How to Start a Mastermind Group

I want to inspire the world. I know myself and am proud of who I've become. We can't do this alone. We aren't meant to do it alone. Sometimes we all need prodding or a swift kick in the rear or an understanding look or hug. Inspiration. Evaluation. Reflection. Intention.

I want to create big things. To reach people. To help the world and myself heal. To be and do the best I can while I'm here on this planet. 

I'm a massage therapist and a student of Tibetan Chi Kung and mysticism.

There comes a time in a persons life when relationships are falling into place. I have people in my life a shaman, an acupuncturist, massage therapists, a grad student, a CPA, an account manager at United Way, and a wanna be cartographer. Each of these people know the truth when they hear it. They know how to be honest and vulnerable, to question and to acknowledge. I want to bring these people together to build something great. Each of us doing our own thing, moving forward and supporting each other. 

See what I'm talking about for yourself! Start your own mastermind group http://ow.ly/aUoMm  

The Role of Minerals in the Body | Divine Health

The Role of Minerals in the Body | Divine Health

Minerals are basically the spark plugs of life, or keystones to our health. Minerals are the catalysts that keep our ‘battery’ going and hold it’s ‘charge.’  Minerals compose about 4% of the human body. We cannot produce minerals within our bodies, so we must obtain them through our food. They ultimately come from the earth. Good soil is 45% minerals, yet our soils today are quite lacking due to synthetic fertilizers, mono-cropping and more. In the US our soils contain 86% less minerals than they did 100 years ago (based on a study done in 1992). Minerals are what remain as ash when plant or animal tissues are burned. (approximately 5 pounds from a cremated body.) They come from the earth and will eventually return to the earth.
There are 103 known minerals, at least 18 of these are necessary for good health. Mineral imbalance is epidemic. Osteoporosis is on the rise in our nation, 30 million people in the US over 50 are susceptible to fractures caused by mineral deficiencies in their bones. Over 1/3 of the women in America will have diagnosable osteoporosis in their lifetime. Osteoporosis isn’t even diagnosed until you’ve lost 30% of your bone mass. Nearly 100% of Americans have some type of joint degeneration by the time they are 40 years old.  Zinc deficiency is very common, evidenced by such health issues as; prostate cancer, breast cancer, hormonal imbalances, hydrochloric acid deficiency, skin cancer. Magnesium is a key element to keeping the cells metabolizing, involved in at least 300 functions in the body. It is particularly sensitive to stress, and can easily be lost. Most everyone is deficient in magnesium anymore, along will all of the main minerals of the body. It can take several years to re-mineralize the body. It can take 12 months to replace one mineral such as iron, so to replace more can take awhile.

Role of Minerals in the Body

•    Minerals act as cofactors for enzyme reactions. Enzymes don’t work without minerals. All cells require enzymes to work & function. They give us our vitality.
•    They maintain the pH balance within the body.
•    Minerals actually facilitate the transfer of nutrients across cell membranes.
•    They maintain proper nerve conduction
•    Minerals help to contract and relax muscles.
•    They help to regulate our bodies tissue growth.
•    Minerals provide structural and functional support for the body.

There are two categories of minerals essential within the body, macro-minerals & micro-minerals. There is no one mineral deficiency, they all must be maintained in balance within the body.

Macro-minerals
•    Calcium
•    Phosphorous
•    Potassium
•    Magnesium
•    Sulfur
•    Sodium
•    Chloride

Micro-minerals (or Trace Minerals)
•    Iron
•    Boron
•    Chromium
•    Iodine
•    Manganese
•    Molybdenum
•    Selenium
•    Silicon
•    Vanadium
•    Zinc
•    Lithium
•    Germanium
•    Rubidium
•    Cobalt
•    Copper

