Salsberry Clinic, LLC & Woundcare, LLC

07/23/2026

Potential need for self motivated, driven individual interested in wellness/health and available late afternoon/evening/Saturday hours with flexibility on hours but is in person not remote. Training provided. Text 641.203.9072 and promote yourself to me.

07/23/2026

Shared from CTD Tara
Every Symptom Begins With a Cell

Your body is made up of approximately 30–40 trillion cells.

Every one of those cells has a specific job.

Brain cells process information and create memories. Heart cells contract to pump blood around the body. Muscle cells generate movement. Immune cells identify and destroy infection. Skin cells repair and protect your body. Liver cells process nutrients, produce proteins and remove waste.

Although each cell has a different role, they all have one thing in common.

Every cell needs the right environment and the right building blocks to carry out its job efficiently.

Every second of every day, your cells are working to:

• Produce energy (ATP)

• Repair DNA and damaged cell structures

• Build proteins, enzymes and hormones

• Communicate with neighbouring cells

• Defend against infection and oxidative stress

• Remove waste products

• Replace old or damaged cells

• Maintain normal function within the tissues and organs they belong to

To perform these tasks, every cell depends on a continuous supply of oxygen, water, fuel and nutrients.

Oxygen allows mitochondria to produce ATP, the energy that powers almost every process within the cell. Without adequate energy, repair, communication and normal function all begin to slow.

Water provides the environment in which thousands of biochemical reactions take place every second. It also transports nutrients into cells and removes waste products.

Protein supplies the amino acids needed to build enzymes, hormones, antibodies, collagen and the structural components of every cell.

Healthy fats are essential for building cell membranes, allowing cells to communicate with one another and supporting hormone production.

Glucose and fatty acids provide the fuel that mitochondria convert into ATP, but fuel alone is not enough.

Cells also depend on vitamins and minerals to keep thousands of biochemical reactions running efficiently. These nutrients act as cofactors, helping enzymes produce energy, repair tissues, regulate inflammation, support immunity and maintain normal cellular function.

Some of the key nutrients involved include:

• B vitamins – energy production, DNA synthesis and nervous system function

• Iron – oxygen transport and mitochondrial energy production

• Magnesium – ATP production and hundreds of enzyme reactions

• Zinc – DNA repair, immunity and protein synthesis

• Copper – energy metabolism, connective tissue and iron regulation

• Selenium – antioxidant protection and thyroid function

• Vitamin C – collagen production and antioxidant defence

• Vitamin D – immune regulation and gene expression

This doesn’t mean every symptom is caused by a nutrient deficiency. Infection, genetics, hormones, medications, autoimmune conditions, reduced oxygen delivery and many other factors can interfere with cellular function. However, regardless of the cause, every cell still requires these essential building blocks to perform its role.

This changes the way we think about symptoms.

Instead of asking:

“What disease do I have?”

We can also ask:

“What are my cells struggling to do?”

If you’re exhausted, are your cells producing enough ATP?

If your hair is thinning, do hair follicle cells have everything they need to grow healthy hair?

If wounds heal slowly, do your repair cells have the nutrients required to produce collagen and rebuild tissue?

If your immune system isn’t functioning well, do your immune cells have the resources they need to grow, communicate and respond effectively?

A diagnosis tells us what a collection of symptoms is called.

Cellular physiology helps us understand why those symptoms may have developed.

When individual cells struggle, tissues begin to struggle.

When tissues struggle, organs begin to struggle.

When organs struggle, symptoms appear.

When enough symptoms occur together, we give them a name.

We call it a diagnosis.

Understanding health starts by understanding the cell.

07/18/2026

Count the ways to get protein in daily...

07/13/2026

Summer is here...finished for the day and taking opportunity to knock some at home needs off list.

Friendly reminder Glutathione supplements in transit with Wednesday delivery date on tracking of shipment.

Looking forward to August new service launch!

Enjoy the rest of your day!

07/10/2026

Shared via Tara@CTD
Vitamin D: More Than a Vitamin – A Master Regulator of Human Biology

Most people think vitamin D is simply for healthy bones.

In reality, vitamin D functions more like a hormone. Almost every cell in your body has vitamin D receptors, meaning it influences immunity, muscle function, brain health, hormones, mitochondrial energy production, inflammation and tissue repair.

