The #1 Supplement EVERY Woman Needs

Are you a woman? Do you know a woman? Chances are you have experienced or are currently experiencing some form of female hormone imbalance. “No, no,” you say, “That’s not me. I’ve never had any problems.” Ever had PMS? Mood swings? Hot flashes? Unexplained hair loss or weight gain, or inability to lose weight? Low libido? Yeah, this is you, and you’ve had these problems.


We all have stress in our lives due to emotional or dietary changes or pain/hidden inflammation, and a women manifests stress throughout her body in different ways.  Some of these can be mild, but sometimes it can be serious too (endometriosis or PCOS). Whatever your degree of hormonal imbalance, there’s one supplement—one marvel mineral—that can help EVERY woman.


Drum roll please…. Magnesium!

Why is it awesome?

 

Magnesium has over 320 functions in the body.  Some of the most notable are:

 

  • It is anti-inflammatory.
  • It improves the function of thyroid hormones and insulin production.
  • It is the key mineral in soothing your central nervous system and calming your HPA axis (the system in your body that deals with stress).  This in turn helps with insomnia by activating the GABA (your brains main inhibitory neurotransmitter, which calms your brain cells and keeps your brain from getting overexcited) [1]. ( Check out my blog, “Here’s One that Will Put You to Sleep”)
  • It promotes the healthy metabolism of estrogen.

 

Those who are magnesium deficient often experience these symptoms:

  • Weakness
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle cramps
  • Hypertension (high blood pressure)
  • Increased inflammation
  • Kidney stones
  • Osteoporosis (brittle bones)
  • Heart conditions and electrical disturbances

 

 

How much should I be getting?

 

Magnesium should be at a 1:1 ratio with is partner mineral in bone health, calcium.  Everyone thinks bones are only made up of calcium, but this is not the case. Most osteoporosis/penia clients do not have a calcium deficiency, the culprit it is Magnesium. Magnesium is needed for bone structure and strength, but it also protects bone density and cardiovascular health by directing calcium toward bone and away from blood and tissues where it could cause hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis, according to “Human Metabolism: Functional Diversity and Integration.” Magnesium is also needed for muscle relaxation, metabolism and numerous enzymatic reactions in your body. Magnesium-rich foods include beans, seeds, nuts, fish, spinach and broccoli.

 

How can I find out if I have enough?

 

Regular blood tests do not give us an adequate picture of our mineral stores. Usually the doctor tests serum level blood tests for magnesium and potassium and they aren't really very accurate as they test what is in the blood, minerals do not store in the blood they store in the cell. The best way to test with blood is a serum, urine or hair mineral testing. Having normal magnesium on a blood serum lab test doesn't tell us if you have a deficiency of what is stored in the cell. The serum blood test only accounts for 1% of the magnesium in the body. So it is quite possible for the magnesium levels elsewhere in your body to be low but have the serum test to come back normal. 

 

 

Why am I not getting what I need?

 

Stress causes the body to dump or use up magnesium and food cannot restore the mineral as fast as we are using it up with our stressful lives - stress comes in the form of emotional stress (good and bad) dietary stress, pain and inflammation and hidden inflammation.

 

We need magnesium the most during stressful periods and even though it is illogical this is when the body dumps it the most and the reason being is that by dumping it. the body is able to rev up the central nervous system so that we can deal with the stressful situation. The problem here is we are stressed all the time. We are stressed when we wake up, stressed when we eat, stressed when we rest, stressed when we work too much and when we don’t work enough, stressed about finances, money, relationships, social media, news, politics. You name it we stress about it. 

 

Environmental toxins also steal it. You may say that you don’t experience many environmental toxins since you live in a clean neighborhood and don’t smoke. You absolutely are exposed to these toxins though!  Simply put our lives are filled with environmental toxins, many of which are xeno-estrogens. These mimic estrogen and are especially harmful to a woman’s hormone balance. Here are some of the most common sources of toxins:

  • Lawn care products such as fertilizer or pesticides
  • Make up
  • Home cleaning products
  • Pesticides in food
  • City water source (often filled with chemicals)
  • Plastics 

 

Simply put, toxins, stress, inflammation "steal" our magnesium. 

 

 

How can I get it naturally?

