Quick Question….

What’s the first thing you think of when I say IRON?

Okay, maybe not THAT iron… I’m thinking about the mineral your body needs to stay healthy.

Growing up, I never really thought about it, until I’d moved out into my first apartment, and as often is the case with 19-year-olds, I didn’t really want to take my time attempting to cook all those balanced dinners Mom had brought me up on. So, like most young kids, I ate a lot of Taco Bell,  fast food burgers, soda pop, Hamburger Helper, Kraft Mac & Cheese, and bread. Pretty much, my diet was void of anything healthy.

Fast-forward  some months later, and I’m walking up the stairs to my 2nd-floor place, and I have to sit down and rest halfway through on the landing. What? I’m 19! This continues for a week or so till I go visit the family doctor who informs me that I’m anemic, and therefore my body was lacking iron.

In a nutshell, iron is needed to form healthy red blood cells, and it’s the main part of hemoglobin which carries oxygen to your cells.

Back to the story…
The doctor puts me on these supplements that tasted awful, and made my stomach hurt. So, I called the office and asked if  there was anything else I could try. That day, I got the news I’ll never forget:

“Eat Lots of Red Meat and Potatoes”

Seriously? Are they kidding? Eat foods that I love and I’ll get better?! Wowee what a concept!
Quick: ask me if I knew of any other food with iron.  Ummm….that would be a “no”. Well, except this guy’s favorite…

… but the thought of green slime in a can didn’t appeal to me in the least (little did I know you could buy the leafy real stuff).

Now.

It’s been 27 years, and since then, I’ve learned a lot about foods, and their benefits. (I’ll be the first to tell you I’m not a complete health freak – I love sugar, but in moderation.) And, while I’m eagerly learning about various nutrients, I still remember the iron talk with the doctor. Since that day, I’ve made sure to eat iron-rich foods regularly, so I won’t ever have to go back to those nasty little pills. ick.

Benefits.

Here are some of the reasons you may want to make sure you’re eating enough iron…
It helps with concentration, energy metabolism, and stress resistance. It helps lower fatigue, assists in more restful sleeps, as well as a better immune system. It also helps reduce headaches, and aids in muscle function. (Thanks to this site for the info!)

Here are just some of the ways we can deliciously eat the iron our bodies need:

Consider.

Are you treating yourself to the extra energy and nutrients it deserves?

A Treat.

This week I’ve found a recipe for you that’s got a few different sources of iron, and it’s really pretty too!
Try this Broccoli, Spinach, and Egg Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing from Sofia at Betacyanin.  PS: If you like it, please make sure to let her know by leaving a comment on her blog! =0)

A Little Red Meat Humor.

You may (or may not) have noticed that I’ve been putting either a comic or a video at the end of my blogs that correlate to the topic at hand. Well, this may be stretching it a bit, but I think it probably is red meat…
And, it’s a nod to my buddy in the UK, James McB.

Now…a question for YOU!
What are your favorite IRON-RICH meals or recipes? I’d love to hear about them!!
(Really….I WANT to hear from you, so leave me a comment below!)