Iron: Metal in Our Blood

I've been a blood donor for a couple of years, and passing the iron test has sometimes been a challenge. I'm a vegetarian female, so my diet is missing the easiest sources of iron, such as red meat, and women generally have lower iron reserves than men. I'm not anemic, but I will sometimes be a little under the levels required by Canadian Blood Services and will have to skip that donation. Even when I do pass the iron test, I do not usually pass by a high margin.

Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide. Iron is a vital micronutrient that acts as a co-factor in many enzymatic reactions at the cellular level and affects neurotransmitter production and function, hormone function, and DNA replication. Deficiency of iron results in the disruption of normal cell and organ function, so even if you are not a blood donor, you may want to consume more of this important mineral.

Iron comes in two forms:

Heme iron, found in beef, lamb, pork, liver, veal, chicken, turkey (the dark meat has more iron), fish, and seafood. Heme iron is easily absorbed by your body, but are not vegetarian.

Non-heme iron, which is found in fortified breakfast cereals, whole grain and enriched breads and pasta, lentils, dried peas and beans, tofu, seeds and nuts such as pumpkin, sesame, and peanut, dried fruits such as raisins and apricots, dark green, leafy vegetables, and eggs. Non-heme iron sources are vegetarian and sometimes vegan, but they are less readily absorbed by the body.

Naturally, a first step towards increasing iron stores is to increase the iron-rich foods you eat. However, there a few more things you can do as well:

Watch your coffee consumption: Caffeine contains polyphenols, which inhibit iron absorption. According to the Iron Disorders Institute, a cup of coffee can impede iron absorption by as much as 60 percent. Keeping your coffee consumption low and consuming caffeine at least an hour apart from iron-rich meals may help.

Eat with vitamin C: Foods containing vitamin C, such as oranges, bell peppers, grapefruits, kale, strawberries, etc., enhance non-heme iron absorption when eaten at the same meal.

Plan your supplements: Studies have shown that calcium supplements can decrease the body's absorption of the iron. To avoid this problem, take any calcium supplements at least two hours apart from your iron-rich meals.

Cook in cast iron: Cooking with iron cookware will add iron to food.

Eat a varied diet: There are other nutrients (such as phytic acid, phytates, soy protein, and oxalates) that interfere with iron absorption in smaller ways. These are often present in the same foods that contain non-heme iron, but we are still able to absorb helpful amounts of iron from plant foods that contain any or several of these nutrients, such as whole wheat, whole grain rice, soybeans, or other legumes. Eating a varied diet instead of relying on just one or two iron-rich foods is recommended.

It is also possible to have too much iron, which can cause health problems which are just as serious as iron deficiency. For that reason, it is recommended that people check with a doctor before taking an iron supplement.

According to Canadian Blood Services: "With sufficient iron, you'll tend to feel better and look better. You'll have more energy and concentration. You will also be more able to continue to donate blood regularly and safely." Sounds good to me!

Healthy Ways to Eat Blueberries

Our Covenant House Vancouver  fundraising campaign motivated us to look for six fun and healthy new ways to use organic blueberries in different recipes. Blueberries not only benefit our bodies but also offer a delicious fresh taste.
 




Pretty parfait: In tall glasses, layer organic blueberries with frozen vanilla yogurt and organic cereal. Top with granola and a couple of blueberries for decoration.







Yummy add-on: Mix fresh organic blueberries into muffins, cakes, breads and waffles.




Blue smoothie: Blend a handful of organic blueberries, half a banana and some plain yogurt until very smooth. Drink as is, or pour over cereal or granola.




Grilled Salmon with Blueberry-Cilantro salsa: Toss together chopped onion, pepper, honey, lime juice, blueberries, fresh cilantro, sea salt and black pepper to taste.
Mix all the other ingredients just before serving, and spoon salsa over the grilled salmon or serve on the side.




Savoury sauce: Sauté an onion in olive oil; add blueberries, white wine and fresh thyme. Cook until well thickened and blueberries break down. Spoon over grilled white fish or pork.

 

Chill drinks with style: Place a few blueberries in each ice cube tray, fill with water and freeze. Drop some cubes in a glass and fill with pink lemonade or water.

For more information check out some Health Benefits of Blueberries on our Facebook page!
(Best Health Magazine, Sept 2011)

A very special thanks to everyone who has purchased blueberries this past two and a half weeks and also placed inside their bins those unwanted pennies for the Covenant House Vancouver 

About Nightshades

I was having a conversation with a member the other day about her likes and dislikes, and I mentioned a random little fact I'd picked up somewhere: technically, eggplants are berries. In exchange, she gave me a random fact: eggplants are a member of the nightshade family, along with potatoes and tomatoes.

That got me looking into nightshades, a strange family of produce that include potatoes (a tuber), tomatoes (fruit), peppers (fruit), paprika (spice), cayenne (spice), and tobacco. The Solanaceae plant family may have been called “nightshades” because some of these plants prefer to grow in shady areas and some flower at night.

