MY OH MY! MIGRAINES!

The USDA recommends that we take in 240-420 mg of magnesium each day. The actual number depends on age, but sadly, most of us fall short of the minimum amount on a regular basis. Without sufficient magnesium, our bodies may be unable to absorb other essential nutrients such as calcium, and we suffer from a variety of symptoms, including:

• Muscle cramps
• Constipation
• Calcium deficiency
• Poor heart health
• Poor memory
• Insomnia
• Fibromyalgia
• Anxiety
• Fatigue
• High Blood Pressure
• Type II Diabetes
• Osteoporosis
• Migraines

The list goes on… Magnesium is an essential mineral. Without it, our bodies are not able to operate at optimal levels, as we fail to absorb other nutrients essential to our bodies’ overall function. If you suffer from any of the symptoms listed above, you may have a magnesium deficiency. Thankfully, there are some ways to safely supplement this mineral to ensure you’re taking in the right amount on a daily basis, and bring your body back into equilibrium.

How to Supplement Magnesium

1. Take a Magnesium supplement. Sounds simple, and that’s because it is! Magnesium citrate is among the most readily absorbed forms of this nutrient, however, beware of taking too much at once. There is a certain threshold that your bowels can handle, and exceeding that threshold can lead to diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms that’ll make you wish you had never taken it in the first place!
2. Eat magnesium-rich foods. These include: seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, and sesame), spinach, black beans, squash, almonds, okra, cashews, and soybeans.
3. Use a topical magnesium treatment. Magnesium chloride can be applied topically and absorbed into your skin, which is very porous and able to absorb just about anything it comes in contact with (another reason to limit your skin’s exposure to toxins). If you don’t want to take an oral supplement and don’t feel that your diet will suffice to solve a deficiency problem, this is a good alternative solution. Google “magnesium oil” to find a variety of topical solutions that you can use.

Chronic diseases are rampant in our society, and many of them result from a magnesium deficiency, which directly affects the gut by preventing the absorption of necessary nutrients into our bodies. If you think you might be at risk or are suffering from chronic illness, try supplementing your diet with the recommended daily amount of magnesium, and see what happens! We’re sure you’ll see a difference in your health and life.

Whether you suffer from celiac disease, or you’re trying to cut down on sugar, gluten is one ingredient you should definitely avoid. You may be surprised to learn that it’s in many of the foods we eat and the personal care items we use every day. Here are 20 surprising sources of gluten to be aware of. We always recommend reading your ingredient labels before making a purchase, especially if there are ingredients (i.e. gluten) that you’re trying to stay away from.

1. Beauty products. Sadly this may include some of your favorite shampoos, conditioners, sunscreens, and makeup items such as lipstick or lip balm. Though not directly ingested through the mouth, they may easily seep into your body through your pores and still be able to cause damage. If you have a gluten allergy, you may want to replace your beauty products with ones that are certified gluten-free. Check your labels!

2. Chewing gum. Some manufacturers rub flour on the surface of the sticks to prevent them from sticking to the wrappers.

3. Sauces, condiments & dressings. This includes some prepared mustards, soy sauce (yes, it’s true!),  salad dressings, as well as frozen veggies in sauce.

4. Oats. Though technically gluten-free, some brands may be contaminated with gluten, so it’s important to be careful here. Make sure any oats you buy are certified gluten-free.

5. Pie filling & pudding. These items often contain gluten as an emulsifier or thickening agent. We recommend that you make your own from scratch (without gluten) in order to be safe. You can use plain fruit sweetened with honey or stevia. Or, if you’d like a thickening agent, arrowroot flour is a great gluten-free option!

6. Processed meats. Be extra careful with hot dogs, store-bought meatballs, and deli meats, which may (surprisingly) contain bread crumbs. It’s best to stick with local, grass-fed, organic meats that have not been processed anyway.

7. Spices. Some pre-packaged, mixed spices, may be contaminated with gluten. It’s often used to prevent caking, which is why we recommend mixing your own from whole, pure spices instead.

8. Instant coffee, hot chocolate & other powdered drink mixes. Powdered milk contains wheat, and again, manufacturers of powdered mixes often use gluten as a bulking agent. You can get gluten-free alternatives though. Check your local health food store or search online.

9. Canned soup. Try to buy organic soups in cartons or make your own with fresh vegetables and bone broth. Many canned soup brands contain gluten or wheat as a thickening agent, so it’s important to read the ingredients.

