Typically in TSC interviews I’m asking the questions…but if someone asked me my quick skinny tip?
I’d easily say magnesium, duh.
I feel like it’s kind of a hidden secret though…I mean, not many people realize the huge-ass role the mineral ( it’s a mineral, not a vitamin ), magnesium plays in our health. It’s crucial to basically every function & tissue in the body. Plus, any supplement that can make me feel less guilty or bloated after eating my favorite slutty brownies, is a win in my book.
My magnesium comes from many different things: darky, leafy greens ( think: Swiss chard & kale ), flaxseeds, almonds, salmon, avocado, bananas, dark chocolate…& a nightly supplement ( 310-320 mg. // 2 supplements a night, tops ).
This source states: “a 2013 study in the Journal of Nutrition found that higher magnesium intake was associated with lower levels of fasting glucose and insulin ( markers related to fat and weight gain ), and one study from England found that a magnesium supplement may have some beneficial effects on reducing fluid retention during the menstrual cycle, meaning you’ll feel less bloated.”
FYI: Shape Magazine rates magnesium as its top ‘4 bikini body boosters to jumpstart weight loss’ for 2014.
NBD.
Oh, & if you’re like me you watch “#RichKids of Beverly Hills” AKA #RKOBH ( I knowwww, a total guilty pleasure— so sue me ) then you’ve become acquainted with the fab Miss Morgan Stewart. She swears by magnesium. Morgan openly shares how she takes it at night because it makes her reallllllll regular in the morning. Like, it really cleans her out ( nudge, nudge, winky, winky ).
Hey, I didn’t share that fact on the world wide web, she did.
Ok, so why take the mineral at night?
Whelp, supposedly, “the major perk of this nutrient is its ability to relax muscles, keep you calm, and promote peaceful sleep, which in itself is a huge part of making any diet plan work. According to the National Institutes of Health, magnesium is needed for more than 300 chemical reactions in the body, including keeping the heart rhythm steady, regulating blood sugar levels, and helping lower blood pressure. Some research also suggests that a higher magnesium intake can reduce the risk of colon cancer, and many studies have shown that magnesium may help treat such conditions as osteoporosis, PMS, migraines, depression, and more ( source ).”
And fast forward to the morning-after magnesium…& well, uh…let’s just say you definitely feel healthy &…reallll light.
According to The Wellness Mama, magnesium oil is good too:
“Spray the oil on arms, legs, & stomach daily. I use 10-20 sprays per day. It will tingle on the skin the first few times it is used, and this is normal. It should fade after a few applications, but you can dilute with more water if it bothers you too much. After applying, leave on the skin or wash off after 20-30 minutes. I usually apply after a shower and then use coconut oil or a lotion bar to moisturize about 5 minutes later. If the sticky feel on your skin bothers you, try applying at night before bed when you won’t notice it as much or before showering and rinse off.”
She also states: “The ocean is still a wonderful source of magnesium and trace minerals, but for those of us who don’t have daily access to a beach, transdermal magnesium oil can be the easiest and most effective way to increase magnesium levels.”
It’s really very simple when you think about it: eat more leafy greens, up your avo/almond intake, and add a magnesium supplement…bam— you’re golden.
Magnesium is crucial for helping me to wind down. I love drinking CALM tea in the evening. It’s like Xanax but all natural! It’s also a great option if you who don’t want to take pills.
Anyway, I have nothing but amazing things to say about my favorite mineral…anyone else have an experience with magnesium? Share please!
By the way, I’m obviously not like, Doctor Evarts over here…just, as always, sharing what’s worked well for moi.
Happy ( almost ) Friday! x. Lauryn
{ Read about my favorite antioxidants here }
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If it works can we try free sample? 🙂
Magnesium is cheap and it works great. I take about 5000 MG per day. Glycinate and xhloride.
Great post! I have heard great things about magnesium but have yet to try it. Is there a particular brand you recommend? Thanks 🙂 x
Yes! I love this brand: http://bit.ly/1rKYFM4
Mag is the best! I love potassium, too. I’m trying to stay away from vitamins, but those two do wonders.
so good for u in so many ways!
Thanks for this tip – I already take an iron supplement, but I’ll definitely look into this now too!
Yay! You’ll love it! x.
I take two magnesium capsules every night. I’ve got fibromyalgia so started to take it to help alleviate the symptoms of that but have found that it helps me get off to sleep and reduced bloating 🙂 Research shows that most people are deficient in magnesium and it’s so important for our bodies x
I have fibromyalgia too! Does this really help?
