I did from a blood test. Catherine was very knowledgeable in the work she does and takes into consideration the whole person when recommending supplements." (Angine, Hair Analysis Client)

"It was great working with Catherine as she fully understands what it's like to go through health problems. She is very clear and thorough on what needs to be done according to the Hair Analysis results to bring the body back to health and will also answer any questions or concerns you may have about the program. I learned what my hair analysis results mean (mineral deficiencies/toxicities important ratios for body functions) and what supplements to take/food to eat on a daily basis to achieve optimal health. Health is not a quick fix process and Hair Analysis shouldn't be seen as a diagnostic tool as it takes time and effort to bring the body back to homeostasis. It will be worth it." (Naomi, Hair Analysis Client)

“Hair Analysis is simple to do, very informative, and Catherine is great and easy to work with. I learned what I was lacking in dietarily as well as supplements I was taking that I did not need and were raising some of my mineral levels.” (Anastacia, Hair Analysis Client)

Remember... the Hair Analysis Deluxe plan includes:

• Hair Analysis test (sample results here)
• Supplement review (what you're currently taking)
• Custom mineral balancing plan
• 30-minute consultation
• 1 month of email support related to your hair analysis plan

You can check out here when you're ready. With several different package options, it's a very low cost (and high reward) investment in your own health!

P.S. You can read frequently asked questions here. And if you're not in the U.S. it's not a problem. We've worked with clients from over 11 countries from all over the world!

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References:
[1] https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/b504/3481a060ed8b81113b97c3899b493bf4eabd.pdf
[2] Juan de Vojníkov [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons" https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Human_hair_root02.jpg

The post Hair Analysis — The Nutritional Checkup appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Fair warning, this is what works for and is personalized to me from testing, and is not meant for anyone else...

I'm not a morning person, and sleep is important to me, so I sleep in. What does that mean? I wake up every morning without an alarm clock but get up pretty regularly between 6:30-8:30am.

Most mornings, I opt into a quick 8-10 minutes of red light therapy right away while I still have my eyes shut in bed or do a 20 minute morning meditation, but it depends on what's going on that day and if I need to get going quickly or not.

After taking my crazy one year old Vizsla puppy Milo out for a short walk (pictured here on a trip with me to the dog park), I make a quick cup of fresh juice to support my mineral levels. I see this cup of juice as a "supplement" that I take almost daily as a therapeutic way to support a stress induced mineral deficiency I've reversed over the years (identified by hair analysis) but still like to support because of the way it supports energy, digestion, mood and thyroid health.

Annnnnnd it really helps keep my stress levels under control!

About an hour or so later I finally make breakfast.

Because I'm pretty lazy with food in the morning (read: the laziest human alive), most days of the week this is just a breakfast smoothie (sometimes I have eggs too), but I optimize it for nutrition and my body's individual nutrition needs. That means... it contains two special fruits for a nutrient dense carbohydrate source that help give me minerals I trend low in on hair analysis testing (but that I also really like as well), a fat source that supports my liver and metabolic type, and two-three kinds of protein (little over a tablespoon of each) that work well with my own body.

I know you're probably wondering why I use different kinds of protein, and the reason is simple so I will briefly explain...

I think the best diets are those with the most variety AND the least amount of restriction, and protein powders can really get you in a rut of giving your body the same amino acid profile every day (that is typically incomplete in some way). Let me explain...

The most popular protein powders right now are:
-Whey protein made from milk (whey protein typically only makes up 20% of the protein found in milk, that means you're missing the balance from the other 80% of the milk protein which is casein)
-Collagen protein is part of the whole animal, but a new trend I'm seeing is people overdoing collagen (I'm totally guilty of it too) and not eating enough muscle meat to balance it.... it's like eating when you see kids eating chicken nuggets with ketchup and that's okay, but then if they were to start eating just ketchup for a meal (not okay)! Super over-simplified example, but you get that it's all about balance 😉

So instead, I use a mix of these protein powders to get a wide array of amino acid compositions:
-Collagen. I'm sure you all are familiar with collagen by now, and because I use it, I also use the next protein to balance it...
-My Favorite Protein Powder made from beef and egg whites (it doesn't taste like beef though — I promise)!
-Fermented goat milk protein (super digestible due to fermentation and goat products are much better tolerated then cow, plus less likely to cause inflammation). This protein powder is made from all the milk, and not just one part, making it more of a complete protein source.

I typically drink my breakfast smoothie while writing, catching up on emails with clients and getting my work day started.

