Sunday, January 29, 2012

Hormones and Skin? How Magnesium and Calcium Affect Your Complexion

As I go out in the world talking to women about the state of their skin I hear again and again: "I have bad skin. My doctor says it's my hormones."
The ensuing story usually is as follows: They were prescribed birth control pills to "balance" their hormonal activity and clear up their complexion. Often they discontinued because the pills made them feel moody. They were left with a feeling of despair, resigned that they were condemned to a life with a bad complexion. There was nothing they could do as even their doctors could not help. But before I get into how you can turn your life around do the following stories sound like you?
Stories of Bad Skin
In the case of a colleague I will call "M" the birth control pills she was prescribed as a teenager caused massive weight gain. M went from 140 pounds on her 5 foot 10" frame climbing to 286 pounds. As for her skin it didn't improve. The next recommendation M was given was retinol which in her case burned her skin causing discoloration. At school "pizza face" became her new name.


"C" is in her early thirties, subsists on a vegan diet and has some of the worst acne I have ever seen. While being a vegan is not necessarily a strike against her (See my article on glowing skin of vegan athlete Mark Eisenhart) her lack of magnesium and calcium intake is. The skin on her neck and chin are cracked and reddened with large pimples on her cheeks. Not only is it unsightly it's painful. She is tired all the time and can barely get through her eight hour work day. How is she going to feel when she is 40?
Beauty and Energy - Magnesium and Calcium A Match Made in Heaven
When I think about these women I reflect on my own past. While people like to point out that I have beautiful skin it wasn't always the case.
Ekayani today
There was a time in the mid 1990's when I experienced my own health crisis. I had been pushing myself on a grueling schedule taking care of everyone and everything but myself. The end result was that I broke out in sores (complete with pus) all over my body from head to toe. Red and itchy, scratching only made it worse. The cortisone creams I was given provided very little relief. One particularly painful memory was the job I lost because of my skin condition. I got a call back from the casting directors for a modeling job but I simply left because I could not risk showing them my skin in the state it was in. Broke and fearing my way of earning my livelihood had come to an end I didn't know where to turn. The following week feeling tired and sad I went to my voice lesson at the Salle Pleyel in Paris. Yael took one look at me and said she knew what I was going though because she had been there too.
"You have? What do I do?"
Yael informed me that I was deficient in the trace minerals magnesium and calcium. She told me that this could be brought on by stress where the body uses up it's reserves. The body is left deficient with one feeling a profound sense of fatigue no matter how much you sleep. I had eczema. She lovingly ordered me to go the the pharmacy and purchase a chewable magnesium and calcium supplement, vitamin B complex along with some other trace minerals. She told me I'd feel an improvement in three days and much better in a week provided I took these supplements daily both morning and night. Sure as can be my fatigue melted away. My once beautiful skin returned. After this dramatic incident I vowed never to neglect this aspect of my health again by neglecting to take these essential nutrients.
Put Yourself in the Drivers Seat -  Keys to Long Lasting Health
What most people don't realize is that magnesium is just as important to the human body as calcium. In fact the body cannot use calcium without the proper amount of magnesium present. It's like having a car without the keys. Magnesium is important for the elasticity of the skin, helps keep the color in our hair, helps keep the nervous system running smoothy, helps maintain energy, helps maintain proper ph and prevent cramping of the muscles. An optimal supply can also help the severity of cramps during the menstrual cycle so before you pop another Advil take my health assessment advisor. See if your habits support your lifestyle HAA takes minutes and it's free. Look under my products tab.


I recommend to my clients three different versions of a non shell fish sourced version of calcium and magnesium supplements from USANA Health Sciences. They are pharmaceutical grade and rated 5 stars for the body's ability to digest them. BodyRox are specifically formulated with teenagers in mind. Body Rox provides essential vitamins and minerals while offering a broad range of anti oxidants for protection against oxidative stress while supporting a healthy immune system. 112 tablets per jar. For those who just don't like swallowing pills Body Rox Active Calcium Chewable is the ticket. Great for adults and teens it provides optimal levels of calcium magnesium, vitamin K and high potency D. This is a great choice for vegans. No shell fish. 112 tablets per jar.
Active Calcium is the same as above in a non chewable form suitable for both teens and adults.  Active calcium is also available in the Healthpak a convenient assemblage of chelated minerals, mega antioxidants, AO booster for the immune system and active calcium in AM and PM packs. It also comes in a formula without vitamin K. Vegetarian formula. I take this daily. Easy to travel with too.
Tips For more useful information on magnesium and calcium go here: Skin Nutrition To learn more about these product recommendations visit Ekayani @ USANA.com

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