Everything is coming up Roses..

 

Well not everything.. but classes are over for the semester! I only have 2 finals, I loved spinning today and I am in a rosey kinda mood!

Body:
I went to the gym after my last class! I was too early for the next spinning class there so I did the elliptical and did my own spinning class! I re-familiarized myself with how to work the bike and got a fantastic workout in. I am really excited to do several classes tomorrow

Neghborhood walk with Jack

Mind:
Two finals! I started studying today.

Car Inspection stuff ( Where I used to live you never had to get an annual inspection so I’m still not used to the whole thing. Luckily, Jeff knew exactly what I needed to do so we will be taking care of that tomorrow).

Soul:

I woke up 30 minutes earlier than yesterday! I had this funny dream just as I woke up. I was hiking by myself in this crazy gorgeous mountain/rainforest, it was somewhere honeymoon related. I was trying to meet up with Jeff on the hike and I heard a cell phone ringing  on this slinky bridge ( above a deep raveen). I ran across the bridge and picked up the phone. As soon as I grabbed it to say hello, I woke up realizing it was my alarm clock. How funny! 

Jeff cut me fresh roses from our rose bush in the backyard- SUPER FIANCE scores again.

I took Jack for a walk and it was so GORGEOUS outside! 80 and very breezy so it seemed just a tad cooler. Ah. When I cam home from the walk- I found this in the mail!

Free barney butter sample! I keep seeing bloggers ranting and raving about this but they spend about $8 a jar on it- so I have been dying to know what the fuss is. Thanks Heather of Hangrypants for emailing me the link so I wouldn’t miss out on the samples!

Early Breakfast:
Oatmeal with Cinnamon and Fruit and PB2

It looks small but this is actually a whole serving, 1/2 cup dry oats made with about 3/4 cup water.
 
Late Morning I made a quick lunch to take with me on the way to class- I had already packed my camera so no photo- but it was a smoothie! Jay Robb is back! It had 1/2 scoop jay robb, water, blueberries, cherries and some yogurt.

Lab :
Random Cookie ( one of the professor’s made these, they were AWESOME! I must get the recipe from Dr. Fisher ( Sarah- she made them right?) . They were almond meringues I assume, basic meringues made with almond flour. They are wheat/gluten free and delicious. Chewy and soft but incredibly light.  Oh and I had a Diet Soda for the caffeine ( I would have gone to the cafe for tea or coffee but it was too far and class was starting)…

and Fudge! I had 2 of the small-ish pieces
 
I could taste the corn syrup, it was very sweet! I prefer richer fudge as opposed to a sweeter fudge. The higher fat is usually more satiating. This was delicious though!

Afternoon/Post-Workout Snack
Veggies!

A whole wheat wrap with some reduced fat cheeses and hot sauce..

Still have over half of that diet coke left- I can’t drink it like I used to in college!

I think I felt tired because I have been getting up earlier thus sleeping less. So instead of finishing off this D.C when I got home, I switched to the healthier, anti-oxidant rich Green Tea and put that guy in the fridge

 
 
Dinner:

I had made extra “chicken parm” the other day,and intended to use the leftovers for a quick Chicken Marsala. However, the mushrooms we had were no good, boo. So I put the chicken in the skillet with some lemon juice and capers and voila, chicken picatta.

On the side we had Kashi Instant Pilaf Fiery Fiesta Mix with black beans and fire roasted corn. A side salad too.

I rented Bride Wars today…. I wanted to wait to have a “girls night” to watch it together but I just couldn’t! I will see it again if anyone wants to watch it with me!

I feel the Earth move..

 under my feet, I see the skies come tumblin down tumblin down…

Body:
Run: 6.4 miles Here are my stats:

After my run I restarted my HRM and stretched. As I walked from the gym to my car I had forgotten it was on until I sat down… So I stopped it and was VERY surprised to see this…

I always knew that after exercise, your body typically burns more calories of energy because your heart rate had been so elevated during exercise it takes awhile to slow back down. I had NO IDEA that I would have burned another 103 kcal just stretching and walking to the parking lot in 17 minutes! My HR was b/n 161 and 126 ! 

What a workout!

Mind:
Presentation is done!

Last day of class tomorrow and we are tasting fudge!

