.SOMETIMES RAW.

Wait, let me set the scene first: Lockdown 4. I am at home and stunned to hear my name. After looking around (there is no one else in the living room except my partner), I mouth “Oh my god,” then kiss him. I stand up from the couch. I am wearing Yoga pants (hot), a tank top (hot) while I make up my way to the TV, waving and air-kissing an imaginary crowd of people. Javier Bardem is handing me an imaginary award, kisses me on the mouth cheeks. I look at the award, inhale deeply and start my speech.

“I cannot believe it. Oh my god. This is too…… I mean, who could have believed that I would stand in front of you all. Wow. Okay. People, this year, I went on five hikes and Mountainbike tours aka waddled my melodramatic self over some autumnal leaves. OMG! Can’t believe I forgot! I ran a 5K! I would like to thank the training app I used to accomplish this feat. Alright, fine. It wasn’t an official 5K that raised money or included other runners. I just ran three kilometer, in poor form, through the village. I realised halfway through the run that I forgot to bring my phone, which meant there was no record so I could show of what I did. So I just ran….. for my health?

Thank you to my parents. You are both in your sixties yet look as good as, if not better than, me. Thanks for giving me hope that I will age as well as you despite the fact that you walk many kilometers every day (I stand and sit a lot at work), don’t drink that much (I love my wine), don’t stay up late (one A.M. is a reasonable time for me to go to bed), and generally have calm demeanours (a game of Monopoly with my son has me looking like a U.S. president leaving the White House after two terms).

To my partner. You put up with a lot, namely me forcing you to build things for me, being the Guinea pig for every (new) dish I create, or watching music videos on YouTube for hours. There are so many other things but the list would be too long to type now. There is no one else I would rather do all this with. Thank you. I love you.

In all seriousness, while not everyone has a speech prepared, many of us did anticipate that 2021 was going to kick off the decade in spectacular or at least better than 2020. What is going on these days (demonstrations etc.) are 100 percent valid reactions to the new world we are navigating. We have the right to feel confused and angry. To lose faith and question whether we should have had it in the first place. For many, those fun butterflies in our stomachs have been replaced by, well, sheer panic, and that overwhelming sense of losing control – be it of our jobs, our daily routines, our finances, our health, or simply how we can spend our time is paralysing. Not that we ever had that much control in the first place, but we told ourselves what we had to in order to function. So we made plans. Set goals. Did all the things one does when constructing a life, like loving, hoping, fighting, thinking about tomorrow, etc. All this to just realize that we are vulnerable in the face of the unknown, and that is hard enough in this new coronavirus-normal.

So why am I writing all this? The best I can offer a this moment is that I am a funny person, and if I can make you laugh and forget your problems for a moment then I did something. I am living in this crazy time too and it is probable that my way of looking at life could be of use to someone who just needs to laugh. I crave humour because I don’t want this lockdown to rewire my brain or convince me to lose all sense of optimism. Because in the face of it looking like we are all fucked, giving up would be letting down those in my family and friends who haven’t. So I won’t give up today. And I will try not to tomorrow.

My hope is this: When I look back on 2020 and 2021, and I need to punch, yell, kick, scream from the dreams deferred, I will do it. If, when I am feeling low, I recall seeing myself on the other side of this even though I had no idea how I was going to get here, I will live in that memory for as long as it takes for it to help propel myself forward.

If stripping away all the luxuries and circumstantial nonsense put you on the path to start appreciating what truly matters, stay on that path, too, because it will lead you to a more enriching life. Fuck the rules of waiting for the first day of 2022 or for the stars to align perfectly according to our horoscope or for the numbers to add up. Truthfully, there is no “right” year or moment. We know this now. Actually, we have been knowing this. All that we have, in many ways, it the knowledge that we don’t know how much time we have left in our lives. So let’s keep rolling up our sleeves and continue writing and revising and enacting new plans on how we can make THIS the best life of our lives.

You may have heard of magnesium before, but what exactly is it? Is it something you should get more of in your diet? What about supplementation? In today’s post, I am going to share with you what magnesium is, the benefits, signs of deficiency, and my personal experience with it.

What is magnesium?

Magnesium is a mineral with many functions in the body. It helps support heart health, nerve and muscle function and healthy bones. Over 300 enzymes use magnesium for a variety of essential processes in the body every single day. Needless to say, it’s an important one!

Magnesium is found naturally in many foods but can also be taken as a supplement or topically as creams and gels for muscle relaxation. The amount of magnesium that you need per day depends on your age, sex, and life stage you’re at, such as pregnancy. But generally about 300-400mg/day is the recommended amount. Others may require more if there are any issues with digestion and absorption of nutrients.

