Last week a study was published associating increased caffeinated coffee consumption to a decreased risk of depression. As this study was not testing causation, caffeinated coffee has not been shown to actually prevent depression but to be associated with a decreased risk. The benefits started with those who drank half of a Starbucks tall coffee and increased as the coffee consumption increased. Everything I had read before always reported caffeinated coffee to increase anxiety and depressive symptoms. This new information made me start thinking about caffeine and its effects on brain health.

Below are some of the side effects of caffeine:

• Caffeine is a central nervous stimulant (irritability, anxiety, restlessness)
• Gives a boost of energy (the shakiness is the proof)
• Increases the body’s use of Magnesium, Calcium and B- Vitamins
• Increases urination and can promote dehydration.

Below are the signs and symptoms of depression that caffeine may affect:

• Appetite or weight changes: We tend to eat differently when drinking coffee which may offset the depressive changes. Also, coffee consumption for many people is a social interaction which decreases depressive symptoms.
• Sleep changes: Coffee helps us get motivated and sleep less if we are over sleeping due to depression.
• Anger or irritability: Coffee may make this symptom worse.
• Loss of energy: Anyone who has had their first cup of coffee can attest to the fact that it gives at least a little boost of energy.
• Concentration problems: As energy is increased it becomes easier to concentrate and get things done.

(List taken from this helpguide link)

So what does all this mean for you? Coffee has both benefits and disadvantages, as much of the research has shown. Some of the disadvantages include increased side effects of chronic diseases while one advantage coffee offers is to increase amounts of dietary antioxidants. If you choose to drink coffee, it should always be organic.  When it comes to caffeinated coffee and depression, there is no link to preventing depression so do not start drinking coffee for this reason. If you are a coffee drinker the best results for decreasing the risk of depression were found for those who drank one grande Starbucks coffee or similar each day. To help mitigate some of the negative effects of coffee make sure you drink extra water and increase the amount of magnesium and B-complex vitamins taken per day.

In honor of Chronic Fatigue awareness month, I wanted to share a few fun facts about magnesium and fatigue with you. Enjoy!

• Magnesium acts as a spark plug for mitochondria, the energy producing parts of cells.
• Magnesium is a key ingredient in over 300 enzyme systems in the body, including production of energy. This is especially important for people who are under significant amounts of stress, since magnesium is involved in adrenal hormone production.
• Chocolate craving (especially if it is associated with PMS for women) may signify a need for magnesium, since chocolate contains magnesium.
• The recommended daily dosage for the average person who is experiencing fatigue is about 400 mg. One heaping scoop of Essential Calm supplies approximately this amount.
• Magnesium is best absorbed at night, and may help to create a restful night’s sleep.
• Foods rich in magnesium include leafy green vegetables, kelp, almonds, sesame seeds, peas, beans, brown rice, and oats.

NOTE: This blog is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified healthcare practitioner. If you are on prescription medication or are under the care of a physician for a specific medical problem, please consult with them prior to adding magnesium or any other nutritional supplement to your routine.

March is Chronic Fatigue awareness month. While Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is an actual medical disorder, many of us suffer from varying levels of fatigue on a daily basis. Here are five natural ways to help fight fatigue.

1. Stay hydrated. Mild dehydration can be a major factor in fatigue, especially fatigue that occurs in the afternoon. The basic rule is that a person should drink the amount of water in ounces that is equal to their body weight in pounds divided by two. This means that a person who is 150 pounds needs around 75 ounces of water daily. This number may change based on individual needs and activity level.

2. Eat enough protein. Protein is the building block for muscle, as well as for many of the hormones involved in keeping energy levels balanced throughout the day. Protein also helps to stabilize blood sugar levels, which prevents the fatigue associated with low blood sugar. An easy way to calculate the minimum amount of grams of protein that you should aim for is to divide your body weight by 2.75 (use your ideal body weight in this calculation if you are significantly over or under weight). For example, a 150 pound person needs about 55 grams of protein to maintain that weight. Athletes, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and people who are healing or are under stress usually need more protein.

3. Eat every two to three hours. Skipping meals or leaving too much time between meals can lead to low blood sugar which may create a drop in energy levels. Eating regular, balanced meals and snacks has the added benefit of helping your body to conserve hard earned muscle tissue. If you need help, try incorporating one of our Essential Meal products as a meal or snack replacement up to twice daily. Each serving of Essential Meal provides 15 grams of protein as well as a balanced profile of other necessary nutrients.

4. Exercise. Exercise in any form helps the body to detoxify and builds muscle tissue—both of which help to keep energy levels up. If you don’t exercise regularly, it’s best to start with gentle forms of exercise such as walking or mild yoga and gradually build your way up to a more challenging workout. Overexertion during exercise can actually contribute to fatigue!

