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It takes more than just going to the gym frequently and avoiding bad food to lose weight.

Maintaining a balanced, nutrient-rich diet is crucial if you want to lose weight rapidly (and healthily).

You should make sure you’re taking all the vitamins and nutrients your body needs in addition to obtaining adequate protein, carbohydrates, and fibre. And it turns out that magnesium is a crucial element that many people underappreciate.

We talked to registered dietitian Catherine Gervacio, a nutrition writer for Living.Fit, and registered dietitian and nutritionist Krutika Nanavati from Clinicspots to learn more about the role magnesium plays in weight reduction and how to ensure you’re getting enough of it. Read on for all of their knowledgeable advice!

Magnesium

Although magnesium may occasionally be overshadowed by minerals like iron, zinc, and potassium in discussions about wellbeing, experts concur that getting enough of it is crucial, particularly when it comes to weight reduction. One of the main focuses of weight loss, according to Gervacio, is to maintain or improve metabolism, and magnesium is one mineral that is required for that. Magnesium is involved in many bodily functions, including regulation of blood sugar, the production of energy, and nerve function, among others. A magnesium deficit can make it harder to lose weight for a number of reasons, according to Nanavati, who also agrees.

One of the most important things to remember about magnesium is that it’s essential for both energy production and metabolism. As a result, if you don’t get enough of it, you might experience fatigue and even struggle to burn enough calories to lose weight.

As Nanavati points out, “a deficit might promote desires for sweet and carb-rich meals.” Blood sugar levels are another crucial function magnesium performs in our systems. And it’s common knowledge that giving in to cravings makes it more harder to stick to your weight loss plans. In fact, to make matters worse, she notes that because one of the purposes of magnesium is to help the body store less fat, “a deficit might lead to greater fat accumulation.” Overall, a crucial factor in losing weight is making sure you consume enough of this mineral-rich diet

How to avoid a magnesium shortage

Now that we are aware of how crucial magnesium is for weight reduction, how can you ensure that you are consuming enough of it daily? Nanavati advises consuming leafy greens, nuts, and seeds as well as other foods high in magnesium. You can also include a magnesium supplement in the equation if you’re concerned that you don’t consume enough of these foods.

Increasing your calcium intake is another excellent strategy to maintain high levels of magnesium since calcium aids in the body’s ability to absorb and utilise magnesium. Nanavati advises, “You can take a vitamin D pill and acquire adequate vitamin K in your diet.” Beef and chicken liver, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, soybean, and dark leafy greens like spinach and kale are among foods that contain vitamin K. Got it!

Phosphorus, copper, and zinc are other minerals that aid in the body’s absorption and use of magnesium. “Fish, steak, poultry, pig, beans, nuts, seeds, and dairy products are a few sources of phosphorus. Liver, oysters, lobster, crab, whole grains, mushrooms, leafy greens, and avocados are foods that contain copper. Beef, pig, lamb, chicken, turkey, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains all contain zinc “Lists by Nanavati.

Finally, Gervacio advises us to limit our intake of alcohol and caffeine because they interfere with the absorption of magnesium if we want to maximise our levels of magnesium. She advises drinking freshly squeezed fruit juices and vegetable smoothies as an alternative.

In the end, real magnesium deficits are extremely uncommon and probably not a cause for concern. However, increasing your consumption of foods high in magnesium doesn’t hurt if weight reduction is what you’re aiming. Who knows, it could provide your body with the boost it needs to attain your target weight!