Recipes with magnesium-rich foods to strengthen bones

Magnesium performs important functions in the body, so it is essential to include it regularly in the diet.

• Why Magnesium Helps Strengthen Bones
• 17 tricks to take more magnesium in the diet
• Foods with magnesium
• Recipes with a lot of magnesium to take care of bones

From a chemical point of view, magnesium is an alkaline earth mineral. It belongs to the same family as calcium and this chemical fact makes magnesium a vital element for the maintenance of calcium in the body and, therefore, is essential to keep bones strong.

WHY MAGNESIUM HELPS STRENGTHEN BONES

Of every three to five calcium molecules that the body needs, one of magnesium is needed for them to be absorbed. This means that an important part of the ingested magnesium is destined to make the use of calcium more effective.

At a time when decalcification or osteoporosis is one of the important problems in female pathology, especially from menopause, we find that many foods such as milk or bread (among others) are enriched with calcium, but not with magnesium.

This favors an overload of calcium in the body, because it does not absorb calcium correctly, and a lack of magnesium. Therefore, magnesium supplementation in low doses for a long time (1 tablet a day for 10 days a month) is undoubtedly an ideal complement for women with osteopenia or osteoporosis, together with calcium and silicon. However, the best way to get the nutrients that the body always needs is to try to get them through diet.

17 TRICKS TO TAKE MORE MAGNESIUM IN THE DIET

Keep in mind that the daily magnesium needs in men are 350 mg and 300 mg in women. The percentage indicated at the end of each recipe is therefore for men and women respectively.

Following a few simple dietary guidelines can significantly increase magnesium intake. It is important to reduce refined products, simple sugars, excess dairy, fats and animal proteins.

• 1. You cannot do without fats, but these must be of quality and preferably unsaturated: legumes, seeds, nuts, avocados, vegetable oils … A good idea is to always have nuts on hand, better raw and in shell.
• 2. It is recommended to change cow’s milk for vegetable milks: oat, rice, almonds or soy. You can also substitute cheese for tofu, or at least start decreasing your consumption.
• 3. If you want to gratin a vegetable with a béchamel sauce it is preferable to make it with oat milk or try to cover it with a mixture of breadcrumbs, parsley and almonds to brown it. Another option is to au gratin with a homemade mayonnaise once the vegetable is cooked.
• 4. On the contrary, it is advisable to increase the consumption of fresh foods: fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Preference should be given to raw fruits and vegetables, preparing tasty salads with fresh and tender vegetables and in any case subjected to rapid cooking.
• 5. It is useful to moderate the consumption of proteins of animal origin. Preferably they should be sought in legumes, nuts, fish, tofu …, foods that, at the same time, provide magnesium.
• 6. Legume pâtés are easy to make, increase their digestibility and serve both as a first course and as an appetizer or snack.
• 7. Although also consumed in discreet amounts, sesame, parsley and chives are also rich in magnesium. They can be incorporated into sauces, salads, pastas, soups…
• 8. Ginger, although taken in small quantities, has significant doses of magnesium. It can be added to soy sauce to dress all kinds of dishes.
• 9. Choosing undercooked or raw foods is a good way to make the most of their minerals. We offer you other useful tips for this purpose.
• 10. Avoid prolonged cooking at very high temperatures to reduce magnesium losses. Quick toasted and sautéed are preferable to boiling and stews.
• 11. Moderate the consumption of tea and coffee. They can be replaced by varied infusions and even, if preferred, with a sweet touch (anise, fennel, licorice) that will avoid having to sweeten with sugar.
• 12. Use unrefined sea salt, richer in magnesium.
• 13. Change industrially made sweets for fruit, nuts, rice crackers, popcorn, wholemeal toast with chickpea pate or ground sesame, etc.
• 14. Add brewer’s yeast and wheat germ to salads, creams…
• 15. Enrich the pasta with seeds and nuts. You can make sauces such as pesto, a curry with almonds or simply sauté it with garlic, pine nuts and raisins. Also accompany it with walnuts, garlic and rosemary.
• 16. Use wholemeal flour whenever possible, both for cooking and for homemade baking.
• 17. Introduce algae as remineralizers of the diet. A good alternative is to add them to vegetable creams and stews, without their presence being over noticed. The best options are wakame and agar-agar for salads, kombu for broths and legumes or heniquin for light stew.

