The Trail of Clues in Restless Leg Syndrome: Part I
OK friends, let’s take a quick quiz straight from the pages of the National Institute of Health. These 4 questions are a simple “yes” or “no” answer, and will help identify if this next set of clues resonates with your current situation.
✅Do you have a strong and often overwhelming need or urge to move your legs? (Often the urge may be accompanied by abnormal, unpleasant or uncomfortable sensations.)
✅Does the urge to move your legs start (or get worse) during rest and inactivity?
✅Does the urge to move your legs worsen in the evenings/at night?
✅Is the urge to move your legs partially or totally relieved by movement (at least temporarily)?
If you have answered yes to these questions, this post series may shed light on both why your legs may be restless and (next week) natural ways to help relieve the situation. Bear in mind that beyond the questions above, there are several mimickers of restless leg syndrome, so the process of elimination may come in handy! Poor circulation in the legs, fibromyalgia, neuropathy, and ADD/ADHD are a few disorders known for restless leg mimicry.
Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a very common condition affecting about 10% of adults in the USA and even some children. There are several medications commonly used to treat RLS. According to many pharmacy clients I’ve worked with over the years, the medications are often minimally effective, not without unpleasant side effects (GI distress, constipation and/or diarrhea), and do not address root causes.
RLS is not generally a precursor of things to come thankfully….but it is highly annoying and life disruptive nonetheless, especially as it often leads to chronic insomnia.
As any good detective would do, you’ll want to discover the motive (root cause) of your RLS. Motives vary in each case, right?
*Occasionally, restless legs may be blamed on genetics, but that is the exception rather than the rule. Overwhelmingly, restless leg syndrome is given the dubious distinction of having an idiopathic origin. My personal feeling is that “idiopathic” is an overused medical term used when not enough time has been spent looking at clues to find the root cause! Understandably so….. insurance companies do not usually allow doctors the time or tools (comprehensive lab work) to actually find the source of the problem.
There are MANY factors leading to or exacerbating restless leg syndrome:
*Approximately 15% of RLS cases have an underlying iron deficiency. Iron deficiency may be easily checked with lab work. Checking iron alone is insufficient. Ferritin levels also need to be evaluated.
*Other nutritional deficiencies contributing to RLS include magnesium, calcium, potassium and/or zinc. Again, blood work is key. (If you get magnesium tested, make sure it is magnesium bound to red blood cells “mRBC” for a more accurate reading)
*Hormone imbalance is another common cause. Approximately 20% of pregnant women develop RLS, usually in the third trimester. This symptom tends to dissipate about 4 weeks after delivery of the baby. Women are more likely to have hormonal imbalances than men overall, and women are also more likely to develop RLS than men in life. Hyperthyroidism, another type of hormone imbalance, is an additional contributor.
*Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays many roles in the body, most notably in motivation and positive reinforcement of behavior. It also plays a critical role in the control of movement. So, as you might imagine, a dopamine imbalance may also play a key role in RLS. (We’ll cover dopamine deficiency in the near future.)
There also appears to be a relationship between ADD/ ADHD and restless leg syndrome. Additionally, pediatric restless leg disorder is sometimes misdiagnosed as growing pains or ADD.
*Symptoms of restless leg syndrome are common in people who have chronic kidney disease. When the kidneys are not functioning as they should, anemia, iron deficiency, and high calcium levels in the blood commonly occur. As you’ve just learned, all of those conditions exacerbate RLS.
*Hypertension, diabetes, and increased BMI (body mass index) also contribute to the incidence of restless leg syndrome. (The medications used to manage these conditions are also worthy suspects!) Uncontrolled high blood sugar often leads to peripheral nerve damage; another contributor to restless legs.
