The Vegan Life

The following are some excerpts from Iron in the Vegan Diet, by Reed Mangels, Ph.D., R.D. the complete article can be found at , www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.htm, or in Simply Vegan, Quick Vegetarian Meals, by Debora Wasserman, published 1999 by The Vegetarian Resource Group, Baltimore MD, page 162-165.


"Dried beans and dark green leafy vegetables are especially good sources of iron, even better on a per calorie basis than meat. Iron absorption is increased markedly by eating foods containing vitamin C along with foods containing iron. Vegetarians do not have a higher incidence of iron deficiency than do meat eaters."

"It is easy to obtain plenty of iron on a vegan diet"


"Both calcium and tannins (found in tea and coffee reduce iron absorption. Tea, coffee, and calcium supplements should be used several hours before a meal which is high in iron."

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"All menstruating women (vegan or not) should increase their intake [of iron] by combining 1ron-rich vitamin C rich foods at meals, and should get checked for iron-deficiency anemia every 5-10 years"-Dr. Michael Greger, Recommendations for Optimum Plant-Bases Nutrition,
www.veganmd.org (Click on handouts).

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Here are some foods which have a high iron content. A more extensive list can be found at www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.htm


Food Amount Iron (mg)
Soybeans, cooked 1 cup 8.8
Blackstrap molasses 2 Tbsp 7.2
Lentils, cooked 1 cup 6.6
Spinach, cooked 1 cup 6.4
Quinoa, cooked 1 cup 6.3
Lima beans, cooked 1 cup 4.4
Swiss chard, cooked 1 cup 4.0
Black beans, cooked 1 cup 3.6

The RDA for iron for vegetarians is 14 mg/day for adult men and for post-menopausal women and 33 mg/day for pre-menopausal women."


The various lettuces in my garden have all gone to seed, and the beet greens have all been eaten, along with the beets, but my chard is still going strong, and I will be enjoying it until very late in the fall. Chard is a delicious and nutritious green. If you have space to plant a few chard plants next spring, I recommend it. If not, chard is available this time of year anywhere produce is sold.

Chard can be harvested while the leaves are young and tender or after maturity when the leaves are larger and have slightly tougher stems. Young tender chard leaves can be eaten raw adding a beet-like flavor to salads and sandwiches. Chard can be used in place of spinach in any recipe, although chard will need to be cooked a bit longer. When cooking older chard, the stems require longer cooking time than the leaves.

Chard is extremely perishable, so keep refrigerator storage time to a minimum. Store unwashed leaves in plastic bags in the crisper for 2 to 3 days. The stalks can be stored longer if separated from the leaves.

Chard contains a large amount of vitamin A. It is also naturally high in sodium. One cup contains 313 mg of sodium, which is very high for vegetables. Chard is also high in calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.

Here are some chard recipes I think you will enjoy:


1 medium bunch red or green chard leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
juice of 1 large lemon
2 ½ cups water
8 ounces penne or ziti

Remove the fibrous leaves of the chard leaves and discard. Rinse the leaves and cut into ribbon-shaped strips (chiffonade style-To chiffonade greens with large, loose leaves, such as chard, roll up the leaves and slice thinly.)

In a large, wide skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring for three minutes. Stir in the chard leaves, pepper, salt, and lemon juice. Cook until the greens are wilted and tender, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Add the pasta, stir, and return to a boil. Cook over medium heat until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain in a colander.

From The Best 125 Meatless Mediterranean Dishes, by Susann Geiskopf-Handler & Mindy Toomay, published by Prima Publishing, page 248

2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons golden raisins
1 ½ pounds Swiss chard
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons white onion, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
several grinds black pepper

Place the pine nuts in a dry, heavy-bottomed skillet in a single layer over medium heat. Stir or shake the pan frequently until the nuts are lightly browned. Immediately remove them from the pan and set aside. When they have cooled for a few minutes, chop them coarsely and set aside.

