Eat Your Supplements! A Food First Approach.

References:

Get Your ENERGYbits Superfood Spirulina and Chlorella and use code ELEMENTAL at checkout for 20% off!

Organifi Superfood Drink Powders (ELEMENTALEVAN for 20% off)

Elemental Evan Instagram

Elemental Evan Youtube Page

Email: elemental.evanhw@gmail.com

On this week’s Wellness Wednesday episode, Evan takes a food first approach to supplements. Since Evan believes that you should focus on foods, specifically whole foods, for your nutrient intake, Evan breaks down 5 current nutrient deficiencies and what foods naturally contain high amounts of these nutrients.

While Evan realizes that there is a time and place for supplements, he believes that we can naturally obtain most of our nutrients from the foods that we eat. That way instead of spending tons of money on supplements, you can simply build your plate to contain your supplements instead. 

Tune in to learn more about 5 major nutrient deficiencies Zinc, Vitamin D, Folate, Iodine, and magnesium and how we can increase our intake levels through foods. 

As always do everything with good intentions and connect to your elements!

Disclaimer:

This podcast is for educational purposes only, it is not a substitute for professional care by a doctor or other qualified medical professional. Evan Roberts is not a medical professional and this podcast is provided on the understanding that it does not constitute medical or other professional advice or services. Statements and views expressed on this show are not medical advice, this podcast, including Evan Roberts and any guests on the show, disclaims responsibility for any possible adverse effects from the use of information contained in this episode. If you think you have a medical problem please consult a medical professional.

Hey, what's going on, everybody.

Welcome back to the elemental.

I've been show.

Thank you very much for tuning in today.

Today, we're going to be talking about.

Uh, food first approach.

So if you've listened to the show before, you know that I'm a big believer

in eating your vitamins and minerals, as opposed to supplementing, right.

I really believe that supplementing should be something that we.

Don't go to first.

We go there when we need it.

Uh, when it becomes an absolute necessity.

And before that, I believe we should try to stick with whole

foods and even supplements that are more so a whole food form.

Before we go straight into supplements.

So today I'm really going to be breaking down.

What are five, uh, major deficiencies typically here in

the U S but also around the world.

Uh, there's many other deficiencies for vitamins and minerals that I'm

not going to be covering today.

I chose just five today.

But these are five major ones that are very important.

And our things that we really do need to be getting in our diets

because they play a massive role in our health and our wellbeing.

Uh, so that's what we're going to be covering today.

We're going to be covering what foods you can get these minerals

and vitamins from in high amounts.

And, uh, that way you can focus on eating foods that have your supplements

as opposed to, uh, going out and spending your money on supplements.

Right.

I also find it a lot more enjoyable to my supplements as opposed

to, uh, having to take pills.

Right.

So.

Before I go any further.

I definitely want to mention that there is nothing wrong with supplements.

I don't have anything against them.

I just believe that our bodies are better equipped to absorb and find minerals

and vitamins through the foods that we eat, as opposed to taking a supplement.

But supplements definitely are effective.

And if you are low in something, it can be incredibly beneficial for you.

Maybe even life-saving in many ways.

So in no way, am I against supplements?

I definitely take supplements myself as well, but my approach is definitely

to try to find those in food.

So I wanted to kind of start off with why do we even.

Take supplements, right?

Like when, what.

Like, where did this even come from?

Like why, why did we start taking supplements?

Well, there's a few different reasons.

Um, the more common ones that are pretty well known are for

one, the depletion of our soils.

So.

Through things like monocropping and just kind of poor farming practices.

We have really depleted our soils of their nutrient profiles, right.

Their diverse profiles.

And we have really just farmed all the same minerals and vitamins out of them

day in and day out and really depleted the soils in those minerals and vitamins.

So when you buy food, typically from the supermarket, Uh, if you were to compare,

like they say an apple today compared to a hundred years ago, the nutrient

profile would be much greater back a hundred years ago, as opposed to today.

So we are getting less minerals and vitamins from our foods

that we're eating today.

Even if we're eating, um, you know, fruits and vegetables and high quality foods.

Right.

And there is a bit of a caveat to that.

So.

We'll get into that in a second, but, so that's one of the big

ones is the poor farming practices that have depleted our soils.

And on top of that, we also have.

Environmental pollutants.

Uh, we have things like glyphosate.

Uh, we have, you know, herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, all

of these different sides, right.

That are being sprayed on our foods.

We have, um, poor air quality.

We have all these different things, right.

That are kind of compounding on us.

And, uh, maybe making it more difficult for us to absorb vitamins

and minerals through our foods.

Um, you know, we're having excess levels of heavy metals and therefore we need

to find ways of removing them, right?

Like there's so many.

The different factors that really play a role here.

And, um, a lot of times it's summed up as we, you know, for the

modern world that we're living in.

It's, you know,

Kind of essential to be supplementing in some ways.

Now, I don't know if I'm fully on board with that.

Um, I think it's very dependent on the person.

So, uh, it really is going to boil down to you and how you live your lifestyle,

where, where you live, what you eat, all of that is going to play a role.

So that is also.

Another thing I wanted to talk about, which is throughout this whole talk.

The best way to know if you're deficient in something, just because

I'm covering the top, you know, Uh, not the top five, but, um, you know,

five of the more common deficiencies.

