iron rich foods veet karen Iron rich foods 2014 www.veetscuisine.com.au 1
A note from Veet Iron rich Rich foods Foods 2014 www.veetscuisine.com.au 2
My personal story with iron Veet Iron rich Rich foods Foods 2014 www.veetscuisine.com.au 3
The importance of iron Signs of iron deficiency extreme tiredness dizziness anemia dryness of skin nervousness extreme anxiety lower back pain headaches painful menstruation and mild to acute depression. Basically without enough iron your body does not receive enough energy to function. Iron rich Rich foods Foods 2014 www.veetscuisine.com.au 4
Heme and non-heme iron Absorbing iron Healthy Tip #1 If you eat fruit and vegetables that are in season and ensure you get a good variety, you have more chance of obtaining the nutrients, vitamins and minerals your body needs. legumes, beans and super foods like spirulina and raw cacao will also help. I feel that by having a varied diet using fresh organic in season fruits and vegetables, grains and legumes there is more chance of your body obtaining good iron levels. If you were just to eat a single vegetable for example you wouldn t get all the minerals and vitamins your body needed. Iron Rich rich Foods foods 2014 www.veetscuisine.com.au 5
Iron rich recipe idea #1 Tempeh steak with tahini and steamed veg This is a great recipe where you can vary the vegetables you use to steam, using whatever is in season. Tempeh is high in iron and so is tahini. the body to absorb the iron. Eat with a small grown quinoa. Ingredients 1 block of fresh tempeh either soy or fava bean or chickpea splash of gluten free tamari splash of sesame or sunflower oil ¼ cup tahini juice of 1 lemon ¼ cup or moreof filtered water or more ½ bunch parsley finely chopped salt to taste 300g vegetables of your choice that are in season Iron rich Rich foods Foods 2014 www.veetscuisine.com.au 6
Foods high in iron Iron in mg per 100g of produce and steamed veg) 51.4mg Spirulina (great spirulina ball recipe in my fresh and vibrant cookbook) 31.9mg Thyme 17.4mg Dark chocolate 17mg Pepitas 15mg Tahini 9mg Sundried tomatoes (not the ones in canola oilthe real dried ones) 9.1mg Nuts- walnuts, almonds and cashews 7 to 8mg black eyed beans) 6 to 8mg Parsley 6.2mg Peas 3 to 5mg Absorbing iron Healthy Tip #2 Soak almonds and cashews as the natural chemical on these nuts can inhibit iron. Wilt any leafy greens. Even though spinach and kale are known to have good sources of iron they also contain high levels of oxalate which is thought to inhibit them even if you just steam them for a few minutes you can break down the oxalate and make possible. Beetroot leaves are the same. When making raw recipes I marinate kale in lemon juice for a few hours to assist the removal of the oxalates. Iron rich Rich foods Foods 2014 www.veetscuisine.com.au
Iron rich recipe idea #2 Millet and adzuki stew with tomato salsa Ingredients Splash of oil 2 tbsp fresh thyme 1 tbsp parsley finely chopped 2 tsp sumac 1 tsp salt (or to taste) 2 hot chillies (optional) 1 onion finely diced 1 garlic clove minced (optional) 2 handfuls of millet 500g vegetables of your choice - I used green beans, broccoli and kale 400g cooked adzuki beans 2 tomatoes juice of half a lemon salt to taste Iron rich Rich foods Foods 2014 www.veetscuisine.com.au 8
Foods high in vitamin C aid iron absorption Peppers capsicums and chillies Cayenne pepper Guavas Parsley potatoes Kiwi fruit Papaya Citrus fruits Broccoli Strawberries and berries Leafy greens including kale Leeks Sundried tomatoes Fennel Absorbing iron Healthy Tip #3 As you can see from the list to a great number of vegetables and fruits high in vitamin C. If you are ever in doubt whether you had enough vitamin C to help you absorb the iron in your other foods make a dressing with lemon juice. Or add cayenne pepper or chilli to any meal. Iron Rich rich foods Foods 2014 www.veetscuisine.com.au
Iron rich recipe idea #3 Potato salad with peas strawberries and watercress Ingredients 2 baby potatoes per person skins left on splash of good quality olive oil big tbsp dulse flakes 1 punnet strawberries cut to your liking 1 bunch of watercress 300g freshly shelled peas lemon juice salt to taste Iron Iron Rich rich Foods foods 2014 www.veetscuisine.com.au
