To keep your body strong and healthy, make sure to pay attention to your intake of all essential nutrients.
A magnesium deficiency can lead to a plethora of health problems, including diabetes, heart attacks and anxiety.
Many people are magnesium deficient without even realizing it, and it’s better to be safe than sorry! Here are six proven ways to boost magnesium levels.
1. Blend Magnesium-Rich Foods
If it’s a rich dark green and it has leaves, chances are it’s excellent for your health. Foods like kale and spinach have been popularized as foods rich in iron and antioxidants, but what not everyone knows is that they also do wonders for your magnesium levels.
Go ahead and make the verdant salad of your dreams, and toss in some nuts along the way for even more of the mineral. A few handfuls of almonds, cashews, pine nuts, brazil nuts, pecans and most of all pumpkin seeds are a great natural magnesium supplement.
If you’re in the mood for something sweeter, try this magnesium-rich smoothie:
- 5 bananas (fresh or frozen)
- 1/2 bunch of fresh kale
- 1/2 bunch of fresh spinach
- 1 Tablespoon of chia seeds
- 4 dates
- 1.5 – 2 cups of purified water or fresh coconut water
2. Make Your Own Magnesium Lotions
Magnesium butter smells fresh and feels divine when rubbed onto your skin. You can easily make it from scratch yourself from only three ingredients. It’s the perfect addition to your pre-bedtime routine—or your own domestic spa day.
Blend together just a half cup of coconut oil, another half cup of coconut butter and a quarter cup magnesium oil and you’ll have a soft, fragrant lotion to massage onto your skin.
Here are some additional recipes you can try making at home from TheModestMomBlog and RadiantLifeCatalog. It takes about 20-30 minutes for any lotion to completely absorb into your skin, so if after that time you’d like to rub the lotion off with a wet cloth, feel free to.
If you’re brave, you can also choose to use pure magnesium oil as a body lotion. But be warned, many people find it a mildly irritating, while very few find it super soothing.
3. Go For a Swim…In The Sea!
All major oceans are a natural source of magnesium. In fact, sixty-five percent of the magnesium in the world is contained in sea water. If you live close to one, luxuriate in the water as long as you want and feel the mineral seep through your skin to revitalize your cells.
4. Improve Absorption With Key Nutrients
Your magnesium levels aren’t just dependent on how much of the mineral you take in. Other materials in the body are required to properly process it. To help boost your levels, ensure that you’re getting enough of these nutrients:
- Vitamin D3
- Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
- Selenium (can be found in brazil nuts)
- Vitamin E (can be found in avocado)
- Vitamin B6
That’s only one side of the story, though: like it or not, there’s a host of products you’ll want to avoid if you’re serious about maintaining healthy magnesium levels. The list includes foods high in sugar, gluten, and alcohol. The bottom line: avoid anything that is overly refined, processed or sweetened and stick with real food.
5. Epsom Salt Baths
Basking in nutrient-infused water is both physically soothing and chemically strengthening. Add a dash of magnesium flakes to your next hot bath and relax. Epsom salt baths are a sweet alternative to magnesium flakes, and they’re fun to float in.
6. Don’t Let Stress Take Over
Magnesium is the 4th most abundant mineral in your body and is the most critical mineral of all for coping with stress. That’s why, when you’re constantly stressed, you can become magnesium deficient even if you eat the right foods regularly. To prevent this from happening try meditating or coloring books.
Bottom Line
An often overlooked bodily necessity, magnesium is essential to all facets of your health. Promote the health of your mind, heart and body by consuming enough of it every day. You may feel a sudden surge in your energy levels, or the feeling of being cleansed from within. Activities that promote healthy magnesium levels also promote overall health—so you have every reason to go home and test out what you’ve learned.