Soul:
hmmm…One bad: I am searching for a job … One Good: Figuring out what kind of wedding to have!

The wedding “thinking” is fun but I am totally struggling with positivity during job searching. I am actually quite angry because I am so qualified for so many positions, very smart, and very hard working- yet no $$$$ . Argh.

Oh but I got up super early today and that felt fantastic! I always used to be a morning person but since classes are mostly afternoon, I have changed to sleeping in later. I am going to try to wake up earlier and earlier now though because it just makes me feel better and more productive.

Breakfast:
Oats with water, cinnamon,fruit and PB2 Peanut Butter! I received a sample in the mail and it is actually quite tasty! Review when I try the other flavor!

Lunch:
Lots of Veggies! Brussels, Broccoli, Spinach, Carrots, Water Chestnuts, Red Pepper, Mushrooms, Snow Peas

With Ranch Tofu and Egg White Scramble and Whole Wheat Toast. 

Dinner:
Turkey Tacos!

To make:
Take ground turkey and brown it in the skillet. When its no longer pink, add an Ortega Taco seasoning packet with 3/4 cup water.

Toppings:
Reduced Fat Mexican Blend Cheese
Organic Baby Spring Greens
Store Bought (but still fresh!) Pico De Gallo ( Near the bagged salad and precut veggies)
Hot sauce

Wrap: Whole Wheat Tortilla.

I know my sister could do this! Right Christal?

So here is my plate:
 
I made a side salad with the extra greens, added more meat, pico de gallo, salsa, cheese on that. I had veggies on the side with hummus.

Dessert:
“Key Lime” Bar with Vanilla yogurt underneath.
I made these last thursday but they turned out really gooey and the crust was too hard to get at without taking out a section of the bars- so I ended up keeping them in the fridge. They are really sour but sweet, with a strong key lime flavor and crispy crust.

Food Principles Lab: Candy

Our fudge recipes were cut in half but the cooling times were not adjusted – Fortunately- I was paying attention to how the fudge was cooling and just started mixing at the right time! Apparently, ours was the only fudge-success so our entire class will taste it thursday. Our nut-brittle was not so successfull…

Fudge is an example of crystalline candy ( with a “fat phase” of adding chocolate/nuts) while Nut Brittle is an example of non-crystalline prepared candy. I know it sounds opposite but that is from our lecture notes.

Chocolate Walnut Fudge 

Adapted from Joy of Cooking

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

¹⁄16 teaspoon salt

¼ cup half-and-half
¼ cup heavy cream

¹⁄8 cup light corn syrup

3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
½ teaspoon pure vanilla
½ to ¾ cup English or black walnuts, coarsely chopped

Servings: About 5 pounds; 32 pieces

Directions

1. Combine sugar, salt, half-and-half, heavy cream, and syrup in a large heavy saucepan. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved, about 5 mins. Bring to a boil and cook, without stirring, for 1 minute. Brush down the sides of the pan with a pastry brushed dipped in warm water to remove any sugar crystals that may have formed, remove from the heat.

2. Sir in chocolate until melted and completely smooth. Brush down the sides of the pan again, then set the pan over medium heat. Place a warmed candy thermometer in the pan, cook the mixture without stirring until it reaches 234°F, the soft-ball stage. Remove from the heat.

3. Float butter and vanilla on top but do not stir in (stirring at this point can cause graininess). Cool the candy to 120°F  ( if you double this recipe, cool to 110 ) by placing the bottom of the pan in COOL water to stop the cooking. * We cooled to approx. 120 and stirred inside pot.  Alternatively, pour it out onto a marble slab or baking sheet (inverted over a rack)sprinkled with cold water, without scraping the bottom of the pan.

4. When it is cool, stir the fudge in the pan with a wooden spoon or work it on the slab with a candy scraper just until it “snaps” and begins to lose its sheen. * I just stirred.

5. Stir in chopped walnuts.

6. Turn the fudge out onto an 8-inch square pan lined with buttered foil that extends over the sides. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula, dipping it in hot water as needed. Let stand for at least 1 hour.

7. Use a large heavy knife to score the fudge into 1-inch squares. Cover and refrigerated for at least 24 hours. * We just did this Tuesday so our class is tasting it Thursday- Apparently no one elses’ lab had success because the cold water they used to cool it was super cold and worked too quickly.

