| HEALTHY HAPPENINGS - July 2026
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Why “Just Eat Healthy” May Not Be Enough
by Ray Andrew, MD
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As a medical student in the 1990s, I remember sitting in the library reading a major American medical journal devoted entirely to nutritional supplements.
I was excited. Finally, I thought, mainstream medicine was taking vitamins and minerals seriously.
The excitement didn’t last long.
Study after study seemed to conclude that supplements were ineffective, unnecessary, or even dangerous. The message was clear: save your money, eat a balanced diet, and get your nutrients from food.
But as I read more carefully, something didn’t make sense.
One study, for example, found that taking 400 IU of vitamin D2 for one year did not reduce heart attacks compared to placebo. Fair enough. That’s what the study showed.
But the conclusion presented to readers was much broader: Vitamin D does not prevent heart disease.
There’s an important difference between those statements.
The study evaluated one form of vitamin D, at one dose, for one period of time. Yet the conclusion was applied to vitamin D as a whole.
As a medical student, I didn’t consider myself qualified to challenge established researchers. But even then, it seemed obvious that the dose, the form, the population studied, and the length of treatment all matter.
Unfortunately, many people came away with a simple message: Supplements don’t work. Just eat healthy.
The problem is that our food supply isn’t what it once was.
They Don’t Make Them Like They Used To
Many fruits and vegetables today contain lower levels of certain minerals than they did decades ago. USDA data has documented declines in several nutrients in commonly consumed foods.
Several factors contribute to this:
• Soil depletion
• Monocropping
• Erosion
• Heavy reliance on synthetic fertilizers
• Modern agricultural practices
Some research also suggests that pesticide use may reduce certain protective plant compounds. Plants naturally produce antioxidants to defend themselves from environmental stress, insects, and disease. When these stresses are reduced, some of those compounds may also decline.
Even people who eat exceptionally healthy diets may not obtain the same nutrient levels that previous generations received
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How Do You Know If You’re Deficient?
Most people assume that blood tests provide the answer.
Unfortunately, mineral testing is often more complicated than that.
Take magnesium as an example. Only a small percentage of the body’s magnesium is found in the bloodstream. Most of it resides inside cells, bones, muscles, and nerves.
Your blood level may appear perfectly normal while your tissues are running low.
The body also works very hard to keep blood levels within a narrow range. If blood calcium or magnesium levels fall too low, serious problems can occur, including heart rhythm abnormalities.
To prevent this, the body may pull minerals out of bones, muscles, and other tissues to keep blood levels normal.
As a result, a blood test can sometimes suggest everything is fine while the body’s reserves are gradually being depleted.
Laboratory reference ranges create another challenge. These ranges are designed primarily to identify dangerous abnormalities. They tell us whether you’re likely to be critically deficient or excessively high.
They do not necessarily tell us whether your levels are optimal.
Looking Beyond Blood Tests
For this reason, some practitioners use Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA), which measures minerals deposited in growing hair over time.
HTMA is not intended to replace all blood testing, but it may provide additional information about long-term mineral patterns and mineral relationships within the body.
Questions such as:
• Is sodium truly excessive?
• Is calcium actually low?
• Are magnesium levels adequate?
• Are certain minerals interfering with others?
can be explored through this type of testing.
When Something Is Low, the Answer Isn’t Always More
One of the biggest mistakes in medicine is assuming that a low level automatically means you should take more of that nutrient.
The body functions as an interconnected system.
For example, calcium metabolism depends upon magnesium, vitamin D, vitamin K, boron, stomach acid, and healthy digestive function. A person may appear low in calcium, but the real issue may be poor absorption or an imbalance elsewhere.
Likewise, medications such as acid-blocking drugs can interfere with the absorption of multiple minerals.
Simply adding more of a nutrient doesn’t always solve the problem.
Sometimes the question isn’t, What are you missing?
It’s, Why are you missing it?
The Bottom Line
1. Modern foods contain fewer nutrients than foods of previous generations.
2. Blood tests do not always reflect what is happening inside the cells and tissues.
3. One-size-fits-all multivitamins fit nobody. You may not need any of a certain nutrient in that multivitamin while needing
much more of another. Targeted nutritional supplementation is a better approach.
4. Understanding the relationships between nutrients often matters more than simply taking more of
one vitamin or mineral.
Good nutrition remains the foundation of health.
But in today’s world, “eat healthy” may not always be enough.
If you have ongoing fatigue, muscle cramps, poor sleep, low energy, headaches, osteoporosis, or other unexplained symptoms, a more comprehensive evaluation of nutritional status may provide useful answers.
At Prestige Wellness Institute, we help patients take an evidence-informed approach to nutrition and mineral balance so they can make decisions based on their individual needs rather than guesswork. In a world where our food, soils, and lifestyles have changed dramatically, understanding your body’s nutritional needs may be one of the most important investments you can make in your long-term health.
If you need help sorting out what your true needs are, or why your body isn’t working the way you deserve it to, call (435) 259-4466 in Southeastern Utah or (435) 210-0184 in Northern Utah. And be sure to mention to Dr. Andrew that you read about him in Moab Happenings.
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Back to School? One Visit Can Cover It All
Avoid the August rush by scheduling your child’s wellness exam,
vaccinations, and sports physical in one convenient visit. by Hospital Staff
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As summer winds down, many parents are juggling school supplies, registration forms, sports sign-ups, and busy family schedules. Health appointments can easily get pushed to the bottom of the list.
