Fight iron deficiency with this delicacy!

IRON DEFICIENCY ANAEMIA - FACT FILE 

The commonest nutritional deficiency disorder present throughout the world is iron deficiency but its prevalence is higher in the developing countries. 
Iron deficiency anaemia is the top cause of disability in India since past 10 years. 
It is most common in children below the age of 3 years and in women specially in reproductive age group of 13 years to 40 years. 
In children, the reason for it being rampant is, the staple is milk which is unfortunately, low in iron. Thus, causing low haemoglobin levels or anemia as a result. 

In adults, amount of iron loss is 1 mg daily in males and non-menstruating female, while in a menstruating woman there is an additional iron loss of .5-1 mg daily.  So, women in reproductive age group are more prone to iron deficiency anaemia, both in developing as well as developed countries. 


ABSORPTION 

An average diet contains about 10-15 mg of iron, out of which only 5-10% is normally absorbed. In pregnancy and in iron deficiency, the proportion of absorption is raised to 20-30%. 

However there is a catch here. Iron from diet containing haem is better absorbed than non-haem iron. 
Haem iron is found mainly in animal products like chicken ,fish and some part of meat . 
Whereas, vegetables and nuts contain mainly the non-haem iron. 
Thus, Vegetarians needs to make extra effort to not just make sure that they are consuming iron rich foods but also that these foods are absorbed better. 

Absorption of non-haem iron is enhanced by factors such as ascorbic acid (vitamin C), citric acid, amino acid, sugars, gastric secretions and hydrochloric acid. Iron absorption is impaired by factors such as medicinal antacids, milk, pancreatic secretions, tannates contained in tea. (Source: Textbook of Pathology by Harsh Mohan) 

SOURCES OF IRON

FOR NON- VEGETARIANS ( Source: www.webmd.com )

1) Chicken
2) Turkey
3) Salmon
4) Tuna
5) Beef
6) Oysters
7) Mollusks 

FOR VEGETARIANS (Source: www.heathline.com )

1) Legumes 
 - Soybeans
 - Lentils
 - Beans
 - Peas

2) Nuts
 - Almonds
 - Cashews

3) Seeds
 - Hemp
 - Flax seeds
 - Sesame

4) Vegetables
 - Spinach
 - Broccoli 
 - Kale
 - Potatoes
 - Mushrooms

5) Fruits
 - Mulberries
 - Olives 
 - Amaranth

6) Whole grains
 - Oats
 - Quinoa 

As mentioned earlier, Vegetarian sources contain non-haem iron which is absorbed less effectively as compared to haem iron. But vitamin C along with such sources can enhance iron absorption. Also, there are some sources which contain higher Vitamin C  content along with iron and thus are good sources especially for strict vegetarians. 

Foods high in vitamin C include:

• fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, strawberries, kiwis, guavas, papayas, pineapples, melons, and mangoes
• broccoli
• red and green bell peppers
• Brussels sprouts
• cauliflower
• tomatoes
• leafy greens

The recipe I am going to share here is a very nutritious one. And is particularly good for vegetarians looking for their daily iron share in a tasty way. 

It contains :

- Broccoli

- Almonds and Cashews

- Red and green bell peppers

- Tomatoes

- Mushrooms

- Bean

- Olives

and you can always experiment with many other vegetables and nuts! 

Here we go...

BAKED VEGETABLES - ITALIAN STYLE 

PREPARATION TIME : 15 Minutes

BAKING TIME : 25 Minutes

SERVES : 4-5

INGREDIENTS

1) Vegetables ( All cut cubed sized )

- Broccoli - 1 small 

- French Beans - 100 gm
- Mushrooms - 50 gm

- Baby corns - 50 gm

- Yellow and red bell peppers - 1 small each

- Sweet corns - 50 gm

- Carrots - 2-3
- Any other vegetable of your choice

2) For Tomato Sauce

 - Tomatoes - 2

 - Ginger - 1 small piece

 - Garlic - 3 pods

 - Basil Leaves - 4-5

 - Cashews - few

 - Almonds - few

 - salt - according to taste

3) For white sauce 

 - Milk - 2 cups

 - Butter - 1 tbsp

 - Maida - 2  tsp

 - Black pepper powder - 1/4th tsp

 - salt - according to taste

4) Mozzarella cheese - grated - As much as you like!

