Lean red meats, leafy greens - especially broccoli, kale, mustard a & collard greens, bok choy and legumes. Greens are prepared by being washed, chopped, and cooked at a simmer for a few hours (crockpot also) with some salt and traditionally bacon or ham bones. Cheap flavorings are salt pork (fatty side of bacon sold in chunks) ham hocks and necks - non pork eaters can use beef or poultry parts or even powdered (high sodium) ham flavoring seasonings (look in soup or Spanish foods aisles). The greens can also be cooked in chicken, beef or vegetarian stock alone to have low sodium content. A 16 oz can of legumes provides 10% Iron for 2,000 cals/day. Cooking dry legumes is similar to cooking greens, pork flavorings are normally used but chicken, beef, seasoning or stocks will also work. To avoid excess gassiness from the beans, bring dry beans covered with water to a boil, shut off and let sit covered for1 hour. Drain the beans and rinse well - then cook slowly/crockpot with water and or stock (even beer) until softened. Add seasonings, Adobe (Spanish garlic, pepper, cayenne onion, cumin mix), chopped cilantro, parsley, onions, green peppers, garlic - whatever suit your taste, can all be added during the last 1/2 hour of cooking. Tomatoes add ascorbic acid for an extra iron absorption punch. One way to get a big boost of iron is to cook beef liver with a beef stroganoff mix (packaged or combine mushrooms/mushroom soup, sour cream/plain yogurt, cooking sherry) and serve over egg noodles - I guarentee it won't taste like liver! Iron and folic acid supplements can be purchased at drug stores, but know that iron supplements do cause constipation, so fiber and water intake should be increased. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is proven to increase iron absorption from all sources. Just have some high fiber cereal with a glass of watered down citrus fruits/juices with your iron supplement as a good way to increase your iron levels without GI issues. Please note: "The role of Vitamin C in Iron absorption: A higher bioavailability of the dietary iron can be achieved by increasing the content of food components enhancing iron absorption (ascorbic acid, meat/fish)". Hallberg L, Brune M, Rossander L., Int J Vitam Nutr Res Suppl. 1989;30:103-8 Since iron is prevalent in our blood, getting the absorbed iron to the rest of our body is achieved by maintaining and promoting good circulation through regular movement and aerobic activity. Luckily the leafy greens mentioned above promote vascular health assisting in circulation. Smoking or breathing polluted air reduces the amount of oxygen within the blood and will serve to decrease iron absorption levels.