Here’s the good news: your child’s yearly wellness exam, required vaccinations, and sports physical can all be taken care of in one visit — saving you time and money.
Why a Yearly Well-Child Exam Matters
A yearly well-child exam does much more than check height and weight. It gives families a chance to stay ahead of potential health concerns and make sure children are growing and developing as expected.
Your family medicine provider can track growth and development, screen for vision, hearing, and behavioral concerns, review and update immunizations, and talk through anything on your mind.
These visits can also help identify concerns early—whether it’s a heart murmur, elevated blood pressure, vision changes, or anxiety—when treatment and support are most effective.
Most insurance plans cover well-child exams at 100%, with no co-pay or out-of-pocket cost, making this one of the easiest investments you can make in your child’s health every year.
Utah’s School Vaccination Requirements for 2026–2027
Utah law requires all K–12 students to be up to date on immunizations before the school year begins.
Missing vaccines can delay school attendance, so now is a great time to review your child’s records before the back-to-school rush.
Kindergarten through 6th Grade:
• DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis)
• Polio
• MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis A
• Varicella (chickenpox)
7th Grade — additional requirements:
• Tdap booster (given at age 10 or older)
• Meningococcal Conjugate vaccine (given at age 10 or older)
• 2 doses of Varicella
Your Family Medicine provider can review your child’s immunization history and administer any needed vaccines right at the wellness visit.
Sports Physicals for Student Athletes
All middle and high school athletes must have a sports physical before joining any school-sponsored sport, and it must be renewed each year.
Moab Regional Hospital is offering low-cost sports physicals this summer, conducted by our Family Medicine providers:
Tuesday, July 21, 3–6 p.m.
Tuesday, August 11, 3–6 p.m.
Cost is just $25, and all proceeds go directly to your school’s athletic programs. Appointments are required — call 435-719-5500 to schedule.
A Parent’s Perspective
Tracie Carroll, Clinic Admissions Supervisor at the Family Medicine, encourages families to plan ahead:
“As a parent, I know how busy the back-to-school season gets. That’s why I recommend scheduling everything together — the well-child exam, any needed immunizations, and the sports physical — all in one summer visit. Make it a habit, and your kids will be ready to go before the school year even starts.”
Make It One Visit
The easiest way to check everything off your list is to schedule your child’s yearly wellness exam and take care of any needed vaccinations and sports physical requirements during the same visit.
One appointment now can save time, reduce stress, and help ensure your child starts the school year healthy, confident, and ready to learn.
Call Family Medicine at 435-719-5500 to get on the calendar before the back-to-school rush.
Moab Regional Hospital is here to make it easy for Grand County families to head into the new school year healthy and ready.
For questions about Utah’s school immunization requirements, visit immunize.utah.gov or call the Utah Immunization Hotline: 1-800-275-0659.
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Staying Cool
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Staying cool and connected to the community are two of the best ways to support your well-being during the transition from spring to summer in Moab. While the coolness of winter offers us a time of respite and reflection, summer invites us to connect with the outdoors and align our schedules to the sun.
In Moab, we see a peak tourism spike during the Spring months. Shifting into the higher temperatures and slightly slower pace of summer is an opportunity to be more intentional with our decisions, especially around our health. It’s a time to find balance between the day-to-day and staying cool and comfortable – avoiding a literal summer burnout.
Summer Solstice marks the beginning of Summer in the northern hemisphere. With its arrival comes longer days full of more sunlight. There are many ways to adapt and get the most of the season. Finding a balance between the longer, sun-filled days and how to continue to replenish your nervous system throughout is a key way to maintain vitality and health.
The triple digit temperatures, bright sunlight and longer days require awareness – and as desert dwellers or visitors, we need to take into account the serious nature of them. Staying cool is not only a way to stay comfortable, it’s a way to sustain yourself.
Here’s some tips to help you stay cool and supported through this season that asks us to invite more light and energy into our lives:
1. Build your routine around the sun’s schedule
Make a shift in your schedule to allow for time outdoors before the hottest hours of the day
Waking up earlier in the summer allows you to take advantage of cooler temps as well as an opportunity to escape direct sunlight before the sun rises higher
2. Hydrate even more than you normally do
Drink plenty of water and pack an extra water bottle for your day. Electrolytes support replacing salt back into your system, especially if you have been out in the heat and sweating
3. Make a plan to get to higher elevation - visit the La Sals
The Manti La Sal National Forest offers high elevation, lower temps and water options. The quieter spaces in the forest offer significantly cooler temps than town.
4. Bring the fun indoors - find activities where you can get a break from the sun and heat.
The Moab Museum, Slick Rock movie theatre and the bowling alley offer fully air conditioned activities.
5. Find support through community
Summer is a great time to connect or reconnect with the community. There are activities happening that support cooling down, too! At the Wellness Collective, our programming does not change with the seasons so come explore a yoga, meditation or wellness class at our space.
Summer brings more daylight, more activity, and more opportunities to enjoy life in the desert. By respecting the season, listening to your body, and creating space to recharge along the way, you can embrace all that summer has to offer. Stay cool, stay connected, and let the longer days become an invitation to enjoy Moab at a pace that helps you thrive.
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