<p>The coronavirus pandemic means those of us who can work remotely are doing so and, beyond that, many more are practicing physical distancing. With so much time spent indoors, it’s easy to feel disconnected, or isolated from others. However, there are a number of steps you could (and should) take to ensure you’re keeping on top of your mental wellbeing.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><strong>SET YOURSELF CLEAR BOUNDARIES</strong></h3><p>When you’re working in such close proximity to where you sleep and relax, it becomes harder to differentiate where you work and where you unwind. Set up a dedicated work station and try to stick to a routine, making sure you get dressed and start and finish work at the same time every day. We&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/blog/how-to-immediately-and-effectively-help-build-immunity-against-viruses">recently</a>&nbsp;talked about the impact of sleep, and the role it plays in helping build immunity. Setting these boundaries forms a part of that too. Don’t work from your bed and give yourself clear times for when screens turn off.</p><h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3><strong>STAY CONNECTED</strong></h3><p>With or without the current pandemic, loneliness is lethal. In fact, <a href="https://www.apa.org/members/content/holt-lunstad-loneliness-social-connections">studies</a> have shown that loneliness, living alone, and poor social connections are as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. As a result, it’s important to stay connected with friends, family and colleagues beyond Slack, email and written communication. Suggest a Google Hangouts check-in with the team, or carve out some time to call a friend on your lunch break.</p><h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3><strong>LEAVE THE HOUSE (IF YOU’RE ABLE TO)</strong></h3><p>The advice obviously stands to avoid social contact and stay at home for the foreseeable future but, especially for those who live near a park or have a garden, 10 minutes of fresh air can do wonders for clearing your mind. Even when you’re in the house, take steps to bring the outside world in. Open the windows, curtains and download some natural soundscapes to listen to while working.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><strong>AVOID THE NEWS (AS MUCH AS YOU CAN) DURING THE DAY</strong></h3><p>The situation is developing daily, which makes it even easier to get distracted and lose yourself in endless news stories. While it’s good to be informed, use the breaks you take throughout the day (of which there should be many!) to focus on something else, and check in with the news when you feel you really need to.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><strong>FEED YOUR BRAIN AS MUCH AS YOUR BODY</strong></h3><p>Maintaining a proper balance of vitamins and nutrients is as beneficial to your brain as it is your body. Breakfast is an essential way to kick that off. Bananas are known as a ‘mood boosting’ food, and contain high amounts of B6 vitamins, and avocado is rich in omega-3 and tryptophan, a forerunner to serotonin. Similarly, avoid too much caffeine throughout the day as it can deplete vitamin D3, as well as refined sugars as they can affect your&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/blog/how-to-immediately-and-effectively-help-build-immunity-against-viruses">immune system</a>.</p>

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The coronavirus pandemic means those of us who can work remotely are doing so and, beyond that, many more are practicing physical distancing. With so much time spent indoors, it’s easy to feel disconnected, or isolated from others. However, there are a number of steps you could (and should) take to ensure you’re keeping on top of your mental wellbeing. 

TIPS TO PRIORITIZE YOUR MENTAL HEALTH WHEN WORKING FROM HOME

<p>&nbsp;</p><p>Finding reliable health &amp; wellness guidance is hard, and with so many options available online, it’s difficult to pick out which one is best suited for you. Do these personalized health &amp; wellness brands even have your best interests in mind, or are they just trying to sell a product? Hint: if it sounds like a quick fix, they’re just trying to sell.</p><p>Enter Honed, the personalized vitamin brand that dares to care about you. This is what sets us apart:</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>WE TAKE THE TIME TO LEARN YOUR NEEDS</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>When you start looking at all the vitamin brands on the market right now you’ll notice a trend: with a short list of questions they are ready to ship you “personalized vitamins”. How accurate can their quick assessments be?</p><p>The answer: not very accurate. Beyond what your answers tell them there is no verification for their results. You are slotted into one of a handful of generalised groups and recommended a list of vitamins. But you are not “generalised.”&nbsp;You are unique, and your supplemental needs are as unique as your fingerprint.</p><p>Honed takes the time to get to know you. We don’t promise a quick fix, because a quick fix is not the answer. Our Personal Nutritional Assessment is the most accurate test available, and we have 15+ years worth of proven results and data to back it up. The way we prove it is by looking at your cellular fingerprint: your hair.</p><p>Both the testing of your hair and a comprehensive online assessment are critical to the generation of our analysis and personalized vitamin formulations. Then we cross reference the data from both analyses to make a 3rd level of deeper conclusions.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>HAIR SAMPLE: PULLING THE RAW DATA</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>After completing the online assessment, we mail you an easy to use hair sample kit. Why do we require a hair sample? Hair testing provides a clear window into cell health, including metabolic activity, nutrient levels, and any toxic metal exposures.&nbsp;We require about a tablespoon worth of hair, and once you send it in to our lab they take care of the rest.</p><p>These charts reveal everything we need to get you started. You’ll be able to recognize hidden mineral imbalances, any toxic exposures, and your hair will provide us with a stable, long-term reading of all this data. It’s also more accurate and much less invasive than blood tests. Over 15 years ago it was discovered that we can’t pull sufficient health data from blood tests. This is because your blood is found outside your cells, and to better understand and address your health, we need to be able to look directly into your cells.</p><p>Hair testing provides us with continuing data on what has been going on inside your body over the past three months, while blood tests only reveal a short term picture. Blood tests measure mineral levels outside of the cells (extracellular), but your hair allows us to view the mineral levels and ratios within the cell (intracellular). And it’s intracellular minerals that activate vitamin and enzyme activity in your body. The data from your hair provides us with a wider and more complete look at your mineral levels and metabolic activity – as an example, only 2% of magnesium is stored in your blood, with 98% of it being stored inside of your cells. This method is much more convenient to you than a blood test, and provides a far superior reading of your health.</p><p>Combined with our comprehensive lifestyle assessment, we cross-reference the data to understand the nutritional imbalances and deficiencies driving more than 100 symptoms you may be experiencing.</p><p>Leah Wyar, VP of the beauty and wellness brand&nbsp;<a href="https://www.byrdie.com/">Byrdie</a>, said that Honed “changed [her] body” in an interview for <a href="https://medium.com/authority-magazine/byrdie-vp-leah-wyer-why-you-need-to-own-the-oxygen-mask-theory-ddb8f9a0f18b">Authority Magazine</a>. Leah’s testimonial is just one of many stories available to read on our&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/">site</a>.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>WE DO SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST SHIP VITAMINS</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In addition to providing a full analysis of what your body needs to perform at its best, we also guide you towards a better lifestyle. Providing you with the correct vitamins is a fantastic start, but true change comes through a holistic shift in your life.</p><p>Honed provides guidance on diet, exercise, and lifestyle because we believe that making a positive difference in your life should be the main drive of any personalized vitamin company. We are the only personalized supplement brand that provides you with accurate scientific and lifestyle data to reinforce the positive changes you make in your life.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>WE’RE WITH YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>We then take it one step further and provide you the opportunity to retest and adjust your needs. We will be there to help when your life shifts from left to right, and we’ll provide you with our proven, accurate tests to keep you on track. If your intracellular metabolic activity changes, we will be able to notify you and provide you with the correct adjustments to make to your lifestyle.</p><p>At Honed, we understand that life changes, so we change with you.</p><p>If you’re looking to see what our clients have to say about us, check out our&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/">website</a>&nbsp;to read their stories. We always appreciate hearing back from our clients.</p><p>You can also follow us on Instagram&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/livehoned">@livehoned</a>&nbsp;to keep up to date with our newest offerings.</p>

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Finding reliable health & wellness guidance is hard, and with so many options available online, it's difficult to pick out which one is best suited for you. Do these personalized health & wellness brands even have your best interests in mind, or are they just trying to sell a product? Enter Honed, the personalized vitamin brand that dares to care about you.

