Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Minerals Are Not Optional!
119 Plays29 days ago
This week, I’m explaining why macro minerals (and the correct mineral balance) are essential to your health. These minerals aren’t just side characters in your wellness journey—they’re the power grid behind your energy, fertility, and hormone balance.
I talk about:
- Why minerals are foundational to metabolism and hormonal signaling
- The role of magnesium in thyroid hormone conversion
- How sodium and potassium keep your cells charged and thyroid humming
- Why calcium balance matters way beyond bone health
- Real food sources of each macro mineral and why supplements aren't always the first step
This episode wraps up Season 3, but we’ll be back soon with Season 4, so be sure to subscribe and stay connected!
Ready to learn more? I’ve got a ton of free resources for you!
🎉 FOLLOW me on IG @cassidy.woelfel 🎉
SIGN UP for my webinar on assessing your thyroid and metabolism at home for free
Check out my course Metabolism by Intelligent Design
SUBSCRIBE to this podcast ❤️
And don’t forget to shout me out online 😍
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to 'Eat Like a Mother' Podcast
00:00:14
Speaker
Welcome to the eat like a mother podcast where we take complicated topics surrounding hormones and metabolism and make them simple and applicable to your daily life as a woman. I'm your host castie. Well fell.
00:00:25
Speaker
My hope is that you walk away feeling empowered to start taking radical responsibility for your health and lean into this body. God created for you. Are you ready to eat like a mother? This podcast is meant for educational purposes only and is not meant to be taken as medical advice.
00:00:43
Speaker
Please consult your physician before making any dietary or lifestyle changes.
Recap and Introduction to Macrominerals
00:00:47
Speaker
Well, last week we talked all about balancing your blood sugar and how managing and balancing your blood sugar is one of the most important things that you can do for your hormones and metabolism.
00:00:57
Speaker
And in last week's episode, I teased about potassium. And while I set out to have an episode that was really more focused just on potassium, as I got into preparing for this episode, I realized that it's actually pretty important to talk about the four macrominerals.
00:01:14
Speaker
And so that is what we're going to talk about today. Minerals are often treated like the footnotes in nutrition, but honestly, they're really the unsung heroes of your hormones and metabolism.
00:01:26
Speaker
So today we'll be unpacking how sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, those are your macrominerals, how all of these macrominerals work as the electrical foundation for your endocrine system.
00:01:39
Speaker
If you're new to this and you've never listened to my podcast before, your endocrine system is just your hormonal system. It's just the fancy or technical way to talk about it. So that is what we're going to talk about today.
Understanding Macrominerals
00:01:50
Speaker
Now, before we get into all of the nitty gritty, I want to just cover the basics. what are the macrominerals and why do they matter so macrominerals again that's sodium potassium magnesium and calcium these are minerals the body requires in relatively large quantities so grams per day not just trace amounts i want you to make note of this because usually when i start talking about minerals people ask me about trace mineral drops they ask me about what supplements to take when it comes to minerals And usually, by and large, when I'm talking about minerals, I'm talking about the macrominerals because if we don't have these macrominerals in place, then your body's not even going to be able to utilize microminerals and other vitamins well.
00:02:37
Speaker
So these are the foundation. These are what we have to get right first before we start looking at all of these other tiny trace things that you could possibly take to improve metabolism and hormones.
00:02:51
Speaker
Now, a quick basic overview of the key roles of these macrominerals.
Role of Sodium and Potassium
00:02:55
Speaker
So sodium and potassium, i like to talk about together because they really work hand in hand. Sodium and potassium, they regulate fluid balance, nerve impulses, and muscle contractions.
00:03:06
Speaker
These minerals are essential for transmitting electrical signals across cells. And then we have magnesium. Magnesium acts as a cofactor for over 300 enzymatic reactions, including energy production. So ATP production within the mitochondria of the cell. This is the basis of bioenergetics and metabolic healing. So magnesium is super, super important.
Importance of Magnesium and Calcium
00:03:33
Speaker
So yes, it's involved in energy or ATP production, detoxification, and the synthesis of hormones. And then you have calcium. So beyond just bones, you know, you probably understand calcium for bone health.
00:03:46
Speaker
It's also crucial for nerve signaling, blood clotting, and intracellular signaling. Now, these four macrominerals are involved in generating and maintaining the electrical potential of cells.
