giveaway

How To Take Magnesium

This post is for my pals who’ve been advised to take Magnesium but are not clear on how much to take and which types to choose.

There are many types of Magnesium to choose from and they all have a different purpose.

Note: This is not an advertisement. In this post there is an affiliate link with RnA Reset.

Generally speaking the body does not store Magnesium. You need to replenish daily. It is easy to become deficient in Magnesium –think stress, sweating/perspiration from exercise, drinking too much water which dilutes your electrolytes (essential minerals) and eating foods high in lectins & phytic acid which are antinutrients. When soil and water sources were plentiful of minerals our ancestors were able to acquire their nutrients from food and water sources; I believe those lush water sources were the mystical “fountain of youth”. We are told from research that “the body only absorbs roughly 30 – 40% of magnesium in foods”.(1) Unfortunately, that is far from the case today. Our soils and water sources are sorely depleted and what’s been depleted seems to have been replaced with run-off chemicals, pesticides and toxins galore.(2)

In brief, it’s recommended to supplement.

The adult human body needs approximately 400mg of Magnesium per day. If you erroneously choose 400mg of Magnesium Citrate and take it all at once you may end up having extreme bowel evacuation and not be able to leave your house for three days. This happened to someone I know and it was their Doctor who had given the instructions. It may have happened to you too, which understandably, can be a total turn off wanting to ever incorporate Magnesium into your life again.

Warning: Do Not take 400mg of Magnesium Citrate. I want to make this perfectly clear in case you are one of those people who skim articles advancing to the bottom line.

Various types of Magnesium in alphabetical order:

Magnesium BisGlycinate (also known as Magnesium Glycinate)

Magnesium bisglycinate is often chosen for its calming effects to treat anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

Magnesium Citrate

Magnesium citrate is easily absorbed by the body. It’s mainly used to raise magnesium levels and treat constipation.

Magnesium Chloride

Magnesium chloride is easily absorbed orally and used to treat heartburn, constipation, and low magnesium levels. In an effort to relieve muscle soreness it can be applied topically.

Magnesium Lactate

Magnesium lactate may be effective as a supplement and possibly gentler on one’s digestive system. It may be more suitable for those who cannot tolerate other forms or need to take larger doses.

Magnesium L-Threonate

Studies suggest Magnesium L-threonate may support brain health, such as disorders like depression and memory loss.

Note: both my teenage son and I tried Magnesium L-Threonate a couple years ago and interestingly neither of us responded well to it. We got headaches and it interfered with our sleep. We will both try it again at some point. Who knows if it was the time of day we took it that was the issue or if our other magnesium levels weren’t high enough?

Magnesium Malate

Magnesium malate absorbs easily and may have less of a laxative effect than other forms.

Magnesium Orotate

Magnesium orotate may improve energy production in one’s heart and blood vessel tissue.

Magnesium Oxide

Magnesium oxide is typically used to relieve digestive complaints like heartburn and constipation. It is a poor choice for those who need to raise their magnesium levels because the body doesn’t absorb it well.

Magnesium Sulfate

For external use only: Epsom salt or Magnesium sulfate is the choice for dissolving in bath water (to be used externally only) a soothing treatment for stress and sore muscles.

Magnesium Taurate

Some research suggests that Magnesium taurate is a useful form for promoting healthy blood sugar levels.

How To Use Magnesium in Your Day?

This is how I use Magnesium in my day and from my example you may be able to come up with a program that works for you. It will take some trial and error but don’t give up. Magnesium is “involved in over 300 metabolic reactions that are essential for human health, including energy production, blood pressure regulation, nerve signal transmission, and muscle contraction.”(3)

Did you know: “Magnesium is central to a healthy heart rhythm and the highest levels of magnesium reside in the heart.”(4)

Hopefully this post has sparked an interest in learning more about Magnesium. Read Dr. Carolyn Dean’s iconic and pioneering book The Magnesium Miracle, from which most present day Magnesium advocates are parroting. You can find quick tips from her research on her Instagram pages RnA Reset and Dr. Carolyn Dean. Be sure to follow those for daily tips and reminders.

