Spread the word… that for the entire month of December, any new patient will receive a discount of $20 off the price of their first visit. This is a great way for people to try chiropractic care or to check out a new doctor.
Insomnia (the first of a two-part series) …The Gazette recently published a story about which medical conditions were most frequently “googled” in different states. When the results were compared, some funny trends were found. South Carolina residents seem to be struggling with dark green stool. Wisconsin, by contrast, is concerned with light-colored ‘poop’. Both Utah and Arizona inquired about morning sickness. Nebraska asked about low testosterone. Alaskans wondered about snoring. New Jersey citizens were having lucid dreams [To see the study yourself find medicarehealthplans.com]. They noted that people in Colorado search the web in the very early hours of the morning and concluded that the state has insomnia as a general public health problem.
Insomnia has affected me personally since I was a small child. Much has been written on the subject, and I have researched it heavily to try to learn everything I can. The most common recommendations are to set a pattern to consistently retire and rise at the same time, avoid eating a big meal in the evening, no “screen time” an hour before going to bed, relaxation techniques, drinking warm milk, and having a dark and quiet room. And there are more. You can ‘Google it’. 😊
Then there are prescribed sleep aids. The top three are Lunesta, Sonata, and Ambien. The more common side effects of these drugs include diarrhea, headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Less common side effects are difficulty swallowing or breathing, heartbeat irregularities, memory problems, behavioral changes, and even hallucinations. These can be permanent.
The drugs can also be compared by approximate cost for one pill: Lunesta (1mg tablet) $7.98, Sonata (10mg) capsule $5.41 and Ambien (5mg tablet) $7.69 (2017 prices).
A root cause for insomnia is difficult to find. Many do an expensive sleep study followed by expensive prescriptions (for example, a C-pap is often prescribed). Some people really do need oxygen at night and the C-pap machine is the perfect answer. I did a sleep study, but it was not helpful for me at all. It is optimal to make the effort to figure out root causes of your insomnia, then you’ll be able to find the most helpful remedy. It can be elusive.
Stress is known to be a very common cause of insomnia; it leads to the release of increased levels of cortisol from the adrenals, which leads to poorer sleep. Poor quality sleep then leads to adrenal fatigue or adrenal imbalance. The adrenal glands can’t keep up with constant need and the levels they secrete begin to drop. This causes you to feel wired AND tired; now to a point beyond exhaustion. For this, adrenal replenishment is needed.
Of all of the remedies I researched, they all seem to work better if your magnesium levels are optimal. Magnesium deficiency is the most common mineral deficiency in the populations of developed countries. Blood tests can be misleading because magnesium is stored in the cells and bones; it doesn’t stay in the blood. It binds to and stimulates brain receptors for GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). When GABA is low, the brain gets stuck in “on” mode, making it harder to relax. Magnesium restricts the release of cortisol, acting like a filter to keep it from entering the brain. It also helps stabilize blood sugar. Research shows that about 340 mg a day, combined with eating a proper diet prevents blood sugar from lowering to hypoglycemia. Chronic inflammation makes the brain prone to anxiety, depression, and memory loss. As an anti-inflammatory, magnesium combats the chronic inflammation that affects the whole body, including the brain.
Low magnesium is linked to high levels of pro-inflammatory markers. Inflammatory immune system markers are called cytokines. Cytokines activate inflammation in the brain, destroy tissue, and alter brain function. Cytokines play a role in anxiety, depression,
memory loss, apathy, slowed responses, irritability, inability to focus, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and increased risk of suicide. Symptoms of low magnesium are brain fog, lack of focus, insomnia, and not feeling rested after a “good night’s sleep”.
Magnesium removes heavy metals such as mercury, lead, and aluminum. Heavy metal toxicity is linked to anxiety and other neurological disorders. These heavy metals cross the blood brain barrier and can accumulate in the brain. Magnesium can remove these from the body, but studies are inconclusive as to whether they can be removed specifically from the brain. At least removing heavy metals from the body will prevent further accumulation in the brain.
Magnesium increases brain plasticity, which is the ability to heal itself. In fact, it is one of few nutrients KNOWN to increase neuroplasticity. Magnesium can actually help rewire an anxious brain by aiding the growth of new brain cells and the forming of new neural connections. Some evidence says it enhances cognitive behavioral therapy in treating anxiety disorders. Magnesium eases depression and boosts serotonin, which is important because 90% of those with anxiety disorders also have depression. Conversely, 85% of those with major depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. One study said magnesium actually helped depression sufferers AS MUCH AS anti-depressants.