Food Sources of Magnesium

Magnesium is found naturally in many foods:

• nuts and seeds like pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, almonds and sunflower seeds
• dark leafy greens like spinach and Swiss chard
• whole grains
• legumes like black eyed peas and edamame
• potatoes with the skin on
• and even dark chocolate!

Magnesium Deficiency

Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to be low in this vital nutrient due to diets that lack magnesium-rich plant foods. Additionally, high consumption of alcohol, coffee, phosphoric acid found in sodas, salt, and even stress can deplete this mineral in our body. Those with digestive disorders, diabetes, athletes and older adults may be at higher risk of magnesium deficiency.

Possible signs of magnesium deficiency can include:

• muscle cramps, pain, or spasms
• joint pain
• headaches or migraines
• insomnia
• anxiety
• hypertension (high blood pressure)
• depression
• constipation
• hypothyroidism

Benefits of Magnesium

Heart health: magnesium promotes healthy blood pressure. Those with hypertension and even arrhythmias can benefit from getting optimal amounts of magnesium in their diet.

Bone health: we all know calcium is needed for healthy bones, but not just calcium alone. We need a dance of calcium, magnesium, vitamin D and other minerals to support bone health. Up to 60% of magnesium is stored in our bones. If you’re at risk for low bone density, you’ll want to pay attention to your magnesium and overall mineral intake.

Muscle relaxation: Magnesium is best known for having muscle relaxing properties, making it useful for things like cramps (including period cramps), spasms, or restless legs. Since cramps can be a sign of deficiency in some cases, increasing your intake of this mineral can make a difference in the muscle pain you experience.

Sleep: Magnesium is great for aiding sleep because of its calming and relaxing properties. Many people find that increasing their intake of magnesium helps improve sleep quality and quantity. This may be due to the way that magnesium mitigates stress and anxiety. Try an Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) bath in the evening to help with a good night’s sleep. Not only with the warm water relax your body, but the addition of magnesium may help, too.

Constipation: Magnesium in the form of a citrate supplement helps draw water into the bowels and soften stool which can relieve constipation.

PMS: Premenstrual syndrome involves a variety of uncomfortable symptoms in the days leading up to your period, like cramps and breast tenderness. Magnesium plays a key role in relaxing muscles and also reducing inflammation, which is why it can be massively helpful for those who suffer from PMS. I have personally found magnesium to make drastic improvements in my PMS symptoms.

Migraines: Like most health issues, migraines are multifactorial but low levels of magnesium can play a role. Stress and dehydration can also play a role here, but upping your dietary intake of magnesium may be helpful for you if you suffer from migraines.

How to get more Magnesium + should you take a supplement?

Food should be the primary focus when it comes to obtaining adequate nutrition. You can start increasing your magnesium intake naturally by…

• adding more legumes to your diet through salads, soups, or stews
• adding nuts to baked goods, as a snack (like trail mix), or onto oatmeal or granola
• enjoying a spoonful of nut butter, like almond or cashew, with fruit, toast, or in smoothies
• eating more leafy greens.
• choose whole grains products instead of white

To fill in the gaps or for those who need higher amounts of a specific nutrient, supplementation can be helpful. Speak to your doctor if you have any questions about taking a new supplement.

My Experience

I am very happy with PURE Magnesiumglycinat and take up to two pills every second day and I feel that my overall levels of magnesium have improved.

Please keep in mind that this is my unique anecdotal experience which means that it’s based on personal accounts and not part of any sort of rigorous scientific study. Everybody’s needs are very different. Always speak to your doctor if you have any concerns about any symptoms you are experiencing.

Hey my friend. Why do you look so frustrated? Oh, it is the pandemic and the dumb new rules. Do not beat yourself up about this. It is totally okay that you snoozed your alarm and slept past 10 am on a Friday. You still did not receive that negative PRC test that is able to reduce your ten! day quarantine to five. Rules over new rules that make absolutely no sense anymore. Lockdown for the unvaccinated, lockdown for everyone, PCR tests for those with a pirate eye patch but they have to wear a blue sweater. In addition, these people have to have one arm on the left side.

Not only is it okay but it is probably for the best if you stay home. Relax. The system wants you to. I am not a doctor, but I have been to one or two before, and if your body needed that rest then it was a hundred per cent the healthy thing to do. You know, I think I read somewhere that some people just aren’t taking too much shit anyway. Like, biologically. Clearly, with these new rules implemented by “experts” you are just wired to stay up until 2 am watching “Working Moms” with your partner and then sleep until lunch. Besides, you really think it would have been better if you showed up to the morning meeting on time? Please. Your are only allowed to if you are vaccinated or at least dropped the PCR test in the pick-up box on time so they see your test result is negative. Taking this gurgle test at 8.30 am gives you a 24 hour guarantee that you won’t get this virus in the meantime….. are you kidding? Are you going into a sealed glass box for 24 hours after you have taken this gurgle test? No! You are moving around. You are at work. But, hey, the experts say, we have to do this. At least now, since you stayed home, you are well rested and can tell your entire team via “Teams Meeting” about that Kate Foster is pregnant again but actually cheated on her husband Nathan. So who is the father? Also are her boobs fake? Watch “Working Moms” – it is awesome.