When vitamin D is low, the effects are rarely limited to one part of the body. This is why we need to think upstream.

Instead of asking, “How do I increase my vitamin D?” ask “Why is my vitamin D low, and does my body have everything it needs to activate and use it?”

What does vitamin D do?

Vitamin D helps regulate:
• Calcium absorption
• Phosphate absorption
• Bone mineralisation
• Muscle contraction
• Immune function
• Inflammatory control
• Gene expression
• Hormone production
• Nervous system function
• Mitochondrial energy production
• Cell growth and repair

Almost every organ depends on adequate vitamin D signalling.

Where do we get vitamin D?

There are three main sources.

☀️ Sunlight

UVB light converts cholesterol in your skin into vitamin D3. Production is reduced by winter, limited sun exposure, sunscreen, darker skin pigmentation, ageing and spending most of the day indoors.

🥩 Food

Natural food sources are limited and include oily fish, egg yolks, liver and some mushrooms. Diet alone rarely corrects a deficiency.

💊 Supplements

Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) comes from plants and fungi but is generally less effective at raising vitamin D levels.

Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), usually derived from lanolin or vegan lichen, is more bioavailable and usually the preferred form.

Vitamin D is inactive when you swallow it

Whether it comes from the sun, food or a supplement, vitamin D must be activated before your body can use it.

Step 1 – The liver

Vitamin D is converted into 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), the storage form measured on your blood test.

Step 2 – The kidneys

25(OH)D is converted into 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (calcitriol), the active hormone that binds to vitamin D receptors throughout the body.

Without healthy liver and kidney function, vitamin D cannot be fully activated.

What does your body need to activate vitamin D?

Vitamin D doesn’t work alone. It relies on healthy organs and multiple nutrients.

Magnesium
Required for the enzymes involved in both activation steps. Without enough magnesium, vitamin D activation becomes less efficient.

Vitamin K2
Vitamin D increases calcium absorption. Vitamin K2 activates proteins such as osteocalcin and Matrix Gla Protein (MGP), helping direct calcium into bones and teeth rather than soft tissues.

Zinc
Supports the vitamin D receptor, allowing cells to respond appropriately to active vitamin D.

Vitamin A
Works alongside vitamin D to regulate immune function and gene expression.

Dietary fat
Vitamin D is fat-soluble, so poor fat absorption can reduce absorption from food and supplements.

Healthy liver
Performs the first activation step.

Healthy kidneys
Perform the second activation step.

Why does methylation matter?

This is where we connect the dots.

Vitamin D itself is not methylated, but the organs responsible for activating vitamin D depend on thousands of methylation reactions every second to function normally.

Methylation relies on nutrients including:
• Vitamin B12
• Folate
• Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
• Vitamin B6

These nutrients help support:
• Healthy liver function
• Healthy kidney function
• Enzyme production
• DNA repair
• Protein synthesis
• Glutathione production
• Cellular energy metabolism

If these nutrients are lacking, methylation may become less efficient. Over time, this can affect how well the liver and kidneys function. Since these organs activate vitamin D, deficiencies in methylation nutrients may indirectly impair your body’s ability to process and utilise vitamin D.

So before continually increasing your vitamin D dose, it is worth asking:

• Does my liver have what it needs?
• Do my kidneys have what they need?
• Am I deficient in B12, folate, B2 or B6?
• Is my magnesium sufficient?

Sometimes the problem isn’t the vitamin D itself—it’s the machinery responsible for activating it.

What symptoms can low vitamin D cause?

• Fatigue
• Muscle weakness
• Muscle aches
• Bone pain
• Frequent infections
• Slow recovery
• Low mood
• Hair shedding
• Reduced exercise tolerance
• Increased fracture risk

These symptoms overlap with many other nutrient deficiencies, which is why vitamin D should never be looked at in isolation.

What blood tests help tell the story?

The standard test is 25-hydroxyvitamin D, but it should be interpreted alongside:
• Calcium
• Phosphate
• Magnesium
• Parathyroid hormone (PTH)
• Alkaline phosphatase (ALP)
• Liver function tests
• Kidney function (urea, creatinine and eGFR)
• Albumin

Where appropriate, assessing vitamin B12, folate and other nutritional markers can also identify deficiencies that may influence vitamin D activation through their effects on methylation and organ function.