Cover the raisins with boiling water and allow them to plump for at least 5 minutes. Carefully wash the chard, separating the stalks from the leaves. Discard the thick, tough ends of the stalks and thinly slice the remaining stalks crosswise. Set aside. Coarsely chop the green leaves. Place the stalks on a steamer rack in a large stock pot with a tight fitting lid. Add about an inch of water, cover, and cook over medium-high heat 5 minutes. Add the chopped leaves to the steamer tray and continue to cook for about 3 minutes, until the leaves just wilt. Drain the chard thoroughly and set aside. Drain the raisins.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a saute pan or skillet. Add the garlic and onion and saute for about 3 minutes until the onion is barely translucent. Add the chard and raisins to the skillet, along with the salt and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a warmed serving dish. Top evenly with the pine nuts and serve very hot.



I enjoyed reading The Great American Detox Diet by Alex Jamieson, a vegan, a certified holistic health counselor and personal chef, and fiancé of Morgan Spurlock, director and star of the film documentary, "Super Size Me". The book describes the detox diet that undid the damage Morgan did to his body in a month of gorging on nothing but McDonalds foods.

Here are some excerpts from the book.

"In January 2005, the highly respected journal The Lancet released the results of a 15-year study that monitored more than 3,000 people who ate fast food only twice a week. Over this period, the subjects not only gained weight, but many of them also developed serious conditions, like insulin resistance, which is a precursor to diabetes."-p. ix


".....the researchers concluded that those who eat fast food two or more times a week are, on the average, 10 pounds heaver than those who do not."-p. 17


"Morgan’s Detox Diet

No!
Sugar
Refined carbohydrates (white bread, white sugar, white rice)
Coffee
Caffeine
Alcohol
Dairy, Meat


Yes!
10 to 14 glasses of filtered water a day
Whole grains: brown rice, millet, quinoa, oats
Nuts and seeds
Phytochemical rich -foods: blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, watermelon, peaches, plums, sea veggies, cabbage, tomatoes
Soy products
Beans and legumes
Acidophilus to replenish good bacteria in the intestines
Focus on organic fresh foods
liver supportive herbs and greens: chicory, escarole, dandelion greens, watercress, endive, arugula, radicchio, broccoli rabe, dandelion root, licorice root, gingerroot*-p. 22-23


"Natural sweeteners are preferable to refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup................Transitioning to sweeteners such as agave nectar, brown rice syrup, and date sugar can ease the daily stress that our sweet diets have on our bodies.....Not only do natural sweeteners cause less of a spike in blood sugar levels, but they also still contain key nutrients that help the body with sugar metabolism."-p. 79

"Agave nectar is a natural liquid derived from the agave cactus......Agave absorbs slowly into the body, decreasing the highs and lows associated with sucrose intake..........Agave nectar is useful for baking and cooking; replace one cup of sugar with 3/4 cup of agave nectar. Reduce recipe liquids by 1/3 and oven temperature by 25 degrees F."-p. 79

(Mary,s note: Agave nectar is available at natural food stores)

"The best way to ensure that your body is getting the kinds of carbs it needs to run smoothly and stay ‘clean’ is to keep eating whole grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits that give you the extra dose of fiber needed to clean out your system. The natural foods with the highest amounts of fiber are lentils; black, kidney, and lima beans; chick peas; potatoes with the skin; peas; non-instant oatmeal; pears and apples with the skin; Brussels sprouts; and peaches."-p. 117

"Multigrain' means that the bread or cereal is made from more that one grain (like oats, rye, or wheat), but it doesn*t mean the grains are whole grains."-p. 117

The following is a recipe from Chef Alex’s book.


2 cups fresh dates, pitted
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Pulse the dates in a food processor fitted with a normal blade 15-20 times.
Move the pulverized dates to a mixing bowl and stir in the coconut with a wooden spoon.
Spoon out 2 tablespoons at a time and roll into log shapes with your hands.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Serve cold or room temperature.