Allow me to share my detox diary with you. I thought it would be fun to share my hair mineral analysis tests and what you could expect on a Myers Detox Protocol. Let me tell you, it’s fun to see what metals are coming out of you every three months! It’s quite gratifying.
One day I realized I just didn’t feel good. I wanted to feel like I felt when I was younger – lean, full of energy, and optimistic. After experiencing very subtle health issues, for which my doctor didn’t provide realistic options to relieve their causes, I decided to try hair mineral analysis. I was curious about toxicity levels that I might have.
At this point, I’ve been on the program for over 2 years and have experienced dramatic improvements in every aspect of my health, weight, and energy. As soon as I started the program, I stopped craving salty foods like my favorite salt and vinegar potato chips (I’m ashamed to admit). I clearly was craving minerals (which my body thought would be had in the salty potato chips). I haven’t even thought about them since. My sugar cravings are pretty bad, but they have improved as my adrenal and thyroid health improved and gave me genuine energy. Sugar cravings are the body’s way of trying to obtain artificial energy. Having woken up in the middle of the night for years, I was sleeping through the night within a month. My mysterious hand and foot rashes that I’d had for years vanished. The chronic nasal drip I’d had since a child disappeared one day. I could go on and on. I feel better and better everyday.
I was Skeptical at First
I’ll admit, I was a bit skeptical at first about Myers Detox Protocol. I’d heard from my naturopathic doctor and another health practitioner that hair mineral tests weren’t accurate. But a test’s accuracy, of course, depends on the company doing the test. They were only advising me based on their limited knowledge of hair mineral analysis.
Taking a leap of faith, I did the test. With only knowledge to gain and nothing to lose, I signed up for the $250 test and had a little chunk of my hair chopped off. I know the results of my hair mineral analysis are accurate because I had recently performed $4000 worth of testing with my doctor to figure out what was going on with my health. All the hair testing results correlated exactly to what my medical tests revealed, but the hair test informed me of so much more! And offered me a solution for addressing the root cause and healing my health issues. Both tests showed adrenal fatigue, thyroid issues, blood sugar issues and nutrient deficiencies. My doctor was only offering my symptom-based treatments with hormone replacement therapy for adrenal fatigue and thyroid hormones. No thanks.
After being on the program for six months, my adrenal gland health was improving, my hormone levels were slowly returning to normal, my thyroid was functioning better, my mineral and vitamin levels had begun returning to healthier levels, and my inflammation levels had decreased. Not only that but I had lost a bit of weight and my energy levels were better than they’ve been in years. My favorite side effect? The program de-retarded me! I had major brain fog that finally began lifting. No medicine could do that! Based on my results, I had to share my experiences with you!
Components of My Program
There are four major components to a Myers Detox Protocol: supplements, detoxification, diet and lifestyle. I basically take supplements, mainly minerals with every meal (3 times a day), sleep (a lot), eat a proper diet with plenty of cooked veggies and high-quality animal protein and do detox methods like daily infrared saunas and coffee enemas. Ok, I’m supposed to do them daily, but I only am able to do the sauna 2-3 times a week and the coffee enemas 2-3 times a week. I still got great results. Of course, these are optional if you want to die at the thought of doing a coffee enema. I thought the same thing, but now I can’t imagine living without them. Curious? You can check out an overview of a Myers Detox Protocol.
Test #1
Here’s my first test. We’re going to go through it step by step. The first test assesses where you’re at mentally and physically. It reveals your stress pattern – or how your adrenals and thyroid are functioning. Additionally, it shows your mineral levels and toxic heavy metal levels – or at least which are being currently dumped, or eliminated, into the hair.
One must be careful when doing a hair mineral test or a metals push test with their doctor to not breathe a sigh of relief if their metals are low. This means nothing. Metals are hidden on initial tests, meaning they are stuck in my body’s tissues – the brain, bones, muscles, tendons and organs. An initial test does reveal your true toxicity level. You must do a long term detox program before seeing more metals come out on subsequent tests. Complete detoxing of metals usually takes 2-3 years, if not a decade or more. Toss that 10 day detox in a box you bought last week. It’s a joke.
