Fe Iron is crucial to running strong. It is an important component to oxygen carrying hemoglobin. Therefore, if you don’t have enough iron, you are deficient in your ability to carry enough oxygen to your muscles while you run. Thus making you feel tired.
A pre-menopausal woman’s daily requirement for iron is 18mg. For vegetarian women this increases to 33mg. Why the difference?
There are two types of iron; heme, which is easily absorbed by the body, and non-heme, which is not. Foods such as red meat and eggs are rich sources of the heme form, whereas vegetables are not. Both meat-eaters as well as vegetarians should also include foods rich in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, because they help in the absorption on non-heme iron.
During the menstrual cycle, women find they need more iron to counterbalance the effects of blood loss. While there are soluble supplements now available, most women will be able to find sufficient iron available in their diet. For example:
Tofu: 13mg in ½ cup of firm style
Fortified Breakfast cereals: 5-16mg in 3/4cup serving
Beans: 5-7 mg per cup, depending on the bean
Lean Beef: roughly 1 mg per ounce
Through the research for this piece I stumbled upon simple snacks like bananas with honey and beet juice. Everyone eats that stuff right? Ha! I don’t. So here is a recipe, tastier than beet juice that is high in fiber and iron. It is yummy in the tummy!
High Fiber High Iron Bran Muffins
Makes 9 muffins: 6.4mg Iron per muffin
1 cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup Sugar (a sugar substitute that measures like sugar could be substituted)
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1/3 cup butter
2 cups fortified bran cereal
1 egg beaten
1 cup milk of your choice
½ cup sesame seeds, sunflower seeds or others of your choice
1/2 cup No sugar added Apple Sauce
1. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Using a pastry cutter or forks, cut butter into dry mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Stir in bran cereal flakes.
4. Combine egg and milk; mix with dry ingredients until moistened. Add applesauce now as well.
5. Stir in seeds and any other desired additions.
6. Fill greased muffin pan almost 2/3 full
7. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20minutes