 

Food sources[2] of Magnesium

  • Spinach (157 mg per cup)
  • Swiss chard (151 mg per cup)
  • Beet greens (98 mg per cup)
  • Sunflower seeds (114 mg per cup)
  • Pumpkin seeds (190 mg per ¼ cup)
  • Summer squash (43 mg per cup)
  • Black beans (120 mg per cup)
  • Edamame (100 mg per cup)
  • Brown rice (84 mg per cup)
  • Baked potato (43 mg per 3 ounces)
  • Avocado, cubed (44 mg per cup)
  • Broccoli (24 mg per cup)

 

 

The food supply is lacking though. We no longer can get an adequate amount and high quality of nutrients just through our food because our soil and water have been over farmed and are stripped of minerals. You probably can’t eat enough magnesium rich foods to truly supply yoru body with the kinds of magnesium and amounts it needs. That’s why I suggest supplementing. Make sure to use a supplement that is high-quality and professional grade. You don’t want to be spending money on fillers and supplements that don’t do much supplementing. 

 

 

What supplements are available to make sure I get enough?

 

There are many different forms of magnesium. Find a list HERE [3]. I recommend Magnesium Glycinate most often because it directly helps the central nervous system regulate which in turn helps you feel less stressed!  A general guide would be to take 350 mg per day taken at different time of the day - so 100-125 mg per dose at breakfast, lunch, dinner is best for absorption and to calm the central nervous system. Biotics and Nutri-Dyn are two of my favorite, trusted brands. Both are high-quality and professional grade while being manageable on your budget. Here are a few other magnesium supplements that I often recommend to my clients

  • Magnesium Glycinate - This form is most helpful for stress relief. 
  • Mg-Zyme - Very similar to the form above but also has magnesium aspertate and magnesium gluconate. 
  • Magtein - Also supportive of the brain since it contains magnesium L-threonate which is the only form of magnesium known to cross the blood-brain barrier.
  • Mag-K or Potassium-HP with Magnesium - This is a magnesium and potassium combination supplement which is helpful since potassium is often deficient along with  magnesium.

 

I also often avoid magnesium citrate. Although this form can be helpful for some people, it doesn’t store in the body and pulls water into the intestines. It can make you dehydrated and cause problems that come with dehydration. It also can mess with proper copper storage.

 

 

When should I NOT take it?

Times not to take magnesium is if you have kidney disease. Always consult with your doctor of healthcare professional before taking any supplements since they will know how a particular supplement will interact with other medications or health conditions. 

 

 


You can’t live without magnesium and ensuring you have a proper balance of magnesium in your body will optimize the life you want to live. If you think you are out of balance, chances are you have other minerals thatt are imbalanced as well. The
Hair Tissue Minearal Analysis (HTMA) is the golden key test I use to learn all about mineral status in the body. Schedule a Health Discovery Session to learn more about this test and the best options for your body to balance hormones, body systems and achieve the optimized life you dream of living. 


Sources

  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507254/
  2. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/
  3. https://www.vitacost.com/blog/vitamins-supplements/supplements/types-of-magnesium.htm


Don't Miss Out!