HOW TO KNOW WHAT VITAMINS YOU SHOULD TAKE

<p>&nbsp;</p><p>Women’s hormonal systems experience changes at all stages of life and are often misunderstood. Trying to regulate your hormones can feel complicated, but is in fact much easier than you might think. When we break it down, it’s the balance of estrogen and progesterone that control sexual vitality and hormonal health. Fortunately, you largely control&nbsp;how much of these hormones your body will make. In order to regulate your hormones you just need to know how to reduce, increase, and stimulate them.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>HONED’S YEARS OF CLINICAL WORK SHOW DIET AND LIFESTYLE HABITS ARE OFTEN THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS CONTROLLING HORMONE LEVELS</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>One of the largest hormonal changes in a woman’s body is during menopause and for many today this is occurring earlier than ever – primarily due to modern lifestyle factors that didn’t exist 50-75 years ago. While it will happen for all women at some point, research indicates that women have more control over how early it occurs than previously thought, and that adopting simple dietary, exercise, and lifestyle habits not only delays onset of menopause, but minimizes your biological aging (because these are linked!), which is beneficial to your overall well-being.</p><p>And not only is menopause occurring earlier due to estrogen dominance largely caused by excess estrogen-mimickers in the environment and food chain, but so is puberty and sexual development in young girls.</p><p>Further, in 2018&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180430212400.htm">British researchers</a>&nbsp;found that women who ate more fish, beans and other legumes started menopause later (a 3.3-year delay for every daily serving), while women who ate a diet heavy on refined pasta and rice went through the change on average 1.5 years earlier. It is speculated that the antioxidants in legumes, and the omega-3 fatty acids in certain fish might have a protective effect on a woman’s eggs, essentially helping to preserve them for longer, delaying the start of menopause.</p><p>Refined carbohydrate sources in the diet could also hasten menopause, suggested the study, because these foods boost the risk of insulin resistance, which could interfere with hormone production. This is reaffirmed by Honed’s metabolic research that clearly shows refined carbohydrates are depleted of antioxidants necessary to support healthy cell metabolism and the synthesis of fatty acids needed for the production of a woman’s eggs.</p><p>The study also found that a higher intake of vitamin B6 and zinc appears to delay menopause — by 0.6 and 0.3 years, respectively. This can be explained by subsequent research, including that conducted by Honed, as vitamin B6 and zinc are necessary to convert the plant-based omega 3 &amp; 6 essential fatty acids into the healthy oils necessary to produce a woman’s eggs.</p><p>The 2018 study also found that vegetarians reached menopause at an earlier age than those that ate meat. Vegetables are higher in copper and lower in zinc, and the two nutrients fight for absorption, often resulting in low zinc levels in vegetarians (requiring&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/supplements">zinc supplementation</a>&nbsp;to bring you into balance). Elevations in copper are overly estrogenic, which can lead to estrogen and progesterone imbalances.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS HAVE AN IMPACT ON YOUR HORMONES</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>As identified through Honed’s <a href="https://livehoned.com/science">metabolic testing</a>, roughly 75% of women have excesses of calcium and copper, and deficiencies of zinc and boron, enhancing estrogen’s effects. And many are missing other minerals essential to detoxification. When you have the data on your current nutrient levels, taking action to bring them into balance is easy.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Here are a few ways to bring these nutrients into the optimal state and rebalance your hormones:</strong></p><ul><li>Reduce your copper levels: with zinc-rich food, consuming less copper-rich foods, and supplementation based on&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/science">proper testing</a>&nbsp;(we never recommend self-selection for supplements)</li><li>Reduce calcium-rich foods and carbohydrates as high calcium intake enhances copper absorption, and vice versa</li><li>Zinc and vitamin B6 are essential to enzyme function that converts the plant-based essential fatty acids into the more complex fatty acids found in healthy eggs.&nbsp; Healthy sources of these fatty acids are organic flax, sunflower, borage, and evening primrose oils<ul><li><i>Tip: When buying organic sunflower oil, check the label to make sure it’s the old-fashioned kind, and not the newer “high-oleic” sunflower oils which have been altered to make it more like olive oil.</i></li></ul></li><li>If overly low, you may need to increase zinc and boron levels as both are important to the formation of progesterone and testosterone</li><li>Increase your intake of detoxifying nutrients necessary to metabolize estrogens in your liver</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Before making any changes to your diet, it’s important to do the&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/how-it-works">proper testing</a> to make sure your key minerals are in balance to promote proper hormone function. Our <a href="https://livehoned.com/shop">assessment</a>&nbsp;(which includes a hair mineral test and clinical questionnaire) is the only testing that can point to the dietary causes of estrogen dominance (by measuring calcium, copper, sodium, potassium, zinc, and boron). Blood tests give inaccurate readings as mineral levels in blood are usually very different from those levels seen inside your cells.&nbsp; Further, blood levels are significantly more affected by the food you ate most recently, whereas&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/science">hair testing</a>&nbsp;provides a read on your average nutrient intake over a 3 month period. The result? You get a much more accurate indicator on your hormone production and metabolism, and you get the specific food and supplement recommendations to get you on track.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>WHILE DIET IS IMPORTANT, WHAT ELSE PLAYS A ROLE IN HORMONE PRODUCTION?</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Most women are aware that menopause is caused in part by a reduction of estrogen as you age. But did you know the most pronounced menopausal symptoms are caused by an even faster drop of progesterone?</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>In today’s world an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone can be made worse by:&nbsp;</strong></p><p>1) an excess of estrogen mimickers (toxic chemicals in the environment and food chain) that keep estrogen levels slightly higher than normal, or</p><p>2) various factors that cause progesterone to drop rapidly, such as: a lack of resistance training, absence of certain healthier foods, or excess stress and caffeine.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>We live in a busy, hectic, and often stressful world which can negatively impact progesterone levels. Cortisol, which is required for a stress response, is synthesized by consuming available progesterone. This means that too much stress, or anything else that stimulates your adrenal system, like caffeine, can lead to an overly high conversion of progesterone to cortisol, leaving your body low in this essential hormone.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>BALANCING YOUR HORMONES IS ACTUALLY QUITE EASY</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>When affected by estrogen dominance, there are two approaches to bringing your hormones back in balance: reducing ingestion of estrogen mimickers, and increasing your progesterone.</p><p><strong>Your ingestion and levels of estrogen mimicking chemicals can be dramatically reduced by following these simple steps:</strong></p><ul><li>Eat organic foods to eliminate toxic pesticides and other chemicals</li><li>Use toxin-free cosmetics, body lotions, and home care products</li><li>Buy and wear clothes made from organic fibres</li><li>Use furniture and bedding that are made from natural materials</li><li>Take&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/shop">vitamin and mineral supplements&nbsp;</a>that support liver function required to reduce and estrogen and toxins</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Similarly, your progesterone levels can significantly increase by following these guidelines:</strong></p><ul><li>Start or increase your weight training or other resistance exercise. This not only stimulates the desired increase in progesterone, but also lowers blood sugar levels improving all aspects of health</li><li>Reduce caffeine intake to one cup or less per day</li><li>Eat more plant-based protein that contains thousands of different plant sterols that are more easily converted to progesterone</li><li>Adopt meditation, yoga, or any other activity that will reduce stress</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>By adopting these lifestyle changes, combined with&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/science">balancing essential nutrients</a>&nbsp;in your body, you will begin to see results within just a few weeks. Fewer hormonal swings, and a higher functioning, more toned body and mind…just as seen by one of our happy customers who wrote the following to us:</p><p>&nbsp;</p><blockquote><h3><i>“I truly want to thank the Honed Team! After 6 weeks of taking [my] vitamin plan…I saw some definite changes. I have been suffering from adenomyosis (a form of endometriosis) for over 5 years and tried all kinds of medication to decrease the heavy menstrual bleeding, excruciating pain, and related discomfort. During my last period, I was so relieved to see that I didn’t experience pain.”</i></h3></blockquote><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

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Trying to regulate your hormones can feel complicated, but is in fact much easier than you might think. When we break it down, it’s the balance of estrogen and progesterone that control sexual vitality and hormonal health. Fortunately, you largely control how much of these hormones your body will make.

BALANCING YOUR HORMONES NATURALLY IS EASIER THAN YOU THINK: FROM PMS TO MENOPAUSE

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Leah Wyar is the Vice President and General Manager of Byrdie, a leading beauty and wellness brand. Like most health conscious people, Leah listened to her body for hints about what she could improve on, but she lacked the tangible data. After sending in her hair sample, we determined what needed work, and what steps she needed to take to start her journey.

LEAH WYAR TALKS HONED: “IT HAS CHANGED MY BODY.”