8. Remove the fudge from the pan and peel of the foil, Use the knife to finish cutting the fudge into squares. Served in paper candy cups.

Hmm I can’t wait to taste it tomorrow!

 

Nut Brittle:

I should say How NOT to make nut brittle ?

So while we were making the fudge, our group also attempted this nut brittle twice, both times the sugar ended up cooking too quickly past 300 * and resulted in this dark, burnt sugar. 

I knew it was burnt because my future Mother In Law makes brittle every christmas and I LOVE IT! It is nearly the same color as the peanuts- so this was way to dark in appearance for it to be right.

Ah well- Here is the recipe:
 

Nut Brittle

Adapted from Mark Bittman

Time: About 20 minutes, plus cooling

Yield: Approximately 1 pound

Ingredients

Butter for greasing lined baking sheet

2 cups sugar

2 Tb water

1 + ½ cups roasted or raw nuts, unsalted

Salt

Directions

1. Line a baking sheet (preferably one with a low rim) with aluminum foil and use a bit of butter to grease the lined sheet.

2. Combine sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a heavy skillet and turn heat to medium. Stir until smooth, then cook, adjusting heat so that mixture bubbles steadily. * We were not stirring very often at all- I think this is why the mixture all of a sudden burnt because there were big clumps of sugar and it was  not a smooth mixture*  Stir occasionally until mixture turns golden brown (which it may do rather suddenly), and reaches 300 degrees.

3. Stir in the nuts and a large pinch of salt, if desired

4. Pour mixture onto greased lined baking sheet and spread out. You can score brittle with a knife when it has solidified slightly but not yet turned hard; that way, it will break into even squares.

5. Cool for about a half-hour, and then break into pieces.

6. Store in a covered container for up to two weeks

Shorter and Sweeter

I have wanted to post more often but I have been so busy! It is so time consuming to write about all these things that I enjoy, and when I am running, finishing class projects/papers/presentations, going to class, job searching, studying for FINALS and now planning a wedding- it seems to get harder and harder to sit down and write! I think once I actually find a job, I can have a better schedule down of getting posts in. Until then, my posts are going to be shorter but sweeter!

 
Sample Product Lunch:
A Banana Walnut Gnu Bar, A bag of Cocoa Java Almonds, a CranBran Vitatop and a Chobani

Dinner:
Chicken Parm, Whole Wheat Linguini, Spinach and Artichokes with Feta

Body:
Aerobics last night, Elliptical this morning, Running tomorrow!

Mind:
Project is turned in! Sarah was the best partner ever and did an awesome job!

Presentation tomorrow for Iron- We added in product scores for taste, nutrition, overall benefit etc. for Chickpeas , Vitatops, and Iron Pills as products for Iron Sources ( we were going to do spinach but ended up with chickpeas) so it was cool that our presentation got delayed a week!

I sent out resumes to a few places in hopes of finding a job and I have list of several more places to contact as well. I am trying to keep the positive attitude I have towards everything else, but finding a job has been so hard esp. in this economy!

Today we did our lab on CANDY! We made fudge and nut brittle. Posting tomorrow am!

Soul:
Jeff and I talked about some wedding details- We are gathering ideas right now so as soon as there are details to fill you all in- I will certainly post !

Hurricanes Game 7 of the Playoffs— If they win, they move on to the next round and one round closer to The Stanley Cup!
Go Canes!

Skillet Chicken Parm

I am totally posting this recipe because my sisters’ husband LOVES chicken parm. Fortunately for me, my sister gave all the cooking genes to me. Unfortunately for her, she is trying really hard to learn how to cook!  So, I made these directions as simple and clear as I could!

Ingredients:
-Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, trimmed and pounded between saran wrap ( I buy packs that usually come with 3 breasts).

– 1/4 cup Flour ( I used Whole Grain)

-1/4 tsp Salt

-1/4 tsp Pepper
-1/8 cup Parmesean Cheese
-1 Tbs Olive Oil
-Medium Heat Skillet

Directions:
Put oil into skillet and turn on medium-low heat.

Put flour, salt, pepper, parmesean cheese on a plate.

