Thursday and Friday was just one meeting after another. Somewhere in between all that we packed, badly I might add, and headed down the hill to Estcourt on Friday night, stayed at GLM's aunt and uncle overnight, and headed to Durban on Saturday morning for a wedding that evening. I was singing at the wedding so things only calmed down after that was over. Then we spent an amazing couple of days relaxing with the family and just getting our breath back.
We drove home last night and dropped straight back into the whirlwind. My day started at 6am and is nowhere near ending yet. Thanks to all of these public holidays, it has made me even busier than usual. I'm happy to be busy but it's not ALL good busy unfortunately. However, I am actually sitting for the first time today and that is a very good thing for my legs and my heart rate I think;)
I'm babbling. None of this has any relation to what I'm going to blog about today! I thought you deserved to know why you had been relegated to the "to do" pile;)
Anyway, onto the post: What is magnesium? It is an essential mineral. Scientists estimate that about 2/3 of the world's population suffers from a magnesium deficiency. Dr. Norman Shealy is one the world's leading experts in pain management. This is what he says about magnesium:
"Every known illness is associated with a magnesium deficiency. Magnesium is the most critical mineral required for electrical stability of every cell in the body. A magnesium deficiency may be responsible for more diseases than any other nutrient."
The thing is, it's something most doctors overlook. They are busy treating patients with expensive medication when sometimes all that's needed is a few doses of magnesium. Most people who suffer from a deficiency are completely unaware that they actually have one but here is what you can look out for:
- Leg cramps, foot pain, or muscle twitches, because most magnesium is stored in the tissues
- Muscle soreness, including back aches, neck pain, tension headaches and jaw joint (or TMJ) dysfunction
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fatigue and weakness
- Chest tightness or a sensation that a person can't take a deep breath (they actually seem to sigh a lot!)
- Constipation
- Urinary spasms
- Difficulty swallowing or a lump in the throat which is made worse by eating sugar
- Photophobia and difficulty adjusting to bright headlights from oncoming cars
- As it worsen you can expect numbness and tingling
- Seizures
- Personality changes as well as insomnia, anxiety, hyperactivity and restlessness with constant movement, panic attacks and agoraphobia, confusion and disorientation
- Abnormal heart rhythms and coronary spasms
You see, any one of those could probably slot quite neatly into another ailment but that's why it's so hard to diagnose. The thing is, you won't find a magnesium deficiency in a blood test because only 1% of the body's magnesium is stored in the blood. The rest is stored elsewhere in the body.
Your body needs around 300-400mg of magnesium a day depending on whether you are male or female and on your age. That's quite a lot. You very likely aren't getting it from food. You'll get some for sure but not your recommended daily allowance. There's about 24mg in a cup of milk so, unless you drink over a litre a day, it'll be tricky and other foods are about the same;) Unless you eat a VERY healthy diet, you aren't getting enough. Let's face it, most of us aren't!
Enter Epsom Salts...
Epsom Salts is an amazing mineral compound made up of magnesium and sulfate. If you were to buy a magnesium supplement, it would be costly and it would likely be synthetic and difficult for your body to assimilate anyway.
Epsom salt is almost 100% magnesium sulfate. If you ingest it, your body will struggle to use the magnesium BUT if you add it to your bath and soak in it for a while, your body will absorb the magnesium and be able to use it. The good news is, Epsom salts is ridiculously cheap!
Even if you aren't sure whether you have a deficiency or not, its never going to hurt to add some to your bath every night. And with winter well on it's way, what could be better than a long hot soak in a bath?!
Aside from the magnesium benefit, epsom salts has many other uses so here are some good reasons to add it to your shopping list:
- Magnesium-rich bath - Add 2 cups of Epsom salts to a bath and soak for a good 30 minutes or more. Aside from just getting magnesium into your body on a daily basis, it will also help any achy muscles and headaches. Soaking in an Epsom salt bath also helps to get rid of toxins from your body. The sulfates in Epsom salt help to flush toxins and heavy metals from your cells
- Sprains and Bruises - Following on from the previous point about achy muscles, it can be really useful for more serious injuries. Add a handful of epsom salts to a small container of hot water for feet and hands or add 2 cups to a bath full of hot water and soak. Do this for 2 days and it's likely you won't need a doctor at all
- Splinter Removal - Add 1/2 cup of epsom salts to a small container of water and soak the splinter to help remove them
- Facial Cleanser - Mix 1/2 teaspoon of epsom salts into your regular face cleanser and wash your face as usual
- Mosquito Bites - We all know how hard these are to soothe! Add 2 tablespoons of epsom salts to 1 cup of water and soak a clean cloth in it for a while. Press the cloth onto the bite for a few minutes and it will soothe the itch
- Pest Control Spray - Mix 2 tablespoons in a spray bottle with some warm water and shake to dissolve. Spray it around your garden and on plants that may be more susceptible to bugs
- Soil Booster - Mix 2 tablespoons epsom salts with about 3 litres of water and water your plants once a month to boost the magnesium in the soil and help your plants grow. This is especially good for lemon trees with curling leaves
- Constipation - Rather than buying an expensive medication, Mix 1-2 teaspoons of epsom salts in 1 cup of water and drink when needed
- Athlete’s Foot/Toenail Fungus - Soak feet in warm water with a handful of Epsom salts to help fix it up
- Sunburn - Make a cold compress using a clean wash cloth, 1 cup of cold water and 2 tablespoons salt. Place it on the sunburn to help the burn. You can also get in a cool epsom salts bath
There you go! Many good reasons to go out and buy some. You'll find it in the bakery section of all grocery stores and it's really cheap so, no excuses!!
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