Feel Good Friday: Soak Yourself into Health

I have some critical information to share with you today, folks. Don’t be alarmed, but did you know

roughly 60% of Americans have a magnesium deficiency? Yes, that means that number probably includes YOU. I know what you’re thinking…you eat right, you take your multivitamins, there is no way you are deficient in anything. Well, I hate to break it to you, but you probably are lacking in the magnesium area, and if you’re on the east coast or part of cubicle nation like me, probably also Vitamin D, but that’s for another post. How did you become so deficient in magnesium, despite doing all the right things? Well, I’ll tell ya:

• Today’s soil lacks nutrients. Most modern farming processes tax the soil, depleting it of its natural magnesium.
• Additives in water (I’m looking at you, fluoride) affect magnesium absorption.
• Your diet and lifestyle are working against you. According to Wellness Mama, a whole host of things could be zapping your body of magnesium, including caffeine and sugar consumption, eating processed foods, birth control pills, and even (eek!) sweating excessively from exercise.

Why should you care about being magnesium deficient, anyway? Turns out, magnesium is a pretty important mineral in the body: It’s responsible for over 300 processes in the body! MindBodyGreen lists quite a few benefits of magnesium that may make you stand up and take notice, including:

• Bigger, stronger muscles
• Better flexibility
• Bone integrity and strength
• Constipation relief
• Insulin sensitivity (this is what you want!)

…and, my personal two favorites (and the reason I am writing about it today): better sleep and improved mood!

So what’s the best way to get magnesium into the body? Some studies show that magnesium is tough for your body to absorb through the digestive tract, and the best way to get it is actually through your skin. How do you do that, you ask? An Epsom salt bath! Epsom salts can easily be purchased at any drugstore or pharmacy and are fairly cheap at about $5 or less per pound; my personalfavorite Epsom blend has lavender, increasing the anti-anxiety effects.

Forget every image you have of an Epsom salt bath as something that old people with arthritis or tired feet do (although, ahem, clearly they do it for a reason) and start thinking of it as 30 minutes to paradise. I have been taking Epsom salt baths at least twice a week for about six months now and not only does it reduce muscle soreness after some pretty intense sessions in the gym, it has delivered some of the most amazing sleep and a general sense of well-being that I haven’t experienced before. All hail magnesium!

Getting your dose of magnesium couldn’t be simpler. Next time you are in the mood for some relaxation, draw yourself a nice warm bath and drop 2 cups of Epsom salt into the running water. Let your mind roam and just enjoy the next 30 minutes as you do something good for your mind about body.

Have you tried Epsom salt baths before? What do you think? Let us know!