Get Smart! Eat your greens!

If you have been a Foodsmith subscriber for any length of time, first we want to say thanks, but also you have realized that we love to get you to eat your greens! You have, no doubt heard how good for you dark leafy greens are, and for a variety of reasons, but we want to focus on some foods that are common in Foodsmith menus for their rich concentration of a certain mineral that is one of the most essential nutrients, Magnesium. 

Magnesium is one of the most essential minerals in animals (like us!) and is critical for at least 300 enzymatic processes. Ok, so what does that mean? In short magnesium is used by the body to make hundreds of essential functions in you just happen. It is essential in maintaining the electrical stability of every cell in the human body. It's like the oil in an engine, it makes virtually everything work. And your Foodsmith food is your fuel for for your engine. Magnesium deficiency is likely a contributor to more disease than any other nutrient. 

Magnesium is critical for brain function and numerous studies have proven than diets that contain sufficient magnesium can increase cognitive thinking (brain power!), learning ability (get smarter!), retention (memory!), and can prevent Alzheimer's. Magnesium is also critical for reducing stress, depression, anxiety and insomnia, and regulating natural melatonin for a good and restful night's sleep, which we can all use, right? Magnesium controls blood sugar and insulin production and can lower risks of Diabetes and improve the outlook for folks with Type 2 Diabetes. Magnesium is essential for bone health. I know, you thought it was calcium, right? Well you are right, but calcium and magnesium in healthy bones are about a 1:1 ratio, and long ago, our ancestors consumed food that contained the same ratio, but modern diets without lots of greens can contain ratios of 5:1 to 15:1 calcium to magnesium, and the deficiency is robbed from the bones leading to osteoporosis, calcification, and arthritis. Magnesium improves heart function, as it regulates muscle contraction, and can reduce risk of heart attack and stroke. Magnesium also helps with daily detoxification (when I was a kid at summer camp, the counselors called daily "Elimination", if you follow) by improving the function of the intestines. It is the chemical component in "roughage" as my folks called leafy greens, that, in partnership with dietary fiber, promotes healthy intestinal function. In short- helps us make healthy bowel movements! I know, I know, the improved brain function is WAY more appealing to talk about, but we are all about total body nutrition at Foodsmith!

Magnesium is prevalent in highest natural concentrations in dark leafy greens like spinach, Chard, kale, and collards, as well as fatty fish like tuna, salmon, and mackerel, nuts like almonds and cashews, and for vegans, it is found in rich concentrations in lentils and all legumes, all of which appear on our menus EVERY WEEK! BUT, it's not about just the spinach, but where the spinach actually comes from. Today's mega agriculture farms using conventional processes are robbing the soil of traditional minerals like Magnesium which in turn ends up robbing the plants of these essential nutrients in their natural form, making our choice to buy local organic produce from our farm partners like Happy Boy and Coke Farm a critical one for optimal health. Their organic practices enrich the soils that they sow by composting and returning nutrients and minerals to their farmlands that are in turn absorbed into the roots, stems and leaves of their crops, where they end up on our menus and shortly thereafter on your dinner table! So make the smart choice for yourself, our local farmers, and your health and eat your Foodsmith greens! See- you're smarter already!!! 

Happy Boy in the Foodsmith Kitchen!