Iron rich foods

Iron is extremely important for basic metabolic processes and is a building block of many proteins and enzymes that maintain good health. It is an essential component of proteins involved in oxygen transport and is necessary for the regulation of cell growth. A deficiency of iron limits oxygen delivery to cells, resulting in fatigue, poor work performance, and a diminished immune system; whereas excess amounts of iron in the diet can result in toxicity and increased morbidity. Although iron supplementation is accessible, it is not advisable unless you have been diagnosed with anemia. The best and most bioavailable way to increase and maintain a good level of iron is through food sources.

The highest and most absorbable sources of iron are heme sources - meats and eggs. But if you are a vegetarian non-heme iron is available (not as absorbable) but should be eaten with a vitamin C source also to make it bio-available.

Some herbs that have a lot of iron that you can add to your diet in tea form or as a tincture mixed with juice - chickweed, catnip, burdock root, parsley, and alfalfa (in order of potency) Another wonderful iron rich herb is kelp; you can sprinkle it on rice or potatoes, mix in with your scrambled eggs or put it in soups. It is often found in the bulk spice isle of your local market in granulated form. Kelp has a wide spectrum of minerals and is extremely high in iron - (2T has all the DV of minerals for an adult! Plus it is very flavorful.

FOODS THAT ARE IRON RICH

breast milk
dried beans
winter squash
sweet potatoes
broccoli
mushrooms
meat & poultry (beef, beef & chicken liver, pork, turkey, chicken)
greens (spinach, broccoli, beet, tomato )
egg yolks
dried fruit (figs, apricots, prunes, raisins)
prune juice
tofu
grains (cooked cracked wheat, wheat germ, cornmeal, millet, brown rice, farina, bran, breads, iron fortified cereals)
blackstrap molasses (try adding a little to oatmeal, or in cookies)
brewer's yeast
shellfish (clams, oysters, shrimp)
tuna, sardines, canned salmon


FOODS THAT ARE VITAMIN C RICH

Citrus fruits
Berries
Green vegetables (such as broccoli and spinach)
Peaches
Apples
Bananas
Tomatoes
Fortified fruit juices with Vitamin C

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Micro-nutrients : Vitamins

Micro-nutrients: Vitamins

There are 2 types of vitamins - fat soluble and water soluble.
The way they dissolve makes a difference in how they are digested by your body and assimilated into your tissues to be stored or eliminated.

Vitamins A,D.E.K and F are fat soluble, whereas all the vitamins in the B group, C and P are water soluble.

It is ideal to gain these nutrients from your food and your natural intestinal flora. Following a whole-food and organic diet when possible is a challenge, but well worth the efforts.

Creating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables (the main source of micronutrients) is not a hard task, it just takes a little focus when you are shopping, cooking and snacking. Focusing your efforts on something important to you in all areas of your life is not hard, it is just a matter of will. If you WILL to have a healthy diet, then it WILL happen.

We have many factors in our world today that effect our environment, which in turn effects our food supply and our quality of air and water. This makes it extremely difficult to keep a completely healthy profile.

Building a strong immune system is a main goal of a healthy diet and lifestyle. Ensuring that you have an adequate daily intake of vitamins is just one part of attaining this goal.

To the average person leading a busy lifestyle in our modern world it is difficult to get all we need from our food. So supplements may be necessary.

This introduction is meant to begin a 4-part series of monologues on micro-nutrients.

1. Vitamins
2. Minerals
3. Anti-oxidants
4. Probiotics


I will be using the USDA's Recommended Daily Allowance for each monologue.
The RDA is a reference point for most healthy individuals to sustain optimum daily requirements of micro-nutrients. Deficiencies and disease are not accounted for. A personal assessment is always appropriate when considering any dietary supplementation.