Heidi Toy Functional Medicine Blog

By Heidi Toy February 17, 2025
Discover How CoQ10 Supports Heart Health, Energy Levels, and More—Especially During Heart Health Month.
Candida yeast overgrowth
By Heidi Toy February 14, 2025
Good Yeast, Bad Yeast
By Heidi Toy February 5, 2025
Valentine's Day is the perfect opportunity to show your love with thoughtful gifts that align with your partner's Paleo lifestyle.
By Heidi Toy January 14, 2025
One of the reasons fad diets often fail is because they are not sustainable. The other reason is because they usually harm different systems in the body as much as they are meant to help. As with all health issues, when it comes to diet, everything should be in moderation. The following five diet points all involve TOO much of a “good thing”:
By Heidi Toy January 3, 2025
From Seed Oils to Sustainable Farming: How We Can Reclaim Our Health and Make America Healthy Again
By Heidi Toy December 15, 2024
Hormones. The Hot Topic for Men + Women
By Heidi Toy December 14, 2024
Cortisol and weight gain often go hand in hand, but there are ways to break the cycle. Discover five effective ways to reduce cortisol levels and prevent weight gain.
By Heidi Toy November 27, 2024
When it comes to improving your health and energy levels, the balance between sodium and potassium is crucial. These two minerals are involved in essential cellular functions, working together to maintain your body’s energy, hydration, and response to stress. If you're looking to enhance your mood, energy, and overall well-being, learning about this balance is vital. The Role of Sodium and Potassium in Your Body Inside each of your cells, the sodium-potassium pump helps regulate the movement of nutrients and waste. This process is essential for maintaining energy levels, proper hydration, and managing stress responses. The ratio between sodium and potassium determines how well this pump operates, making it critical for your health. Think of this balance like a tightrope: too much or too little on either side, and things can start to go wrong. Imbalances in sodium and potassium can lead to health problems that may already be affecting how you feel on a daily basis. Ideal Sodium-Potassium Ratio for Health In Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA), the optimal sodium-to-potassium ratio typically falls between 2.1 and 3.1, with 2.4 being the median. This ratio reflects how well your body manages stress, inflammation, and hydration. When your sodium-potassium balance is off, it can be a sign of deeper issues with stress and overall health. High Sodium-Potassium Ratio: A Signal of Acute Stress A sodium-potassium ratio above 3.1 suggests that your body may be dealing with acute stress or inflammation. Some common signs of an elevated ratio include: Water Retention and Bloating: High sodium levels can cause the body to retain water, leading to puffiness or swelling. High Blood Pressure: Increased sodium often results in elevated blood pressure, especially if excess water is being held in your system. Mood Swings and Irritability: Rapid changes in mood, heightened stress responses, and irritability can be tied to high sodium levels. Hormonal Imbalances: An imbalance in sodium and potassium can lead to estrogen dominance, affecting other hormones and potentially causing mood swings, bloating, and menstrual irregularities. Liver and Kidney Strain: If your ratio is excessively high—above 12—it can indicate significant stress on your liver and kidneys, two organs essential for detoxification. Factors such as exposure to heavy metals (like copper, mercury, or aluminum) or certain medications can also elevate your sodium levels, pushing this ratio higher. Low Sodium-Potassium Ratio: A Marker of Chronic Fatigue If your sodium-to-potassium ratio falls below 2.1, it’s often a sign of chronic fatigue or prolonged stress. A low ratio, also known as an "inverted ratio," is associated with several symptoms: Chronic Fatigue and Weak Immunity: A low ratio indicates that your body is exhausted, often resulting in feelings of extreme fatigue and a weakened immune system. Food Cravings and Digestive Issues: Low potassium levels can trigger cravings for sugar or stimulants, and may lead to digestive discomfort. Emotional Instability: Low potassium can also contribute to irritability, frustration, and feelings of being emotionally drained. Trauma Response: When the sodium-potassium ratio dips below 1, it can be linked to deep-seated stress or trauma, signaling that your body needs serious support. As with a high ratio, heavy metal toxicity or certain medical treatments can contribute to a lowered sodium-potassium ratio, making it essential to address both mineral imbalances and environmental factors. How to Restore Sodium-Potassium Balance Bringing your sodium-potassium ratio back into balance is key to improving energy and overall health. Here's what you can do: For a High Ratio: Increase Potassium-Rich Foods: Eat more potassium-rich foods like bananas, avocados, leafy greens, and sweet potatoes to help counteract high sodium levels. Reduce Inflammation: Investigate possible sources of chronic inflammation, whether it's diet-related, stress-related, or due to exposure to toxins. Lower Stress: Engage in stress management techniques such as mindfulness, meditation, or gentle exercise to help reduce inflammation and restore balance. For a Low Ratio: Consider Potassium Supplements: If HTMA results show low potassium, supplementation may be necessary to correct the imbalance. Support Emotional Health: Chronic stress or trauma can often be at the root of low ratios. Seeking emotional support through therapy or stress-reducing activities can help. Check for Toxic Metals: If heavy metals are present, detoxifying your body may be required to restore proper sodium-potassium balance. Conclusion: Balance is Key to Wellness The sodium-potassium ratio may seem like a small detail, but it has a major impact on your health and energy levels. Whether you’re struggling with chronic fatigue, mood swings, or inflammation, maintaining the right sodium-potassium balance is crucial for overall vitality. Paying attention to this balance can help you manage stress, support your hydration, and guide you toward better health. By incorporating strategies to restore your sodium-potassium ratio, you can take control of your well-being and experience more energy, better mood stability, and improved resilience against stress. HTMA is the way to understand your own ratio. In a few days, the 'Special of the Year' will be revealed, allowing you to discover your personal ratio and learn how to enhance it, along with your health and energy! Make sure to sign up for my newsletter and open your emails!
