Dr Libby – one of our favourite experts to go to during times of stress – says that the chaos of December can easily tip us into overwhelm. So, how do we keep our heads above water right now?
If you feel like you’re really just hanging on by a thread at the moment, with the stress of December starting to get on top of you, you’re certainly not alone.
“There’s an energy to this time of year that can feel slightly chaotic,” says Dr Libby. “As you rush to wrap up work, juggle little humans and organise the many extra layers that appear in the lead-up to the holidays, it’s easy to tip into overwhelm.”
So, what the heck do we do when we feel ourselves careening into overwhelm?
“When that happens, I encourage people to come back to what’s truly important,” says Dr Libby. “We strive to make everything perfect because we care deeply. We want the people in our lives to feel held, loved and considered. Beneath the frantic pace of this season sits a deep well of care and connection. Returning to that perspective can be grounding – remembering the privilege of what we get to do for those we love, and the simple joy of being together.”
A shift in perspective can certainly help, but it’s also wise to remember the basics this time of year. While we’re busy with lists and making sure everyone else has what they need, we can forget the basics that keep us healthy, calm and sane: getting enough sleep, drinking a decent amount of water, eating some fresh, healthy food, taking a bit of time out for movement, meditation – maybe just a quick walk outside for some fresh air.
Sometimes – especially at times like these – it’s good to look at what your body might be missing out on or where you can better support it.
And if there’s one thing that might help right now, Dr Libby says it may very well be magnesium.
“Magnesium is a fantastic support for the festive season, offering the body one of the key nutrients required to both build stress hormones and quell their impact,” says Dr Libby. “December also often means additional events that can throw our usual nourishment routines out the window so supplementing can help to fill the gaps that the more frequent festivities can create.”
So, Why Magnesium?
For those who are less familiar with Dr Libby, she’s a thirteen-times best-selling author (you’ll likely have heard of Rushing Woman’s Syndrome, The Invisible Load and Women’s Wellness Wisdom), a respected international speaker (having shared the stage with the likes of Sir Richard Branson, Tony Robbins and Marianne Williamson), and is the founder of food-based supplement range, Bio Blends. Her latest product is focused on magnesium, because of how important it is in keeping us well – particularly in times of stress.
“Over 300 biochemical processes in the body require magnesium as a cofactor, which means the reactions inside your body don’t happen without it,” says Dr Libby.
As she said earlier, it’s perfect for this time of year, or any stressful situation really, particularly in how it’s able to calm our systems and help us get a better night’s sleep.
“As a precursor to key calming neurotransmitters, it helps to support a steady mood and a grounded sense of calm that makes everything feel more manageable,” she says. “Magnesium also reduces the biochemical drain that constant stress places on our system and it is essential for the production of energy inside us. It helps relax muscles and calm the nervous system, easing physical tension and taking the edge off a busy mind. And it supports deep, restorative sleep by helping the body more easily experience parasympathetic nervous system activity – the rest, digest and repair arm of the nervous system.”
Magnesium also plays an important role in healthy digestion and elimination, Dr Libby says, by supporting smooth muscle function throughout the gut. And, on top of all of these other great things, it’s really important for our bones. “Around 50 per cent of the body’s magnesium is found in the bones, which explains the connection between this mineral and bone density.”
So, how do we get more of it?
“Magnesium is a mineral that’s found in many whole real foods, primarily leafy green vegetables, seeds (particularly pumpkin seeds), nuts, seaweed and cacao,” says Dr Libby. “That said, research shows that our food today contains less nutrition than it did even 50 years ago, so that, coupled with poor intakes of these magnesium-containing foods means that supplementation is often beneficial.”
Dr Libby says that a true deficiency in magnesium is rare in developed countries, but it is increasingly common for people to consume an insufficient amount (tis is referred to as magnesium insufficiency) which can drive a host of symptoms when we don’t get enough.
“This deficit in magnesium intake is driven by modern diets, lifestyles and some conventional farming practices that have steadily eroded the nutrient density of our soil and therefore our food,” says Dr Libby. “The reality is sobering: only around 1 in 10 New Zealand adults eats the recommended five serves of vegetables per day. If you’re not reaching this baseline, magnesium intake will quietly fall short. Add to this the fact that stress has become a near-constant companion for many adults and the gap widens further. Magnesium is required to produce adrenaline, one of the body’s key stress hormones, meaning ongoing stress actively increases your magnesium needs.”
So, if you know leafy green vegetables haven’t been on your plate much this month (you’re not alone – I’ve had toast for dinner too many times lately!), it can be a good idea to get your hands on a magnesium supplement.