In summary, magnesium can improve your mood, focus and concentration, increase resilience to stress, decrease cravings, increase energy, improve sleep, improve muscle nerve function, stabilize blood glucose, necessary for calcium homeostasis, normalizes heart rhythm, reduces pre-menstrual pain, and helps decrease symptoms of ADHD. The suggested dose for men is 420mg a day and for women, 320mg a day. If deficient, you can kick start with 700 mg for a week or so.
Magnesium is found naturally in many foods, including legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, dark leafy vegetables, dairy, avocados, bananas, and a tiny bit in dark chocolate. It is also found in squash, black beans, edamame, peanut butter, black-eyed peas, tempeh, and brazil nuts (the richest source per serving). Caution: magnesium can alter the effectiveness of antibiotics & medicine for osteoporosis or high blood pressure.
Guidelines for choosing a Mg supplement (Mg is chemical abbreviation for magnesium):
► Steer away from Mg Oxide and Mg Chloride,
► Magnesium carbonate is a good antacid and also has a strong laxative effect.
► Magnesium Citrate is effective, popular, cheaper, and has less of a laxative effect.
► Magnesium Glycinate is ideal for the calming effect. It helps with constipation, but with less laxative effect. Dose: 500 mg a day. Be careful if there are kidney issues.
► Magnesium Malate is good for fatigue, fibromyalgia, and insomnia.
► Magnesium Taurate is dual-action. It stabilizes heart function and increases ATP production, which together can lower blood pressure and decrease blood clotting. High doses can cause a stomach ache and loose stools. The taurine element is used by the body to transport Mg ions through cell walls, into the cells, balancing with free calcium.
► Magnesium Threonate can cause headaches and drowsiness during the first week or so. But it has a reputation for entering the brain by getting through the blood-brain barrier the best, which is very helpful for memory, mood, focus, migraines, and cognitive function. It is less effective, however, for all the other non-brain related benefits that the other forms of magnesium can claim.
Insomnia (the first of a two-part series) …The Gazette recently published a story about which medical conditions were most frequently “googled” in different states. When the results were compared, some funny trends were found. South Carolina residents seem to be struggling with dark green stool. Wisconsin, by contrast, is concerned with light-colored ‘poop’. Both Utah and Arizona inquired about morning sickness. Nebraska asked about low testosterone. Alaskans wondered about snoring. New Jersey citizens were having lucid dreams [To see the study yourself find medicarehealthplans.com]. They noted that people in Colorado search the web in the very early hours of the morning and concluded that the state has insomnia as a general public health problem.
Insomnia has affected me personally since I was a small child. Much has been written on the subject, and I have researched it heavily to try to learn everything I can. The most common recommendations are to set a pattern to consistently retire and rise at the same time, avoid eating a big meal in the evening, no “screen time” an hour before going to bed, relaxation techniques, drinking warm milk, and having a dark and quiet room. And there are more. You can ‘Google it’. 😊
Then there are prescribed sleep aids. The top three are Lunesta, Sonata, and Ambien. The more common side effects of these drugs include diarrhea, headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Less common side effects are difficulty swallowing or breathing, heartbeat irregularities, memory problems, behavioral changes, and even hallucinations. These can be permanent.
The drugs can also be compared by approximate cost for one pill: Lunesta (1mg tablet) $7.98, Sonata (10mg) capsule $5.41 and Ambien (5mg tablet) $7.69 (2017 prices).
A root cause for insomnia is difficult to find. Many do an expensive sleep study followed by expensive prescriptions (for example, a C-pap is often prescribed). Some people really do need oxygen at night and the C-pap machine is the perfect answer. I did a sleep study, but it was not helpful for me at all. It is optimal to make the effort to figure out root causes of your insomnia, then you’ll be able to find the most helpful remedy. It can be elusive.
Stress is known to be a very common cause of insomnia; it leads to the release of increased levels of cortisol from the adrenals, which leads to poorer sleep. Poor quality sleep then leads to adrenal fatigue or adrenal imbalance. The adrenal glands can’t keep up with constant need and the levels they secrete begin to drop. This causes you to feel wired AND tired; now to a point beyond exhaustion. For this, adrenal replenishment is needed.