The nightshade family is known, whether directly or indirectly, by the alkaloids that are common in the majority of the different species that make up the family. These alkaloids are incredibly interesting as they can be healthy and beneficial, undesirable, or even toxic and lethal depending on the specific kind of alkaloid. One of these types of alkaloids, called tropane, is found commonly throughout members of this family, and is the infamous and lethal ingredient in deadly nightshade and mandrake. But this same alkaloid is also incredibly beneficial in small quantities and is used extensively in medicinal practice to reduce allergic reactions and reduce the affects of motion sickness and chemotherapy among other things.

Some people have alleged that nightshade vegetables contain a toxic alkaloid compound called solanine, a defence mechanism in some Solanaceae plants that protects against natural threats such as insects. It’s true that solanine may develop in potatoes, which turn green when they are exposed to light during growth. The greenish hue is actually caused by chlorophyll, but its presence indicates that concentrations of solanine are present. Eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes - even the green ones - do not produce solanine and are perfectly safe to eat. As a general rule, people should avoid consuming the leaves, stems, and flowers of members of the nightshade family.

Nightshade vegetables confer a number of health benefits because they are often rich in vitamins, minerals, and other useful compounds. For many people, they are an important part of eating a colourful diet, which has been linked to getting a variety of mirconutritents. They are also usually high in potassium, known to help balance sodium intake. Tomatoes, in particular, contain lycopene, which, it has been shown, helps prevent osteoporosis and cancer. Whether mild or fiery, peppers are one of the richest sources of vitamins A and C. Eggplants are high in fibre. Research has found that the skin of eggplant may contain more fiber that the actual eggplant itself, so eat that colourful skin!

The Season of Growth

Spring is the season of new beginnings in weather, agriculture and self-awareness. Spring invites us to take care of ourselves and our surroundings.

Green Earth Organics is happy to announce that this spring we will focus on giving back to the community, starting with the Covenant House Vancouver. It’s an exciting opportunity to make a difference and help the homeless youth in Vancouver. For the next three weeks for every pack of Fair Trade Blueberries that you purchase we will donate $1.00.

Remember those unwanted pennies that you have at home? Place them inside your bin and we will take them to the Covenant House of Vancouver.

Covenant House Vancouver exists for those young people for whom there is often no one else - young people who either have willingly fled physical, emotional and/or sexual abuse or those who have been forced from their homes. We understand that life changes are challenging and do everything in our power to ensure that young people succeed at whatever plan they have chosen for themselves. As long as genuine effort is demonstrated, so is our commitment.

Thai-Style Yellow Rice

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 to 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup English peas, removed from pods
1 roma tomato or 1 small field tomato, diced
2 cups jasmine rice or basmati rice
4 cups (minus 2 Tbsp) chicken broth or vegetable broth
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 Tbsp of lime juice)
2 Tbsp tamari
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 to 1/3 tsp saffron (optional)
Handful of fresh basil or cilantro, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS

Warm a deep pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat. Add the onion, garlic, and pepper flakes/cayenne. Stir-fry for about one minute, until fragrant, then add the red pepper, peas, and tomato. Stir-fry for one more minute.

Add the rice and stir to coat, then pour in the broth. Add the lime juice, tamari, turmeric, and saffron (if using). Stir well.

When the broth begins to bubble, cover tightly with a lid and reduce heat to low. Allow rice to gently simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed. Give the rice a gentle stir, put the lid back on, turn off the stove, and leave the rice to sit on the off, but hot, burner for at least 10 minutes and up to one hour.

Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Top with a little fresh basil or cilantro.

Price Increase in Vancouver

It is one of the sad facts of life that prices are always going up. For our dairy suppliers, that means increases in all the usual things involved in a business venture - rent, gas, electricity, labour - plus the cost of organic food and other upkeep for the animals. Our dairy and egg suppliers have increased their prices several times over the last couple of years, but Green Earth Organics Vancouver has just absorbed those increases and just made less money on those items. Unfortunately, those increases by our suppliers are all adding up, and we have to increase our dairy and egg prices a small amount this spring.

Effective starting with March 25th's deliveries, Vancouver's milk and egg prices will be increasing by between 5% and 10%. We have been comparing our prices with those charged by similar services and stores in Vancouver and we will make sure we are still very competitive with their prices.

When comparing our prices with our services, please keep in mind that we only sell organic milk. Avalon does make non-organic milk as well, and it will always be cheaper than organic milk.

If you are interested in saving some money on any of our wonderful organic grocery items that you use on a regular basis, we can always add items to your standing order. Standing orders can be set up for delivery with every bin or every second bin, and they are always 5% off the website price. Just give us a call or email if you have any questions about the standing orders or if you want any help setting one up just right for you.

We also offer Avalon's organic milk in the 2 litre and 4 litre plastic bottles (under the name "Valley Pride") by special order and standing order only. The price on those items will also be increasing a small amount, but they are still cheaper per litre than the 1 litre glass bottles. If you would like more information about this option, or have any other questions or concerns, please contact us at 604-708-2345 or vancouver@greenearthorganics.com.

Thank you for supporting organic food and Green Earth Organics!