Magnesium is one of the most important minerals to help support your hormones, and today I’m sharing its benefits for your overall health.
Do you feel moody, irritable, bloated, wired but tired, and overwhelmed right before your period arrives every month? So many of the women I talk to feel this way! But after taking a closer look it’s usually because they are not eating to support their hormones, and are missing one of the most important minerals in their diet that can help us feel more relaxed and calm.
Magnesium, aka the anti-stress mineral, helps your body feel a bit calmer during your period, and can even help with everyday stress! Our body loses magnesium stores just from normal daily function like hormone production and muscle movement, but it can become deficient when we are under stress.
One of the main reasons you feel like crying and crave chocolate that time of the month is the iron and magnesium levels in your body drop, and you feel that shift. If you are experiencing painful periods every month (or just feel bloated, having a difficult time falling or staying asleep, moody, or have cramps) it’s time to make some changes to your diet so you can improve how you feel. Adding in more magnesium rich foods can really help support your hormones.
What Are Symptoms of Low Magnesium?
- PMS, mood swings, or menstrual cramps
- Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
- Constipation or having less than one bowel movement a day
- Headaches and migraines, especially right before your period
- Anxiety or “brain fog”
- Feeling overwhelmed and wired
- Craving chocolate
The Benefits Of Magnesium For Your Hormones
Magnesium Helps Lower Stress Levels
- Magnesium helps to regulate our cortisol, aka the stress hormone, in our body by preventing our body from creating excess cortisol. Normal cortisol levels help to support our nervous system and all of our hormones.
Supports Our Blood Sugar
- I know we talk about this all the time, but supporting our blood sugar levels is crucial for our hormones. Adding in more magnesium can help control insulin production, reduce our sugar cravings, and can be helpful for anyone with PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome).
Hormones Are Happier
- Magnesium can help improve PMS drastically, especially if you are just getting off birth control. It also assists in the absorption of Vitamin D.
Supports a Healthy Thyroid
- Magnesium is the one of the most important minerals for the healthy production of thyroid hormones.
Improves Sleep
- I noticed a drastic improvement in my sleep right away once I started adding in more magnesium. I take Natural Calm every night an hour before I go to bed. If you have trouble falling or staying asleep, add this magnesium powder to your daily routine.
How To Get More Magnesium
Start with your diet!
- You can add in dark leafy greens like spinach and Swiss chard, broccoli, raw cacao (real chocolate; check out my raw cacao macaroons and pudding recipes), pumpkin and sesame seeds, almonds, cashews, black and kidney beans, avocados, and bananas.o Seed cycling is also a great way to incorporate more magnesium rich seeds into your diet, read more about the benefits of seed cycling for your hormones.
Magnesium Supplements
If changes in your diet still don’t make a big enough difference, you can use magnesium supplements which are available in powder and spray form. There are many types of magnesium supplements, but two that I recommend are Magnesium Glycinate and Magnesium Citrate.
Magnesium Glycinate
- Glycine is a well-known calming amino acid. This combination does not have a laxative effect since glycine is actively transported through the intestinal wall. A good way to get this type of magnesium into your body is by using this spray on the bottom of your feet.
Magnesium Citrate
- Citrate is one of the most commonly used forms because it is rapidly absorbed in the digestive tract, but it can have a stool loosening effect. I use the Natural Calm powder every evening, I call it my healthy adult shot!
As always, start with your diet. Eating for your hormones is one of the most important steps to take when trying to reduce cramps, mood swings, and cravings. By making improvements to your diet, you will start to notice your body feeling calmer and more balanced, and that’s when we can look at other ways to support your health.
Simple 5 – Day Hormonal Balance Reset Recipe Guide
Want more guidance on what to eat? I’ve created a guide full of my favorite delicious hormone balancing recipes that will help you to feel more comfortable and confident when you are starting to create changes to your lifestyle, without spending hours in the kitchen.
Start eating to support your hormones – it’s delicious, easy to prepare, and won’t take a lot of time! Learn more and grab your copy here.
Blog Post Updated June 12, 2023
I’d love to hear your thoughts!
- Was this post helpful for you? Or, do you have any additional questions? Comment below and let me know!
- Share with your friends, forward this along or post on social. You can also join me on Instagram and in my private FB group
- Want a deeper look into your hormones? Take my quiz to see what foods might be helpful to add into your diet
- Sign up for my newsletter full of women’s health tips and get your FREE guide, the five steps to take today to help balance your hormones
Medical Disclaimer
Information in this post and on this web site is provided for informational purposes only. The information is a result of practice experience and research by the author. This information is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. Do not use the information on this web site for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem.
.png)
.png)
.png)