And a cup of decaf coffee with a few inches of rice or oat milk (with as little added stuff as possible, especially no vitamin D2 or D3) comes sometime after that...

The rest of my food day is typically not as customized and based more on what I crave or what is convenient (read: I don't think about health or nutrition at all), because the knowledge I've gained about my own nutrition through hair analysis has given me the freedom to target it in the morning therapeutically, and then not give it another thought the rest of the day (because balance ;)).

I hope this helps inspire you to create your own customized nutrition routine without rigidity and rules to support the best version of you <3.

P.S. If you're ready to dial in your nutrition with the precision of data from your own body (so you can put your nutrition on autopilot and stop thinking about it ALL the time) you can learn more about Hair Analysis here. With plans starting at only $99, there is a way for everyone to get this valuable data on their own nutrition needs!

The post My Morning Routine appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Do you have any of these thyroid symptoms? This includes:

• Weight gain/inability to lose weight
• Edema
• Dry skin
• Sluggish, lack of initiative
• Chronic constipation
• Poor digestion
• SAD Seasonal Affectiveness Disorder
• Easily fatigued, sleepy
• Poor circulation
• Cold hands and feet
• Hair loss
• Waking body temperature of under 97.8 degrees
• Hormonal imbalance
• High cholesterol

Calcium:Potassium Balance

Signs of Calcium excess

• aches and pains in back and joints
• poor appetite
• headaches
• constipation
• depression
• fatigue
• increased thirst
• frequent urination [3],[4]

Low Potassium Levels Are Common

Signs of Potassium Deficiency

• Acne
• Weakness, tiredness, or cramping in arm or leg muscles
• Numbness and/or tingling
• Constipation
• Excess water consumption
• Depression
• Nausea or vomiting
• Edema
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Nervousness
• Mental impairment
• Abdominal cramping and/or bloating
• Fainting due to low blood pressure
• Heart palpitations (irregular heart beat)

How to fix the calcium/potassium ratio to support thyroid health

1.  If you have high calcium levels, work on bringing them down.

• low magnesium intake
• vitamin c deficiency
• low boron levels
• glyphosate exposure (ie. eating non-organic foods)

1. If you have low potassium levels, work on bringing them up.

Sources of Potassium

• Celery Juice (12 oz): about 1,000-1,200mg
• White Beans (1 cup): 1,004mg
• Potato (1 medium with skin): 926mg
• Avocado (1 medium): 689mg
• Coconut Water (1 cup): 600mg
• Raisins (½ cup): 598mg
• Prune Juice (6oz): 528mg
• Halibut (3oz): 490mg
• Acorn Squash (½ cup, cubed): 448mg
• Banana (1 medium): 422
• Orange Juice (6oz): 372mg
• Molasses (1 tb): 293mg
• Orange (1 medium): 237mg
• Kiwi (1 medium) 237mg
• Spinach (½ cup cooked): 420mg
• Date (1 piece): 167mg

Give your body what it needs and watch it respond

The first line of defense against thyroid symptoms should be a good nutritional foundation!

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The post The Nutrient Imbalance that can cause Thyroid Symptoms, Fatigue + Weight Gain appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Next up is the Carnivore Diet review...

Before we get started today, I just want to remind you that diets can really fool you. They often make you feel great in the short-term (first few months up to a year), but then typically things really start to deteriorate, so always keep this in mind when you are hearing about these kinds of diets on social media. We are looking for widespread long-term data, not short-term results...

Time to get on learning all about the Carnivore Diet, a diet that no cultures around the world eat on purpose (unless there is little to no vegetation available) ...

Carnivore Diet Angle:

The Carnivore Diet is deeply rooted in relying only on animals for all of your nutrition needs.

What does the Carnivore Diet boil down to in practice? It's actually pretty simple. Typically, the diet is based around the following foods:

• animals and all of their parts: muscle meats, organ meats, fish, seafood, eggs, collagen, etc. If it's from an animal, it's on the menu, with the exception of dairy products.

By eating just animals, you get a wide variety of nutrients in the most bio-available form. You also avoid processed foods, all of the common food allergens and plant toxins. Sounds great in theory — but it's also incredibly limiting.

Carnivore Diet Reality:

The Carnivore Diet reality is an interesting one. It takes a very historic and ancestral way of eating and tries to apply it to modern times. What's wrong with that statement? Well, firstly, we live in a very different time and space now. I don't believe you can eat like hunter gatherer if you're not living like one too. The diet is just not very compatible with modern life. I mean, if you're relying on getting your food from only animals (which do contain a wide variety of bio-available nutrients if you eat the whole thing — and I mean everything), it's incredibly hard to do in our common day unless you are hunting and butchering the animal yourself.