Of my vitamins and minerals that we do have the best way to know if you are

deficient in these is to test, right?

Like that is truly the best way of actually knowing what it is that you're

low in, what you might need more of what you're getting too much of, even as well.

It's the best way to do so is to actually test and see what your levels are.

And having that knowledge will allow you to make better decisions and possibly

even save you money in the long run.

Right?

If you are buying a lot of supplements, maybe you're taking supplements that you

don't actually need because you're already getting ample amounts of it in your food.

So best way to do, uh, to figure this out is to actually have a test that

will tell you what you're low in, what you're Hyatt, all that good stuff.

And the last thing I want to talk about is if you are looking to eat a more nutrient

dense diet, one of the best things you can do is actually grow your own food, right?

And I mean, you really don't need to have a ton of space for this.

I have simply a balcony and I am growing, uh, cucumbers, zucchini, strawberries.

Uh, lettuce beets, you know, like tomatoes, I have a wide array

of things in a very small area.

So if you think that you do not have enough space, You really

don't need a ton of space to grow.

Food and produce.

Um, if you have a backyard even better, you can actually have

a legit garden going, right.

So, That would be my first recommendation is to grow your own food, even

if it's just one plant, right.

Just try something out.

It is very rewarding to grow something and to actually harvest

what it is that you've grown.

Um, I will also say that when you grow your own food, you're going to

have better tasting food than what you would typically get at the supermarket.

It's going to be way more fresh.

Typically you can pick something and cook it the exact same day.

Uh, maybe you save it for a day or two, but you know, it's very, very fresh.

So you're picking it at the height of its ripeness, essentially.

And on top of that, it's better for the environment and you're not having to

obviously have your food transported.

You're just picking it and bringing it inside.

Uh, so there's so many different factors that go into this that just make growing

your own food way better for you.

It's going to be more nutrient dense as well.

You can pick what kind of soil you use in your garden.

Uh, so you can really make sure that you're having nutrient dense soil,

which is like I said, something that we're really lacking right now.

Uh, so that would be my number one recommendation to increase

the nutrient profile that you'd be getting from your diet.

Now, if you aren't able to like grow anything, let's just say

maybe you only are renting a room in a house or something like that.

Okay, well then at that point you could then go to a farmer's market.

Farmer's markets would probably be the next best thing you're supporting a local

farmer, which is incredible on its own.

Really is something that we should all be doing.

And also you're getting food that is still very fresh and probably picked really

recently, uh, as opposed to something that might've been picked a week ago and had to

be transported from a different country.

Right.

So you're getting food that is much more fresh supporting a local farmer.

And if you can get it organic as well, I mean, that's just

the whole shebang right there.

If, unfortunately you can't find, find a organic local farmer that might be a time

in which you could go to a supermarket looking for organic produce, or you

could simply get to know the farmer and figure out what it is that they're doing

that keeps them from being organic.

And it might just be a simple couple of things that really aren't that bad

and would mean that you would actually get some really good produce that is

practically organic and is still really fresh and local and has a high level

of nutrient density that would be.

Definitely my top recommendation.

Um, and then after that you can go into the stores.

Of course budgeting does play a role in all of this growing your own food

is obviously a pretty economical.

Thing to be doing.

Farmer's markets can be a little bit pricey.

I'm all about supporting your local farmers, but I do understand that

budgeting can come in and play a role.

So obviously do the best you can with what you have.

I'm just trying to provide you guys with the tools and giving you

the information on how to really increase the nutrient density that

you're getting from your food.

Now.

When we're jumping into today's episode on the five different minerals and vitamins

that we are typically deficient in, I will be explaining, uh, what are the major

food sources in which you can get BS?

Uh, nutrients from in typically very high amounts as well.

Uh, sometimes even more than the daily recommended, uh, or the recommended

daily amount or the daily value.

Uh, so I'm going to provide you with all that information.

So that way you can try to build a plate that is going to be rich in these minerals

and vitamins that you might be lacking.

And especially if you can test yourself and figure out what it is

that you're low in, then you can really be specific and adding in these

strategic food items into your plate.

Uh, as always, I will try to include, uh, you know, everything from animal

products to just plant based products.

To really create a wide array here for everyone.

Uh, I think that everyone has their own type of diets.

That's right for them.

So no discrimination here on that, whatever diet works

best for you is awesome.

And I'm just going to provide you with the whole food forms to really

increase the nutrient density for you.

So.

Let's jump in to the first one.

Uh, this is a very common one that I think a lot of people already know

about and they talk about as well.

Uh, that is vitamin D.

Now I'm going to include vitamin K2 in here as well.

And there's a specific reason for that, that I will cover.

Um, but vitamin D is definitely something that.

A lot of people are deficient in.

Now what I was looking online, I was having some.

Difficulty finding exact.

Numbers for how deficient we are in vitamin D.

I did find on the NIH website that about one in four, us

adults are low in vitamin D.

Um, there's a lot of different reasons for this.

Being endorsed is probably the biggest.

The biggest reason we're low in vitamin D in my opinion.

Right.

I don't have scientific backing on that, but it kind of just makes

sense being that vitamin D can be made from being out in the sunlight.

So.

I definitely think that being indoors far too long under artificial

light is one of the major reasons why we are low in vitamin D.

Uh, there could be other factors as well as such, you know, such

as the food that we're eating, being low in vitamin D as well.

