Magnesium Matters
Why It’s Essential for Your Hormonal Health
Magnesium is essential for hormonal health and critical in regulating mood swings, insomnia, and overall health and wellness. If your healthcare provider has suggested increasing your magnesium intake, here you’ll learn why magnesium is essential, highlight foods to boost your levels and uncover lifestyle habits that might be depleting this vital mineral.
Magnesium for Your Hormones
Hormone Production: Your body needs magnesium to make and balance hormones like progesterone, testosterone, and estrogen.
Stress Relief: Magnesium helps keep your stress response in check. It supports the HPA axis, which regulates how your body reacts to stress.
Thyroid Health: Getting enough magnesium is essential for keeping your thyroid hormones balanced and functioning well.
Blood Sugar Control: Magnesium plays a role in how sensitive your body is to insulin, which helps keep your blood sugar levels steady.
Boosting Your Magnesium Intake
Want to up your magnesium game? Here are some tasty foods to include in your meals that have bonus nutrients:
Avocados: Creamy and delicious, they include nutrients like heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, potassium, and fiber.
Nuts: They also provide healthy fats, zinc, and selenium—all of which support hormone production and balance. Additionally, their high fiber content stabilizes blood sugar. Cashews rank the highest.
Seeds: Pumpkin and chia seeds are great for salads or as crunchy snacks, adding a punch of Omega-3s and fiber.
Leafy Greens: Spinach and Swiss chard are fantastic additions to smoothies or salads, or even sauteed as a side dish.
Whole Grains: Add wheat bran to your breakfast or quinoa as a side dish. Quinoa can also be used as a breakfast cereal or added to a salad.
Beans and Legumes: Black beans and edamame are healthy and super versatile. Beans are great in main dishes such as soup, and edamame is a good replacement for chips during social events.
Fatty Fish: Salmon adds magnesium, Omega 3, and 22g of protein in a 3.5 oz serving.
Dark Chocolate: Eaten in moderation and shouldn’t be your go-to if your goal is to increase the magnesium in your diet.
Magnesium Depleters
While you’re adding more magnesium to your diet, keep an eye out for things that can drain it from your body:
Too Much Alcohol and Caffeine: Consuming reduces intestinal absorption of magnesium and increases urine production, adding to the loss.
High Stress Levels: Try relaxation techniques like yoga or meditation to reduce stress.
Intense Exercise: Make sure you replenish after workouts with a serving of pumpkin seeds and rehydration.
Processed Foods: Overall, processed foods have been depleted of most nutrients and contain additives known to be harmful.
Certain Medications: Some medications can lower magnesium levels, so check with your doctor.
Incorporating more magnesium into your diet helps support your hormonal health and overall well-being. Chatting with a healthcare professional is always a good idea if you’re curious about how much magnesium you need or have specific health concerns. To feel more balanced, sleep better, and be energized, prioritizing magnesium in your diet may be what you need.
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*Health and wellness coaches engage in evidence-based, client-centered processes that facilitate and empower clients to develop and achieve self-determined, health and wellness goals. We do not diagnose, interpret medical data, prescribe or de-prescribe, recommend supplements, provide nutrition consultation or create meal plans, provide exercise prescription or instruction, consult and advise, or provide psychological therapeutic interventions or treatment.
