Recipes High in Iron and Vitamin C – Who is at Risk of Iron Deficiency? There are at least seven (7) groups of people at risk for Iron Deficiency anemia.
I previously talked about the importance of protein as well as the importance of iron in your child's diet. Today, I will discuss how to increase the ability of your body to absorb and use iron in the foods you eat. First, let's review the groups of people at risk for iron deficiency.
7 Groups of People at Risk for Iron Deficiency
Pre-Term Infants
Premature babies are at risk for iron deficiency. This is because the unborn infant stores the largest amount of iron in the last trimester of gestation. Thus, babies born prior to the end of the 9th month have less iron available to use after birth.
Unfortunately, premature babies are also at risk for iron overload. So, it is important to talk to a doctor before giving an iron supplement to a preterm baby.
Young Children
Young children are growing quickly, and their iron needs are increased. Often their intake is inadequate as well. This puts them at risk for iron deficiency. Click Here for a list of Foods That Are High in Iron.
Cow's Milk Should be Treated as a Food
Toddlers are especially at risk of iron deficiency if kept on the bottle longer than 12 months. This is because babies are usually given cow's milk starting at 1 year of age. Cow's milk has no iron and is high in calories. Whole milk, which is recommend until 2 years of age, has 150 calories in one cup. If formula is replaced by cow's milk and is put in the bottle, the young child will usually consume too much milk. This will fill him or her up.
The toddler will then not want to eat other foods, including foods high in iron.
To make matters worse, an excess of cow's milk will interfere with the absorption of iron that is eaten. Thus, it is important to wean your baby off the bottle by 12 months old.
Teenage Girls
Teen girls often limit their diet to stay thin. In addition, the start of menstruation increases the amount of iron lost and the amount of iron that is needed in the diet. Ensuring plenty of iron rich foods will help to reduce risk of anemia and the complications associated with anemia.
Pregnant Women
Iron needs increase during pregnancy because mom is eating for two! Doctors will usually recommend a Multivitamin with Iron and Folate to ensure proper nutrition.
Congestive Heart Failure Patients
The reasons why are unclear. However, it is true that when heart failure is present, the heart is not pumping blood as efficiently. Also, inflammation is present. Sufficient nutrient intake is essential during this process. Thus, the person with heart failure will most likely be taking supplements as ordered by their doctor or dietitian.
Persons with Digestive Diseases Including Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease
A healthy digestive system is essential for adequate nutrient absorption. With Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease, the ability to absorb nutrients is decreased. Also, the amount of nutrients lost is increased. People with these diseases are usually supplemented with iron and other important nutrients to help improve nutritional status.
Vegetarians
When a person is on a vegetarian diet, careful planning is required to ensure enough iron is taken in. It is important to remember that eggs, beans, grains, spinach, nuts and seeds are non-heme sources of iron. Non-heme iron is less readily absorbed by the body than heme sources of iron. Also, most non-heme sources of iron are high in phytic acid. Phytic acid inhibits absorption of iron. Thus, vegetarians need to consume higher amounts of iron to compensate for decreased absorption of non-heme iron as well as presence of phytic acid.
Combining Vitamin C Rich Foods with Vegetarian Iron Sources Will Increase the Amount of Iron that is Absorbed.
For example, when serving bean burritos, add homemade salsa to increase iron absorption.
This homemade salsa is made with fresh tomatoes, onions, jalapeno peppers, and cilantro, and is rich in Vitamin C. Combining this recipe with bean burritos (or other meat burritos or tacos) will increase the iron in the foods served with (beans, tortillas, chicken).
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Total Time15 minutesmins
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: easy, healthy
Servings: 8Servings
Calories: 8kcal
Author: Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC
Ingredients
1cupRoma Tomatoesabout 2 large, diced
1/4cupOnionsdiced
2tbspCilantrofinely chopped
1wholeJalapeno or AnaheimJalapeno (Medium Heat); Anaheim (Mild Heat)
1tbspLemon Juice
1/2teaspoonSaltTo taste
Instructions
Chop all vegetables to desired size (remove seeds from pepper) 2) Add lemon juice and salt 3) Mix all ingredients together4) Chill 2 hours and Serve
Add oil to pan and heat 2) Saute onion, garlic, bell pepper and tomato until vegetables are tender, 10 minutes or so 3) Add 1/4 cup water and chicken 4) Mix and heat through 5) Serve on corn or flour tortillas with cheese, lettuce, fresh salsa or other favorite toppings.