00:04:01
Speaker
Without proper mineral balance, cells can't generate enough energy efficiently or respond to hormonal signals. So I want you to think of them as the wiring and power grid that keep your hormonal system online.
00:04:17
Speaker
So if that's the case, if minerals are the wiring and the power grid for your hormonal system, how does that work with metabolic health, thyroid, And what do all of these mean in continuity with one another?
Impact of Macromineral Balance
00:04:32
Speaker
Now let's break down a little bit more what each of these macrominerals are doing. So let's start with magnesium. Magnesium enables ATP production inside mitochondria. So if we don't have ATP production, we have no energy and no hormonal signaling. Now active thyroid hormone or T3 actually upregulates metabolism and that requires ATP.
00:04:59
Speaker
Magnesium is needed to make and stabilize ATP. It's it's technically known as magnesium ATP. within the system and a deficiency in magnesium actually impairs the conversion of T4 to t three which happens in the liver.
00:05:16
Speaker
And this increases reverse t three which is metabolically inactive. It's actually the liver's ability to store glucose as glycogen and then later convert it into glucose in times of need.
00:05:30
Speaker
That impacts your ability to convert T4 to T3 and these enzymes that break down and convert T4 into T3 are driven by magnesium.
00:05:41
Speaker
So that's something that I want you to keep in mind. It's not necessarily minerals that are driving hormonal conversion. It is enzymes that lead to hormonal conversion or drive hormonal conversion, but it's actually minerals that load the enzymes that drive hormonal conversion. So that is why when we talk about hormones and we talk about thyroid and we talk about minerals,
00:06:05
Speaker
It's because without proper mineral balance, you're not going to have the enzymes necessary to move hormonal function along, to balance your hormones, to further hormonal conversion.
00:06:20
Speaker
Now let's talk about sodium and potassium. So these work together in the sodium potassium ATPase pump. So if you're new to the science world, anytime you hear A's at the end of a word, that means that it is an enzyme.
00:06:34
Speaker
So this is the sodium potassium ATP enzyme pump, which maintains cellular voltage and energy balance. So T3 increases the number and function of these pumps.
00:06:48
Speaker
If you are low in either sodium or potassium, cells cannot maintain proper charge and use thyroid hormone efficiently. And this is really important if you are someone who is trying to conceive because thyroid hormone is absolutely necessary for the conversion and production of progesterone.
00:07:05
Speaker
So if you are having trouble in your cycle, if you're having trouble conceiving, you might want to look upstream to your thyroid, to your minerals, because if we're not getting enough sodium and potassium, then our cells will not be able to utilize thyroid hormone efficiently, meaning that we will not be able to convert progesterone effectively, and that will perpetuate issues with infertility.
00:07:29
Speaker
Now, it was Dr. Ray Peet that described how thyroid hormone increases oxygen consumption at rest. And this is partly driven by how much sodium and potassium exchange is happening in your cells.
00:07:42
Speaker
If you want to heal your metabolism, if you want to improve thyroid function, if you want to improve your fertility, you have to get sodium and potassium correct. And i will make a little note right here because a lot of people want to start with magnesium and most people are supplementing magnesium and that's good.
00:08:00
Speaker
Magnesium for most people is going to need to be supplemented because magnesium is one of those minerals. that is really hard to absorb from nature. Our soil is so depleted, so we're not getting as much magnesium in our food as we would have, say, 100 years ago.
00:08:17
Speaker
So it is important to supplement magnesium, but I always like to remind people that before you jump into supplementing magnesium, you really need to get sodium and potassium in place first.
Calcium's Role in Health
00:08:29
Speaker
Otherwise, if you are not getting enough sodium and potassium, supplementing magnesium can lead to secondary potassium deficiency and that will just perpetuate metabolic dysfunction so remember that if you're someone that regularly supplements magnesium you really do need to be looking at your sodium and potassium intake first before you start popping pills every single day.
00:08:56
Speaker
Okay, lastly, let's talk about calcium. This is one that I don't talk about a lot because most people are getting calcium in their diet, especially if you're consuming dairy or meat products, you're probably already getting enough calcium, but I still wanna talk about it because calcium is crucial and it needs to be properly balanced. So calcium has to be properly balanced with sodium, potassium, and magnesium.
