Are Nutrient Gaps Holding You Back?
“Balance in the body is the foundation for balance in life.”
Do you ever ask yourself, “Why is it so hard to get my body into balance?”
Years ago, I asked myself this very question on a daily basis. I was eating a balanced diet filled with fresh, wholesome foods, hydrating all day, and exercising on a regular basis. On paper, I was the picture of health. Yet, I was vexed with symptoms like mood swings, bloating, dry skin, insatiable sugar cravings, irregularity, brain fog, insomnia, and perpetual weight gain.
At the time, I was an undergrad and my clinical nutrition studies assured me that I was doing everything ‘right’. But my body told me otherwise. I was frustrated with the long list of things that I tried, from running more, to calorie obsession, to anti-depressants. I even became Reiki certified in my search for balance. It wasn’t until my Master’s work in my holistic studies that I was able to gain knowledge beyond the FDA’s antiquated ‘RDA minimums’. More on this later.
It was then that I discovered micronutrient deficiency, also called “hidden hunger,” robs billions of people of feeling their best each day. Some experts even say they’re essentially the root of all disease. With the help of my functional medicine mentors and comprehensive bloodwork, I was able to detect exactly what my body was lacking. Once I corrected my nutrient deficiencies, my body began to operate like a well oiled machine. My symptoms dissipated in a matter of weeks. (This is now my passion to share with others — learn more here.)
Now let’s dial it back to the part where eating a balanced diet doesn’t always dish out all the nutrients we need…
While awareness of malnutrition in the developing world is high, micronutrient deficiency in the U.S. is rarely discussed. Yet, it’s a serious and growing challenge across all segments of our population. In fact, the U.S. leads the world in deaths caused by degenerative diseases. The very name given to such diseases – DEGENERATIVE - indicates a nutritional deficiency. (Read that again.)
“According to a NHANES survey, 99% of people are deficient in one or more nutrients at the minimum level.”
Statistics from the Linus Pauling Institute on nutrient status in the United States show that:
100% don’t get enough potassium
95% don’t get enough magnesium
94% don’t get enough vitamin D
92% don’t get enough choline
89% don’t get enough vitamin E
67% don’t get enough vitamin K
44% don’t get enough calcium
43% don’t get enough vitamin A
39% don’t get enough vitamin C
Most Americans are deficient in several essential micronutrients that are critical to health and well-being. There’s no question the Standard American Diet (SAD) contributes to this rising problem. Nevertheless, the rates of nutrient deficiencies in the United States are shocking. And as shocking as these statistics are, they almost certainly underestimate the true rates of nutrient deficiencies.
Nutrient deficiency statistics are often based on the RDA. But there are several problems with using the RDA as the benchmark for how much of a nutrient we should consume. The RDA is simply the minimum amount of a nutrient that we need to avoid disease. It was developed during World War II to ensure that the rations fed to soldiers would meet their basic nutrient needs. It is not the amount that’s required for optimal health and longevity.
The bottom line: Even if you consume a well rounded diet, micronutrient deficiencies can still affect you —just as they did me— and they may be the reason you're feeling less than your best. Here are 3 reasons why…
01. Our food is less nutritious than it was 100 years ago.
Even if your days are filled with fresh salad, fruit smoothies, and veg-heavy stir fry, much of the produce we eat today is far less nutritious than is was decades ago thanks to the state of our high-yield food system (depleted soil, GMO’s, transportation time, etc.). In 2004, a landmark study of fruits and vegetables found that important nutrients like protein, calcium, iron and vitamin C had declined up to 38% since 1950.
Industrialized agriculture practices are known to deplete the soil of minerals and other nutrients. They favor high-yield, genetically modified crops to keep up with demand, which tend to be lower in nutrient density. Climate shifts can also play a role, like acid rain water and the rising levels of carbon dioxide in our environment, both linked to produce with fewer nutrients.
