Be an Iron (Wo)Man

_{Hello Reader,}

_{It is needless to say that to move any stone, we need energy. And this energy should come to us from rich sources. It is for us to see that what we eat fulfil these constituents well. Along with all the carbs, proteins, fats and vitamins, our body also requires minerals such as potassium, zinc and iron.}

_{in this post, I am going to specifically talk about this necessary mineral our body cannot function without. According to WHO, about 2 billion people in the world are suffering from Iron deficiency. Anaemia is one such disease which is common and more than 25% of world’s population suffers from it.}

_{http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/ida/en/}

_{Women, age 18-50, are more prone to Iron deficiency because of their menstrual cycles. This leads to them to being inactive, fatigued and lose interest from daily activities. In under developed countries, anaemic condition also leads one to acquire other deadlier diseases like HIV, Malaria and dengue. Iron deficiency also causes hair loss, weak nails and skin illnesses.}

_{Statistics make it evident that this is one of the most prominent kind of nutrient deficiency our world is facing today and is causing many deaths every day. Having a large percentage of population unfit also brings down a country’s economic and social values.}

_{Anaemia is a condition in which our body stops producing Red Blood Cells. These cells are carriers of oxygen. Deficiency of iron in body hinders the reach of oxygen to the other body parts. This leads to dizziness and fatigue. Therefore, we have to keep a check on what we eat.}

_{On an average, an adult Male or female needs about 8 to 10 milligrams of iron every day. A women in her menstruation period or if pregnant, requires about 15-18 mg of iron intake each day.}

 _{There are some foods which are rich in iron, which, if consumed on daily basis, can be a preventive measure to keep our Iron level balanced. Some of such food sources and their respective iron content (in mg) are:}

_{Using these ingredients, here are some of the easy recipes which I tried in my kitchen. Trust me, I have very little experience with cooking and these recipes can be made with minimum effort.}

_{1.                 Healthy Oats Breakfast}

_{Things you need:}

_{1.                 Oats}

_{2.                 Milk}

_{3.                 Honey}

_{4.                 Dry Fruits* – Raisins, Cashew nuts , pistachios, dates, almonds}

_{5.                 Fruits* – Apples, Bananas, Pomegranate}

_{*You can add these as per availability and taste.}

_{How to prepare:}

_{o     Mix a cup of soaked oats and a glass of milk and boil them for a few minutes.}

_{o     Pour this mixture in a bowl}

_{o     Add raisins, cashews, almonds and other dry fruits.}

_{o     Add all the chopped fruits}

_{o     Add honey on top of it}

_{o     Mix everything}

_{o     Breakfast is ready to serve}

_{2.                 Broccoli Salad}

_{Things you need:}

_{1.                 Broccoli}

_{2.                 Bell Peppers}

_{3.                 Cucumber}

_{4.                 Vinegar}

_{5.                 Ginger-Garlic Paste}

_{6.                 Black Pepper}

_{7.                 Chilli flakes}

_{8.                 Salt}

_{9.                 Olive Oil}

_{10.             Mayonnaise}

_{How to prepare:}    

_{o     Chop the broccoli and other vegetables}

_{o     Boil the chopped broccoli for a few minutes}

_{o     Keep the boiled broccoli in a cool place for a while}

_{o     Meanwhile, prepare the dressing for the salad}

_{o     For dressing, mix Vinegar, Ginger garlic paste, chilli flakes, black pepper and salt in a bowl}

_{o     Add the chopped veggies (broccoli, cucumber, bell peppers) in this dressing and mix well}

_{o     Add a table spoon of Olive Oil}

_{o     Add Mayonnaise (optional)}

_{o     Toss everything together in the bowl}

_{o     The Salad is ready to serve}

_{3.                 Brown Rice Meal}

_{Things you need:}

_{1.                 Brown Rice}

_{2.                 Chickpeas/ Kidney Beans}

_{3.                 Eggs}

_{4.                 Paneer}

_{5.                 Spices* (Cinnamon, Coriander powder, Turmeric powder)}

_{6.                 Salt}

_{7.                 Black Pepper}

_{8.                 Ginger Garlic Paste}

_{9.                 Vegetables* (Tomatoes, Onions, Coriander leaves)}

_{10.             Olive Oil}

_{*You can add these as per availability and taste.}

_{How to prepare:}

_{o     Keep the brown rice and chickpeas soaked in water overnight.}

_{o     Mix them together and add a glass of water}

_{o     Pour this into a cooker}

_{o     Now add spices, peppers, salts and any flavour that you like. In my case, I added ginger garlic paste, cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper and black salt.} 

_{o     Add paneer cubes}

_{o     Add two-four eggs}

_{o     Now cook this for about 20 minutes in a pressure cooker.}

_{o     Once done, you can put this into a bowl}

_{o     And add chopped veggies (tomatoes, onions etc)}

_{o     Top it with Olive oil}

_{o     Toss and mix everything well}

_{o     Meal is ready to serve}

_{4.                 Spinach Smoothie}

_{Things you need:}

_{1.                 Spinach}

_{2.                 Bananas}

_{3.                 Honey}

_{4.                 Milk}

_{How to prepare:}

_{o     Mix spinach, chopped bananas in a bowl}

_{o     Pour Milk}

_{o     Add honey}

_{o     (Optional) You may also add oats to just make it more healthier and for more calories}

_{o     Blend this mixture till it turns green}

_{o     Serve it, garnished with dry fruits.}

_{I hope you will find this useful. Share this information with everyone around you so that it is not neglected.} 

This post is part of an initiative taken by Livogen to FIGHT against this deficiency which is almost epidemic. 

- Ashish