Grounding Information as You Begin
Mineral Nutritional Balancing
What to expect when you begin MNB:
Start slow with supplements. Do not immediately take the full recommended dose, but take 2-4 weeks to ramp up. When it comes to minerals our body may need to move slowly and work up to the new intake of minerals. Generally, the more burnt out/depleted you have been the slower you’ll need to go. Think of it like pouring water on parched earth. You need to start with a few drips if you want it to start to soak in and as the earth gets more hydrated it can take in more. When we go slow and increase dosages over time we allow our body to absorb more and more, slowly. There is no rush.
If you feel detox symptoms (headaches, nausea, fatigue, rashes, digestive changes, etc) reduce dosage for 2-4 days and then try to increase again (if you haven’t reached full dose yet). If you have a reaction again, you may just need to stop at the dose where you do not react. You can just stay there, or try again in a week to increase, but there is no “right” way, the dosages are general recommendations based on the collective data, how you feel will be the best indicator for what your minimum effective dose is.
That being said, if you feel a little more tired than usual or notice digestive changes you can also increase detox support practices like castor oil packs, liver supportive herbal infusions, short sauna sessions, self lymph work, gentle stretching and walking, yoga nidra, coffee enemas (if not in a 4 lows pattern), more rest and sleep, increasing intake of fiber (legumes, cooked root and regular veggies). These things can help support detox pathways and make it easier for your body to detox the toxins it’s releasing from the tissues due to the MNB supplements.
You can expect to feel a little more tired and possibly need a little more rest than you’re used to. If it doesn’t create huge issues in your life to simply rest more, take more naps, and sleep in later (as long as you’re going to sleep before 10pm), just rest more. Know that your body is undergoing a real “clean out” and “rearranging” in so many unseen ways. You can expect to go through waves of increased tiredness when on a MNB protocol. It’s not necessarily a cause for alarm. Listen to yourself and make more space and know that it’s probably a sign your body is doing a lot of work in the background. If the exhaustion starts to effect your capacity to show up for things you need to show up for in your life or persists for multiple weeks or a month, please do reach out to me and let me know as we may need to adjust something on your protocol.
Women, you may see changes in your cycle initially. Minerals run enzymes, enzymes run hormones, and hormones effect how we perceive the world. When we rebalance minerals it will have a positive effect on our hormones, however, sometimes this can cause uncomfortable or “negative” symptoms initially, especially if there was hormone imbalances to begin with. Cycles may get longer, shorter, or there may difference in blood quality and amount. Generally, your symptoms tend to even out over a few cycles, but do let me know if you have any extreme cycle changes or irregular PMS/PMDD.
It is important to really focus on the basics when doing a Mineral Nutritional Balancing protocol: eating 3 meals a day, moving your body each day in a way that feels good, and making sure you rest and prioritize good sleep.
Get a pill organizer. This will make staying compliant with the supplements so much easier.
General Dietary Guidelines
Avoid and Eliminate: seed oils of any kind (safflower, canola, sunflower, soy, corn, cottonseed, grapeseed, and rice bran oil).
When you cook use saturated fats eg butter, grass-fed beef tallow, pasture raised duck fat, coconut oil etc. These are oils that stay solid at average room temperature.
You’re welcome to use olive oil on salads or on top of things, but it is not advisable to cook with it as it will become denatured at any temperatures higher than 300 F. It is also advisable to make sure you avoid really cheap olive oils and choose organic extra virgin unrefined olive oil as cheaper versions can sometimes contain seed oil fillers.
Avoid and begin to eliminate processed foods or anything that comes from a box, wrapper, bag, jar, or can. I understand we all need some convenience, but start to eliminate these in the places you are able to. Become more mindful of the places you could replace something packaged for something fresh or homemade.
Eat plenty of carbohydrates, especially if you a slow oxidizer. Make sure all grains are properly prepared (meaning soaked, sprouted or fermented). Sweet potatoes, squashes, potatoes, carrots, root veggies, and cooked veggies are all great. As is locally available, in season, ripe fruit or fruit that has been preserved (eg frozen, canned, cooked). Juices (without added ingredients) are great. Ideally they are cold pressed and unpasteurized, but as long as they are pure fruit juice that is ok.
