Photos taken by Hallie Duesenberg in collaboration with Oak Street Social. Hair by Mario Tricoci.
Ever wonder what a dietitian eats? Wish you could text a confusing nutrition label to an expert? How about getting a quick answer to the lentil vs. chickpea pasta debate?
Lucky for me my bestie Lauren is a Registered Dietitian and my “go-to” girl when it comes to overall health and wellness. Lauren helped me get my eating habits in check so that I could get in the best shape of my LIFE for my wedding! You might also remember her from when I shared my downloadable Here Comes The Bride Meal Guide, which is a 2 week sample of my wedding diet developed by Lauren!
Shortly after I returned from my honeymoon Lauren suggested I complete a hair tissue mineral test to get a snapshot of my overall wellbeing. You guys know I’m all about cleaning up my beauty routine and this test can help determine how my current lifestyle (read: exercise, food, stress and beauty products) might be affecting my health. Personally, I keep an extremely clean diet which I was shocked to learn can ACTUALLY cause you to be deficient in certain vital minerals.
Since I’m ALL about prevention, I didn’t think twice. Below I’m letting you in on ALL you need to know about hair testing and sharing my own shocking results!
What is Hair Mineral Analysis
Hair tissue mineral testing is a simple, non-invasive but VERY detailed test that can show if you’re getting enough protein for you body, bone health, any mineral deficiencies and toxicities. It can also uncover root problems related to adrenal, thyroid and other hormone issues.
Hair Tests vs. Blood Tests
Your hair gives an inside look at what’s happening INSIDE of your cells whereas your blood, which moves BETWEEN your cells, is conditioned to maintain homeostasis. When something is off in your blood, you’d already be very sick. Hair tissue is a much earlier indicator than blood for many markers and is vital in prevention and achieving your best life! Remember babes it’s all about P R E V E N T I O N.
My Results
- My Calcium was off the CHARTS. Had I been taking a “one size fits all” multivitamin, which Lauren never recommends, these levels could have been even worse. This finding indicated that the calcium was not making its way into my bones, which means i”m actually deficient in Vitamin D. (Quick biology lesson: Vitamin D is essential for absorbing calcium into the body). High calcium levels can also be an indicator of high stress and anxiety, which I am no stranger to! The Fix: I am now taking a supplement for Vitamin D. Rather than a shot in the dark multi-vitamin that could have been making things worse, I am giving my body ONLY exactly what it needs.
- My sodium levels were low! Our bodies need sodium to help our muscles contract, facilitate enzymatic operations and keep our body hydrated. As a society we’re told not to over indulge in salt and keeping a clean diet can be a big culprit. Low sodium can also be a sign of stress and fatigue. The fix: start salting my food–easy peasy!
- As far as toxic elements go, mercury and aluminum showed up on my panel. Although these toxicities were in the reference range/not very high, you ideally want these levels to be nonexistent. The Aluminum could be due to years of using convention deodorant (my fav, all natural swap here). Another element that was off the charts was my Cobalt. This indicates that there are built up toxicities in my tissues. The fix: the goal is to flush these toxicities and flood my body with super nutrition! Lauren recommended I double up on my green JuicePlus chewables which contain lots of leafy greens!
How To Test Your Hair
If you’re interested in getting a picture of YOUR overall health and wellness, you can purchase a kit here. After you send in a sample of your hair you’ll have a review session with Lauren to go over your results and get individualized recommendations on how to fix any imbalances! Why be content with taking a “one size fits all” multi-vitamin that actually may be doing MORE harm than good when you give your body ONLY what it needs for optimal wellness?! For me the decision was simple!
What are your thoughts on hair mineral analysis testing?! Any Qs for me!?
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