Kristin Jillian Shropshire, MS, ROHP, R.Ac.

05/27/2025

It’s been a slow return to work for me since my daughter was born, but I was all in when contacted me about collaborating on a post about the safety of chocolate in pregnancy.

Have you ever wondered how safe your favourite treat is during this critical stage of fetal grown and development?

Check out my latest blog post for the details. See Profile and Stories for link.

05/27/2025

07/07/2024

☀️ 😎 ☀️

Sunny thoughts for your Sunday! ☀️ What sunny thoughts would you add to this illustration?

01/30/2024

💗

05/17/2023

It’s generally common knowledge amongst the holistically health inclined that vitamin C, vitamin D and zinc can help support the immune system, but many people are surprised to discover that magnesium can also act as a powerful agent against severe and/or prolonged sickness.
🦠 🤧 🦠
More than just a natural muscle relaxant, magnesium has been shown to improve the white blood cells’ ability to seek out and destroy germs. Pair it with vitamin D (through judicious sun exposure and/or supplementation) and the benefits appear to be even more pronounced. This is likely at least partially because magnesium helps to activate vitamin D in the body.
🦠 🤧 🦠
It has been estimated that somewhere between 50% and 80% of North Americans are magnesium deficient. As such, we might all do well to assume that we could be among that number and make sure our stores are topped up. Our odds of deficiency are at least 1 out of 2, after all.
🦠 🤧 🦠
So where can we find this seemingly magical mineral? Good sources of magnesium include h**p hearts, pumpkin seeds, black beans, cashews, buckwheat, spinach, kale, collard and dark chocolate. Supplements are also an option.
🦠 🤧 🦠
Did you know magnesium can help support the immune system? If not, are you surprised?
🦠 🤧 🦠
(Note: Contents reposted because I accidentally used a picture with watermarks in my original post.)
**p

03/26/2023

It’s generally common knowledge amongst the holistically health inclined that vitamin C, vitamin D and zinc can help support the immune system, but many people are surprised to discover that magnesium can also act as a powerful agent against severe and/or prolonged sickness.
🦠 🤧 🦠
More than just a natural muscle relaxant, magnesium has been shown to improve the white blood cells’ ability to seek out and destroy germs. Pair it with vitamin D (through judicious sun exposure and/or supplementation) and the benefits appear to be even more pronounced. (This is likely at least partially because magnesium helps to activate vitamin D in the body.)
🦠 🤧 🦠
It has been estimated that somewhere between 50% and 80% of North Americans are magnesium deficient. As such, we might all do well to assume that we could be among that number and make sure our stores are topped up. Our odds of deficiency are at least 1 out of 2, after all.
🦠 🤧 🦠
So where can we find this seemingly magical mineral? Good sources of magnesium include pumpkin seeds, black beans, cashews, buckwheat, spinach, kale, collard and dark chocolate. Supplements are also an option.
🦠 🤧 🦠
Did you know magnesium can help support the immune system? If not, are you surprised?
🦠 🤧 🦠

03/03/2023

I’m going to be honest. I eat about 150 grams of dark chocolate a day — and have for years.
🍫 💃🏽 🍫
If you saw my post on Monday, you are likely aware that the recent Consumers Report revealing very high levels of cadmium and lead in almost every chocolate bar tested compelled me to tests my own levels of heavy metals.
🍫 💃🏽 🍫
Well, the results are in and I am both thrilled and kind of surprised to report that NONE of my heavy metal levels were elevated. In fact, they were quite low.
🍫 💃🏽 🍫
I can’t tell you whether my low levels of heavy metals can be attributed to the high quality chocolate I eat, my very healthy diet, my whole food supplement regime, my regular far infrared saunas or a combination thereof, but something is obviously working in my favour.
🍫 💃🏽 🍫
Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not recommending that anyone else consume the same outlandish quantity of 70-80% dark chocolate that I do. I’m just saying that it’s possible that, despite reports indicating high levels of lead and cadmium in dark chocolate, a high chocolate intake doesn’t necessarily mean that there will be a substantial buildup of heavy metals in the body.
🍫 💃🏽 🍫
I think I’m going to go do a happy dance now.
🍫 💃🏽 🍫

03/03/2023

I’m going to be honest. I eat about 150 grams of dark chocolate a day — and have for years.
🍫 💃🏽 🍫
If you saw my post on Monday, you are likely aware that the recent Consumers Report revealing very high levels of cadmium and lead in almost every chocolate bar tested compelled me to tests my own levels of heavy metals.
🍫 💃🏽 🍫
Well, the results are in and I am both thrilled and kind of surprised to report that NONE of my heavy metal levels were elevated. In fact, they were quite low.
🍫 💃🏽 🍫
I can’t tell you whether my low levels of heavy metals can be attributed to the high quality chocolate I eat, my very healthy diet, my whole food supplement regime, my regular far infrared saunas or a combination thereof, but something is obviously working in my favour.
🍫 💃🏽 🍫
Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not recommending that anyone else consume the same outlandish quantity of 70-80% dark chocolate that I do. I’m just saying that it’s possible that, despite reports indicating high levels of lead and cadmium in dark chocolate, a high chocolate intake doesn’t necessarily mean that there will be a substantial buildup of heavy metals in the body.
🍫 💃🏽 🍫
I think I’m going to go do a happy dance now.
🍫 💃🏽 🍫

