Magnesium is the body’s anti-stress mineral and one of those minerals that is TOTALLY worth the hype. I started adding in magnesium daily when I was in my 20s and it’s helped my energy, sleep and hormone balance so much. 

Over 300 reactions and processes in your body depend on magnesium and every single cell needs it to function…so it’s one of those minerals that should catch your attention!

Magnesium can calm an anxious or stressful moment, help you get deeper, more restorative sleep and increase energy and adrenal function.

Most of us women are deficient in magnesium, it’s estimated that over 75% of Americans are deficient, mainly due to lack of nutrient dense, mineral rich soil and modern processed foods.

Magnesium, the fourth most abundant mineral in the body, is responsible for hundreds of reactions within the body, especially those relating to energy production. Remember ATP (adenosine triphosphate) from highschool biology? Magnesium attaches to ATP, the energy molecules that do work in every cell. I know all of us can probably use more energy and better sleep, right?

How do we become depleted in magnesium?

The food our grandparents ate is not the same food we eat today. Lack of crop rotation, not giving fields a rest, food harvested before it’s ripe and transporting food all over the world decrease your food’s vitamin and mineral content. Fresh fruits and vegetables 50 years ago do not have the same nutrition profile they do today! Magnesium is highly abundant in soil and the earth’s crust, but due to modern farming practices it is greatly depleted.

Stress causes the body to use up more magnesium, which is why it’s essential to replenish daily. Sugar, alcohol, caffeine and processed foods also deplete magnesium. Magnesium is the first mineral to go when you are under stress—remember stress is any change in the body’s status quo, stress isn’t always a negative.

What are signs of magnesium deficiency?

• fatigue, adrenal fatigue, chronic fatigue
• irritability
• anxiety
• easily overstimulated or overwhelmed
• sleep issues
• headaches or migraines
• muscle or leg cramps
• PMS cramps and PMS irritability or exhaustion
• eye twitching
• high blood pressure
• kidney stones
• blood sugar regulation issues, Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes

Magnesium Benefits: Enhancing Your Daily Routine

1. Calms anxious thoughts

Magnesium plays an important role in creating strong neurological pathways and communications between the brain and the body. Magnesium also can calm the body and decrease stress. This helps your brain navigate negative emotions, panic, and anxiety rather than allowing it to consume you! During times of stress + anxiety your body uses up more magnesium, so supplementing is key. 

Magnesium paired with CBD is the most helpful duo for anxiety and overwhelm.

2. Boosts energy & regulates adrenal function

A key mineral for adrenal function, magnesium gives your body the basic building blocks to boost energy and encourage an efficient stress response both in the moment and long term. Replenishing magnesium, the body’s anti-stress mineral, is key to adrenal function and energizes the body at the cellular level. Magnesium plays a role in ATP production, the body’s way to create, store and move energy.

3. Improves mental focus & decreases brain fog

When our body is in a weakened state of energy, the body preserves energy for life sustaining functions and decreases mental focus and clarity—if you have experienced brain fog, you know it’s very real. Stress wears down our prefrontal cortex, the part of your brain responsible for rational thought, focus and decision making. 

Pair with Mushroom Magic for focus and mental clarity. 

4. Regulates overstimulation & overwhelm

When your energy and physical body is pulled in a million different directions, your brain decreases in function to protect the body. Overwhelm and overstimulation result. Magnesium addresses the root cause of why you are feeling frazzled by calming neurotransmitters and increasing GABA uptake in the brain. 

5. Helps with deep, restorative sleep

Magnesium calms the body and central nervous system which shifts the body into a relaxed state, necessary for deep sleep, and addresses the root cause of what’s preventing you from sleeping—a weakened adrenal system. Magnesium improves and regulates the body’s natural production of melatonin, the “I’m sleepy hormone” which peaks at nighttime and helps you sleep. It’s the perfect ‘sleepy dust’ …especially if you have difficulty falling asleep due to a racing mind. 

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6. Eases muscle tension, migraines and pain

Magnesium for headaches, migraines and pain can be used both in the moment and as a proactive, big picture approach. I love using magnesium daily because when your body is in a state of balance rather than being depleted, typically symptoms lessen in frequency and severity. Research shows that magnesium can block pain-transmitting chemicals in the brain thus decreasing severity of a migraine or pain attack.

What are the best food sources of magnesium?

Yes, your chocolate cravings are your body’s beautiful signal it needs magnesium. You might find that once you increase daily magnesium, you notice you don’t crave chocolate as much! Isn’t this one of the great magnesium benefits of all?

Dark chocolate, cacao, avocados, Swiss chard, leafy greens, seeds (flax, chia, pumpkin), cashews, Brazil nuts, tuna, yogurt are all rich in magnesium.

What are the best magnesium supplements for daily use?

These are different forms and magnesium benefits so you can use them all daily! Please always consult with your medical professional first before adding any supplements.

Wooden Spoon Magic Magnesium

Brighten your day, mood and energy with this perfectly tart + delicious blue lemonade magnesium drink, it’s SO good! This contains 72 trace minerals for hydration and electrolyte balance to keep you hydrated and refreshed. I love drinking this in the morning to start my day with hydration, but you can also drink in the afternoon if you get that post lunch slump of energy. Reach for this rather than a cup of coffee!

Best for:

• hydration
• energy
• focus
• digestion

Use: 1 tsp mixed with water daily.

“We live in the desert so good quality electrolytes are a must. This product is delicious, dissolves well and works so well. The fact that it’s blue makes it even cooler and my kids can’t wait to drink it! Highly recommend!” – Stephanie

Ancient Minerals Magnesium Lotion

Magnesium chloride is efficiently absorbed through the skin and the addition of hyaluronic acid will help nourish and retain your skin’s moisture levels. I love using this lotion before bed to ease tension and calm the body for deep sleep. It’s great to use with children if they are struggling with falling asleep, staying asleep or nightmares. The addition of MSM to this lotion makes it great for sensitive skin.

Best for:

• relaxing
• sleep
• easing muscle tension

Use: 1 pump each night on arms or legs before bed.

Pure Encapsulations Magnesium Glycinate

If you struggle with headaches or migraines, this is the form for you. I recommend consulting with your doctor or working with a holistic practitioner like myself as this form of magnesium needs to be a bit higher dosage in order to be effective for pain!

Best for:

• pain
• headaches
• migraines

Use: consult with a wellness practitioner to find the right dose for you.

Whenever I’m feeling a little bit frazzled, anxious or stressed, I reach for magnesium and it truly is such a game changer!