00:09:21
Speaker
High intracellular calcium can actually suppress mitochondrial function and increase oxidative stress. When calcium regulation is off, often due to low magnesium, which is perpetuated by low sodium and potassium, the body compensates by increasing parathyroid hormone,
00:09:40
Speaker
which pulls calcium from the bones and keeps it circulating in the blood. This is catabolic and inflammatory. Dr. Ray Peat noted that chronic elevated parathyroid hormone suppresses thyroid function and increases soft tissue calcification,
00:09:57
Speaker
both markers of aging and metabolic decline. This is just another reason why getting your minerals, specifically your macrominerals in place is critical if you're wanting to age well.
00:10:11
Speaker
And this doesn't mean popping supplements for each of these macrominerals. I highly recommend getting these through your diet, which I'll give you some examples later on in this episode, but these need to be balanced with one another because if you're getting an imbalance of minerals and not getting enough of one and getting too much of another, that can lead to problems in and of itself.
00:10:32
Speaker
So don't hear what I'm not saying and go and just supplement a crap ton of these minerals because you think that's going to help you. and You really need to understand the interplay of how they work together, how sodium and potassium are working together and how they need to be balanced, how magnesium comes alongside that and with calcium.
Macrominerals and Hormonal Health
00:10:50
Speaker
But for now, just know that these are important and you should be paying attention to them in what you're eating because they are the foundation of hormonal health. Now with that, let's talk a little bit more about just exactly how these minerals affect hormonal health as they interplay together.
00:11:09
Speaker
So let's start by talking about sodium and the adrenals. Sodium is often vilified, but it's actually vital for adrenal function. The adrenal glands release something known as aldosterone, which controls sodium retention.
00:11:23
Speaker
Low sodium equals increased aldosterone and cortisol, stressing the adrenals. Morley Robbins actually explains that chronic sodium deficiency mimics adrenal fatigue symptoms like dizziness, salt cravings, fatigue, low blood pressure.
00:11:41
Speaker
So if you're someone that has been diagnosed with quote-unquote adrenal fatigue, but your doctor or your practitioner doesn't address your dietary sodium intake, that's a problem because likely you could be having these symptoms and it really is a simple fix and you're not being told that.
00:11:59
Speaker
Restoring sodium really can be as simple as utilizing mineral rich salt or things like adrenal cocktails to help rebalance something known as the HPA axis or the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis.
00:12:15
Speaker
And this is just the fancy way of saying the ah hormonal cascade that begins in your hypothalamus, which then triggers your pituitary gland and the hormones of the pituitary gland then trigger the hormones of your adrenal glands.
00:12:30
Speaker
So if we want to restore that hormonal cascade, that hormonal symphony, we have to start by restoring sodium. Now let's talk about potassium and specifically potassium with insulin sensitivity. I talked a little bit about this last week, but insulin, as you know, is a hormone and potassium is the most abundant intracellular mineral and works closely with insulin.
00:12:56
Speaker
It's required for proper transport of glucose into the cells. So Low potassium means poor glucose utilization, which means fatigue, cravings, and weight gain.
00:13:08
Speaker
Dr. Ray Peat, again, love him, argued that sugar really isn't the enemy. It's the lack of minerals like potassium and magnesium that blocks sugar metabolism and leads to blood sugar dysfunction.
00:13:22
Speaker
And in my own experience working with clients and with course students, this is one of the biggest indicators of people who have success with managing their blood sugar, regulating their hormones, and improving metabolic function.
00:13:35
Speaker
When an emphasis is put on potassium intake, namely getting minimum 4,500 milligrams of potassium a day, we see a significant improvement in blood sugar regulation, in hormonal production, and in metabolic function.
00:13:51
Speaker
Now, magnesium supports progesterone production, balances estrogen, and supports and nourishes the adrenals. Magnesium, like we've said before, is very important for different liver-driven pathways and mechanisms, namely the detoxification pathway that breaks down excess estrogen.
00:14:11
Speaker
A deficiency in magnesium can lead to estrogen dominance, PMS, Menstrual irregularity, anxiety, infertility, so many different things. Excess estrogen is anti-metabolic. It will decrease metabolic function because estrogen is a stress hormone when it is out of balance.
00:14:31
Speaker
And magnesium helps to prevent the accumulation of estrogen in the tissue. Estrogen is one of those hormones that stores in your tissue and becomes toxic, inflammatory. So that's one thing to remember if you get your blood drawn and maybe your estrogen is fine.
