Low Magnesium and Chocolate Cravings

Last night I ran across an article by Dr. Nan Kathryn Fuchs entitled, "The Great Calcium Hoax," and found it to be quite interesting. It said that medical studies show that calcium supplements are virtually useless for treating osteoporosis.

This past summer while remodeling the kitchen and doing extensive lifting and bending exercises, I pulled my back and experienced muscle spasms. I can remember thinking to myself earlier in May, that perhaps I would take the summer off down at the office, and concentrate on the remodel and play time. The Universe granted my desire for downtime, it was just that I forgot to state how I wanted to enjoy and play out this bit of vacation time. :-)

What I noticed about myself was that suddenly I craved chocolate. Now chocolate has never been a Lenten penance for me, because it was something I rarely ate or craved. This new desire to inhale a snickers (which never seemed to completely satisfy) followed by a Mars or Hershey bar, or whatever I could find in my kitchen, was totally out of character. I have wondered about this sudden craving for months and have mentioned it to friends. Last night after reading this article, I think I may have my answer. In the article while talking about calcium and magnesium it stated that, "Magnesium causes muscles to relax...while calcium causes them to contract".

So I guess at some level, my spirit was helping me to discover a natural muscle relaxer in the form of chocolate. It also mentioned and I quote, "What's more, magnesium helps fight food cravings. It's no accident that many women get chocolate cravings before and during their periods. You see, PMS is caused by low levels of magnesium...and cocoa is one of the world's most magnesium-rich foods!" So women, we do not need any more excuses for eating chocolate. Give yourself permission to enjoy a Dove bar for nourishment of your body & spirit on occasion, and think about upping your magnesium levels.

(Foods rich in magnesium include whole grains, nuts, beans, seeds, fish, avocados, and leafy green vegetables; they're some of the most nutritious foods around. An ounce of sunflower seeds contains 100 milligrams; almonds, 85; cashews, 75; wheat germ, 70; brazil nuts, 65; dark chocolate, 35. A half cup of cooked spinach, Swiss chard, or cooked beans contains 60 to 80 milligrams. Three ounces of many kinds of fish has 50 to 90 milligrams. About 80% of the magnesium in grains is in the bran and germ, which are removed in the milling of flour and rice, so refined grain products (such as white bread and white rice) are poor sources. If your drinking water is hard, you'll get a fair amount of magnesium from it.)

Home remodeling can be stressful, and when the kitchen is involved in the dismantle, it is easy to forget to nourish ourselves properly. I know I will pay more attention to feeding the body proper nutrition, and deep breathe and meditate to soothe the emotions.

Magnesium also helps to relieve Migraines, Insomnia, Depression and more! I had read in the past that when taking calcium supplements, you always want to take it with magnesium, this article helped me to understand a little more. I have never been a big fan of taking calcium supplements by themselves and rarely did, even though all the media hype says at my age it is critical.

Happy SUNday, and may your day be blessed by the Dove of Spirit.