OMG, your cannot be serious! Someone is mad at you because you showed up at work without a negative PCR test but with a negative Antigen test that is however not valid at this current covid-stage? But you are healthy, have a negative test AND have absolutely no symptoms and they send you home again? Guess what? You deserve it. Make sure you text all your colleagues at work how many episodes of Sherlock Holmes you watched and how comfy it is on your couch. Also throw in any project you did in your garden, things you got done, or ordered online, worked out with, and how much fun cooking at home is while drinking a glass of wine at noon. The least you can do in this situation is to orally vaccinate at home with alcohol since you cannot leave your house for days because it is possible that WEGA police officers have surrounded your property by now, equipped with Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson tranquilliser guns or darts to hunt you down.

I am sorry but all this is literally insane. Has the government ever heard of a little something called sanity or work-life balance? We all should just adopt what the Scandinavian countries are doing, meaning chilling the fuck down a bit and let the virus run its course? There, people can walk freely again without this damn FFP2 mask. This would make many people here in Austria a billion times happier, less miserable, and more productive. Another key factor is that nobody understands all these rules anymore. Too many and too confusing!

So, you are in quarantine again because someone at work was exposed to someone who may have been tested Corona positive two weeks ago. Quite factually, taking forced time off work and then telling your team (there is no I in team, or is it!?) about the awesome show you binge-watched all day and night is healthy for everyone. It builds camaraderie. Camaraderie is what makes people like their jobs even more.

You are still waiting for your PCR test result, huh? I heard they lost quite a bunch or ran out of them since so many people want to get tested to enjoy a Glühwein at the overcrowded Christmas Market at the Town Hall in Vienna. It is totally fine to go there if you are vaccinated because then you won’t need a PCR test. Makes sense, right?! Because with two to three vaccines you are fully immunised, cannot get the virus anymore, AND cannot spread it. Also, you can remove the mask for good since you are vaccinated right?! Oh, hold on: YOU CANNOT? You still have to test and wear the mask? Well, guess why? BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT IMMUNISED. YOU CAN GET IT, YOU CAN SPREAD IT! Healthier are most likely the ones who (have to) test every day and are as negative as my attitude toward all this Corona madness. Why would you send a symptom-free, healthy person with negative PCR test to home office? He cannot work in your office anymore because he is not vaccinated? Are you kidding me? I will rest just my case.

This simply cannot go on like this. Oh, someone said that the unvaccinated are rewarded by being able to stay ten days in quarantine? What the actual fuck? Being locked up is not a cool thing! Let’s focus on the fact that something unjust and absolutely horrible is happening to you and society.

You should get to enjoy at least five glasses of the best whiskey there is without feeling guilty about it. And obviously you need a couple of slices of homemade pizza. As a base, repeat after me: “I am amazing, healthy, have a negative test, have zero symptoms, and am locked away. FUCK THIS SHIT!” Seriously. I am not going to let you spiral here. I know this all sucks. We all suffer with this seemingly never-ending pandemic while looking sceptically at a dysfunctional government that comes up with more nonsense and lost track of the overall situation.

Of course you want to punch some people in the face. Honestly, anyone in your situation would want to. Maybe you can say that certain people bumped into you. Accidentally, sure, but how were you supposed to know that? He could have been a murderer overall. These days, nobody trusts anybody anymore. He could have had the virus and try to get you infected so you literally swung in self-defence. I really don’t understand why you are giving yourself such a hard time about this. It happens. It doesn’t, like, make you a bad person.

Neither does pushing certain people onto the subway track, by the way. I mean, what choice did you have? He was ranting about you should wear an additional face-mask, have 2 meters distance, goggles, and gloves. What exactly were you supposed to do? Let him ruin your life? I don’t think so. Can I ask you a question? I hope this isn’t offensive, but are you in therapy already? It just seems to me like you really should see someone. We all should after two(!) years of this insanity.

Look, I’m not saying that this was the best day of your life. It’s O.K. to wallow for a bit. Finish the pint of ice cream. Tomorrow is a new day. You have so much amazing shit ahead of you, because you are amazing. And this will be over at some point, I heard. Maybe the PCR result will get in tomorrow. Maybe not, and you will have another relaxed day at home. Stay positive and focus on your Self even if another lockdown will be announced today.