What can other markers tell you?

A raised ALP (after liver causes have been excluded) may suggest increased bone turnover associated with vitamin D deficiency.

An elevated PTH is often one of the earliest signs of vitamin D deficiency. As vitamin D falls, calcium absorption decreases, PTH rises and the body begins drawing calcium from bone to keep blood calcium normal. This is why calcium can appear perfectly normal despite significant vitamin D deficiency.

Connect the Dots

Vitamin D is not simply a nutrient you swallow.

It relies on healthy absorption, healthy liver function, healthy kidney function, magnesium, vitamin K2, zinc, vitamin A and adequate methylation nutrients to become biologically active.

The question shouldn’t simply be:

“How much vitamin D should I take?”

It should be:

“Does my body have everything it needs to absorb it, activate it and use it?”

That’s the upstream approach.

That’s how we stop treating numbers on a blood test and start understanding the biology behind them.

07/08/2026

Exactly why I prefer cellular micronutrient assay with redox testing rather than serum levels.

Shate from Tara-CTD:
🩹 Are Natural Remedies Just Another Plaster?

Pharmaceutical medications often suppress symptoms.

Natural remedies often ease symptoms and can be incredibly valuable.

But neither automatically addresses why those symptoms developed in the first place.

That’s where root-cause medicine is different.

It asks:

“What does the body actually need to perform this function?”

🍎 Apple Cider Vinegar → Low Stomach Acid

Apple cider vinegar may temporarily improve digestion by increasing the acidity in your stomach.

But producing stomach acid is a job your body performs itself, and it relies on nutrients such as iron, zinc, vitamin B12, folate, vitamin B6, sodium and chloride, along with healthy thyroid function.

Your body isn’t apple cider vinegar deficient.

It requires the nutrients needed to make stomach acid efficiently.

🌿 Milk Thistle → Liver Support

Milk thistle may help protect and support liver cells.

But your liver’s detoxification pathways depend on nutrients including glycine, cysteine, glutamine, vitamins B2, B3, B6, B12, folate, magnesium, selenium, zinc and molybdenum, as well as adequate protein.

Your body isn’t milk thistle deficient.

It requires the building blocks needed for normal liver function.

🌱 Digestive Bitters → Digestive Enzymes

Bitters can stimulate digestive secretions and improve digestion.

But producing digestive enzymes depends on zinc, magnesium, vitamin B6, adequate protein, healthy stomach acid, pancreatic function and bile flow.

Bitters support digestion, but they don’t replace the nutrients required to make digestive enzymes.

🟡 Turmeric → Inflammation

Turmeric may help reduce inflammatory signalling and improve symptoms.

But regulating inflammation depends on adequate vitamin D, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins A, C and E, selenium, zinc, healthy mitochondria and addressing the underlying trigger—whether that’s nutrient deficiencies, infection, oxidative stress or autoimmune disease.

Your body isn’t crying out for turmeric

It is lacking the nutrients and conditions needed to regulate inflammation effectively.

Please don’t misunderstand me.

I’m not against natural remedies.

They can be excellent tools for supporting the body and improving quality of life.

But symptom relief should never stop us asking the next question:

Why does my body need this support in the first place?

Natural remedies can support healing.

Correcting nutrient deficiencies and addressing the underlying cause gives your body the opportunity to restore normal function.

💙 Connect the dots.

Don’t just ask,

“What helps my symptoms?”

Also ask,

“What does my body need to do this job itself?”

07/07/2026

Shared from Tara-CTD:

Vitamin B6: The Forgotten Coenzyme Behind Over 140 Enzymes

It is one of the body’s most important metabolic coenzymes, influencing everything from neurotransmitters and oxygen transport to immunity, hormones, detoxification, methylation and energy production.

Unlike many nutrients, B6 doesn’t work on its own. It sits at the centre of multiple biochemical pathways, meaning deficiency can create widespread symptoms that often appear unrelated.

What is Vitamin B6?