So, uh, there are multiple factors, but one of the biggest ones I think

is actually just getting outside and being able to have the sunlight on

your skin, preferably in the early part and the later part of the day

kind of avoiding the mid day sun.

Um, but really just getting outside.

Outside and getting some sunlight on your skin can do wonders for your

health, for your vitamin D levels.

And, uh, of course, including the foods that are going to be high in

vitamin D can be beneficial as well.

But let's go ahead and talk a little bit about what vitamin

D actually does in the body.

So vitamin D is important for intestinal absorption and metabolism

of calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus.

Vitamin D is essential for your muscles to move and for your nerves to carry

messages between your brain and body.

Vitamin D is also utilized by the immune system to fight off the

invading bacteria and viruses.

Low levels of vitamin D are linked to things like osteoporosis, Ricketts,

and a weakened immune system.

This is why I'm covering this.

It is a very important vitamin right?

Um, it's one of those things that is definitely getting a lot of

recognition, but I think it's still really not well understood.

I mean, even just me reading that small paragraph.

Explain so much, right?

I mean, even if we talk about, uh, it's essential for our muscles to

move and for your nerves to carry messages between your brain and body.

It's like the most crucial thing possible that we could absolutely

be doing with our bodies.

Right.

Like, without that we are.

Pretty much not going to be able to do anything.

Right.

So, uh, yeah, it's absolutely essential.

Uh, I really love the part about intestinal absorption as well.

Uh, if you don't already know this, I've had a lot of gastrointestinal

issues growing up as a kid.

And one of the major things is, uh, you know, being able to actually

absorb the nutrients in your food.

Right.

And that all happens in the GI system.

Uh, the absorption of all the food.

So you could be eating very healthy, but if you're not absorbing it

properly, You could not be getting the maximum benefit that you could

be getting from eating those foods.

So vitamin D is absolutely essential.

So I did also want to take a moment and kind of explain how

we create vitamin D from the sun.

So I'm not going to get super deep into this, but I do think it is worth

noting that when you go outside into the sunlight, basically your skin, it's

actually the cholesterol in our skin.

Uh, sorry, in our skins cells makes vitamin D from the sunlight that

vitamin D is then later transformed again in the liver and kidneys into

the active form, known as Cal citral, which is what the body actually needs.

So it does go through quite a bit of a process to be created, but.

Really, I mean, you don't need anything else to make the vitamin D you can

simply walk outside and just allow the sunlight and your skin and the

cholesterol in your skin to do its work and create this vitamin D for you.

Right.

So one of the biggest things.

I've already said this before, uh, just a minute ago, but

really just getting outside.

Right.

Getting the sunlight on our skin and you know, there is, um,

As well, there's a lot of findings that say the darker your skin

is the harder it is for you to get those vitamin D levels up.

Which means that maybe we need to be spending even more time out in the sun.

If you have a darker tone of skin, um, if you are fairer of skin than.

Maybe not as much time as needed outside.

Of course, being careful to not get sunburn.

That's not the goal here.

Um, but simply getting out, like I said, early in the day and late in

the day by doing so you can really avoid, uh, some of the harmful

effects of getting sunburnt, right?

If you get out nice and early and spend even just an hour in the morning and

an hour in the later part of the day,

That could be very beneficial in increasing vitamin D levels.

And so in terms of vitamin D levels, like what's the appropriate amount?

Well, the daily value of vitamin D is placed at 20 micrograms

or 800 international units.

I know a lot of the vitamin D supplements that I take have

higher amounts, uh, than 800 IQ.

And in terms of foods, there are many foods that will easily get you to

that amount and possibly even higher.

So starting off with the number one.

Food that pops up on the list.

Here is actually Cod liver oil.

So Cod liver oil at one tablespoon, we'll provide you with 34 micrograms or

1,260 international units of vitamin D.

Already we can see that is over the daily recommended amount.

This is a whole food form.

Cod liver oil.

One tablespoon.

And you're done.

You have the recommended amount of vitamin D for your day, and it was in one

single tablespoon, which is incredible.

Uh, salmon, for example, three ounces of salmon will provide 645

international units of vitamin D.

So even just having three ounces of salmon, which is not very much, uh,

if you sit down and have a plate.

With some salmon on it.

It's very likely that you're having more than three ounces of salmon.

And so you're very likely actually getting, uh, the recommended

amount of vitamin D in just that small piece of salmon.

Then we also have mushrooms for people who are plant-based vegan,

vegetarians, whatever it may be.

Uh, mushrooms are actually a pretty solid source of vitamin

D if you expose them to UV rays.

So this is something that I actually saw a while back on someone's Instagram.

Uh, I didn't know if they were very serious about this, but they would

actually take their mushrooms and set them outside in the sun for,

I think it was like 30 minutes to an hour before cooking them.

And they were talking about how it We'll increase the vitamin

D levels in the mushrooms.

Well, it has been confirmed at least for me on the NIH profile.

Uh, sorry.

And not their profile on their, uh, website page that if you take these

mushrooms and set them out in UV rays or in the sunlight, uh, that it

will increase the vitamin D levels.

And so that's what they actually have here.

Measured is mushrooms exposed to UV light at, uh, uh,

A half cup of them will be equal to 366 international units of vitamin D.