*Medication induced restless legs may be among the most common (idiopathic?) causes for developing this disorder. Every medication acts in multiple ways throughout the body. Immediate side effects of medication are fairly easy to spot, but often side effects such as restless legs creep in slowly, making it hard to pinpoint the culprit. Medications known to cause restless legs over time include:
💊Certain antihistamines
💊Psychotropics (ex: haloperidol, aripiprazole, risperidone, quetiapine, mood stabilizers)
💊Antidepressants (SSRI’s,SNRI’s, and tricyclics, ex: fluoxetine, sertraline, venlafaxine, paroxetine, imipramine, amitriptyline)
💊Some nausea medications (metoclopramide and prochlorperazine)
💊Acid reducers
💊Beta Blockers
💊Calcium channel blockers
💊Some sleep medications
I’ve talked to many pharmacy clients over the years who struggle with restless legs, and while it is a relatively benign condition, it is definitely life altering…anything that negatively affects quality sleep is! Westernized health culture is often very quick to prescribe or suggest over the counter medication to quickly solve a problem, overlooking the unintended possible consequences. Often, there is a gentler solution, but it does require ownership and a willingness to take personal responsibility for one’s own health management. There will always be a time and a place for western medicine, but it behooves us all to leave that as a last resort whenever possible.
I hope this helped someone identify their restless leg trigger(s). Next week I’ll talk about healthy options for living with RLS.
xoxo~ liz
#sharingiscaring
#goodmedicine
Diabetes
Health Clues from Your Urine – part 2
What does your pee say about your health? PART II
*Urine, in most healthy situations, should be seen but not smelled. There are exceptions of course (Have you ever experienced “asparagus pee”?), but the offending odor should be transient and not trending towards permanence. Urine with a strong ammonia smell may indicate dehydration or bacterial infections. A sharp change in hormones (ie: pregnancy or menopause) may also contribute to pungent pee. “Sweet or fruity smelling” urine may indicate a high ketone content in urine as is often seen in unregulated diabetes. Some medications can certainly create an environment for malodorous micturation. Sulfa based medications (note: sulfa and sulfur are NOT the same chemical entity), antibiotics, diuretics, birth control pills, lyrica, tramadol, and oxycodone are also potentially causative agents of stinky pee.
Frequent urination is a topic near and dear to my heart (and bladder). An estimated 33 million people in the USA struggle with this health clue. Having a spastic bladder can be a nuisance or it can be downright life limiting. The causes (clues) are varied:
🔎Urinary tract infection (pair with urine color and odor)
🔎Low estrogen levels (resulting from a hormone imbalance, menopause,or even excessive exercise)
🔎Pregnancy or post childbirth, chronic constipation, chronic coughing, frequent heavy lifting, obesity, pelvic floor weakness (see unbalanced pelvic floor muscles below)
🔎Enlarged prostate (men)
🔎Diabetes
🔎Spinal cord injuries or dysfunctions
🔎Pelvic floor muscles (there are 16 of them) are unbalanced. Think of a webbed hammock where some of the webbing is strong and others are weak. Each muscle needs to be equal in strength. If this is a known issue, kegel exercises are not the answer. You’ll want to find an excellent pelvic floor therapist to guide you in your strengthening and healing process.
🔎Medication (ex: diuretics, lithium, steroids)
🔎Emotions. The bladder and kidneys are the home to emotions related to fear and anxiety. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, chronic bladder and kidney issues may correlate with “difficulty finding their place in life”. Many women (and men) who have a weak pelvic floor often report lacking support somewhere in their lives. Please do not underestimate the importance of healing emotionally when looking for ways to heal physically. Our issues do indeed reside in our tissues. There is an excellent book entitled The Body Keeps Score, by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk (MD) which explains the importance of resolving the emotional ties to specific health conditions. #worththeread
🔎Interstitial cystitis
Interstitial cystitis is where my🙋♀️ personal “overactive bladder” story began in 2002. IC is an enigmatic chronic bladder condition that causes varying degrees of pelvic pain and discomfort. It also causes a chronic and constant need to urinate. Imagine having stomach ulcers in your bladder. That’s the best way I can describe what it felt like. In my case, it took nearly 3 years and 4 different doctors before finding one who suggested a cystoscopy to confirm her suspicions. As with all inflammatory disease states, what we expose ourselves to matters. I was blessed with a doctor who actually took the time to educate me on the truth of this. Instead of pushing me towards medication, she urged me to begin a strict elimination diet, stay well hydrated, and to learn to manage stress better. Wow! Imagine what our health care would look like if all western medicine based doctors would prescribe this type of sage advice! 🙌
Learning which foods and lifestyle choices triggered a worsening of my urge to pee was eye👀 opening indeed. Sometimes it was hit or miss, and I would often pay the price by having to get up 7-8 times a night to go to the bathroom. A serendipitous travel situation in 2008 completely changed everything when I discovered that nearly all processed foods were inflammation causing agents. I couldn’t believe how much better I felt in the presence of 100% fresh clean food! Staying well hydrated with filtered water quickly became key to keeping my bladder happy too. I know it may sound counterintuitive to strive for a full bladder to pee less….. Diluting toxins in the bladder makes what’s in the bladder less of an irritant!