Long before 2020, during my health crisis and healing journey, (you can read a short update in my bio) here, I had the opportunity to experiment with a plethora of supplements. Since September 2020 I’ve been drinking liquid Magnesium and other essential liquid trace minerals throughout the day via “filtered re-mineralized water” enhanced from RnA Reset products. Dr. Dean says it can take approximately two years of regular/ consistent saturating of the body with minerals to notice a turn around in one’s health, of course depending on how depleted a person is. Generally I go through two 32oz filtered water jugs each day in which I have added the recommended amount of ReMag which is approximately 300mg Magnesium Chloride; ReMyte which is comprised of twelve minerals (just Magnesium accounted for would be approximately 62mg); Pico Potassium which is Potassium Chloride; Vitamin C ReSet Powder in which each scoop contains 2000mg of Vitamin C, 407mg of Potassium, a proprietary Vit-C Fruit Blend equal to 50mg and 22mg of Barley Powder and finally 1/4 tsp Sea Salt. Then with each meal…

Morning: 100mg Magnesium BisGlycinate with breakfast (in addition to all the other breakfast supplements, too many to name here). There is 26.6mg to 40 mg of Magnesium Citrate in the Multi Vitamin I take with breakfast (depending on whether it’s respectively, the capsule or tablet form.

Lunch: 100 mg Magnesium BisGlycinate with lunch (in addition to all the other lunchtime supplements I take.)

Dinner: 100mg Magnesium BisGlycinate with dinner (in addition to all the other dinnertime supplements I take.)

Around bedtime: 3x 100mg Magnesium Malate Chewable Magnesium Tablets

So if you add it all up, you can see I’m getting a lot more than the daily recommended allowance. The body absorbs different amounts of Magnesium based on which Magnesium you take, this is why I take a variety. What have I noticed in terms of improvements since I’ve upped my mineral game? Well that’s for another post altogether. Next up let’s discuss Digestive Enzymes, because without enough your body will have a difficult time absorbing these minerals! Everything is synergistic.

This is a short video I made to enter a #giveawy through RnA Reset 09/21/2022

1, 3, 4. The Magnesium Miracle, by Dr. Carolyn Dean.

2. EPA PFAS Forever Chemicals

3. The Importance of Magnesium in Clinical Healthcare

Movement vs. Exercise

Katy Bowman, demonstrates natural reflex-driven movement

 

It’s finally happened.

I have found a teacher who has been teaching, blogging and publishing about body alignment and natural reflex-driven movement. She writes about how exercise as we’ve come to know it is what is actually causing more harm to our human-machine. Over the last (almost five years) you have watched me struggle through the transition from the discovery of HIIT to doing less exercise. I feel a huge sense of relief knowing that returning to pure biomechanics is the answer. And to boot, there is a resource already available for all of us to work from. Katy Bowman has written the “ever-elusive human manual”.

“Once you’re exposed to a very specific, mathematical approach to the functions of the body, everything begins to make sense — the pain. The injury. The cramping. The birthing outcome.”

                                                                                                          – Katy Bowman, MS

About three years ago, sometime in 2012 (approximately two years after starting this blog), I started to experiment with doing less exercise (which seemed a little odd since my blog was about health and fitness, but not completely disconnected, because I was trying to encourage physical movement, which is different than exercise AND I was having difficulty putting that into words). At the time I didn’t really have a name for what I was not doing anymore, except to refer to it as daily body maintenance. When people asked me what I did to keep in shape, I usually answered that I was experimenting with doing less; trying to see how I could maintain my health and wellbeing by doing less. But by less, I meant specifically doing less exercise, yet simultaneously, I was consciously increasing my active living component throughout the day.

“Exercise is not the flip side of the sedentary coin — movement is. While the difference may seem like an argument in semantics, these two habits are quite different.”

This was an odd transition for me, especially because I had been such a believer in exercise; mainly because it was all I knew – I had been a gymnast and sprinter, studied ballet, jazz, modern, flamenco, folk dance, was a cyclist, in-line-skater, body builder, yoga student. For a long time being a ‘competitive athlete’ was synonymous with my identity. After all, you are what you do.

Once I began teaching exercise as a job, I began to struggle with how exercise was offered to the public with respect to living a healthy lifestyle; I always felt that there was more to it, but didn’t know where to find it. Back in the early 1990’s, after becoming a certified Aerobic Instructor and Personal Trainer, I attempted to describe to a friend (thank you, Vanessa) what I was looking for in terms of body movement. She had recently learned about Pilates and suggested I look into it. Finally, when I did take some instruction, the Pilates philosophy hit home. Fortunately, the particular teacher I found had taken classical Pilates exercises to a deeper level, leaning on the restorative application angle. Yet, there was more to discover. I went back to university as a mature student to study Kinesiology, expecting to delve into the science and mechanics of movement, only to discover that The Kinesiology Department, was really the Physical Education department in disguise. They had changed their name based on enhancing job placement opportunities for future graduates. (Phys. Ed is the study of Sport Sciences meaning the study of exercise on the human body).