By Heidi Toy November 20, 2024
It’s a safe bet that many people today are dealing with sluggish livers, even if they don't realize it. With the constant exposure to toxins in our modern environment, the liver, our body’s primary detox organ, is working overtime to clear out the “junk” we encounter every day. Whether it’s heavy metals, chemical pollutants, mold, or even stress, your liver is under constant pressure to keep up. While it’s easy to assume that most of us have some level of liver dysfunction, it’s important to understand how serious the situation is for each individual. A sluggish liver can lead to a variety of health issues, but it’s not always easy to pinpoint without the right testing. That’s where a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) comes in, offering valuable insights into liver function and overall health. Here’s how an HTMA can help assess liver health and why you should consider this test for yourself or your family. 1. Cobalt Levels: A Clue to Liver Health One of the best indicators of liver performance that shows up on an HTMA panel is cobalt. Cobalt is a mineral that has two sides: as part of Vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin or hydroxocobalamin), and as a toxic metal in high amounts. When the liver isn’t functioning properly, the body can’t absorb Vitamin B12 efficiently, leading to cobalt accumulation in the liver. This build-up can manifest in various health issues, including thyroid problems, tinnitus, blood thickening, and even vision or hearing loss. Elevated cobalt levels in the hair can be a red flag that the liver is under stress. By paying attention to cobalt levels in an HTMA, you can get a clearer picture of your liver’s ability to detoxify and absorb essential nutrients. 2. The Sodium/Potassium Ratio: A Life-Death Indicator Another vital aspect of liver health reflected in HTMA results is the sodium to potassium (Na/K) ratio. Sometimes referred to as the “Life-Death” ratio, this measurement reveals a lot about your body's overall stress and energy levels. A low Na/K ratio typically indicates burnout, chronic fatigue, low stomach acid, and compromised immune function. All of these issues are connected to liver dysfunction. The body’s inability to detoxify and heal is often a result of chronic stress and infections, which can further impair liver function. If you have infections, the liver may be struggling to keep up with the detox demands, making the Na/K ratio a valuable marker for assessing overall liver health. 3. Heavy Metal Levels: A Key Sign of Liver Strain Heavy metals like mercury, lead, arsenic, cadmium, and aluminum are highly toxic to the body. When these metals show up in an HTMA panel, it’s a clear indication that the liver is working hard to detoxify the system. Interestingly, low levels of heavy metals can also signal liver trouble. If your HTMA shows little to no heavy metal excretion, it could mean the body is storing these toxins rather than eliminating them. This often points to an overburdened or sluggish liver that isn’t able to keep up with the detoxification demands. Either way, the presence (or absence) of heavy metals is an important clue that your liver might be overwhelmed, making it crucial to support proper detoxification pathways. 4. Oxidation Rate: Slow Metabolism, Slow Detox HTMA also helps assess the body’s metabolic rate through the oxidation rate, which is the balance between calcium and phosphorus. When this ratio is elevated, it indicates slow oxidation, meaning a slower metabolism. People with slow oxidation rates tend to be poor eliminators, meaning they struggle to detoxify and remove toxins from the body. This is another key indicator that the liver is sluggish and not able to efficiently process toxins. When your metabolism slows down, so does your liver’s ability to clear out harmful substances, leaving you feeling fatigued, bloated, and overwhelmed. 5. Lithium Levels: A Detoxification Powerhouse Lithium is a fascinating and often overlooked mineral when it comes to liver health. While most commonly known for its pharmaceutical use in treating bipolar disorder, lithium also plays an important role in detoxification. On an HTMA panel, low lithium levels can indicate poor detoxification, particularly in terms of glutathione production. Glutathione is the body’s master antioxidant, essential for detoxifying the liver and protecting cells from oxidative damage. If lithium is low, it may suggest that your liver is struggling to produce enough glutathione to keep up with detox demands. Although research on lithium’s role in detoxification is still emerging, clinical evidence points to its importance in supporting healthy liver function. The Bottom Line: Start with Minerals for Better Detoxification The liver is central to your body’s ability to detoxify, but it can’t do the job alone. Minerals are the foundation of every detox pathway in the body. Without adequate mineral support, detoxification can’t happen effectively, no matter how many supplements or herbs you take. This is why it’s so important to use HTMA testing to assess mineral levels and create a plan to restore balance. When you support the body with the right minerals, you can improve liver function, increase detoxification, and enhance overall health. Why Wait?  Something Big is Coming! If you’re ready to get serious about your liver health and understand your body’s detox capabilities, there’s no better way to start than with an HTMA test. This test provides critical insights into your mineral balance, liver health, and overall metabolic function. And the best part? A major deal is coming your way this Thanksgiving! Keep an eye on your emails because you won’t want to miss out on what’s coming—a huge opportunity to get the testing and insights you need to take control of your health. Make sure you’re ready for this game-changing offer—it’s going to be the deal of the year!
By Heidi Toy November 14, 2024
Are you struggling to lose weight? Functional medicine may be the solution you've been looking for. This guide explores the role of functional medicine in weight loss and provides practical tips for success.
More Posts
Share by: