Tag Archives: insomnia

Uncategorized

Magnesium-What You Need to Know

117 Comments

IMG_2717

Often called the invisible deficiency, low magnesium (Mg) intake is a common problem. Estimates vary but somewhere between 50-80% of us don’t have enough. Scientists have theorized that since farmers do not replace Mg taken up by crops, the soil, over time has become depleted and therefore, the food we eat contains less magnesium with each harvest. Since Mg is involved in over 300 enzyme interactions in our bodies that regulate everything (including energy, digestion, RNA/DNA synthesis, neurotransmitter formation and muscle and nerve function), this is a mineral you want to keep topped up.

Detecting low magnesium levels is tricky. The common blood test only finds the most critically low individuals since a mere 1% of the mineral is found in blood. The truly interested can get a Mg RBC test at www.requestatest.com for $49 that is more reliable but there is little downside to increasing consumption of high Mg foods and, in most cases, supplementation.

Symptoms of mg. deficiency can include:
Weakness                         heart irregularity                      muscle spasm

nausea/vomiting           fatigue                                             personality change

eye twitches                     numbness                                     tingling

constipation                     insomnia

How much do you need? The RDA recommends a minimum of 320mg/day for adult women and 420mg for adult men over the age of 30 with supplement recommendations running 400 to 1000mg/day depending on your health status. Several conditions lead to Mg wasting including type 2 diabetes (diabetics excrete more Mg in their urine and bind more to the sugar in their blood making it unavailable for other interactions), Crohn’s disease, GI resection, celiac disease, alcohol use, heavy soda drinking, high salt or caffeine intake, heavy menses, high stress (physical as well as psychological) and use of any of these medications: diuretics, ACE inhibitors, statins, fluoride, cipro and antacids/acid blockers. Folks who should not supplement Mg until they talk to their doctor include anyone with kidney disease or severe heart disease.

A rule of thumb for supplementing Mg is that you know when it’s too much if you develop diarrhea. While that is largely true, there are several types of Mg supplementation and not all of them lead to loose stools. Magnesium cannot exist elementally by itself and must be bound to another molecule for stability. If considering a supplement, it could matter what form you take.

Magnesium Oxide: cheap, readily available, poorly absorbed, softens stool

Espsom Salts (Mg Chloride) or Mg oil: Well absorbed through the skin, used topically as a bath additive or massage oil, it is cheap, easy to get and harder to take too much. Should not cause GI symptoms

Magnesium glycinate: good absorption, least likely to cause diarrhea, has more of a calming effect as the Mg is bound to glycine which is a calming neurotransmitter

Magnesium sulfate: found in Milk of Magnesia, has a large laxative effect. Not recommended as a Mg supplement source

Magnesium Citrate: Laxative, well absorbed

Magnesium carbonate and gluconate both have poor absorption

Magnesium L-threonate: A new player in the Mg market. The only one to cross the blood brain barrier and show benefit to cognition (see this study if you want more info)

IMG_2727

The safest, and best tasting, way to get your Mg fix is in food. 30-40%  of the Mg in food is absorbed. Foods high in Mg include:

Dark leafy greens                   nuts (brazils, cashews, almonds)

herbs                                              avocado                                        wheat/oat bran

sunflower seeds                      shrimp                                            beans

brown rice                                 artichokes                                     pumpkin seeds

garlic                                             dark cocoa powder

There are also several steps you can take to keep the Mg you have:

Don’t drink soda (the phosphates in the soda bind Mg)

avoid sugar and caffeine

limit alchohol to one drink per day

People who need more Mg, usually need more B6, Vitamin D and selenium to use it well. A good multivitamin should cover these bases. Magnesium is best taken on an empty stomach and not within 2 hrs. of taking a calcium supplement.

Want a recipe for a high magnesium smoothie? Thought so 🙂

IMG_2714

Magnificent Magnesium Chocolate Smoothie

1 cup spinach leaves

1 tablespoon raw cashews

2 tablespoons unsweetened black cocoa powder ( I use Bloomers)

1 ½ frozen bananas

4 ice cubes

1 cup cold water

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Makes a bit more than 2 cups of smoothie. If you drink the whole thing, it will give you 279 mg of magnesium, 224 calories, 4.5 grams of protein, 23% of your potassium, 59% of your daily vitamin A and 12% of your daily iron requirements. Definitely a healthy chocolate fix!

 

 

 

 

Uncategorized

Searching For Sleep

67 Comments

According to the National Institutes of Health, about 30% of folks have trouble sleeping. Not getting enough sleep can impair our cognition and function as much as being drunk, age us prematurely (shortening those precious teleomeres faster than needed), make us fat, impair our glucose metabolism and overall, reduce a thirty year old to the cognitive function of your average eighty year old. Is that what you want out of life?

If you have trouble sleeping, here are some ‘sleep hygiene’ steps that may help:

1. Keep a routine. No matter how tempting it is to stay up late on weekends and sleep in over holidays, resist the urge. Your brain appreciates routine and will respond by letting you feel sleepy on schedule.

2. Keep it dark. We make the sleep hormone melatonin when it is dark. Even a night light or illuminated clock can lower your levels. Falling asleep watching TV or with a light on can lessen sleep quality. Room darkening shades or drapes can help as will pointing clocks away from your face while you sleep. If you get up in the middle of the night, try not to expose your eyes to light. Some find a red night light or red light flashlight for those nocturnal bathroom trips to be helpful  in being able to get back to sleep.

Restrict computer and TV use at night. For at least an hour before bed, no screen time. Lit screens have blue light that signals your brain to wake up. If you just must work late, check out f.lux.com. This free program uses your computer clock to start lowering the blue light component of your screen as your bedtime approaches.

3. No stimulants. Limit coffee, tea and soda to the morning or at least to no later than lunch.  Chocolate and some medications may all disrupt sleep. Check with your prescriber about medications and limit the chocolate to early in the day.

4. Exercise. 30 mins. of exercise a day is the recommendation and, since it can be stimulating, should occur early in the day.

5. Warmth and comfort. Warm herbal tea, a hot shower and soft bed clothes all help put your brain into the right mood for sleep. Research shows most find the best room temperature for a sound slumber is 65 deg. F.  A mattress you find comfortable is a worthy investment. Experts say the structure of the mattress can require replacement after about 10 yrs. If your not sleeping as well as you used to, maybe it’s time for a new one.

6. Quiet before bed. Spend the hour before bed doing something quiet and restful. Read a book, listen to music, knit or draw.

7. Eat early. Eating within an hour or two of bed will stimulate digestion which can make you more alert. Pass on the late night snack and your sleep and waistline may improve.

8. No alcohol. Although the immediate effects of alcohol can make you feel drowsy, a few hours after the drink, it acts like a stimulant,, thus making it hard to stay asleep.

9. Sips and Scents. Drinking some camomile tea as you get ready for bed can induce a sleepy state as can spritzing your pillow with some essential oil of lavender. I use rubbing alcohol in a clean empty spray bottle mixed with 10-20 drops of lavender oil and spray the pillows as I make the bed in the morning. When the scent dissipates in 2 or 3 days, spray again.

10. Don’t go to bed stressed. Easier said than done, I know. What they say about not going to bed angry is true. If you can’t talk out your problems, journal them or write a letter (you don’t need to send it) to whomever or whatever is the cause of your stress. If all else fails, find something that makes you laugh. Playing with a pet or reading a funny book can bring the stress hormone cortisol down and allow sleep to win.

Sleep can be elusive and it may take all of the tricks mentioned plus help from your healthcare provider to get what you need. I would love to see our national dialogue on sleep change from bragging about how little sleep you can function on to shared empathy and support for those plagued by insomnia. Making sleep a health priority is in all of our best interests.