Nathan won't eat tomatoes in most things. However, he likes this recipe if we serve it on a tortilla with cheese. It makes me so happy to know that I figured out another way to sneak in some healthy vegetables. This increases the number of vegetables he is eating. Plus, it adds variety to his limited diet.
I have always scratched my head every time I meet a Christian who claims to follow the paleo diet. My reasoning is based on the fact that the paleo diet has evolutionary pre-suppositions. Let me explain.
(Post may contain affiliate links).
Is the paleo diet biblical? Strictly speaking, the answer is “no.”
First, let's discover together the original basis of the paleo diet.
The paleo diet is also known as the stone-age or caveman diet. “Paleo” is short for Paleolithic.
This is defined as
“A very long period of human prehistory, extending from the first tool-using hominids at least 2.6 million years ago, all the way up until around 10,000 BP.”
This diet assumes what people during this time period ate. For example, it is assumed that the food “paleolithic era” people ate was raw, because they hadn't discovered fire yet. Thus, it is assumed that their diet consisted of raw animal meat, fruits, and vegetables.
From the evolutionary perspective, people living during the paleolithic time period were “primitive.” In fact, according to the theory people hadn't discovered fire and thus were eating everything raw.
According to the paleolithic theory, everything eaten was raw and unprocessed. Thus, it is assumed that grains, refined sugars, table salt, and dairy weren’t part of the diet.
You should take note of the time periods mentioned. The “10,000 BP” refers to “Before Present.” It is also supposedly the time when the “agricultural period” began.
I want to be clear when I say that before “10,000 BP” NO HISTORY was written. Hence, the term “pre-history” or “prehistoric.”
This is an especially crucial point because this is when the scientist, archaeologist, or anthropologist has to start speculating because history wasn't written down before “10,000 BP.”
Fossils that are dug up don't have ages written on them, for example. And neither do most archaeological artifacts. So, it's important to remember that this is when the true speculation begins regarding how much time has passed and how much “primitive” humans actually knew.
From a biblical creationist point of view, we need to eliminate the “primitive” aspect and the “millions of years ago,” when we discuss the Bible, because we know that humans were created in the image of God less than 10,000 years ago.
Now, let's look at what the Bible says about diet. For example,
In Genesis 1, God said:
“Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to everything that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so. (Gen. 1:29–30)
The paleo diet does not allow any beans or peas (legumes), or cereal grains. I'm thinking they were included in the original mandate since they come from plants that yield seeds.
Then after the flood, when Noah and his family came off the ark, God gave further direction:
“The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands.Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.”(Genesis 9:2-3)
We can also evaluate what people during Bible days ate based on actual accounts. For example,
Prior to Sodom and Gomorrah being destroyed, Abraham was visited by three angels. Genesis 18:8 tells us what he served the men:
“Meanwhile, Abraham ran to the herd, selected a tender, choice calf, and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. Then Abraham brought curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and he set them before the men and stood by them under the tree as they ate.” (Genesis 18:8)
The paleo diet does not allow dairy products.
The Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:1-43) states:
“He made him ride on the heights of the land and fed him the produce of the field. He nourished him with honey from the rock and oil from the flinty crag, curds of cows, and milk of the flock, with fat of lambs, and rams, the breed of Bashan, and goats, With the finest of the wheat– And of the blood of grapes you drank wine.” (Deuteronomy 32:13-14)
Every food I can think of is mentioned somewhere in the Bible. Below are just a few examples:
Spices:
Anise
Coriander
Cinnamon
Dill
Fruits:
Apples
Dates
Figs
Grapes
Melons
Pomegranates
Vegetables and Legumes:
Beans
Cucumbers
Lentils
Grains:
Barley
Bread (Miraculous fish and bread provision–mentioned SEVEN times in bible)?
Corn
Millet
Spelt
Wheat
Click here for an exhaustive list of foods mentioned in the Bible.
Of course, many foods today are quite different, due to various human “improvements.” For example, genetic engineering (GMO) and hybridization.
It is interesting that God warns people in the Old Testament not to mix seeds of two different plants.