Of all of these minerals found in the body, calcium is the main mineral, it comprises almost half of the mineral content in the body. Just 1% of the calcium in the body is actually in the blood, so blood tests are not accurate answers to just how much calcium our body truly has. The other 99% is stored in the bone. In order for calcium to be absorbed and utilized by the body there are several factors to consider. For example, if the overall systemic pH is off, it will be difficult to utilize the calcium you eat. Also, your hormonal function affects your ability to attain the calcium you consume, as well as whether or not you are adequately hydrated or if you digestion is impaired. Calcium also works in tandem with other minerals (particularly magnesium), vitamins and fatty acids. If you are not eating a properly prepared, whole foods, nutrient dense diet, staying hydrated and improving your over all digestion, you could be eating all the calcium in the world and not be able to retain it. Most everyone gets adequate calcium in their diet, but are missing some or all of the above co-factors in their lives to make it of use to the body in the way it is intended.
Having appropriate calcium homeostasis plays a significant role in bone remodeling. Old bone tissue is continually being destroyed and broken down and new bone is continually being created. Osteoblasts are bone-forming cells that convert cartilage to bone. Osteocytes  are our primary bone cells, and they maintain bone tissue. Osteoclasts are the bone-destroying cells that help with the function in resorption.
Calcium is only made available for other tissues in the body when the bone is broken down during remodeling. Bone helps to buffer the pH level of the blood through the release of calcium from the bone. (Bone is a major buffer of calcium and calcium is a major buffer of blood pH.) When blood is too acidic it will pull calcium from the tissues. And when the blood gets too alkaline, calcium can separate out and get deposited into the wrong tissues, thereby causing problems if an excess occurs in those tissues. Calcium is also needed for every nerve impulse.

In order for calcium to be absorbed it needs an acidic environment. If there is inadequate hydrochloric acid in the stomach you won’t be able to utilize the calcium you consume. Additionally, zinc is needed to help create the hydrochloric acid. Minerals are more difficult for the body to extract from the food. Absorption from the GI tract is the first step to getting the minerals into circulation, it can be a fairly complex process. If you see any aspect of undigested food in the stool, you can be sure you are not getting your minerals. Anyone with osteoporosis or osteopenia should check the pH of the stomach and check for adequate hydrochloric acid levels.

If certain hormones are dysfunctional in the body this will also affect our bodies ability to utilize calcium. Such as parathyroid, thyroid, adrenal and sex hormones. The parathyroid hormone is primary in regulating the blood calcium levels. The mineralcocoritcoids produced by the adrenals are very important in regulating minerals, particularly sodium/potassium homeostasis which has a role in calcium homeostasis as well. Women that go through menopause have a much greater risk of bone loss. Estrogen and progesterone need to be in balance at this time to help with osteoclastic activity.

Appropriate fatty acid intake in the diet is necessary for the calcium to be transported through the cells walls. Fatty acids also help increase the calcium levels in the tissues. Weston Price and Royal Lee talked about the relationship between vitamin D and vitamin F (or fatty acids) through their studies. Vitamin D gets the calcium into the blood, fatty acids get it into the tissue. Without appropriate fatty acids you won’t get calcium into your tissues which is where a larger quantity of our body houses calcium. Vitamin D is necessary for calcium homeostasis and bone health. (if supplementing be sure it’s in the form of D3, not D2)

Additionally, we need good hydration to ensure that the  blood is fluid enough to efficiently transport calcium throughout the body to other tissues. We also need to get balanced electrolytes (electrically charged ions of calcium, sodium, potassium , chloride, bicarbonate) to ensure an appropriate transfer of calcium in and out of  the cells. This is only the beginning of understanding how just one mineral works within the body. However, they all work synergistically, so it is very important to consume a high quality real food diet based on the properly prepared foods paradigm discovered by Weston A. Price through his studies of indigenous people groups. We need a full spectrum approach to ensure we are getting adequate mineral intake, not just supplementing with some or one or two individual minerals, hat will always throw off the mineral balance in the body. Be sure to consume a wide array of fresh real whole foods in season and properly prepared.

Best Food Sources of Minerals

By far the best and most ionic form of a full spectrum of minerals is bone broth. A full spectrum good quality sea salt is also a fabulous way to get in minerals and trace minerals. Also good mineral rich water from wells is a great option, but one that most of us no longer have access to. Animal proteins from well raised animal on pasture and grassfed as well as wild seafood are another great source. Properly prepared nuts, seeds  and legumes are excellent as well. Remember to pair these foods with good fatty acids to ensure you are actually utilizing them well. If you are not well versed on which fats are optimal, please read my post here on; ‘What Fats You Should Be Consuming.’  Raw milk dairy products (not pasteurized or homogenized), cultured dairy and cheeses are an excellent source. Pastured eggs are rich in a wide array of nutrients that all synergistically support each other. Dark leafy greens, sea vegetables, oysters, even butter and liver. If you are familiar with the foods recommended in ‘Nourishing Traditions’ and make sure to get a balanced diet from them you are likely getting the minerals your body needs. Just remember that there are cofactors to consider when your body shows signs of deficiencies.