Fast forward to 2013 when I was introduced to Young Living products. I had learned to manage my interstitial cystitis as holistically as possible, and in doing so, I had dodged the very real bullet of daily self catheterization that often occurs with people who have severe IC. I still had some nasty flare ups, and was still getting up 4-6 times a night (on average) to pee. One of the “thank you” products I had received from my Young Living monthly subscription order was Sulfurzyme. It was free, looked interesting, and tho I hadn’t really identified a personal need, I decided to take it. According to the YL website, Sulfurzyme may be of value to anyone who wishes to support their joints, range of motion, bone health, metabolic function, immune system, hair and skin. Within two weeks of taking Sulfurzyme faithfully I began noticing enormous changes within my bladder along with a decreased urge to urinate. Around that time, I also began using a DIY face serum recipe which contains Frankincense and Lavender every morning. Should I have been shocked that what I put on my face also happened to make my bladder very happy? In 2014, I was still learning essential oil basics, and this was a lesson to the truth that oils work best in “all the ways” when they are used. Get them out of the bottle and into the air or on your skin. You just never know what might happen with regular consistent use. 😉
I’ve continued to clean up my “issues within my tissues” over the years, and I am so much healthier in mind, body, and spirit than I was when I was in my 30’s. This is a lifestyle, not a “once ‘n done” kind of thing. Freedom is never free, especially in the case of a health condition. I had to be willing to do the hard work, to live like no one else sometimes, and to listen to what my body needed. Everyone has their own story, their own diagnosis, their own emotional journey to recognize. Overcoming ( ____________ ) requires change and the courage and willingness to do so. As they say, “Insanity is doing the same things over and over again, and expecting different results.” I pray you are discovering yourself as you become your own health detective. Learning to read your own health clues and then acting on those clues is true self love. Never forget that each of our bodies is a temple and as such, requires tender loving care and maintenance every single day. You are worth it!
xoxo~ liz
#sharingiscaring
#goodmedicineisnotfasteasyorcookiecutter
#goodmedicine
#thanksYL
Health Clues from Your Eyes – part 2
Before diving into a deeper discussion of all the clues our eyes give us, I wanted to issue a call to action. ⏰Do you have an ophthalmologist (MD) or doctor of Optometry (OD) that you see annually? Remember that the application of knowledge is not only power… it is also where wisdom is born. As is the case with regular lab work (which we will discuss at some point!), having professional insight into the health of your sight organs 👀provides invaluable clues to help you manage the rest of your body, thereby perhaps avoiding consequences later in life. When you go to your appointments, do not be shy about asking questions and taking notes! Additionally, any abrupt changes in the eyes should warrant an ASAP trip to your eye professional. If you have a relationship with yours, they will be more likely to see you quickly in cases of urgent need.
Secondly, be aware that any💊 medication 💊that affects neurological function may also affect vision and cause changes throughout the eye, including the cornea, optic nerve, lens, macula and retina. Some of these changes may be gradual or nearly instant and some may be temporary while others can lead to permanent vision impairment. I won’t be able to list all the medications because there are so many! If you suspect a medication may be partially responsible for an eye disturbance, do some digging and then talk to your doctor.
With that…. Let’s start unpacking more clues!
👀The appearance of slightly bulging eyes is a significant clue for a possible overactive thyroid that is also called Graves disease. Frequently, this disorder is ignited by exposure to environmental toxins in the home, workplace or in the water. Latent viruses such as Epstein Barr have also been implicated in playing a role in developing a chronically inflamed thyroid (leading to either hyper or hypo thyroid manifestation).
