Magnesium Benefits - What is Magnesium Good For and What Are Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms?
In fact, more than 80% of magnesium is lost in refined grains (wheat and rice), and 50-75% is lost when vegetables are boiled. Those numbers are astronomical!
In their whole food forms, nuts, seeds, legumes, and grains, all contain vast amounts of magnesium. However, in these foods, magnesium is bound to something called phytate. In order for magnesium to be absorbed by your body, it must detach from phytate, and re-bind (or chelate) with a nutrient that enables it to be absorbed.
Human bodies do not produce the type of enzyme required for this detachment to occur. Therefore, phytate is known as an anti-nutrient.
Magnesium benefits simplified
You’ve probably heard that magnesium is something we all need more of.
When I hear a health claim, I am careful to not take it at face value. I do my own research and make the decision for myself.
It’s true, my education taught me that, yes, magnesium is very important for our bodies.
But why? What are the benefits of magnesium? How do we know if we’re getting enough? If we take ‘enough’ magnesium, is the quality of the source we’re ingesting actually usable by our bodies?
I’ve compiled my research right here for you to peruse and make the decision for yourself.
Much of my information comes from Dr. Alan Gaby’s book. Nutritional Medicine (Gaby, A. (2017). Nutritional Medicine; Second Edition. Fritz Perlberg Publishing. )
References are provided throughout the article when additional information has been sourced.
what is magnesium?
Magnesium benefits are better understood when we also look at what magnesium is, and where it comes from.
MAGNESIUM BENEFITS AND FACTS:
Magnesium is an essential mineral, meaning our body cannot create it, and it is essential to biochemical functions. It needs to be consumed from foods, supplements, and topical agents.
Magnesium is an electrolyte mineral, meaning it carries an electrical charge important to nutrient transfer across cellular walls, hydration of cells, and nerve conduction.
Magnesium is involved in over 600 (2) enzyme and biochemical reactions in the body, affecting muscle tissue, heart, and bone tissue.
Magnesium is essential for energy production in cells, known as Adenosine Triphosphate, or ATP(2).
Magnesium is necessary for regulating neuronal activity (messenger cells), heart contractions, and electrical properties of cell walls.
Magnesium improves blood flow by dilating blood vessels and preventing platelet aggregation.
Magnesium is necessary for the breakdown of fats and carbohydrates and for the production of glutathione, an important nutrient for liver function and energy production.
60% of magnesium in your body is found in bones, and 38-39% in cells (1)
Magnesium is anti-spasmodic, meaning it calms excited tissues in your heart, muscles, and intestines
Magnesium is essential for potassium uptake into cells
sources of magnesium
Because magnesium is an essential mineral, we need to be intentional about consuming it in order to see magnesium benefits.
But as with most things in nutrition, the quality of magnesium makes a great impact on whether or not your body will be able to use this important nutrient.
FOODS HIGH IN MAGNESIUM
green, leafy vegetables (spinach, kale, chard, collard greens)
kelp/seaweed
nuts + seeds (especially pumpkin seeds, or pepitas)
whole, sprouted grains (more on sprouting further in the article)
sprouted legumes
dairy products (learn why dairy quality matters)
WHY SPROUTED?
Sprouting grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds ensures you get the most magnesium benefits that you possibly can out of your food.
In fact, more than 80% of magnesium is lost in refined grains (wheat and rice), and 50-75% is lost when vegetables are boiled (1). Those numbers are astronomical!
In their whole food forms, nuts, seeds, legumes, and grains, all contain vast amounts of magnesium. However, in these foods, magnesium is bound to something called phytate. In order for magnesium to be absorbed by your body, it must detach from phytate, and re-bind (or chelate) with a nutrient that enables it to be absorbed.
Human bodies do not produce the type of enzyme required for this detachment to occur. Therefore, phytate is known as an anti-nutrient.
And what is the point in consuming all that magnesium if you can’t use it?
Sprouting (and fermenting, as in sourdough) is a natural process that detaches phytate from magnesium (and other important minerals), enabling magnesium to be absorbed by your body (YAY!). 👉Here is my favorite resource for sprouting.
But refined grains are not the only thing preventing you from getting magnesium benefits.
what prevents magnesium absorption?
Our modern world has brought us some truly great innovations. But there are also many unintended consequences that have occured.
The widespread need for mass-producing foods affordably, and shipping them to far-off places is one of the biggest setbacks in maintaining nutrient density in our foods. But also medications that are taken too liberally, or without much (if any) patient education.
THINGS THAT PREVENT MAGNESIUM ABSORPTION
the use of heartburn medications - PPIs, or Proton Pump Inhibitors, drastically interfere with magnesium absorption (not to mention, indicate your digestive health is suffering)(1)
the use of anti-histamines (1)
imbalance of dietary or supplemental calcium and phosphorus (3) - these minerals are known to compete with magnesium, and thus need to be consumed in balance of one another
poor digestion
the presence of phytate or phytic acid
magnesium deficiency symptoms
The numbers vary depending on what source you use, but according to Dr. Gaby, the recommended daily intake of magnesium is 400-420mg for adult males, and the recommended daily intake of magnesium for adult females is 310-320mg (1).
