Magnesium: It's Vital

The journey I have been on in the last year and a half has been.......dizzying.

DIZZYING:    present participle of diz·zy
Make (someone) feel unsteady, confused, or amazed: "the dizzying rate of change."

What started with a desperate attempt to stop the progression of my disease has evolved into information of head spinning, amazing, and confusing proportions!! From eating organic food, to taking vital supplements, to not drinking fluoridated water, to avoiding aluminum in deodorant - the list of new information circulating in my brain is.......dizzying!!!  This is all good and well, however, I am not content to just let this information sit in my brain.  I feel an overwhelming need to share, teach, inform, help those I care about.  God bless my husband, children, their spouses, my nieces and nephews and anyone who happens to be related to me.  I am a bit....obsessive about getting all of this information out there and I realize it is overwhelming, to say the least.  Quite frankly, it is dizzying - I get it!!!  But sometimes, the information is just too important to not share and today's topic is one of those times.  So, thanks for listening*.  (I've heard that ginger is good when you feel dizzy!!)

WHAT IS MAGNESIUM?
I had given little thought to magnesium and you really don't hear much about it, yet approximately 80% of us are deficient in this vital mineral.  And to complicate matters, it is very difficult to measure our magnesium levels with a blood test.  Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in our body.  Approximately 50% of total body magnesium is found in our bones.  The other half is found inside cells of body tissues and organs.  Only 1% of magnesium is found in blood, but our bodies work very hard to keep those levels constant.
WHAT DOES MAGNESIUM DO?
Interestingly, researchers are beginning to realize that the importance of magnesium may have been underestimated.  Magnesium is found in over 300 different enzymes in our body and guides a large number of physiological functions, some of which include:  the creation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the body's energy molecules; the pumping of our heart; the formation of our bones and teeth; the functioning of our bowel; the relaxation of our blood vessels; and the regulation of our blood sugar levels. 
WHY AM I POSSIBLY DEFICIENT?
Unlike our ancestors, our water no longer comes from streams, rivers, or springs.  We get our water from the tap, using filters, or from pre bottled water.  This means that most of the good stuff has been removed (in an attempt to remove the bad stuff.)  Unfortunately, the vast majority of the minerals our bodies need have been filtered out.  This fact leaves us more susceptible to headaches, fatigue, insomnia, and even morning sickness for pregnant women.  Additionally, our soil has been depleted and ravaged by modern industrial agriculture, removing many of the necessary minerals.  This fact leaves our food supply with far less nutrients.
ARE THERE SYMPTOMS?
The initial symptoms of a magnesium deficiency may be very subtle and obscure.  You may feel cramps, muscle twitches, or pain in your feet.  Other symptoms include loss of appetite, headaches, nausea, vomiting, anxiety, PMS, insomnia, fatigue and weakness.  Do these symptoms mean you have a magnesium deficiency?  Not necessarily, but with 80% of us lacking in this vital mineral, it is certainly worth taking a second look before experiencing more serious symptoms.
WHAT'S A PERSON TO DO??
Good news!  There are a few easy things we can do to increase our magnesium levels. 
1.  We need to eat plenty of organic green vegetables.  I say organic because it has been shown that they contain 40% more nutrients.  I have gotten into a habit of having one or two green juices/smoothies a day.  I have never eaten so much kale, spinach, swiss chard, or romaine in my life! And now I crave them!  (CRAZY!)
2.  If you eat grains, then be certain they have been soaked, sprouted, or fermented (traditional sourdough method) in order to obtain the vital nutrients and best source of magnesium.  (The book Vintage Remedies Guide to Bread may be helpful to those who eat grains.)
3.  Consume other foods high in magnesium levels like nuts, seeds, seaweed, coriander, pumpkin, unsweetened cocoa powder, almond butter, bone broth, and unrefined sea salt.
4.  Limit alcohol and caffeine.  They are appetite suppressants and therefore can deplete our magnesium levels. 
5.  Stay away from sugar.  I was amazed to find out that for every molecule of sugar that we consume, it requires 54 molecules of magnesium to process it!  Sugar just zaps our body of vitamins and minerals.  Remember, sugar is hidden in almost everything.  Think clean eating.
6.  Heal our guts.  Our guts really are the engine that drives our health.  Fermented foods, kefir, yogurt, high quality probiotics are all beneficial in restoring the balance of beneficial bacteria.  This will allow our body to absorb more magnesium.
7.  Let the sun in!  Sun absorption is our main source of Vitamin D, which is essential for magnesium absorption. Therefore, our Vitamin D levels must also be in check.  Personally, I have stopped using sunscreen.  If I am going to be in the sun for a very long time, I will cover up with clothing before using sunscreen.  I want to get as much sun as I can get. 
8.  Magnesium supplements.  Please make sure you research the best option for you and be certain they are of the very best quality.  Personally, I take a high quality magnesium citrate supplement daily that has proven to be highly beneficial.
9.  Transdermal magnesium therapy.  This is new to me, but I know many people who have been transformed by this practice.  In addition to boosting magnesium levels, transdermal magnesium therapy is a natural deodorant!  Bonus!  This is what's been recommended to me: Take 1/2 cup of magnesium flakes and mix with 1/2 cup of warm filtered water in a small spray bottle.  Spray on abdomen 1 - 5 times a day.  I was told to start with once a day and build up.  Magnesium can have a laxative effect on the body and you don't want to get too much too quickly. 
10.  Epsom salt baths!
IN CONCLUSION
Magnesium's role in human health appears to be far more complex than was ever understood.  It's benefits are proving to be far reaching.  GreenMedInfo.com has cited over 100 health benefits of magnesium, including therapeutic benefits for:  Fibromyalgia, Atrial Fibrillation, Type 2 Diabetes, Premenstrual Syndrome, Cardiovascular Disease, Migraines, and Aging.