10. Licorice. Wheat flour is often used as a binding agent.

11. Caramel color. We recommend staying away from this artificial coloring agent altogether. It may contain gluten, depending on how its manufactured, but either way, it’s just not good for you.

12. Alcohols. Though the distillation process often rids this grain-based substance of gluten, not all alcohol manufacturers will utilize a thorough distillation process, resulting in some traces of gluten being left behind. You may need to check the company website to determine if their alcohol is gluten-free. Or stay away from alcohol entirely. It weakens your immune system anyway.

13. Rotisserie chicken. Seems strange for meat to contain gluten, right? However, some rotisserie chicken makers use flour or wheat in the spice rub. Double check before you purchase.

14. Sushi. As mentioned above, soy sauce often contains gluten, along with the imitation crab meat used in California rolls, as well as some prepared wasabi. Try making your own sushi at home! It’s a fun date-night activity.

15. Pickles. Not all pickle jars contain gluten. You have to check the label to be sure. If it contains malt vinegar, which comes from barley, then it’s a no-go.

16. Chocolate. Again, not all chocolate contains gluten, but it may be used as a thickening agent. We prefer pure, organic dark chocolate sweetened with stevia instead. (Lily’s is great brand!)

17. Medicines & supplements. It may be used as a binder in some medications and vitamins. You’ll be safe with Maximized Living nutritional supplements.

18. Bleu cheese. It may sound surprising, but some bleu cheeses are actually made with bread mold. Though it’s a minuscule amount and likely won’t affect you, it’s better to be safe than sorry (especially if you’re particularly sensitive.)

19. French fries. Though usually made with potatoes, oil, and salt, if they are fried in oil that’s also used to fry onion rings and other breaded foods that contain gluten, you could risk cross-contamination. Be especially careful if you order french fries at a restaurant.

20. “Wheat-free” items. Wheat-free doesn’t always mean gluten-free. In addition to wheat, gluten may also come from other grains, including rye, spelt and barley. Again, check your labels!

Embracing a gluten-free diet isn’t as hard as it sounds, especially with more and more food manufacturers coming on board to label their products “gluten-free.” Yes, it may mean you’ll have to eat out less and prepare more foods from scratch with fresh, unprocessed ingredients, but it’s worth it, because you’ll see a drastic improvement in your health as a result!

We all have a sweet tooth from time to time (some more than others…). Believe it or not, there is a healthy version of just about every dessert you can think of. All you really need to do is substitute the bad stuff with better alternatives. And by ‘bad stuff’ I mean things like gluten and sugar.

Gluten-free flours and flour-substitutes abound and are trending in paleo-friendly sweets like brownies, cakes, and cookies. Lots of people have caught on to this trend and are taking advantage of it, due to increased gluten sensitivities. But you may not be aware of the dangers of sugar and the need to substitute that in your favorite desserts as well.

Besides the fact that it rots your teeth and makes you need to see a dentist more often, sugar is one of the most addictive substances on the planet—even more addictive than cocaine. It also happens to be in just about every processed food on grocery store shelves. Even if it’s not listed as an ingredient, some foods actually are metabolized by the body as sugar, including rice, bread, flour, pasta, as well as most fruits and starchy root vegetables like potatoes and carrots. Humans should not consume more than 25 grams of sugar per day, yet the average American consumes a lot more, thanks to our bread-heavy diet.

Sugar is one food that most people are just not willing to give up. But, if you knew the amount of healthy sweet treats you could create using viable substitutes, I’m willing to bet you’d change your mind! So that’s why I’m writing this post. Here are my top 5 favorite healthy alternatives to processed sugar that you can start using right away to modify your favorite desserts.

#1. Stevia. Stevia is an herb found in South and Central America. It’s up to forty times sweeter than regular sugar, without the calories or the blood-sugar spike. Because it has a slightly bitter aftertaste that’s similar to licorice, it’s been slow to gain popularity among sugar lovers, but I think it’s a great sugar substitute in beverages like tea and lemonade.

#2. Xylitol. This sugar alcohol occurs naturally in foods like berries, beets, and corn and is often found in toothpaste and sugar-free gum. It won’t raise your blood sugar, and lacks the bitter aftertaste of stevia. Because it tastes so similar to sugar, it’s a great substitute in baked goods like brownies, cakes, and cookies.