“Do not plant two kinds of seed in your vineyard; if you do, not only the crops you plant but also the fruit of the vineyard will be defiled.” (Deuteronomy 22:9)
In Leviticus 19:19, the warning is repeated and includes forbidding the mating of two distinct kinds of animals:
“‘Keep my decrees. “‘Do not mate distinct kinds of animals. Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed…'”
Mankind in his attempts to “improve” upon nature is creating known and unknown problems. I believe modern day processing, which involves pesticides,pest control methods,hybridization, irradiation, GMO, and the like, is a big part of the reason for the health problems of so many.
For example,
Evidence suggests that the increase in gluten intolerance and wheat sensitivity is related to the hybridization of wheat.
This may help to explain why many people feel better when they remove grains from the diet. It's not necessarily the gluten, though gluten can cause problems.
Another potential key to the puzzle is that we eat a far less variety of grains than we did 100 years ago. And of course, people are much less likely to consume whole grains in sufficient amounts than they were 100 years ago as well.
So, to sum it up. The Bible clearly shows that a variety of foods were eaten. As Christians, we know that mankind was not “primitive” in the early stages of life on earth. We also know that many things are being done to the foods in our current supply and that these things are causing a large percentage of the problems we are seeing today.
So, is the “Paleo diet” biblical?
Can a diet that is based on evolutionary suppositions improve the health of people when it is diametrically opposed to the very things the Bible teaches? I think not.
Instead, what we should do, if we are concerned about the foods we eat, is try to eat organic and non-GMO as much as possible. And of course, avoid any foods that are known to be intolerable.
When we start limiting the variety of foods we are eating, however, we are in effect limiting our access to the potential nutrients those foods contain. God created Vegetables, fruits, beans, seeds, and grains for us to enjoy from the beginning of time. These foods contain important nutrients that are often low in people's diets, including iron and folate.
One of the dilemmas I’m faced with is that my son will not drink water. As a result, I worry about him being dehydrated. I have tried in the past to force him to drink an ounce or two at a time, in hopes of getting him used to it. However, it has never worked! As he has gotten older and a bit more reasonable about making healthy food choices, I have attempted to explain to him why water is so important. But he is not convinced. As a result of my concerns over dehydration, I have allowed him to drink more juice than the recommended maximum of four ounces per day. (This post contains affiliate links).
He typically drinks about 12 ounces of juice and 8 ounces of milk every day. And THAT IS IT. This is still a lot of juice, but it’s not as much fluid as the recommended amount of 6-8 8-oz cups of water. Plus, it’s not water, it’s juice! As a result, he has issues with dry skin. These issues have been particularly troublesome the past couple of weeks.
So, how to increase fluids in his diet so that he won't be dehydrated?
I know, I know! I’ll make him soup!
Yes, soup is an AWESOME way to increase fluids in your kids’ diets. This is also a great way to increase other nutrients as well. Especially if it is homemade soup. Any vegetable you put into the soup, even if your kids pick it out, will still have “left its mark,” by leaving some of its nutrients in the broth.
Right now, Nathan is having a particularly “dry skin season.” So, I have been busy making different soups the past couple of days to increase his fluid intake. Yesterday, I made pot sticker soup. The day before that I made bean and sausage soup.
I was only able to get him to eat the bean soup once because he doesn’t like to eat beans. I persuaded him by allowing him to add cheese. (Thank goodness he is not allergic to dairy!) He has been willing to eat the pot sticker soup several times, though he initially griped about all the broth.
I will admit that I am not a lover of cooking.
When I’m in the mood, I can produce some delicious recipes, but I’m a bit lazy when it comes to preparing foods. Fortunately, I have Costco to help me. Costco sells frozen foods that tend to be much more wholesome than the average brand. So, we bought some frozen pot stickers at Costco this week, and I made a simple soup with just two ingredients: pot stickers and chicken broth. The beauty of this kind of soup is that you can simply make chicken broth out of a high-quality chicken base, add the pot stickers (I used chicken and veggie), and voila, you’ve got soup!
Even better is if you add carrots, onions, and celery. Now my son was having a bit of a fit over the vegetables being put in, and since my primary goal right now is to get more fluids into his little body, I didn’t add the veggies THIS time. Instead, I served his favorite vegetable, broccoli, on the side.