<p>&nbsp;</p><p>Health is often thought of as the absence of disease or sickness. While this definition is valid, it lacks the comprehensiveness to understand your health and wellness on a wider spectrum – the days, weeks, and years that make up your life.</p><p>Studies of human health and evolutionary development show that for most people there are six integrated behaviours that need to be understood, nurtured, and cultivated for sustained happiness, robust health, and a long and productive life.</p><p>And while they give you a sense of how to work toward your optimal wellness, they are not prescriptive. The path to wellness is not one-size-fits-all. The journey is unique and different for each individual. This is at the heart of <a href="https://livehoned.com/science">who we are</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>Your biology, personality, and environment will determine what wellness means to you. That’s why your approach should be personalized and specific to your needs. The common thread for everyone is that wellness requires a holistic approach.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>PILLAR OF HEALTH #1 – HOW YOU MOVE</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Human bodies are designed to move. When we neglect our need to move we can see the impacts across all other aspects of our <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-simply-moving-benefits-your-mental-health-201603289350">wellbeing</a>. Our joints hurt. We lose energy. Our minds become dull. Our sleep suffers. Most importantly, inactivity can lead to a range of chronic conditions and diseases.</p><p>There are many ways to promote physical health and wellbeing – and it doesn’t mean you need to be training for a triathlon. It can be hiking, swimming, yoga, pilates, running, lifting weights, or dancing, just to name a few. Finding a form of movement that you enjoy will be your best path to success.&nbsp;</p><p>With that being said, there are a few aspects of healthy movement that you should keep in mind. Incorporating physical wellness that is built on these factors will encourage digestive capability, lymphatic and <a href="https://livehoned.com/blog/how-to-immediately-and-effectively-help-build-immunity-against-viruses">immune system</a> strength, nervous system function, cardiovascular circulation, and cellular detoxification.</p><ul><li><strong>Range of motion</strong> – If your joints don’t move through large ranges of motion, overtime the connective tissue will create restrictions leading to an inability to move effectively. Low range of motion is one of the most common reasons people require physical therapy. The activities you choose should contain movements that explore large ranges of motion throughout the major joints of your body.&nbsp;</li><li><strong>Muscular and skeletal development</strong> –&nbsp; Our muscular and skeletal systems provide strength and stability to our structure. They work together to support and move our body, and protect our organs. The major effects of regular aerobic exercise on our skeletal muscles are to improve their ability to use oxygen at the cellular level and improve the efficiency by which we use energy sources. Therefore, the activities you choose should be taxing enough on your muscles to promote growth and development across upper, lower, and core body strength.</li><li><strong>Flexibility</strong> – There’s nothing separating flexibility from calisthenics and strength—they all work together. The more flexible your muscles are the less tightness, restriction of movement, and pain you will experience. Consider forms of movement that involve balance, coordination, and flexibility.</li></ul><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>PILLAR OF HEALTH #2 –&nbsp; HOW YOU EAT</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Every individual biological system on this planet has specific elemental requirements they need to maintain proper function. For humans, nutritional intake must be personalized based on age, sex, activity level, and body chemistry.&nbsp;</p><p>By focusing your attention on attaining the proper amounts of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients needed, you will ensure what you put in your body is right for <i>your</i> unique biological system.&nbsp;</p><p>Often not talked about, it’s also important to diversify your plate with appropriate amounts of each <a href="https://livehoned.com/blog/5-easy-ingredients-to-introduce-to-your-diet-to-maintain-good-health">food</a> group to acquire the necessary macronutrients for day-to-day energy, muscle growth and recovery, and other critical bodily processes.</p><p>Adjusting your nutrition intake requires careful attention to your diet and <a href="https://livehoned.com/how-it-works">personalized supplementation</a>. Life’s stressors and time commitments can make this difficult. But nutritional improvements will help strengthen the other five pillars of your health and wellness.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>PILLAR OF HEALTH #3 –&nbsp; HOW YOU THINK</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Intellectual wellness is strengthened by continually engaging the mind. Our brains are incredible computing machines that require the same level of care and attention we provide to the rest of our body.&nbsp;</p><p>You might choose different mental exercises depending on your mood. This can look like mindfulness or <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/guides/well/how-to-meditate">meditation</a>, engaging in stimulating conversations, or gaining new knowledge.&nbsp; Understanding the complexity of our brains and the impacts on your mental health will help craft the brain health practices to focus on.&nbsp;</p><p>For many this is a meditative practice. Meditation is the process of training your mind to be under conscious control versus being subject to its subconscious whim. No different than training muscles to lift heavier, meditation trains the mind to stay connected to the moment.&nbsp;Your emotional existence is an important factor in your physical health and overall wellness. The more the mind remains connected to the moment, the less we suffer from worry, anxiety and overthinking.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>PILLAR OF HEALTH #4 –&nbsp; HOW YOU BREATHE</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>How we inhale and exhale has profound effects on our health. Often a missing pillar of health, our attention to breath is long overdue.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/05/27/862963172/how-the-lost-art-of-breathing-can-impact-sleep-and-resilience">Breathing</a> is often misunderstood. Seen as passive, something we do in the background of our day, we don’t think about how breathing properly can allow us to live longer and healthier lives. In contrast, poor breathing habits can lead to and exacerbate a host of chronic diseases we want to avoid: anxiety, asthma, and hypertension to name a few.&nbsp;</p><p>Most people breathe into their chest, known as a shallow tidal breath. Using only the accessory muscles, this method of breathing only takes in about one-third of the oxygen your lungs can handle. Instead you want to breathe right into your stomach, better known as the muscular wall, the diaphragm. As your diaphragm contracts, it forces the abdominal contents downward creating space for proper oxygenation of your lungs.&nbsp;</p><p>There are two key practices to help develop better breathing habits, proven to show significant improvement in health.&nbsp;</p><ul><li><strong>Extend breaths to make them a little deeper, and a little longer.</strong> To try it, inhale gently through your nose to a count of about five and then exhale, again through your nose, at the same rate or a little more slowly if possible.</li><li><strong>Breathe through your nose.</strong> Nasal breathing can allow us to absorb around 18% more oxygen than breathing through our mouths.</li></ul><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>PILLAR OF HEALTH #5 –&nbsp; HOW YOU FEEL</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Emotional wellness encompasses the ability to navigate your feelings. Whether that’s anger, happiness, sadness, stress, joy, or grief.&nbsp;</p><p>Understanding your emotions and their connection to your present is a necessary step to take in order to heal and fully realize your emotional response to the situations you encounter. Journaling, reaching out to your community, or connecting with a therapist can all be helpful in navigating your emotional wellness.</p><p>Why is this important? The ups and downs of life can take you on an emotional rollercoaster. But the better you understand, process, and manage your feelings, the smoother the ride will be.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>PILLAR OF HEALTH #6 –&nbsp; HOW YOU CONNECT</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Fostering close, intimate connections with friends, family and your community is an important part of your wellbeing. Social relationships create support systems that can carry you through life’s struggles.</p><p>Harvard’s Study of Adult Development ran for 80 years, collecting data on hundreds of participants. A recent <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20545426/">study</a> on a subset of this population found that participants who spent more time with others reported greater levels of happiness. Further, a growing body of research shows us that “social capital” – relationships with friends, acquaintances and community – has important implications for good health.&nbsp;</p><p>The demands of life often leave this pillar to fall to the wayside. Building and maintaining these networks takes time and energy, but the work is worth the effort.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>BUILD ON YOUR PILLARS</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Wellness means something different to each individual. To determine your personalized approach to wellness, reflect on the six pillars of holistic health and determine which ones require your attention. And remember, if a particular discipline seems difficult, be patient and persistent in your attempts to gradually improve those pillars that will provide the foundation for living your healthiest, most satisfying life.</p>

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Studies of human health and evolutionary development show that for most people there are six integrated behaviours that need to be understood, nurtured, and cultivated for sustained happiness, robust health, and a long and productive life.

THE 6 PILLARS OF HEALTH TO NURTURE FOR A LONG LIFE

<p>At Honed we use a powerful and personalized combination of <a href="https://livehoned.com/how-it-works">metabolic testing</a>, using your hair tissue,&nbsp;and an online questionnaire to determine nutrient imbalances and provide personalized vitamin packs right to your door. This highly revealing method&nbsp;has been used for over 15 years&nbsp;with professional athletes, and those wanting to enhance wellness and feel great.</p><h4>But people often ask us, why is metabolic testing so effective? Here’s what we know…</h4><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>REVEALS MINERAL LEVELS AND METABOLIC ACTIVITY IN CELLS</strong></h2><p>Your health depends on key mineral levels&nbsp;inside&nbsp;cells, as intracellular minerals activate vitamins and enzymes inside cells. Hair reveals key information regarding mineral, vitamin, and overall enzyme balances inside your cells. Hair testing provides a clear window&nbsp;into&nbsp;cell health, metabolic activity, glandular and hormonal activity, nutrient levels, and any ongoing toxic metal exposures.</p><p>On the other hand, blood tests measure levels outside cells (extracellular), and the two are often not related. For example, most magnesium is stored inside cells, whereas less than 2% is stored in blood, meaning blood is not a good indicator of your magnesium levels.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>DETECTS HIDDEN MINERAL IMBALANCES</strong></h2><p>You can have a “normal” blood test and still have hidden cellular vitamin, mineral, or nutrient imbalances that are revealed in a hair test, as levels of nutrients in cells and blood are different. Hair testing measures mineral levels and ratios inside cells that directly affect related to vitamin and metabolic activities within the cell.</p><p>Different conditions are associated with particular balances of minerals. Adjusting those minerals and the associated vitamin levels is often the most critical factor to restoring metabolic balance and full health.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>DETECTS HIDDEN TOXIC EXPOSURES</strong></h2><p>Since the body needs to keep the blood pure and uncontaminated, as a protective measure it works to quickly remove toxic heavy metals and store them deeply within cells, including hair. This is why someone can have a “normal” blood test and still have heavy metal toxicity. By acting as a receptacle for heavy metals over a period of weeks and months, a hair test will effectively pick up any ongoing metal toxicity—even when exposures are sporadic.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>STABLE, LONG-TERM READING</strong></h2><p>Blood tests are subject to minute to minute fluctuations based on activity, emotions, and food eaten most recently. Our hair testing provides a long-term record of nutrient and toxin intakes affecting your vitamin and mineral balances and overall metabolic activity.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>PAINLESS AND NON-INVASIVE</strong></h2><p>Taking a small snippet of your hair is pain-free, easy to do, and doesn’t require any special storage or transport methods like refrigeration. They arrive at the lab without any fear of spoiling or damage.</p><p>Whether you’re an elite athlete, an executive with a&nbsp;fast-paced career or a busy mom, your day-to-day activity depends on peak performance and a huge output of energy.&nbsp; Data-based recommendations like what your hair can reveal about your body’s needs,&nbsp;will help you get there faster and safer than any other method we have seen.</p>

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At Honed we use a powerful and personalized combination of metabolic testing, using your hair tissue, and an online questionnaire to determine nutrient imbalances. This highly revealing method has been used for over 15 years with professional athletes, and those wanting to enhance wellness and feel great.

