One of the biggest weaknesses of the traditional commercial
diet is the lack of
iron that exists in its
stringent and often excessively limited eating guidelines. In
order to lose weight, many unsuspecting women get bamboozled
into taking part in weight loss programs that cut out many of
the nutrients that they need. Iron is one of the primary
casualties of such diets and weight loss plans.
The plot thickens for women in particular due to the fact that
their bodies regularly lose iron during menstruation. Therefore,
eating a low-calorie, low-iron diet in an effort to lose weight
only makes the problem more severe.
It is generally suggested that women supplement their diets with
an iron supplement such as the Vitality multivitamin offered by
Melaleuca, the Wellness Company. This is particularly
important during periods of heavy exercise and training that are
typical aspects of any weight loss program or general effort to
lose weight even when a special program is not in use.
One thing to be on guard for, however, is excessive iron
supplementation by iron-deficient (non-
anemic) women.
There is a disorder known as
hemosiderosis which results
from large deposits of iron made in the liver that causes a
glitch in the proper metabolism of the iron itself. Avoiding
prolonged large doses will eliminate the risk of this particular
disorder.
Below are a few recommendations from the American Council on
Exercise (ACE) that will help you to make sure you get the
adequate amount of iron intake in your daily diet, whether on a
program to lose weight or not:
- Eat foods with a high vitamin C content with all meals.
Vitamin C aids in the absorption of iron. (examples: salsa;
chili peppers; oranges)
- Include dark meat chick and/or turkey in the training diet.
Both of these are rich in iron
- Vegetable proteins such as split pea soup or chili beans with
lean meat help the iron in those meats to properly absorb
- When eating starchy carbohydrates such as cereals, breads, and
pastas, gravitate to those labeled "enriched" or "fortified" for
their higher iron content.
To YourBestBody,
Lawrence Cole
Your Lifestyle and Fitness Coach
YourBestBodyNOW.com
About the author:
Lawrence Cole is a Lifestyle and Fitness Consultant based out of
Los Angeles, CA. He has over 10 years of health and fitness
experience and designing simple, effective nutritional
strategies to help individuals achieve their personal best
internal health and physical conditioning.