#3. Honey. This natural sweetener works great in just about anything! I definitely recommend it over agave nectar as a healthy sugar substitute. Though honey contains sugar, it’s a much better alternative to the processed varieties.

#4. Maple Syrup. Bye-bye Aunt Jemima with your high-fructose corn syrup! Maple syrup is one of the tastiest sweeteners and it’s great for much more than pancakes. Try putting it in your pumpkin spiced coffee. I promise you’ll be amazed at how great it tastes, and it’s much healthier than a Starbucks latte!

#5. Dates. There’s a reason why we find this delicious fruit in most raw brownie recipes. It’s a naturally-occurring food that just so happens to be a great sugar alternative! Its consistency also makes it ideal for the crumb crusts found on desserts like cheesecake and cobbler.

If you’re not sure how to substitute the above ingredients for sugar, just Google Paleo versions of your favorite desserts and see what pops up. Once you try the healthy versions, you’ll never look back!

FACT: Sugar is one of the most addictive substances on the planet.

Even more addictive than cocaine.

It makes sense if you really think about it. It’s in almost everything we eat, and the more we eat of it, the more we seem to crave.

Do you drink sodas and sugary beverages throughout the day? Do you put sugar in your coffee? Do you eat lots of breads, pastas and cereals? Starchy fruits and veggies like bananas and sweet potatoes? All of these foods add up to massive amounts of sugar in our diet. In fact, it’s safe to say that the American diet encourages the over-consumption of sugar. If you don’t believe me, think back to when you were in elementary school and learned about the United States food pyramid. Grains were at the bottom of the pyramid, which also happened to be the largest section (6-11 servings a day recommended.) The food pyramid has been revised quite a bit since then, but in my opinion, we could stand to revise it further.

Americans consume way too much sugar—especially processed sugar—and it is wreaking havoc on our health.

3 Reasons to Quit Eating Sugar

1. Sugar feeds cancer cells.
2. Sugar slows down immune system function, resulting in longer-lasting periods of illness.
3. Sugar causes weight gain.

But if sugar is in virtually everything we eat, how can we get away from it? How do you overcome your sugar addiction? Here are some tips on how you can keep your sugar intake to a minimum, all while strengthening your immune system, losing weight, and preventing disease.

Tip #1: Commit to a 30-day “No Sugar” Challenge. There’s something about challenges that instinctively motivate us. Commit to quitting sugar for 30 days to reset your body, and you’ll likely find that your cravings decrease even beyond the 30-day period.

Tip #2: Stop buying food items that contain sugar. During your 30-day challenge, this includes sources of natural sugar like honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, milk, grains, breads, pastas, most fruits (except for berries and green apples), starchy veggies, and legumes. Stick to the outer aisles of the grocery store, and avoid boxed, precooked, or processed foods.

Tip #3: Quit drinking cow’s milk. Cow’s milk contains sugar. It also increases mucus production and most of it is pasteurized—a process that destroys essential nutrients. Humans were never meant to drink the milk of another animal, but cow’s milk is particularly unhealthy due to its mass production and the fact that most cows are grain-fed instead of grass-fed. If you can find raw, organic, grass-fed cow’s milk from a local farmer, that is a better choice, but I still advocate quitting milk cold-turkey for at least 30 days. You can opt for almond or coconut milk instead, but make sure you read the ingredients or make your own. Many store-bought nut milks contain artificial ingredients and preservatives that make them just as unhealthy as cow’s milk.

Tip #4: Drink more water. Staying hydrated is essential to maintaining good health and flushing your body of the toxins that will likely be released when you start the no-sugar challenge. You should drink at least half of your body weight in ounces of water each day.

Tip #5: Eat healthy fats. When you eat sugar, your body burns it for energy instead of fat, ultimately hindering weight loss. When you stop eating sugar, your body burns fat for energy, so it’s important to supplement your diet with sources of healthy fat, such as coconut oil, butter (the real stuff, not the substitutes), and avocados.

Tip #6: Get support! “A strand of three cords is not easily broken!” Partner up with a friend for your no-sugar challenge and commit to holding each other accountable. It’s much easier to maintain a commitment when you’re doing it with someone else who will support your efforts.

Have you ever completed a no-sugar challenge? We want to hear about your results! Please share them with us in the comments section below this post.