 
Place Chicken breast onto plate…

 
Flip breast with fork to coat both sides

Place into heated skillet

At this point, I let these guys cook for 8 minutes on each side. Above is what they looked like when I flipped to cook another 8 minutes on the other side. I also started boiling the water for pasta at this time because that takes about 8 minutes to cook.

*If you want to melt the cheese on top of the chicken, you can place the chicken breasts on foil/baking sheet and broil for about 5 minutes at 450 *F.  However, if you add the cheese on top of the chicken after the breasts are done cooking in the skillet- it will melt on its own. *  

I served it with whole grain pasta, a little mozzarella on top and spinach with artichokes and feta. I used canned tomatoes mixed into the pasta but you can use whatever sauce you like.

 

Chicken Polenta Casserole

So I made chicken polenta casserole on thursday for dinner this weekend at the beach. I took the casseroles down in an insulated bag that we had filled with ice so it was still icy cold when we arrived at the beach! Here is how I did it..

 

Base Layer: Polenta

Here is my recipe ( above shows a triple batch):
1 cup cornmeal
3 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp steak seasoning
1/4 cup cheese

Directions:
Heat water and salt to boiling,drop heat to low and whisk in cornmeal. Whisk approx. 3 minutes or until thick and smooth. Add in steak seasoning and cheese, mix well.  Pour and spread this into a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

Casserole Filling:
1 zuchinni
1 onion
1 tsp olive oil

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can black beans
1/2 cup shredded cheese of choice

Directions:
I diced the onion and zuchinni and threw them into a medium-heat skillet with the oil. I sauteed them until fragrant and the onions were translucent/slightly brown. While this mixture was cooking, I pounded out chicken breasts and sliced into pieces. I took out the zuchinni/onion mixture

and added my chicken to the hot, seasoned skillet.

I cooked the chicken breasts until no longer pink inside, added back the zuchinni & onion, added the tomatoes

and let it simmer  ( I like to say simmmmmmaaaahhh when I do this) until it gets as thick as I like.

Add this simmered mix on top of the polenta, add black beans on top, sprinkle cheese on top.
Bake at 350 until cheese is brown ( approx. 30 minutes).

I had tripled this recipe for 9 adults but we had about 1/2 of 1 of the casseroles left over. Everyone said they really enjoyed it (I had sent them a link to the first time I made it in advance to make sure they would know what was for dinner!)

 

The Beach Weekend

We are back and got too much sun, had so much fun and wish we were still laying on the beach. Ah… Here are some photos!

“Our” house for the weekend…

The gazebo..

The ocean

The house had a pool…I had a cocktail

My ladies at the beach

 

Chocolate Chip Pancakes at the beach

Wedding Rings on the beach

 

Sisters on the beach ( my sister Christal and Me)

 
Ashes on the beach ( from the fires at myrtle beach)

  

My FSIL picked up these tiny seashells that had some kind of live, jiggling creatures inside

We all thought this was fascinating, Brittany especially.

i made fruit salad 
 
andrea made a breakfast casserole

Stacy ran over a post
 
She was backing out of the driveway. Her car was stuck on it and they were going to call a toe truck. So I said “let’s all just lift up her car”. so we did. problem solved. damage below.

We attempted to go to a bar the first night but 9 girls ( that were all smokin hot by the way) got turned away!?! It was really weird because the guy said he couldn’t let anymore people in but the place did not look full by any means ?

Body:
I got sun posioning I am pretty sure- It still hurts to put clothing or anything on because the entire back side of me is scorched. I did spray on SPF 50 but obviously not well enough and laying on the sand on my stomach most of the day was not helpful either.

So anyways- this hurts- the fiance rubbed aloe on me though ( as well as Andrea while we were there! Thanks!)

It feels much better today than yesterday…

Mind:
I think I am finally finished with the write up of this Shackelton project-

I brought my laptop down with me but I couldn’t connect to the Internet for whatever reason? eh.

Soul:
I am happy to see Jeff again but I really LOVE the beach. I can’t imagine getting married anywhere else after this weekend.

10.5 miles, Calla Lily and Lilly’s !

Body

So I went to the gym. In my old shoes. I didn’t realize it until about mile 2. I promised myself I would run at least 5 miles. My knees felt fine, my breathing was fine, but I wasn’t exactly flying through the first 4 miles. Once 5.00 turned over, I got this fantastic wind and made it to 7.00 miles. I got off the treadmill. Got some water. And thought about how I felt like I could run even longer and I thought about how I never really act on that feeling, thinking that I should save my energy for something. I instantly told myself “Screw It… do 10 miles, because you know you can , and you feel up to it, why not try it for once and see how far you get?”

