Minerals

[Ashelton80]

Last spring I started working out on the recumbent bike 2-3 days a week and with a trainer doing lower body/core 2 days a week. I saw dramatic improvement within the first few weeks which at the time surprised me quite a bit at how well I responded. I had been very ill and sedentary for quite a few years. I continued on for the next 5 months with continued improvement getting roughly 60-70 percent of my life back. My family and I scheduled a beach trip since I was doing so well. During this trip (Destin area) the water was clear, no waves and just breathtakingly beautiful. I normally don't spend a ton of time in the ocean, but on this occasion it was so nice that I ended up soaking for hours a day in the water over the course of 4 days. Each day after the first I noticed that I was getting up and ready to start my day at 7 am instead of dragging myself out at 10 am and just had more energy overall. Not normal, but just much better.

For the next month after that trip I experienced the most symptom relief I have had in years. I just felt different physiologically. Stronger more stable energy were the most noticeable. After about 5 weeks though I could tell that the benefits that I had gotten were starting to slowly wear off. So we ended up planning another trip. It was October at this point so and the water wasn't as nice. I didn't spend any time in the water on this trip and as a result didn't seem to get the same benefit as I did on the first trip other than a little sun exposure (vit d).

All this to say, last week I got results from a blood plasma mineral panel that my doctor ordered. Every single mineral tested was low except iron and zinc. Do I need to just take a mineral supplement? Is this why I got such relief from the ocean as I'm pretty sure the ocean is full of minerals and I was absorbing them through my skin?

If anyone has any insight on this I would love to hear. Thanks

Ashley

[julieph85]

That certainly could be a possibility but I was actually thinkining it was the sun exposure. I experience big symptom relief from sun exposure and I think it is because of the increase in vitamin d and serotonin

[Guest Alex]

i've also read somewhere recently (might have been quite on this forum) that some people find some relief from epsommsalts baths - one thing is certain - they can't hurt

[issie]

Our bodies are made up on minerals and vitamins. Your body will make it's own vitamins but, not it's own minerals. So, if yours are very low - there is a good chance that taking them would be of benefit to you. But, then again - the best way to absorb them is through foods. Because you have the enzymes in the foods to absorb properly.

Hey, another thought - just move to Destin. That's my old home stopping grounds - grew up on the beach and boy do I miss it. I get my beach time in on Hawaii these days. Hubby works over there and get to go with him. It's glorius.

[Ashelton80]

I definitely think the vitamin D was a big factor too, but before we went on the trip I was out at the pool quite a bit so I know my vitamin D was adequate before I went on the trip. I also forgot to mention that when I returned from that trip I had gained 5 lbs in a matter of a few days. So one theory is that I was absorbing the salt more effeciently and it boosted my volume transdermally. sp?

I need to try the Epsom baths as several people have mentioned doing them.

Issie I would LOVE to move there! If we didn't own a business in our current city I would move and just soak in the ocean all day! The sun and the salt have such a healing effect on my body. I just wish I could figure it out and recreate it here in gloomy Nashville.

As I look back over the last few years, a major pattern has started to surface. That being February is notoriously my worse month of the year. 3 years ago around this time was my first "blacking out" incident in JoAnns craft store shopping for my daughters 2nd birthday party. 2 years ago today I was in the ER at Vandy so sick trying to figure out what was wrong with me. Last year was ok and this year is a little better, but not as well as I was this past summer/fall.

[Katybug]

I was going to suggest epsom salt baths, as someone else did. Again, sounds a little strange, but in the horse world, we treat all kinds of ailments with a good soaking in epsom salt solutions for the horses and it always seems to make a huge difference in the recovery time. It really detoxs the area and helps reduce inflammation so I don't find it surprising at all that you found some wellness from this at the beach.

You may also want to try using some of the "gourmet" salts for cooking and on your food at home such a himilayan sea salt instead of just plain table salt. There are a variety of these special salts and they include trace minerals that regular table salt does not. Himilayan, Hawaiian Volcani Red, Grey Sea Salt...if you google "Gourmet Salt" you can find tons of sites that sell them.

[janiedelite]

My cardiologist had me switch from making my morning salt drinks with table salt to pink himalayan sea salt, and also to add EmergenC for the potassium. I can't say that I've had any improvement since doing so, though. I use about 2 teaspoons of the pink himalayan sea salt a day for the last year.