If you are like me, you tend towards the anemia, which is just plaintly put, a low amount of iron in your blood. This can cause fatigue and easy bruising, and can also make it so that you just get hurt more easily. Iron fortifies the blood, among other things, and is necessary for a balanced diet, and a healthy internal environment. I don't eat white rice much, or several other sources of iron that would balance the situation out a bit, such as nuts, beans, liver, sardines, or red meat. I do eat leafy greens, but not enough to make up for everything else that I don't eat. So, when my body calls for iron, I have some time saving techniques, which don't require much preparation, or the swallowing of big iron pills, which will give you a really bad stomach and/or headache, and are just plain gross in my opinion. Anyways its always better to get your nutrients from food than from pills, or vitamin supplements. Your body absorbs them better, and plus, its just a better way to get your vitamins. I personally don't like swallowing horse pills, or those hard chalky vitamins.
Today I am incorporating iron into my drink, by using molasses to sweeten it. Not everybody likes molasses, so much like kale, which is a food most people don't enjoy unless prepared in a way that makes it more palatable, you have to mix it with ingredients that balance it out. Then it becomes both nutritous and enjoyable. Molasses is extremely high in iron, and a small dose of it can be very effective. Because I enjoy lime juice coolers, I tend to make several variations of it depending on how i'm feeling that particular day and what my body is calling for.
Today's Lime Cooler with Molasses & Ginger:
1/4 cup of lime juice (my favorite store bought brand is Santa Cruz Organic Pure Lime Juice)
2 tbsp molasses (my favorite brand is Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Molasses)
5-10 drops of ginger tincture
1 quart of water
Molasses is high in calcium, potassium, magnesium and iron, so it has a great mix of things your body needs to function at its optimum capacity.
The lime juice balances out the intense flavor of the molasses, which can be a bit hard to swallow on it's own, since it's extremely pungant and goopy. And the ginger lightens up the whole blend, making it an exceptionally good drink both for your taste buds, for hydration (trace minerals calcium, potassium, selenium, iron & manganese contribute to and help the body's absorption of elecrolytes that help to hydrate the body as well), and for all around nutritional benefit. Molasses is rich in B vitamins, which are key to healthy neurological function. It also contains choline, which prevents the buildup of fats & cholesterol in the liver. Put in a plastic bottle, shake (or in a pitcher & mix), pour over ice & enjoy!
* Tip: Molasses doesn't blend easily with cold or room temperature liquids, so you may have to shake it to blend it well. Another option is to put it in a blender to ensure it's consistency. Using a spoon to stir may be a bit laborious, and the molasses can (and probably will) stick to the spoon (which isn't the end of the world, I'm just saying..). Drinking this daily is a great way to get the (iron, in particular for me) and other essential nutriets into your diet without too much worry.
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