Your body runs on minerals the same way electricity runs through wires, they help your cells conduct energy. When your minerals are balanced, you feel calm, energized, and resilient. When they’re too low or too high, you may feel exhausted, stressed, or unable to relax. Sometimes all at once.
Every other mineral in your body depends on four key ones: magnesium, calcium, potassium, and sodium.
Minerals come from the food you eat, but they’re also depleted by stress, poor digestion, and modern lifestyle habits. While diet and lifestyle restore balance, there are times when supplementation can help your recovery.
Here’s what you need to know about each mineral.
1. Magnesium — The Master Relaxer
Most people today are low in magnesium. It’s the mineral your body burns through during stress, and it plays a role in over 300 enzyme reactions, including energy production, muscle relaxation, digestion, and sleep quality.
How to Supplement Magnesium Wisely
There are many forms of magnesium, and each one supports the body in a slightly different way:
- Magnesium glycinate: best absorbed and gentle on digestion. Wonderful for stress, sleep, and relaxation.
- Magnesium threonate: excellent for brain health, focus, and memory.
- Magnesium malate: supports energy production and muscle recovery. Ideal for fatigue, fibromyalgia, or chronic pain.
- Magnesium taurate: combines magnesium with taurine, an amino acid that supports heart rhythm, relaxation, and nervous system calm.
- Magnesium citrate or oxide: helpful for constipation but not well absorbed systemically.
Best Magnesium for Digestive Health
If you don’t have constipation, but are prone to loose stools, and sensitive digestion, magnesium glycinate is usually the safest choice.
Absorption Support
To absorb magnesium properly, your body also needs another mineral: boron, plus enough vitamin B6, and stomach acid.
Topical Magnesium Options
When stomach acid is low or you don’t tolerate oral forms, magnesium can also be absorbed through the skin. Try:
- Magnesium gels/creams on sore muscles or bottoms of your feet before bed.
- Epsom salt baths (magnesium sulfate) to relax muscles, ease stress, and support detoxification.
- Magnesium chloride sprays (“magnesium oil”) for daily use on tense areas like shoulders, neck, or calves.
Signs You May Be Low in Magnesium
- Muscle cramps or twitches
- PMS or headaches
- Anxiety, restless sleep, or irritability
- Chocolate cravings
2. Calcium — The Grounding Mineral
Calcium helps muscles relax, supports bone strength, and contributes to a sense of calm. But calcium balance is delicate — both too little and too much can cause problems. Some people develop a “calcium shell,” where calcium builds up in soft tissues instead of being deposited in bones and teeth; others experience true deficiency, leading to osteopenia or osteoporosis.
The Key: Calcium Needs Vitamin K2
K2 is the traffic controller that tells calcium where to go. Without it, calcium can accumulate in the wrong places, like arteries or joints.
If there’s too much calcium, vitamin K2 can help shuttle it back into the teeth and bones where it belongs.
Best Food-Based Options
- Eggshell calcium: Crush clean, sterilized eggshells into a fine powder and add a pinch to food or smoothies.
- AlgaeCal: A plant-based calcium made from marine algae (instead of limestone or chalk) making it more absorbable and easier on digestion. It naturally contains supporting minerals like magnesium, boron, and strontium to strengthen bones and keep calcium in balance. Some studies link high doses of isolated, non-algae derived calcium supplements to cardiovascular risk. AlgaeCal’s food-based matrix appears less likely to deposit calcium in arteries when used responsibly. Many experts recommend keeping total calcium intake around 1,000–1,200 mg per day from all sources combined, and always pairing it with vitamin K2 and magnesium to guide calcium into bones and teeth where it belongs.
Supplementation Caution
Because calcium balance is complex, I don’t recommend supplementing without testing. I talk about my recommended test below.
3. Potassium — The Inner Battery
Potassium is one of the main minerals your adrenals rely on to regulate energy, stress response, and hydration. Under stress, your body consumes both potassium and sodium rapidly.
Most adults benefit from more than 4,000 mg of potassium daily, yet many fall short.
Potassium-Rich Foods
- Avocado
- Broth made with potatoes peels, celery, parsley and sea salt
- Winter squash
- Leafy greens
- Coconut water (in moderation)
Simple Supplement support
My favorite supplement for adrenals has a balance of potassium (400 mg), sodium (400 mg) and Vitamin C. You take one to two scoops daily to improve energy.
Here is a link to my simple adrenal rescue plan that includes the adrenal cocktail, magnesium lotion and trace minerals (including boron).
4. Sodium — The Cellular Hydrator
Sodium often gets a bad reputation, but quality salt is essential for hydration, nerve conduction, and adrenal health. It helps your cells absorb water and supports blood pressure regulation.
Simple Morning Practice
Add a pinch of mineral-rich sea salt (like Celtic, Icelandic, or Redmond Real Sea Salt), to your morning water. This helps your body hydrate more fully and begin the day with balanced electrolytes.
Why HTMA Testing Is More Useful Than Blood Tests
Blood tests only capture what’s in circulation at that very moment — often influenced by what you ate or supplemented the day before.
An HTMA (Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis) reveals what has been happening in your body over the last 2–3 months, offering a richer picture of how stress, diet, and your lifestyle are shaping your mineral balance. This is why I offer this test to my clients to get an overall snapshot of physical and nervous system strengthen and resiliency.
Minerals tell the story of your lifestyle
Balancing your minerals isn’t about chasing high doses — it’s about restoring your body’s electrical rhythm. Start with whole foods, mindful hydration, stress reduction, and quality cofactors. Use testing to guide deeper support when needed.
When your minerals are in balance, your body does more than function. It feels grounded, energized, and alive.