Not to mention, not all of us are able to eat organic 100% of the time. Conventionally-grown crops typically use nitrogen-rich synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides, that create a more starchy plant rather than an antioxidant-rich plant. Some studies even show non-organic produce falling up to 300x short in micronutrient content compared to their organic counterparts. Lower nutrients usually mean less flavor—you can taste the difference.
And what about those not-so nutritionally ideal moments? The reality is, none of us are perfect all the time (nor should we be!) But according to the CDC, in 2018 only 9.3 percent of American adults got the recommended daily serving of vegetables, meaning more than 90% of people fell short.
02. Environmental and physiological stress deplete us.
Stress comes in many shapes and forms. We often think of it as meeting a work deadline, relationship challenges, or financial worries. But stress on the body can also show up as recovering from an injury, or that half-marathon you just ran. Polishing off that half a bottle of wine to unwind after a long week. Inhaling the fumes of the bleach-based cleaner you use to clean your shower. The air fresheners, scented candles, or dryer sheets that fill our homes. Wearing clothes that were washed in toxic laundry detergent. Saturating your skin with your favorite ‘coconut’ body lotion, or the hundredth squirt of triclosan-based hand sanitizer. You get the point.
From the air we breathe to the thoughts we think, our daily lives are bombarded with carcinogenic toxins and maxed out with social/emotional strains. Much of this exposure is unavoidable, and while some forms of stress is a good thing, too much of anything is never good. Take that after-work libation, for instance: alcohol–induced oxidative stress causes your liver cells to work harder to break it down. To get the job done, it requires vitamins (specifically vitamins B1, B2, B6, C, and folic acid) so it takes them from your body’s reserves.
Stress demands your body work overtime, which can chip away at nutrient levels and lead to micronutrient depletion of essential nutrients like magnesium, zinc, calcium, iron, and niacin. It also affects your body’s metabolic response to food, inhibiting its ability to absorb nutrients. So even if you’re eating well, your stress may be obstructing your body’s ability to reap the benefits.
03. Seasons of life require specific nutritional support.
Just as mother nature goes through seasons of change, so do our bodies. Your body requires different kinds of support depending on what you’re going through at a given time. These changes can be rhythmic and in tune with the lunar calendar, like monthly menstrual cycles which sap our bodies of magnesium, or the predictable months between October-May when most regions of the U.S. lack of sunshine (our primary source of Vitamin D). Or they can be individual seasons of change like pregnancy, hormonal shifts, or even recovering from injury or illness — all states in which your body needs additional nutrients.
The aging declines that naturally occur over your lifetime also require specific nutrients. The beginnings of cognitive decline byway of reduced blood flow to the brain start to show up as early as age 20. Natural synthesis of collagen, the protein that keeps skin youthful, begins decreasing at age 25. After age 30, you begin to lose muscle mass; as much as 3% to 5% (roughly 5-10 pounds of lean muscle) per decade. Around age 40, bone density slowly begins to decline between 10-30% per decade. While we can’t entirely escape the effects time has on our body, we can offer it the extra nutritional support it needs to thrive throughout these seasons of life.
So what can you do?
Given the state of our food system, it’s more important than ever to opt for locally and/or organically grown produce when possible. By eating an abundance of fresh and wholesome foods, you’re going a long way to ensure peak nutrition.
Reduce your stress burden by regularly carving out space for self-care. Try these simple rituals to scale back cortisol in less than 5 minutes.
Lower your V.O.C. exposure by choosing non-toxic cleaners, avoiding fragrance in household and personal care products, opting for clean skincare, and purifying your air and water.
Tune into your body's innate wisdom and listen to the signals your body sends you —both loud and soft— to cue you into its ever-changing needs.
Mindfully support your diet with supplements to help make up the balance. Consider them your nutritional insurance policy that offers you everyday protection against nutrient gaps and coverage to lean back on when you need it most. We view supplements the same way we view food: the ideal daily regimen is the one that’s personalized specifically for you. Learn the specific nutrients you need to cover your bases, buffer against those sneaky deficiencies, and help your body thrive.
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