Would you rather…

  • Never use the internet again or live without TV
  • Be rich and ugly or poor and good-looking
  • End hatred or hunger
  • Sweat moderately but constantly 24 hours a day all over your body or have a metal pin in your jaw that constantly picks up talk radio stations?

And finally…

  • Would you rather be too hawt or too cold?

My choice would have to be too hot to handle.  Despite living in London for 8 years, I can’t deal with the cold.  Warmth always trumps fashion which explains why UGGs used to be my stable choice of footwear during winter.  And if you’ve eaten at a restaurant with me, you will probably notice that my hands are often placed over the candle on the table.  There is always a shawl in my handbag.  My mom claims that she cannot sit in the same room with me as I leave the air conditioner off.  My friend Sonali and I constantly argue over whether or not I ‘can’ turn on the heater in her car.  You get the point. 

The good news is that I’m not abnormal…entirely.  It turns out that iron is a facilitator for regulating body temperature.  It has the ability to regulate as per the absorption capacity of the body.   Hence people with low iron levels tend to feel overly cold or overheated despite current weather conditions.  While I’m not 100% sure whether I am iron-deficient, the last test I had revealed low iron levels.  I don’t want to take iron supplements, at least not without a prescription.  Iron overload is just as dangerous as iron deficiency.  Instead, I’m going to make a conscious effort to incorporate more iron-rich foods into my meals.  Good sources include:

  1. Red Meat
  2. Beetroot
  3. Spinach
  4. Broccoli
  5. Almonds
  6. Dates
  7. Asparagus
  8. Romaine Lettuce
  9. Kale
  10. Eggs
  11. Corn
  12. Potatoes (with skin)
  13. Clams
  14. Oysters
  15. Raisins
  16. Fig
  17. Carrots
  18. Bread
  19. Watermelon
  20. Tomato
  21. Apricot
  22. Lentils
  23. Green Peas
  24. Soybeans
  25. Tuna
  26. Alfalfa
  27. Chickpeas
  28. Bran Flakes
  29. Muesli
  30. Tofu
  31. Green beans
  32. Soy yogurt
  33. Sesame Seeds
  34. Sprouts
  35. Pork Roast
  36. Kidney Beans

**Here’s a tip I remember from high-school biology: eating vitamin C and iron at the same time increases your body’s capacity to absorb the iron into your bloodstream e.g. a bowl of Bran Flakes with a glass of OJ**

2 thoughts on “Would you rather…”

  1. Great to see this! I am also a nutrition blogger and iron deficient as well! I totally relate- I’m always freezing, sitting on my hands and wearing woolen socks to bed! I started taking a Plant-derived iron supplement which I got at Whole Foods. It doesn’t have the side-effects regular Iron supplements have (constipation, etc) and is very easy to digest! I definitely recommend it, especially for vegetarians.

    1. Thanks for your comment, Sara and will definitely check your blog out! I appreciate you mentioning about that supplement and will definitely look out for in when I’m next in London 🙂

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