👀Another easy to spot clue from the peepers is a gray or whitish ring that is clearly visible around the cornea. The cornea is the lens that covers the “colored” part of the eyeball. Evidence of this ring usually indicates unhealthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels and is a marker for increased risk of heart attack or stroke.
👀Droopy eyelids (ptosis) may be a be a genetic issue, especially if present at birth.
Eyelids that become droopy are the clue for this discussion. Medical conditions that can lead to droopy eyelids include:
👉Injury/trauma to head or eye
👉Decreased blood flow to either the eye or the area of the brain controlling the eye (a droopy eye may be an early stroke sign)
👉Diabetes. Remember that diabetes quietly becomes a vascular disease if not controlled.
👉Headache syndromes. (a visible manifestation of the headache)
👉Neuromuscular conditions
👉Myasthenia gravis. A droopy eyelid is often the first symptom of this autoimmune disease that is most commonly seen in people over the age of 50. It may be accompanied by occasional double vision, a hoarse voice, or weakness in the arms and legs.
👀Optic neuropathy simply means damage, disease, or dysfunction of the optic nerve. It may be caused by toxin exposure, infection, an autoimmune disorder, chronic inflammation, trauma, glaucoma, insufficient blood flow to the optic nerve, or use of certain medications including those used for erectile dysfunction and amiodarone, a medication used to control heart rhythm. Symptoms of optic neuropathy include pain in the face or eye socket, pain inside the eye, loss of peripheral vision, or sudden or gradual vision loss. Ophthalmologists and OD’s can detect inflammation of the optic nerve on routine eye exams. #makeanannualeyeappointment
👀Eyes that are painful, red and sensitive to light gives a vast set of possibilities. Given how “screen focused” our culture is, know that computer eye syndrome is a real thing! Give yourself regular breaks from screen time, and use blue light filter glasses when you are spending hours at a time in front of a computer or phone screen. Unmanaged, this can lead to eye strain or dry eyes. Wearing contact lenses for too long may have a similar effect.
👀If screens are not your eyes source of issue, other causes may need to be investigated. Chronic redness in the sclera (the white part of the eye) is linked to systemic inflammation throughout the entire body, and indicate a possible autoimmune disorder (ex: RA, psoriasis, or ankylosing spondylitis). If light sensitivity is accompanied by “halos” around light sources, get checked for glaucoma!
👀If your eyes sting, burn, or feel “gritty”, chances are, you are experiencing dry eyes. In fact, we have all probably had brief episodes of dry eyes after riding a bike, spent too much time in front of a computer, lived in an area with dry winter heat, or been on a plane for many hours in low humidity recirculated air. Chronic dry eyes have been linked to an autoimmune disorder called Sjogren’s syndrome, thyroid disorders, Vitamin A deficiency, or taking certain medications known to cause dry eyes as a side effect. 💊Antidepressants, antihistamines, decongestants, beta blockers (heart/blood pressure), certain antibiotics, ibuprofen, birth control pills, and meds for bladder control💊 are some of the more common culprits.
👀Rapid onset eye inflammation / sensitivity is often a clue indicating infection or inflammation.
👀Blurred vision is another clue to take seriously. While the clue may be manifesting as an inconvenient or annoying visual impairment, dangerously high blood pressure or high blood sugar are causing problems quietly elsewhere in the body. An estimated 73% of diabetic patients have bouts of blurred vision. High blood sugar causes the lens within the eye to swell, causing the blurring. Certain medications may also contribute to blurred vision:
💊Alendronate (for osteoporosis/ osteopenia)
💊COX-2 inhibitors such as Celebrex and Mobic (for pain and inflammation)
💊Acetaminophen, ranitidine (stomach acid), and lovastatin (cholesterol) are just three very common medications that also carry warnings about their potential to blur vision.
👀Red itchy “allergy” eyes may indeed be allergy related. However, the same symptoms also occur in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Approximately 1.3 million Americans have this autoimmune disorder. The immune system begins attacking body tissue, and its focus is generally tissue heavily laden in collagen. The sclera (the white part of the eye) and the cornea are made up almost entirely of collagen, and the inflammation there mimics allergen exposure.
