Studies show that much of the North American population is deficient in both zinc and magnesium. Since zinc plays a vital role in immune function, if you’re constantly getting sick you might want to investigate your zinc status.  

The Zinc Test

To test yourself you’ll need to purchase some Zinc Tally (basically a form of liquid zinc). The test itself is quite simple. Pour about 10ml (two teaspoons) of the liquid into a small glass. Then swish the fluid in your mouth for 5 to 10 seconds.

The Results

In this case, the bad taste is good news. If it tastes like liquefied car bumper you’re in luck. Your zinc status is good. Unfortunately, for most of you the solution will taste like water. If it does your zinc levels are low and you need to address this issue.

Some people will report a “dry” or “fluffy” taste. For others the taste is mild and develops after a delay. If this is the case for you, you’re still deficient. If you’re not deficient you’ll know it. When the zinc tally hits your tongue you’ll want to spit it out as fast as it went in. In either case you can choose to swallow the liquid or spit it back into the glass.

I’m Deficient. I Need to Take Some Zinc.

If you’re thinking along these lines it would be logical, but probably not correct. In fact, this is probably how most people respond to being told they have a deficiency. Many women respond the same way when they’re told they don’t have enough iron. It is the “I don’t have enough so I should take more” philosophy. The truth is that in both cases this will probably provide some relief from the symptoms, but it doesn’t address the root cause.

In all likelihood you probably consume enough zinc in your diet. The problem lies in the absorption. Most people have a very low level of stomach acid and are unable to fully digest the nutrients they’re eating. In essence, you are not what you eat, but what you can absorb. The zinc test above can actually be used as an indicator of your stomach acid. If your zinc levels are low it is highly probable that your stomach acid levels are too. Stress, soft drinks, fried foods, and age are common causes.

Symptoms of Low Stomach Acid:

Bloating or belching, especially after eating
Burning in the stomach, especially after eating
Fullness or heaviness in the stomach after eating
Nausea after eating or taking supplements
Intestinal gas
Indigestion
Bad breath
Diarrhea or constipation
Food allergies
Weak or cracked fingernails
Dilated blood vessels in the cheeks or nose (in nonalcoholics)
Skin break-outs or acne
Iron deficiency
Chronic intestinal parasites
Undigested food in the stool
Chronic candida infection

To confirm that your stomach acid is low you can also take an HCL Challenge test, but that is beyond the scope of this article. The point is that your deficiency is possibly the result of absorption issues and not a lack of that nutrient in your diet.

Magnesium Deficiency and Sleep

Since I mentioned magnesium earlier I should note that magnesium plays a key role in sleep and that many North Americans also report sleep disturbances. If you feel tired in the morning and find yourself frequently hitting the snooze alarm you might be lacking in magnesium. There is no easy test for magnesium like there is for zinc, but it is affected by low stomach acid as well. Many report that once they’ve restored their stomach acid levels through appropriate supplementation their sleep improves dramatically. Give your snooze alarm a rest and get this issue sorted out. You’ll have much more energy as a result.

You Are What You Absorb

The bottom line is that you can choose healthy foods and take supplements to cover your nutritional bases, but it isn’t always what you put in that determines your results. Absorption is the key factor in determining what your body does with the nutrients you give it.

Here’s a simple recipe for a fantastic tasting breakfast.  

1/3 Cup dry quick oatmeal
1/3 Cup Water
1 Scoop Chocolate Protein Powder of your choice
1 Teaspoon Natural Peanut Butter

Boil water and add oatmeal or put both together in the microwave on a lower power setting for about 3 minutes or until desired consistency is reached. Add the protein and peanut butter and stir.

Obviously the recipe can be doubled if you’re particularly hungry.

Enjoy!

Are you a carb-o-holic? Do you crave starches or sweets like they were totally necessary for life? Do you always need something sweet after a meal?  

I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to suffer with this affliction any longer. What I’m going to tell you really works. You can drop those carb cravings permanently!!!

Simply add two teaspoons of L-Glutamine to approximately two ounces of heavy cream and take it back. The taste isn’t bad at all. If you like whipped cream on your pumpkin pie this might even be a treat for you.

L-Glutamine, if you’re not familiar with it, is simply an amino acid; a protein building block. If you’re experiencing a drop in blood sugar or have low blood glucose from a lower carb diet you’ll get a carb craving. Glutamine can convert into glucose to stabilize your blood sugar. The bonus is that only the required amount will be converted with no spillover to convert to fat. This is untrue of the chocolate bar you might have grabbed alternatively.

You can purchase glutamine at most health food or supplement shops at a reasonable price. Just make sure you’re looking for “L” Glutamine when you ask the store clerk.

Heavy cream is alternatively called whipping cream and ranges from about 35 to 40% fat. There are “light” varieties available, but they are significantly less effective as it is partially the fat that is responsible for the suppression of the craving. The cream has an effect on GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) in the brain and will help stomp out the sugar binges. If you don’t have glutamine handy the cream will work by itself, but not nearly as effectively.

If you’re a fanatical fat gram counter I’d suggest that you give that up entirely, but for now consider that the 200 calories you’ll get from the drink above is less than you’d get from most chocolate bars. The 20 grams of fat will also probably have less of an impact on your physique than the 14 grams in a Mars bar combined with the 28 grams of sugar.

While this technique works best with lower carbohydrate diets, it will most certainly work for anyone wishing to rid themselves of a spontaneous carb craving.

As a side note, this same magic potion works to help those wishing to quit drinking.

There you have it. No more sweets. No more cravings.

Enjoy the freedom!

Adam Sandler had it right. People just don’t drink enough water. I’ve heard all the excuses too.  

“I physically can’t drink that much water.”

“I don’t like water. It has no taste.”

“If I drink water I’ll have to pee and they don’t let me pee at work.”

The list goes on, but you should be drinking more. To calculate the number of liters you should be drinking (or trying to drink) multiply your weight in kilograms by 0.033.

For Example:

A 150lb woman would need…

150lbs / 2.2 = 68.18kg

68.18 x 0.033 = 2.25 Liters per day

This is the equivalent of about four 500ml bottles of water per day. I realize that some might find this unattainable at first, but remember that it is simply a benchmark to compare against. The goal would be to assess where you’re at and then add 500ml (or 1 bottle) per day each week. As I write this it is 11AM and I’ve already consumed over 2 liters of pure and refreshing H2O.

To make the water a little more palatable you can add a little lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt. You’ll be getting more vitamins and minerals and adding taste to your water at the same time.

By the way, if you ever suffer from constipation, the very first step I take with my clients is to ensure adequate water intake. Often this takes care of the problem and gets things moving again.

Are you getting enough high quality H2O?