At present, after finding Katy Bowman, I now realize (because I am also gluten-free and think more clearly) that what I really wanted to study all those years ago was biomechanics. The good news? It’s never too late to start!

About three years ago, it occurred to me that in an effort to maintain a healthy functioning body into my nineties or one-hundred-and-twenties (because I plan on being here for a long time), I should practice now what I plan to be practicing in the future. Why would my activities be different in the future compared to the present if my goal is the same? We have enough years of research behind us to gauge that our modern approach to exercising our bodies is leading to early (or future) hip and knee replacements (or surgeries), it is not protecting us from the “affluent ailments” like osteoarthritis, diabetes and osteoporosis, from being prescribed medications, nor is it keeping us alive longer as if to protect us from death resulting from cardiovascular disease.

Which begs the statement:

“If what you are doing isn’t working, doing more of it won’t work any better.”

“Alignment is not posture. Alignment is the position something needs to be in, in order to work correctly.” – Katy Bowman

For 2015, my goal is to study the introductory information put out by the Restorative Exercise Institute and then continue absorbing the rest of their on-line courses. I will share with you my progress but genuinely hope that you will consider investigating for yourself.

“People should know how to evaluate and repair themselves — and, better yet, know how to use their bodies in a way that prevents the affluent ailments.”

Exercise is not movement. Start by reading these three books.

  • Every Woman’s* Guide To Foot Pain Relief: The New Science of Healthy Feet by Katy Bowman 
  • Alignment Matters: The First Five Years of Katy Says by Katy Bowman
  • Move Your DNA by Katy Bowman

piano knabe

In fact, I’ve already given away a copy of Alignment Matters, to my piano tuner. He is a phenomenal musician who can play anything. But when he played a spectacular rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen…here take this book, besides the fact that I can’t believe you just played one of my favourite songs on my antique piano, but because you need to sit on your sit bones when you play the piano, and because I need you to play my piano forever!!! 

Oh! and I sent all three books to my Aunt Adrienne, in Ontario who was the person that first introduced me to Aerobics and Body Building (when I was sixteen). This month she turns sixty-nine years old and is a proponent of staying active. Post to follow, you won’t believe what she does. She will inspire.

If you have read this far then you deserve to enter your name in a draw to win a copy of Move Your DNA by Katy Bowman. I have two copies but take note that the one I’m giving away is gently used, but if you want it (cause you really should read it), leave your name, an email or twitter handle where I can contact you (if you win) and tell me why you should get this book. If you leave a comment below, I will automatically have access to your email so you don’t have to leave it in your comment for the world to see, if that is a concern for you:)

Open to Canadian and U.S. residents only. You’ve got until March 1st, 2015 to submit your entry. UPDATE: Congratulations to LoLo, she wins a copy of Move Your DNA by Katy Bowman, MS.

* “…although the title and cover are geared towards women, this book is written for any person who is seeking a primer on optimal alignment and looking to establish a foundation that restores health.” – KB

“Motivation is For Amateurs”

The above quote by Chuck Close comes from page 43 in Seth Godin’s most recent book What To Do When It’s Your Turn (and it’s always your turn)

It is such a great book filled with so much inspiration and mind clearing, smarten-yourself-up reminders and encouragement to engage in life.

I love people and love hearing the individual stories that make people tick. In the same breath I’m often saddened by the lack of drive and excuses I hear which prevent personal growth. There is a lot of talk as to making plans but those plans never materialize. Talk about being satisfied with the status quo but in the same breath complaints about everything. It makes my head spin.

Change. Everyday is a great time to improve oneself.

In this book Seth Godin points out a lot of our socially accepted excuses for not fulfilling our responsibilities.

“And what about getting in the mood? What about the motivation you’ll need to engage in this life? Our need for motivation is due to our need for reassurance. We are paralyzed by our fear that it might not work, and we let the fear demotivate us, giving us the perfect excuse not to create.”

And this is why I’m giving away a copy of this book. Just in time for the new year. I’ll ship a free copy to one person in Canada or U.S.
A winner will be announced and contacted on January 1, 2015.

Write as many comments as you like on this blog post, on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and/or Google+. Tell me why you deserve this book, why you need this book!! How this book will help you to make a difference? Use these hashtags #youasamachine #motivationisforamateurs

UPDATE Jan. 1, 2015 

Thanks to everyone for participating in this book giveaway. Congratulations go out to Maya as the winner. Because there were so many wonderful comments and many who just retweeted I had my daughter draw the winning name from a hat. If the book does not get claimed then we will draw another name. To all the others, I hope that you will go out and get yourselves a copy 🙂 and perhaps be inspired to share it with others!

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