I am looking for a meal plan for an anemic vegetarian.?!
Answers: I know that certain foods should be eaten in certain combination to ensure the proper absorption of the iron. And that there are some foods he should avoid that hinder iron absorption, but I need help. Is there a book out there with actual meal plans that he can follow. He will not eat meat, but will eat fish, eggs and cheese. Does anyone know of a good book with actual menus?
I don't know about a book as such, other than fairly obscure and very expensive nutritional textbooks, but i can tell you roughly what to do.
You need iron and vitamin C in large quantities in the same meal. Parsley is high in both, so i would use fresh parsley as a vegetable, steamed. Nettles are also quite high in iron, so nettle as a vegetable or in tea is good. Apricots and dock are also rich in iron. Vitamin C is high in peppers, broccoli, rosehips, blackcurrants and acerola cherry. If you live in an area where citrus fruits grow locally, you can use those too, otherwise it isn't worth the effort and oranges should generally be avoided due to the tartaric acid content. Also, grapefruits can interact with some medication. Chickpeas (garbanzos), lentils, pumpkin seeds and tahini (or sesame seeds as such) are all high in iron. An ideal source would therefore be hoummos made with fresh lemons. Large quantities of parsley in a white sauce made with polenta and olive oil would also be good. Millet and mugi miso are other good sources of iron.
Vitamin C is very fragile, and should not be heated excessively, brought into prolonged contact with light or any contact at all with metal. Anything containing water-soluble vitamins should be steamed gently or eaten raw.
Dairy tends to inhibit the absorption of iron, as does spinach.
Other nutrients important for the production of blood corpuscles are folic acid, found in green vegetables generally but particularly Brussel sprouts, and B12, which is found in yeast extract and stout. B12 is also in comfrey, but this isn't safe to be eaten as a vegetable.
I wish I did. However, I'm veg and after a blood loss during my last birth, my midwife suggested Floradix supplement. It was amazing.
Yamuna's Table.
Diet for a Small Planet.
Greene on Greens.
Pop any of these into an Amazon.com search, and several others will come up as suggestions.
Personally, I'd cut the eggs and cheese. Use Google to search for recipies with ingredients you like to use. Look for the term "macrobiotic" this is the art/science of combining foods to get the right mix of protiens, etc.
Also check: http://www.fishonline.org/advice/avoid/ as fish will be the main source of protien and Omega fats. Pesca/vegan diets are at high risk for heavy metal and concentrated toxin poisonings. Try to eat as low on the food chain as possible.
There is a HUGE correlation between vegetarianism and anemia. This also takes a LONG time to counter. My wife was a vegetarian for seven years before she met me. And now, six years later, she is still anemic. Even while adding meat to her diet. She needs to take Iron Supplements to get her back to her normal range. Since you are already anemic (and I assume from Iron-deficiency) I would look into supplements first. Also, and i know it sounds strange, but buy yourself a cast iron skillet to cook in. It has been proven that you can absorb some iron from the skillet into your foods. As for the recipes, just ask any hematologist what foods you should eat as a vegetarian to increase your iron. Good Luck
Since anemia is a health and medical condition, your best bet woul be a visit to a physician who can recommend a good/reliable nutritionist or dietician.
I wish I could help as far as food suggestions and/or a book, but I must get plenty of iron. Never anemic. One idea though is to use cast iron for cooking. Once seasoned it's virtually stick-proof, and the foods cooked in cast iron absorb some iron. It's one super easy and inexpensive way to add some to your diet.
My suggestion is that the two replies that you got from by 'gray' (not sure how to spell it - and - 'ex' (another one that I don't remember how to spell) are two things that can be done - even together at the same time.
I am a FIRM believer that one should always consult with their doctor when there is a medical condition involved.
True that all doctors are not good at nutrition - but then they do know how to do blood tests and the like to monitor - and if they don't and they see someone taking a natural approach and getting better - they are more likely to be open to such an approach for someone else in that same position.
To just depend upon a book - or for that matter just something from the internet - not real wise.
A better approach is to work hand in hand with the doctor that is already monitoring their health - let them know the approaches that are being taken - and keep monitoring to keep track of progress and areas that might need to be addressed.
That is why I like both of the others comments when combined.