bountifullyhealthy

Methylmalonic acid 101: what you need to know

Methylmalonic acid is produced in very small amounts during the breakdown of certain fats and proteins. Under normal circumstances, it gets converted into another molecule with the help of vitamin B12.When there isn't enough usable vitamin B12, MMA levels rise.

❓️Why is MMA measured?
✳️Doctors often order an MMA test to help determine whether someone has a vitamin B12 deficiency

✳️Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include:

➡️ fatigue, weakness

➡️ Numbness or tingling in the hands and feet, brain tingling or "zaps"

➡️ balance problems

➡️ Memory problems or difficulty concentrating

➡️ Mood changes, including depression

❓️How is MMA tested?

✳️MMA is measured with a blood test. It can also be measured in urine.

❓️What do the results mean?

✳️Normal MMA can suggests adequate vitamin B12 function. But remember it can still be normal with a functional B12 deficiency. High levels of MMA may indicate vitamin B12 deficiency.

Your genetic variants in your methionine pathway: MTRR and MTR as well as other variants like TCN2 and FUT2 play a role.

❗️always investigate the root cause.

Mt nutrigenetic feedback on your DNA test can help shed light on your genetic risks and predispositions.

If you have symptoms and high MMA, speak to your medical practitioner about B12 treatment.

We live in a world that is constantly pulling us toward quick rewards like doom scrolling, flipping between apps, seeking the next thrill.

Fast. Loud. Overbearing.

It leaves you feeling overstimulated and emotional flat.

Our nervous system and brain is not meant for this. We are supposed to wait. Anticipate. Wonder. Dream. Imagine.

We are meant to process things at a slower pace. Absorb. Reflect. Ponder. Feel awe, excitement.But instead most of feel little to no motivation, burnout, chronic overwhelm, and anxiety.

Understanding the dopamine pathway and the genetics involved is key. Knowing your genetic variants and how to support them through a combination of diet, lifestyle, environment and the right supporting nutrients.

This is for you if you're chronically overstimulated, or are feeling low motivation and apathy. And you want to learn how you can begin to feel joy, a sense of accomplishment, satisfaction and excitement again.

Practical steps you can start doing today in this 36 minute webinar with educational slides.

Visit:

https://bountifullyhealthy.com/shop/dopamine-recalibration-webinar/

Or see my bio for the link.

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START HERE....

Hi. I'm Bonnie.

I help you translate your DNA into clear personalized nutrition and lifestyle strategies so you can feel and function better through Nutritional health coaching and nutrigenetic feedback.

I'm drawn to biology, neuroscience, the realities of living with Celiac disease and ADHD. I love teaching and empowering through knowledge, understanding and introspection.

When I'm not coaching or doing personalized nutrigenetic feedback reports, I'm normally out in the mountains.

I love cats, coffee, books, journaling, exercise, Masterchef and travelling. I'm happily married and have two adult children in their twenties.

If you want DNA interpretation or you want to order a Genetic test, send me a dm or email.

X # # # 🌼

Did you know that your genetics contribute to your GUT health?

There are genetic variants that play key roles in GUT health. Learning what variants you carry can help make the right choices in your diet,lifestyle and environment which influence the expression of these key genes.

GUT health influences neurotransmitters. 90% of our serotonin is made in the gut and up to 50% of dopamine. So id you're struggling with brain fog, mood swings or anxiety, this could be related to your gut.

Lactose intolerance is a deficiency in the LCT and MCM6 enzymes that produce lactase to break down the lactose found in dairy.

Celiac disease is a autoimmune condition triggered by stress, gluten and the genetic variants in HLA DQ2 and HLA DQ8.

The SI gene produces the sucrase-isomaltase enzyme, which is essential for breaking down dietary starches and sugars (such as sucrose and maltose) into simple sugars, which are then absorbed into the bloodstream. A deficiency, whether Congenital or acquired in the SI gene can impair the function of the enzyme. When this happens, the body cannot effectively digest complex carbohydrates. Instead of being absorbed in the small intestine, the undigested sugars travel to the large intestine. Bacteria ferment these sugars and attract water, leading to severe intestinal discomfort.

These are just some of the enzymes that affect digestion. Others also include FUT2, PEMT and more.

The more you know your genetic risks and predispositions, the more you can take action to fix underlying issues related to poor gut health.

As a nutrigenetic practitioner I help you uncover your genetic risks and predispositions in GUT health, so we can work on actionable steps to improve gut health.

Contact me via email.(in bio) or dm to discuss how.

In today’s high-stimulation world, many people feel lower motivation, reduced focus, emotional flatness, and a constant pull toward quick rewards like scrolling, snacking, or multitasking. This class explores why that happens and what you can actually do about it.

Dopamine Recalibration is 40-minute science-informed Zoom class that breaks down how your brain’s dopamine system works, how it is shaped by genetics, and how daily environment and lifestyle choices influence motivation, drive, and reward sensitivity.

Rather than treating dopamine as a simple “chemical of pleasure,” this session explains its real role in motivation, learning, and behavioral reinforcement -and why modern life can disrupt this system.

What you’ll learn
How dopamine works in the brain
Why genetics can influence dopamine signaling and sensitivity
How over-stimulation affects reward processing over time
The role of diet in supporting neurotransmitter balance and brain energy
How sleep, stress, and environment shape motivation and focus
Practical ways to reduce overstimulation and support dopamine recalibration
The difference between fast and slow COMT and how to support each one
what each DRD receptor does

What makes this class different
This is not a generic wellness talk. It brings together neuroscience, behavioral science, and a genetics-informed perspective to help you understand why people respond differently to the same environment -and why one-size-fits-all advice often fails.

