And there may be more!
But for now, read about these five, and at the end you'll find three ways you can sneak some extra magnesium into your day. Plus a discount code.
Getting adequate amounts of magnesium is said to help:
1 - Improve your sleep
After a good night’s sleep, don’t you simply feel better? Annoying things that happen seem less annoying. You can handle other people’s bad moods better. So if your partner’s grumpy, you’re less likely to respond in a way that will add fuel to the fire.
You'll have more energy!
It’s even said that good sleep means you’re going to make better choices for what you consume the next day. Be that opting for a glass of water instead of a fizzy drink, or taking an after-dinner stroll (with your partner) instead of flopping on the couch to consume background noise while you each scroll your phone. We know that most of what we see on there isn’t good for our mood, or our sleep patterns.
When are you more likely to have an actual conversation with someone – when you’re taking or walk together, or when you’re watching TV? Shouting out the answers to the Chase doesn’t count as conversation!
Also sleep-related – magnesium is thought to help ease restless legs. We’ve had a few customers who’ve told us they buy our magnesium oil for their partner so that they don’t have to put up with being kicked in the night!
2 - Improve your mood
Things we might usually think of as a mood-lifter at the end of a long day – a takeaway and a glass of wine for example - are actually rather unromantic, as they deplete your magnesium levels, which can lead to feeling lethargic, on edge, and experiencing sore muscles, headaches, and the bane of some people’s bedtimes – restless legs.
Try getting more magnesium instead. In your diet this could look like snacking on nuts and seeds, or adding extra leafy greens to your dinner. For special occasions you could dish up oysters – they’re high in magnesium and said to be an aphrodisiac. And don’t forget – dark chocolate is a good source of magnesium too!
Magnesium improves your mood by helping lower stress and anxiety levels. Low levels of magnesium are associated with moodiness, irritability, anxiety and insomnia. And the fewer of them taking up space in your relationship, the better it can thrive.
3 - Ease sore muscles and tension
If you’re in pain, it’s hard to feel loving and giving. Magnesium can ease muscle stiffness and soreness. It’s obviously good for your physical and mental wellbeing to keep exercising, lifting weights etc. But you can decrease your chances of feeling sore afterwards by upping your magnesium levels. An Epsom salt based bath is great for relaxing muscles after a workout or long day on the job (builders, plumbers, drain layers etc). Relaxed muscles are able to heal faster and are less likely to experience injury.
4 - Lower feelings of anxiety
Magnesium is known as 'nature’s anti-stress mineral'.
It helps support your nervous system in response to stressors.
It’s not just the big worries that cause our bodies to experience stress. It’s the accumulation of lots of little things.
Say you’re a teacher. You might think a stressful incident would be trying to stop two children fighting in the playground. But actually your nervous system has been on constant high alert all day. Due to the constant hum of the classroom, loud unexpected noises like a book falling, the shriek of the school bell, the concerns you have for the child who isn’t thriving… And don’t forget the stress of getting to and from school in the first place – traffic jams, dodgy drivers (they're probably low in magnesium!) etc.
All these little things add up and deplete our bodies of magnesium – it gets used up by the constant demands of our adrenal glands as they deal with all these mini stresses. It’s no wonder most of us are fairly frazzled by the end of the working day. Then there’s still dinner to be made, and the kids’ evening routines to get through before you have time to relax. We’re not likely to have much left in the tank to offer ourselves, let alone our partner, family or friends.
The more magnesium you have, the better your adrenal system (and you) will cope with these daily stressors.
5 - Control your hormones
Do you ever get a craving for chocolate just before your period? It’s thought to be your body’s desire for more magnesium! Magnesium helps regulate cortisol, your stress hormone. If you’re not getting enough magnesium, more cortisol is released, which eventually impacts other hormones like progesterone, estrogen and testosterone. Magnesium can also relieve symptoms of PMS like headaches and bloating.
Chocolate, sadly, isn’t the ideal way to boost your magnesium! Getting enough magnesium (of the non-chocolate variety) actually helps cut back your sugar cravings and balances your blood sugar levels. If you start using a magnesium oil every day, be curious and see if your cravings diminish.
And here's an added bonus benefit of magnesium – it helps to lessen the effect of harmful free radicals and inflammation that lead to wrinkles! Feeling better in your own skin could have positive knock-on effects on your relationship.
So how do you treat your partner to some extra magnesium?
Try these 3 ways:
1 - Run them a romantic bath of course!
Add half a pouch of Salt & Oil for a real magnesium boost. We don’t add petals etc (we don’t approve of having to do extra cleaning once you’ve relaxed in the bath!) but you could always add some for the Valentine Vibe. The magnesium boost will help relax tense muscles and switch off a busy mind. Everyone feels more relaxed and happy when work problems aren’t taking up space in their head. Magnesium will also help you drift into restful sleep. A well-rested partner is a happier partner. But don’t worry, they shouldn’t fall asleep straight after their bath!
2 - Treat them to a Magnesium Oil massage.
Just a few words of advice before you start:
Magnesium oil can tingle skin, and sting if it gets into cuts, grazes or freshly-shaved areas.
To counter this, you can dilute the mag oil with water or, preferably for a massage, add it to another oil or massage cream that you have. Again, the added magnesium can help ease stress and improve sleep, both of which can have a positive effect on your relationship.
If your partner has sensitive skin, it might be best to stick to a foot massage as the skin on our feet doesn’t seem to react to the oil.
Last word of warning – it’s good to wash your hands afterwards. You don’t want to rub your eye (or any other sensitive spot) later; you’ll really know about it!
3 - The third magnesium boost to treat someone to this Valentine’s Day (other days are available!) is, of course:
Chocolate! Dark chocolate is known for its high magnesium levels – these can release feel-good hormones in your brain, lowering feelings of stress. And, of course, it has aphrodisiac qualities too!
So you could treat them to their favourite chocolate. Or try one of these healthy, delicious recipes for a Valentine’s dessert:
And remember, of course, you don’t need a partner to get these magnesium benefits! Your relationship with yourself is so important. Treat yourself to more magnesium. And not just on days made up to encourage us to spend money on flowers and perfume!
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