All About Health Benefits of Magnesium

Most of us want to stay healthy as we age. One of the most important ways to do this is to consume a generous amount of of magnesium in our daily diets.   It is no easy feat to make sure we get enough nutrients each day to stay healthy.  I hate to say this but a good part of the aging population just tends to eat what they want without regard to nutrition.  And many seniors who have spent years feeding their growing families and cooking daily have decided they need a break.  Many of the older population goes out to eat several times a week. Though restaurant food may taste good and dining out is an enjoyable experience, the food may not live up to the standards of a truly healthy diet.  The chefs and cooks are preparing food that you will enjoy which may have large amounts of fat, sugar and salt.

In our family I have set a goal of only eating what I call “bad” meals about four times a month.  And the reality eating out in restaurants is not always that wonderful.  I like to to know what I eat and the ingredients.  I cook a lot but that doesn’t mean I spend hours in the kitchen.  For example I make a huge pot of soup each week and freeze and refrigerate the soup in serving containers.  If we are home for lunch I just pull a container out and we have a complete mean.  I add lots of legumes to the soup to help to reach our daily requirement of magnesium.

Today Magnesium is considered one of the most important minerals to have a healthy body. Here are the foods that have the highest magnesium  The daily requirement for adults is about 400 to 350 mg per day.  You will find many charts online explaining the requirements and importance of magnesium

Here are some of the sources of Magnesium

1. dark chocolate
2. Avocados
3. nuts
4. legumes
5. tofu
6. seeds
7. whole grains
8. fatty fish
9. bananas
10. leafy greens

All of these foods that are rich in magnesium are also rich in many other vitamins and minerals 

Health Benefits of Magnesium

1. Helps fight depression
2. Energizes the body
3. Can help lower blood pressure
4. Anti Inflammatory
5. Reduces insulin resistance
6. Help stave of migraine headaches

Magnesium is one of nature’s natural stress reliever

Magnesium —something to consider

I have been using magnesium oil for about 3 years.  I rub a little on the bottom of my feet and I am off to dreamland. And it is another way to add your daily requirement of this important mineral.

I make sure we get enough magnesium in the way I prepare food.  Here are some suggestions to keep up your magnesium requires

1. Make soups with different legumes such as lentils, white beans, black beans
2. Add a variety of seeds such as sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin to your salads and other dishes
3. Grab a handful of raw nuts as a snack
4. Have salmon and other oil fish at least two or three times a week
5. Grab a banana as an afternoon snack
6. Dark chocolate should not be a problem.  Chocolate is yummy and offers a lot of magnesium

What About supplements

There are many types of magnesium supplements along with calcium and vitamin K.  You will need expert advice as to which type is best for you.

Are you getting enough magnesium in your diet?