Understanding minerals
When most people hear “minerals,” they think of soil or a vitamin bottle. Minerals are the spark plugs of the body — the messengers that tell your cells how to create energy, respond to stress, sleep, and even think clearly. Without balanced minerals, your systems can’t hum the way they were designed to.
Hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) looks at mineral levels and how minerals relate to each other — a clear picture of how your metabolism is working and how your body is handling stress. It’s like lifting the hood of a car and finally seeing why the engine is sputtering.
Why metabolic types matter
Metabolism isn’t only about weight. It’s how quickly your cells take food, turn it into fuel, and use that fuel. On an HTMA we can see trends toward a fast or slow metabolic type — neither is “perfect”; both come with strengths and challenges.
Fast metabolic type is like a car stuck in the fast lane: anxious, jittery, restless, warm, oily skin, racing mind. Calcium and magnesium (calming minerals) get burned through quickly; high cortisol can raise blood pressure and blood sugar. Over time this wear can lead toward anxiety and adrenal exhaustion.
Slow metabolic type is like climbing a hill with the parking brake partly on: fatigue, hair loss, constipation, feeling cold, restless nights. Calcium and magnesium may pile up in tissues while sodium and potassium run low — minerals present but not usable. Slow types often benefit from replenishing sodium and potassium so thyroid and adrenals can work better.
There are eight subtypes depending on how thyroid and adrenal function line up — which is why two “slow metabolizers” can feel very different day to day.
Why ratios matter more than just numbers
You could have a “normal” amount of a mineral, but if it’s out of balance with another, your body will still struggle. Five significant ratios help paint the picture:
- Nervous system (Ca:P) — brake vs. gas pedal; higher calcium leans slow; higher phosphorus leans fast.
- Vitality (Na:K) — high suggests acute stress; low suggests long-term depletion, fatigue, poor immunity, sluggish digestion.
- Thyroid (Ca:K) — high calcium can block thyroid hormone at the cell; potassium unlocks the door. High ratios: fatigue, thinning hair, cold extremities; low: anxiety, palpitations, blood sugar dips.
- Adrenal (Na:Mg) — high sodium vs. magnesium: adrenals working overtime; low sodium: running on empty.
- Blood sugar (Ca:Mg) — too much calcium vs. magnesium often means low-blood-sugar crashes; the reverse can mean spikes and crashes through the day.
Pulling it together
A fast type with a low Na:K ratio may be running hot and near burnout. A slow type with a high Na:K may be sluggish but still pushing hard against stress. No two people are the same even when symptoms look alike. Understanding your mineral type and ratios is the first step toward giving your body what it truly needs — not chasing perfection, but finding balance again.
How I can help
Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) is available for men, women, and families — from the comfort of home. I mail you a test kit; you collect a small hair sample and send it to the lab; I also send a lab order for your Functional Lab Panel, a fasting blood draw at a Quest Diagnostics location. Then your results are delivered by email, and I send your custom mineral plan along with a custom mineral blend made for you through Vykon.
The New Leaf Mineral Reset ($539) includes your HTMA test kit, the Functional Lab Panel, a written results report and review, your custom mineral plan, with a custom mineral blend made for you through Vykon, and six months of support and plan updates. Supplements and custom blends through Vykon Customs are separate from the package price (typically $200/month or less). I intentionally keep this personal and limited so I can walk closely with the people I work with.
If something in this article resonates and you’re wondering whether minerals could be part of the picture, reach out by email.
Barbie Fisher · Certified HTMA Practitioner · New Leaf Health
coachbarbwithnewleafhealth@gmail.com
This article is intended to provide helpful, informative material. Barbie Fisher is a certified HTMA practitioner and health coach, not a medical doctor; this content is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or qualified health provider with questions regarding a medical condition, dietary changes, or health objectives. This article is educational and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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