👀An eye twitch can be ever so bothersome, yet it’s an important clue too. Check yourself…. They are generally related to fatigue or stress. It may be time to rest and recover! Chronic eye twitching should signal a visit to a health professional as it can be an early sign of a neurological disorder.
👀Yellowed eyes are a sign that the liver is struggling… a classic sign of jaundice. This is another ASAP health professional moment.
👀“Floaters” are gray or black specks, strings or cobwebs that appear in vision. If you suddenly notice floaters, contact your eye specialist immediately. Certain medications are known to cause floaters. 💊, diphenhydramine (antihistamine), diltiazem (blood pressure), amitriptyline (mood), and alprazolam(anxiety)💊 are among those known to cause this.
As I write, I’m reminded again of the impact that chronic toxin exposure has on our bodies… all the way up to our eyeballs! The liver and other detoxifying organs do their level best to keep us healthy, but they are not miracle workers. We have to claim ownership and do our part by avoiding toxins wherever possible by making a conscious effort to exercise, drink plenty of clean water, get plenty of sleep, manage our stress, and eat healthy clean food. So much medication 💊(a class of toxins all its own) may be avoided by caring for ourselves this way.
What conscious decisions did you make today that decreased your toxin load?🙌 I chose to use YL body care products in the shower this morning and YL Cinnafresh deodorant before I put my clothes👖👕 on. I brushed my teeth with fluoride free YL Thieves Aromabright toothpaste, and bypassed an impending headache by using peppermint 🌿on the roof of my mouth. I finished out my time in the bathroom by avoiding some of the worst toxins☠️ in our homes….. standard American cosmetics. The Savvy Minerals makeup line is not only gorgeous and long lasting, it is liver friendly too!
You are worth taking care of!
Thanks for making it easy Young Living!
xoxo~ liz
#sharingiscaring
#supportyourlocalpeepers
#goodmedicine
#goodmedicineisproactiveinsteadofreactive
#thanksYL
Health Clues from Your Eyes – part 1
“People’s eyes tell me more than their mouths.”
Eye diseases affect millions of people in the USA. Just like the age old, “Which came first?” question about the chicken🐔 and the egg🐣, we might also want to ask the question about diseases of the eyes. You see (pun intended😁!), diseases of the body may first present themselves as clues within the peepers or eye diseases may result because of dysfunctions within the body… Some of these clues discussed over the next few weeks will be easy to spot by looking in the mirror, while others may require help from a friend, and others may only be seen by your favorite eye care professional.
👀According to the National Eye Institute, the eye blood vessels (those we can see with our naked eye and those that a professional can see) often reflect the condition of brain blood vessels. Blood vessels in the eyes are similar in size, structure, and function to those found in the brain. Thus, inflamed or damaged vessels within the eye are often a predictor of future dementia, cardiovascular disease or stroke. It is very important to listen and make a point of understanding any abnormality your ophthalmologist may point out. Early intervention may make a difference between vision and blindness. Other clues within the eyes are often tied to disorders and dysfunctions occurring in the body. Additionally, many medications can lead to secondary eye diseases…. another reason to avoid a polypharmacy lifestyle whenever possible!
Cataracts, glaucoma, Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy are clues we’ll start with, as they are extremely common eye diseases in the United States, affecting millions and millions of people predominantly over the age of 40. You’ll notice in our discussion that the damage likely began occurring many years earlier! #cluesyoucanuse
👀Cataracts affect more than 22 million Americans 40 years and older. Those who will be predisposed to cataracts will have a history of:
🔎Diabetes
🔎Long term steroid use
🔎Smoking
🔎Excessive alcohol intake
🔎Radiation treatment or exposure to the upper body
🔎Blood pressure medications (beta blockers and ACE inhibitors)
🔎Photosensitivity causing medications that increase sensitivity of sunlight to the eyes (BCP’s, antihistamines, antidepressants, diabetes meds, NSAIDS are a few known to do this). Wear sunglasses😎 if you are on these meds!