So just a half cup of vitamins that have been exposed to UV light can provide a

very significant amount of vitamin D.

Once again, that is for, um, well, really anyone can eat mushrooms.

They're delicious and really good for you.

But, uh, specifically here for the, uh, plant Blick plant based

people, uh, mushrooms are going to be a really great option to go to.

And then one of my favorite things, and this is going to pop up in most of the

deficiencies and foods that you can.

Eat that will contain a lot of these beneficial, uh, vitamins and minerals.

And that is a eggs.

So one scrambled egg with the yolk included.

Okay.

This is very important.

Is equal to 44 international units of vitamin D.

The reason I say with the AUL concluded is because that is where

the vitamin D is really located.

So if you're eating egg whites,

While that's still good for you.

I would highly recommend including the yolk.

There's a lot of beneficial things in the yolk and vitamin

D is just one of those things.

Also, like I said earlier on, if you are.

Taking a vitamin D supplement.

You really do need to make sure that it is including vitamin K2.

The reason for this is, is because vitamin K2.

Is able to help the body with.

Properly utilizing the calcium.

To build bones instead of depositing it dangerously in arteries and soft tissues.

So if you're taking vitamin D and it does not have vitamin K2 with it.

I would highly recommend changing up to a vitamin D supplement

that does have K2 included.

Now most supplements will already do this.

Um, it's a pretty well-known thing.

So I think it'd be pretty hard for you to find just simply vitamin D without the K2.

But nonetheless it is worth mentioning.

And on top of that, a lot of foods that you eat.

You know, you can compete or you compare certain foods with vitamin D rich foods

to get the vitamin K2 in there as well.

Um, Different things that are going to have vitamin K2 are

going to be things like broccoli, cabbage, dark, leafy greens.

All of those are going to be really great sources of vitamin K2.

So for example, if you were eating some salmon or eggs, you could

easily just grill up some cabbage or make a little salad of dark

leafy greens, whatever it may be.

And that will give you ample amounts of K2 to pair with your vitamin D.

Okay.

So that was the first one was vitamin D and I kind of threw in K2 there

because I felt that it was important to mention it with the vitamin D.

And our second one is actually going to be vitamin B nine, which

is also known as full, late.

So fully is definitely something that is a little bit more

specific to, uh, pregnant women.

Uh, specifically because it has a lot to do with, uh, the developing fetus, but

in general, fully is something that is very, very important and is also something

that we are tending to be deficient in.

So.

For example, fully actually helps to form DNA and RNA.

It's involved in protein metabolism.

It's essential for proper neural tube development in fetuses and is

needed for your cells to divide.

So once again, much like vitamin D plays extremely crucial roles in our health and

wellness, as well as the development of our bodies while we are still fetuses.

Right.

So, if you are deficient in full late, you can experience things such as fatigue,

difficulty concentrating irritability.

Uh, headaches, heart palpitations and shortness of breath full

late may also decrease your risk for several forms of cancers.

So this is if we're actually getting proper amounts of full eight.

Uh, it will, it has been shown to decrease your risk for several forms

of cancer, depression, heart disease, stroke, dementia, and Alzheimer's.

There is kind of a caveat to that.

There is not a ton of research on some of those claims such as

with the Alzheimer's and dementia.

But nonetheless, that is what some findings are showing.

So just really kind of hitting home, how important.

Getting adequate levels of fully, truly is.

Uh, and in terms of our recommended daily amount, It shows that we are

supposed to be getting somewhere around 400 micrograms for adults and

600 micrograms for pregnant women.

Once again, trying to really hammer home, uh, getting proper amounts

of full weight for women, uh, who are in the pregnancy stage.

Right.

It's a very, very crucial for the development of the fetus now in

terms of foods that are going to be naturally high in full, late.

This is one food that I've talked to that I've.

That I've spoke about many of times before.

And it's something that can be hard to stomach, but there are ways of preparing

it that make it a little bit easier.

That is beef liver.

So beef liver at four ounces is the equivalent of 320 micrograms.

So with the daily.

Uh, the recommended daily amount for the average person being 400 micrograms.

This literally almost meets that amount, right.

And just four ounces of beef liver now for a, uh, pregnant women, a woman that is

going to obviously they'll need a little bit more, but still it is a really, really

great way of getting in some full eight.

In terms of the flavor, because I know it is very challenging to eat.

Uh, one thing that I've been doing is I will actually take a pound of

ground, uh, Grassfed ground beef.

And then I will chop up a frozen liver and actually mix it in with

the ground beef and cook it together.

This really helps to mask the flavor of the liver.

And what's cool is you can really.

Choose how much liver you want to put in there, because even if you're putting

just a small amount of liver in there, it's going to have a lot of benefit

because it's a really nutrient dense.

Uh, Oregon.

Uh, meat so highly, highly recommend doing that.

Um, once again, dark leafy greens are going to be a reoccurring theme here.

Um,

Whole foods.

In general tend to be much better for you and have, you know, a great array

of, uh, nutrient density, but definitely dark leafy greens are a great way of.

Uh, achieving a full, late brussel sprouts as well at a half cup boiled are going

to provide 78 micrograms asparagus, and it's just four boiled Spears are

going to be equal to 89 micrograms.

Once again, the egg.

Uh, one hard boiled egg is going to have 20, uh, 22 micrograms.

Banana is going to have 24 micrograms avocado at a half.