Remember, that’s assuming your body is able to absorb the magnesium you’re ingesting.
Symptoms of magnesium deficiency can include:
fatigue
insomnia
panic attacks
muscle cramps
chest tightness/hyperventilation
memory loss
trouble concentrating
headaches
digestive issues
heart palpitations
More severe magnesium deficiency can cause symptoms such as:
abnormal gait (walking abnormally)
vertigo
muscle weakness
electrolyte disturbances (you might feel dehydrated)
muscle twitches
stupor
coma
You can see by this list how important it is to get good quality magnesium in your daily routine.
Do you have any of these symptoms? Has anyone ever told you to try magnesium? Share your experience in the comments. I am curious to hear how it worked out for you!
magnesium absorption
The research is fairly similar across the board in regards to the absorbability of magnesium (4).
We discussed earlier things that can prevent magnesium absorption (un-sprouted foods, heartburn medications, allergy medications, etc.).
But what is the best magnesium for absorption?
One thing to keep in mind is that topical supplementation of magnesium is going to be better absorbed, because it gets absorbed directly into the the blood stream without having to be digested.
However, if your digestion works well, and you are consuming highly bioavailable sources of magnesium (as discussed above), you may be enjoying magnesium benefits through diet alone.
👉👉 READ MORE ON IMPROVING DIGESTIVE HEALTH
Below is a list of the most common types of magnesium supplements you will find, and is certainly not an exhaustive list.
RUNDOWN ON MAGNESIUM SUPPLEMENTS (1)
Magnesium Oxide: Cheapest to to produce, not well absorbed.
Magnesium Aspartate: More completely absorbed in the gut. Aspartate increases cellular uptake of Magnesium and Potassium.
Magnesium Citrate: More completely absorbed in the gut. Tends to cause loose stools.
Magnesium Sulfate: Better absorbed through the skin. Sulfate inhibits reabsorption by the kidneys.
Magnesium Chloride: Less absorbable in the gut, but is known to cause skin irritations when applied topically.
Magnesium Glycinate/BisGlycinate: Absorbed well in the gut. Does not commonly cause loose stools.
was this helpful?
What’s your experience with magnesium? Have your healthcare providers ever educated you on the importance of quality and balance when it comes to supplementing?
Tell me about your experience in the comments.
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BLOG REFERENCES:
Gaby, A. (2017). Nutritional Medicine; Second Edition. Fritz Perlberg Publishing
Jaeger, G. (2020, May 20). The health benefits of magnesium supplements. Nordic Naturals. https://www.nordic.com/healthy-science/benefits-of-magnesium/
Medeiros, D. M., & Wildman, R. E. C. (2019). Advanced Human Nutrition (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Blancquaert, L., Vervaet, C., & Derave, W. (2019, July 20). Predicting and testing bioavailability of magnesium supplements. Nutrients. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6683096/
E;, S. A. A. (n.d.). Magnesium and depression. Magnesium research. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27910808/
Tarleton, E. K., Littenburg, B., Maclean, C. D., Kennedy, A. G., & Daley, C. (2017, June 27). Role of magnesium supplementation in the treatment of depression: A randomized clinical trial. PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28654669/
Derom, M.-L., Sayón-Orea, C., Martínez-Ortega, J. M., & Martínez-González, M. A. (2013, September 16). Magnesium and depression: A systematic review. Nutritional neuroscience. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23321048/
Food Sensitivity Testing - Is It Legit?
As an inflammatory health expert, I can tell you that using food sensitivity tests to address inflammation is a big piece of the puzzle, and has the ability to reduce pain, improve long-term health, and prevent chronic illnesses such as diabetes and autoimmune disease.
In this article, we’re going to cover the following topics:
What are food sensitivities?
How are food sensitivities different from food allergies?
What’s the best food sensitivity test available?
Can I recover or heal from food sensitivities? Or am I stuck with it?
Food Sensitivity Testing
Food sensitivity testing has been a hot topic in the media for the past few years.
And quite frankly, until I began to educate myself on the effects food sensitivities in long term health and whole-body health, I thought it was a load of hot garbage.
The media has not done a great job at educating us on what food sensitivities actually are, what causes them, and how they affect your health.
So, I’m here to fill the gaps for you.
As an inflammatory health expert, I can tell you that using food sensitivity tests to address inflammation is a big piece of the puzzle, and has the ability to reduce pain, improve long-term health, and prevent chronic illnesses such as diabetes and autoimmune disease.
In this article, we’re going to cover the following topics:
What are food sensitivities?
How are food sensitivities different from food allergies?
What’s the best food sensitivity test available?
