One of my friends posted on Facebook yesterday about waking up in the middle of the night with a migraine. Rather than take medicine like she planned she said felt she was told to eat some chocolate. Although it seemed like a really strange thing to do, especially in the middle of the night, she went ahead and ate some. Her migraine went away.
Blue Rock has been craving chocolate a lot lately. He has a ton of energy, I'm talking pretty non-stop on the go. I really limit his sugar intake and so he usually doesn't get much chocolate or other sugary sweets except fruit. Yesterday and today I let him have some chocolate throughout the day. Also, I ate some along with him and did not have any caffeine yesterday (except what was in the chocolate). Usually if I skip my coffee and tea I get a horrible migraine. I also didn't crave caffeine. Last night when I was thinking about how well our day went I decided to do some research. My high energy child was pretty calm yesterday and listened well, didn't really argue or get into trouble. Today he did well too. I also never got a headache, much less a migraine. While researching this I read that craving chocolate could mean you have a magnesium deficiency. Another food he craves is bananas. He will try and eat 2-3 bananas a day if I'm not watching him. He also loves almond milk. Almonds are high in magnesium and bananas have a decent amount of magnesium in them as well.
About 6 years ago when I was working at a law firm I used to get killer migraines. I got one so bad one day that I had to go into my doctor's office and get three shots! One natural suggestion my doctor advised me was to try taking a magnesium supplement and a vitamin B-6 and B-12 supplement daily. He said those combinations could help prevent migraines.
According to this study, only 25% of Americans are getting enough magnesium. That means a whopping 75% are deficient in magnesium! Several months ago I told my husband that I thought I had a magnesium deficiency. After getting a massage a few weeks ago the therapist told me before I went to bed to take a hot bath with one cup of Epsom salt. The Epsom salt would help detox my body and help me sleep better. We all know what Epsom is high in, magnesium, which absorbs in your skin while taking a bath.
According to the article Why you Crave Chocolate:
Chocolate cravings are a sign of a magnesium deficiency. Women’s bodies scream for chocolate during PMS. Some researchers believe that women crave chocolate prior to menstruation because it contains high levels of magnesium.
A lack of this important mineral can cause insomnia, depression, fatigue, migraines, anxiety, hyperactivity, panic attacks, premenstrual irritability, attention deficit disorder, bladder problems, fibromyalgia, asthma, allergies, palpitations, heart arrhythmias, and more.
Even a mild deficiency causes sensitiveness to noise, nervousness, irritability, mental depression, confusion, twitching, trembling, apprehension, insomnia, muscle weakness and cramps in the toes, feet, legs, or fingers. Adelle Davis, writing in Let’s Have Healthy Children
My son is almost 4. Like most children his age, especially boys, he is constantly on the go. He gets so busy he sometimes doesn't listen very well among other things. He also doesn't sleep very well (but that's another topic, or could low levels of magnesium affect sleep too?) According to Web MD, magnesium does play a key-role in helping one sleep.
While researching kids with high energy levels and magnesium deficiency I came across an article about Magnesium Deficiency Linked to ADD and ADHD in Children. It made me question whether or not some children are properly diagnosed with ADD and ADHD. Maybe some of them just have a magnesium deficiency. It seems like that would be the case given that 75% of Americans have this deficiency. Also this could explain why so many children are so hyperactive. Magnesium regulates blood sugar to keep our bodies balanced.
I'm not an expert but only a mom who loves her child very much and is an advocate for natural healing. This post is my opinion based on the research above. If you think your child might be deficient in magnesium, please talk to your child's doctor. I'm planning on asking Blue Rock's pediatrician as well along with my family doctor. Meanwhile, I think I'm going to add some Epsom salt to his baths and up his intake with magnesium rich foods such as: green vegetables, nuts, legumes, and whole grains. Here's a good chart with the amount of magnesium in some other foods. Another food (or weed) that is high in magnesium is Purslane. I'm sure if you go outside you or your neighbor will have some of this in your yard. If you put any kind of weed killer in your yard, I wouldn't recommend eating them.
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