Vitamin B6 is a family of compounds:

* Pyridoxine (plant foods and supplements)
* Pyridoxal
* Pyridoxamine

The biologically active form used inside cells is:

Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate (PLP or P5P)

Your liver converts dietary B6 into PLP before it can perform its jobs.

What Does Vitamin B6 Do?

B6 is involved in over 140 enzyme reactions throughout the body.

Nervous System

Required to manufacture:

• Serotonin
• Dopamine
• GABA
• Noradrenaline
• Adrenaline
• Histamine metabolism

Without adequate B6 the nervous system cannot maintain proper neurotransmitter balance.

Possible consequences include:

* Anxiety
* Depression
* Panic attacks
* Irritability
* Poor stress tolerance
* Insomnia
* Neuropathy
* Brain fog

Methylation

B6 helps convert:

Homocysteine → Cystathionine

This is the transsulfuration pathway.

Without adequate B6:

* Homocysteine may rise
* Glutathione production falls
* Sulphur metabolism slows
* Oxidative stress increases

Red Blood Cell Production

B6 is required to produce haem.

Haem forms the oxygen-carrying component of haemoglobin.

Low B6 may contribute to:

* Microcytic anaemia
* Sideroblastic anaemia
* Fatigue
* Breathlessness
* Poor exercise tolerance

Mitochondrial Function

B6 supports:

* Krebs Cycle
* Amino acid metabolism
* Glycogen breakdown
* ATP production

Low B6 can therefore reduce cellular energy.

Immune Function

B6 is involved in:

* Lymphocyte production
* Antibody formation
* Cytokine regulation

Deficiency may contribute to recurrent infections.

Hormone Balance

B6 influences:

* Oestrogen metabolism
* Progesterone balance
* PMS symptoms
* Prolactin regulation

Histamine Regulation

B6 helps produce enzymes involved in histamine metabolism.

Low B6 may worsen:

* Histamine intolerance
* Mast cell activation symptoms
* Flushing
* Itching
* Headaches

Digestive Function

B6 supports:

* Protein digestion
* Amino acid metabolism
* Digestive enzyme function

Myelin Production

Healthy nerves require B6 to maintain myelin.

Deficiency may lead to:

* Tingling
* Burning feet
* Numbness
* Reduced sensation
* Balance problems

What Cofactors Does Vitamin B6 Need?

B6 rarely works alone.

It depends upon adequate levels of multiple nutrients.

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)

Perhaps the most important cofactor.

B2 activates pyridoxine into active PLP.

Without sufficient B2 you may appear B6 deficient despite taking supplements.

Magnesium

Many PLP-dependent enzymes also require magnesium.

Low magnesium may reduce the effectiveness of B6.

Zinc

Supports numerous B6-dependent enzymes and protein metabolism.

Adequate Protein

B6 is heavily involved in amino acid metabolism.

Low protein intake increases functional demand.

Liver Function

The liver converts inactive B6 into PLP.

Liver disease can impair activation.

Overall B Vitamin Status

Particularly:

* B2
* Folate (B9)
* B12

These vitamins work together across methylation and neurological pathways.

Correcting one deficiency while ignoring the others may produce disappointing results or temporary symptom changes.

Causes of Vitamin B6 Deficiency

* Poor diet
* Coeliac disease
* Inflammatory bowel disease
* SIBO
* Chronic diarrhoea
* Alcohol excess
* Kidney disease
* Liver disease
* Pregnancy
* Chronic inflammation
* Long-term oral contraceptive use
* Certain anti-epileptic drugs
* Isoniazid
* Penicillamine
* Hydralazine
* Some chemotherapy drugs

Symptoms of B6 Deficiency

Neurological

* Peripheral neuropathy
* Tingling
* Burning feet
* Numbness
* Tremor
* Poor balance
* Brain fog
* Poor memory

Psychological

* Anxiety
* Depression
* Irritability
* Low mood
* Poor stress tolerance
* Insomnia

Blood

* Microcytic anaemia
* Sideroblastic anaemia
* Elevated homocysteine (in some people)

Skin

* Seborrhoeic dermatitis
* Cracks around the mouth
* Sore tongue
* Mouth ulcers

Immune

* Frequent infections

Hormonal

* PMS
* High prolactin
* Hormonal imbalance

Other

* Fatigue
* Weakness
* Muscle pain
* Histamine intolerance
* Light sensitivity

How Do We Test Vitamin B6?

