Next Ingredient

Motivation Behind Next Ingredient (Part Two of Two)

(In Part One I shared some of my own health challenges that have resolved or mostly subsided in the last couple of years.)

Here are some of the things I have found to be the most helpful. There are some other symptoms I currently deal with that I am still working on because they are long-term processes:

-Allowing my body to progress through as much of its healing process as possible without interruption or suppression. I started looking at symptoms as a sign that support was needed, rather than as a threat that needed to be stopped. I have tried to allow more room for normal inflammation and other aspects of healing processes, rather than immediately supressing them on a daily basis.

-I increased my caloric intake. This has been a challenge for a few reasons, such as food sensitivities and low thyroid function, but it has had a huge impact on my health and has helped me build my function back up, and has made it possible to strength train and have a more normal sleep cycle.

-Working on increasing healthy cellular metabolism without blockages in glucose utilization.

-Adjusting my fatty acids profile toward a low polyunsaturated fatty acid-to-saturated fat ratio. This is something I shifted in my routine a few years ago, and it helped me significantly in wound healing and helped my nosebleeds become way lighter and less frequent.

-Daily walks and other movements that increase my mobility and strength. I set small movement goals for myself that I progress to gradually. I am still working on this, but it is becoming less miserable.

-Increasing my mineral intake. (This includes major and trace minerals.) This has helped me with heart issues.

-Macronutrient pairing. This has helped me to balance out energy crashes, which was a big problem for me.

-Preparing food that was easy to break down and assimilate.

There are some other details that have helped me to gain better function and resilience, but the things I mentioned above are the ones that are easiest to put into words. I hope you find this encouraging if you are struggling with your health.

The Potassium-Period Connection

A primary mineral like Potassium plays a role across all body systems in dozens of ways. Here are two specific ways that Potassium plays a role in supporting a healthy period:

First, it’s important to know that the Uterus is made up of several layers of tissue, some of which are layers of muscle.

A healthy period sheds the lining of the Uterus, also called the endometrium. The Uterus contracts, similar to the contractions that are part of childbirth. These contractions slowly move the endometrium away from the next layer of the Uterus, and out of the body.

This process includes the firing of muscle fibers. Muscles fire properly when mineral ratios are in balance. There are a few minerals involved with muscle function. Potassium is one of these, and the one we use in the largest amounts in general, daily.

Next, Potassium sensitizes cells to Thyroid Hormone. Even if there is plenty of Thyroid Hormone being produced, it has to actually make contact with cells in order for that communication circuit to be completed.

The Thyroid is the organ that sets the metabolic rate of our cell function. Potassium is a part of this.

To summarize, we want the cells in the endocrine system to be in high-quality communication with the Thyroid. We also want muscles to fire properly so the Uterus can complete the action of menstruation.

Potassium is needed for the above two details.

Potassium can be found in many food sources, including Pork, Tuna, Dairy, Citrus, Coconut, Avocado, and more.

Nutrition Support

Next Ingredient offers one-on-one nutritional consulting to support you in your health journey.

Consulting is done with Gail Kloosterman, who works with you to find the the right meal options for your body.

As a new client, you can either book general nourishment sessions, or you can jump right into a mineral evaluation via Next Ingredient’s HTMA service.

To book an intake session or ask questions, call or message 541-246-6550.

More information available at www.nextingredient.com

Eggs

Eggs are densely nutritious, providing a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, and other compounds that support healthy organ function. Here is a partial list of what is found in an Egg:

Branched Chain Amino Acids:
Valine
Leucine
Isoleucine

Other Amino Acids:
Cystine
Histidine
Lysine
Methionine
Phenylalanine
Threonine
Tryptophan
Tyrosine

Fat-Soluble Vitamins:
Retinol (Pre-formed Vitamin A)
Vitamin D/Hormone D
Vitamin E Group (Antioxidant)

Other Antioxidants:
Lutein
Zeaxanthin

B Vitamins:
Riboflavin (B2)
Pantothenic Acid (B5)
Pyridoxine (B6)
Biotin (B7)
Folate (B9)
Cobalamin (B12)

Major Minerals:
Calcium
Potassium
Magnesium
Phosphorous

Trace Minerals:
Iron
Selenium
Zinc
Iodine

Other:
Cholesterol
Choline

And more…….

Solé Water

There are lots of ways to support your body’s mineral needs. One easy way is to use Solé. This is a mineral concentrate that you can prepare yourself and keep on hand as an electrolyte replacement.

(This is not a complete electrolyte replacement, but it can help to replace some of the Sodium and Chloride that the body uses daily. Depending on the type of Salt you use, you might also be ingesting some Magnesium and trace amounts of other minerals in your Solé water.)

Method:

Take a clean glass jar and fill it a quarter of the way up with Salt.

Pour clean water over the Salt, to fill the rest of the jar up.

Cover the jar and let the Salt and water sit together overnight. The water will dissolve the Salt.

If there is undissolved Salt left in the bottom of the jar when you check it the next morning, you know that the water is saturated with as much Salt as it can hold. That is why there is leftover Salt.

If all of the Salt has been dissolved into the water, you can add a couple more tablespoons of Salt and let the water absorb more.

This mixture is your homemade Solé. You can now use a teaspoon of this to add to a tall glass of water to sip slowly throughout the day. This aids in the absorption of water all the way into the cells of the body.

Add Lemon juice if needed for taste.

(Avoid covering the Solé with a metal lid. The metal in the lid will react if it touches the salty water, causing rust to leak into the jar.)