Tel: 01278 671863

Foot cramps in the night?

Posted on December 14th, 2016

You could have a magnesium deficiency….like 80% of the western world…

In case you don’t know about it, please do your research about the magic of magnesium…..

I remember finding out about magnesium through doing yoga and often getting cramps in my foot – my yoga teacher told me that cramping is a sign of magnesium deficiency, and to take it seriously as, whilst a painful foot can be unpleasant, a cramp happening in some other muscle group – like the heart for example, could be far more serious….

Perhaps like me you have been watching the excellent series of webinars put out by the BodyMind Institute in the states – quite a collection of leading lights talking on their areas of speciality….

Today’s happens to be Dr Carolyn Dean, author of ‘The Magnesium Miracle’. Dr Dean has been largely responsible for raising the awareness about the importance of this essential mineral – how deficiency in it is related to over 68 symptoms in the body, how it is needed in most of the body’s functions, how it can help pain, how it is vital for absorption of calcium with which it needs to be held in the right balance, is involved in the production of the antioxidant glutathione… and more.  Worth watching if you have the time…

Symptoms linked to deficiency include:

  • Hormone imbalance and PMS
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Heart attack
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Osteoporosis
  • Constipation
  • Tension or migraine headaches
  • Anxiety and depression
  • Chronic fatigue

So I made it my business to raise my magnesium levels… and even then I still need more! Magnesium is great for keeping calm, and, in the reverse, levels drop when you are stressed. That’s one reason why us westerners are so deficient in it!  Second reason is magnesium is found in healthy foods like dark leafy greens like spinach, kale and chard – and not in processed foods, and less in non-organic – Other reasons in our society include excess alcohol, sugar and acidic foods, over-use of antibiotics, and poor gut absorption.  Also lack of awareness and under-diagnosis of the deficiency due to the fact that only 1% of magnesium is found in the blood, the vast majority being in the bones.

The reason leafy greens are good is that they include lots of chlorophyll, which I always think of as ‘plant blood’ – indeed it is very similar to human red bloods cells, except that human blood cells have iron at their centre, while plant blood – chlorophyll – has magnesium!

Top foods for topping up magnesium also include avocadoes, bananas, pumpkin seeds, yogurt or kefir, almonds, figs and dark chocolate….

However, you need a lot of these to make up for a deficiency.  The problem with magnesium is that it is difficult for the body to absorb, so supplements as pills may not be effective.

The best ways to boost magnesium seem to be :

  1. Drink it – add drops of liquid chlorophyll to drinks, juices and smoothies – just a few drops at a time.
  2. As a ready-made drink, optionally in combination with calcium (Natural Vitality Magnesium Calm, and Magnesium Calm with Calcium, or Kids Calm)
  3. Transdermally – ie through the skin.  You can take in magnesium from Epsom salt baths or foot baths – great for those crampy feet – or as an oil or gel that you can apply to the skin.  This is also ideal for putting on your foot if its gone into a cramp in the middle of the night, or applying to your chest to aid the heart and your sleep just before you go to bed.  The gel form I have found to be particularly easy to use – and I am pleased to say that we have just added the Ancient Minerals Magnesium Gel Ultra to the website.  This uses a very pure form of Magnesium taken from the Zechstein Sea, which is 2000 meters below the earth’s surface – and combines with aloe vera and MSM – both of which are famous in their own right for treating a whole range of conditions….

ancient-minerals-mag-gel-ultraSo if you find yourself stressed and not sleeping well, or suffering from aches and pains (these are often worse in winter), or needing help to absorb calcium to help your bones, or for any other reason in a situation of magnesium deficiency, this little tube of gel makes valuable ally – for yourself or as a gift of health to a family member or friend….

btw Please place any Christmas orders on http://www.randrme.com by 22 December as last shipment date before Christmas…

And use our Christmas voucher to get £5 off your order…..xmas5