5 REASONS WHY TESTING YOUR NUTRIENT LEVELS IS THE KEY TO PERSONALIZED VITAMINS

<p>&nbsp;</p><p>To say that Sophie Jaffe is a busy person is an understatement. Aside from running multiple businesses including the vastly popular nutrition brand&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thephilosophie.com/">Philosophie</a>, she’s also a mother of three, a loving wife, and a trusted friend. In 2019 she took on more business endeavors than ever before, moved her family into a new home, and committed herself to being the type of friend that can be relied on like family. Needless to say, by the end of the year she was feeling stressed and burnt out, so she asked our team at Honed to help her re-energize her life.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>FINDING HONED</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Sophie detailed in one of her recent blog&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thephilosophie.com/blogs/philosophie-blog/why-supplements-how-i-m-restoring-my-energy-with-vitamin-support">posts</a> how Honed has helped “personalize [her] journey to restore [her] energy + stamina which are SUPER important to [her] lifestyle.” After a conversation with our Co-Founder, she came to a better understanding of exactly what we have to offer as a personalized supplement brand. In her own words, “there is no ‘perfect’ diet (AMEN!) because each person’s biochemistry is different according to their makeup and the way they live, so everyone requires a different combination of nutrients to bring their body back to perfect balance.”</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>HOW WE HELPED SOPHIE</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Although Sophie already lived a healthy lifestyle, there was room for improvement and fine tuning. Her test results showed that her DHEA, boron, and potassium levels were low. These three areas are important in maintaining healthy hormones and energy levels, so we began tailoring Sophie’s personalized&nbsp;vitamin packs&nbsp;straight away.</p><p>In addition to our optimized plan, Sophie is also enjoying the benefits of our&nbsp;Pro Sport Pack. This helps her hit the gym with more energy, as she’s looking to “get in two strong workouts a week.” This is a great example of how Honed’s optimized plans can fit perfectly into anyone’s holistic lifestyle.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>SEEING THE RESULTS</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>As a new member to the Honed family, Sophie is only starting to feel the benefits that we have to offer. With our help, she’ll be able to achieve her goal of being her best self, and she’ll have all the energy she needs to run her businesses while being a super-mom to her three little ones.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>To read Sophie’s full blog post on her experience with us, click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thephilosophie.com/blogs/philosophie-blog/why-supplements-how-i-m-restoring-my-energy-with-vitamin-support">here</a>.</p>

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Our Co-Founder and Co-CEO Jeff Smith recently joined Sophie Jaffe and her husband Dr. Adi Jaffe on their IGNTD podcast during Elevated Wellness Month.

SOPHIE JAFFE TALKS HONED: “JUST WHAT MAMA NEEDS!”

<p>&nbsp;</p><p>Happy International Women’s Day from all of us at Honed! We are inspired by our many women customers who trust us to balance their precise vitamin &amp; mineral levels so that they can feel their best every day. We are honoured to highlight them and share how they take charge of their health.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>TESS FOX</strong></h2><p><strong>Current city:</strong>&nbsp;Toronto, ON (that’s her hometown too!)<br><strong>Honed customer since:</strong>&nbsp;May 2019<br><strong>Top health intention for 2020:&nbsp;</strong>I would like to maintain a 75% plant based diet – only putting clean products into my body. There are so many toxins out there, I want to avoid as much of them where I can!<br><strong>Ultimate way to sweat right now:</strong>&nbsp;A short jog into a flow yoga class.<br><strong>A woman who’s made a positive impact in Tess’ health journey:</strong>&nbsp;My mom has been a huge positive influence in my life. She’s been active for her whole life and continues to impress me with energy!</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>SHONA LEAKOS</strong></h2><p><strong>Current city:</strong>&nbsp;Calgary, AB<br><strong>Hometown:</strong>&nbsp;Saskatoon, SK<br><strong>Honed customer since:</strong>&nbsp;July 2019<br><strong>Top health intention for 2020:&nbsp;</strong>&nbsp;Brain health – physically and mentally<br><strong>Ultimate way to sweat right now:</strong>&nbsp;Pilates and XC skiing<br><strong>A woman who’s made a positive impact in Shona’s health journey:&nbsp;</strong>My friend Lisa, who is a powerhouse! She’s been teaching fitness for years but after completing her Culinary Nutrition and Certified Holistic Nutritional Consultant training, she has enlightened me with her extensive experience and knowledge in regard to a healthy approach to nourishing our bodies. Her passion is infectious and her suggestion of starting with “adding something in”, is attainable for most people, rather than “reinventing the wheel”. Healthy eating can often be overwhelming to most people, and starting small is better than not starting at all!</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>FARAH AHMED</strong></h2><p><strong>Current city:</strong>&nbsp;Washington, DC<br><strong>Honed customer since:</strong>&nbsp;April 2019<br><strong>Top health intention for 2020:</strong>&nbsp;To better connect my body, mind, heart, and spirit. I want all parts of me to be more in tune and I intend to love my body unconditionally.<br><strong>Ultimate way to sweat right now:&nbsp;</strong>NordicTrack Incline Trainer at 30 degrees<br><strong>A woman who’s made a positive impact on Farah’s health journey:&nbsp;</strong>My sister, Fawzia. She’s a wife and mom of three, a dentist running a successful dental practice, an active volunteer in a number of charities in her community; all while founding a way to make time for her health and wellness. She runs, practices yoga, lifts weights, eats well (most of the time) and forgives herself for “falling off the health wagon” every once in a while. She’s high performing in every way while still maintaining balance. She inspires in the most powerful way — through her actions. When I’m feeling a slump in motivation, I think of Fawzia.&nbsp; If she&nbsp;can stay so committed to her health and wellness and keep balance in the midst of such a hectic day-to-day life, so can I!</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>NAT GREEN</strong></h2><p><strong>Current city:</strong>&nbsp;Toronto, ON (that’s her hometown too!)<br><strong>Honed customer since:</strong>&nbsp;January 2019<br><strong>Top health intention for 2020:&nbsp;</strong>Strong immune system, high energy &amp; a well-rehabilitated shoulder (following a dislocation and surgery at the end of 2019) I have to be able to keep up with my two boys!<br><strong>Ultimate way to sweat right now:</strong>&nbsp;Snowshoeing! It’s a great alternative to downhill skiing this season.<br><strong>A woman who’s made a positive impact in Nat’s health journey:&nbsp;</strong>It’s not a woman but, my wonderful friend Sam Bock – I celebrate him this Women’s Day as someone who has had a huge impact not only on my health journey but also on some very important women in my life. Sam’s commitment to health, his passion and his ongoing support have made a huge difference.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>LESLEANNE BLAKELEY</strong></h2><p><strong>Current city:&nbsp;</strong>Toronto, ON<br><strong>Hometown:</strong>&nbsp;Peterborough, ON<br><strong>Honed customer since:</strong>&nbsp;July 2019<br><strong>Top health intention for 2020:&nbsp;</strong>To focus more on rest, recovery, and relaxation, knowing it’s ok to give my mind and body a break.<br><strong>Ultimate way to sweat right now:</strong>&nbsp;I love a good, challenging yoga class! It’s a great feeling to see the progression, and know what my body can do with practice.<br><strong>A woman who’s made a positive impact in Lesleanne’s health journey:</strong>&nbsp;Any woman who manages to prioritize her health and wellbeing, while being thrown other life challenges, is someone that keeps me telling myself “you got this”.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

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We are inspired by our many women customers who trust us to balance their precise vitamin & mineral levels so that they can feel their best every day. We are honoured to highlight them and share how they take charge of their health.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT

<p>&nbsp;</p><p>There is a lot of confusion about what metabolism&nbsp;<i>really</i>&nbsp;is, and whether a slow or fast metabolism is better for your long term health. To better understand what metabolism is we need to look at the two main factors affecting it – the first being the balance of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients in your food, and second, your daily activities.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>WHAT IS METABOLISM, AND WHAT DOES IT ACHIEVE</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Ultimately your metabolism (from Greek, metabolē, meaning “change”) is the entire set of life-sustaining chemical reactions in any living body. Its main purpose is to convert food into energy and building blocks to perform critical functions in our body. Metabolism is responsible for:</p><ul><li><strong>Fueling&nbsp;</strong>all cellular processes in the body, including the production of a strong stomach acid to aid in digestion (which accounts for 65% of daily energy use!), transportation of substances into and between different cells, and all thinking, organ function, and muscle movement.</li><li><strong>Detoxifying&nbsp;</strong>your body by enabling our cells to clean up the mess we create with excess stress, ingestion of toxins, over exercise, lack of sleep, unwanted radiation, and overwork.</li><li><strong>Rebuilding</strong>&nbsp;your health by assembling building blocks (from proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates) to allow cells to grow and repair themselves.</li></ul><p>The chemical reactions of your metabolism are organized into metabolic pathways driven by thousands of different enzymes which allow one chemical to be transformed into another chemical, each step being facilitated by a specific enzyme. There are roughly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC549063/">3000 enzymes thought to be involved in human metabolism</a>. If the proper nutrients are available, our bodies make and activate most metabolic enzymes using vitamins, minerals, and other co-enzyme factors.</p><p>Together these vitamins, minerals and metabolic enzymes&nbsp;act as catalysts, activating desirable reactions that would not occur by themselves, which means it’s the enzymes, vitamins, and minerals that make metabolism (and our existence) possible. They allow all life to grow, reproduce, and maintain their structures.&nbsp;If your body is deficient in vitamins and minerals, the enzymes driving your metabolism can not work properly.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>WHAT TYPE OF METABOLISM IS HEALTHIEST</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Most of us think that having a fast metabolism is healthier, and equate a fast metabolism with being thin. But this isn’t quite right. In fact a&nbsp;slightly slower intracellular metabolism&nbsp;is healthier&nbsp;than a fast intracellular metabolism. But how come?</p><h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3><strong>Intracellular metabolism vs. Overall metabolism</strong></h3><p>There are two different types of metabolism, with differing factors that affect each. (And how well you regulate the elements of your metabolism ultimately determines your overall energy and health.) First there is your&nbsp;<i>intracellular metabolism</i>, which affects the rate of energy production&nbsp;<i>inside&nbsp;</i>the cells in the body, and then there is your&nbsp;<i>overall metabolism</i>, which is the the sum of all reactions of the body’s cells as a whole.</p><p>Properly regulating intracellular metabolism is very important to optimal health.&nbsp;The good news? You can control both your intracellular and overall metabolism with what you eat, your daily mental and physical activities, and by managing stress and the amount of rest you get.&nbsp;The primary factor controlling intracellular metabolism is the relative balance or ratio of specific minerals, vitamins and nutrients entering your cells.</p><h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3><strong>Why intracellular metabolism is critical to your health</strong></h3><p>Specific nutrients either enhance or inhibit cellular nutrient absorption and utilization, meaning the speed and efficiency of your intracellular metabolism will be faster or slower depending on the ratios of these nutrients in your body. It also impacts the hormonal function and output of your thyroid, adrenal, and other glands that help regulate nutrient absorption, incorporation into body tissues, and excretion, affecting energy production and the function of tissues (including skin, muscles, organs, bone, hair, and nails).</p><p>As the balance of vitamins and minerals in your body are associated with stimulating or inhibiting the main energy producing endocrine glands, these ratios of nutrients largely drive your intracellular metabolic rate. Further, your nutritional balance can be easily determined (and later adjusted) by using&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/science">metabolic testing</a>&nbsp;to evaluate your body’s tissue mineral balances.</p><p>But picking the right tissue for&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/how-it-works">metabolic testing analysis</a>&nbsp;is very important.&nbsp;As blood is found&nbsp;<i>outside</i>&nbsp;cells, and is therefore not a cellular tissue, it’s not suitable for analyzing nutrient levels within cells. Hair tissue is preferred as it’s made up of cells, is easily collected, and is reflective of all important mineral balances. Cellular metabolism can also fluctuate based on daily swings in these nutrient balances. Fortunately, your hair provides an average of your nutrient balances and toxin intake over a 3 month period, indicating whether you are trending towards a slower or faster cellular metabolism.</p><p>And contrary to what you may have thought – not all those with a slower cellular metabolism are overweight, and not all those with a faster metabolism are lower in weight. This is because one’s metabolism is significantly affected by daily activity and nutrient intake levels, which help determine how much energy is consumed.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>A&nbsp;slightly slower intracellular metabolism is healthiest, as it allows energy to burn more evenly in the body, with less potential to gain excess fat, or experience mood swings.</strong></p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>HOW A PROPER BALANCE OF NUTRIENTS IS DETERMINED</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Nature, the natural food chain it provides, and the ideal balance of plants, animals and other healthy foods we can derive from it when chosen properly – provide a general proper balance of key nutrients. And if so, these same properly balanced levels are also reflected in your cell tissues. Further, those nutrient elements are found in specific ratios to each other (indicating whether they are balanced or not), which have been well established through&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/how-it-works">metabolic testing</a>. This provides you the necessary information to make the dietary adjustments that provide the nutrients required, either through high-quality foods, supplements, or a combination of both.</p><p>For optimum health, the stimulatory elements that speed up cellular metabolism need to be in a relatively good balance with those calming and relaxing elements that slow metabolism. The&nbsp;<i>stimulatory</i>&nbsp;elements within foods are phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and to a lesser extent zinc, iron, manganese, and chromium, and the&nbsp;<i>calming and relaxing</i>&nbsp;elements are calcium, and to a lesser extent magnesium and copper.</p><p>All lifeforms use phosphorus to fuel their cells.&nbsp; So, when intracellular phosphorus levels are higher relative to calcium, your cells are full of fuel and your metabolism speeds up. This can be further enhanced by higher levels of sodium and potassium, which stimulate adrenal and thyroid gland function respectively, and also work to pump nutrients into cells that can be converted to energy.</p><p>On the other hand, overly high intakes of calcium (which currently affects 75-80% of the population) block the uptake of stimulatory phosphorus, potassium, and sodium. So when calcium is higher than its ideal ratio to phosphorus your metabolism slows down. That means in contrast to what you may have heard, most adults do not need extra calcium. In fact an excess of calcium relative to other nutrients can lead to arthritis, heart, kidney, or bowel disease, and even osteoporosis.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>WHY A FAST METABOLISM ISN’T ALL IT’S CRACKED UP TO BE</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Too many stimulating nutrients in your body cause a rapid uptake and burn off nutrients, which can cause hyper behavior, nervousness, excessive sweating, weight gain, and muscle loss. When the cellular energy burn rate is faster it’s easier for your cells to run out of fuel. This makes you feel hungry more often, and for some, prone to eat more than you need, causing unwanted weight gain as excess fat.</p><p>On the other hand, those with a faster cellular metabolism who don’t eat enough, cause their body to consume muscle protein that can be quickly converted to sugar to power the brain and kidneys. This process drains you of energy and wears out your body faster than necessary.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>THE ISSUE WITH AN OVERLY SLOW METABOLISM</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>It comes back to the balance of nutrients in your body. For example, if calcium intake is excessive relative to phosphorus, potassium and sodium, the overall uptake of all nutrients from the blood into cells is drastically reduced. This raises blood sugar levels, forcing the body to remove that sugar from the blood, store it as fat, and cause associated weight gain.</p><p>It also dramatically reduces energy production and stomach acid production in the body, making exercise and other activities more difficult. This makes it harder to keep oxygen levels up, and to keep the lymph system flowing, which requires exercise for stimulation and circulation. The combination of those factors leads to reduced immune system function, poor digestion, and potential for long-term impacts on your health.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>SO HOW DO I ACHIEVE A BALANCED METABOLISM?</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>When an ideal metabolic rate is combined with moderate exercise, cells will consume phosphorus fuel, as well as potassium and sodium to support thyroid and adrenal function, and overall nutrient flow into cells. By not over-supplying these stimulatory nutrients in relation to calcium and copper, your body will have the adequate power to deliver optimum health. This results in your intracellular metabolism being maintained at a neutral rate. Research shows this is the ideal state and can be achieved with the proper food, supplement, and exercise.&nbsp;We encourage you to strive to build your metabolism, cells, body, and mind to an ideal and sustainable level.</p><p>And while it’s fun and rewarding to work or train hard to achieve your athletic or career goals, clinical metabolic research shows that the overly-aggressive pushing of one’s metabolism in the long term causes a breakdown in the efficiency of aerobic respiration within your body. This is because extreme exercise, work, stress, or partying impairs enzyme efficiency, and results in excess stress and damage to the tissues, which depletes the body of critical nutrients necessary to detoxify and repair the body, brain, and other organs.</p><p>The advanced&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/">metabolic research and testing</a> being done at Honed confirms that if you are interested in living a long, healthy, and vibrant life, it’s wise to achieve a neutral metabolism<i>,&nbsp;</i>and using it to build and maintain muscle mass, flexibility, and peak neurological function. Honed’s comprehensive <a href="https://livehoned.com/science">metabolic analysis&nbsp;</a>can help anyone achieve this across all aspects of their life, by providing comprehensive personalized dietary, supplement, and lifestyle advice.</p>

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There is a lot of confusion about what metabolism really is, and how a fast or slow metabolism impact long term health. To better understand metabolism we need to look at the two main factors affecting it - the balance of vitamins, minerals and nutrients, and your daily activities.