Cup is going to be 59 micrograms.

So there's many, many things that have fully in it.

And it's essentially just trying to include these include whole food

sources into our diet to ensure that we're getting proper levels.

But.

If you really just want to hack this, I would highly recommend

just going with the beef liver.

Uh, that's going to be the fastest way to get the full late in.

Um, so once again, in all of these, you know, minerals and vitamins,

I'm definitely going to provide.

You know, the highest sources that I could possibly find.

And so, for example, with vitamin D, we have the Cod liver oil and

with full late, we have beef liver.

Uh, yes, these are both animal forms.

So if you're not in a, into a diet that includes animal products, then

of course we can always revert to the other things such as dark leafy greens.

Those are going to be really, really beneficial.

And mushrooms for the vitamin D.

Now, when it comes to fully, you will typically see at stores.

Uh, if you look in the supplement section, you'll see folic acid.

Now the only problem with this is that.

Folic acid is not be usable form that your body needs.

So the body actually has to convert that folic acid into a usable form.

And it's actually been found that there is a portion of the population.

I believe it's about a third of the population that is not able to convert

this folic acid into a usable form.

So, uh, basically you're taking folic acid and not receiving any of the benefits.

You're actually just having a buildup of folic acid in your body, which.

Could possibly have some detriment to it.

Uh, so I highly recommend taking the active form of fully if

you are going to supplement.

Um, and that biologically active form is going to be called and bear with me here.

Five methyl, Tetra, hydro foliate.

That's an absolute math mouthful, but it's once again, five

methyl, Tetra, hydro full eight.

That is the type that ourselves are actually going to use.

Right?

That's the biologically active form of full late.

So if you are taking a full, late supplement, I would highly

recommend taking that form as opposed to just folic acid.

Um, but you could also just eat your full late, right.

Um, through things like beef liver and all these other yummy goodie.

Uh, brussel sprouts and eggs and asparagus and avocados.

Right.

So that's going to do it for full lake.

Let's move on to number three.

So number three is actually going to be iodine.

So I, a dine here in the U S and Canada and most, um, Western countries, I

would say typically tend to not have too much of an issue with getting

enough iodine, because a lot of people eat, uh, Salt that has iodine

in it, essentially iodized salt.

Um, but that doesn't mean that it's still not a concern,

especially around the world.

It actually is a bit of a concern and also.

There's a lot of people who have been having issues with their thyroid.

And a lot of the times it does come down to not having enough iodine.

So, uh, this is definitely something I wanted to talk about.

I feel that it's worthy of being spoken about, and also there's a food that I

really love that is really high in iodine.

And so I'll be able to share that with you, but.

Let's go ahead and take a moment and talk about what iodine does in the body.

So I had done is a mineral that is used to make thyroid hormone.

Which controlled the body's metabolism and many other important functions, such

as proper bone and brain development during pregnancy and infancy.

So.

Like I said, once again, a pretty important.

Mineral here that our body really absolutely needs.

And if we're not getting it in proper amounts, it can be very detrimental.

So.

If we look at many of the common issues with being deficient in iodine, it

can actually really show up in your children such as stunted growth, lower

IQ levels, enlarged fibroid glands, and actually delayed sexual development.

Uh, in terms of lack of iodine later in life, we can also see things like

hypothyroidism, which is essentially means that your thyroid gland doesn't

produce enough thyroid hormone.

Uh, this can lead to a slew of issues down the road.

A bunch of different symptoms.

So definitely something that we want to pay attention to.

Now, according to the world health organization, 1.8, sorry.

1.8, 8 billion people have insufficient dietary.

Iodine intake.

Like I said, this typically isn't an issue in the us or Canada or

Australia or something like that.

But in many parts of the world, it is still an issue.

And just because you are here in the U S or Canada or wherever.

Uh, it doesn't mean that you might not be deficient in iodine once again, the

best way to know is to simply test.

Um, but let's go ahead and jump into, uh, what foods will have

high levels of, uh, iodine in them.

So also really quickly before I jump in.

The daily value of iodine is at 150 micrograms for adults.

So.

My number one go-to form of iodine.

I love sharing with people because it's really just nutrient dense

and it's so easy to add into foods is a seaweed called Dulce.

Now in general, seaweed is going to be a great form of iodine, regardless

of what kind of seaweed you're eating.

But when we're talking about doles,

This is a seaweed that is.

Insane.

And it's amount of iodine.

It actually has in just two tablespoons of Dulce, 675 micrograms.

So as I said, our daily value is 150 micrograms.

This is at 675 micrograms in two tablespoons.

So it's a nutrient dense food.

Absolutely.

Um, you know, we don't eat enough.

Um, sea vegetables.

I guess you could call it a and we really should.

We should eat way more of them because they have a lot of really

great, uh, nutrient profiles in them.

And Dulce is a really great one.

Uh, you can add it to a salad very easily.

Uh, you can add it to a bunch of different other foods that

has a very salty flavor to it.

Um, some people might not be the biggest fan of it.

It can have a little bit of a funky taste to it.

But I feel that it's very easy to mask.

And at the end of the day, two tablespoons, I mean, even one tablespoon

to get like practically 300 micrograms of, uh, of iodine is very, very worth it.

Right.

So that is going to be the first one.

The second one is going to be oysters at three ounces.

Cooked is going to have 93.

