Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis

As a graduate of the RCP Institute I offer mineral analysis as part of my nutritional consulting. Part of the mineral analysis is done by analyzing the results from an HTMA report through Trace Elements Lab. (HTMA stands for Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis).

The other part of the mineral analysis is accomplished by taking a look at certain blood markers as a whole. It is important to understand that the blood results are not used in the same way that medical doctors use them. The data we have access to in those blood tests doesn't define the problem, but it provides important contextual information for understanding the problem.

The RCP training allows me to get to the root cause of your health concerns by way of a “minerals-first” paradigm.

Why would that be important?

Although it’s not well known in conventional health circles, minerals literally run the body - at the cell level. They’re not just important. They’re foundational to our health. Sadly, this biological fact is either missed or ignored by other health professionals.

Minerals play critical roles in our enzyme pathways. Enzymes are the catalysts in every single fascinating process that happens inside our bodies every second of the day…things like energy metabolism, absorption, excretion, cell renewal, blood clotting, and reproduction, just to name a few. Without proper functioning enzymes anything can go wrong. Are you starting to see the significance now?

It might surprise you to learn that minerals even govern our genetic expression. Yes, you read that right. Despite what you’ve been told, our genes are not our destiny. Our genes can turn on or turn off WHEN you give the body what it needs from Mother Nature. The challenge, then, is knowing WHAT it is that your body needs. And one of the best tools we can use to determine that is the Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (also known as HTMA).

So What is Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) Anyway?

Put simply, it’s a nutrition screening tool that provides a unique snapshot into your body, showing how your stress patterns are manifesting and the type of oxidizer you are (your “energy profile”). An HTMA also detects imbalances in your minerals.

It takes a trained professional to understand and interpret the HTMA results properly and to also take that information and put into proper perspective; in other words, applying that information within the context of the human from which the hair sample was taken. It’s not simply a high or low game. And it’s certainly not a matter of deficiency or toxicity either. Every client has a story. A diet story, a water story, an environmental story, an ancestral story, and most importantly a stress story. All of these factors (and many others) have had a lasting impact on that person in one way or another and it takes an insightful practitioner to tap into that.

Minerals should never be discussed in isolation from the others, either. It takes a educated professional to understand the key relationships between other minerals.

That’s where I come in. I help you make sense out of your HTMA and explain help you make connections between your health story and your minerals. I show you where your imbalances lie and what the approach should be to correct those imbalances.

Knowing what type of oxidizer you are and discovering how stress is manifesting in YOUR mineral balance helps me to guide you in a nutritional approach with better precision rather than going on symptoms alone.

This, in turn helps you, the client, get to the root cause of your health issues so you can STOP wasting your MONEY on the wrong supplements, and STOP wasting your TIME doing a bunch of crazy diets that aren’t really helping you because they simply aren’t addressing underlying root causes.

What's the Process?

The first step is to purchase an HTMA hair test kit from Intuit Health / Healthfitters. Purchasing the kit includes the lab fees. This kit comes with detailed instructions on how to take the hair sample, which areas of the scalp to take it from, how long to cut it, how much to send, and so forth. It really is very straightforward. You’ll also fill out a brief questionnaire for the lab. The client mails the hair sample and questionnaire directly to TEI Labs. The lab then sends the raw results report to me by email. It can take 1-2 weeks to receive the results from the lab from the date the sample is mailed.

If you wish to do the RCP-recommended blood labs (highly recommended), then you would also obtain from me a list of the recommended blood markers needed to complete that process or click here to download a sample to take to your doctor. Because I am not a medical doctor, Canadian labs will not accept a lab requisition from me. This means you will need to ask your doctor to do the lab requisition. It is my role to give you a list of the labs needed so that you get the proper testing done. Because most blood tests are covered under Alberta Health Services, there may not be a charge for this, however, please do not assume so. It would be wise to check with your healthcare provider or to call your local lab beforehand.

The RCP-recommended blood labs are essential in determining your ceruloplasmin levels, your red blood cell magnesium, your copper<>iron metabolism, your zinc status in relation to copper and iron, and most importantly to get a TRUE picture of your iron status.

The majority of people suffering from what many doctors have labelled as “iron deficiency anemia” are actually not iron deficient. What they DO have is "anemia of chronic inflammation”…caused by a lack of Ceruloplasmin, a copper dependent enzyme which expresses as Ferroxidase enzyme (the "Mt. Everest" of all enzymes in the human body). Ceruloplasmin then, is a critical part of the blood labs. We also look at your vitamin D status and discuss it in proper perspective in relative to your magnesium and potassium status. And that's super important.

Upon receiving the HTMA lab results and blood labs (if obtained), I enter the raw data into my spreadsheet which assists me in interpreting the results. It also shows me all the important ratios between minerals and the optimum values for each. Key ratios between minerals can indicate the vitality of glands like the thyroid and adrenals, the male and female hormones, and general overall vitality. The spreadsheet also produces a great visual aid which I use to help you understand everything. The client is provided with a copy of the spreadsheet after the consult.

Before meeting with you, I take the time to prepare for your consult by analyzing the lab results as well as your intake forms.

All initial consults are 90 minutes in length. This is so that we can take a deep dive into your root causes. It allows me to do a proper job of getting everything into proper perspective. It also helps you to start making some key connections which are sure to produce a few “aha” moments.

Should a follow-up consult be necessary, you can book a 30-minute follow up a few months down the road. It’s a great idea to do a follow up HTMA after being on your mineral balancing protocol and see the changes and shifts in your mineral patterns.

What's Included?

Following your consult, you will receive the following:

1) A copy of the raw HTMA results

2) A copy of the spreadsheet discussed in the appointment, which includes my notes on the relevance of certain minerals, foods, and supplements to your case, and helpful links pertinent to your case and/or what came up in the consultation.

3) An instruction manual for bringing your minerals and your body back into a state of balance.

4) Tips and suggestions for getting the best results possible.

I'm sure you will appreciate great value in this offer.

Booking a Consult

Please note: I do not meet with any client without first receiving their completed intake forms. I do not schedule appointments for clients who are getting a mineral analysis done until I have received their HTMA lab report and blood results. If you would like more information on any of this, please contact me by email at support@intuithealth.ca to discuss the details.

Online Consults

If you do not live in the Lacombe area, I am able to conduct all meetings with anyone anywhere in the world by way of Zoom video communication. This will allow me to share the visuals with you on my computer screen so that you can follow along with what I am talking about. We can see each other face to face, or you can opt to meet with me by audio only and just view the spreadsheet on my computer screen while we talk. Not tech savvy? Do not fear. I am here to assist.