Pumping Iron

A couple of week's ago I was visiting family. The day included a meal and after a few comments were made about my sticking more to poultry and seafood I was, yet again, told that I needed to eat red meat for the iron.
If others choose to eat red meat and lots of it, that's fine. I don't try to push that part of my diet on to others. But it can get a little irritating to have others make remarks to me about my own choices, especially when they really have no evidence or research to back up what they are saying.
Most people that are in the older generations, however, have always heard that you need your iron and you get it from your meat. They were raised meat-eaters and aren't quite sure what to think of the more eco-conscious ways of eating that are becoming popular today.
It's important for those of us who are health-conscious to know our facts and be able to back up what we believe. It's comforting to have good reasons for what we do when faced with a house full of family holding their own ham and pie-filled plates wondering at your strange new eating habits.
Iron IS very important for our bodies. We need iron to sustain our energy levels and to keep our blood pressure up to normal levels. (Some, like me, actually tend to have low blood pressure and so it's extra important to make sure our iron levels are desirable.)
According to the McKinley Health Center at the University of Illinois, good sources of iron include beef, chicken, turkey, seafood, kidney beans, baked beans, spinach, lima beans, apricots, almonds, and even molasses.
Although meat tends to have a larger quantity of iron, these other foods (such as beans) also have amounts that can satisfy your daily iron needs.
The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for iron for non-vegetarian women is 18 mg/day. The RDA for iron for vegetarian women is 33 mg/day. These numbers are for pre-menopausal women. The numbers are higher for vegetarians because those sources of iron that not meat are not as easily absorbed as those that are meat. However, a vegetarian simply must be aware of the foods she is eating and make healthful choices. In other words, a good vegetarian would always be taking her health into account, and not just living on a diet of doughnuts and chips!
There are ways to aid the absorption of these non-meat sources of iron. The McKinley Health Center advises eating those vegetarian sources of iron with a good source of vitamin C, such as an orange, broccoli, or a tomato. Also, you could choose to eat a vegetarian iron source along with a meat source of protein. Or, cook the vegetarian iron sources in a cast iron skillet or other iron pot. These three methods will aid the absorption of iron for those who fear their iron levels may be down, or for those who are vegetarians.
People may still think us health nuts are crazy. BUT truth be told and in my experience, the majority of the people that have something to say are completely unhappy with their bodies and their health. Instead of getting defensive, it may do them well to get them informed.