FOODS WITH MAGNESIUM (IN MG PER 100 G)

• Pumpkin seeds: 535
• Cocoa: 500
• Sunflower seeds: 420
• Sesame: 347
• Wheat germ: 327
• Soybeans: 250
• Millet: 170
• Almond: 170
• Peanut: 163
• Pistachio: 160
• Brown rice: 157
• Whole barley: 155
• Purslane: 151
• Hazelnut: 150
• Whole wheat: 145
• Oat flakes: 140
• Dried beans: 130
• Chickpeas: 108
• Lentils: 77
• White rice: 63
• Spinach: 58
• OCRA: 57

RECIPES WITH A LOT OF MAGNESIUM TO TAKE CARE OF BONES

The Western diet depresses magnesium levels because intensive farming methods reduce its levels in the body and because most of the foods on which it is based (meat, refined flours, sugar, colas …) contain low amounts of magnesium and also facilitate its excretion in the urine.

To reduce this deficit, whole grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits should be included at the expense of other foods.

Below we offer recipes rich in magnesium.

LENTILS WITH VEGETABLES

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4):

• 150 g dried lentils
• 1 piece of kombu seaweed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 onion
• 1 small sweet potato
• 1 red potato
• 5 chard leaves
• 1 cooked beet
• 1 medium fennel bulb
• 8 ocras or okra

PREPARATION (20′ + 40′ COOKING):

1. Wash the lentils and leave a while in water. Meanwhile prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. Peel and diced the onion and fennel. Peel and cut the sweet potato and potato into regular squares, as if it were for a fruit salad. Peel the cooked beetroot and dice it. Blanch the Swiss chard for 20 seconds and cut into thin julienne. Wash the okra or ochre and cut into slices.
3. In a casserole pour the olive oil and sauté the onion and fennel, with a bay leaf and a clove of garlic. When both ingredients are a little soft, add the lentils and cover with water or vegetable broth, add the soaked kombu leaf and let the boil start.
4. After about 20 minutes add the potato and sweet potato cubes and the okra and continue cooking.
5. After about 15 more minutes add the chard, including the cut stems, and leave until the lentils are cooked.
6. Finally, add the beet cubes and check that it is not too soupy and that it is at the point of salt.

MAGNESIUM PER SERVING:

52 mg (cover 43%-51% of daily needs).

MILLET WITH CURRY TO BOTH WORLDS

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4):

• 250 g millet
• 750 ml vegetable or seaweed broth
• 3 garlic cloves
• 40 ml olive oil
• 2 bunches fresh spinach
• 1 plantain
• 20 g pine nuts
• 8 apricot apricots
• 20 g sunflower seeds
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• parsley and salt

PREPARATION (20′ + 10′ COOKING):

1. First brown a few slices of garlic in a little oil without coloring. Add the millet and cover with three measures of broth strained by a measure of millet and bring everything to a simmer. The cooking must last about 20 minutes and the proportion of water must be adequate so that the grain can absorb it well.
2. Put a pot on the fire with water and salt and when it reaches boiling scald the bunches of spinach, clean and whole, for 30 seconds in several batches. Drain and cut into strips removing the base and thick stems.
3. Peel the banana, dice it and sauté in oil. When it starts to soften add the julienned apricots, sunflower seeds and pine nuts and sprinkle with the curry. Cover with a little water to finish cooking. At the last moment add the spinach.
4. Serve millet with spinach and banana curry and garnish with parsley.

VARIANTS

If you do not find plantain you can replace it with a slightly green Canarian banana or an apple with firm pulp.

If you want a more decorative effect, you can take thin strips of the banana and fry them in oil at medium temperature until crispy.

MAGNESIUM PER SERVING:

199 mg (cover 57%-66% of daily needs).