Can I recover or heal from food sensitivities? Or am I stuck with it?
Much of the information in this article is referenced from experiential knowledge, in addition to the book Food Allergies and Food Intolerance (Brostoff, J., & Gamlin, L. (2000). Food Allergies and Food Intolerance: The complete guide to their identification and treatment. Healing Arts Press.).
Additional research was done to fill in the gaps. Those references can be found throughout the article.
what are food sensitivities?
A food sensitivity occurs when a food particle, known as an antigen, is recognized as foreign, triggering an immune response. Antibodies known as immunoglobulins, recognize and bind to these foreign “invaders” and work to eliminate them as though they would a virus or other pathogen.
Once initially recognized as foreign (more on why that occurs later in the post), the immune system creates antibodies that remember and recognize when the culprit food is present, causing an immune reaction each time the food is ingested. This type of reaction and memory is known as the adaptive immune system.
There are three main types of immunoglobulins involved in food sensitivities:
IgA - Primarily lives in, and protects, the mucosal barrier of tissues in the digestive tract, lungs, and sinuses.
IgG - Patrols the blood throughout the body, and the most common type of food sensitivity responder.
IgM - The initial antibody produced by the adaptive immune system in response to an antigen (1).
These types of immune responses trigger inflammatory mediators and cytokines. Cytokines are various types of proteins whose roles are to fight, destroy, and even “eat” pathogens (2).
Common Symptoms of Food Sensitivities Include:
headache
migraine
fatigue (feeling tired/low energy, without explanation)
depression/anxiety
hyperactivity (more common in children)
recurrent mouth ulcers
aching muscles
vomiting
nausea
stomach ulcers
diarrhea
diagnosis of IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
constipation
flatulence/bloat
diagnosis of Crohn’s
joint pain/Rheumatoid Arthritis
edema (swelling or water retention in joints)
When a food becomes an antigen, and it’s consumed often, you can imagine the impact this would have on inflammation and pain levels.
food sensitivities vs. food allergies
It’s important to understand the difference between food sensitivities and food allergies mainly for two reasons:
Reactions to food allergies can be potentially fatal
Reactions to food sensitivities are more likely to cause long-term health conditions that can be confused for other issues.
So, what’s the difference?
We discussed how the immunoglobulins (antibodies) responsible for food sensitivity reactions are IgA, IgG, and IgM.
The immunoglobulin responsible for food allergy reaction is known as IgE.
Think of it this way:
Think of the ‘G’ in IgG (remember, this is the most common responder in food sensitivities) as standing for ‘Gradual’ (it doesn’t in actuality, but play along). Food sensitivities have a more gradual reaction, often manifesting within 12-72 hours of consuming the culprit food.
Whereas the ‘E’ in IgE could stand for ‘Emergency’. Food allergies typically have a more immediate response (within seconds or minutes), and often require emergency care.
IgE molecules bind to receptors on mast cells (a type of immune cell that lines connective tissues such as under the skin, nerves, lungs, and intestines (3)) and look for allergens - factors (in this case, foods) that cause an allergic response.
Once the allergen binds to the IgE molecule, the mast cell ruptures and releases mediators to fight or engulf the invader (this rupturing is called degranulation). These mediators trigger an inflammatory response, signal other immune cells, and cause blood vessels to widen.
This is why food allergy symptoms often include:
hives
itching
trouble breathing
redness
swelling
abdominal cramping
diarrhea
food sensitivity testing
Depending on who you talk to, there is no one test that is superior to others. The best tests are going to reflect the type of work you are doing with your practitioner.
Because I specialize in helping individuals reduce inflammation and repair gut health, it’s important to me to use a test that differentiates between the types of antibodies, helping you recognize symptoms much more easily, re-establishing your intuition, and growing connection with your body.
For this reason, I prefer to use a panel that tests for both IgA and IgG, and differentiates between the two. The test kit you get from me is an at-home dried blood spot kit, no need to go to a lab.
HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT THAN OTHER ONLINE FOOD SENSITIVITY TESTS?
There is a big piece missing when using online testing services you might have heard of.
That missing piece is support in getting rid of food sensitivities.
Yep! You read that correctly.
Food sensitivities are most commonly caused by poor digestion and damaged intestinal lining (leaky gut). While food allergies often have a genetic factor, food sensitivities are more commonly caused by food experiences, and can be reversed!
READ MORE ABOUT HOW LEAKY GUT CAUSES FOOD SENSITIVITIES IN THIS ARTICLE
These online food sensitivity tests might tell you which foods to avoid, but they are not able to assess your body’s unique digestive health needs. Getting tested under the care of a holistic provider like myself enables you to get the individualized support you need to overcome food sensitivities by addressing the root cause.
Getting tested for food sensitivities does not mean you have to give up the foods you love.
With the right support, it is possible to enjoy those foods again without having an immune reaction.
How cool is that?!
takeaways
Think you might have food sensitivities?