1) Steam boil all the cubed vegetables until soft, add a little salt and keep them aside.

2) In a pan, take a little oil and add saute all the ingredients of tomato sauce namely , tomatoes, ginger, garlic, basil leaves, almonds and cashews. Also add a little salt. 

3) After they have cooled a bit, grind them into a smooth paste without adding any water.

4) Now, evenly mix the tomato sauce with the boiled vegetables and keep aside.

5) For white sauce, take a pan, add maida and butter. Roast it for few minutes. Then slowly add milk ad keep stirring vigorously as you do so to avoid formation of lumps. 

6) After the sauce begins to thicken, add black pepper and salt. You can also add some grated cheese in the end. Switch off the flame and keep it aside.

7) In the meanwhile, pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. 

8) Take about a 1.5L rectangular or an equivalent sized baking dish and very lightly grease it with olive oil or vegetable oil.

9) Now layer the vegetables and tomato sauce mixture. 

10) Next, pour over the white sauce liberally.

11) On the top, add grated mozzarella cheese.

12) Now, place your dish in the pre-heated oven and bake it on convection mode for 20 minutes and then grill mode for 5 minutes. 

13) The cheese on top will melt while the vegetables will be nicely cooked. 

14) Serve hot.

Contains Broccoli, beans, Mushrooms, Bell peppers, Almonds, Cashews - All packed with Iron.

Iron rich delicacy - Baked Vegetables!

Livogen has taken the initiative of helping women fight iron deficiency. This post is a little contribution in the same direction.Visit their website to know more. http://www.livogen.in/iron-chef/


For any health related queries, you can contact me on my mail ID sarahdelhi11@gmail.com

Mixed Dal - Lentils deliciously 'mixed' with iron!

Did you know? Just 100 grams of lentils provide 45% of your daily iron needs!
Iron plays a integral role in the formation of hemoglobin in blood and myoglobin in the muscles, both of which carry oxygen to the cells.
That is why fatigue and tiredness are usually the first symptoms people notice when they are low in iron. For vegetarians, getting enough iron, is particularly challenging. Regularly including lentils in your diet can help boost your iron intake. (As per www.lentils.org )

Lentils are a cheap and easily available  source of iron. It's easy and quick to cook and goes well as a main or a side dish with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian cuisines.

I chose 'Mixed Dal' because it contains four different varieties of Dals (Lentils) and tastes delicious.
It is extremely easy to make and not to mention that it requires all those spices and other ingredients which are readily available in our homes.

Now presenting you the recipe of Mixed Dal - A nutritious dish, rich not just in iron but also other minerals and vitamins necessary for the healthy development of our body.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15- 20 minutes
Serves : 4

Ingredients

Moong Dal (Split yellow lentils) - 1 Tbsp
Masoor Dal (Split Red Lentils) - 1 Tbsp
Urad Dal (Split Black Lentils) -1 Tbsp
Chana Dal (Split Bengal Gram) - 1 Tbsp
Turmeric - 1/2 Tsp
Red chilly powder -1/4th Tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 Tsp
Coriander powder - 1 Tsp
Salt - To taste
Ginger gastric paste - 1 Tsp
Onion( Finely chopped) - 1 cup ( 1/2 cup fried for garnishing)
Ghee - 1 Tbsp
Coriander leaves - Few for garnishing


Method

1) Wash and soak all the lentils, either separately or together for about 45 minutes to one hour. (If you are in a hurry then you can soak then in warm water for 15 minutes) This will reduce the cooking time.

2) In a pressure cooker, add all the four lentils, ghee, spices like turmeric, red chilly powder, garam masala, salt, coriander powder, finely chopped onions and ginger garlic paste. Also add 2 cups of water.  Give it a stir to mix everything properly.

3) Now cook until 3 whistles and then on simmer for 5 minutes.