Speaking of broccoli…
Nathan loves broccoli, and he also likes my homemade cream of broccoli soup. I use a basic pureed soup vegetable recipe from an older Better Homes and Gardens cookbook that I have had since 1989. This cookbook has a section on fresh vegetable soups, with suggestions on which herbs/spices to use based on the type of vegetable. This is an extremely easy recipe.
Plus, it’s inexpensive, doesn’t call for any fancy, costly ingredients, and is not too high in fat.
In case you’re wondering, the reason I like to give Nathan pureed soups is because he has texture issues and oftentimes will reject a multi-texture food.
Soup is a TERRIFIC way to make sure your child gets enough fluids AND veggies in his diet.
So, does your child drink enough water and eat his vegetables? If not, then this is what I recommend helping prevent dehydration:
A vegetable soup is a fantastic way to start feeding his or her body what it needs.
And if there your child has any kid of sensory and texture issues with food, then pureed soup are perfect for this.
Hopefully, most of my readers will be able to find at least one vegetable soup that will match their kid’s preferences. Notice that corn is not on the chart. Corn chowder is another yummy possibility.
10 Facts About Vitamin B12 (Post may contain affiliate links).
Vitamin B12 was first “discovered” in the 1850s.
Thomas Addison, one of the earliest researchers of vitamin B12, discovered a lethal form of anemia he named pernicious anemia. Symptoms of this disease included:
Glossitis – (inflammation of the tongue)
Macrocytic – (too large) red blood cells
Numbness and abnormal gait.
There was no treatment and so patients afflicted would die.
In the 1920s, Georges Richard Minot, a practicing MD at Harvard, came up with the idea that something in food might help patients. Minot teamed up with two other MDs and they did research on dogs 🙁 to discover a treatment.
The research involved bleeding dogs and then feeding them various types of food until they determined that meats, especially raw liver, were the best treatment. Unfortunately, they did not discover what was in the raw liver and meat. They did however, earn a Nobel Prize in Medicine for their efforts in 1934.
It has taken well over 100 years to understand vitamin B12. And research continues to this day.
During the period 1934 and 1948, Intrinsic factor was discovered. This was seen as a substance in the body that was necessary for absorption of this mysterious food element, that became known as “Extrinsic Factor.”
Intrinsic factor in the stomach is necessary for absorption
Intrinsic factor is most effective when the acid level is higher. As a result, older people and persons taking antacids are at an increased risk for vitamin B12 deficiency.
Animal Products are the only Natural Way to obtain vitamin B12
To make matters worse, this B12 analog in Spirulina also interferes with the absorption of the real vitamin B12.
Thus Spirulina is NOT a source of real vitamin B12.
Non-animal products are often fortified. For example:
Soy, Rice, and Almond Milk
Breakfast Cereals
Vitamin B12 is one of the water soluble vitamins.
As a result, it is easily lost when cooked in water.
Deficiency can result in psychosis
as well as spinal cord demyelination, neuropathy, and death.
Vitamin B12 is more readily absorbed when the stomach is acidic. As a result, antacids lower the absorption, and chronic antacid use can result in deficiency, especially in older persons.
B12 and Folate (Folic Acid) work together to prevent Megaloblastic anemia. As a result, it can be hard for healthcare providers to determine whether the cause is folic acid deficiency or B12 deficiency. Thus, it is important that you don't take excessive amounts of either folic acid or vitamin B12.
Best Food for Psoriasis: How Diet May Improve Your Psoriasis
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In 2017, a team of researchers from the San Francisco School of Medicine’s Department of Dermatology, University of California found that reduced alcohol consumption and a gluten and nightshades free diet improved the symptoms of Psoriasis. Additionally, a diet that contained fish oil, Vitamin D, and vegetables also proved effective in the treatment for this skin condition.
More than 1200 individuals from the National Psoriasis Foundation were surveyed with 61 questions on their food habits and dietary practices. The researchers published the findings in Dermatologic Therapy May 2017 issue. People with psoriasis consumed less sugar, dairy products, and fiber to reduce their symptoms.
Along with it, a reduced quantity of alcohol, members of the nightshade family, such as peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplant also helped them to curb down the skin shedding process effectively.
Furthermore, the survey also revealed that people with psoriasis alleviated their symptoms by including fish oil, vegetables, and vitamin D in their regular meals. These foods acted like natural cures for psoriasis.