Very interesting! Definitly something i’ll look into, I wasn’t even aware of magnesium being this important/beneficial 🙂
http://skinnyminisakurina.blogspot.nl
so good!
JUST took mine.. Too funny I have that exact brand! I have been doing a pretty intense workout the last week and I attribute it to me not being as sore as I typically would be!
Yay! So glad you’re liking it!! : )
Wow, so excited that you just posted this! I literally just started taking mag yesterday, from the recommendation of Dr Nat Kringoudis (check her out Lauryn, right up your alley!). Magnesium is also said to help balance oestrogen/progesterone levels of the body out, esp for those who are estrogen dominant. Looking forward to seeing some results!
Thanks again for a lovely post Lauryn xx
will have to look into this! thank you for sharing xxx
Where can we find this at ?
any health foods store or amazon!
Magnesium is DEFINITELY effective! Been a part of my daily health routine for years. Great post, Lauryn, as always.
thank you for reading <3
I began taking Mag a month ago after doing some reading that 80% of Americans are difficient in it. I read that it would help me sleep and IT WORKS WONDERS. I’ve had trouble sleeping for years. Not anymore!
My neurologist recommended magnesium in combination with B2 daily for migraines. Since starting the regimen, I have been migraine free! It has been 10 months. I was suffering from migraines on a daily basis.
Whattttt I’ve never heard of that before. So is that why you crave dark chocolate when you’re PMSing? Because you need more magnesium? Everything makes sense now 🙂
we love our dark choco too tho
This is so interesting! I actually take mag because my mother recommended it for my anxiety. I take it in the morning, however, with my probiotic and biotin (for hair growth) but maybe I’ll try moving it to night times to see how it works then. Great post!
Have your Vit D level checked as well. Makes a big difference with Anxiety.
omg! its the renaissance man of vitamins
I am a senior in dietetics and work at a health food store and one of the most recommended supplements for just about everyone is magnesium. I take it for it’s calming effect and natural anti-anxiety effect (and yes, it certainly keeps you “regular”). Here’s a link to what I use, you put the flavored powder into warm water and drink at night:
http://naturalvitality.com/natural-calm/
I swear by Mag Citrate. It’s especially great for people who suffer with IBS. Just saying 😉 I take mine at night too since it helps with sleep 🙂
will have to check this out! xx
My brother was telling me about the crazy health benefits of magnesium and some of my acid reflux meds have magnesium in them so I actually just bought two bottles from CVS last night. here goes nothing
your brother is on brand!!
I started taking Magnesium when Kristin Cav raved about it and I did a little research on my own. Let me just say I am SO glad I added this to my already-long night time ritual. I used to take melatonin regularly to sleep at night because it’s difficult to turn off my Type A personality, but since I’ve started taking this I rarely need to take melatonin! Thanks for sharing!!
I take it for irritable bowel syndrome and depression. It also reduces body odor! I used to have to scrub my pits and change my deodorant and do all sorts of things, and magnesium naturally helps.
wow it does so much!
I take magnesium everyday as well! If you are not looking to speed up your bowel movements, avoid magnesium citrite (like Natural Calm) and stick with magnesium glycinate (usually pill form).
I like Natural Calm too! This flavor is my favorite: http://bit.ly/1rKYFM4.
I LOVE magnesium! I started taking it several years ago and it’s just the best. I feel like a lot of people don’t know about it so thanks for posting that!
thanks for reading 🙂
I read about taking Mag for middle of the night insomnia and I can tell you it works sooo good! Before I would take it, I would be up tossing and turning for hours in the middle of the night and now I take it before bed and yes I still wake up but I am able to fall right back asleep! I take one pill which has Mag, Calcium and Vit D all together. (If you are taking Mag and Cal together you need Vit D to absorb it).
I LOVE this mineral!!
i’ve never taken a magnesium supplement but you just sold me on it.
Make sure you use the right kind of magnesium. Basically anything except magnesium oxide.
Why not oxide
Which brand do you use?!
I like this brand: http://bit.ly/1rKYFM4
Love Love Love Magnesium I take it at night and it does wonders for my sleep. It also help my crohns and BM.
Uhmmm, I love you. I need to go find some magnesium, asap. I’m always looking for new healthy pills! My boyfriend laughed when I just told him I need magnesium now. He thinks I can probably lay off.
xx
Because I’m Obsessed
I know this is unrelated to magnesium, but I absolutely DIE for that nail color in the photo! I may have to switch my color up tonight!