Want to ditch your diarrhea, constipation, anxiety, fatigue, congestion, chronic pain, and headaches?
You are in the right place.
Click the button below to get connected with me so we can chat about it.
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Seasonal Allergies and Gut Health
But seasonal allergies are not merely the cards you’ve been dealt. While it’s true there can be some genetic factors involved, most of my clients’ seasonal allergy reactions to things like mold or pollen are reduced when we address gut health and especially liver health.
Allergy Symptoms
It is not uncommon to know someone, maybe yourself, who suffers from seasonal allergies with symptoms like red, itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, asthma symptoms, and skin rashes.
But seasonal allergies are not merely the cards you’ve been dealt (1). While it’s true there can be some genetic factors involved, most of my clients’ seasonal allergy reactions to things like mold or pollen are reduced when we address gut health and especially liver health.
Sure, you could take antihistamine medication and that might help improve allergy symptoms for a time. But you may also be making the problem worse over time.
You don’t have to suffer. You can reduce allergy symptoms and eliminate dependence on antihistamines. The solution is simpler than you think, and can be done easily and naturally with the right support.
Put simply, seasonal allergies are a strong indication that the liver is overburdened (2).
Your liver is responsible for hundreds of functions in the body, including preparing toxins for elimination before they can cause harm, breaking down fats, regulating blood sugar levels, manufacturing cholesterol, regulating hormone balance, and more.
For many decades, our modern lifestyle of increased stress and processed foods has increased our toxic burden drastically, which increases the burden on the liver to eliminate such toxins.
Pair it with our increased tendencies toward Leaky Gut, or intestinal hyperpermeability, and the toxic burden increases even more.
Learn more about Leaky Gut: How Your Chewing Technique is causing Leaky Gut.
When the liver is over burdened, toxins build up and trigger an immune system reaction in effort to deal with the threat. Our immune system becomes overreactive and begins reacting to things that are not actually a threat (such as pollen, grass, or even foods).
This is the beginning of seasonal allergy symptoms.
Bottom line:
Addressing liver health is the key to seasonal allergy relief.
That said, the liver is not the only causative factor in your allergy symptoms. In order to effectively support the liver and improve its function, it’s important to also look at digestion and gut health (3, 4), as each factor affects the other.
When working with clients to address seasonal allergies, the liver is one leg of a three-legged stool approach to achieving hormone balance:
What does it mean to support liver health?
Supporting liver health does not necessarily mean an intensive liver cleanse or liver detox, although some practitioners may recommend that.
Depending on the severity of symptoms and lab reports, it may be as simple as implementing dietary changes and balancing your blood sugar. It may also require the use of nutrients known to support liver detoxification and clearing of fatty deposits.
An individualized assessment from a qualified practitioner will help determine that.
Factors that can add to toxic burden of the liver are:
medications, prescription and OTC (including antihistamines)
processed foods (artificial colors, emulsifiers, preservatives, and binders all need to be dealt with by the liver)
refined sugars and grains
alcohol
excess hormones (when stress or reproductive hormones are out of balance, the liver is responsible for eliminating them)
poor quality fats
endotoxins produces by stealth pathogens, such as candida (5), bacteria (6), and potentially parasites (7)
Benefits of supporting the liver are:
improved cholesterol
fewer allergy symptoms (food and environmental)
improved blood sugar management
improved digestion
clearer skin
balanced hormones
So, why is addressing gut health also essential to allergy symptom relief?
When referring to “gut health” in this article, these are the factors involved:
digestion - organs, enzymes, and muscle tissues involved in digesting foods.
mucosal tissue - tissue that lines the intestines that acts as part of our immune system, but also allows nutrients to be absorbed into the blood stream once broken down fully.
microbiome - “beneficial” bacteria strains meant to live in the large intestine and feed off of undigestible foods (fiber) to produce short chain fatty acids that maintain the integrity of mucosal tissue.
Compromised digestion often leads to leaky gut, pathogenic infections such as candida, H. pylori, or bacteria, inflamed and damaged mucosal tissue (further exacerbated by antihistamines and NSAIDS).
Learn more about digestive health: Digestion, Back to Basics
Increased toxins and heightened immune activity due to pathogenic infections and leaky gut are common contributors to seasonal allergy symptoms.
So, allow me to revise my earlier statement:
Addressing gut health and liver health are essential to allergy symptom relief.
Here’s the juicy part you came here for…
Lifestyle changes you can make today to support liver function and gut health:
Eat more richly colored fruits and vegetables: There is evidence to show that polyphenols found in richly colored plant foods are very effective at reducing histamine response (Murray, M. T., & Pizzorno, J. E. (2014). The encyclopedia of natural medicine. Simon & Schuster).
Eat more quercetin-rich foods: Quercetin is a potent and natural antihistamine. Foods high in quercetin include onions, sage, parsley, citrus, nettle, and apples (Murray, M. T., Pizzorno, J. E., & Pizzorno, L. (2006). The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods. Time Warner International.).
