I know I talk a lot about the things you should GIVE UP for clear skin, but today is all about a mineral that EVERYBODY needs more of: magnesium!!

This is my absolute favorite mineral — it’s my feel good mineral.

I’ll let you know what yummy treat you can definitely indulge on to up your magnesium intake later on…

According to Norman Shealy, MD, PhD, an American neurosurgeon and a pioneer in pain medicine:[btx_quote author=””]“Every known illness is associated with a magnesium deficiency and it’s the missing cure to many diseases.”[/btx_quote]

This means magnesium is ABSOLUTELY VITAL for good health.

Magnesium does more than just regulate calcium and potassium and sodium, but it’s also responsible for 300 other functions in your body.

I mentioned the importance of glutathione, the master antioxidant, for clear skin and longevity… Well, magnesium is NECESSARY in glutathione synthesis.

Around 80% of the population is actually magnesium deficient.

Unfortunately, most people are unaware of their magnesium deficiency and what it means for their health…

Why Are Most People Magnesium Deficient?

Soil depletion and genetically modified organisms have lead to a widespread magnesium deficiency. Our ancestors used to get plenty of magnesium from the soil, but because of the dumb farming practices of today, the soil is stripped of all the minerals that we need to thrive.

Leaky gut is another factor messing with nutrient absorption. Leaky gut is a permeable gut, so instead of protecting you, it allows foods and bacteria to pass into your system and mess with your immune system. Worse than nutrients malabsorption, leaky gut can lead to various autoimmune diseases.

Learn how to heal Leaky Gut for clear skin here.

Are You Magnesium Deficient?

Probably…

Seeing as how around 80% of the population is magnesium deficient, it’s likely that you are too.

Interestingly, only 1% of your total magnesium is in the blood, so a common blood test would not be able to tell you if you are indeed magnesium deficient.

Here are some signs you are magnesium deficient:

• Do you get leg cramps? Or, is your leg always moving?
• Are you having trouble sleeping?
• Are you always anxious? Irritable? Nervous?
• Do you have high blood pressure?
• Do you have Type 2 diabetes?
• Are you always feeling tired?
• Do you get migraines a lot?
• Do you get tremors?
• Do you have an irregular heartbeat?

If you’ve answered yes to any of the above, it’s time to take your magnesium deficiency seriously!

The worse the magnesium deficiency, the worse its symptoms… It can get as bad as depression, ADHD, cardiac arrhythmia, hormonal imbalances, PMS…

Because of soil erosion since the 1930s, the fruits and vegetables of today do not have the same mineral content as they used to… For example, your grandma got the same vitamin A content from 1 orange, as you get from eating 8.

The same goes for calcium and magnesium. Food today is not what it used to be, so food alone may not be enough to reverse a deficiency.

How To Reverse A Magnesium Deficiency

Take up to 600mg of magnesium bisglycinate supplement every day.

Warning: if you take more than 600mg, you might get diarrhea.

I’ve built up my magnesium dosage pretty slowly, starting with about 200mg, and now taking 400-1000mg a day depending on how I feel.

Overall, I find magnesium a super safe supplement to take, and pop it quite liberally throughout the day. It’s great for anxiety and sleep… the brain, the heart… You name it!

But what’s the most delicious way to get more magnesium?

Dark Chocolate — 1 square of dark chocolate contains roughly 95 milligrams of magnesium!

You may have heard the old myth that chocolate causes pimples, but this is simply untrue.

Milk chocolate and white chocolate may in fact cause pimples, but they’re not real chocolate as far as I’m concerned.

Look for dark chocolate above 70%, without any dairy or soy lecithin. Chocolate today is sometimes packed with filler instead of chocolate, so I’d read the ingredients very carefully and find a chocolate bar that contains very little sugar — the less the better.

Hershey’s “dark” chocolate, for example, has: sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, cocoa processed with alkali, milk fat, lactose (milk), soy lecithin, PGPR (emulsifier), vanillin (artificial flavor), milk.

In other words, total BS — not chocolate. Avoid buying yucky chocolate or else you might see the consequences on your pretty face!

My chocolate bars only contain: Organic dark chocolate (organic cocoa mass, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic vanilla powder). Super simple ingredient list, because dark chocolate doesn’t need a bunch of filler.

You can enjoy some dark chocolate without feelings of guilt, and it won’t make you break out. Just make sure you’re not eating an entire bar of chocolate every single day, because too much sugar is not a good idea. Plus dark chocolate contains some caffeine, which can ruin the quality of your sleep.

If you need a dessert for those days when your cravings are getting to you… then reach for a high-quality bar of dark chocolate instead of even fruit (fattening and insulin spiking!) or gluten-free desserts (insulin spiking).

Love,
Olena

P.S. If you need help on your skin-clearing journey, sign up to get 28 of my BEST hacks for clear skin here!

Supplement:
Magnesium Bisglycinate