Avoid raw veggies, other than raw carrots. Especially if you have issues with constipation, diarrhea, or digestive issues. Eating plenty of cooked veggies is highly recommended.
Avoid cold foods and drinks. Unless you are super hot and really need to cool down, I do not recommend drinking super cold beverages or eating food that is cold. (we all love some ice cream once in awhile! Not against this). Most of us have a dampened and weakened “digestive fire” which comes with mineral depletion. Even if digestive issues aren’t your biggest concern, avoiding cold food and drinks is going to be really supportive of your MNB process.
Dairy is a great source of minerals, hydration, and balanced macros. It can be advisable to opt for lower fat dairy, especially for slow oxidizers or people who feel they are heavier than they’d like to be. If you skim raw milk eg pour or scoop the cream off, it is about 2% milk equivalent. Our ancestors would have removed the fat from milk to make butter and for baking etc.
**please know that I will give you more personalized nutrition and dietary recommendations and you can also always refer to the Phases of Deep Nutrition framework for more generalized nutrition guidance.
General Hydration Guidelines
Ideally we are all drinking and cooking with natural spring water. Spring water is “alive’ and full of charged electrolytes. Opt for spring water whenever, wherever, and however you can. If you buy it, try to get it in glass bottles instead of plastic which will leave chemicals in the water.
If you need to use water out of a tap, make sure it is filtered. If you are on municipal water it is going to be full of things like chlorine, fluoride, hormone disrupting chemicals, pharmaceutical/antibiotic remnants that come from the excrement of people who take them and then are not removed in the water treatment process. You do not want to drink tap water really anywhere in the world. If you have a well, then there is the concern of heavy metals and other contaminants from the ground water (pesticides, agricultural chemicals, etc). I recommend getting a filter for both. I recommend Alta Water Systems for under sink filters or Greenfield Water Systems for whole house filters. You can also book a free call with Greenfield Water Systems to talk about your water needs. Both of these water systems also “structure” your water, meaning, they bring some of the electrolytic life back into like spring water. Your best option if you don’t have access to a spring.
I do not recommend Reverse Osmosis (RO) systems or “alkalinizing” water systems like Kangen as these will strip your body of minerals. If you use one of these it is advisable to find another source of water ASAP.
Do not add sea salt, electrolytes, or trace mineral drops to your water or drink adrenal cocktails unless I have explicitly recommended it. Contrary to consensus opinion these days, these are not good for everyone and can cause real harm when consumed by people who do not need more Sodium as part of their MNB program. If you have questions about this you can ask me. If you want to add something to your water to make it more absorbable, you can get a water structuring device, but it’s not necessary if you’re following the other recommendations.
Drink herbal infusions a few times a week. You don’t need to be chugging herbal infusions every day, but they can be very hydrating and mineral rich. Some very safe herbs to use for most people are: Hibiscus, Oat Straw, Tulsi (Holy Basil), Lemonbalm, and Nettle. Again, don’t go crazy, but take about 1/4 cup herbs to 4 cups filtered or spring water and letting this sit on the counter or in the sun for 24 hours and adding a little raw honey can be a really delicious and hydrating beverage.
Sparkly water is ok, just note that canned beverages are a source of Aluminum exposure and that unless noted these flavored sparkly waters are most likely tap water and using flavors that can be potentially toxic. I like the brand Rambler (spring water, but in cans), and Gerolsteiner (not flavored, but naturally carbonated spring water in glass bottle). Mountain Valley Spring Water is also a good brand of sparkly and still spring water and they do have some flavored options. Ideally it is not drunk super cold, but more room temperature. Adding in organic raw apple cider vinegar or making shrubs is a great way to make a nice “mocktail” or flavored beverage that helps support digestive fire and acidic stomach environment.
Drinking meat stocks and unprocessed milk, kefir and fermented beverages are amazing and hydrating things to drink.
Mineral Nutritional Balancing Info
