Consuming Thoughts by Fay Stridder Penn State Extension Home Economist For Berks Co. Are you one of those people who always feels cold, even when others are comfortable? While you’re searching for an extra swe ater, consider this: you may not be getting enough iron in your diet. A study done by the U.S. Depart ment of Agriculture shows that regulating and maintaining body temperature in the cold may depend on the amount of iron that is consumed daily. An inadequate amount of iron may leave you in the cold, literally. Iron deficiencies have long been associated with feeling tired. But the study showed that women with inadequate iron in their diets may start feeling cold long before they feel the fatigue associated with iron deficiency or anemia. In the study, six healthy, young women consumed less than one third the recommended dietary allowance of iron for a period of time, then replenished their iron stores with daily supplements. When exposed to a cool tempera ture, the women lost 29 percent more body heat and produced 9 percent less heat after the low-iron period than after the supplemental period. Women of childbearing age, pregnant women, and growing children are liable to suffer from iron deficiency and its consequ ences. It’s estimated that more than half of American women aged 11 to SO consume less than the recommended daily iron intake of 18 milligrams. However, before you begin tak ing iron supplements or giving them to members of your family, B&B SPRAY PAINTING SANDBLASTING SPRAY - ROLL - BRUSH Specializing In Buildings, Feed Mills - Roofs - Tanks - Etc., Aerial Ladder Equip. Stone - Barn - Restoration 574 Gibbon’s Rd., Bird-In-Hand, Pa. 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Meanwhile, follow these strategies to increase the iron in your diet: • Eat more iron-rich foods, including lean red meat, fish, poultry, liver, dried peas and beans, and leafy green vegetables. In fact, eating small amounts of meat, fish or poultry increases your body’s absorption of iron from plant sources. • Co easy on the amount tea consumed with your meals. Sub stances in tea called tannins may considerably reduce the amount of iron your body will absorb. Cof fee, to a lesser extent, also reduces iron abosiptign. Save the coffe and tea for an hour before or after eating. • Certain types of antacids can also reduce the amount of iron the body absorbs. If you use antacids regularly, talk with your doctor about other possible strategies to ease digestion problems and reduce the need for antacids. What To Do HUNTINGDON (Huntingdon Co.) A freezer full of thawed food is a sad sight as well as a potentially dangerous one. As with any emergency situa tion, being prepared can be the dif ference between nuisance and dis aster. If your area is likely to have power outages, or if your freezer malfunctions, have a plan of action in mind. The food safety standard of “when in doubt, throw it ouP may be applied to most situations. However, there are some things to do to possibly save frozen food. Any food that still contains ice crystals or is still cold (40 degrees Fahrenheit or less) and has been at this temperature no longer than one to two days can probably be safely cooked and eaten or re frozen. Discard perishable foods that thaw to room temperature. This includes meats, poultry, fish, veg etables and dairy and flour prod- • Use iron pots for cooking. High-acid foods, such as toma toes, will leach some of the iron from the pot and possibly add sub stantial amounts of iron to your ()iet. (In one study spaghetti sauce cooked in an iron skillet for about 20 minutes had five times as much iron as spaghetti sauce cooked in a ceramic pot.) • When choosing grain-based foods such as bread and cereals, look for wholegrain or enriched products. Certain B vitamins and iron are added back to enriched breads and flour. Keep in mind that your body does not absorb iron equally well from all food sources. So don’t depend on a single source of iron; get it from a variety of foods. HERE’S WHY: Solid color, no greenhouse effect. Does not need to be In the shade. Models for all climates, never overheats. No big temperature swings. Lower vet and medicine costs, lowest death losses. Easiest to sanitize and clean. Developed on real dairy farms. Super strong, light weight polyethylene, only 100 lbs. Full Size, keep calves longer If needed. Minimal condensation, dries out quicker. Heifers are In milking parlor soon, pro ducing more dollars. Larger, rainproof vents, not chimney type. Practically Indestructible. 5 year warranty. These hutches ON SALE during Discount Days Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 11, 1995-813 When Your Freezer Stops ucts. Fruits are a possible excep tion. Cut fruit ferments as it warms. A little fermentation won’t make the fruit dangerous to eat but it may spoil its flavor. This applies also to canned fruit juices. It’s important to refreeze thawed or partially thawed food as quickly as possible. If the freezer only needs to be washed out and plugged back in, you can probably safely refreeze the food at home. To do this, turn the freezer temper ature control to its coldest position and place the food in the freezer with the warmest packages closest to the freezer coils. Arrange the packages so air can circulate around them. After the food is well frozen, turn the temperature con trol back to its usual setting. If it’s going to be a while before you get power or get the freezer fixed, you need to find some way Become An Educated Consumer FLEMINGTON, N.J. Join Kathleen Klotzbach, Interim Home Economist, and your local Shop Rite of Clinton, Route 31 on February 22, 10:00-12:30 p.m., for a two-hour aisle by aisle tour that compares products and pro duct labels and teaches you how to be a more educated consumer. Learn to read labels and reduce the fat in your diet. Find out how to make dietary changes your doctor tfiSCOUNTo^ WAREHOUSE SALE Tuesday & Wednesday February 14 th & 15 th at Potomac Valley Supply 301-223-6877 ★ Parts Discounts ★ ★ Equipment Promotions ★ to keep your frozen foods safe in the meantime. A full freezer usual ly can keep foods frozen for two days without power. A half-full freezer or freezer that’s part of a refrigerator-freezer usually can keep foods frozen for up to one day IF the door stays closed. You can place blankets over the freeze for added insulation. If you have a commercial lock er plant nearby, this may be your best bet for refreezing. If not, try using dry ice, block or crushed ice, or freezer gel packs. Because of the fumes it gives off, dry ice is not recommended for the refrigerator. If the blizzard’s raging, the power’s out and you can’t get any where to get ice, you may have to place food in clean portable ice chests on a cold porch or outdoors in a protected area. Be aware of the potential for lost food with this method. has recommended to lower your blood pressure or cholesterol. To register send your name, address and phone number with a check for $5 payable to Agricul tural Advisory Council to Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Hunter don County, 4 Gaunu Place, Re mington, NJ Att: Home Econom ics Department. Registration deadline February 17. fif* and Hagerstown, MD zu
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