Um, micrograms.

Yogurt at three-quarter cup is going to have 87 micrograms

hard-boiled egg 26 micrograms.

Um, and like I said, yes, most assaults and even breads will have iodine in them.

Uh, but we're trying to look at the whole food forms of these, right.

We're really trying to look at.

How can we get these without having to have processed white bread?

That has been iodized right.

Um, or even salt for that matter.

If we can just simply eat our iodine, that is going to be 100%, way more

beneficial and better for our bodies.

So.

Those are going to be the top ways of getting in your iodine.

And then moving on to number four.

So we've got two left here and this one is going to be magnesium.

So magnesium is important for around 300 different processes in the

body, such as regulating muscle and nerve function, regulating blood

sugar levels and blood pressure.

And it also helps to make protein.

Bones and DNA.

So.

Once again.

Like the other three, uh, nutrients that we've already spoken about.

Very very important plays, a massive, crucial role in the body.

And it's something that we absolutely need to be getting in our daily diets.

Now, unfortunately, magnesium deficiency can show up in many ways, such as

appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weakness, numbness, tingling, muscle

cramps, seizures, personality changes, and even abnormal heart rhythm, which kind

of hits home for me because my dad has a.

Abnormal heart rhythms, as well as some other issues with his heart.

And I truly believe that magnesium might have played a role in that.

Now my dad's heart condition is improving because he has

started to change up his diet.

And one of the things he's added is cacau.

And that has definitely helped him in many ways with his heart.

But I definitely think magnesium played a role in that.

And so.

If you're actually getting your proper amounts of magnesium in daily, uh, you

can be helping to lower your risk of getting things like high blood pressure,

heart disease, type two diabetes, osteoporosis, because magnesium can help

to increase, uh, the bone mineral density.

And also possibly help to lower the frequency of migraines.

So magnesium is extremely important.

It's something we are not getting enough of and something we definitely

need to increase our uptake on.

Um, I've heard that up to 20% of the general population have low serum,

magnesium levels, and magnesium deficiency has been found in 84% of

post-menopausal women with osteoporosis.

So, what that means essentially is that we all need to be getting our

magnesium in, but very specifically.

Post-menopausal women.

And especially if you have osteoporosis, try to get your magnesium intake daily.

Now in terms of foods that are going to have high levels of magnesium.

And once again, the RDA of magnesium, the recommended daily amount for adults is

anywhere between 310 to 420 milligrams.

So.

First off, and this is for all of the plant-based people or just

technically anyone is pumpkin seeds.

So one ounce of pumpkin seeds is going to provide you with 156 milligrams.

Of magnesium, super high form of getting natural magnesium into your diet.

Uh, once again, dark leafy greens are a go-to whenever in doubt,

dark leafy greens and a typically eggs as well are a really good one.

And, uh, black means at a half cup.

We'll provide 60 milligrams salmon at three ounces will port provide

26 milligrams avocado at a half cup.

We'll provide 22 milligrams oysters.

Uh, six medium oysters will provide 51 milligrams.

So various forms of getting magnesium in, um, it can be tough

to reach this amount sometimes.

Uh, you will have to put some intention into it.

And for that reason I do sometimes supplement my magnesium.

Um, sometimes I will take a magnesium supplement before I go to bed.

Although it can be difficult because there's multiple forms of magnesium.

Uh, but another way of doing it is I drink element water.

Uh, L M N T.

It's a company that basically provides, um, like a powdered mixture

that you can add into your water.

It's going to provide you with potassium, magnesium, sodium,

basically electrolytes for your body.

Uh, to hydrate and replenish your body.

Uh, it's basically like Gatorade without the sugar, which is way,

way better for you obviously.

Um, the amount of sugar that they put in a bottle of Gatorade is kind of ridiculous.

Uh, so we want to stay away from that.

And, uh, this is one of those cases in which I will typically supplement, um,

just because I think I might not be getting enough magnesium personally.

And so, uh, especially if I'm doing a fast, for example, I

will absolutely drink element.

And, uh, for those of you who don't know, yes, you can still be fasted.

And, um, consume certain beverages and this is one of them because it does not

have any calories, um, start spiking the blood glucose or anything like that.

So, uh, it's a great way to still stay hydrated when you're going through

a fast and just in general, it's a great way of staying hydrated and,

uh, keeping the electrolyte levels up.

So element is definitely a.

Good option.

If you are worried that you're not getting good levels of magnesium in

your daily food intake, um, and actually one packet of, uh, element the element

supplement will provide 60 milligrams of.

Uh, magnesium.

So not going to give you your full daily recommended amount, but it will

definitely help, especially if you're pairing it with things like pumpkin seeds.

Okay.

So now we're going to jump in to the last one, which is going to be zinc.

Zinc is needed for the proper functioning of over 200 and enzymes, and is crucial

for normal growth and development immune system function, DNA and

protein synthesis and cell division.

Since the human body cannot store zinc for long.

Constant dietary intake of zinc is required for, to

maintain normal functions.

So.

Zinc is absolutely crucial.

Does a lot of great things in the body.

Like I just said, like all of the other minerals and vitamins do as

well, but it is a very, very crucial one because we are not able to

store it for long periods of time.

Therefore that means we do need to be getting regular intake of zinc.

And it's also found that up to one third of the population

in various parts of the world.