As I mentioned earlier, bone broth is one of the best sources of magnesium.  The health benefits of eating bone broth are pretty impressive.  From aiding in bone and joint health to providing us with healthy skin, hair, and nails to healing our gut to providing us with essential vitamins and minerals to removing toxins in our body, bone broth is a must eat in our quest for optimal health. 

Here is a link to one of my favorite bone broth recipes.  Her website is amazing.  Enjoy.

http://nomnompaleo.com/post/3615609338/slow-cooker-beef-bone-broth

As always, thank you so much for stopping by.  I will be back soon.  We need to talk about fluoride.  Until then, Be Healthy!  Be Happy!  Be Coreageous!

*Please remember that I am not a doctor, scientist, or nutritionist.  If you suspect you may have a magnesium deficiency, I urge you to read, research, and reach out to a health care professional.

“If you were born without wings, do nothing to prevent them from growing.”

Even though it has been a couple of weeks since the ColorRun, I still have to share this incredible experience with you.  I have secretly always aspired to be a runner.  However, as a youngster, I was always the girl hurling on the side of the track during gym class.  Although I played sports my entire life, I never received the President's Physical Fitness Award (think the 70's) because I could not complete the run portion of the test.  My legs hurt, my back hurt, my stomach hurt, my eyebrows hurt, EVERYTHING HURT.  Well, I guessed running wasn't going to happen for me.  But, truth be told, I loved the fashion of running and couldn't let it go.  You know, running shoes, running shorts, running pants, even runner's watches.  I just love them.  So, when I recently lost a little weight, the dream of running again rose to the surface (have you seen those cool new running jackets with the thumb holes??? in bright neon colors????  I'm in!!!)  Well, I saw a commercial for the ColorRun and was so intrigued.  It said walkers were welcome and fun was the objective.  The runners were covered in pink, orange, yellow and blue "paint" - I LOVE THOSE COLORS - so before I even realized what the heck I was doing, I signed myself up!!!  I was so excited and so scared to death, but more excited.  I asked my husband to join me and I think his words were, "H-E-double L No!"  He seemed most opposed to the paint all over his clothes!!! I, however,  would not be denied!

