EPISODE 94
Hair Testing and Thyroid Health with Hope Pedraza
For many people, hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) offers insights that provide the missing piece on their healing journey. Unlike blood tests, HTMA delivers a more accurate way of measuring mineral levels that looks at what’s going on at a cellular level over time.
Today’s guest is Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) Expert Hope Pedraza. Hope is a certified Holistic Nutritionist, nutrition coach, Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner (FDN-P), and comprehensively certified Pilates instructor and founder of inBalance studio. She helps women heal their bodies from chronic gut, hormone, thyroid, and autoimmune issues, and balance the mind and live in alignment. Hope is also a host of the fast-growing podcast, Hopeful and Wholesome.
In this conversation, Hope and I discuss how HTMA results are interpreted, what people with thyroid conditions should be aware of with HTMA, what elevated mineral levels indicate, the critical minerals we look for in HTMA, common sources of copper toxicity, detoxification protocols and who should avoid them, and more.
There’s a lot of controversy regarding HTMA, and I was glad to have Hope on to talk about the enormous benefits it can offer. Enjoy the episode!
During this episode, you’ll learn:
- Hope’s journey into the wellness space
- Why hair tissue mineral analysis is the preferred option over blood testing
- Interpreting hair tissue mineral analysis results
- What elevated calcium levels typically indicate
- The importance of the Big Four minerals: calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium
- Why low sodium is often tricky to address
- Hope’s recommendations for magnesium supplementation
- Why it’s best to take a food-first approach to getting enough potassium
- Red flags on a hair tissue mineral analysis
- How copper toxicity presents on a hair mineral analysis and common sources of copper toxicity
- The connection between zinc deficiency and copper toxicity
- What Hope typically sees with selenium in clients with thyroid issues
- Mineral ratios in hair tissue mineral analysis and how thyroid conditions impact them
- Everyday sources of heavy metals
- How detox therapies can reduce one’s toxic load
- The hair collection procedure and how to prepare before collection
- How hair tissue mineral analysis can be the missing piece in addressing chronic health issues
Connect with Hope Pedraza
Free resources for your thyroid health
Get your FREE Thyroid and Immune Health Restoration Action Points Checklist at SaveMyThyroidChecklist.com
Do You Want Help Saving Your Thyroid?
Click Here to access hundreds of free articles and blog posts.
Click Here for Dr. Eric’s YouTube channel
Click Here to join Dr. Eric’s Graves’ disease and Hashimoto’s group
Click Here to work with Dr. Eric
Listen to the episode on your favorite app
Click Here To listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts
Click Here To listen to this episode on Spotify
Click Here to listen to the episode on Stitcher