Typically the start of a new year, brings with it new diet promises. Whether you vowed to limit your caffeine intake or meat consumption when the ball dropped, you may notice a slump in your energy levels. So what's to blame? Well it might not be as simple as missing your cup of java, it may be that you aren't getting enough iron in your diet. That's right iron - think back to Popeye eating spinach out of a can while simultaneously showing off those amazing biceps.
What is Iron?
Iron is a powerhouse mineral and a key ingredient to maintaining optimal health (e.g. energy). Your body uses iron to make hemoglobin (a molecule that carries oxygen from your lungs to all the tissues in your body). A severe deficiency in iron is referred to as iron deficiency anemia, but not all anemias are due to low levels of iron. Other causes of anemia include low levels of other nutrients such as folate or vitamin B12, chronic inflammation, and recent or recurrent infection. However, iron deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia and can be confirmed with a blood test at your doctor's office, but may also be detected by you in many ways.
If you are struggling to make it through the day or find that the first thought in your mind when you wake up is when you'll get to go back to sleep your iron stores may be low. You may experience fatigue, weakness, decreased attention span, poor appetite, irritability, and an increased susceptibility to infection. More severe deficiency may be exhibited by paleness, exhaustion, and an elevated heart rate. Since these symptoms are common and vague they could also suggest another deficiency or medical condition, so always consult your healthcare provider before instituting major dietary changes.
How to Correct a Deficiency
Let's assume you are deficient in iron. How are you going to get your levels back to normal? Well, rather than scouring nutrition facts and completely overhauling your diet, you may want to look into taking an iron supplement. Although not all of the iron in a supplement will be absorbed by the body, it can be a relatively simple change to institute and can help you get back on track. Keep in mind that iron supplements can cause nausea, cramps, constipation, and stomach upset, so it may be best to divide the dose up and take it throughout the day. To reduce stomach upset always take iron supplements with food. Additionally, consuming foods high in vitamin C (citrus fruits, berries, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, and peppers) with your supplement with help increase absorption.
If you can't stomach the thought of taking yet another pill or if you just don't like the idea of taking pills period, you can get all the iron you need by eating a handful (or two!) of the right foods a couple times a week.
Iron-Rich Foods
Beef, chicken, turkey, fish, and other seafood are all great sources of iron. Vegetarian sources include beans, lentils, peanut butter, pumpkin seeds, and dried fruits such as apricots, figs, prunes, and raisins. Even higher amounts of iron are found in molasses, spinach, and kale - three foods that you may think would be difficult to incorporate into your diet. Although molasses is a great way to increase your intake, I despise the taste. I've tried several recipes including iced molasses milk (essentially tastes like cold molasses), raisin bran molasses muffins (tasted slightly less like molasses but gave me a serious tummy ache), and ginger molasses cookies (let's face it all of the butter and sugar basically cancels out the health benefits of ingesting molasses in the first place and the per serving iron content really isn't that high). So now onto two leafy greens rich in iron - spinach and kale. If you haven't tried fresh spinach in late fall, then you are missing out (the first frost heightens the sweetness allowing you to enjoy it fresh out of the bag). And if the closest you have come to kale is seeing it as a filler at your local buffet, then you are in for a treat. These recipes below are quick and easy to prepare with endless combinations, so dust off that blender, start chopping up some kale and say hello to a new energetic you in 2011!
Fruit & Spinach Smoothie
cup organic vanilla soymilk
cup organic juice (orange-mango is my favorite)
1 medium banana, ripened, mashed, and frozen*
1 cup packed organic spinach leaves, rinsed (30 g)
1 ice cube
Place all ingredients in a blender and combine. Pour into a glass and enjoy!
*To stock up on bananas for smoothies take one ripened banana (the more brown spots the better - as bananas ripen the starch is converted to sugar making it the perfect way to sweeten up smoothies), remove the peel, and place it in a snack size bag. Remove excess air from the bag and seal it up. Smash the bagged banana with your hand and place in the freezer for quick smoothies anytime.
After calculating the nutrition facts I realized this smoothie packs as much iron, calcium, fiber, and protein as the molasses muffins with the additional benefit of potassium and vitamin C. You can substitute any type of milk (cow's, almond, rice, etc) and juice, but keep in mind any substitutions will alter the nutrition facts listed below.
Nutrition Facts
222 calories, 1.75 g fat, 0.25 g saturated fat, 80 mg sodium, 900 mg potassium, 48.5 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 32.5 g sugar, 6 g protein, 98% vitamin A, 25% vitamin B12, 46.5% vitamin C, 15% vitamin D, 17.5% calcium, 13% iron
Roasted Kale Chips
2 bunches organic kale (300 g)
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. sea salt
optional ingredients: vinegar, sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, garlic
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Remove kale leaves from the stems (pulling by hand or chopping along the rib with a knife). Tear the leaves into bite size pieces. Rinse and dry the leaves in a salad spinner or rinse in a colander then dry on a paper towel. In a large bowl, toss the kale leaves with the olive oil to coat and sprinkle with salt (add other optional ingredients). Place in a single layer on a baking and roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Check on the kale halfway through cooking, turning the leaves as necessary to prevent burning. Chips are done when they have reduced in size and are crispy. Remove from the oven and enjoy!
Makes 3 servings.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)130 calories, 10.3 g fat, 1.3 g saturated fat, 1.3 g polyunsaturated fat, 6.7 g monounsaturated fat, 10 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 3 g protein, 308% vitamin A, 200% vitamin C, 14% calcium, 9% iron
