Addressing Nutrient Deficiencies

Nutrients are essential to both life and health. In a perfect world, I would and should be able to get all the nutrients we need through a nutrient dense, whole food diet. Unfortunately, due unsustainable agricultural practices, busy schedules, lack of education around nutrition and many other factors, we can be robbed of many nutrients that we need for optimal health.

addressing nutrient deficiencies

Nutrient Deficiencies – What Depletes our Nutrients?

Chronic stress
Stealth pathogens
Malabsorption due to poor gut function
Inadequate stomach acid or bile
Liver ailments and disease
Certain medications

Common Medications that Impact Nutrient Absorption / Deplete Certain Nutrients:

Acid blockers
Antibiotics
Anti-convulsants
Anti-hypertensives
Cholesterol-lowering medications
Oral hypoglemics
Laxatives
Diuretics

Common Nutrient Deficiencies:

Iron deficiency
Iodine
Vitamin D (Yes, even in the Sunshine State!)
B12
Vitamin A
Magnesium
Calcium

Symptoms of Nutrient deficiencies will vary, depending on the nutrient that is deficient. Common symptoms include hair loss, fatigue, consultation, numbness/tingling, changes in mood, loss appetite, muscle weakness or cramping, lowered immune function, low bone density, changes in your menstrual cycle or PMS, restless legs, dry and flakey skin, brain fog, poor concentration, poor memory recall, dizziness, headaches and so much more.

If I’m deficient in a nutrient, shouldn’t I just take a Supplement?

Wait! Don’t pop that pill just yet! It’s important to note that we don’t always want to just supplement our way out of a nutrient deficiency. Sometimes we do need supplementation due to lack of specific nutrients in our diet, but sometimes the problem is larger than that and we need to address it at the root. Why is this important? Let’s say you have a pathogen or parasite that is consuming specific nutrients, leaving you deficient. If you blindly supplement, you’ll be feeding that pathogen or parasite. This is the difference between taking a pill because a lab shows something is off, and determining why something is off to begin with.

How healing with us is different:

At Balanced Healing of Jacksonville I always search for the ‘why’ so I can heal things appropriately. This may look like functional labs, basic blood work panels, reviewing a food journal and evaluating your stress to come up with a full picture of what’s contributing to your nutrient deficiencies.