Magnesium is a vital nutrient being necessary for cellular health and over 300 biochemical reactions in our bodies. Due to magnesium being involved in so many physiological functions, you can quickly become low in magnesium especially if your diet is not high in magnesium rich foods. For example, magnesium is necessary to turn vitamin D into its active form so that it can turn on calcium absorption. This means, to absorb calcium we require vitamin D. To convert Vitamin D into the correct form we need magnesium. Thus, we essentially need magnesium for calcium absorption, not just vitamin D. (1, 2)

Magnesium is required for the following major functions:

• Nerve function

• Protein synthesis

• Neurotransmitter release

• Energy metabolism

• Blood sugar control

• Blood pressure regulation

The majority of your body’s total magnesium is stored in your bones, muscles and soft tissues while only about 1 percent is concentrated in the blood. Low levels of magnesium have been associated with a number of conditions, including  hypertension, migraines, Alzheimer’s, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, heart disease and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

The healing properties of magnesium and uses of magnesium-rich food include:

1. they calm nerves,

2. harmonise various mental and emotional imbalances,

3. relax functioning of the muscles

4. soothe erratic changes such as migraines

5. create better flow in digestion

6. overcome the fast-cycling blood sugar imbalances in diabetes

7. ability to strengthen the structural aspect of the body by reducing soft-tissue calcium and calcified plaque to counteract conditions such as:

• chronic fatigue syndrome

• fibromyalgia

• Chronic fatigue

• Anxiety & depression

• constipation

• arthritis

• osteoporosis

• hormone imbalances & PMS

• Heart attack

• Type 2 diabetes

How to increase your magnesium intake:

So the best way to ensure that the daily magnesium intake it high is to consume unrefined and unprocessed, plant based whole foods such as legumes (beans, fermented soy products (e.g. miso, tempeh), peas and lentils, vegetables, especially the green variety, and most whole grains, nuts and seeds. Those wholefoods work synergistically as they do not contain isolated forms of nutrients but combinations that work together the way they are meant to. It is important to consider that they should be organically sourced or from farmer markets as their produce will have a higher magnesium content due to the higher magnesium content of their soil. Additionally, for optimal utilisation and absorption of magnesium, anti-nutrients (e.g. phytic acid) in the recommended plant sources, need to be removed through proper food preparation techniques such as soaking or roasting (=activation).

My Top 5 Magnesium-Rich Foods are:

1. Cacao powder and cacao nibs, are one of the highest plant-based sources of magnesium.

2. Green leafy vegetables and herbs: Kale, spinach, chard (They have magnesium in the centre of their cell) and parsley

3. Brown rice

4. Pumpkin seeds

5. Almonds

Cacao Smoothie

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup of pitted dates or medjool dates

• 2 frozen bananas

• 400ml of coconut milk

• 2 cups of almond milk (activated and sugar free)

• 1 tsp of cinnamon

• 2 tbsp of cacao powder

• 1 tbsp of almond butter (= optional)

• 1 tbsp of collagen powder

 Topping

• Cacao nibs

• Cacao powder

• Cinnamon

• Chia seeds

• Desiccated coconut

• Bee pollen

• Almond butter

Method

Put the dates into your blender and blend for 30 seconds at high speed.

Add all the other ingredients and blend for 2 minutes at high speed.

Sprinkle with your favourite topping. 

Recipe Copyright 2019 Doctor Verena. All Rights Reserved

Images: Amani Lindsell, TWP The Womens Pic Website, Facebook, Instagram

Styling by Belinda Elliott