The Anti-Stress Drink You Should Be Sipping Daily
by Meghan Rooney
PHOTO: Amy Neunsinger
Editor’s note: We’re excited to introduce our new healthy living contributor, Meghan Rooney, a longtime editor (DailyCandy, POPSUGAR) and co-founder and CEO of Ellevate, the app that rewards you for healthy living—download it on iOS or Android.
A daily green juice, warm lemon water first thing in the morning… I’ve even dared to make my own turmeric milk, but the one “drink of health” that has actually proved itself in a miraculous way is my magnesium water each day.
What’s the deal with this drink? Magnesium helps your muscles and nerves function properly by balancing calcium in the body, and most of us—70% of American women—are deficient of it without even knowing it. It’s not until you add the supplement to your daily routine and restore healthy levels of magnesium that you realize the powerful benefits, ranging from a cure for PMS (kiss cramps goodbye!) to helping a hangover. Here are its benefits:
• It reduces stress and anxiety. Your central nervous system and stress hormones are balanced by magnesium, as serotonin is dependent on it, which is why it helps lower stress and tension. Had one (or two) too many drinks? Magnesium can help with that, too: It’s a natural cure for anxiety and doubles as an essential electrolyte for hydration.
• It improves sleep. A magnesium deficiency disturbs your levels of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep (not to mention magnesium levels in your body drop at night, leading to insomnia). A daily dose helps you achieve REM sleep and can heal interrupted sleeping patterns.
• It eases PMS and cramps. When you’re deficient of magnesium, your muscles contract involuntarily. Adding the supplement to your diet relaxes muscles and puts a stop to cramps, spasms, and contractions. You can also say “later” to your PMS alter ego: Magnesium is known to be the most powerful relaxation mineral in helping reduce irritability naturally.
• It prevents constipation. Magnesium is a travel essential for this reason (the going gets tough when you’re on the go). It draws water into your colon, keeping things soft and moving to eliminate toxins.
• It provides balance. By reducing lactic acid—partly responsible for soreness post-exercise—magnesium alkalizes and restores the body’s pH balance.
All of the above puts stress on you and your body but can easily be eliminated by sipping on magnesium daily. If you’re not already convinced that magnesium is the magic mineral, there’s more: It helps bone strength, blood pressure, enzyme function, and flexibility, plus it remineralizes teeth, supports a healthy immune system, and is required for producing and storing energy.
Adding it to your daily routine is effortless. I prefer to drink one to two teaspoons of Natural Vitality Natural Calm Powder ($23 for 8 ounces) dissolved in (warm or cold) water or juice each day. It’s gluten free, vegan, and non-GMO and comes in different flavors, like raspberry-lemon and organic orange. And if you’re not into flavored water, the original unflavored powder is pretty much tasteless. Sample-size packets are a lifesaver while traveling or on the go. Cheers!
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