Test #1 Interpretation
I will interpret the test step-by-step so you can see what’s going on in my body.
Mineral Levels
Keep in mind that mineral levels on a hair test are not actual levels in the body. They must be considered in relation to each other, as all minerals will affect levels of other minerals. Traditional supplementation is not done correctly for minerals – you can’t simply supplement a mineral that is found to be low on a test (hair or blood) and expect it to rise. Some mineral levels are being depressed by other minerals. Some minerals are being propped up by others. They affect and oppose each other. This is why you can’t simply supplement a low mineral level. Nothing is that simple. Our bodies are very complex.
This is why the program is called Myers Detox Protocol. It takes into consideration how your minerals affect each other and balance them until they are all at optimal levels.m
Now, let’s examine my mineral levels and the implications of their levels:
Calcium. Elevated calcium levels on a hair mineral analysis do not necessarily indicate the presence of too much calcium in your diet. It usually reflects abnormal calcium deposition in the hair and other soft tissues of the body. I have high calcium, which reveals built up toxic bioUNavailable forms of calcium in my joints, arteries and soft tissues. Biounavailable means a nutrient is in a form the body doesn’t use. So, it has to store it away somewhere. In recent years I had become much stiffer and pulled muscles much more easily than in the past due to the calcification of my tissues. This is incredibly common – it’s not just because you’re getting old!
Sodium and Potassium. Low sodium and potassium levels mean I have low adrenal function. This was evidenced in the fact that I had extremely low energy and low blood sugar episodes.
Iron, Manganese, Aluminum. If these three are all low it means they are sequestered in the tissues causing problems. They can cause any imaginable symptom.
Copper. My copper level is in the ideal range for now….
Zinc. My zinc is not too low, but it’s not ideal either. Low zinc levels are associated with mood swings, digestive disturbances, skin problems, vision issues, prostate problems and a reduced sense of taste and smell and appetite.
Chromium. As you can see my chromium is quite low. Low chromium contributed to my blood sugar imbalances, cravings for sweets and starches and caused fatigue. In others, it can cause elevated cholesterol and diabetes.
Selenium. My selenium is very low as well. This causes impaired detoxification and reduced thyroid function. Prolonged deficiency can lead to cancer.
Phosphorus. My phosphorus is normal, but it could stand to improve. This mineral is involved in protein synthesis and energy production. When yours is too low it can indicate that you’re not digesting protein very well. Maintaining healthy levels of phosphorus is important because protein is necessary for the regeneration of all body tissues.
Toxic Metals
Look at the Toxic Metals sections. You can see that I’m releasing some mercury and aluminum.
Mercury. Mercury toxicity could be from eating too much mercury-laden fish and shellfish, mercury amalgam fillings, simply breathing air containing mercury (from coal burning), and contact lens solution. Almost everyone today is mercury toxic. It’s everywhere – and wreaking havoc on your waistline because it interferes with thyroid function. I’m not talking about acute mercury poisoning. Mercury toxicity is a slow poisoning. I, apparently, have been poisoning myself slowly with sushi.
Aluminum. My aluminum toxicity could have come from any number of sources. Common sources include antiperspirant deodorant, eating flour, sugar and salt (it’s used as an anti-caking agent), using antacids, drinking water, eating at restaurants that use aluminum cookware, or cooking with aluminum foil. The most common contributor of this metal is drinking soda in aluminum cans. I drank sodas every day for decades.
All the other metals are what are referred to as ‘hidden,’ meaning they are stuck in my body’s tissues – my brain, bones, muscles, tendons and organs. As this is the case, they will not show up in a blood test. Everyone has these metals in excessive amounts in their body. You will see various metals being release on each subsequent test in future blog posts. It’s fun getting this crud out of your body!
Mineral Ratios
Now look at the Significant Mineral Ratios section. Mineral ratios show your metabolic patterns. A mineral ratio is simply one mineral level divided by another mineral ratio. They can be much more revealing than looking at mineral levels alone, as they reveal certain disease trends. The ratios are merely associations but are good predictors of hidden or future metabolic dysfunctions.
CA/MG: Calcium to Magnesium Ratio. This Ratio is called Blood-sugar Ratio and shows how well you’re metabolizing carbohydrates or if you’re eating too many carbs. It reveals insulin resistance and diabetes. Normal is 6.67:1. Mine is 11.75:1, which means I’m eating more carbs than my body can handle in the forms of grains, fruit or sugars. How does this ratio reveal your blood-sugar imbalances? Calcium is required for the release of insulin from the pancreas. Magnesium inhibits insulin secretion. So, when these are in balance, the pancreas is not releasing too much or too little insulin.
CA/K: Calcium to Potassium Ratio. This ratio is called the Thyroid ratio because calcium and potassium play a vital role in regulating thyroid activity. A normal ratio is 4:1. Mine is 31.33:1. Ew. Not so good. This is why it became impossible to lose the weight that I gained when I was pregnant – a very common scenario for women. I had always enjoyed a soaring metabolism, eating almost anything I wanted my whole life. Losing my thyroid function was a serious reality check! Hello Paleo! This much of an imbalance in my thyroid function essentially reveals that my energy production had decreased, meaning when I eat, I don’t burn the calories off. You can say that again.
NA/MG: Sodium to Magnesium. This is referred to as the Adrenal Stress Ratio because sodium levels are directly associated with adrenal gland function. This ratio is also a measure of energy output because the adrenals are a major regulator of the rate of metabolism. A normal ratio is 4.17:1. Mine is 2.13:1. My adrenals are at half mast. Symptoms often associated with adrenal fatigue are low libido, allergies, depression, fatigue, hypoglycemia and poor digestion.
NA/K Sodium to Potassium. This is referred to as the Life-death ratio or Vitality ratio because it is so critical. A normal ratio is 2.5:1 while mine is 5.67:1. Ok. So I’m not bursting with vitality. But I’m not going to die just yet. Sodium and potassium regulate cell osmosis. Sodium is extracellular while potassium in intracellular. If the ratio is unbalanced it indicates physiological malfunctions within the cells. My high ratio is associated with asthma, allergies, kidney and liver problems and inflammation. This ratio is also intimately linked to adrenal function.
ZN/CU Zinc to Copper. This ratio can show either high zinc or copper toxicity. Low zinc to copper reveals copper toxicity. As you can see I have copper toxicity. A normal ratio is 8:1, while mine is 5.83:1. Copper toxicity is almost ubiquitous in our bodies today. Almost everyone is copper toxic to some degree. Copper toxicity symptoms include allergies, asthma, headaches, low immunity, female problems, infections, insomnia, liver problems, skin problems and emotional instability. Severe copper toxicity signs include severe emotional instability, slow healing, loss of taste, smell and appetite and hair loss.
Start a Myers Detox Protocol
As you begin to mineralize your body with the minerals and supplements recommended to you based upon your hair mineral analysis, your body is slowly able to release the toxic heavy metals that are poisoning your body and metabolism. This process is slow in some, dramatic in others. Additionally, once you begin giving your body the minerals it so desperately needs, it finally has the energy and tools it needs to start ‘cleaning house,’ so to speak, and dump heavy metals. Your body knows how to heal itself. Its just needs the tools and nutrients to do the job.
In the next few blog posts I’ll be chronicling my results from subsequent hair tests and detox dilemmas like healing reactions when these nasty metals came out of my body. Not fun, but I’m glad they’ve been detoxed because they would be doing so much damage to my health if I had allowed them to remain.
Learn how to get started on your own Myers Detox Protocol and detox all the metals and chemicals that are contributing to your health problems. I am certified in the protocol and would be happy to help you.
“It is the relationships between the minerals in your body that determine how much energy you will have.”
— Dr. Paul Eck (researcher and developer of Mineral Balancing Science)
Are you on the edge of your seat wondering what my next hair test looks like? Read Part 2 in this intriguing sequel!
