Minerals are just as important to our body as oxygen!

All chemical reactions in the body require an enzyme system to help the biochemical reaction take place.

What are chemical reactions in the body, you ask?  They include, the electrical activity in the heart, breaking down of fats, protein synthesis (or using protein to build and repair muscle tissues), menstruation, orgasms, breathing, blood pressure, blood glucose levels, cell reproduction and repair (cause we all like to grow hair and have pretty skin)…..what are the chemical reactions of the body?  Fawking EVERYTHING!!  VITAL, I tell you, VITAL.  To all mental and physical processes and for total WELL BEING. They are the most important factors in maintaining all physiological processes, are constituents of the teeth, bones, tissues, blood, muscle, and nerve cells.  Basically if you feel like crap or if you are having food cravings it is because you are deficient in vitamins and minerals and your body is trying to tell you. 

Listen.  Everything you need to know your body will tell you.  But you must listen.

So how does this work?  In my opinion it is just a work of art.  Truly beautiful….but that doesn’t explain it.  I am going to keep this very complex process very simple.   

An enzyme process has three parts; they are a specific protein molecule (eat your meat), another smaller organic compound, which is often a vitamin, such as the eight B vitamins, C,D and A, and finally a mineral, such as zinc, copper, manganese or magnesium.

Magnesium is a critical co-factor in more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the human body; so you won’t find it shocking when I tell you most people are magnesium deficient and take prescription drugs for problems that could simply be cured by eating more spinach and broccoli.  

Potassium and magnesium are the most abundant minerals found within the cells of the body with magnesium being the most.   Magnesium is important stuff folks.  BUT!!  Although minerals are discussed separately in deficiencies it is important to note that their actions within the body are interrelated; no single mineral can function without the others, since they are synergistically related. 

For instance, you could take a magnesium supplement but if you’re missing other vital micronutrients your stomach could be too acidic or too alkaline and not have the ability to absorb the magnesium.  

Minerals are a catalyst for many biological reactions within our bodies, they are necessary for transmission of messages through the nervous system, digestion, and utilization of all nutrients in foods or what most people refer to as “metabolism”. Do you remember me in the past beating my drum about your cells having to get the right signals or you can diet and work out until you drop without the shed of one nary pound?  Yep. 

Vitamins cannot be properly assimilated without the correct balance of minerals. For example; calcium is needed for vitamin "C" utilization, zinc for vitamin "A", magnesium for "B" complex vitamins, selenium for vitamin "E" absorption, yatta yatta yatta….

Minerals are very important in keeping the blood and tissue fluids from either becoming too acid or too alkaline (as I said) and they allow other nutrients to pass into the bloodstream, and aid in transporting nutrients to the cells.   A SLIGHT CHANGE IN THE BLOOD CONCENTRATION OF IMPORTANT MINERALS CAN RAPIDLY ENDANGER YOUR LIFE. 

The body runs electrically, and minerals are the conductor.  Established.  They provide the necessary charge or "ionization" of positive or negative electrical molecules. Ions keep the "human battery" charged. If a person is lacking in minerals or deficient in any one particular one, they can become run down very rapidly.

Let me give you a few instances of what a mineral deficiency can do to you.  Potassium controls the electrical activity in your heart and protein synthesis.  If you are deficient in potassium you can have heart palpitations.  Iodine produces thyroid hormones for proper thyroid function.  Interesting thing about iodine, your body doesn’t produce it.  Americans are salt-phobics.  We look for reduced sodium labels.  Problem is the salt on your saltines isn’t the problem.  It is the wheat.  Cut out the wheat and sugar and your blood pressure normalizes.  Add iodine into a iodine deficient diet and bam..that person could magically start losing weight (dependent upon proper diet and exercise of course).

Let me throw a disclaimer out.  Just because you start taking some vitamins and mineral supplements don’t look for magic energy or weight loss.  The rest of your life needs to be in order.  Proper diet….where you should be getting these micronutrients anyways, exercise and sleep. 

Vitamin and mineral supplements are great, they are tricky, you have to make sure you are buying magnesium or vitamin c.  Most multi-vitamins are junk.  If you truly want the most bang for your buck with minerals and vitamins….EAT REAL FOOD.

But Angela, you said listen to my body and it will tell me what I need to eat.  It is telling me…no scratch that….it is SCREAMING to eat Ruffles Wavy Potato Chips and spoonful’s of peanut butter.  Well you are probably right, but if you can get a handle on your emotions long enough to get the foods that your body REALLY needs to replace the nutrients it needs then those cravings will go away.  Generally, potato chips, pretzels, saltines and snacks of the like cravings are for salt.  Chances are your diet isn’t huge on salt water fish, seaweed and we reference back to the salt-phobia.  Your memory bank tells you chips are salty.  Problem is all the vegetable oil and starch you eat while getting your salt from those chips negates anything good about the salt.  Peanut butter, sweet cereals, brownies, ice cream….this is your body crying out for fat.  Now fat isn’t a micronutrient, but it is required by your body the same as minerals, vitamins and oxygen.  Let me bang my drum. DIETARY FAT WON’T MAKE YOU FAT.  What makes you fat is the digestion and metabolizing of carbohydrates and sugars.  What you really need instead of the brownies and ice cream is a big ole grass-fed beef burger….slathered in onions and garlic and SALT! Mmmm….is it dinner time yet? 

Why does your body crave sweet foods when it needs fat.  Simple…amino acids.  Amino acids are recognized by the metabolism as sweet.  (not in a sugar sense).  Chances are you are probably a fat-phobic in addition to being a salt-phobic.  You eat turkey burger, turkey bacon, turkey sausage and chicken.  And maybe even fish.  I’ll point out the fact of how processed these foods are and then I will also point out I haven’t seen certified organic turkey bacon, sausage or burger on the shelves.  So good chances are you are eating nitrates (very bad) and the turkey you are eating was fed corn and antibiotics and kept in a tiny cage to fatten up.  It is so organically messed up it can’t even re-produce.  Yeah, that sounds way better than the fat from a grass-fed burger

Grass-fed burger has tons of Omega-3 and amino acids, protein, iron, vitamin A….oh the list really is endless how great this stuff is for you.  If I have to hear how expensive it is please invite me over to your house and we can come up with a budget.  Even if you aren’t splurging on SOMETHING….which you all are….it is better to spend the money NOW than later on higher insurance premiums, co-pays and medication.  Jus’ saying.  You don’t say….oh, I’ll just buy my car a new engine instead of paying for an oil change now do you?  And hell you can BUY a new car.  This body is the only one you get.  You get to rock and roll around in it…..for better or worse…until you die….which will hopefully be later, after a long healthy and happy existence.

Quality of life matters.  Now here I go beating my drum about your babies again.  How many people out there have or know a child with behavior problems or ADD or ADHD?  Or has severe food allergies?  Look at what they are eating.  They aren’t eating a balanced diet….and I am not talking about that shit Michelle Obama is pushing with MyPlate.  I’m talking grain and sugar free, grass-fed beef, certified organic poultry, cage-free eggs, veggies, nuts, fruit and a little starch.  (in that order)  My guess is none of them.  They live on an industrialized diet and are being treated with industrialized methods (medication….after medication). 

Let’s do a better job with our’s and our family’s diet.  What’s for dinner?