Instead of extreme “dopamine detox” claims, the focus is on recalibration: restoring healthy sensitivity to everyday rewards so motivation feels natural again.

Who this is for
This class is designed for people who feel:

Mentally overstimulated or distracted
Dependent on constant input (phone, social media, food, stimulation)
Low motivation despite knowing what they “should” do
Curious about the biological and genetic side of behavior and habits
Outcome
By the end of this session, you’ll understand how dopamine function is shaped and how diet, lifestyle, and environment can be used to support a more stable, responsive, and resilient motivation system.

Not by forcing discipline, but by working with your brain’s biology instead of against it.

The class takes place on zoom and is less than 40 minutes. You will be sent instructions for login via email once you have paid.

Signup here: https://bountifullyhealthy.com/shop/dopamine-recalibration-online-class/

It's celiac disease awareness month!

No one really explains how much living with Celiac disease shifts your relationship with food.
It’s not just about cutting things out.

It’s the moment you realize that “gluten-free” doesn’t automatically mean you’ll feel okay.
So you start paying attention in a different way.
You question more.
You notice more.
You learn your body in a way you never had to before.

Food stops being automatic, and becomes intentional.
And somewhere in that process, your idea of “healthy” changes completely.

If you're needing help with learning how to really care for your body and nourish it, that's where I can help.I include DNA based personalized nutrition to your needs.

If you’ve gone through that shift too, save this as a reminder. I’d really like to hear your experience. What changed most for you after your diagnosis?

Hormone balance starts with understanding how your body processes them.

Estrogen metabolism, in particular, depends heavily on your foundations:

• Liver detoxification pathways
• Stable blood sugar
• Adequate nutrients (especially B vitamins, magnesium, choline)
• Healthy bile flow
• Adequate stomach acid and digestion
• A well-functioning gut microbiome
• genetic variants in detoxification

If these systems aren’t working well, estrogen doesn’t get properly broken down and cleared.

Instead, it can be:
▶️Recirculated through the gut (the “estrobolome” effect)
▶️Shifted down less favorable or even harmful metabolic pathway
▶️ throw the balance out with progesterone

This means that adding more estrogen whether through Hormone therapy, supplements, or environmental exposure can actually worsen symptoms and increase risk for estrogen dominant conditions and cancers in some cases.

Especially if your
• Gut health is compromised
• Detox pathways are sluggish
• There are genetic variations affecting methylation or estrogen clearance

Before trying to fix hormones directly, it’s often more effective to support the systems that handle hormones.

Contact me to learn more about how you can support your liver and gut health and understand your genetic risks and predispositions when it comes to detoxification, hormone metabolism and gut health.

Celiac disease can result in impaired nutritient absorption leading to deficiencies, regardless of the duration and compliance of the diet.

You'll want to save this post to refer back to.⬇️

There are many causes and contributing factors to this:
▶️ reduced gastric acid production
▶️ small intestinal bacterial overgrowth
▶️ autoimmune gastritis
▶️ lack of intrinsic factor (for B12)
▶️ ongoing gluten cross contamination
▶️ poor diet
▶️ medication use
▶️ excess alcohol
▶️ smoking
▶️ microvilli that never return to full height
▶️ imbalance in gut microbiota
▶️ genetic variants

As a celiac of 12 years, I occasionally experience nutritional deficiencies despite a 100% strict healthy gf nutritious diet, and balanced lifestyle. My theory is that a combination of various genetic variants and microvilli that are likely too damaged for complete Nutrient assimilation.

One research article said "The restoration of the gut through strict adherence to a GFD does not always fully resolve deficiencies. A micronutrient deficiency in long-term GFD patients was found in up to 20% of subjects for folic acid and 30% for vitamin B12. For this reason, the regular monitoring of these nutrients levels is necessary during a GFD, and supplementation should be provided as needed."

This is why it is vital to go at least 1-2 x year for the blood tests mentioned in the slides. Don't make my mistake where I skipped a year of tests only to discover through neurological symptoms that I had a B12 deficiency. For me supplements are a necessary and permanent part of my celiac condition as without them, nutrition from food alone is not enough. If you continue to experience nutritional deficiencies and have ruled most of the above causes/contributing factors, then the same may be true of you.

My recommendation is DNA testing to check genetic variants that may be contributing and nutritional coaching with me to take you step by step through optimising diet, genetic expression and lifestyle.

Educational content based on research and personal experience.

Here is the part most people miss...⬇️

Your hormones are not only influenced by your diet and lifestyle but also by your genetics.

How your hormones are produced, metabolised and detoxed will differ from person to person. This is why some people are more prone to hormonal imbalance than others.

Raging PMS or perimenopausal symptoms? Endometriosis, fibroids, mood swings?
Maybe you're on the flipside: feeling flat, "dead' and no motivation?

Both are determined by your genetics.

Blood work is great, but testing serum hormone levels is often not useful because it is just a snapshot of one moment in time. Whereas your genetic data is set in stone and determines your risks and predispositions. Your genes don't change, but the expression of them does and that is where the power lies.

It's time to stop guessing and take a deeper look into what your body really needs on a nutritional level to support your hormones for better mood.

Contact me for your DNA hormone test.

It's not a one-size-fits-all approach.

You may or not not need methylfolate. You may need a non methylated form. There dosage and form differs from person to person.

Many others factors need to be considered.
For many people MTHFR is the least of their concerns. MTHFR is just one gene in over 30k in the human genome.

Want to know more? Start with a nutrigenetic feedback with me, with personalized recommendations based on your genetics and health needs.