YOUR METABOLISM IS THE SECRET TO GOOD HEALTH (HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW)

<p>&nbsp;</p><p>Farah Ahmed is the CEO and President of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fragrancecreators.org/">Fragrance Creators Association</a>. On her road to becoming a successful CEO, Farah earned degrees in biochemistry, physiology, and law. To list her accomplishments would take too long, so let’s keep it short and say this: Farah can do it all. But even a woman with her capabilities can strive towards new heights. In her pursuit to reach the pinnacle of her vision, she sought out our help at Honed.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>FINDING HONED</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In her article for&nbsp;<a href="https://medium.com/@farahkahmed/3-wellness-habits-that-empower-me-as-a-high-performing-ceo-63fc4bb2b4d3">Authority Magazine</a>, Farah shared her three most important wellness habits, and Honed plays a big role. To keep herself in shape, Farah sticks to a strict mental and physical routine that includes transcendental meditation, morning runs, and walking home three miles from work. But despite eating well and taking a multivitamin, she still felt “wiped out.” So Farah reached out to us for help.</p><p>We impressed with our “very thorough” assessment methods, and after reading her forty page report, Farah started her journey with personalized vitamins to becoming her best self.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>HOW WE HELPED FARAH</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Farah is in command of her whole day, and that kind of discipline defines her and her career. That kind of perseverance to better herself every day is what led her to Honed, and when it came time to make good on our promises, we did not disappoint.</p><p>We found that Farah’s magnesium levels were low, but she had a surplus of calcium, which was causing digestive issues. We also noticed that although her cardio levels were great, she would benefit from some resistance training to add some strength to her stamina.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>SEEING THE RESULTS</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Since starting with our personalized supplement plan, Farah has noticed a lot of positive changes in her life. In her own words, she has “lost weight, [she doesn’t] PMS-snack anymore, [her] skin is glowing, and [she’s] more focused.” We’ve been able to give her “that extra edge, with sustained physical and mental energy.”</p><p>To read Farah’s full Medium article, click&nbsp;<a href="https://medium.com/@farahkahmed/3-wellness-habits-that-empower-me-as-a-high-performing-ceo-63fc4bb2b4d3">here</a>.</p>

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Farah Ahmed is the CEO and President of the Fragrance Creators Association. To list her accomplishments would take too long, so let’s keep it short and say this: Farah can do it all. In her pursuit to reach the pinnacle of her vision, she sought out our help at Honed.

FARAH AHMED TALKS HONED: “I ENJOY MY LIFE MORE.”

<h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>THYROID PROBLEMS CAN BE IMPROVED OR EVEN REVERSED</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Most people with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s are told their condition is incurable and not to expect their energy levels to ever be the same again.&nbsp;However, thousands who have&nbsp;cured their thyroid insufficiency know this isn’t usually true.&nbsp;So why don’t more people know this? Because the cause of most thyroid problems is still misunderstood by many.</p><p>However, well established research shows there are usually a few common problems driving most thyroid problems, all of which can be revealed&nbsp;with&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/science">metabolic testing</a>. Here’s a rundown:</p><h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3><strong>A lack of dietary potassium</strong></h3><p>Potassium is necessary for healthy thyroid function, stomach acid, and the digestive system, required to fully break down and protect you from microbes, toxins, and lectins that cause unwanted antigens slipping through your intestinal wall into your bloodstream. In addition, the resulting antigen-driven autoimmune problems that might further affect your thyroid and fully break down food to provide energy and the materials to repair damaged cells.</p><h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3><strong>Failure to use the proper testing&nbsp;</strong></h3><p>Accurate testing is required to determine whether potassium, calcium and other nutrient and vitamin levels&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/science">inside</a>&nbsp;your cells are where they need to be.</p><h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3><strong>Foods&nbsp;that deplete you of critical minerals and vitamins</strong></h3><p>– Refined sugars, carbohydrates and/or alcohol, deplete your nutrients<br>– GMO foods are high in gut-disrupting lectins, toxic pesticides, and chemicals<br>– Non-organic foods are also high in toxic pesticides and chemicals<br>– A lack of proper foods, and other vitamins and nutrients to make up for shortfalls when thyroid and digestive health is affected<br>– Not making the required&nbsp;lifestyle changes</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>THE BALANCE OF ENZYME ACTIVITY</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Many doctors don’t know that the balance of enzyme activity affecting enzyme function in your cells – that drives thyroid, and all bodily organ and gland function – is largely regulated by the balance of minerals, vitamins, and toxins&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/science">inside your body’s cells</a>. And this is why you are what you eat (and do)!</p><p>The thousands of enzyme types that provide health are known collectively as the proteome.&nbsp; And the balance of the proteome’s enzymes is the most important factor in determining whether you are healthy are not.&nbsp; Little of your health is controlled by your genome as previously thought – rather your proteome largely determines how your genome is expressed, and this is affected by diet, lifestyle and exposures.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>THE&nbsp;MISUNDERSTANDING OF YOUR THYROID</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Many doctors are not using the right testing to assess cell mineral levels (which determine your proteome’s enzyme balance), and are unaware that blood tests can’t be used to measure potassium and other critical nutrient levels&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/science">inside cells</a>.</p><p>This is because our cells work to keep blood mineral levels balanced, and will quickly give or take minerals if blood levels of certain nutrients become too low or high. This is why chronic dietary imbalances can cause large mineral imbalances inside cells… even when your blood tests look normal.</p><p>Further, blood tests misrepresent cell levels of two of the most important minerals&nbsp; — potassium and magnesium.&nbsp; This is because only 1% of your potassium and 2% of magnesium are found in your blood – the rest is all&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/science">inside your cells</a>.&nbsp; And if these nutrient cell levels are low, a blood test can’t accurately reveal it.</p><p>More importantly, the primary nutrient driving thyroid function is potassium (others, like&nbsp;magnesium, sodium, iodine, selenium, zinc, B1, B3, B2, tyrosine, are also very important).&nbsp;If&nbsp;intracellular (remember, inside your cells) potassium levels are low, there is no way for your thyroid and other cells to work properly.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>ACCURATE TESTING IS IMPORTANT</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The&nbsp;only way to get an accurate reading of potassium levels is with&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/how-it-works">metabolic testing</a>, measuring your intracellular activity.&nbsp; This has been thoroughly established through metabolic research and clinical study on over 1.4M patients with 4,400 doctors, using hair tissue mineral analysis.</p><p>Because&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/science">metabolic testing&nbsp;<i>is</i>&nbsp;a cell test, and&nbsp;<i>not</i>&nbsp;a blood test,</a>&nbsp;it accurately reflects mineral levels in your tissues, and can indicate whether you have low potassium levels, as seen in almost all those with hypothyroid issues.&nbsp; It can also&nbsp;indicate if you are too high in calcium, also very common, which can lead to the calcification seen in thyroid cancer.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>YOU ARE IN CONTROL</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Using&nbsp;the proper testing, combined with&nbsp;personalized vitamins&nbsp;and lifestyle changes, it’s easy to bring your&nbsp;body’s vitamins and minerals&nbsp;into balance, to improve or restore your&nbsp;thyroid function&nbsp;and get on your path to wellness.</p>

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Most people with thyroid issues are told it's incurable and to not expect their energy levels to ever be the same again. However, thousands who have cured their thyroid insufficiency know this isn't true. So why don't more people know this?

HOW TO TREAT YOUR THYROID ISSUES NATURALLY

<h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>THE WORLD IS CHANGING</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Doctors used to tell you that you could get all the vitamins and minerals you need from the foods you eat. They said that if you took supplements, the extra nutrients would be excreted or worse, would become toxic in the body.</p><p><i><strong>This is changing, fast.</strong></i></p><p>There is an emerging body of scientific evidence which shows the importance of nutrients as essential parts of our biochemistry and metabolism, enabling the activation of metabolic processes in the body, and that&nbsp;we are not putting them all back as fast as they are being used.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>VITAMINS POWER THE CELLS IN YOUR BODY</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Vitamins power your cells, but only when activated by combining them with other essential nutrients.&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/science"><strong>The more energy you use, the more vitamins and minerals you need.</strong></a>&nbsp;They also activate the most critical enzyme reactions in the body. Without this activity, life would cease to exist. They ensure the proper functioning of digestion, hormones, acid/alkaline balance, nerve conduction, muscle activity, detoxification, and cell synthesis &amp; repair.</p><p>Even with “no” stress and a “perfect” diet, many things make it impossible for us to get the vitamins and minerals we need solely from the foods we eat. &nbsp;The fact is, if you aren’t getting them from your food, or if there are too many factors vying for their use, you’re going to run short.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>WHAT CREATES NUTRITIONAL GAPS</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Holes in our nutritional make-up appear when there are nutritional deficiencies or imbalances. This happens when we are not consuming enough nutrients or when external factors are using it up at a rate that exceeds intake. Both scenarios result in depletion.</p><p>There are many factors in today’s world that strain our nutrient reserves:</p><ul><li><strong>Stress:&nbsp;</strong>even good stress like exercise, puts strains on mineral and nutrient reserves.</li><li><strong>Synthetic fertilizers:</strong>&nbsp;deplete soil of key minerals, so any plants (or animals) raised on that soil is missing most vitamins and minerals. This can make the foods you eat incomplete, robbing you of nutritional support.</li><li><strong>Toxins:</strong>&nbsp;deplete your body of vital vitamins and minerals required for detoxification and tissue repair. Toxic metals and chemicals are found in food, water, air and in everyday products like cosmetics and household cleaners.</li><li><strong>Dietary choices:</strong>&nbsp;improper supplementation and other substances like alcohol, pharmaceuticals, and other drugs strain and disrupt nutrient balance.</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU RESTORE NUTRIENT BALANCE</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>When you restore balance, you restore health. &nbsp;The “perfect” diet varies from person to person. &nbsp;Because each person’s biochemistry is different, driven by a unique combination of the factors described above, each person requires a different combination of nutrients to bring their body back into optimum balance.</p><p>At Honed we use <a href="https://livehoned.com/how-it-works">testing and analysis</a>&nbsp;to determine what works for each person. First developed for doctors, patients and pro-athletes, our comprehensive online analysis is combined with gold standard in metabolic testing to cross-reference 350+ biomarkers. It has been&nbsp;proven in use&nbsp;for over 15 years and generates highly-effective targeted&nbsp;personalized vitamin programs.</p><p>By getting the nutrients you need, you create the proper conditions for your cells to get exactly what they need to create energy in your body. If your system is balanced and fuelled with the right nutrients, it will fuel, detoxify and repair itself the way nature intended it to.</p>

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Doctors used to tell you that you could get all the vitamins and minerals you need from the foods you eat. But there are many factors in today's world that lower your nutrient reserves like stress, fertilizers, and toxins, and food choices. Here's how to balance your nutrient levels for optimal health.

