Science Facts Sundays: Maximizing Iron Absorbency, Part 7: Fruit, Dairy, Sweeteners, Herbs and Spices

Welcome to Science Facts Sundays.

These are some notes I took when reading Iron Rich Foods: Unlock the Iron in Your Food and Fight Iron Deficiency by Amanda Rose, PH.D.

My daughter knows why we don’t drink milk with an iron-rich meal. She can tell you, “calcium inhibits iron absorption!”

I don’t see the point of eating foods and not being able to absorb them and utilize all their benefits. What a shame to waste the iron in our foods when we eat them with dairy products. Simply knowing to separate the foods for ultimate utilization can be helpful for combating low iron levels.

You may find this geeky - so be forewarned! If fermentation doesn’t appeal to you, check back in a few weeks and I’ll have moved on to something else that you may be interested in.

This week we learn that the Vitamin C in fruit can enhance iron absorption, what the top fruits are that contain iron, top fruits containing Vitamin C, that peaches contain almost twice as much Vitamin C as orange juice, how to double iron absorption, best dairy sources for iron, why you want to consume calcium-rich foods separately from your high-iron meals, which sweeteners add iron to your diet, how herbs and spices can help, and more… Continue reading

Nourished Baby - My #1 Choice for Pregnant and Nursing Moms and Moms to be…

Boy am I glad I happened across this gem! I only wish I had Nourished Baby eight years ago when pregnant with my first daughter - or four years ago when I was pregnant with my son.

Heather Dessinger has written what I consider to be the greatest book since Nourishing Traditions. Yes, I really mean it!

If you’ve read Nourishing Traditions, you’ve likely felt overwhelmed. Information overload! Picking out relevant information on what to feed babies can be a daunting task.

Enter Nourished Baby.

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High-Protein Pancake Recipe

Mmmm, now who doesn’t love pancakes?

I used to only serve pancakes on Saturday mornings. Even though I made my own pancake batter, I still wasn’t thrilled about the lack of protein.

However, due to the large amount of eggs our chickens are producing, I have been looking for recipes calling for more eggs. So what a blessing that my good friend Miriam asked if I was interested in a high-protein pancake recipe. She got it from our mutual friend Ruth (thanks, Ruth!). I tweaked the recipe a little, adding 8 eggs instead of 4, doubling the flour, and omitting the vanilla extract. These are soooo yummy! My kids are happy they don’t have to eat scrambled eggs…again…and I am happy that we are still using eggs for breakfast. Continue reading

Healing Cavities Through Nutrition - a Cheat Sheet

Tooth decay is caused by a deficiency of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients the body needs to build healthy teeth. The two most important minerals teeth need are calcium and phosphate. Unfortunately, for the teeth, other places of the body also need these minerals. So if you’re running short, the minerals will migrate out of your teeth, and bones, and go to more important places, like your heart and other organs.
For optimal tooth health, you need to avoid foods that contribute to decay, and carry minerals out of the body. Some of these foods are… Continue reading