I'm Not Going To Lie....

I am stressed out right now. I can't get away from the stress; all I can do is use my healthy habits to see me through.  

As a nutritionist and healthy habits coach, I am constantly counseling my clients to reduce their stress in 3 ways: 

1. Reduce cellular stress by eating organic whole foods and supplements

2. Reduce immune stress by getting quality sleep 

3. Reduce emotional stress by setting S.M.A.R.T. schedules and goals

We can talk about stress reduction until the cows come home, but sometimes you can't escape stressful situations. Temporary stress comes in various ways: a short term illness, a big project at work, or an impending move. Even when a stressful situation leads to something good and positive, it can still take a toll on your body.

Stress and Magnesium

When you experience stress, physical or emotional, your body uses magnesium. When your heart rate goes up or your blood pressure goes up, your body uses magnesium. When you get an adrenaline burst, from caffeine or exercise, or confrontation, your body uses magnesium.  And, when you eat sugar of any type, your body uses magnesium to buffer blood sugar.  

In plain English: when you have more stress, you need more magnesium: and, the more sugar you eat, the more magnesium you need.

Magnesium is a critical mineral for both body and brain function. In our high stress world we are literally running on empty in the magnesium tank. Over 80% of Americans are magnesium deficient. Chances are, you too are deficient.  

How to Get Magnesium: Epsom Salt Bath

One of the most cost effective ways to increase your magnesium is epsom salt baths. Epsom salts are magnesium sulfate crystals. Sitting in a tub of salts allows every surface of your body to absorb the magnesium.  

Here is my recipe for a successful soak.

1. Run warm water in your bathtub. If you don't have a whole house filter, use a bath filter. This ensures you aren't breathing in chlorine gas from your hot water faucet.  

2. Pour in 1-3 cups of epsom salts. Beginners should start with 1 cup. 

3. Sit in the bath for 20-30 minutes to allow maximum absorption. 

4. Rinse your body with soapy water if you don't like the feel of the salt. 

It seems too simple, but I promise you that these therapeutic epsom salt baths will help you and your body respond better to stressful situations.

For additional recipes, biohacking tips and lifestyle hacks -- check out my other blog on my coaching site www.cleancoachcarly.com! I post weekly about nutrition and lifestyle topics, all backed by science. Happy Reading!

 Other Resources:

http://www.healthy.net/Health/Essay/Magnesium_The_Stress_Reliever/74