How else are you going to get the blood, brain, intestines, heart, kidneys, and all the other things that the typical American has never consumed?

Sure, there are supplements like organ glandulars that can help, but they're only doing part of the job. They still will never reflect eating the animal in the same ratios that you would if you were relying on each and every part of it for survival. It's a flawed concept that perhaps only a small percentage of the Carnivore Diet community could actually execute well.

It's also a risky diet in which you bypass all your instinctual eating habits and cravings up to this point in your life for the external programming of just eating meat (and the fat attached to it).

Can you imagine walking through a berry field or apple orchard at the height of the season and ignoring your body's desire to consume fruit at peak ripeness?

One of the questions I always ask myself when I'm evaluating a diet of any kind is, is the long-term research sound enough on the benefits and well-roundedness of this diet that we would advocate and trust it with a developing child under the age of four?

And then there's the Inuit people who do eat a Carnivore Diet or about as close as you'd come, and they eat that way because lush plant food is not available to them. Do you really want to eat a way that is reserved for .5% of the globe (totally guessing on the math there, sorry). And even further, how would your body, and your genetic makeup interpret such a drastic dietary change? I would vouch it could be seen as very severe environmental stress by the body which could trigger a chain of genetic changes...

Carnivore Diet Positives:

The soul of this dietary paradigm has many upsides, namely:

• emphasis on nose to tail eating or eating the whole animal which offers a variety of nutrients in a very bio-available form
• focus on sustainably raised animals + seafood
• may have a therapeutic purpose in alleviating disease symptoms, which may or may not have something to do with eliminating virtually all common food allergens
• avoids plant toxins

Let's dive into plant toxins a little more. Plants naturally produce plant toxins as a defense mechanism. It helps keep them from being eaten and helps them to grow and prosper as a plant species. Plants are constantly evolving their own protection the keep them alive (but then again so are humans, through epigenetics)...

What's interesting about plant toxins, is that plants often contain nutrients like vitamin C [3] that can actually help human tolerance to plant toxins, so it's a complex argument without a clear net loss/gain conclusion.

Carnivore Diet Negatives:

Here's a few negatives of the Carnivore Diet to keep in mind:

• extremely restrictive diet
• electrolyte imbalances are common, specifically from a loss of sodium, potassium and magnesium (think heart palpitations, muscle cramps, constipation and feeling dizzy or weak)
• high iron diet, could be catastrophic for those with iron overload disorders
• excludes fruit (which is also pretty low in plant toxins but super high in nutrients)
• social suicide, extremely isolating way to eat
• if liver is overemphasized and not balanced by other organ meats, especially intestines, heart, and brain, it could result in too much iron and/or vitamin A being consumed.
• is a huge de-evolution of our eating habits, which may stress evolved genetics
• your grandparents, great-grandparents, or even great-great grandparents did not eat this way
• avoids plant toxins which may have some benefit via hormesis [2]
• eliminates season food varieties that have defined eating habits since the beginning of time
• banishes all carbohydrates from your diet which can cause serious issues
• causes you to tune out what your body may be craving or asking for in place of dietary dogma (this can cause the body to shift out of homeostasis)
• risk of "over nutrition" or nutrient excess due to the on demand availability of any part of the animal. On the modern Carnivore Diet you're not typically hunting and eating the animal in entirety, there's a risk of overdosing on incredibly nutrient dense parts of the animal, especially liver (very high in iron and vitamin A, both subject to toxicity) and spleen which is high in iron. This could also be exacerbated by additional supplementation on such a diet.

Better Options and Things to Consider Before Going on Carnivore Diet:

My philosophy as a nutritional therapist is never to tell anyone what to do. Instead, I prefer to help provide information and an opinion based on my work with clients and what I see every day in my practice. That way, you can feel empowered to make the best decision for you.

Here's a few suggestions of things to explore before going on the Carnivore Diet:

1. If you're looking to get some of the benefits of the Carnivore Diet without the extreme dietary undertaking, focus on adapting more "whole animal" foods in your diet that help fill in those missing in the standard American diet. Collagen and a low dose organ complex are a good place to start.
2. Make sure you understand and address underlying reasons for thyroid health, hormone, metabolism and energy problems before taking an extreme diet approach. The opposite of dieting approach and the Personal Nutrition Assessment are easy ways to get started with understanding your body from the inside out!
3. Instead of drastically changing your diet overnight, learn about why you are experiences issues that are driving you to pursue a carnivore diet to begin with. GI Map testing can be incredibly helpful for this.
4. Consider testing to discover if your nutrient excesses and deficiencies are influencing your health and work on correcting them. Hair Analysis is my favorite tool for this.
5. Research cultures and groups that eat this way and have for a long time. Short-term benefits are great, but it's the long-term impact and the sustainability of the diet that's most important.
6. Think hard about if this is a diet you can actually stay on for the long term. If not, it could cause a lot of undue stress to your body.

