Magnesium is a critical mineral missing in most of our diets
You may have heard about magnesium deficiency, as it’s been in the news for good reason. Our soil is being depleted of critical nutrients, and chemical processing takes additional nutrients out of our food supply, so it's no wonder symptoms of magnesium deficiency are on the rise. Digestive issues, such as leaky gut, can lead to malabsorption, and medications like antacids decrease absorption, while diuretics increase urinary excretion of magnesium.
Some of the most common symptoms of magnesium deficiency include:
Leg cramps
Insomnia
Kidney and liver damage
Migraine headaches
Restless leg syndrome
Worsened PMS symptoms
Osteoporosis
Impotence
Magnesium’s crucial role is to help regulate calcium, potassium and sodium, but it’s essential for cellular health and a critical component of over 300 biochemical functions in the body and 800 enzymatic reactions.
Here is our recommended daily allowance:
Women: 310–320 mg
Men: 400–420 mg
What are good sources of magnesium?
Seeds and nuts (mainly pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews)
Beans (especially black beans, edamame, kidney)
Whole grains (much is lost when the grains are refined)
One caveat: even though you may be eating food with magnesium in it, you still may not be getting enough. Here are a few different supplement types of magnesium I recommend:
Magnesium Glycinate — is a chelated form of magnesium that tends to provide high levels of absorption and bioavailability and is typically considered ideal for those who are trying to correct a deficiency.
Magnesium Chelate — a form of magnesium that bonds to multiple amino acids and is in the same state as the food we consume and highly absorbable by the body.
Magnesium Citrate — is magnesium with citric acid, which has laxative properties and is often taken for constipation.
And finally, here are a couple quick and easy recipes for you to get an energy fix AND a good hit of magnesium?
Energy-Boosting PowerBalls
Ingredients:
16 oz. almond butter (you can use peanut butter or cashew butter, too)
14 oz. honey
3⁄4 blender full of rolled oats (not the instant kind)
Bowl full of crispy rice, coconut or sesame seeds
Healthy Extras (pick & choose):
2 spoonfuls rice protein powder, 1 spoonful nutritional yeast, 2 tablespoons of spirulina, flaxmeal
Instructions:
1. Mix almond butter and honey together in a bowl.
2. Put oats in a blender and blend until they assume a powder-like texture.
3. Add oats to nut butter/honey mixture and mix well. Adjust consistency
if necessary. You can add any of the “healthy extras” at this point.
4. Roll batter into small balls. Roll balls in your choice of crispy rice,
coconut or sesame seeds.
** If you‛re tired or short on time, you can just press the mixture into a baking dish and cut it into bars. No need to roll it into balls!
*Yields 35-40 PowerBalls. Will last in the refrigerator for a week. Can also make and put in freezer.
(raw) Cacao Energy Nuggets
Ingredients:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup powdered cacao (loaded w/ antioxidants)
1 tsp sea salt
(only use if you are using unsalted nuts, otherwise leave it out)
1 T. vanilla
¾ cup cashews
¾ cup almonds
½ cup pistachios
1 cup coconut (did not use this b/c we don't like coconut, so I increased cashews)
Healthy Extras (pick & choose):
dried blueberries flaxmeal, spirulina
Instructions:
In a small bowl, mix together honey, cacao, sea salt, and vanilla. Blend nuts until finely chopped. Add coconut and pulse until blended. Place in bowl and thoroughly blend in cacao mixture. Roll into balls or spread mixture into a pan and refrigerate until firm. Then cut into small squares.