My tech savvy and supportive son-in-law put the C25K app on my phone and suggested that I maybe use it to train.  So, train I did.  I sought out the healthiest foods to eat.  I joined a local gym and began walking on the treadmill regularly.  Then once I felt stronger, I began using the app to teach my body how to run.  Y'all, it was not pretty.  On more than one occasion, I felt my old friend, Hurl, return!  But I persevered. 

The night before the run, I saw my husband lacing up his shoes and pulling some athletic shorts out of his dresser drawer.  God bless him, he felt badly that I was going to be running/walking alone (unfortunately, my family members were not able to join in this year), so he decided to participate with me.  I was worried sick though, because he has arthritis, bad knees, and had not trained a second.   I said a few prayers that he would be caught up in the fun of it all and not notice the pain or the paint!!  So, at 5 am, we headed to our very first 5 K!!  (Runners get up really early!)

The scene at the ColorRun was like a circus meets a festival meets a sporting event meets a costume party. Bright colors, loud music, vendors, wigs, tutus, and gold lame were everywhere.  THESE ARE MY PEOPLE!!!  I was soaking in every second and just loving life, UNTIL, my group filed into the starting shoot.  Doubt, panic, and terror were trying their best to get me to run right back to our car.  Every single person around me really did look like a runner.  They were thin and fit and they all had on a runner's watch.  I DIDN'T HAVE A WATCH!!  Imposter! Poser! Faux Runner! Thankfully, before I figured out my escape route, the run had begun!  My body just started doing what I had been training it to do.  I was running!! 

The weather was beautiful and all of the people around us were friendly and fun.  We were having a great time, but I really had to focus on what I was doing.  When you have MS, you have to constantly keep your brain engaged, so the communication between your brain and your body is not interrupted.  Because of my brain lesions, there is a risk that my brain will not be firing on all cylinders and the last thing I wanted to do was fall.  So, I stayed really focused on each and every step I took.  Part of the race is on gravel (which I didn't realize beforehand) and that really threw me off a little.  Trying to navigate rocks and stay on my feet was a little tricky at times.  So, I ended up walking more than I had hoped I would, but the goal was to finish and sometimes when you have MS you have to access the risks and adjust accordingly. 

As we approached the last lap, I began to feel myself getting really emotional.  I reflected on the last year and a half of my life.  God has brought me out of a deep and dark pit of pain and hopelessness to a place of renewed optimism and fervent faithfulness.  I felt rejuvenated and started running faster than I had the entire race.  By the time I crossed the finish line, I was a blubbering, paint covered, thankful, humbled, dare I say it, runner!!!! 

I share this experience with hopes that maybe you or someone you know has been living with doubt, uncertainty, complacency, pain, fear, or disease for too long and may need to be encouraged.  I had a dream deep in my heart.  I set a small goal and worked hard to attain it.  I had not done that in a really long time - too long.  I had allowed my disease, lack of confidence, and low self esteem to define me and stop me from setting goals.  As the quote by Coco Chanel in my title suggests, I was allowing stuff to prevent me from growing wings.  But, crossing that finish line really represented what all of us should do:
Believe in ourselves in tough times.  Believe in our ability to succeed.  Believe in our dreams.  Believe in our strengths.  Believe that we possess greatness.

Since the ColorRun, I have completed one additional 5K and I am continuing to train with the hopes of being able to run the entire race in the near future.  I pray that you or someone you know will be encouraged by my journey.  We are all in this together! 

I'll be back soon.  I am currently working on a post about magnesium and fluoride, two really important health topics.  I also have a delicious recipe to share.  See you soon.  Until then, Be Healthy, Be Happy, Be Coreageous!