Does Food Trigger Psoriasis Symptoms?
Nutrition is one of the biggest players in fighting against several health problems, including Psoriasis. Although food is not the only trigger that boosts the symptoms of Psoriasis (stress and bad weather can also be one of them), certain foods do flare up the condition.
While medical treatments often reduce the rapid skin cell production in order to curb the symptoms down, psoriasis is a lifelong condition and has no cure. Therefore, lifestyle changes and shifts in dietary habits are the only home remedies of psoriasis that you can include without worrying about the side effects of modern medications.
Choosing anti-inflammatory foods, eliminating gluten, and choosing low-calorie ingredients showed signs of improvement in the surveyed members.
High anti-oxidant foods, along with weight loss and remedies to reduce inflammation can also help relieve the symptoms effectively.
TCM or Traditional Chinese Medicines are herb-based treatments that can help you reduce inflammation naturally. Chinese herbs like Indica Naturalis and Aloe Vera are widely used in China to treat various skin conditions, including psoriasis.
Foods to Avoid for Psoriasis
You must avoid foods that trigger inflammation and weaken the immune system, such as:
Processed Foods
Processed foods are high in calories, trans fat and saturated fats. Consuming processed foods can lead to weight gain, low metabolism, metabolic syndrome, and other health conditions, including inflammation. Foods you must avoid to processed food intake include pre-packaged foods, canned foods, processed meats, packaged bakery products, and foods high in salt, sugar, and fat.
Nightshades
Nightshade plants and veggies are rich in solanine. Solanine is a compound that causes indigestion and promotes inflammation in persons with psoriasis. The National Psoriasis Foundation states that Nightshades can trigger the symptoms of psoriasis. Examples of foods classified as nightshades are tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and eggplant.
Gluten Rich Food
People with psoriasis could also become gluten sensitive. There are certain health conditions that are characterized by autoimmunity to gluten. So, you must avoid all foods that have gluten, such as wheat, rye, barley, and malt-based foods. You should also avoid foods that contain wheat, barley, and malts, such as pasta, vermicelli, semolina, baked goods, and noodles, sauces and condiments, and malt beverage like beer. These foods all contain gluten.
Alcohol
Psoriasis is an auto-immune health condition, which means it is directly linked to the immune system. Alcohol has the potential to disrupt your immune system and therefore, you must restrict alcohol every day.
Foods that People with Psoriasis Can Consume Every day
Most fruits and veggies are rich in antioxidants and are anti-inflammatory. Both are essential compounds to decrease stress and inflammation. anti-inflammatory, omega 3 fatty acids. contain a high amount of anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidants include broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, grapes, and other dark fruits, and leafy greens, such as spinach, kale, and arugula.
Fish
Among all meat-based products fish is the best for health. You must have those fishes that provide your body the necessary anti-inflammatory, omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids promote good health and reduce both internal and external inflammation. You can have salmon, sardines, trout, and codfishes to treat your psoriasis naturally.
Healthy Oils
Certain vegetable oils also contain anti-inflammatory, omega 3 fatty acids, for example. Try including olive oil, coconut, flax seed, and safflower oils in your diet. However, do not have oils that contain a high amount of omega 6 fatty acids.
Dr. Pragno Diet
Dr. Pragno, in his book, Healing Psoriasis: The Natural Alternative describes how a healthy lifestyle and a good diet can improve the symptoms of psoriasis. His approach includes consuming fruits and vegetables in high quantities, having grains, meats, seafood, eggs, and dairy in moderate quantity, and avoiding red meat, nightshades, and processed foods completely.
Vegan and Mediterranean diets also seem to help in treating the skin problem.
Reach out to your nutritionist for more clarity on how you can control your condition through food habits.
Author Bio:
Emylee Modest is a wellness lifestyle writer. She loves sharing her thoughts and personal experiences related to natural remedies, yoga and fitness through her writing. Emylee currently writes for How To Cure. She can connect with others experiencing health concerns and help them through their recovery journeys through natural remedies.
Grab My Book on Amazon by clicking on the book below.
I only promote products I use and love. Clicking on some of the images on this page will take you to a page of a company I am an affiliate with. If you purchase anything, I will get a small commission.
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