1. Serum PLP (Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate)

This is the most commonly used test.

Measures circulating active B6.

Useful but influenced by:

* Recent supplementation
* Inflammation
* Albumin
* Kidney disease

Normal serum does not always mean adequate intracellular function.

2. Plasma PLP

Often regarded as the preferred biochemical marker.

3. Cellular Testing

Where available:

* Red blood cell PLP
* Functional intracellular nutrient testing

These may better reflect tissue status than serum alone.

4. Functional Markers

Helpful alongside B6 testing:

* Homocysteine
* Amino acid profiles
* Organic acids (specialist testing)

Typical Laboratory Reference Ranges

Ranges vary between laboratories.

Serum PLP commonly falls around:

20–125 nmol/L

Some laboratories use:

15–110 nmol/L

Others:

30–150 nmol/L

Always interpret results using your own laboratory’s reference interval.

Functional Interpretation (Not Universal Diagnostic Cut-offs)

These values are commonly used by functional and integrative practitioners for discussion rather than diagnosis:

Likely deficient: below approximately 20–30 nmol/L

Possibly suboptimal: 20–40 nmol/L

Generally adequate: around 40–100 nmol/L

High from supplementation: above 100–150 nmol/L

Clinical context matters more than a single number.

Can You Have Symptoms Despite a Normal Blood Test?

Yes.

Possible reasons include:

* Poor cellular uptake
* Low riboflavin
* Low magnesium
* Increased demand
* Chronic inflammation
* Recent supplementation masking deficiency
* Genetic variation affecting enzyme activity

Always interpret symptoms alongside the wider biochemical picture.

Vitamin B6 Toxicity

Unlike many water-soluble vitamins, excessive supplemental B6 can cause toxicity.

This is almost always associated with long-term supplementation rather than food intake.

Symptoms of Toxicity

Ironically many resemble deficiency.

* Burning feet
* Tingling
* Numbness
* Loss of sensation
* Balance problems
* Difficulty walking
* Reduced reflexes
* Sensory neuropathy

Very high or prolonged exposure may cause nerve damage that can take months to improve after stopping supplementation.

Who Is Most At Risk?

People taking:

* High-dose pyridoxine supplements
* Multiple supplements containing hidden B6
* Energy drinks
* Pre-workout products
* Fortified nutrition powders

Always total your daily intake.

How Is Toxicity Investigated?

* Supplement history
* Serum PLP
* Neurological examination
* Nerve conduction studies if required

There is no single test that proves toxicity—clinical history is essential.

Practical Take-Home Points

✔ B6 is essential for neurotransmitters, methylation, energy production, haemoglobin, immunity and hormone balance.

✔ B6 depends heavily on riboflavin (B2) and magnesium to function effectively.

✔ Symptoms of deficiency and toxicity can overlap because both ultimately impair nerve function.

✔ A “normal” blood level does not always mean the vitamin is working properly inside your cells.

✔ Before increasing B6, consider whether its supporting nutrients—particularly riboflavin, magnesium, folate and B12—are also sufficient.

Connecting the Dots

Rather than asking:

“Should I take more B6?”

A better question may be:

“Is my B6 actually able to work?”

Because in biochemistry, nutrients rarely fail in isolation—they usually fail because another piece of the pathway is missing.

07/07/2026

Courtesy of Tara with Connecting the Dots and agree:
THE VITAMIN BOTTLENECK

“My B12 is always high on blood tests, but I only take a small amount in my multivitamin. How is that possible?”

This is one of the most common questions I get asked.

Most people assume that if a vitamin level is high in the blood, they must have plenty.

But blood tests only tell us what is circulating in the bloodstream at that moment.

They do not tell us how efficiently that vitamin is being transported into cells, converted into its active form, or actually being used.

Think of your bloodstream as a motorway.

Your vitamins are the cars.

Your cells are the destination.

If there’s an accident further down the road, the motorway fills with traffic.

Looking from a helicopter, you’d see lots of cars.

That doesn’t mean everyone has arrived where they’re supposed to be.

The same thing can happen with nutrients.