02/28/2023

As an avid chocoholic, I was horrified when I saw the recent Consumers Report article casting aspersions on dark chocolate.
🔬 🍫 📈
Long touted as a health food on account of it’s nutritional profile (including high Mg and Fe) and ability to promote cardiovascular health, chocolate is now being put under the health microscope again. Why? Because the Consumers Report article suggested that, despite any health benefits ascribed to it, chocolate has a very real danger: heavy metal contamination.
🔬 🍫 📈
Many of us, myself included, were shocked to discover that almost every brand of chocolate tested—both organic and conventional—contained extremely high levels of cadmium and/or lead. One bar often contained more than 100% of the recommended daily maximum for at least one of these neurotoxins. This is a ✨definite✨ bad news situation.
🔬 🍫 📈
I’ve known for many years that cacao has an affinity for pulling heavy metals out of the soil (as is the case with many plants high in iron), but I never dreamed that the level would be so high.
🔬 🍫 📈
Over the years, I’ve taken active steps to minimize potential heavy metal buildup in my body, including choosing brands that source cacao beans low in cadmium and lead; supplementing with vitamin C, barley grass, and targeted homeopathic detox remedies; and taking frequent far infrared saunas [*not during pregnancy], but has this been enough to counteract eating over 100 grams of dark chocolate almost every day for over 10 years?
🍫 🔬 📈
Given my “impressive” chocolate intake, I figured my best option was to get my levels tested. Hopefully, my cadmium and iron levels aren’t too bad but, heaven forbid that they are, I would rather know it so that I can address the issue—even if it means trying to dramatically cut back on my chocolate intake.😭.
🍫 🔬 📈
I got my requisition to test my mercury, cadmium, lead, arsenic, and thallium levels last month (via my ND for $64), but only just made it to the lab to have my blood drawn today. I won’t lie. I’m nervous about the results. Wish me luck, friends!
🍫 🔬 📈

10/07/2022

When I sit peacefully, consciously tune in and listen to my inner voice, this is almost always the message that I hear. And it’s been the same way for years, which I actually find a little funny since I don’t really swear a lot. Except in my head, apparently.
💙 💜 💙
For someone who is prone to overthinking and over analyzing, this message is probably on point. Instead of over processing and worrying things to death, I need to accept what is, acknowledge it and then simple focus on what I can actually do.
💙 💜 💙
It amazes me what messages our bodies will communicate when we just take a moment to listen.
💙 💜 💙
Do you make a habit of tuning in and listening to the messages your body wants to give you? If so, do you also have messages that tend to come up often?
💙 💜 💙

06/27/2022

For some reason, it occurred to me to wonder whether there might be a correlation between sleep disturbances, such as apnea, and iron deficiency. And what would you know. There is.
💙💚💛🧡
Recent research suggests that there is a strong correlation between iron deficiency and sleep problems. Even obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which many of us think of as strictly structural, has been associated with low levels of iron in the body. Surprised? I was.
💙💚💛🧡
There are a great many reasons why people might suffer from sleeping challenges, including excessive stress, obesity, overindulge in alcohol, etc., but research is showing that the sleep challenged might do well to investigate their iron status.
💙💚💛🧡
Just imagine if regular good sleep could be as simple as optimizing your iron levels.
💙💚💛🧡
If you suffer from sleep disturbances, have you ever considered the possible role of iron deficiency?
💙💚💛🧡
•
Clinical Note: For many of us, our ferritin levels are an insufficient marker of our iron levels. A protein that stores iron and releases iron when the body needs it, ferritin can be within normal range even when iron stores, transferrin, and total iron binding capacity are depleted.
•
💙💚💛🧡

06/12/2022

Inspiration can be found in so many different ways and so many different places.
🌊 ⛵️ 🌊
What is one of the things currently inspiring me? As of yesterday, my stepdad was ranked number four in his age category in a world sailing event.
🌊 ⛵️ 🌊
My stepdad has been a sailor for many years, but he really got back into it when he retired. It took a lot of time and effort to prepare to compete at an international level, but the results speak for themselves. We all have natural aptitudes, but hard work really does pay off!
🌊 ⛵️ 🌊
What is something that is currently inspiring you? Is it Inspiring you to do anything in particular?
🌊 ⛵️ 🌊