WARM BULGUR SALAD

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4):

• 200 g bulgur (broken wheat)
• 30 g pumpkin seeds
• 30 g sunflower seeds
• 30 g raisins with pips
• 100 g canned corn
• 100 g peas
• 1 bunch parsley
• 40 ml sesame oil

PREPARATION (15′ + 20′ COOKING):

1. Lightly toast the bulgur in a low casserole, without oil. At the same time, boil water with salt (in a ratio of two and a half parts water to one of bulgur) and when it reaches the boil pour over the bulgur. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes. Once ready, drizzle with sesame oil and let cool.
2. While cooking the bulgur pour the peas into boiling water and leave a few minutes. After this time, check the cooking, drain and cool.
3. Wash the parsley, finely chop and mix with the already cold bulgur. Add the drained corn and peas and set aside.
4. In a paella sauté the raisins with a little sesame oil, add the pumpkin seeds (which immediately swell and jump) and sunflower seeds. Pour immediately over the salad.

VARIANT

You can use wheat or brown rice instead of bulgur.

MAGNESIUM PER SERVING:

183 mg (cover 52%-61% of daily needs).

BROWN RICE TEMAKI WITH OJA SAUCE

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4):

• 200 g brown rice
• 8 apricot apricots
• 1 bunch chives
• 200 g round green beans
• 4 sheets of nori seaweed
• 1 tray of bean sprouts
• soy sauce
• apple cider vinegar
• 20 g grated or powdered ginger
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar

PREPARATION (15′ + 10′ COOKING):

1. Cook the rice in two and a half parts of water for about 40 minutes.
2. At the same time, scald the beans in boiling water with salt, clean and having removed only the tail, for about 10 minutes. After this time drain and cool in cold water.
3. Cut the apricots into strips and macerate in a little soy sauce. Chop also the chives.
4. Once cooked the rice season with sesame and chopped chives and reserve.
5. Lightly roast the nori leaves on the rough side, until they change to a bright green tone. Then cut into four squares if they are very large.
6. On each square, with the smooth part down, deposit some rice, some beans, some bean sprouts and apricots. Finally close the cone and moisten the edge with water to seal it. It is much tastier if it is seasoned with soy sauce mixed with grated ginger, apple cider vinegar and a little brown sugar.

VARIANT

This is an ideal dish to serve at the table and that everyone forms their cone.

It can be accompanied with tortilla strips, steamed carrot, fresh papaya, smoked tofu… or whatever imagination and nutritional needs allow us.

MAGNESIUM PER SERVING:

151 mg (cover 43%-50% of daily needs).

OATMEAL AND CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4):

• 100 g fine oat flakes
• 200 g chocolate (70% cocoa)
• 50 g peanut butter
• 140 g grated coconut
• cocoa powder

PREPARATION (75′ + 5′ COOKING):

1. First chop the chocolate and melt it with peanut butter, in a water bath or in the microwave. Stir constantly with a metal spoon until a smooth and homogeneous mixture is obtained.
2. Add the oat flakes and the grated coconut and let stand.
3. Once it has taken body form regular balls. If you want you can cover them with grated coconut or cocoa powder. They should be stored in the fridge and can also be frozen.

VARIANT

In addition, these delicious truffles can be mixed with candied orange or even use another type of cereal, such as cornflakes or puffed rice.

MAGNESIUM PER SERVING:

212 mg (cover 61%-71% of daily needs).

OTHER PROPERTIES OF MAGNESIUM

Magnesium is used for many other health problems, including acute myocardial infarction (in high intravenous doses and in hospital), but also in the treatment of autism, migraine or chronic fatigue syndrome.

Magnesium serves many functions in the body, but these are some of the most interesting therapeutic activities:

MUSCLE RELAXANT

It is a powerful muscle relaxant (at doses of 4-8 g per day), so it is recommended for people with painful rheumatic problems, as it facilitates the resolution of contractures.

LAXATIVE

It is an important laxative, at doses of about 10-15 g per day. In lower doses it can be a help for people with moderate constipation.

You have to be cautious, since even in small doses it can be laxative and even diarrheal for some people.

NERVOUS RELAXANT

Stress increases urinary excretion of magnesium, so it is one of the reasons to take it in times of stress, although it also produces a noticeable nervous relaxation.

It is especially indicated, in doses of 1-4 g / day, for those people called hypertonic, that is, for those “electric” individuals, who “jump” to the minimum and who cannot sit still.