WHY YOU SHOULD BE TAKING PERSONALIZED VITAMINS FOR BETTER HEALTH

<p>&nbsp;</p><p>Our Co-Founder and Co-CEO Jeff Smith recently joined Sophie Jaffe and her husband Dr. Adi Jaffe on their&nbsp; IGNTD podcast during Elevated Wellness Month. Sophie has been a happy customer of ours since fall 2019, and she invited Jeff on their podcast to speak about how Honed’s personalized vitamins work, and why it has helped her perform at her highest potential. As a mother of three and founder of multiple businesses including Philosophie, the highly rated health and wellness/superfood brand, she needed all the help she could get. She’s also been featured on our blog before talking about her <a href="https://paragonvitamins.com/blogs/blog/sophie-jaffe-talks-paragon-just-what-mama-needs">personal results</a>. Here are a few of the biggest takeaways from the&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/from-vitamins-to-vitality-individualized-health-jeff/id1316762420?i=1000463990740">podcast</a>:&nbsp;</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>“75% OF PEOPLE IN AMERICA TODAY ARE TAKING SOME TYPE OF VITAMIN ON A DAILY BASIS, WHICH POINTS TO A DESIRE TO DO SOMETHING TO TAKE CONTROL OF WHAT MIGHT BE GETTING IN THEIR WAY.”</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The episode goes into depth about how the world is aware that we need to supplement our diet with vitamins and minerals, but that we are overwhelmed by the multitude of products available to us. He talks about how the vitamin aisle can be the most intimidating and confusing section in a store, and how Honed does all the work so that you can safely skip the vitamin aisle.&nbsp;</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>“THE RATIO OF ONE NUTRIENT TO ANOTHER IS WHAT BRINGS THE BALANCE. BALANCE ISN’T JUST ABOUT EACH INDIVIDUAL [NUTRIENT], IT’S HOW THEY REACT TO EACH OTHER.”</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Simply intuiting that you need more calcium in your life is not the best method of assessment. Calcium, like all vitamins and minerals, works in tandem with other nutrients&nbsp; to create harmony in your body. Jeff illuminates us on how Honed is able to show us what vitamins we need to achieve the right balance.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>“THE HAIR TEST IS THE SECRET TO UNLOCKING WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR BODY.”</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Jeff discusses why&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/shop">Honed’s hair test</a>&nbsp;is the best method to get a read of what your body really needs. By breaking down the process and science, he helps us come to a fuller understanding of how a simple hair test reveals our nutritional deficiencies and imbalances, going back as far as two and half years.</p><p>To listen to this episode of the IGNTD podcast click&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/from-vitamins-to-vitality-individualized-health-jeff/id1316762420?i=1000463990740">here</a>.</p>

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HONED SPOTLIGHT: IGNTD PODCAST WITH SOPHIE JAFFE, DR. ADI JAFFE, AND JEFF SMITH

<h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>WHAT IS RESTLESS LEG</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>It usually strikes in the middle of the night or while you’re watching TV and trying to relax.&nbsp; It’s an irresistible need to stretch or move your legs, and there’s no relief from the feeling until you do.&nbsp; After you kick or shake out your legs, they are okay for a minute or two, and then the sensation strikes again.&nbsp; Trying to get a proper night sleep with&nbsp;restless legs&nbsp;is next to impossible.</p><p>There are often drugs&nbsp;prescribed that try to control restless leg syndrome, but there are effective and natural ways to manage or help eliminate it altogether.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>WHY DOES IT HAPPEN TO ME</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>It is often caused by overwork of some kind…leading to potential deficiencies of iron (ferritin), vitamin B6, magnesium, and/or tyrosine, which can lead to over contraction of muscles and erratic nervous system function.</p><p>Restless legs are very common for pregnant women and people who exercise a lot. It is often made worse by tight thigh muscles that need additional stretching (and magnesium and B6 to allow them to relax). Both regular exercise and growing a baby consume a&nbsp;lot&nbsp;of energy and nutrients, thereby consuming higher amounts of magnesium, iron, B6 &amp; the other B vitamins, and often, tyrosine – necessary to support normal nervous system function and muscle firing.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>HOW CAN I ELIMINATE RESTLESS LEG NATURALLY</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Paragon has been successfully helping doctors and our elite athletes address restless leg for years&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/how-it-works">with our metabolic testing and personalized vitamins.</a></p><p>The premium nutrients in your personalized plan helps address deficiencies by providing the most bio-available and active nutrients of: carbonyl iron, vitamin B6, magnesium (as aspartate, malate, orotate and oxide), and tyrosine (which along with B6) supports dopamine synthesis and nervous system function.</p><p>If you don’t supplement magnesium, you may benefit by:</p><ul><li>Reducing calcium-rich foods which can lead to calcium / magnesium imbalances and cause over-contraction and muscle spasms</li><li>Decreasing refined sugars and alcohol, because they deplete the magnesium needed to prevent restless legs</li><li>Stretching that focuses on the legs: quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves</li><li>Managing&nbsp;stress levels through moderate exercise, and end-of-workout relaxation of muscles, and/or meditation.</li></ul><p>All of these are designed to help relax, release muscles, and calm the nervous system which should also help eliminate restless leg syndrome and let you get some rest!</p>

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It usually strikes in the middle of the night and once it does it's nearly impossible to get a good night's sleep. Drugs are often prescribed to control restless leg syndrome, but there are effective and natural ways to manage or eliminate it altogether.

HOW YOU CAN GET RID OF RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME FAST

