Eating to Alleviate Ailments

Anemia

If you suffer from fatigue, susceptibility to infection, and an inability to concentrate, it’s possible that you have anemia – a condition characterised by a lack of iron in the body. And what causes this? Any of the following can cause anemia:

• Not enough iron in your diet – make sure you eat plenty of green leafy vegetables (especially spinach and parsley), lean meat and liver, dried fruits (especially apricots) and almonds.
• You’re getting enough iron but it’s not being absorbed by your gut into your blood. There are some foods and drinks that inhibit absorption of iron – these include coffee, tea, wheat bran and egg yolk; antacids and overuse of calcium supplements can have the same effect.
• You may be losing iron – this is most likely in women with a heavy menstrual flow.

If you think you are suffering from anemia, I strongly advise that you pay a visit to your doctor for tests to rule out any other conditions. If anemia is confirmed, try to improve the situation by improving both intake and absorption. You might wish to try my recipe for Baby Spinach with Mango topped with Marinated Tofu or Pan-Fried Liver

Ingredients

275g marinated tofu (eg by Cauldron) OR 100g lamb’s liver
250g baby spinach
1 mango (sweet, ripe)
½ small red onion (sliced paper thin)

Dressing

2tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp cranberry cordial
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Pepper to taste

Directions

Wash and arrange spinach in a salad bowl. Add chunks of mango and slices of onion. Then add marinated tofu or liver fried in 2 tbsp olive oil (let cool before adding to salad). Mix dressing ingredients and toss with salad.