Thanks babe! It’s ‘Romper Room’ by Essie ; ) x.
What brand is this?
I like this one: http://bit.ly/1rKYFM4.
Love love love this tip! Thanks for sharing!
Xo
What mg dose are you taking?
300 to 350 mg. xx.
Great post! I have been taking magnesium citrate for about two months and it’s really helped control my PMS. I notice I am a lot calmer and less irritable overall. Also my chocolate cravings are almost non-existent now that I’ve been taking magnesium, which makes me think I had a magnesium deficiency for a long time! Thanks for your blog; I love reading it 🙂
How many MG of the magnesium should i buy–sorry if its a weirs question just want to be sure
It’s also amazing for prevention and treatment of migraines. More people need to look into magnesium.
This is my all time favorite magnesium http://www.naturaltop40.com/collections/all/products/ionic-fizz-magnesium-plus and I have lots of post on Society Wellness about how important magnesium is! xo
I started it 2 days ago, i also suffer from fibromyalgia, i had really bad body twitching that would wake me up and my husband said last night i didnt twitch at all. I take powder form of natural calm. Lauren, can it be taken in the morning and night ?
I’m a bit high strung & have IBSC, so my doc recommended the magnesium drink, Calm. It’s fantastic with a little honey.
I have been taking magnesium for over a year, it is the best and I highly recommend it. I have used the Mag-O brand and the Natural Calms brand. Both are fantastic, works best when you take it at night on an empty stomach.
You are so annoyingly inspiring and clever! How come you know about all these little things? :))
I need to buy your book but don’t know if it can be shipped to Europe? Any tips on it?
I take 4 little magnesium tablets every night before I go to bed. Really helps when I wake up and go to school! I feel like it lessens the muscle aches after work outs too!
What brand and how many milligrams do you take?
I actually just spent 48 hours on a magnesium IV to stop preterm labor— I was so relieved when they told me the stuff they were pumping into my (and my baby’s) veins is actual a vital mineral. Once baby is born I’ll be adding a supplement to help trim down.
After reading this post I got back to drinking Calm at night before bed.
I am the worlds LARGEST advocate of magnesium! I have twins and was on bed rest for 2 months because I was having early contractions. I took magnesium religiously and swear it helped to relax my body and stop the contractions, allowing me to go full term with my daughters. I also refer to it as my “happy pills” because it’s a total mood booster. I have found Magnesium Glycinate to work best for me because the glycine is a calming amino acid. I cannot say enough good things about it & truly think it’s a miracle worker!
Magnesium Taurate is also excellent for muscles/heart rhythm. I have a high stress job and even though I eat well/exercise, I noticed I was having some heart palpitations. My doctor recommended magnesium taurate, as it is the most bioavailable and stable form of magnesium. No more palpitations, plus all the other benefits mentioned. Good stuff!!
I was just reading about how having good levels of magnesium before getting pregnant can really help to reduce morning sickness. You have to take it well before getting pregnant, because once you are, your body has a harder time absorbing it. Very interesting!
Been taking mine in the morning so am definitely switching it to night now to see how i get on.Thanks for that.
Good luck! x.
Love this post!! Just curious, how much magnesium is too much? I just bought a bottle but it says 500mg. I didn’t see any lower than that. Is 500mg’s a safe amount once a day?
Thank you!!
🙂
You can take between 300 to 500 mg a day : ) x.
Yay! Thank you so much for your reply! 🙂 Love this blog!!
After 10 plus year of taking Ambien CR EVERY night, my new doctor weaned me off of it. In my research, I heard that people combined melatonin and magnesium. I’m thrilled to say, it has really helped me to sleep; when I was determined to find NOTHING that was effective as Ambien CR. This benefit is a major plus for me. Totally convinced of this powers of this beauty mineral!
I just bought some but mine are 400mg… Is it safe to still take 2?!
I would take one a night! x
So I am confused…are you taking the 320 mg per day or 320 mgs x 2 per day???
So do you take Twin Labs magnesium or the Natural Calm? Sorry I’m a little confused. Kristen Cavallari takes the Twin Labs one right? Sorry so confused! LOL!