And, if you need help evaluating any health trend, ask yourself these 4 questions to avoid going down a road that could take you away from health and homeostasis:

1. Does it suggest you spend a lot of money on something other than high quality nutrient dense food?
2. Does it tell you to ignore what your body is telling you  in order to adhere to the "program": ie. cravings, hunger, thirst, fatigue, etc.?
3. Does the program stress buying food or supplement items that your great grandmother would not recognize?
4. Does it promise a "quick fix" or overnight results?

(hint: The Carnivore Diet really breaks #2, so I just can't recommend it to anyone.)

Bottom line: Incorporating some carnivore-style eating into your life is a good thing. Just don't do it to the exclusion of everything else nature has to offer your body. I stand by my full-fledged opinion that the healthiest diets are those that include the widest variety of foods (therefore nutrients) without any sort of restriction. That way, your body can seasonally guide you to the nutrients it craves.

I hope you enjoyed this review of the Carnivore Diet. Don't forget to check out the others in the diet review series.

Have you tried the Carnivore Diet? If so, how did it go for you? Please share in the comments!

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References:

1. Byproduct of running a nutrition practice for 8 years and talking with hundreds of women from all over the world.
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2248601/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3660703/
4. https://drcate.com/going-low-carb-too-fast-may-trigger-thyroid-troubles-and-hormone-imbalance/

The post Carnivore Diet Review appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Apart from highly processed foods, what other common foods (even "health" foods) are really screwing us up when compared to the wisdom our ancestors?

Here are five popular health foods that your great grandparents probably wouldn't touch (perhaps even with a 10-foot pole)...

1. Kale and the Salad Bar

If you eat a so-called perfect dietary trifecta of kale, nuts and quinoa with hopes of becoming a green goddess, good luck. With kale relatively new on the food scene in the last decade, eating it like it’s going out of style is a bit of an experiment. I mean, did you ever consider why your great-grandmother wasn't subsisting on kale Caesars?

According to Stephen Le PhD, scientist and author of 100 Million Years of Food: What Our Ancestors Ate and Why It Matters Today, vegetables were resisted in the human diet for quite a while because they are difficult to digest and contain an assortment of plant toxins.

Le comments, "I think this notion of a salad bar is probably going to disappear in a couple of decades. The idea that we are better off by eating a lot of colorful vegetables… if you showed a salad bar to our ancestors many years ago, they would have shivered at the thought of eating raw vegetables… they would say this is going to make me sick. The whole point of plants is that they are trying to protect themselves from being eaten, and so they produce a lot of toxins." [6]

It is because of these challenges with raw vegetables that cooking them was so important — to neutralize the difficulty of digestion and reduce the plant toxins they contain.

While it's pretty easy to look up any health food and see its nutrition facts, there is more to the story. High nutrition value means next to nothing if you can't actually digest it, absorb it, and neutralize the plant toxins in order for it to have a net-benefit on your health.

2. Herbicide Laden Foods (non organic food)

In 1974 the molecule glyphosate was invented. What is glyphosate? It's the active ingredient in the incredibly popular and widely used herbicide Roundup. Roundup is widely used in GMO crops as well as sprayed on non-organic produce to help increase crop yields and reduce pests.

It's basically in everything you consume in varying amounts depending on if you eat organic or not.

Sounds okay, right?

Wrong. Glyphosate is now entangled in many lawsuits because of its negative health implications. It's also been shown to increase cancer risk and is linked to nutritional depletion (namely, iron, cobalt, molybdenum, and copper). [4,9] This makes glyphosate-containing foods something you definitely want to minimize as much as possible.

While there's no way to completely avoid it, eating organic and avoiding GMOs is the best way to reduce your intake of synthetic herbicides, specifically glyphosate.

3. Protein Powder

In the health and fitness world, protein powders and protein shakes are everywhere making big promises to help you achieve your “ideal” physique. But beneath the hype, high markup, and glamorous marketing of these "magical" powders, they tend to leave you with nothing but empty promises, as well as compromise your detoxification abilities, causing your body to retain toxins rather than excrete them.