I thought about BB at slow runnings doing a 15 mile run and thought, I know I can do this and if it hurts after so be it but it will still hurt if I had left at 7 miles.

I stepped onto the treadmill and glanced at the other people in the gym. I bet they think I am nuts. Who cares though? I started at a slow jog and quickly sped up to this incredible feeling that made me literally smile ear to ear. I started lip-syncing to Little Things by Bush, then When I Grow Up by the PCD, and Womanizer. I bet the guys that saw me thought I was nuts, but again, who really cares?

I ran 10.4 miles.

😀

If you would like to know my time, just ask me in the comment section and I will be happy to share.

Mind

I felt like a crazy lady today! I went grocery shopping for this weekend , did laundry and prepping for cooking, went for a looonnnnng run, heard there were fires at the beach where we are going- looked at the news to make sure we could still go, cleaned the baseboards, mopped all the floors, cleaned blinds and walls, put sheets on the beds, it was never ending! I also cooked 2 big batches of Chicken Polenta Casserole, a big batch of Spinach Artichoke Dip, and a Key Lime Bar dessert!

Soul
I was so out of glycogen stores for energy and busy busy busy that I called Jeff to see if he would pick up dinner for us- he was happy to do so but get this.. dinner and favorite flowers!

Isn’t that the sweetest! About 2 years ago (Pre-blog) Jeff got me these same kind of Calla Lillies and we planted them in the yard. They lasted for a good 2 years but recently didn’t come back up.
I cried at the note he wrote. It was so sweet and just what I needed.

My sister will be here in 2 hours!!!! YAAAHAHHHH! Girls’ Weekend! Ahhh! I can’t wait I am so excited!

Breakfast:

Egg White Black Bean Salsa Burrito, Grapefruit Half, Warmed up Blueberries, Strawberries, Mango, Pineapple, Cherries.

Provides:
290 kcal
27 g protein
2 servings of fruit, 1 dairy, 1 whole grain

Post Run:

I came back and needed serious fuel!
I had a full glass of Vanilla Organic Soy Milk and this very ripe banana with naturally more ( about 1 tablespoon of pb).

Provides:
300 kcal
1 serving of fruit

Lunch: Ranch Tofu!
 

This is so easy and SO DELICIOUS! best tofu i ever had.

I took Extra Firm Tofu- I sliced it into 5 servings then drained/squeezed out the excess liquid. Sprinkled 1/2 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning 

I put it into my skillet and let it brown.

with salsa and some cheese

and an Apple ( Fuji)

Provides:
320 kcal
1 serving of fruit, 1/2 serving of veggies

COOKING!!

I will do recipe posts separate..

Chicken Polenta Casserole times 2 (for 9 adults)

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

and Key Lime Pie Bars ( sorry no photo- I will do one though)

So after all that cooking, cleaning all the dishes as I went, cutting my other finger AGAIN! ( this time I was totally doing knife skills- it just got caught in the food and slipped , argh) … and running 10.5 miles AND cleaning and laundry and grocery planning and shopping ALL DAY – I knew I was in no mood to even look in the fridge for anything to even pull out to eat.

Jeff picked up dinner form “Lilly’s Pizza” on the way home! And another kind of lily…

 
oh this was just so perfect. Jeff is a super-fiance now…

Dinner:
My favorite, and the only thing I have had from Lilly’s is this BBQ chicken salad made with all organic veggies and these amazing dough knobs.

 

I would estimate:
900 kcal +
~ 40 g protein  
4 servings of veggies
and freakin delicious.

Dessert:

tbd.

Dessert from last night:

Vanilla TJ Organic Greek Yogurt  with 2 Organic Newman-O’s

Total so far… 1820 kcal … and I am going to try to get in another 300-400 for dessert !

I gotta run to the airport to get my sister! Hooray!