4) Switch off the flame and open the lid only when steam has completely escaped.

5) In a small pan, add about 1Tbsp of ghee and then add half a cup of finely chopped onions. Cook until golden brown.

6) Dish out the cooked Mixed lentils in a bowl and garnish with crisp onions and finely chopped green coriander leaves.

7) Your iron rich, nutritious dal is ready. Serve hot with naan or roti.

Nutritional information:

Iron : All lentils contain about 7.5 mg/ 100 grams

Besides being rich in Iron, they also contain nutrients like Proteins, Carbohydrates, Fibers, Folic acid, Calcium, Sodium , Potassium and Zinc. Also Vitamins like A, B3, C.


So, when are you cooking Mixed Dal at your home? 

If you want to know more about problems and health issues due to deficiency of iron, check out http://www.livogen.in/iron-chef/

Piku's poop is a real trouble.

Disclaimer : shitty post ahead! 

Shoojit Sircar must be experiencing constipation within or around him to direct a movie so close to our bowels and guts. And I will not restraint myself from
assuming that the credit for Piku being such a massive hit lies in the fact that somewhere we too
have our 'motions and emotions intimately linked'! 

Who can afterall disagree that a gut freed morning is indeed a good morning! 

Movies have the power to grab our sentiments and put forth a coloured reality of what we tend to ignore in everyday lives. Be it the plight of dyslexic kid in Taare zameen par or schizophrenic mathematician in A beautiful mind. This time its Piku. 
Kudos to the entire team for making us realise how much of a problem constipation has become in the world of today.

 www.wholeapproach.com has called constipation as a modern epidemic.

Roughly 12-19% population in United States, as many as 63 million people suffer from it another source says. 

India too is not far behind to make a way in the list of constipated countries. 

Last month I joined in a medical college as an intern and its surprising and alarming at the same time that 4 out of every 10 patients I see each day are not just constipated but suffering acutely because if it.

They come to me and have a similar plea to put forward 'please help us get rid of it, linking all their health issues directly or indirectly to it.' And believe me they are as much in distress as our beloved 'Bhashkor' in Piku. 

This problem of abnormal stool is equally common in both youngsters and elders.

Sparing no age of its occurrence.

While most of the people overlook it initially, they later are either shy or ashamed of accepting the gut tantrums. 

It is understandable given the fact that our shit is as intimate and personal as our sex lives. 

But is constipation slowly becoming a silent killer? The epidemiological stats of various countries certainly point towards a crumbling hard truth.

The funny part is, constipation is a relatively simple problem to deal with just like obesity and majority of the other lifestyle disorder we face today. Infact, simpler than all of them. 

A little tweak in our diet can not just improve our bowel health but also help us get rid of other health troubles like weight gain, bloating, high cholesterol levels and haemorrhoids etc. all of which are extremely closely and directly related to constipation. 

In my 4 years of medical studies I have realised that the so called lifestyle disorders are all so intimately related, almost like parasitic relation. If you can manage to root out even one, chances are you will weaken the others too.

Starting with constipation might be an easy way out of the vicious circle of health menace.Here's how to do it:

1) Water is the transporter of waste in our body.  So we need it in adequate amounts to keep the transportation going on. Drink at least 7-8 glasses of water everyday.

2) Leafy veggies and fruits, the coarser the better. Green makes our intestines active. So go ahead, throw up some work for your intestines. 

3)All processed foods and junks make you and your intestines sluggish and slow. So by dumping them you are saving yourself from the dumping syndrome. 

4)Make fibres your friends. Be it dalia or chana or chokar, they all have high amount of fibre which basically helps to increase the intestinal motility and bulk of our food. 

5) Our gut and mind are deeply connected. More than the mind and heart. That's why we feel 'butterflies in our stomach' when we fall in love and 'pangs of anxiety in the gut' when we are nervous or afraid.

So if you are stressed out, the stomach too gets upset causing you constipation.

Ok! Time to wind up the shitty talk. But make sure you keep a check on your bowel habits as goes Piku's tagline 'motion se hi emotion'!