Can be deficient in zinc.

So it's definitely something we want to be looking into, especially with one

third of the world being deficient in it.

Uh, since zinc is responsible for many functions throughout the body.

A deficiency in zinc can affect everything from literally your skin to your bones,

to your digestive reproductive and central nervous system and even immune system.

So.

Plays a massive role in various parts of your body.

And it's something that we really do need to make sure we're getting ample amounts

of, uh, now people with gastrointestinal disorders such as yours, truly.

Um, I have dealt with many of them in the past and you know, I still

continuously on this path of recovery.

Um, but it is going to be harder for people with gastro

gastrointestinal issues.

Uh, to get proper amounts of zinc as well as for vegetarians and vegans.

So, uh, the reason for that is, is because.

When you have gastrointestinal disorders such as Crohn's

disease or ulcerative colitis.

This is because it is.

Basically, you're having decreased levels of absorption of zinc and, uh, yeah,

basically you're not allowing your.

Digestive system to do its work, to be able to properly absorb the amounts

of zinc that you should be absorbing.

Uh, and then as in terms of, uh, vegetarians and vegans, this is

mainly due to the bioavailability of zinc being lower because of heavy

consumption of legumes and whole grains, which contain phytates that bind to

zinc and inhibit their absorption.

So.

Mainly what's happening here for the plant-based people is essentially.

When you're eating things like legumes and, uh, you know, whole

grains, they're going to bind to our.

Sorry, the phytates in them are going to bind to the zinc and keep your body

from properly absorbing them, which can lead to having lower levels of zinc.

Now, there is a bit of a way around this for people who are.

Uh, you know, Uh, going the plant-based route and that is simply going to be to

soak your grains basically before you cook them, um, soaking them for, you know, a

few hours, uh, can really help in reducing the amount of phytates in your foods.

Uh, I've also heard that pressure cooking your foods, uh, such as like your, uh,

beans, like let's say black beans, for example, pressure soaking them and then

pressure cooking them can really help to reduce the level of phytates in them,

which can be massively beneficial for you in terms of getting proper levels of zinc.

Now if you have gastrointestinal disorder.

Uh, issues such as Crohn's disease.

Really, I mean, the best thing to do is to really focus on trying to heal your.

You know, He'll this, this problem of the GI issues that you're having and

then kind of move forward from there.

There's many ways of doing it.

Um, too many to really get into right now, but that is going to be the goal

is to try to really focus on that first.

And then, um, you know, also simultaneously focus on just eating

foods that have higher levels of zinc.

So.

In terms of eating zinc.

Uh, we have the recommended daily amounts for women at eight

milligrams and men 11 milligrams.

So in terms of the foods.

Number one on the list.

And I've spoken about this before.

It's an incredible food in terms of, uh, zinc and for many other

reasons, but definitely was zinc.

And that is oysters.

So three ounces of raw oysters are going to provide.

32 milligrams of zinc, where as we only are needing four recommended daily

amount, either eight to 11 milligrams.

So this is going to absolutely take care of your daily.

Zinc intake is by just throwing back a couple of oysters each day.

Um, if you're not into oysters, that's okay.

There are other foods.

Um, next on the list would be beef at three ounces.

I, uh, sorry.

It's a bottom sirloin.

It's going to have the equivalent of 3.8 milligrams.

So definitely a lot lower than the oysters, but for people who have a

hard time stomaching oysters, this would probably be the next one.

And then once again, pumpkin seeds coming up high on the list here,

uh, for the plant-based community.

And that is going to be a one ounce of roasted pumpkin seeds.

At 2.2 milligrams.

Then you have lentils at a half cup equaling 1.3 milligrams and sardines at

three ounces equaling 1.1 milligrams.

So.

Those are going to be the foods to get zinc.

Uh, just to kind of recap here on the top foods to be eating for all

of these, we have oysters for zinc.

We have pumpkin seeds for magnesium.

We have seaweed specifically Dulce for our iodine intake.

We have beef liver for our fully intake.

And then we also have our Cod liver oil for our vitamin D.

So those are going to be the top foods to be eating in terms of trying

to fill these nutrient deficiencies.

And I highly recommend that if you're able to, if they fit your dietary

practice to go ahead and include those on.

You know, as many meals as you can, at least once a day.

Whatever you can do to really increase those is going to be beneficial.

Of course, the number one thing though here is we do want to test and really

find out what it is that we're low in.

And then we can make educated decisions in how we build our plates, but

all the time, really focusing on.

Looking at food first.

Right.

And even when it comes to going to a supplement, we want to really focus

on sticking to whole food supplements first, and then going into the very

specific types of supplements that might be, you know, like one single

ingredient like vitamin E or vitamin D or vitamin a, whatever it may be.

Now.

In terms of supplements.

I try to keep mine as whole food based as possible, which is typically why I

usually consume things that are like, you know, uh, medicinal mushrooms or

they're all called functional mushrooms.

And things like algae, like spirulina and chlorella, spirulina

and chlorella are actually.

Probably my favorite quote, unquote supplement, even though they're a

whole food, they're literally just an algae, a micro algae that you can eat.

Literally you can just chew them and eat them.

However you want.

You can add them to smoothies.

Um, they are probably my favorite supplement because

they are so packed with.

Like, I think it's 40 plus vitamins and minerals.