Foods that can inhibit iron absorption Absorbing iron Healthy Tip #4 Either cut down or stop the foods in struggling to absorb iron then cut out gluten for a while at have a test for gluten intolerance. Eat grains that contain no gluten and that are high in iron. Iron rich Rich foods Foods 2014 www.veetscuisine.com.au 11
Iron rich recipe idea #4 Buckwheat and pumpkin bakes related to wheat. It actually belongs to the same Ingredients 1 cup buckwheat ½ tsp Australian herb salt ½ pumpkin cut in chunks ½ bunch parsley finely chopped 2 tbsp chia seeds soaked in ½ cup water 1 bunch kale washed, destemmed and finely chopped handful of Australian walnuts handful of pepitas sprouts as garnish Iron rich Rich foods Foods 2014 www.veetscuisine.com.au 12
Amounts of iron needed daily for our bodies to function Infants 0-6 0.2mg Boys and girls 1-3 4 to 9mg Boys and girls 4-10 4 to 10mg Boys 9-13 6 to 8mg Boys 14-18 8 to 11mg Girls 9-13 6 to 8mg Girls 14-18 8 to 15mg Men all ages 6 to 8mg Women 19-30 8 to 18mg Women 31-50 8 to 18mg Women 50-70+ 5 to 8mg Pregnancy 22 to 27mg Absorbing iron Healthy Tip #5 I have read that unless you are by your naturopath or doctor eat foods that will double or triple the advisable daily iron intake as this way you have more chance of absorbing the right amount of iron you need. Your body will absorb what it needs and get rid of what it doesn t (unless you have some medical problem with storing too much iron- a few people do and they have to be careful not to take too much iron). Be sure to have iron with every meal. I have spirulina with breakfast a lot of mornings and sprinkle on dulse Iron rich Rich foods Foods 2014 www.veetscuisine.com.au 13
Iron rich recipe idea #5 Spirulina smoothie Ingredients ¼ banana ½ apple juice of ½ lemon ¼ dragon fruit or a handful of berries 1 to 2 tsp spirulina water to thin 3 kale leaves stalks removed 2 tsp hemp seeds Iron rich Rich foods Foods 2014 www.veetscuisine.com.au 14
Stress, working hard and being physically active can affect iron absorption Absorbing iron Healthy Tip #6 Listen to your body. If you are working longer hours than normal, feeling run down or stressed or know you will soon check in to see how and if you feel you should eat more iron rich foods. If you start to feel depressed check if you have had enough iron lately and increase your dose in your next meal or eat an iron rich snack. Iron Rich rich foods Foods 2014 www.veetscuisine.com.au 15
Iron rich recipe idea #6 Angel Hearts angel hearts they are named. They are chewy Ingredients Iron rich Rich foods Foods 2014 www.veetscuisine.com.au 16
Iron supplements Absorbing iron Healthy Tip #7 I feel spirulina is a supplement as I wouldn t necessarily eat it if it wasn t good for me or packed with iron. If I wake up feeling normal I will put a teaspoon of spirulina in a half glass of One of my colleagues adds ½ tsp of raw cacao and a drop of stevia to make it a more palatable drink. However what I have found is that when I really need extra iron, spirulina just goes down smoothly and doesn t taste or feel unpleasant. Recently I added ½ tsp to a soup and also to my salad dressing and surprisingly was incredibly delicious. Iron rich Rich foods Foods 2014 www.veetscuisine.com.au
Iron rich recipe idea #7 Strawberry Delight Ingredients ½ cup almonds soaked for 6 hours ½ cup cashews soaked for 6 hours 1 cup dates soaked for approx. 1 hour 2 tsp spirulina 1 cup desiccated coconut 1 punnet strawberries (leave 4 aside for the garnish) ½ cup cashews soaked 1 t 2 tbsp agave or maple syrup 1 to 2 tbsp coconut oil (optional) blueberries for garnishing or kiwi fruit if no blueberries Iron rich Rich foods Foods 2014 www.veetscuisine.com.au 18
Bibliography Contact Mobile: 0403 800 809 Phone: +61 (0)2 6684 1507 Email: info@veets.com.au Web: www.veet.com.au Graphic and web design: Photography: Proofreading and support: Iron rich foods 2014 www.veetscuisine.com.au