Balance your blood sugar: The conversion of excess sugar into storage as fats can cause fatty deposits in the liver. Eating a diet of whole, single ingredient foods, with a focus on protein and green leafy vegetables each meal will go a long way in helping balance your blood sugar and improving liver function. Learn more: Balancing Blood Sugar.
Eat more bitter herbs (especially before meals): Consuming bitter herbs and foods before meals, such as arugula, dandelion greens, horseradish, or grapefruit, will stimulate digestive enzymes, hydrochloric acid (stomach acid) production, and bile flow, thus improving digestive function (and liver health!).
Chew your food: Healthy digestion will stimulate good quality bile from the liver, and ensure your body is able to absorb and use the nutrients you are getting from your foods. Chewing your food is an important part of that process, and something we often don’t do adequately. If you feel the need to “wash down” your food with a beverage, chew more!
penny for your thoughts?
How have seasonal allergies affected you? Have any of your healthcare providers ever explained this side of it to you?
Tell me about it in the comments below.
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My Favorite Earth Friendly Products
But since we’ve evolved into this highly convenient, single-use world, sustainable products are currently more of a novelty (and priced as such), and the opposite is considered “conventional” or “traditional”.
But we can change that.
One of the reasons we choose these “conventional” products that are typically more harmful, is because they are convenient, accessible, and affordable.
That’s hard to argue.
But again, it’s about aligning your actions with your beliefs. If you believe the Earth is worth celebrating on Earth Day, what are you doing to live that out on a daily basis?
earth day 2025
I am early to the Earth Day 2025 game (for once!).
Regardless of whether you are celebrating Earth Day 2025, or simply want more ways to align your actions with your beliefs, I am here to help you!
I am on my own journey of learning what products are feasible for my family to use that are more friendly to our bodies and to the planet.
Tried-and-true, the products I recommend below are items I use (or have used) in my own home in my efforts to save the world.
why change?
It’s difficult to argue that our lifestyles need to be more conducive to the health of our planet.
But since we’ve evolved into this highly convenient, single-use world, sustainable products are currently more of a novelty (and priced as such), and the opposite is considered “conventional” or “traditional”.
But we can change that.
One of the reasons we choose these “conventional” products that are typically more harmful, is because they are convenient, accessible, and affordable.
That’s hard to argue.
But again, it’s about aligning your actions with your beliefs. If you believe the Earth is worth celebrating on Earth Day 2024, what are you doing to live that out on a daily basis?
good, better, best
When it comes to choosing healthy foods or sustainable household products, we all need to consider many things such as:
affordability
time
beliefs about results
availability
other people in our home
allergies/sensitivities
religious restrictions
This is where the Good, Better, Best mindset comes into play. This is one of the many golden nuggets I teach to my clients working through the Cut the Crap course.
Point is, you do not owe anyone an explanation for your choice. You get to make those choices, having considered each of these factors, and choose the most feasible for you or your family.
It’s unfortunate that the word “conventional” equates to more harmful in most cases.
But we are all just trying to do our best, right?
And in my efforts to save the world for Earth Day 2025, I’ve tried a few products that I want to share with you that work well for me and my family.
**I have no affiliation with these products and companies. I just dig them and think you will too!
my favorite products for Earth Day 2025
FOOD STORAGE
Two of my favorite disposable food storage replacements have easily been Bee’s Wrap, and BioBag Resealable Bags.
Bee’s Wrap
This has been one of my favorite kitchen substitutes for plastic wrap. Not only is plastic film not recyclable in most city recycling programs, it releases harmful toxins into your food when heated.
This bee’s wax wrap is compostable, forms to the food or container, easy to clean, and you can buy it in pre-cut sheets, or a roll similar to plastic wrap.
BioBag
I’ve tried a lot of these compostable bag products, and BioBag takes the cake! The other brands I’ve tried have fallen apart so easily, but BioBag holds up.
We tried opting out of plastic baggies altogether, but that was not working well for our family. While I use them much less frequently now, opting for sealable glass dishes and jars, these bags are nice to have around.
**I still have not found a good compostable kitchen garbage bag I like (even BioBag doesn’t hold up well for larger kitchen containers). Please share in the comments if you have found one you like!
POWDERED DISH SOAP
For a long while, I was mostly concerned about what was in the dish soap that affected my body, and to some extent, the earth.
But as I’ve dug deeper into my beliefs over the past years, I recognized that, while your body’s health is important to consider, there are these nuanced ways in which these “healthy” products are still causing a lot of harm.
In my case, it was recognizing the amount of plastic being used to package my now “healthy” dish soap choices.
So, for a hot minute I tried two different types of solid dish soaps from Package Free that I did NOT like. They were messy, smelled horrible, and were expensive.
I gave solid dish soaps a solid try, and they were a solid no-go for my family.