So for me, it's really the most bang for the buck right there.

But it's also just so simple.

You can take one food and really helped to get at least a solid

amount of various minerals, vitamins, amino acids, all these goodies.

So, for example, let's just look at spirulina and chlorella, and

I'm basing this off of the energy bits, spur spirulina and chlorella,

which is my personal favorite.

Um, to me, it's the cleanest, spirulina and chlorella I've ever found.

Um, also the founder has put in a ton of work so that you

can really look in and see.

What are the testings that have been done on spirulina and chlorella?

What are the levels of minerals and vitamins that they contain?

And so, for example, this is all straight off of the energy bits.

Uh, Uh, sorry, their webpage.

And so if we're looking at chlorella, taking 30 tablets of the chlorella

tablets, You would be receiving.

94 micrograms of full eight is that's the vitamin B nine.

You have 14 micrograms of vitamin D 19.2 micrograms of vitamin K2.

21 milligrams of magnesium and 84 micrograms of zinc.

So that's just in clerk, uh, chlorella.

So that's talking about, you know, basically the stuff that we've

been talking about today that we're deficient in, but it also

has things like iron manganese, potassium, gludethyon chlorophyll,

superoxide dismutase, melatonin, coenzyme Q 10 plus 18 amino acids.

That's all just in one.

One algae, right?

That's incorrect.

So by taking 30 tablets of chlorella, that is all of what you'd be getting plus more.

And then if we look into spirulina, you have 8.2 micrograms, a full

eight, 10.4 micrograms of vitamin K2.

29 milligrams of magnesium, 123 micrograms zinc.

Then you have vitamin a vitamin E glutathione horror films.

Superoxide dismutase melatonin, iron copper, manganese, 18 amino acids,

including all nine essential amino acids, which are incredible because your body

does not make the essential amino acids.

Hence, hence why they are essential.

And we need to basically obtain them through outside sources.

They're not something that our body can make.

And for a plant-based person, this is incredible because a lot of the times.

Meat is the go-to protein source and it will have, you know, all of

the essential amino acids in them.

But here is a form that yes, granted you would have to eat a lot of

spirulina to get proper amounts of protein button on the less.

It is still a plant-based.

Uh, type of food that is going to have all nine essential amino acids and

other, uh, uh, amino acids as well.

But.

These are truly supplements that I take every single day.

I have a pretty limited list in terms of what supplements I

do actually take on the daily.

Spirulina and chlorella are hands down.

The number one thing that I will never take out of my supplement set.

I take them every single day.

Um, I don't typically take 30 tablets a day.

Um, I'm somewhere more so around 10 tablets a day, a B that's just simply

based off of my physical output.

And also based on the foods that I'm eating.

Maybe I eat a little bit more on some days or a little bit less on other days.

Uh, but nonetheless 10 tends to be about the amount that I take every single day.

And also in terms of getting spirulina chlorella.

If you have a source that you love by all means, stick with it.

And as long as you're eating spirulina and chlorella, I'm happy, like they're

super nutrient dense and they're going to really add to your daily intake.

But if you are looking for a brand or you're looking for a very clean

brand, highly, highly recommend energy bits, don't just take my word for it.

Check out their website, look at what they're all about, how

they harvest all the good stuff.

I mean, they're based out of Taiwan.

It's a pristine location where they grow it.

There's been generations of family growing.

Uh, these micro allergies.

Uh, they use spring water to row them.

They're far away from all contaminants.

Uh, it is just a very, very, very clean source of spirulina and chlorella.

And personally, as a person who has probably tried.

I would say at least seven different types of spirulina and chlorella.

Um, this is hands down.

My favorite one.

So, if you want to check them out, go ahead and look in the show notes.

I have their link posted and I also have a code it's code elemental, all in caps.

And if you type that in at checkout, you will get 20% off your entire

order just for being a listener of the elemental Ivan show that just kind of my

thank you to you for being a listener.

And it's also a great way to help out the show.

So definitely check them out.

It's a great way of helping to get a lot of these really key minerals and

vitamins that we tend to be deficient in.

Um, of course it's not going to be the end all be all, but it is going to be

a great way to add on and, uh, really kind of help fill in some gaps in your

plate that you're eating on the daily.

Right.

So go ahead and check them out.

And aside from that, guys, that's going to do it for today's episode.

So I hope you enjoyed it.

Um, this was a really beneficial episode for myself personally, because

I learned a ton about, you know, what these minerals and vitamins are that

we're typically deficient in as well as where we can find them in whole

food forms, which I think is truly just the most natural way of doing it.

And really, I think that's what we need to be doing right.

Is kind of sticking to the basics here.

A lot of times the basics.

Six are the best way to do it.

So anyways i hope you guys enjoyed the episode please share this with a friend

family member loved one Uh someone who really needs to hear this episode maybe

they are deficient in these or you just heard this and it really spoke to you and

made you think of that person go ahead and share this episode with them share

this episode on your socials as well Tag me in your Uh post i love to see that um

leave a review leave a rating all that good stuff Um it helps people to find

this show and of course keep tuning in and um yeah reach out to me share any

you know, ideas tips Uh things you want to hear about uh with me at any time and

i appreciate all your listenership so so much i hope you guys have a beautiful

rest of your day Until next week have a blessed one and as always do everything

with good intentions and connect to your elements Much love everybody piece