Of all of the remedies I researched, they all seem to work better if your magnesium levels are optimal. Magnesium deficiency is the most common mineral deficiency in the populations of developed countries. Blood tests can be misleading because magnesium is stored in the cells and bones; it doesn’t stay in the blood. It binds to and stimulates brain receptors for GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). When GABA is low, the brain gets stuck in “on” mode, making it harder to relax. Magnesium restricts the release of cortisol, acting like a filter to keep it from entering the brain. It also helps stabilize blood sugar. Research shows that about 340 mg a day, combined with eating a proper diet prevents blood sugar from lowering to hypoglycemia. Chronic inflammation makes the brain prone to anxiety, depression, and memory loss. As an anti-inflammatory, magnesium combats the chronic inflammation that affects the whole body, including the brain.
Low magnesium is linked to high levels of pro-inflammatory markers. Inflammatory immune system markers are called cytokines. Cytokines activate inflammation in the brain, destroy tissue, and alter brain function. Cytokines play a role in anxiety, depression,
memory loss, apathy, slowed responses, irritability, inability to focus, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and increased risk of suicide. Symptoms of low magnesium are brain fog, lack of focus, insomnia, and not feeling rested after a “good night’s sleep”.
Magnesium removes heavy metals such as mercury, lead, and aluminum. Heavy metal toxicity is linked to anxiety and other neurological disorders. These heavy metals cross the blood brain barrier and can accumulate in the brain. Magnesium can remove these from the body, but studies are inconclusive as to whether they can be removed specifically from the brain. At least removing heavy metals from the body will prevent further accumulation in the brain.
Magnesium increases brain plasticity, which is the ability to heal itself. In fact, it is one of few nutrients KNOWN to increase neuroplasticity. Magnesium can actually help rewire an anxious brain by aiding the growth of new brain cells and the forming of new neural connections. Some evidence says it enhances cognitive behavioral therapy in treating anxiety disorders. Magnesium eases depression and boosts serotonin, which is important because 90% of those with anxiety disorders also have depression. Conversely, 85% of those with major depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. One study said magnesium actually helped depression sufferers AS MUCH AS anti-depressants.
In summary, magnesium can improve your mood, focus and concentration, increase resilience to stress, decrease cravings, increase energy, improve sleep, improve muscle nerve function, stabilize blood glucose, necessary for calcium homeostasis, normalizes heart rhythm, reduces pre-menstrual pain, and helps decrease symptoms of ADHD. The suggested dose for men is 420mg a day and for women, 320mg a day. If deficient, you can kick start with 700 mg for a week or so.
Magnesium is found naturally in many foods, including legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, dark leafy vegetables, dairy, avocados, bananas, and a tiny bit in dark chocolate. It is also found in squash, black beans, edamame, peanut butter, black-eyed peas, tempeh, and brazil nuts (the richest source per serving). Caution: magnesium can alter the effectiveness of antibiotics & medicine for osteoporosis or high blood pressure.
Guidelines for choosing a Mg supplement (Mg is chemical abbreviation for magnesium):
► Steer away from Mg Oxide and Mg Chloride,
- they tend to be poorly absorbed (rate of 4%).
► Magnesium carbonate is a good antacid and also has a strong laxative effect.
► Magnesium Citrate is effective, popular, cheaper, and has less of a laxative effect.
► Magnesium Glycinate is ideal for the calming effect. It helps with constipation, but with less laxative effect. Dose: 500 mg a day. Be careful if there are kidney issues.
► Magnesium Malate is good for fatigue, fibromyalgia, and insomnia.
► Magnesium Taurate is dual-action. It stabilizes heart function and increases ATP production, which together can lower blood pressure and decrease blood clotting. High doses can cause a stomach ache and loose stools. The taurine element is used by the body to transport Mg ions through cell walls, into the cells, balancing with free calcium.
► Magnesium Threonate can cause headaches and drowsiness during the first week or so. But it has a reputation for entering the brain by getting through the blood-brain barrier the best, which is very helpful for memory, mood, focus, migraines, and cognitive function. It is less effective, however, for all the other non-brain related benefits that the other forms of magnesium can claim.