But Blueland changed all that with their powdered dish soap. It smells like nothing, cuts grease, suds up nicely, is not messy (when I opt to use the silicone dispenser bottle they also provide)… it’s a win in my book!
TABLET REFILLS FOR VARIOUS SPRAY CLEANERS
I’ve seen many of these begin to pop up, and the ones I’ve tried have been great.
It’s worth noting here that just like with food, just because something claims to be “healthy” does not mean it is. These are not all created equal (remember when we thought Subway was healthy?).
The brands I’m recommending here are good quality and well sourced. I believe that, in conjunction with sustainability, is what makes them the superior choice. Not the mere fact that they prevent plastic usage.
Here are the ones I’ve tried and love:
Meliora All-Purpose Cleaner (I only recently learned about this company and now want to try ALL of their products)
HAND SOAP, BODY WASH, and SHAMPOO
The truth is, I have a hard time with this one.
Certainly the plastics from liquid soap refills are not planet-friendly, even if the soap is.
And I don’t know what it’s like in your home, but I find that thanks to our heavily manufactured world, even supposedly earth-friendly soap dispensers are cheaply made and I end up tossing those out often, anyways.
So, my recommendation here is old-school - bar soap.
I’ve even found some that are packaged in earth-friendly boxes or paper and do not use plastic film to wrap them.
If you’re local to the Pacific NorthWest, PCC (a local co-op) carries many options, including its own brand.
But my favorite that I’ve been using recently is called Ethique. They make body soaps, face, hand, and shampoo.
PAPER PRODUCTS
I know families who go through paper towels by the Costco pack every two weeks.
We use things like paper towels, toilet paper, and cotton swabs, because they are convenient, disposable, and keep us from having to touch gross things.
Not only are many of these conventional products made with unsustainable products, but they are treated with harmful chemicals like chlorine bleach, in manufacturing.
And have you noticed they are nearly always wrapped in plastic film?
Interestingly… did you know that products like Kleenex tissues don’t break down like toilet paper? They are often filled with things like lotions and products that prevent them from doing so, and are not even supposed to be flushed down the toilet.
The increasing production of more bamboo (highly sustainable) and cotton (biodegradable) products to replace these has grown over the past few years, and I’ve tried a few…
Here are some of my favorites:
Caboo Bamboo Paper Towels - They make other products like toilet paper, but I prefer a different brand that I’ll recommend below.
Who Gives a Crap Toilet Paper - Wrapped in planet-friendly packaging. They also sell paper towels and facial tissues (and give back to the environment and communities)
UNPaper Towels - The brand I purchased long ago, and have been using ever since, no longer seems to be available. This link is to a brand I have not tried, but don’t be afraid to search around for a good quality product.
Cotton Handkerchiefs - My partner and I bought these in order to make masks at the beginning of the COVID pandemic, and ended up loving using them instead of disposable tissues. I’ve not purchased a single box of Kleenex in years.
Bamboo Q-Tips - For a hot minute, we tried nixing the disposables altogether, and opting for reusable Q-tips until the end of one fell off in my ear and instigated an Urgent Care trip to get it out. Think Good, Better, Best, my friends.
Paper Q-tips - These are also a great alternative to the illusive reusable Q-tip I mentioned previously. So long as you find a product made with organic cotton, this is a great alternative to the plastic compound used in conventional (read Q-Tip Brand) Q-Tips.
LAUNDRY SOAP, FABRIC SOFTENER, AND DRYER SHEETS
As we discussed earlier in the dish soap, it’s difficult to package liquid products in planet-friendly containers.
So, to celebrate Earth Day in more meaningful ways, here are some sustainable laundry products I’ve tried.
Nellie’s Lamby Dryerballs - Wool felted dryerballs have replaced fabric softener AND dryer sheets in our home. Plus, they dry your clothes more efficiently by agitating them. I like this brand, but even better would be talking to your local sheep farmers about getting some from them!
TruEarth Laundry Soap Sheets - After trying three different brands, I liked this one the best, and it comes in planet-friendly packaging (whereas brands like Earth Breeze still come in a plastic container for larger amounts). **These work far better in a top-loading washer than they do in a front loader, where they tend to not dissolve completely.
Meliora Oxygen Brightener Powder - comes in paper packaging, as opposed to other brands I’ve seen in most stores (looking at you, OxiClean). A great replacement for chlorine bleach, although it is not a disinfectant. (Try hydrogen peroxide for that)
Nellie’s Wow Stick Stain Remover - As simple as it gets, this is a solid stick similar to chapstick (but without the plastic packaging). And the best part? It works! Have been using this for several months now, and love it.
Ready to save the world?
Or at the very least, are you ready to align your actions with your beliefs by making small changes to your lifestyle in celebration of Earth Day 2025?
Yeah you are…
was this helpful?
What are some of your favorite sustainable products?
Share your favorites in the comments below!