🔎Living in an area with high air pollution. Let’s park here for just a second. We tend to think of air pollution as being something outdoors, generated by someone else. Yet in standard American households, poor air quality is inadvertently self induced with synthetic fragrance plug in’s, toxic cleaners, candles, aerosolized deodorants and hair sprays, and sprayed toxic air fresheners. Please do not do this to yourself or your family. If you haven’t yet started, begin switching over to 100% natural alternatives beginning with Thieves Household Cleaner and a diffuser with a wide variety of Young Living clean fresh scents. Ya’ll, take a moment and share your favorite fall/winter diffuser recipes in the comments!
👀Glaucoma will be most prevalent in those who have a history of:
🔎Long term steroid use
🔎Medications used in the treatment of Parkinsons, epilepsy, depression, allergies, and prostate disorders. Additionally, NSAIDS, and antipsychotics have also been implicated. Birth Control Pills have been under close scrutiny in the last decade as possible purveyors of glaucoma predisposition. Eyes have estrogen receptors within them, and many scientists believe that healthy natural estrogen levels have a protective effect on the retina. Eye disease is often insidious and damage to the optic nerve is slow. A large study released in 2011 found that women who had used birth control pills for more than 5 years had a 25% increase in their glaucoma risk.
🔎Genetics, trauma, or injury
👀Macular Degeneration is another sneaky eye disorder. Early diagnosis is usually the result of an attentive eye care professional who will recognize the telltale signs under the retina. There are some outward early clues for the potential ocularly challenged. Difficulty in judging distance when walking (making it harder to keep your balance) and slightly blurred central vision are two clues that indicate a visit to an ophthalmologist would be appropriate. 🔎Prescription medications that may predispose someone to Macular Degeneration include beta blockers and certain other blood pressure medications. Genetics also tends to play a part. That said, remember that 90% of gene expression is environmental (epigenetics) and we have much control over our environment!
👀Diabetic retinopathy is a complication usually resulting from poorly managed blood sugar. The longer blood sugar is poorly controlled, the greater the likelihood that this condition will develop. Symptoms are gradual (as with most chronic eye diseases), and include spots or “floaters” in vision, blurred vision, fluctuating vision impairment, dark or empty areas of vision, and ultimately vision loss. Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness between the ages of 20-74 years old. It is no small problem, and affects an estimated 4 million people every year.
If you’ve identified yourself in any of these possible scenarios, now’s the time to add IlluminEyes to your Young Living shopping cart on the regular. We have much to talk about in the way of eye health clues and supportive measures to counter balance the stumbling blocks we’ve all encountered in our walk through life. Eyes require certain nutrients…. Vitamins A, C, E, Lutein, and Zeaxanthin are key to optimal eye health, and IlluminEyes contains all of these. It also contains dried Wolfberry fruit powder which has a unique type of zeaxanthin that naturally boosts blood levels 2-5x higher than sources acquired elsewhere. Good stuff!
Support your eyes proactively. Once the damage is done, it’s often difficult (or impossible) to reverse. See you next week with more eye clues!
xoxo~ liz
#sharingiscaring
#supportyourlocalpeepers
#goodmedicine
#goodmedicineisproactiveinsteadofreactive
#thanksYL
🔎👀
Zinc Deficiency
‘Tis the season to chat about zinc (or lack thereof!). Frankly, we should have had this discussion two years ago…..better late than never, right? First, take a close look at the clues I dropped in the graphic, and then hop back here to tackle this very important topic!
Approximately 25-33% of the population is deficient in zinc. The World Health Organization says zinc deficiency is the 5th leading life-threatening factor in the world, especially in 57% of the elderly population. Kind of a big deal for a micronutrient! At least 16% of all deep respiratory infections are related to a zinc deficiency (impaired taste and smell, fever, cough, sore throat, generalized weakness, pain and achy limbs, runny nose, and even occasionally…. diarrhea😬 are all symptoms of deficiency btw).
Why? Zinc is one of the white hat good guys . It has over 200 known roles in body function (just take a look again at some of the clues related to low zinc), and is a key player in our immune system:
✅Adequate zinc is essential for preventing viral entry and also supports appropriate viral response in host cells.
