It’s time to make some nutritional changes to boost your energy. Magnesium plays a significant role in overall health and is essential for healthy living.

I don’t know anyone who isn’t’ Vitamin D deficient, including me. Every time I go to my doctor, they encourage me to take higher levels of Vitamin D, but nobody wonders why my levels are so low. Nobody has asked me: “Are you getting enough magnesium?” I am a triathlete and outdoors many hours during my training absorbing Vitamin D from the sun. I eat healthy, well-balanced meals and take a supplement, but it’s still insufficient.

Why do I mention Vitamin D? Because we need adequate levels of magnesium in the body for the absorption and metabolism of not only Vitamin D but calcium too.

Why You Need To Boost Your Magnesium Intake In Midlife

Benefits of magnesium?

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body after calcium, potassium, and sodium. Magnesium helps with the absorption of calcium to keep bones and teeth healthy. It assists in proper muscle, nerve, and heart function and regulates blood glucose, blood pressure, stress, and energy levels.

Bone loss in women occurs fastest in the first few years after menopause, but bone loss continues. A recent study involving 82,098 women aged 39 to 72 years revealed that those with the highest magnesium intake had the most healthy bones and muscles.

On the other hand, low levels of magnesium in the brain are linked to imbalances of serotonin (the happy hormone) and other brain chemicals, creating fluctuating moods, depression, anxiety, and irritability.

How much magnesium do we need?

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the recommended amount of magnesium is 400-420 milligrams daily for men and 310-320 mg daily for women. The benefits of magnesium are incredible, and we can increase our intake by eating foods high in magnesium.

Foods High In Magnesium

Almonds, bananas, beans, beans, broccoli, brown rice, cashews, egg yolk, fish oil, flaxseed, green vegetables, milk, mushrooms, other nuts, oatmeal, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, soybeans, sunflower seeds, sweet corn, tofu, whole grains, and dark chocolate.

I love pumpkin seeds. They are tasty and versatile, and 2 tablespoons contain 96 mg of magnesium, which is about 25% of the RDA. Combine pumpkin seeds with almonds, sunflower seeds, cashews, pine nuts, flaxseed, and pecan makes for a great trail mix for a snack on the go. This little mix keeps your hunger down and your energy up. Watch your portions because nuts are higher in calories too.

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