Magnesium – The Spark of Life?

By Marti Whitaker

So if I say Magnesium what’s the first thing that comes into your head? I know what my first encounter with magnesium was – it was that metal ribbon stuff I used to steal from GCSE Chemistry then set alight with my mates lighter in the school yard at break time; it flared up like a spark, burnt with a bright white light then disappeared as quickly as it came! Oh and it was difficult to put out too, when you spotted a teacher coming! Thing is, I didn’t realise back then just how important to life that ‘spark’ actually was!

You see, Magnesium is one of the most important minerals in the human body. In fact there are 17 minerals deemed essential to human life 10 of these make up 99% of the body’s mineral content – no guesses here then that one of these is Magnesium – however strangely enough Magnesium is one of the most depleted minerals in the body?!

So what EXACTLY does Magnesium do that makes it so “essential” to life??

Well, for starters it regulates around 325 enzymes in the body, it’s also essential to maintaining bone mineralisation, it aids muscle contraction, it’s used in the passage of nerve impulses around the body. But probably most importantly it’s required for the body to create ATP (adenosine triphosphate) which is basically the body’s source of energy.

So without magnesium there’s no ATP, without ATP there’s no energy, without energy there’s no life! Simples!!

It doesn’t just stop there though; there are literally countless illnesses, symptoms and behaviours that are associated with a Magnesium deficiency. Some of the most important include; heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, arthritis, asthma, PCOS, diabetes and depression etc. etc. – I could go on here but run the risk of boring you! Anyway, you can start to see its pretty important shit right?!

So why is it depleted??

Basically it’s depleted due to the modern day lifestyle. In fact current estimations are that around 80% of the western population are deficient in magnesium!

Let’s start at the bottom up, for starters there’s a natural mineral depletion of our farmland caused by a number of factors including acid rain, soil erosion etc. This then leads to the crops that would commonly contain magnesium (green leafy veg, nuts and seeds) to become deficient in it as they cannot manufacture it themselves out of thin air. So if there’s little magnesium in the soil then plants we eat will contain little or none (the exception here is organic farming). Processed and junk foods that are present in the modern day diet also lack magnesium as significant amounts of the mineral are lost during refining and processing of these foods.

The fluoridisation of tap water in the UK has a horrendous effect on the body’s magnesium supply. Fluoride from tap water basically binds with the body’s magnesium to form magnesium fluoride, making it unavailable for the body to use; a reduction in this then causes a knock on effect and a reduction in enzyme activity in the body.

Other things such as drugs and medication, stress, an excess of certain foods such as soy as well as strenuous exercise can deplete your body’s magnesium supply. When I recently undertook my Muscle-in-a-Month journey, the training was really intense and as a result had to supplement with 600mg of magnesium a day – more on this later though!

So what can I do about it?

The answer to this is pretty easy, eat more foods containing Magnesium. As I’ve already mentioned buy organic foods as there’s more chance that the organic farmers have used a full spectrum of nutrients in their fertilizer. Eat as many raw veg as possible; as when you cook or steam them a lot of the nutrients are lost. Nuts such as almonds, cashews and brazils also contain a high magnesium content – so include some of these in your diet too. One of the foods that contain the most magnesium is chocolate!! But that’s NOT an excuse to go out and eat shit loads of it!! However it is a reason that many people crave chocolate, it’s not always the chocolate they crave it’s the Magnesium.

An example of this is women suffering from PMS – now us guys don’t really understand it all that much Haha!! But basically magnesium is most deficient in women around the menstrual time and as a result a great many women crave chocolate – however instead of eating chocolate you should look to increase your magnesium intake by eating more nuts and leafy green veg or even taking supplements!

Supplementation

By way the easiest way to add more magnesium to your diet is by supplementation. Research shows that supplement with around 400mg of magnesium a day works for most people. There are two ways you can supplement with magnesium, either orally using tablets or transdermal using a spray to apply it to your skin.

If you’re looking to take your magnesium orally you need to shoot for something like magnesium citrate – which ever tablet you go for just make sure it’s not the cheap magnesium oxide variant as it’s about as much use as pissing against a hurricane at replenishing your body’s magnesium supplies!!

Using a transdermal spray you apply Magnesium “oil” to your skin with is then absorbed into your blood stream, it’s not really true oil, just a super concentrated solution of magnesium chloride in water. Applying it transdermal is a quicker way to get it into your system as tablets and capsules must first pass through the digestive system before being absorbed.

So which is best? It’s personal preference really – being a bit of a geek I use both and mix and match as appropriate!

When should I take it?

The best time to take magnesium is 60 – 90 minutes before bedtime, that way it’ll help you sleep much better too, however if you need to split your dose then take Ò½ first thing in the morning and the remainder before bed.

Be sure to build up your dose slowly too, as one sure fire way to know you’ve taken too much too soon is you’ll end up with the shits!! Believe me, I went from 200mg on an evening to 600mg and yep, the shits the following morning! So increase your dose slowly!

Take care and make sure YOU have sufficient magnesium in your diet!

As one of the North East’s leading Health and Fitness Coach’s Martin’s real passion is working with frustrated men and women who seem to have tried everything but are still frustrated with their bodies.

