Nature's Little Helpers: Part I

I used to be one of those people who ate a horrible diet full of artificial colors, ingredients, and junk, never exercised, never drank water, got hardly any sleep, treated my body (and soul) like crap. And yet, I wondered why I felt equally like crap all the time, or why my skin looked so dull and full of blemishes, why my hair was constantly and profusely shedding every time I ran a brush or my fingers through it, and why it was so dry with so many split-ends. I wondered why I had no energy or motivation to do things, or why my inner and outer body suffered so much.

Simply put, I was not giving my body what it needed. Our body is both simple and complicated. It is a glorious machine that has many cogs and gears that each miraculously do their job, but they each need a little something from us to function optimally, and in that, our body is simple. If we want to look our best, feel our best, and do our best, then it’s important that we listen to the signals our body is giving us, and act accordingly.

All the symptoms I mentioned above are classic signs of dehydration, nutritional deficiencies, non-adequate sleep, not enough sunshine, and no exercise.  People curse their body for showing these symptoms, wondering why they have horrible acne, digestion issues, headaches, or why their energy has plummeted so low, but they never want to take responsibility for the fact that maybe they aren’t treating their body the way it needs to be treated—the way it’s asking to be treated.

Granted, we are human and we aren’t perfect; nor do we all have the time to always get 30 minutes of sunshine, those 8 hours of sleep, make the perfect, healthy meal, or get in that 1 hour of exercise or 3 liters of water a day—and that’s okay. It is because of these reasons that I decided to take a little help in the aforementioned departments, and start supplementing my body with a few “little helpers.”

The following things that I will be talking about in this series entitled “Nature’s Little Helpers” have greatly helped me on my journey to becoming my greatest version. Not only have I seen a significant change on the outside, but I’ve also seen a tremendous change on the inside as well. People underestimate just how strong the mind-body connection is, and how much what we do on the outside affects what happens on the inside, and how we feel on the inside/what’s going on within our bodies, affects how we look on the outside.

These are a few things that have dramatically changed my life—in the realms of appearance, energy, vitality, and health—and I hope that they work for you as wonderfully as they worked for me. Because there are so many things that I wish to include, this too will be a weekly series. Today’s spotlight is on: magnesium!

Magnesium

It is estimated that 80-90% of people may be magnesium deficient. (Test results vary according to sample error, such as ethnicity, race, age, location, diet, etc. of participants.)

Signs of magnesium deficiency are everywhere, if you know what to look for; however, the symptoms are so common that they constantly slip beneath the radar. Almost everyone you come into contact with is most likely suffering in some way from magnesium deficiency.

Magnesium is the 4th most abundant mineral in the body. Along with being a mineral, it is also the most important electrolyte for the body, being the controller of the 3 other important electrolytes: potassium, sodium, and calcium. Electrolytes are incredibly important for the body. They are what allow us to be living, breathing, electrical beings, and are responsible for all electrical activity and brain conductivity in the body.

Furthermore, magnesium is responsible for over 300 reactions in the body, and is needed by every single cell in the body. It plays a vital role in hundreds of enzyme systems and functions related to cell metabolism, protein synthesis, and the utilization of fats and carbohydrates. Without electrolytes like magnesium, your body cannot function optimally. Your muscles can’t operate, your heart can’t beat, your body can’t regulate temperature, your liver can’t detoxify, your nerves can’t transmit impulses, and your brain can’t properly receive signals. Long story short, we need magnesium to live. If we don’t get enough of it, we start to lose energy and suffer from endless symptoms—everything from muscle pains and aches, to hair loss, fatigue, and migraines.

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency can include brain fog, lethargy/fatigue, constipation, anxiety, depression, insomnia, muscle cramps, migraines, hormone imbalance, chronic back pain—the list goes on and on. In fact, according to Dr. Norman Shealy, “Magnesium deficiency may be responsible for more diseases than any other nutrient.” I, for one, used to be plagued with every single one of these symptoms and didn’t know why. I used to get excruciating leg cramps every single night that would wake me up from a dead sleep, and I would have to get up and dance and jump around my room at 4 am, cursing my body while trying not to scream in pain.

I know what you’re probably thinking: “But my blood test results are fine. My doctor never mentioned anything about magnesium deficiency.” That’s because only 1% of your body’s magnesium resides in the blood! It is in your cells, tissues, and bones, and these cells get robbed on a daily basis to keep your levels high enough, so that the body doesn’t go into cardiac arrest; which means that your cells can be and most likely are completely depleted, causing all kinds of problems to occur, which keep you from living a truly full and abundant life of vitality, which you deserve.

Now that we’ve gone over why magnesium is so important, let’s go over how to get it!

Magnesium is abundant in leafy greens like spinach and chard (although magnesium is far richer in organic greens that are grown in nutrient-rich soil that hasn’t been depleted. Translation: go to the Farmer’s Market!), nuts and seeds such as pumpkin seeds and almonds, as well as black beans, avocadoes, and my favorite: dark chocolate. (And who doesn’t love an excuse to eat more chocolate?! I think I’m feeling a bit magnesium-deficient as we speak. Where are my Justin’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups?!)

However, food is not the only way to get magnesium, and we may not always find ourselves with these particular foods, let alone eating enough of them to really make a difference. There are many other ways to get magnesium that I enjoy, including:

Epsom salt baths- Take a scoop of 100% pure Epsom salts and add a few drops of lavender essential oil. Like nature’s Valium, this bath will have you feeling blissfully zen, peaceful, and sleepy in no time.

Ionic magnesium drops - I prefer this to the magnesium citrate/oxide capsules you see in stores because they have a much higher bioavailability, which means that they are better absorbed by the body. (I’ve found that Amazon is the best place to find these for a good price!)

Magnesium lotions - Magnesium can also be applied topically to the skin and absorbed that way. This is usually a method used by those who are more so looking to use magnesium for muscle aches, pains, and cramps.

Dissolving powders (i.e. “Natural Calm”) This is a powder that you mix into water or a cup of tea before you go to bed, but is more so for if you are taking magnesium for its calming effects and to help you sleep. It can be found at health food stores and online.

Ever since I started supplementing magnesium and incorporating more magnesium-rich foods into my life, my body and mind have completely changed. I can think more clearly, I have tons of energy instead of suffering from chronic fatigue, I sleep better and fall asleep more easily, I now have motivation to exercise and accomplish my daily tasks, my leg cramps and chronic lower-back pain are completely gone, my hormones are finally balancing out, my digestion is better, and so much more. It’s truly amazing to see how much making such a simple little change as including more magnesium in my diet and daily ritual has improved my quality of life, and I encourage you to try it and do the same!

Lesson to take away from all this? GET MAGNESIUM IN YOUR LIFE!