Do you have commitment issues? I do! Not relationship-wise, but it does occur in the bedroom. See, I just can’t commit to my nighttime routine! I know what works, but do I ever seriously follow through with it all the time? No…and the time change doesn’t help. By the time I look at my phone, it’s midnight!
The other culprit: my computer. In the evenings, I spend a lot of time reading stuff that interests me on the internet or binge-watching A Different World, Living Single, and when my eyes need a good cry cleansing, This Is Us. The screen time makes it hard for my body to shut down and leaves me up until 3:00 am when I finally will myself to sleep.
Symptoms
I love sleeping, but between November and January, I found it hard to sleep well. I couldn’t get comfortable, my body felt tight, and my spine felt misaligned. My muscle spasms in my lower back returned, and I was having headaches almost daily. I barely get headaches, maybe twice a year. So, you can see the holidays were a little rough.
Desperation
I was miserable and decided to raid my supplements, and I realized that I wasn’t taking my supplements consistently. In particular, collagen, which I talked about here, and magnesium, which I hadn’t used in months because I didn’t like the taste of Calm, the most popular brand people buy. You mix it with water and the taste…yeah, no… So, on a grocery trip to Trader Joe’s last month, I spotted magnesium in a pill form, and that’s been working great for me!
Discovering magnesium
How do I know about magnesium? It took a trip to the hydrotherapist, Kori, for a colonic a few years ago, for me to learn most people in America are magnesium deficient. I’ll admit when Kori first said it to me, I didn’t take her seriously because I never heard anyone talk about it. She gave me a few samples, and then I was convinced!
What is it?
Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body.
It helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, and keeps bones strong. Magnesium also helps regulate blood sugar levels, promotes normal blood pressure, and is known to be involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis. There is an increased interest in the role of magnesium in preventing and managing disorders such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. – National Institutes of Health
I want to share some benefits of incorporating a magnesium supplement into your diet. Yes, you can get magnesium from food.
6 signs your body needs magnesium
- Sleep – Magnesium works with calcium to calm your body so that your muscles, nerves, and mind are relaxed. That means when you’re asleep, you’re not as restless! Do you have Restless Leg Syndrome? You might want to try this out! The best part? You don’t wake up feeling groggy.
- Sugar cravings – If you gave up sweets during Lent, taking magnesium would’ve probably made those 40 days better. If you’re craving something sweet, it could be your body telling you you’re magnesium deficient.
- PMS – Mood swings, irritability, depression, anxiety, bloating, fluid retention, breast tenderness, sugar cravings. If you ever crave chocolate during your cycle, it’s because cocoa has magnesium in it! If you’re going this route, cacao is a better choice because the cocoa beans are cold pressed to ensure the nutritional value isn’t lost.
- Digestion – Feeling a little backed up? Magnesium helps move things along for you! If you’re not going at least once a day, you’re considered constipated. Maybe that’s why your coworker is always mad for no good reason. Might be a good secret Santa gift for him or her!
- Cardiovascular – It can help lower your blood pressure by preventing blood vessels from constricting.
- Energy – Magnesium is critical in reactions that generate and use Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP). I know a lot of us could use more energy, but here’s what really excites me. Alzheimer’s occurs because of a lack of energy, so maybe the lack of magnesium in the food that we eat contributes to the growing amount of Alzheimer’s. Just a theory I’ll probably spend late nights researching.
If I’d never gone for a colonic, I probably would’ve never cared to research magnesium and see if it’s a good fit for me! I truly love this stuff. It really works well when taken with calcium because they balance each other out. All my aches and pains aren’t an issue anymore, and I and super thrilled that I sleep much better!
Do you sleep well? What’s your nighttime routine like? I’d love to hear your tips!
Best,
*As always, the opinions expressed on my blog are based on my own thoughts, knowledge, and experiences. Please keep in mind that I am not a Doctor or a health professional. I strongly suggest you do your own research and/or consult with the appropriate professional who is knowledgeable in this area before making any changes.
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2092675
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4586582/
Photography by Essence
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