<p>We’re here to answer a question we often get asked: why is my pee more yellow when I start taking my&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/">Honed vitamins</a>?</p><p>In a nutshell, the yellow in your pee is a little bit of&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/supplements">vitamin B2</a> (riboflavin) gradually being released (likely along with traces of other water-soluble vitamins you can’t see). There are several reasons why you will see some B2 when taking your Honed vitamins, and, why the longer you see it during the day, the better!</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>WHY A SMALL EXCESS OF VITAMINS IS GOOD FOR YOU</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The short story: a truly healthy life is only possible with the proper balance of enzyme systems in our bodies (which make up much of the body’s protein), and that even temporary deficiencies of vitamins and minerals can lead to the collapse and unbalancing of critical enzyme systems, opening you up to a range of illnesses that result from the disruption of specific enzyme balances.</p><p>Further, if you’ve been slightly deficient in vitamins (which most people are as the world has become an increasingly stressful and toxic environment causing the depletion of vitamins and nutrients), your cell levels of certain enzyme systems likely require rebuilding and healing. And that’s only possible with an abundance of vitamins and nutrients necessary to support this rebuilding.</p><p>With this in mind, and knowing that the body easily rids itself of small surpluses of water-soluble vitamins, it’s wise to avoid unnecessary health problems due to vitamin depletion by retaining a small surplus in our systems, rather than risk deficiency that can lead to illness or impede our bodies healing.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>THE NITTY-GRITTY ON B VITAMINS</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Most know that the body will release the water-soluble B vitamins not being immediately used by the body, however, fewer people know the body’s entire&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/blog/your-metabolism-is-the-secret-to-good-health-heres-what-you-need-to-know">metabolism</a>&nbsp;is driven by thousands of different enzymes, which are supported and activated by vitamins and minerals, all working together….&nbsp;<i>or those enzymes don’t work</i>. And, that the more enzymes you have, and the better balanced they are, the healthier and younger you are.</p><p>If you have been deficient in B2 for a prolonged period of time, you will have fewer enzymes and lower B2 + other vitamin-related enzyme and vitamin activity in your cells. Therefore, because the enzyme systems are lower, they will not fully absorb B2 and other vitamins until those enzyme and co-enzyme systems are fully rebuilt within cells (which can take months!) and, requires extra levels of the necessary vitamins and minerals in circulation until this happens.</p><p>This is because both critical vitamin systems and enzyme systems require B2, other B complex, other vitamins, and minerals for their ongoing synthesis and activation. They play a key role in the conversion and activation of vitamins, in red blood cell synthesis, fat and glucose metabolism, and the production and regulation of specific biochemicals.&nbsp; For example, the various activated forms of vitamins B6 and B3 both require B2… as does all-important detoxifying glutathione, which requires B2 and B3 for its recycling within cells.</p><p>So, as your enzyme and activated-vitamin capacity and activity gradually re-builds, your body will gradually absorb more of your circulating water-soluble vitamins, and less will be released in urine.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>WHY YOU SEE YELLOW IN YOUR URINE</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>While most individual vitamins are white, and invisible in urine, the natural yellow pigment in any type of B2 riboflavin compound is a very powerful reflector of yellow light.&nbsp; So even just a tiny amount in fluid (like the red pigment in beets) will make a lot of yellow fluid.</p><p>Even though the two types of B2 in&nbsp;<a href="https://livehoned.com/supplements">our formula</a>&nbsp;only make up 7% of the blended material in the B-Complex capsule, the intense yellow light they reflect still drowns out the other white materials in the capsule, turning the entire capsule yellow. So, while you don’t see any of the white vitamins and minerals when you pee these out, you will see the yellow B2.</p><p>Further, taking vitamins just before meals (without food) will also cause a very minor amount to be lost until food is eaten, as vitamin absorption and utilization works best with food. So this can also make your first pee immediately after a meal a little bit more yellow. That said, we recommend drinking fluids and taking vitamins just before meals to reduce the potential to overly dilute your stomach acid when it’s full of food, as this can make digestion slower and more difficult.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>SEEING A LITTLE YELLOW IS ACTUALLY A GOOD THING</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Our vitamins are naturally time-released to trickle into your bloodstream gradually. And, the longer your pee remains slightly yellow during the day, the better, because this means vitamins are hanging around in your blood and lymph enabling the function of a) other vitamins already in your cells, and b) enzymes in your cells.</p><p>The level of B vitamins in the dosages we provide are safe, and easily removed by the body if not needed. However, and more importantly on the other hand, a vitamin or mineral deficiency (or multiple deficiencies) can rapidly cause illness, as this can begin collapsing vitamin and mineral supported enzyme function within minutes.</p><p>As just one example: TKT (transketolase) and PDH (pyruvate dehydrogenase) are two enzyme systems critical to vibrant health, helping to regulate sugars and healing, among other functions.&nbsp; However, both of these enzyme systems are susceptible to a shortage of either vitamin B1 (as thiamine) or magnesium, both of which are required together to make “activated” vitamin B1 (TPP) used in our cells, which enables the maintenance of these enzymes in our cells.</p><p>The “activated” vitamins in our cells are more complex than the more basic precursor vitamins used to form the “activated” vitamins operating within our cells.&nbsp; If anything causes these basic precursor vitamins, or any minerals that work with them, to become depleted, then the body can’t make the necessary activated vitamins, and enzyme systems within cells begin to crash. “Activated” vitamin B1 (thiamin pyrophosphate – TPP) is produced from vitamin B1 thiamine and magnesium (both of which are easily depleted by alcohol and poor diet).</p><p>Without activated B1, the TKT enzyme system has an incredibly short half-life (approximately 25 minutes). This means that if for any reason either B1 or magnesium are completely depleted, half the body’s TKT enzymes can be destroyed in just 25 minutes. And if this persists for another 25 minutes, half of that remaining TPP is then destroyed over the next 25 minutes, and so on.&nbsp; So within 50 minutes, 75% of the body’s TPP can be destroyed when either thiamine or magnesium are completely depleted. This is why merely decreased tissue concentrations of B1 and/or magnesium can lead to a prompt decrease in TKT activity. And why heavy alcohol or sugar consumption can so rapidly cause serious health problems.</p><p>Such decreases in TKT cause metabolic havoc because that enzyme function is not only critical, but it can take months to fully rebuild, as once it’s destroyed, this molecularly-complex enzyme system has to be rebuilt from scratch… and likely in very many of the body’s trillions of cells.</p><p>Some researchers – including Derrick Lonsdale at the Cleveland Clinic – suggest that vitamin B1 deficiency may affect as many as 25+% of Americans.&nbsp; Further, as B1 is critical to thyroid function, this may help explain the rapid rise of Hashimoto’s and other thyroid problems seen in North America.</p><p>Therefore, if you are leading a highly active or stressful life, consuming alcohol, and not always eating the best of foods, it’s far wiser to ensure you have a slight surplus of the easily-removed water-soluble vitamin B and C in your body, rather than risk an enzyme-crashing deficiency.</p>

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We’re here to answer a question we often get asked: why is my pee more yellow when I start taking my vitamins?

WHY YOU WANT YOUR URINE TO BE SLIGHTLY YELLOW

<p>&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://livehoned.com/supplements">Magnesium</a> is often talked about when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, but it isn’t quite as simple as some make it sound. Its role in the body goes far beyond sleep—being used more than any other mineral in powering the body.</p><p>Magnesium is an essential mineral, critical to energy and hormone production, the activation of vitamins, as well as neurological, muscle and cardiovascular functions, including heart beat and blood pressure regulation. It helps with calm decision making when you’re under pressure, while also helping to reduce anxiety.</p><p>You might be magnesium deficient if you have any of the following symptoms:</p><ul><li>Muscle cramps or tension</li><li>Insomnia</li><li>Anxiety</li><li>Headaches</li><li>Mood swings</li><li>Fatigue</li><li>Constipation</li><li>High blood pressure</li><li>PMS</li><li>Menstrual cramps</li><li>Irritable bowel syndrome</li><li>Osteoarthritis</li><li>Diabetes</li><li>Obesity</li></ul><p>Unfortunately, magnesium deficiency is more common than you might think. Easily depleted by exercise, stress, alcohol, and refined sugars, this essential nutrient might be what your body is missing.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>MAGNESIUM IS NOT A LONE WOLF, IT WORKS BEST IN A PACK</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>As importantly, the ratio of magnesium to other minerals, in particular, calcium is extremely important. A high influx of calcium into muscle cells increases muscle contraction, therefore low levels of magnesium and high levels of calcium is a recipe for producing hyper-excitable muscles (translation: muscles that are easier to pull, cramp and strain). Magnesium also protects against calcification of arteries and tissues, and deposition of calcium in joints, helping reduce arthritis when combined with other nutrients like organic flax oil, vitamin B6, B complex, zinc, and vitamin C <a href="https://livehoned.com/science">if&nbsp;your body shows deficiencies.</a></p><p><a href="https://livehoned.com/science">Metabolic analysis</a> is highly effective as it identifies not just mineral deficiency or excess, but the ratios of one to another. When supplementing magnesium you need to recognize the other nutrients that help support and synthesize this mineral. For example, Honed’s magnesium is designed to be combined with our <a href="https://livehoned.com/supplements">B-Complex &amp; Mineral Multi and our Fat Soluble Multi</a> for complete utilization and absorption of this essential mineral.<br>&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>NOT ALL MAGNESIUM IS CREATED EQUAL</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>When choosing magnesium, you need to choose carefully as there are many types, all of which are absorbed differently.</p><ul><li><strong>Magnesium Aspartate</strong>&nbsp;has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of heart attack</li><li><strong>Magnesium Orotate</strong>&nbsp;has also been shown to exert beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system</li><li><strong>Malate</strong>&nbsp;is involved in the synthesis, maintenance, and repair of nerve and lipid membranes</li></ul><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>HOW TO INCREASE&nbsp;MAGNESIUM THROUGH DIET AND LIFESTYLE</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Eating a healthy diet that includes magnesium rich foods – like green leafy vegetables and nuts and seeds – is a good place to start if you need to increase your magnesium intake. With a balanced diet, you also get the other vitamins and minerals essential for its absorption.</p><p>Here are some of the best sources of magnesium rich foods:</p><ul><li>Spinach</li><li>Dandelion greens</li><li>Swiss chard</li><li>Collard greens</li><li>Edamame</li><li>Avocado</li><li>Kelp</li><li>Almonds</li><li>Cashews</li><li>Buckwheat</li><li>Brazil nuts</li><li>Rye</li><li>Barley</li><li>Garlic</li></ul><p>When shopping for a magnesium supplement, be sure to check the form you’re getting, and that you’re taking it with synergistic nutrients. Be mindful of the diet and lifestyle choices that are harder on the body (we’re talking about stress and alcohol), and deplete magnesium along with other key nutrients inhibiting your ability to thrive.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>HOW MAGNESIUM SAVES YOU THE TROUBLE</strong></h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Designed and tested to support energy uptake and deep sleep for maximum recovery, our magnesium has been precisely crafted over 15 years with our professional athletes, built to work in combination with the other vitamins and minerals in your personalized vitamin packs. There is no better <a href="https://livehoned.com/supplements">magnesium supplement</a>&nbsp;available to&nbsp;bring your system into balance to help you catch that perfect sleep.</p>

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Magnesium is often talked about when it comes to getting good sleep, but it isn't that simple. Its role in the body goes far beyond sleep—being used more than any other mineral in powering the body.

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LEAH WYAR TALKS HONED: “IT HAS CHANGED MY BODY.”

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT

FARAH AHMED TALKS HONED: “I ENJOY MY LIFE MORE.”

HONED SPOTLIGHT: IGNTD PODCAST WITH SOPHIE JAFFE, DR. ADI JAFFE, AND JEFF SMITH

SOPHIE JAFFE TALKS HONED: “JUST WHAT MAMA NEEDS!”

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