Depression and Migraines Don't Have To Be A Thing Anymore

     Anybody who knows me knows that my life has been anything but easy. I won't bore you with the details but I will say this. The anxiety and depression that it has caused me is real. The not wanting to function, not wanting to get out of bed. It all started after leaving an abusive relationship of 5 years. My doctor decided it would be best for me to go on a medication to help me deal. After trying a few different options I was finally able to find something that made me feel semi normal. Normal enough to function but still not enough to be the person I knew i could be and the mom I knew I was. 

     So here I am, years later, and after a 5 year career in pharmaceuticals, I've decide that I'm totally over big pharma. I recently started doing research on different health issues I had so I could try out some more natural remedies and then I'd be able to share them with all of you if they worked. My first choice was my reoccurring migraines. After reading up, I found a few options. Daily doses of Feverfew as a preventative and Magnesium to stop them altogether. I opted to try one at a time. I tried feverfew for 2 weeks. My migraines, when I got them, were like mini migraines, if that makes sense. Still gross but completely tolerable.  Then I decided it was time to try Magnesium and that's the day that I'm pretty positive my life changed in a way I was definitely not expecting. 

     I started taking 250mg of Magnesium Oxide that I purchased off of Amazon. Natures Made brand to be exact. I payed close attention to how it was affecting my migraines. They were definitely getting fewer and far between. And now almost non existent. But as I sat at my kitchen table one night thinking about it, I realized a few other things. My cravings for chocolate were pretty much gone as well. And those who know me, know my love for chocolate is real. I wasn't eating as much as I used to. I was a mood eater. But what I realized then was that I also wasn't as moody as I could be. I realized that since I'd started taking magnesium I hadn't had a single morning where it was difficult to get out of bed. Not a single day where my patience was just non existent with the kids. Not a single day of emotional struggle and meltdown. And I cried...hard. I've spent my whole life having to be strong. And it was as if now I could just be me. Hop out of bed effortlessly. For the first time in a long time I felt something completely foreign to me....NORMAL. Thank god for Magnesium!

     So now I'll explain the science of it to you. Magnesium is the 4th most abundant mineral in the human body so needless to say when its low, a lot is off kilter in us. Magnesium helps your body to create energy, form protein, normalize muscle movements, reduces inflammation and PMS symptoms, gives you strong bones, lowers your blood pressure, regulates your nervous system and even helps in the creation of your whole darn genes. Nuts right?! All that from one single mineral. Who knew? 

     But what were going to focus on today is the role that it plays in your brains function and mood. It may get a bit sciencey but just bare with me and I promise it will all make sense in the end. First off, Magnesium levels have links to us having higher anxiety. In our brain we have a set of three glands known as the HPA (Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal) Axis. These glands essentially control how we react to stress. Magnesium helps to regulate these glands and when our levels of it are low it effects how these glands react to stress. Basically causing us to not respond well....causing anxiety. 

     Now depression. In our brain we have Glutamate Receptors. They're specifically called Glutamate NMDA (N-Methyl-D-Aspartate). Glutamate is a transmitter in the brain that is an excitatory (it creates excitement and basically gets everything worked up). This Glutamate is really important in our brains function. But too much of it can overexcite the brain and cause our cells to be overstimulated, ultimately killing them. But thankfully normal levels of Magnesium help to regulate the NMDA and in turn create a healthy brain. Without it, and with the ultimate damaging of the cells we can have quite a few side effects. It can cause seizures, strokes, depression, Parkinsons and even Alzheimers. This is why making sure your magnesium levels are on point is so very important.

     Lastly I feel like we all should know that a high level of stress in your life can affect your levels of magnesium. What happens is when your body is stressed out, it will release magnesium to regulate the stress. If you're somebody who is constantly stressed out, your body will constantly be releasing Magnesium and in turn your levels will surely be low. This creates an issue when magnesium is needed by other systems to function properly. Basically what I'm saying is, if you're constantly stressed out, get your booty a good Magnesium supplement stat or load up on some of the foods I've listed below to help you naturally get your levels up.

     Magnesium plays so many different roles in regulating quite a few of our bodies functions. All of which if are off can effect our mental and physical health endlessly. I'd personally suggest speaking to your doctor and adding a daily supplement into your regimen. If you're currently on any diuretics, heart medications or antibiotics I would definitely speak with your physician first as they may have interactions and safety is always first.

Magnesium Rich Foods:

Pumpkin seeds, spinach, dark chocolate, beans, quinoa, seeds, halibut, almonds, cashews, mackerel, avocado, salmon, whole grain cereal, banana, milk, yogurt and potatoes