What You Need To Know About Magnesium
Nova Health Club • April 18, 2019
Nutrition can be a daunting topic.
Because many of our members are looking for body composition changes, including but not limited to muscle gain and fat loss, we are quick to educate on macronutrients. This includes protein, fat, and carbohydrates. These nutrients are the components of food that make up the calories contained in your food. While they are important for body composition changes it's also important to understand micronutrients.
Micronutrients include vitamins, minerals and trace elements that don’t contribute to your body's caloric intake but have a significant impact on both how you absorb the food you consume and how your body functions as a whole.
A complete nutrient deficiency may be rare but nutrient imbalances can be very common, especially as our foods become less nutrient dense due to poor farming techniques and mass food production.
Magnesium is an extremely important micronutrient that contributes to overall health and wellbeing. Magnesium has the ability to:
Help with sleep-related issues by preparing your body for sleep via muscle relaxation and a nerve calming effect.
Protect your heart by ensuring the calcium you consume is incorporated into your bones rather than the tissue of your blood vessels.
By relaxing smooth muscle cells, magnesium can help reduce high blood pressure. The smooth muscle associated with your veins and arteries produces less pressure on the vessels when the smooth muscle is relaxed.
It can have a protective effect against diabetes by lowering your risk of developing the disease.
While supplementation is an option there are many nutrient dense foods that you can consume day to day to help naturally increase your magnesium intake.
Want to start getting more magnesium into your diet? Begin by incorporating foods such as pumpkin seeds, cooked spinach, dark chocolate, black beans, quinoa, halibut, almonds, cashews, and avocado!!
Think your peak fitness years are behind you once you hit your 50s? Think again.
Meet Kris, a Nova member who recently compared his current fitness stats
A consistent member for years, Rosalind shows up twice a week and makes her health a priority next to work and family.
Matt proves that when you add commitment to a structured plan, success is inevitable.
Joy joined Nova with the goal to rebuild strength and push herself physically again. Over the past few months, she has proved her commitment to this goal despite a very demanding schedule.
See how Joe transformed his body, mindset and consistency to take his results the next level!
In this interview, Beth shares how she stayed motivated, how her mindset and nutrition changes contributed to her results, and how she plans to keep the momentum going into 2026.
Over the past year Dino has trained consistently, built mobility and strength across every major lift, and hit daily activity goals like 7-8k steps - even while navigating the difficult loss of his wife this past year.
Sarah has been training with Nova for just over a year and we chose her as our SuperNova for how she uses training and fitness to stay strong for what she loves most: skiing, surfing, and adventure.
It's that time of year again where Halloween candy is everywhere - especially if you have children who are in the trick or treating age. We all know that candy is unhealthy and we are aware of sugar's detrimental effects on our health, from weight gain to cavities... But do you know the risks in eating Halloween candy that go beyond weight gain and cavities? While sugar is certainly a concern, other ingredients in many popular candies can chip away at your health and well-being. The Deceptive Allure of Halloween Treats While eating Halloween candy can be a nostalgic pleasure, the ingredients list tells a different story. I personally love Halloween but about 7 years ago I went clean and gave up Halloween candy for good because I learned it is much more than a sugar problem… Beyond sugar, are ingredients like hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, titanium dioxide and common allergens like wheat, corn, dairy, and soy. These ingredients can wreak havoc on our bodies, leading to a host of negative health effects that most consumers overlook. Beware: 5 Ingredients in Halloween Candy With Negative Health Effects 1. Hydrogenated Oils: Hidden Fats Hydrogenated oils transform liquid oils into solid fats and enhance texture and shelf life. These trans fats are notorious for raising bad cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of heart disease and causing inflammation in the body. Look out for the word ‘Hydrogenated’ in candies like Skittles or Starburst 2. High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS): A Sweet Sabotage HFCS is another frequent offender. It’s a cheap, sweet alternative to sugar that can lead to rapid spikes in blood sugar levels and cravings. Overconsumption of HFCS has been linked to obesity, insulin resistance and fatty liver disease. Many people consume HFCS without even realizing it. Candies like Oh Henry and other chocolate bars have HFCS. 3. Artificial Colors: A Rainbow of Risks The colors that make Halloween candy so visually appealing are often the result of artificial colorings like Red 40, Yellow 5 (Tartrazine), Yellow 6 (Sunset Yellow) and Blue 1. Studies have shown links between these artificial colors and hyperactivity in children, as well as allergic reactions as well. Here are some of your Halloween favorites with these colors: Skittles , Maynards , Sour Patch Kids , Jolly Rancher , Twizzlers , Starburst and M&M’s 4. Titanium Dioxide: The White Truth Titanium dioxide is used in many candies to enhance their whiteness and opacity. It is a detergent that damages your gut and decreases your gut microbiome. Any candy that has a white center, like Skittles is known to use this ingredient. 5. Allergens: Hidden Dangers for Sensitive Individuals Finally, we can’t forget the processed allergens like wheat, corn, dairy and soy in many candies like Mars or Snickers . Those who are highly allergic know to stay away from foods with these ingredients but what about the low grade allergic response that most people ignore? Hives, scratchy through, congestions, asthma, sneezing, itchy eyes and mild GI discomfort are all effects of these allergens. The Scary Reality Halloween is a fun time but we’ve really thrown in the towel when it comes to our health based on the things we are accepting as ok. We've created a society where we buy the cheapest, lowest quality candies to give to our children (and ourselves). Most, if not all of the mainstream candy companies produce products that are high in chemicals to preserve shelf life, to entice our eyeballs and to stimulate our brain to want more the moment it hits our palette. We've also bought into the idea that it's ok because it is just once a year... but the reality is that this food is everywhere all the time. If it was just one day on Oct 31 then sure - that could be ok, but most children are coming home with more than 10lbs of candy that they consume over the next 30 days. It’s no wonder why so many of us suffer with health issues including our children. Modern children are being diagnosed with more health problems than previous generations. Things like childhood depression/anxiety, food allergies, ADHD, autism, eczema and obesity are just some of the things we are seeing more of. Stay Vigilant and Read Labels Can we blame our poor health all on Halloween candy? Certainly not - it's more than just candy in October however the amount of candy with the above ingredients being consumed during Halloween and through the year is definitely a contributor. So when it comes to candy, watch out for the sugar but it’s time to wake up to the other ingredients that are damaging us. The best thing to do is read the labels and be aware of what you choose to consume. And hopefully in time we choose to buy 'treats' that are not filled with chemicals. Next year, choose to buy healthier options versus the mainstream candy we grew up with. Healthier Alternatives Here are some options to consider instead of the mainstream low quality garbage that we've been accustomed too: Chocolate Bars Unreal Coconut Bars : This company is on point with way healthier ingredients than the mainstream. They carry an assortment of candies beyond just the coconut bar (which is one of my faves). Granola Bars Made Good : You've probably seen this brand around in stores - specializing in gluten free healthier granola bars. Cookies Simple Mills : Making cookies and baked goods gluten free and with sweeteners that have a lower glycemic index than regular sugar (less of a blood sugar spike) Candies Smart Sweets : Candies without artificial colors and high sugar Lollipops & Jelly Beans YumEarth : W ithout artificial colors Water Enhancer (Vitamin C) Emergen-C : Something different from usual candy - Vitamin C drink crystals that are a much healthier option to candy and kids love em. There are more brands out there but you have to be on your toes when buying. Pay attention to brands, scrutinize the ingredient list and pay the extra money. Every dollar you spend is a vote - the more we vote for the better products for our health, the lower the cost will end up being in the future.
