Video | Importance | Foods | Side Dishes, Snacks, & Seasonings | Supplements

Magnesium deficiency is a common issue that can lead to muscle cramps, fatigue, irritability, and difficulty sleeping.

In this post, I will share foods that are high in magnesium that you can easily and deliciously include in your low-carb diet.

Low-Carb Foods That Are High in Magnesium [Video]

In this video, you’ll learn…

• Symptoms of low magnesium in your body.
• The importance of magnesium in a low-carb diet.
• Examples of magnesium-rich foods that you can incorporate into your diet.

The Importance of Magnesium in Low-Carb Diets

When I taught about magnesium in my classrooms, I’d refer to it as ‘mellow magnesium’ because it has a wide range of calming effects on your body from more relaxed muscles to less anxiety.

According to research, almost half of the United States population consumes less than the required amount of magnesium from food. (1)

Magnesium deficiency is of particular importance for low-carb dieters because electrolytes, like magnesium, are more easily flushed out of your system when your intake of carbs is low.

Low-Carb, Magnesium-Boosting Foods

Fortunately, there are many low-carb foods that you can add to your day to boost the amount of magnesium you are getting.

In fact, a properly prepared daily salad is one of the best vehicles for filling your body with magnesium-rich foods! 

A bed of dark leafy greens along with pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and avocados gives you a good dose of magnesium and makes for a great-tasting salad.

Side Dishes, Snacks, and Seasonings! 

Dark greens like Swiss chard and spinach can also be eaten cooked and served as a side dish with a high-magnesium dinner of salmon or mackerel.

If you add a snack to your day, good choices include full-fat cultured yogurt with chia or hemp seeds, or things like bone broth, almonds, Brazil nuts, and unsweetened dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao).

To give yourself an additional dose of magnesium for the day, season your food with herbs that provide the mineral, like basil, dill, oregano, parsley, sage, and turmeric.

Other Options for Increasing Magnesium Intake

Despite boosting your intake of high-magnesium foods, if you are just starting your low-carb diet or you are prone to muscle cramps or trouble sleeping, it’s a good idea to make use of a high-quality magnesium supplement.

I use a brand called Endure Electrolyte supplement and we purchase it from Amazon.

I hope this was helpful!  I will see you back here next week with a new post to help you succeed with your healthy low-carb diet!

References: 

1. “Almost half (48%) of the US population consumed less than the required amount of magnesium from food in 2005–2006 Rosanoff, Andrea, Connie M. Weaver, and Robert K. Rude. “Suboptimal magnesium status in the United States: are the health consequences underestimated?.” Nutrition reviews 70.3 (2012): 153-164.

About the Author

Dr. Becky Gillaspy, DC graduated Summa Cum Laude with research honors from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1991.