He runs successful Fitness Camp Academy’s in both Sunderland and Newcastle as well as One-2-One personal training. With his One-2-One clients paying him £67 per hour Martin was one of the first Personal Trainers in the North East to offer a full 200% money back guarantee on his results. Having seen outstanding results from his clients Martin believes that he can help not only change the health and fitness of people in the North East, but also educate them so they can go on to lead happier and healthier lives not only for themselves but for their families too.

Find out more at http://martinwhitaker.co.uk

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marti_Whitaker

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Ever wondered why some people’s skin glow, or why they radiate health? Of course a healthy diet and positive outlook help, but regular dry skin brushing also plays an important role by removing toxins from your body. Especially when combined with a raw food detox.

Just like the kidneys and liver, the skin is an organ in your body that eliminates waste. Even without frequent brushing it discharges more than a pound of waste products each day. That’s the weight of a small bag of sugar. Regular body brushing promotes detoxification by improving circulation and encouraging lymphatic drainage. It can also improve the appearance of your skin.

Regular body brushing helps to:

Stimulate Circulation – Dry skin brushing can help to tighten the skin by increasing the flow of blood. Improving the circulation to the skin can also help lessen the appearance of cellulite. Always use a proper long-handled body brush made with natural bristles. Synthetic ones can damage the skin.

Improve Lymphatic Flow – Brushing in long, sweeping movements towards the heart helps improve lymphatic flow. By brushing in this way we help to transport toxins to the lymph nodes so the body can effectively remove them. Removing the toxins can give you more energy, sharper focus and help you stay in good physical shape.

Enhance Skin Appearance – As the skin cells move to the surface of the skin, they die. But in times of less moisture such as winter, it can take the skin more time to shed dry, dead cells. By body brushing you help to shed the cells and improve skin texture and cell renewal. Dry skin brushing also helps your skin to absorb nutrients by eliminating clogged pores.

How to brush:

Start brushing before you have a bath or shower – you want to remove the dead skin cells after you brush. Apply gentle pressure to the skin using upwards movements, so from the hands to under the arms and the feet towards the groin. Don’t worry if your skin goes a little red (known as erythema). This shows your circulation is being stimulated, and is normal.

Top tips:

1. Clean your body brush using soap and water once a week and dry it properly to prevent mildew.

2. Avoid sensitive areas and anywhere the skin is broken.

3. Following your brush, massage your skin with pure plant oil such as almond, jojoba, sesame or coconut.

4. Consider a raw food detox for ultimate detoxing.

Enjoy!

Natasha Clancy is owner of Raw to Door, a juice and meal detox service helping to change people’s attitudes to juice cleansing and raw food. Detoxing is often perceived as difficult and stressful. Our aim, through providing tastier, accessible, flexible products, is to exact positive change on the nation’s health, to help cut obesity levels, and, ultimately, transform lives.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Natasha_Clancy

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You’ve heard that hot yoga helps you get the kind of burn that leads to faster, more powerful weight loss. How does happen? By engaging your mind, body and spirit in the weight loss process.

To be effective, a workout should make you sweat and increase your heart rate. True hot yoga offers 26 poses in over 100 degrees of radiant heat. In just 90 minutes, you get a full body workout that works everything, from the inside out. And that’s way cool.

Here’s a complete look at what’s going on inside you physically, when you’re inside the hot yoga room:

Muscles are toned.
Circulation is increased.
Joint mobility & range of motion are improved.
Gravity is used to build strength.
Blood and calcium are brought to the bones.
Your immune system is boosted as lymph is pumped.
Lungs are stretched and flushed.
Internal organs are massaged.
Toxins are squeezed out
Blood, oxygen and nutrients are delivered throughout your body.

How does all of this lead to weight loss?

Warm, toned muscles burn fat more easily, of course. But Hot 26 yoga goes further and engages many of your bodily systems and functions – digestion, respiration, endocrine, lymphatic and elimination – in the weight loss process. A health circulatory system has a very positive effect on metabolism and increases the ability of your body to shed weight more effectively. You may notice your your appetite normalize (and likely decrease…see if you feel like eating after an evening hot yoga class and if you do, see what food choices appeal to you…how about salads and smoothies? These will sound really good after a class…bacon and potatoes? Not so much) and you will more than likely lose all your cravings for unhealthful foods.

Improved circulation promotes overall cleansing. Your lymph system is pumped, flushed and used more effectively, helping to restore your body’s natural cleansing mechanisms. And you aren’t just imagining a smoother complexion. After hot yoga class, your skin just glows as those pores open up and are “flushed” clean. That goes for your hair, too.

Fat deposits are also released and sometimes, those fat deposits are even the cause of stiff joints, so be prepared for increased flexibility along with better-shaped body parts as those fat deposits get broken up and “burned out.” Those hot stretches and compressions push out subcutaneous and lipid fats from tummies, hips, thighs, buttocks….and who needs it there?

Now, muscle can weigh more than fat, but shape up: these are GOOD pounds! You’ll look more shapely – and your clothes will fit better. Check out your legs, thighs and calves; measure your waist; watch yourself transform class by class. This heat helps contour and create muscles that are sleek and defined, not bulky.

And lastly, hot 26 yoga makes a warrior out of you – and weight loss is just another powerful result in a series of personal victories. With a steady, three-times-a week hot yoga practice, you will realize increased willpower and mental strength that will help you maintain your resolve to lose weight and keep it off…and perhaps accomplish a host of other goals in your life.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6188820

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