Mineral balance in the body can tell us how stressed the body has been for how long. Stress is a major driver of digestive issues and can prevent the body from healing.
The calcium shell is an important mineral pattern that can be measured through a hair tissue mineral analysis test. It is an example of how our body uses minerals to protect us from stress and shield us from perceived threats. Protection and survival is always the body’s first priority, but this protection can have unwanted side effects.
Understanding, identifying and breaking up the calcium shell is incredibly important for long term health and healing.
What is the calcium shell?
The calcium shell, is a sign of emotional overwhelm from long standing stress and past trauma. It is a protective, coping mechanism to shield someone from feeling their painful feelings or being harmed by the world. The body builds a mineral shell out of calcium to cocoon in safety. A shield from the outside threats.
At the root is an often unprocessed experience that creates lack of safety to interact, be yourself or socialize.
It often creates behaviors like isolating at home. A homebody type that feels best when avoiding contact with the outside world.
The body reacts to this state by depositing calcium from food or supplements into soft tissues like the joints, kidneys, heart and brain, instead of the teeth and bones where it belongs. This can cause symptoms or diagnosis of osteoporosis or osteopenia and if it builds up in the arteries it can cause heart disease.
Calcium deposited in the soft tissue, where it doesn’t belong, may cause inflammation and symptoms such as hyporthyroidism, poor dental health, fibromyalgia, arthritis, kidney stones, bone spurs, premature graying, chronic fatigue, joint and muscle pain and poor circulation.
The emotional symptoms of a calcium shell are apathy, disconnection, depression, brain fog, numbness and withdrawal.
A calcium shell is identified as is anything over 165 on the hair tissue mineral analysis test. I order this test for clients to help them find the underlying causes for healing resistance. Healing resistance is when past healing interventions don’t work despite best efforts.
Calcium is a very calming mineral and slows everything down. A calcium shell will slow metabolism (hello weight gain, constipation and motility issues) and put the nervous system into a freeze state.
In this protective state, the body actually builds a hard shell made from calcium. It amazes me that the body has this cocooning response against threats. But walling yourself off for protection has many downsides, it deadens emotions, and creates a numb, trapped, survival state. There’s no thriving with a calcium shell. Only retreat.
With unprocessed trauma, the protection of the calcium shell may provide a sense of normalcy, but it’s a very unhealthy coping mechanism. And may cause physical consequences/symptoms.
When deep distress and overwhelm is kept buried inside, emotional and physical healing will be impaired. And the condition could get worse with added stress.
When calcium does not go to the right place (bones and teeth), the body displays signs of calcium deficiency, even though there is an overload.
Osteoporosis, osteopenia and dental issues can be a results of the body protecting itself after massive stress. There are much healthier ways to cope and better ways to protect oneself. But the calcium shell will persist unless it is addressed and broken up.
Causes of calcium shell
Chronic stress and unprocessed trauma are the top causes of a calcium shell.
A less common cause is taking minerals or supplements incorrectly.
Vitamin D can push up calcium levels in the body, increasing the chances of a calcium shell developing. Also many multivitamin supplements contains calcium and will exacerbate the problem.
A diet that is high in calcium can also contribute to a calcium shell, especially if someone is trying to eat for bone health to fight osteoporosis. Those with osteoporosis try to increase their calcium intake but if a calcium shell is present, this will not work and make the calcium shell worse.
Addressing the calcium shell
Breaking up a calcium shell is done very slowly because a lot of emotional symptoms can arise. It is advised to work with a skilled practitioner to do this.
Using vitamin K2 in the MK-7 form, without vitamin D, is one way to start breaking up the shell and getting calcium back into the bones. Iodine and vitamin A also help.
But addressing the stress and trauma that created the shell will bring the best results. We need to feel safe outside of our shells to go out into the world with curiosity and trust.
This process takes time, courage and support. But it can be the difference between a life well lived, and one spent hiding.
Not a lot of people know about the calcium shell, and it can cause symptoms like constipation, sugar cravings, hormonal imbalances, brain fog, anxiety, cold hands and feet, fibroids and the list goes on.
As the shell is broken up and the calcium moves back into the bone, it can cause increased joint pain, migraines and heighten emotions. This is a detox reaction. That’s why going slow is advised. And is a process that requires support and self kindness.
Bringing awareness to the calcium shell
When a calcium shell shows up on a hair mineral analysis test it’s a clue that emotional work needs to be part of the healing plan.
When you become aware that this is an issue, the right kind of healing can begin.
Calcium is a bit of a tricky mineral because most people think that consuming it is good. But if it’s being deposited where it should not go, and creating a buffer between you and the rest of the world, it needs to be dealt with very specifically.
As always, awareness is the first step. If you want to measure the levels of calcium in your body, blood tests are not a great way because they give you a reading for one day only. The HTMA shows the trend over 3 months. Also the level of calcium in the blood does not tell us where the calcium is being deposited.
The HTMA tells us if calcium is low in the body and needs support or if there’s a shell that needs to be broken up.
I am currently ordering the HTMA test as a standalone test or as part of my multi-month programs. Get in touch through the sidebar on this website if you have any questions or email angelaprivin@yahoo.com.
Angela Privin is proof that IBS is NOT an incurable disease, but a cry for help from a gut out of balance. When the body AND mind are complaining, it’s an opportunity to examine what’s not working and change it. After solving her own IBS mystery almost two decades ago, Angela became as a health coach to help others. Angela uses root cause medicine protocols personalized to the individual to solve each IBS mystery. Her tools are lab testing, dietary changes, supplementation, subconscious mind work and nervous system rebalancing . Learn more here.