Magnesium
Generally feeling exhausted and don’t know why?
High stress + poor sleep are 2 big indicators that you might be magnesium deficient - another sign is chocolate cravings! Most of us are a bit deficient as these days the soil is depleted (eg. carrots have lost 75% of their Mg content since 1974 when everything used to be organic) and we eat so much processed food. Also the oral contraceptive pill, alcohol and IBS all mean we don’t absorb as much magnesium.
What do we need Magnesium for:
it’s essential in energy production, and for glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity i.e. good for blood sugar regulation issues (insulin resistance), PCOS.
Magnesium is also natures relaxing mineral - it helps the muscles relax post contracting so helps with muscle pain + cramps/twiches, and helps with consitpation too.
Its helpful if you get tension headaches/migraines, PMS symptoms (menstrual cramps), mood disorders (anxiety, irritability, depression, panic attacks, bipolar), hypertension/arrhythmias/palpitations.
Also as its so relaxing and calming it generally helps us fall asleep quicker and generally get better quality sleep - directly targeting insomnia and decreasing stress/anxiety. its used in the serotonin - melatonin pathway (happiness/sleep regulation) which we have spoken about a lot already.
A really really effective way to boost magnesium levels is to take epsom salt baths (magnesium sulphate, use a LOT - 500mg-1kg per bath + 20min soak).
Food wise:
GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES (chlorophyll - the pigment that makes things green, and haemoglobin - blood, have the same chemical structure but chlorophyll has Magnesium instead of iron at its core)
Nuts and seeds (esp pumpkin seeds and flax seeds), beans (soy, haricot), wholegrains (buckwheat and amaranth).
Cacao powder - Obviously chocolate contains a load of sugar (milk choc is about 50% sugar), so if you do eat chocolate, try go for dark chocolate (90% dark choc is only 7% sugar) which has less sugar and contains magnesium and is high in polyphenols (good for heart health and can lower blood pressure more effectively than some meds).
Supplements of magnesium are often given - avoid ones that are Mg oxide - they are cheap and hard to absorb. Magnesium citrate is very effective (esp for constipation), but can cause diarrhoea in some people so be cautious. also, be very careful if you have low blood pressure as Magnesium lowers it further.
Also If you are thinking about getting pregnant now, or are already pregnant then maintaining adequate magnesium levels is super important.