Bridal Magazines, Tofu, Cuban "Paninis"

Body:
okay, so I intended to run today however, I cleaned all morning and because of that- I had a minor asthma “attack” ( I am allergic to dogs, dust, cats, anything with fur pretty much and I have had asthma since I was about 2 ,and it was my own fault of not taking my allergy meds. prior to cleaning. I’m fine now fyi). I still went to the gym though but I know my lungs couldn’t handle a big run- I did 2.2 miles on the treadmill and 20 minutes ellipticizing.

Mind:
Check out my post on Iron from this morning!

Soul and Breakfast:
 

Read wedding magazines with tons of fruit! I had half of a grapefruit, the last of the fresh pineapple, half a banana, some mango, cherries, and papaya. I had an egg white sandwich with 3 egg whites ( microwaved), black bean and corn salsa, and hot sauce ( and whole grain bread).

Provides:
3 servings of fruit, 2 servings whole grains
380 kcal
21 g protein

Wedding Magazines:
provides:
entertainment!!! The good

Isn’t that cute?! I love all the ideas I get from photos of other people.

The Bad:

The Ugly:

Seriously? The worst part is that unless you have read several of these latest magazines as I have recently, she is in SO MANY of them? What bugs me the most, none of these people smile at all !?! I guess the photographers don’t care because you have to cover up their faces anyway to imagine yourself. 
 
Hmm..Even when I did cover her face, you can still see her gray furry mohawk.

( Notice my pineapple-battle scar ? it hurts like crazy! again my fault for not utilizing proper knife skills. lesson learned. )

Onto the good things..
 
My ring looks so big on there. NO apologies to those that are sick of seeing photos of my ring, I LOVE IT! And, I love that cake! I think its gorgeous … as are..

Stargazer Lillies.
 
Alright, now all you bridal magazine photographers… I know there are tricks to making your body “look” skinny, however unrealistic and stupid I think that is….

What is with the ” My boobs don’t fit in this and I think I am going to hurl or pass out and faint in my wedding dress”  pose… ?

 

See ?  you could just imagine hearing them grunt “ahh, urggh, pheeeww, rrr” or look up at the sky and think “hmmm”. That does not make me want to fit into those dresses- it looks like she is in pain and wants to rip it off?  I thought the idea is that you will imagine yourself in those dresses and want to buy them.

And she just looks she doesn’t even want to get married at all.
“Contemplation” ….

The groom should run in the other direction if you look this indecisive on your wedding day.

Alright, enough silliness.
Lunch:
Ranch Tofu , Chobani Puffins, Banana, Veggies

I am telling you, a Hidden Valley Seasoning Packet on top of squeezed, extra firm tofu is SO delicious! It is the only way I like tofu now.

Provides:
.5 fruit servings, 2 servings veggies
425 kcal
32 g protein
 
Class:

This was from a group that analyzed it as a functional food for calcium and it gives Whey Protein an AWFUL misrepresentation! This stuff was ICKY! It only offers 20% of DV of calcium, 200 kcal and 15 g protein. I only had the tiniest pour and couldn’t even finish that. Jay Robb and other whey proteins taste WAY better! ick.

Dinner:
Cuban Sammies

We had made pork a few days ago so I sliced up the one that was leftover, layered it with a slice of salami, half slice of cheddar, pickles, and mustard in a whitewheat bun. I put a little smart balance on the outsides of the buns and heated them up like this:
 
We don’t have a panini maker. hmm… these were AWESOME so maybe we can register for a sammy maker.

I had one and on the side I heated up frozen veggies from this guy:

It was huge! It offered 17 servings of veggies for less than $8 I believe.

Delicious!
Each sandwich was approx. 220 kcal ( 1 slice salami, 1/3 of a 4oz pork chop, 1/2 slice of cheese, bun)

( I also had a banana and some almonds as a late morning snack today- no photos and I am also going to eat something else too but I don’t know what yet.)

Pumping Iron

Iron!
We all need it but do we get enough of it?

Plant based iron is called “Nonheme” ( essentially not-from-blood).  Our bodies have to take an extra step to absorb this type of iron versus Heme Iron (which comes from animal sources).  Nonheme iron must be converted to the different form via an enzyme or acid (it must gain an electron), however, this can be achieved through the acidic environment during digestion.