✅Adequate zinc supports ciliary strength and action in the lungs. These are tiny hairlike structures in the lungs that help prevent mucus buildup.
✅Adequate zinc levels directly inhibit viral replication.
✅Adequate zinc levels have a supportive role in balancing immune response during a dis-ease process.
Additionally, 🔥zinc deficiency🔥 has been shown to play a role in:
🔥Type I Diabetes
🔥Rheumatoid Arthritis
🔥Cancer
🔥Neurodegenerative diseases
🔥Depression
🔥Malaria
🔥HIV
🔥Tuberculosis
🔥Measles
🔥Pneumonia
🔥Hormone imbalance
Zinc Factoids:
👉Excess is not stored in the body. Intake must occur daily.
👉Both deficiency and excess can negatively impact immune system function. This is but one reason to have thorough blood work run by a healthcare professional who will take the time to do a complete analysis.
👉Zinc “overload” is rare, but can certainly happen. When it does, it is usually due to a copper deficiency or zinc:copper ratio imbalance. (again, labwork!)
How did we become a world of zinc deficient people? Toxins and poor farming practices. Overworked soil and fertilizers containing too much phosphorus (which binds zinc) are to blame. Zinc cannot enter into the plants and then fails to make it into the food chain.
High toxin☠️exposure is also to blame. Just one more excellent reason to kick your known household toxins to the curb (toxins typically found in mainstream cleaning products, personal care items, processed foods and beverages, makeup etc).
Thankfully, we have solutions in place🙌 with Young Living Thieves Household Cleaner, a wonderful skincare line, and even our amazing YL Savvy Makeup collection. Kicking toxins to the curb is so easy knowing that pure unadulterated excellence is waiting to replace them!
Other causes of zinc deficiency:
🔥Chronic stress (depletes zinc rapidly)
🔥A high copper to zinc ratio
🔥Leaky gut and digestive disorders (zinc deficiency is both cause and effect!)
🔥Medication usage: ACE inhibitors (blood pressure), antacids and proton pump inhibitors, glucophage, beta blockers (blood pressure), birth control pills, corticosteroids, diuretics, NSAIDS, and statins are among those known to deplete zinc.
The USDA recommended daily allowance for zinc is 10-12 mg/day, but this does not account for the amount of toxins a person may be regularly exposed to. Many functional medicine doctors suggest that optimal daily zinc should be 20-40mg/day.
Foods high in zinc include pumpkin seeds, grass fed dairy (ex: Kerrygold Butter) , cashews, almonds, spinach, asparagus, dark chocolate, grass fed meat, salmon, mushrooms, and turkey.
Thankfully, we also have several Young Living Supplements containing zinc to supplement what we may get from food:
*Organic dried Wolfberries (1.8mg per 100gms)
* Immupro chewable tablets (5mg/tablet)
*Super B (3mg/2 tablets)
*Powergize (5mg / capsule)
*Balance Complete (4mg/ serving)
*AminoWise (2.1mg/ serving)
*Master Formula (15mg/packet)
*MegaCal (1mg/serving)
*MightyVites (for the littles….. 1.1mg/tablet)
*Mineral Essence (contains Zinc and 61 other important trace minerals)
*NingXia Red (contains zinc by virtue of its ingredients. I was unable to determine how much zinc it has per serving)
It’s a good idea to achieve the RDA minimum requirements on a daily basis (especially since zinc is not stored in the body!). My personal preference is to try to achieve the optimal recommendations by way of the foods I eat, and then supplementing with a variety of what is available to us with a Young Living membership. Immupro and Master Formula are two of my faves! In the event of illness, a larger mg/day may be needed.
Finally, there is a test you can do at home. It’s called a zinc tally/challenge (you can find more info on this online). It is an oral “taste test”. What you taste (no or weak taste versus a strong metallic taste) is an additional clue for the “health” of your zinc levels.
As always, do your research, and consult your favorite healthcare professional who should be well versed in analyzing blood work if you suspect you may have a zinc deficiency.
xoxo~ liz
#sharingiscaring
#ThanksYL
#watchyourzinc
#Goodmedicine
(PS: if you do not have a health care professional, I do offer blood work analysis)