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The shocking reasons you may not be getting enough of this vital mineral-and how to change that Q: I have been hearing a lot about magnesium lately. Why is it so important and how much should I take?  – Kim V., Goleta, GA Lower Magnesium in American Diet A: Magnesium intake in the average American diet has declined dramatically in the past 100 years. Boiling vegetables causes a 50-percent magnesium content loss. Brown rice loses 80 percent of its magnesium content when refined into white rice. Magnesium is rarely added back to the soil in conventional farming methods, which depend on synthetic fertilizers. Additionally, most Americans now eat fewer of the foods traditionally rich in magnesium (tofu, legumes, seeds, nuts, whole grains, and green leafy vegetables), preferring calories from refined foods, meat, and dairy products, all of which are low in magnesium. Importance of Magnesium After potassium, magnesium is the…

Shirk sugar to axe acne Eat: Omega-3-rich fish (salmon and sardines), colorful fruits and vegetables. Avoid: Insulin-spiking sweets and processed white-flour foods. “Elevated insulin affects the sebaceous oil glands in ways that can contribute to acne,” says Valori Treloar, MD, dermatologist and co-author of The Clear Skin Diet (Cumberland House, 2007). This is particularly so with women because the insulin spike may elevate the relatively low level of testosterone in women’s bodies, which has been shown to affect oil glands. Eat more gluten-free foods and improve psoriasis symptoms Eat: Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean meats and fish. Avoid: Gluten. A Swedish dermatologist discovered that avoiding the grain protein for three months improved symptoms in some patients. Cut down sugar and cut out wrinkles Eat: Veggies, legumes and olive oil. Avoid: “To minimize wrinkles, limit your added sugar to 10 percent of your total daily calories,” says Lisa Drayer,…