Unfortunately, its not as easy as 1,2,3. Our bodies rate of absorbtion vary widely for each of us, factors include how much hemoglobin is already in your blood, the oxygen in your blood, bone marrow production. there are also factors such as Vitamin C intake, which enhances absorption because it converts the iron to the absorbable form. Iron absorption is delayed with compounds such as phytates in whole grains, oxalic acid in berries and cocoa, calcium, and more. Overall, absorption completely depends on what you ate with the iron source, how much of what you ate were inhibitors or enhancers and your own metabolic functioning in general!

Phew, take a breath. Okay.

Very little iron is excreted from the body, making toxicity fairly easy to achieve if your iron-intake is high. The “upper tolerable intake” for women 14 and older is 45 mg/day. Most of us do not need iron supplements nor iron dense foods, but they can be helpful for women. Vegans that are not really keeping track of their iron intake and making sure it is high enough “should consult a physician on taking iron supplements”. I think it would be incredibly hard to actually get enough iron without meat but it is quite possible!

1/2 cup of spinach provides:

• 10 % of your daily value for iron
• 229% Vitamin A ( which helps release iron from storage)
•  3% Vitamin C ( enhances conversion of iron for easier absorption)
• 15% Calcium ( which inhibits the absorption of iron).

I don’t think spinach really “does it” in my opinion as a good source of iron!  It does impress as a fantastic food though-so enjoy it frequently!

 

Human beings use 20 mg of iron each day for the production of new red blood cells, much of which is recycled from old red blood cells. My presentation this week in Vitamins Class was regarding Iron products as a way of preventing anemia, a deficiency in iron. We compared a whole food ( Spinach) with a functional food (Vitalicious Vitatops) with a supplement (Iron as Ferrous Sulfate pills).

Here is some information from my presentation/ NIH Factsheets on Iron !

Iron deficiency anemia
Anemia can be associated with low dietary intake of iron, inadequate absorption of iron, or excessive blood loss [1]. Women of childbearing age, pregnant women, preterm and low birth weight infants, older infants and toddlers, and teenage girls are at greatest risk of developing iron deficiency anemia because they have the greatest need for iron [33]. Women with heavy menstrual losses can lose a significant amount of iron and are at considerable risk for iron deficiency [1,3]

Vitamin A helps mobilize iron from its storage sites ( Iron is stored with the help of the protein “ferritin” ). If one is deficient in Vitamin A, this often results in an “apparent” iron deficiency because hemoglobin (Iron in the blood) levels are low despite proper storage processes.  While uncommon in the U.S., this problem is seen in developing countries where vitamin A deficiency often occurs.

Signs of iron deficiency anemia include:

•  feeling tired and weak
• decreased work and school performance
• slow cognitive and social development during childhood
• difficulty maintaining body temperature
• decreased immune function, which increases susceptibility to infection.

Recommended Dietary Allowances for Iron for Infants (7 to 12 months), Children, and Adults [1]

Age                Males            Females        during Pregnancy    Lactation

7 to 12 mos.    11 mg/day  11 mg/day      n/a

1 to 3 yrs.         7 mg/day    7 mg/day      n/a

4 to 8 years       10 mg/day   10 mg/day   n/a

9 to 13 years     8 mg/day   8 mg/day   n/a

14 to 18 years    11 mg/day   15 mg/day   27 mg/day     10mg/day

19 to 50 years    8 mg/day   18 mg/day    27 mg/day     9mg/day

51+ years           8 mg/day   8 mg/day      n/a
Iron Source : Vitalicious Vita Brownies

Taste: I love the banana walnut, however the chocolate ones have tended to taste like a vitamin…

Availability :Online and in the Freezer Section of most Grocers

Storage: 1 year in the freezer

Daily Value: 1 vitalicious vitatop or brownie provides

50% DV Iron  ( approx. 4-5 mg) and…

50% Vitamins A, C, E, B6, B12, Biotin, D, Folic Acid

This would be ideal for getting in Vitamin A to help release Iron from its storage sites and also Vitamin C which helps enhance absorption of Iron into cells for usage.

Cost: $1.50 + per brownie is a bit expensive
 
Efficacy: These seem to be a great portion controlled product that offers more than just a 100 kcal dessert/breakfast on the go. I think it could be a pretty well-rounded source of these vitamins should your diet not be quite “up to par”, however, these should not be consumed too often because it could easily put you over the RDA for more vitamins and minerals if you are already consuming lots of fruits and vegetables.