Stage 1: The vitamin enters the bloodstream.

You swallow your supplement or absorb it from food.

It enters your circulation.

A blood test now measures what is present in your blood.

At this stage everything can look perfectly normal—or even unusually high.

Stage 2: The vitamin now has to be transported into cells.

This is where things become much more complicated.

Cells require transporters, receptors and energy to move nutrients across cell membranes.

Inflammation, oxidative stress, illness, mitochondrial dysfunction and genetic variation can all affect this process.

If transport slows down, more of the vitamin may remain circulating in the blood.

Your blood level may look high while your cells are still struggling.

Stage 3: Many vitamins still have to be activated.

This is where cofactors become incredibly important.

Very few nutrients work alone.

They rely on other vitamins and minerals to activate enzymes and keep biochemical pathways moving.

If one of those cofactors is missing, the pathway begins to slow.

The vitamin may still be present.

The pathway simply cannot use it efficiently.

This is what I call the vitamin bottleneck.

Let’s use vitamin B12 as an example.

Vitamin B12 doesn’t work in isolation.

It works alongside nutrients including:

* Folate
* Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
* Vitamin B6
* Magnesium
* Iron
* Copper (for many downstream energy-producing enzymes)
* Adequate cellular energy from healthy mitochondria

If one or more of these are limiting, B12-dependent reactions may become less efficient.

That doesn’t necessarily mean the B12 is “doing nothing,” but it can mean the pathway isn’t working optimally.

The result?

The vitamin may remain in the bloodstream longer than expected while the body struggles to use it efficiently.

The same principle applies to other vitamins.

High folate

Sometimes folate is genuinely high because intake is high.

Sometimes the body is struggling to utilise it efficiently because other parts of the pathway are limiting.

Without adequate vitamin B12, folate can become functionally trapped inside the folate cycle, reducing the availability of forms needed elsewhere.

High vitamin B6

High vitamin B6 can simply reflect supplementation.

However, persistent elevations should always be interpreted carefully in the context of symptoms, dosage, kidney function and overall clinical history.

It does not automatically mean the body is using it efficiently.

High ferritin

Ferritin is often thought of as an iron marker.

It is also an acute-phase protein.

High ferritin may reflect adequate iron stores.

It may also rise because of inflammation, infection, liver disease or metabolic dysfunction.

Looking at ferritin alone without iron, transferrin saturation and the clinical picture can be misleading.

High vitamin D

Vitamin D also requires activation before it becomes fully biologically active.

This process depends on healthy liver function, kidney function and adequate magnesium.

A blood level may look satisfactory while activation or downstream function is still impaired.

This is why context matters.

Biochemistry is rarely about one isolated nutrient.

The body functions as an interconnected network.

When one nutrient becomes limiting, other pathways begin slowing behind it.

Sometimes what appears to be “too much” of one nutrient is actually telling us there is a bottleneck somewhere else.

Blood tests are only one piece of the puzzle.

They tell us what is circulating.

They don’t tell us:

* What has entered the cells.
* What has been activated.
* What has been utilised.
* Which enzyme is waiting for a missing cofactor.
* Which pathway has slowed because one essential nutrient has become limiting.

This is why simply looking at one “high” result in isolation can sometimes miss the bigger picture.

Sometimes the question isn’t:

“Why is my B12 high?”

Sometimes the better question is:

“What is preventing my body from using it efficiently?”

Because in biochemistry, traffic building up on the motorway often tells you there’s a blockage further down the road.

The answer isn’t always where the traffic is.

Sometimes it’s where the traffic has stopped.

07/02/2026

Coming soon...August 1st anticipated delivery! Continually addressing options for wellness. Stay tuned!

06/30/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1HBv58mwGS/

Today our Home Health team had the pleasure of welcoming Wayne County Board of Health member Cindy Salsbery, ARNP, for an informative wound care in-service.

Our nurses and home health aides had the opportunity to learn about current wound care practices, ask questions, and discuss real-life scenarios they encounter while caring for patients. Ongoing education like this helps ensure we continue providing the highest quality care to those we serve.

A big thank you to Cindy for sharing her knowledge and expertise with our team. We appreciate your time and commitment to improving patient care in our community!