Just wanted to comment that I actually read this and was sold on the idea of magnesium EXCEPT once I started taking it I was not seeing awesome results. Read up on it and turns out you should NOT (and which I did) is just went and bought any old supplement. MAKE SURE you’re not buying magnesium oxide which I’ve read from other sources is common in magnesium supplements and cheap so not the kind of magnesium you want. I’m going back to try the Magnesium citrate and one of the brands Lauryn reccomends!!
Just trying to help others out that make the same mistake!
I am having some difficulty understanding which form of magnesium to buy. I see the brand you like, however if I want a pill form; is it best to buy magnesium oxide, glycinate, or citrate? TwinLabs is oxide but you also picture citrate. Thanks!
E-mail me & I’ll send you a link, Leslie! Lauryn@TheSkinnyConfidential.com. xx
I take it but in the morning with the rest of my pills…. I’ll have to try this night thing! There really are a lot of great benefits to it. Thanks for the tips!
thanks for reading!
How many MG’s do you recommend taking?
Hi again Lauryn!
I just replied to one of your posts (Re:probiotics). I mentioned Plexus and how great their ProBio5 product was. I also mentioned that I took several of their products one of which is the BioCleanse. It contains 380g of magnesium which helps with a number of issues including my anxiety levels and leveling out my BP (I’ve been in BP medication for 7 years – no more by of these Plexus products). The benefits I’ve seen from the entire Plexus line of products is amazing! They are all natural too – no artificial sweeteners or dyes – which give me migraines (again, no migraines since I’ve started these products)!! Have you heard of the products before? I researched them for two months (I’m a skeptic and I also used to work in the pharmaceutical industry) and learned so much about gut health and how it relates to your overall health and wellness!! If you haven’t heard about these products you should look into them! I could send you some info if you are interested! I’m sharing the info with anyone that will listen be I feel so good myself – I want to share!!
Hi Ashley, I’ve heard of Plexus, but have always wondered why the BioCleanse incorporates magnesium oxide, which is about the cheapest and least bio-available form of magnesium. Do you know why they use this form rather than something the body can actually use for more than just a “Milk of Magnesia” effect?
aw thank you for sharing!!
I clicked here from today’s post…my heart MD also said mag would help slow my heart rate down. She prescribed beta blockers (wow, I’m only 29 and incredibly healthy) bc of my anxiety and increased HR ?
No thanks. I’m literally super healthy on paper and after tons of tests my heart looks fantastic! SO instead of pill popping (which is totally fine if that’s going to help a condition) I’m going a less western route and taking mag, COMPLETELY cleaning my diet and going to talk to a counselor about anxiety.
Here’s to a healthy lifestyle addressing the issue not just the symptom…cheers! (I’ll cheers you my Whole30 compliant black coffee ?)
love this!!!
As a senior, I suffered with terrible leg cramps and added 2 magnesium pills at bedtime and have not suffered since.
amazing!
so I’m late to the magnesium party! lol but since the new revamp of SC I’ve been looking through tons of posts! question, is it better to take magnesium once in the morning and once at night with melatonin or should I just take it all at night?
depends on your tolerance to it! if it makes you sleepy i’d saw at night!
What is the correct magnesium to take since there different ones. I’ve been taking oxide. Didn’t know about different onrs. PLEASE SOMEONE EDUCATE ME.
Where can i buy that and how much is it
I just started taking it because it was recommended by my OB for restless legs during the third trimester of my second pregnancy…I guess I need to keep it up post baby!
definitely!
Also great for restless leg syndrom.
no more kicking Michael in my sleep :/
Thanks for the tip! There are so many types of magnesium. Which type do you prefer? I am leaning towards glycinate as it appears to be easy on the stomach
Yes yes! Someone else is singing the praises of magnesium. Before I started on my supp regimen of vit d3, berberine and mag citrate, I was post menopausal mess. Poor sleep, bloated muffin top, constipation, gas (yes embarrassing), hairloss, fatigue, insulin resistance, BP 140/90, baggy puffy under-eyes, and 10 extra pounds of weight that even keto couldn’t shift. After a month of these 3 supps, my health has dramatically changed! I’ve lost 5 lbs, my BP is down to 117/70, my hair stopped falling out, I lost an inch off my waist, I’m sleeping better annnnnd I poop every morning without a laxative! I feel like I got my life AND MY body back!
Tina, curious what dosage of each supplement you are taking. So glad you are feeling so good!
we love a predictable pooping schedule !
This girl is drinking milk of magnesia!
LAXATIVE
much lighter in the AM for sure