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Your Thyroid Symptoms Are Correct - What Your Body is Actually Telling You (and why your doctor says “everything is fine”)
Why aren’t the test results showing anything is off? And more importantly, how do you find relief for your thyroid symptoms if you don’t know what the problem is?
Your doctor is technically right - the numbers are “within reference range.” Where your doctor has it wrong, is only testing for one factor (and not looking into the big picture).
Thyroid symptoms
Chances are, you are here searching for solutions to your thyroid symptoms, because your doctor is telling you “everything looks fine.”
But you know that everything is not fine.
Your body has been telling you for a while that something is wrong.
Why aren’t the test results showing anything is off? And more importantly, how do you find relief for your thyroid symptoms if you don’t know what the problem is?
Your doctor is technically right - the numbers are “within reference range.” Where your doctor has it wrong, is only testing for one factor (and not looking into the big picture).
It’s not their fault. Allopathic doctors are trained to look at a number on test results, and if it is outside the “reference range,” provide treatment to get the number back to its rightful place.
They are not trained to look into why the number is off. Organizations like insurance companies, and the American Medical Association (AMA) set oversimplified guidelines that keep us from getting the big picture.
For example, the only numbers required to diagnose for hypothyroid, are TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) and T4 (inactive Thyroid Hormone). These two numbers will only show as abnormal once there has already been damage to at least 90% of your thyroid. We need more information to really understand why you have thyroid symptoms. But your doctor is simply following the rules that were set for them by these entities.
I’m not here to sh*t on your doctor, or allopathic medicine in general.
But it’s important to consider what we might be missing out on by staying “in the box”.
Adding a functional or holistic practitioner to your healthcare team is the best way to ensure you will get down to the root cause of your thyroid symptoms, enabling you to more effectively address your health.
examples of thyroid symptoms
So, how do you know if you have thyroid symptoms?
**Much of the information in this article has been taken from the Thyroid Debacle, although additional research has also been provided where needed.**
You might be here because you’ve been told you have hypothyroid (sluggish, or low thyroid function), hyperthyroid (overactive thyroid), or an autoimmune disorder such as Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis or Grave’s Disease.
Or maybe you’re here because you’ve been struggling to lose weight, you feel you have a slow metabolism, and your Google searches have told you it may be your thyroid.
Let’s first figure out if you’re in the right place.
HYPO-THYROID SYMPTOMS OFTEN LOOK LIKE:
weight gain, difficulty losing weight
constipation
depression
fatigue (frequently tired for no apparent reason)
dry skin
coarse hair
brain fog
poor circulation, sensitive to cold
reduced libido (low sex drive)
HYPER-THYROID SYMPTOMS OFTEN LOOK LIKE:
irritability
anxiety
nervousness
insomnia
increased heart rate
heart palpitations
fatigue
unexplained weight loss
increased sweating, heat intolerance
increased appetite
tremors
where is the thyroid located?
To understand the cause of your thyroid symptoms, we first need to understand what the thyroid is and does.
The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland, on the front (anterior) side of the neck, at the base. It is responsible for regulating cellular metabolism, which is the chemical processes required for cells to maintain life, by creating energy.
The thyroid acts in response to stimulation from the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, collectively known as the HPT axis.
Here’s a brief overview of how this works:
Hypothalamus (brain) senses the need for energy, releases TRH (Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone)
TRH tells the Pituitary to release TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone)
TSH stimulates production of T4 (thyroxine, the inactive form of thyroid hormone) by the thyroid gland
Some T4 is converted to T3 (triiodothyronine, the active form of thyroid hormone) within the thyroid, but mostly this conversion happens within the tissues and cells where it is used
Most T3 and T4 are bound to a protein called thyroglobulin and circulate throughout the body until needed. Unbound, or free, T3 and T4 are able to bind to receptors and be used when needed.
T3 is required for many functions, but in regards to your metabolism, it is required for the transport of glucose into a cell in order to make ATP (Adenosine TriPhosphate: the energy our cells use to function).
thyroid symptoms in females
It is commonly thought that if our metabolism is slow, it is because our thyroid is not producing enough T4. Whether that is because our HPT axis is disrupted, our pituitary gland is not working properly, or the thyroid itself is not functioning well.
That can be the case, however, more research is coming to light that our metabolism slows due to a cellular response to a stressor. It is even thought that in cases of autoimmune disease, wherein the body attacks the gland itself, this may be a protective mechanism in effort to slow metabolism at the source (the thyroid).
Since TSH falling outside of the reference range is a sign of end-stage thyroid dysfunction, it’s important to look at other factors when thyroid symptoms arise, before TSH becomes abnormal.
The good news is, if we are paying attention to the queues in the form of thyroid symptoms, and we have the support of a practitioner trained to look at the WHY, we can address these factors before much damage occurs.
So, what are cellular stressors?
