 Can't have one without the other? Have You Had YOUR Magnesium Today?
I talk a LOT about magnesium on my facebook page, and “in real life,” too. Just ask Mr. Hockey, or my parents, my friends, or… you get the idea. So what is the big deal with magnesium? Well, do you suffer from chronic fatigue, muscle cramps, or frequent head aches? Do you have trouble falling asleep and/or staying asleep? If you’re pregnant, do you have frequent uncomfortable Braxton-Hicks, or nausea piled on top of nausea? How’s your blood pressure? What about your dental health? Any one of these can be tied to a magnesium deficiency. What follows should serve as a good introduction to magnesium’s role in our cellular health, and ways you can address a deficiency, internally and transdermally (and what products I make that can help). Magnesium is (intended to be) the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body. The highest concentrations of magnesium are in the brain and the heart - so it’s pretty important! Our cells crave magnesium, and it works in conjunction with calcium and Vitamin K2. When these are out of balance, we end up with calcium deposits in the wrong places. According to bodyecology.com, we need a 10:4 ratio of calcium:magnesium, but the typical American diet looks more like 10:2.67, or sometimes even 15:4. This can result in cell death, which we could feel in ways such as:
So what do we do with this? You can increase your dietary intake of magnesium through food sources. Some good ones include green vegetables rich in chlorophyll, or even just liquid chlorophyll itself. (This is the one I've used as an iron supplement when I needed one, and it was tolerable in a green smoothie, and it worked within a few days). Just like our blood has hemoglobin as it’s core, so to speak, chlorophyll has magnesium as its core. Almond butter, pumpkin seeds and flax seeds are also good sources. A supplement can also help, and there are plenty of options available. Eating fermented foods (kombucha is my personal favorite) alongside magnesium rich foods can help the body absorb more magnesium. But, if you’re experiencing bowel disturbances, chances are you’re also losing all that precious magnesium. What to do then? That’s where things like a remineralizing toothpaste, or magnesium oil or butter come in. You can make a toothpaste with coconut oil and calcium-magnesium powder (and some other ingredients - if I EVER find a recipe I like, I’ll be sure to share it) to help remineralize your teeth, which reportedly can heal - yes, reverse! - cavities. If you want to learn more about that, I highly recommend reading the book _Cure Tooth Decay_ by Ramiel Nagel (I have no affiliate link or anything like that, I gain nothing from sending you to his book). The transdermal options - mainly magnesium oil and magnesium butter - can work better for a few different reasons. First, modern farming practices are depleting our soil of the magnesium that should be getting into our food. So in some cases, we can eat a great diet, but the magnesium just won’t be there. Second, our GI bacterial balance can be so off kilter that our bodies can’t absorb the magnesium we can get through our food. So, that leaves us with our skin. This can still be a positive!! Skin loves magnesium! Do you enjoy salt air and ocean swimming? The magnesium just might have something to do with that! Skin is also just more efficient at absorbing magnesium, as opposed to our digestive track. I like the idea of eating healthy (including ferments), supplementing AND using a transdermal source - cover all the bases. My own experience since beginning my toothpaste (which I will share later), magnesium oil and magnesium butter with the occasional salt bath has been better sleep, decreased morning sickness, no more Braxton-Hicks (I had a very grumpy uterus in the second trimester when I slacked off the magnesium and wound up on modified bed rest - yuck!), fewer headaches, no chocolate cravings, lowest blood pressure I’ve ever had in my life (did I mention I’m 31 weeks pregnant as of writing?!), reduced muscle tightness and immediate charlie horse relief the one time I woke up on my back, and less frequent GI upset (also partly attributed to eating gluten free, I think, for me). In my shop you’ll find lots of options for transdermal magnesium. My most popular is my Magnesium Oil, but I think the Magnesium Butter I’m stocking for the first time later this week might become even more popular. If you’re in an even bigger hurry, there’s Twinkle Toes - Remineralizing Body Polish. You can just leave this in the shower, rub it in and rinse it off. It exfoliates and leaves skin feeling silky, too. If you have the time, or maybe as a special treat, you can also soak with one of my Bath Salts. I use three different types of salt, all rich in trace minerals. So, what do YOU think? Do you think you could be among the 60%+ of Americans that are magnesium deficient? What would you like to see change if you address a suspected deficiency? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Sources:
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