To make matters worse, some popular protein shake powders have been found to contain heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. [8]

Sticking with traditional proteins and the practice of eating the whole animal is a wiser approach.

4. Vegetable Oils

When was the last time your body had a craving for soybean or canola oil?

Let me guess — never?

When was the last time your body craved cream, butter or bacon? Hmmmm.....

This is one simple way your body asks for saturated fats and not for polyunsaturated fats (PUFA).

What’s wrong with PUFA fats? They are harmful to all systems of the body, accelerate aging, slow thyroid function (metabolism), disrupt the immune system, and cause oxidative damage. According to Dr. Ray Peat, PhD, “Unsaturated fats cause aging, clotting, inflammation, cancer, & weight gain.” PUFA fats are found largely in oils — including vegetable, corn, canola, peanut, flax, and soy oils. The cheapness of these oils makes them an essential ingredient for most processed foods (especially sauces, mayonnaise, candy). These fats are highly processed, unstable, and oxidize very quickly in the body.

Vegetable oils came on the scene in the early 1900's and intake has grown tremendously ever since...

Source: http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/publications/foodsupply/foodsupply1909-2000.pdf

Let's do our part to reverse this trend— so be sure to share this post with someone you know who is still using vegetable oils and/or margarine in their kitchen...

5. Multivitamins

Multivitamins are pushed as an “insurance policy” for extra nutrients to fill in an otherwise non-optimal standard American diet, which sounds like a good approach, right? I mean, who doesn’t feel safer with insurance?

But what if there isn't actually proof to back up that that is the case? And, what if there is more science to back up the opposite? According to a 2013 article in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the debate about supplements should be over:

"In conclusion, β-carotene, vitamin E, and possibly high doses of vitamin A supplements are harmful. Other antioxidants, folic acid and B vitamins, and multivitamin and mineral supplements are ineffective for preventing mortality or morbidity due to major chronic diseases. Although available evidence does not rule out small benefits or harms or large benefits or harms in a small subgroup of the population, we believe that the case is closed- supplementing the diet of well-nourished adults with (most) mineral or vitamin supplements has no clear benefit and might even be harmful. These vitamins should not be used for chronic disease prevention. Enough is enough." [5]

Our great grandparents also depended on the sun for vitamin D and not some unproven powder in a pill, but that is another article...

While you may disagree with me, perhaps it really is better to trust your great grandparents when it comes down to what you eat or at least accept the consequences if you choose to stray too far from the nutritional wisdom of the past.

Do you agree or disagree? Please share in the comments!

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References:

1. https://www.chatelaine.com/health/eat-like-your-grandma-why-you-should-skip-the-kale-salad/
2. http://www.glyphosate.eu/glyphosate-basics/history-glyphosate
3. http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/publications/foodsupply/foodsupply1909-2000.pdf
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3945755/
5. https://annals.org/aim/fullarticle/1789253/enough-enough-stop-wasting-money-vitamin-mineral-supplements
6. https://www.thetropicalist.press/2018/01/the-ancestral-diet/
7. PMS to Menopause: Female Hormones in Context by Dr. Ray Peat
8. https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/04/protein-drinks/index.htm
9. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1383574218300887
10. Photo Credit: Richard Hughes, miner, and his family eating.

Also published on Medium.

The post 5 Foods Your Great Grandparents Never Ate appeared first on Butter Nutrition.

Most people take one for the following reasons:

• It makes them feel better about eating a less than stellar diet (truth: you can't out-supplement a poor diet)
• It makes them feel like they are increasing their health in a positive way (truth: this has NOT been confirmed by science)
• An authority figure recommends it, and they fear what will happen if they DON'T take one [truth: making decision out of fear is rarely the best choice]

Are multivitamins worth it?

Beware of these in your multivitamin...

1) Vitamin D

2) Calcium

"Pooled results from prospective cohort studies suggest that calcium intake is not significantly associated with hip fracture risk in women or men. Pooled results from randomized controlled trials show no reduction in hip fracture risk with calcium supplementation, and an increased risk is possible." [17]

"...a rising body of evidence on the adverse effect of calcium supplementation on non skeletal, especially cardiovascular, health has been a cause for concern." [3]

3) Vitamin A and Beta Carotene

"High dietary intake of preformed vitamin A appears to be teratogenic. Among the babies born to women who took more than 10,000 IU of preformed vitamin A per day in the form of supplements, we estimate that about 1 infant in 57 had a malformation attributable to the supplement." [12]

4) Iron