There are many types of cellular stressors: parasite infections, fungus/yeast, bacterial overgrowth, heavy metal toxicity, environmental toxins, emotional stressors, physical trauma or injury, low oxygen, even poorly regulated blood sugar, to name a few.
Each one of these stressors triggers our fight or flight response. Our brain shuts down anything not essential to dealing with the stressor, including digestion and tissue repair. Additionally, it tries to preserve energy for the cells and tissues involved in the stressor, by slowing processes that require energy, such as metabolism.
When the stressor is left unaddressed, it becomes chronic, causing a cell danger response, in which:
Cell walls stiffen, in order to prevent the transfer of nutrients across cell walls
Cells send out signals for help, such as cytokines, and DAMPs (damage associated molecular patterns), and PAMPs (pathogen associated molecular patterns), triggering an immune response.
In an effort to preserve energy, cells deactivate T3 at the cell by activating an enzyme called deiodinase-3
Putting it altogether, thyroid symptoms are not always caused by the thyroid gland itself. Very often, thyroid symptoms are caused at a cellular level in response to unaddressed stressors.
Knowing this, you can see how it could be ineffective to treat it at the thyroid gland, with treatments such as thyroid hormone replacement and nutrients to support thyroid hormone production. These things are necessary sometimes, but without addressing the underlying stressors, those treatments will be ineffective long-term.
So, how can we reduce cellular stressors?
how to reduce thyroid symptoms
Stressors such as pathogens, parasites, heavy metals, toxic burden, or micro-organisms must be evaluated with lab testing. Very often these stressors can be eliminated with a strategic holistic approach to diet, lifestyle, and tissue repair, in addition to nutrients and binders to eradicate the infection and remove it from the body.
This type of evaluation and support needs to be done under the supervision of a qualified practitioner.
But there are many other things you also can do on your own, that will help support your stress response, and reduce thyroid symptoms.
Digestive Health - supporting your “rest and digest” response when eating will go a long way to ensuring you are digesting food well, and preventing pathogens from infiltrating your gut. Eating while seated at a table, no screens, and chewing your food adequately will help you enjoy food more, but also reduce cellular stress.
Respiratory Health - Respiratory health is essential to getting oxygen to our cells, and removing waste. Low oxygen is a common cause of cellular stress. There are many apps and programs designed to improve your passive breathing technique. The ability to breathe in and out through your nose while walking at a fast pace for 20 minutes, is a sign of good respiratory health.
Toxic Burden - Switching to a diet rich in whole foods, especially from sources that do not use synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides, will drastically reduce toxic burden on your body. If you’ve heard the phrase, “you are what you eat,” take it from a holistic nutrition expert, it’s TRUE! It’s also true that “you are what you eat, eats.” This can be a challenging switch to do all at once, so I do not recommend a cold-turkey switch. Here is a terrific resource for those wanting some support in walking through this transition.
Emotional Health - There are many ways to support emotional health, and thankfully our society is beginning to reduce stigma on the use of professional therapists. I strongly urge anyone to visit a qualified mental health specialist, whether or not you think you “need” it, as a way to gain tools to help you deal with all of life’s challenges.
Emotional Health and Thyroid Symptoms
Some other techniques to support emotional health, are:
Keep a gratitude journal - every night before bed, write down three things you are grateful for, big or small.
Acknowledgment practice - Every day, write three things you acknowledge your self for, big or small.
Thought Download practice (my personal favorite) - daily or weekly, set a timer for 5 minutes, and write EVERY thought that enters your mind. After the timer, read what you wrote, and cross off everything that is not actually true. For the thoughts that ARE true, write why they are true. Your brain will surprise you every single time.
Physical Fitness - You do not need to be a gym rat to be physically healthy. Find 20 minutes in your daily routine to do some intentional movement. Whether it’s walking, weightlifting, jumping jacks, yoga, tai chi, dancing in the kitchen, whatever - make it intentional and do it every day.
Get Tested - Find a qualified Holistic Practitioner who can provide testing for underlying pathogens, infections, inflammation, and other underlying burdens, then work with them to eradicate the stressors. These types of stressors can be very sneaky and look like digestive symptoms, skin issues, allergies, or cardiovascular issues, causing us to address the wrong thing.
Prioritize Sleep - Quality sleep is necessary for tissue repair and immune health. During the day, our brain produces toxins as a natural byproduct of metabolism. During quality sleep, our glial system (our brain’s immune system) is activated, flushing out these toxins, and preparing your brain for the next day. Without quality sleep, these toxins build up, affecting memory and brain function, and create a cellular stress response.
so, what?
Are you feeling the frustration of having thyroid symptoms, but your doctor keeps telling you nothing is wrong?
There is hope, friend.
It’s time to find a provider who will listen to your needs, and who cares about finding real solutions for your long-term health.
Hilary Beckwith is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition, and is trained to get at the root cause of your thyroid symptoms, to help you feel like yourself again.
No more band-aid fixes.
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