Magnesium is an incredibly important nutrient needed by the body to work efficiently. While taking a magnesium supplement can help those depleted in this essential mineral in the short term, it can set up problems when taken over an extended period. We didn’t evolve to get isolated nutrients, or to get our nutrients from chemicals. Yet most supplements are just that, made in laboratories.
If the label on the bottles indicates a nutrient in isolation, such as magnesium or vitamin C, it is just that – made from chemicals (including petrochemicals), in a laboratory.
A far superior way to address this shortfall is to eat foods containing magnesium. Natural, quality, whole food contains all the nutrients in perfect balance, that are needed to digest and utilise each other. They work in perfect synergy, as does nature herself.
Foods that are rich in this mineral are mostly from plant sources. Examples include:
- green leafy vegetables, (such as spinach, kale, silver beat, brussel sprouts, etc)
- seeds (such as sesame, pumpkin, sunflower, etc)
- nuts (which are also seeds, such as cashew, almonds, etc)
- tempeh (another seed, this one from soy, but this is fermented which is the best way to consume soy)
- cacao (which is a seed)
- grains (which are also seeds, such as quinoa, buckwheat, oats)
- vegetables (such as pumpkin, squash, broccoli, beets)
- fruit (such as berries especially raspberries, but strawberries and also melons) beans (especially black beans)
From the above list, you can see that if you eat a varied plant based diet, you will be getting all the magnesium you need. And if the source is from a reliable certified organic grower, your nutrients will be assured.
Magnesium is a vital nutrient in hundreds of processes within the body, including bone health, muscle health (including the prevention of spasms and cramps), head pain, chronic pain in general and depression.
Perhaps one of the most fun foods containing magnesium in high amounts is cacao. Cacao is raw chocolate, not to be mistaken for cocoa, which is processed using heat. While heat may not affect the mineral content of plant based foods, it undoubtable affects other nutrients such as vitamins and enzymes, that are needed to help absorb the minerals.
The following recipe is designed to give you a delicious and quick way to maximise your magnesium intake.
250 gms (8oz) berries such as raspberries
4 generous teaspoons real honey (store bought can be diluted with syrup), or equivalent of good stevia
juice (and rind if you like) of 1 lemon
up to 1 cup flour, such as buckwheat or almond
handful of desiccated coconut (or maybe fresh coconut meat if you prefer)
4 rounded dessertspoons of raw cacao
Blend the berries and honey. Mix this with the flour, lemon juice and cacao. Refrigerate. Makes a lovely mousse-like dessert.
NB the buckwheat can make it a little gritty, but that seems to settle after a few hours in the fridge. So you may prefer to use a nut flour instead or a combination.
Learning to eat foods containing magnesium will ensure you have fun and never go short of this essential and often overlooked nutrient. A wide variety of magnesium rich foods will also ensure you will be getting a good dose of all the macro and micro nutrients, antioxidants and phytonutrients essential for a healthy life.