00:14:47
Speaker
Blood is not a great way to measure estrogen in the body because estrogen is not meant to be in the blood. Estrogen works on the tissues and stores in the tissues. So even if your estrogen is showing fine on blood tests,
00:15:00
Speaker
You still could be suffering from the inflammatory effects of excess estrogen, but you wouldn't know that because it is stored in your tissue and not in your blood. Now, lastly, let's wrap this up by talking about calcium, parathyroid hormone, and hormonal aging.
00:15:16
Speaker
So when dietary calcium is low, this is one reason why I'm a huge advocate for raw dairy, but when dietary calcium is low, parathyroid hormone increases to pull calcium from the bones to stabilize blood levels.
00:15:32
Speaker
Chronically elevated parathyroid hormone, as we've mentioned before, leads to inflammation, tissue breakdown, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Calcium needs to be, as we've already discussed, balanced with magnesium and adequate dietary intake, adequate caloric intake, ideally getting your calcium from dairy. This is going to be the most bioavailable source And raw dairy actually has a great calcium to phosphorus ratio, which is something that is super important when we're looking at minerals. We're not going to talk about the calcium phosphorus ratio today, but this is absolutely essential for proper calcium deposition into the bones.
00:16:13
Speaker
It's important for proper metabolic function. And so raw dairy is actually an incredible source and balance source for this. So one of the biggest things that I want you to take away from this episode is not to chase one mineral in isolation.
Consuming Minerals Together
00:16:29
Speaker
Why? Because that doesn't happen in nature.
00:16:31
Speaker
God designed for our minerals to occur in community with one another, and you will never find a mineral in isolation in nature. If you would never find it in isolation in nature, you should never take it in isolation in a pill form. Some great sources of these macrominerals, so for sodium, it's gonna be things like mineral sea salt. You can also do adrenal cocktails, broths for improved sodium intake, potassium, tons of potassium rich foods. My favorite is raw dairy, coconut water,
00:17:03
Speaker
orange juice, fruit, potatoes. These are all really rich in potassium. Magnesium. So magnesium, like I said, is one of those things that will likely need to be supplemented in some amounts in well-cooked dark leafy greens or cacao.
00:17:18
Speaker
But if you're supplementing, I recommend magnesium bicarbonate. So you can make this homemade or you can supplement it or magnesium glycinate. The difference between the different kinds of magnesiums is just what part of the body or what system of the body they affect the most. So magnesium bicarbonate simulates the digestive system.
00:17:39
Speaker
Magnesium glycinate affects the nervous system. So those are just the two that I would recommend. And then calcium, getting calcium from raw dairy because of its ratio or its balance between calcium and phosphorus.
00:17:51
Speaker
Other things like small fish with bones like sardines. My kids eat sardines literally every day. These are great sources of calcium as well. Now, I hope you understand after hearing all of this that minerals are absolutely not optional.
Macrominerals' Influence on Health
00:18:06
Speaker
They are the core machinery behind hormonal production, signaling, and energy creation. Without sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, your thyroid hormone cannot activate your cells.
00:18:19
Speaker
This will lead to fatigue, PMS, infertility, anxiety, poor metabolism, blood sugar issues, and a slew of other things. All of these are often downstream effects of chronic mineral imbalance.
00:18:34
Speaker
Don't overcomplicate this. Start by nourishing your body with real food, mineral rich drinks and monitor yourself. So if you are new to looking at your metabolic markers, start by learning your temperature. I'll have my temperature webinar, my free temperature webinar linked in the show notes.
00:18:53
Speaker
That is a great place to start because you can monitor how your body is responding to the foods that you're giving it, but start with real food enough in a form that is as close to God created it as possible.
00:19:07
Speaker
Keep it so simple, don't overcomplicate it, and over time you will see your minerals restore and you'll start to see the downstream effects of proper mineral balance like ample metabolic function, improved fertility, increased hormonal balance.
00:19:23
Speaker
So I hope you enjoyed this week's
Conclusion and Season Finale
00:19:25
Speaker
episode. Today's episode is actually the last episode of season three and we will be taking a little break for a couple of weeks as we accumulate and get ready for season four.
00:19:34
Speaker
So thank you so much for listening. Be on the lookout in the next few weeks for season four launch. And I hope you enjoyed this week's episode and we will see you again soon
00:19:48
Speaker
If you found this podcast helpful or encouraging, would you mind leaving us a rating or review? I love hearing from you. So be sure to shout us out on Instagram and tag me at Cassidy dot well bell.
00:19:59
Speaker
And we'll be sure to shout you right back out. Let's get this message to as many women as possible until next time, friend.