5. Sleep. This may seem like a really obvious way to fight fatigue, but many of us tend to push sleep to the bottom of the priority list. This is especially true when we are under stress, which is unfortunate since times of stress are when the body needs the most rest! If you are fatigued, make it a priority to get eight uninterrupted hours of sleep each night (starting before 10 p.m., if possible). If your schedule allows, also give yourself at least 10 or 15 minutes in the afternoon to lie down and rest even if you don’t actually fall asleep. This practice is healing and restorative to the adrenal glands, which are responsible for your stress response. If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, consider adding a daily dose of a magnesium supplement such as our Essential Calm to your evening routine.

If you’ve found other ways to help fight fatigue, please share them in the comments section of this blog!

Did you know that a good night’s sleep can actually help you lose weight?

There are two hormones—ghrelin and leptin—that are involved in appetite and are directly affected by sleep patterns.  Ghrelin is the hormone that induces appetite, meaning it makes you want to eat.  Leptin is the hormone that controls appetite and makes you feel full and satisfied.  When we sleep an adequate amount (most scientists recommend 7½ hours nightly), ghrelin and leptin levels stay in balance, leading to a healthy appetite and control of the amount of food eaten.  When sleep is inadequate (due to disturbed sleep patterns, not enough sleep, or poor quality sleep) ghrelin levels increase while leptin levels decrease.  This leads to a tendency to overeat, which over time can lead to weight gain.

The weight-related benefits of sleep go far beyond just leptin and ghrelin!  When rested, people tend to make better food choices and a good night’s sleep helps the metabolism function efficiently.  The body also releases key repair factors including growth hormone during times of deep sleep, which helps to build muscle tissue and get the most out of exercise.

This information doesn’t quite justify replacing your regular workout with a nap on the couch, but hopefully it helps make healthy sleep patterns a priority!

This month we are running a special on two of our products that may help with sleep.  One of these is Mag Calm, a magnesium supplement that contains a highly absorbable form of magnesium.  Magnesium has a wide range of benefits and is vital to over 300 different enzyme systems in the body, so I thought it would be important to share a little more information on how magnesium affects sleep.  Enjoy!

• Magnesium deficiency is thought to be involved in the nervous tension that prevents many people from falling asleep.
• High carbohydrate diets and physical or emotional stress increase the body’s need for magnesium.
• A high magnesium diet has been shown to help with overall sleep quality and uninterrupted sleep.  Foods rich in magnesium include green vegetables, kelp, almonds, cashews, wheat bran, blackstrap molasses, and brewer’s yeast.
• Over 80 percent of Americans are deficient in magnesium due to the lack of magnesium in processed foods!
• Magnesium supplements have been found to induce restful sleep for most people in doses of 250 mg—the amount found in 2½ Mag Calm tablets.
• Magnesium is involved in the transmission of brain hormones responsible for sleep, including serotonin (a hormone that regulates sleep) and GABA (a neurotransmitter that helps to calm the nervous system).

As you can see on our front page, this month we have a special on products related to sleep.  I thought it would be fun to list some fun facts here about sleep!  In doing my research, however, I came across the website below which had 40 amazing facts about sleep courtesy of Australia’s National Sleep Research Project.

Here are a few of the facts, pasted directly from the website:

• Some studies suggest women need up to an hour’s extra sleep a night compared to men, and not getting it may be one reason women are much more susceptible to depression than men.
• Tiny luminous rays from a digital alarm clock can be enough to disrupt the sleep cycle even if you do not fully wake. The light turns off a “neural switch” in the brain, causing levels of a key sleep chemical to decline within minutes.
• The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off Alaska, the Challenger space shuttle disaster, and the Chernobyl nuclear accident have all been attributed to human errors in which sleep-deprivation played a role.
• A new baby typically results in 400 to 750 hours lost sleep for parents in the first year.

Seriously, check it out!  Interesting stuff.

The weather has been kind of stormy here lately which always makes it harder for me to sleep.  Over the past few years I have found that I sleep much better and feel happier overall if I take a dose of magnesium before I go to bed.  I usually alternate between 2 or 3 tablets of Marilyn Farms Mag Calm and 1 scoop of Marilyn Farms Essential Calm in a small glass of water.  Either choice provides about 300 mg of magnesium in a very absorbable form (chelate, glycinate, and citrate are the best – avoid magnesium carbonate and oxide if possible).  This dosage puts me right to sleep and I wake up feeling pretty good (though I would feel better if my early bird husband would sleep a little later so I could enjoy my rest without feeling guilty).

The best way to figure out what dosage of magnesium works for you is to start with a small dose (about 100 mg) and gradually work your way up over the course of a few days.  You’ll know you’ve had enough magnesium when you start to have loose stool.  When that happens, just reduce your dosage back to whatever you were taking the day before you had loose stool (for example, if 400 mg gives you diarrhea, go back to 300 mg) and take that for maintenance.  Needs for magnesium will vary based on stress and activity levels as well as how much you’re getting in your diet. 

For more info on magnesium as well as a list of foods that contain magnesium, see this website:

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/minerals/magnesium/
NOTE: This blog is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified healthcare practitioner.  If you are being treated for impaired kidney function, you should not use magnesium supplements without the consent of your physician.