Did you know that your hair can tell us A LOT about your metabolism? And when I say metabolism, I don’t just mean your ability to lose weight or not. I’m talking about the way your body converts the food you eat into energy and overall keeps you happy, healthy, and thriving. I’m talking about how synced up your adrenal glands and thyroid are in order to produce balanced hormones for optimal EVERYTHING (fat loss, blood sugar, fertility, muscle gain, digestion, clear skin, etc.)

This is huge, right? Right. So, how do we test your hair to figure this out? With the hair tissue mineral analysis – or HTMA.

The HTMA is a safe and noninvasive pathology test. It measures the levels and ratios of nutrients and toxic minerals found in hair. It is one of the most valuable screening tools we have in the preventative healthcare space.

When we get results back from the HTMA, it will always classify each person as one of 8 metabolic types. This is also known as the oxidation rate. You can be either a fast or slow metabolic type or oxidizer, but also have different levels of dysregulation of your nervous system on top of that.

Metabolic Types

Knowing your metabolic type is important because you can then start to normalize or maintain optimal oxidation rates and bring more regulation to how your nervous system handles day-to-day stressors. 

You might be thinking – “what does this have to do with metabolism and me losing weight?” It has everything to do with it! Having more optimal mineral levels means you have the right amounts of mini “spark plugs” in your cells to be able to have an efficient metabolism in the first place. Crazy, right?

Let’s talk more about slow metabolic types or slow oxidizers

If you are a Slow 1, 2, 3, or 4, you digest food at a slower rate and tend to be associated with depletion of the adrenal glands. Your body is stuck in the “rest and digest” state or parasympathetic dominance. Your minerals will show us a high calcium to phosphorus ratio.

People with a slow metabolic type tend to be chronically fatigued, wake up a few times in the night, and be more constipated. They are also more likely to have hormonal imbalances.

If you are a fast metabolic type, you tend to have chronic overstimulation of the adrenal glands. Your body is stuck in a “fight or flight” mode or sympathetic dominance. Your minerals will show us a low calcium to phosphorus ratio. 

People with a fast metabolic type tend to be anxious, irritable, and always go go go. You might find yourself more emotional, although this can certainly depend on many factors and time of your cycle. Blood sugar levels may run higher because cortisol levels are chronically higher.

Here are some examples you might resonate with:

A Slow 2:

A woman who has a lot of hypothyroid symptoms but her thyroid labs always come back normal. She is easily tired no matter how much sleep she gets. It takes her a while to feel back to normal after a highly stressful or emotional event. It’s hard to let things go. Food can easily cause an upset stomach and will typically be constipated. 

A Fast 4:

A woman with a lot of trauma in her past that has not been worked through. She is still currently stressed with current life situations. She doesn’t tolerate most supplements she tries. It’s really uncomfortable to sit and meditate but she tries her best. She feels on edge most of the time and it’s hard to relax.

Long story short: your metabolic type might pinpoint exactly how you’ve been feeling that no other labs or tests have been able to capture. Minerals are cool, aren’t they?!

The cool thing too is that your metabolic type is NOT set in stone. As you make the nutrition and lifestyle adjustments that you need, your metabolic type is likely to change and hopefully improve! It’s important to remember that it does take time. You shouldn’t retest your HTMA unless it’s been 4-6 months of consistent changes, but the body can also take well over a year to rebuild certain mineral levels in the tissue of our body. 

Also, know that there is no “perfect” HTMA or “best” metabolic type. It’s just a tool to understand your body and nervous system better and work towards reducing the symptoms you are experiencing. 

Are you interested in an HTMA test?

We’d love to help! And we have 2 options to do it. 

1. An HTMA test + interpretation alone. 

This option is for you if you are only looking for places to fill in the gaps in your nutrition and lifestyle to optimize your metabolism even more. It will give you answers and a starting point!

2. VIP 1:1 coaching with HTMA testing now included!

This option is for you if you’re:

• looking for long-term results and solutions to your weight loss resistance. 
• ready to dig under the hood and have the continued support and accountability to fit the adjustments you need to make into your life in a sustainable way.
• sick of being given more lab test results without a step-by-step game plan to actually make things happen.

Coach Elle