A cookbook to keep your blood healthy

THIS festive season, be ironspired with recipes from the Western Cape Blood Services (WCBS) digital cookbook, that puts a yummy twist on green vegetables that help improve iron levels in your blood.

From lentils, kidney beans and your dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, the iron-rich recipes in the cookbook insures you have a strong immune system against illness and infections.

WCBS professional nurse, Sybil Jacobs said that while no food can prevent or cure Covid-19, eating enough nutrients in a balanced diet is important for your health and functions of the cells in the body.

“About two-thirds of the body iron is present and stored in the circulating red blood cells. Red blood cells are one of the important components of blood because they carry oxygen to the lungs and the rest of the body.

“The body gets its iron from the food we eat, and eating too little iron-enriched food over a period of time can result in iron deficiency. This will result in symptoms such as feeling tired, shortness of breath, headaches and dizziness,” said Jacobs.

While there are many ways to boost and maintain a healthy haemoglobin (iron) level in your blood, marketing practitioner and regular contributor to the quarterly newsletter from WCBS,

Craig Hicks, said that the best way to increase your iron levels is through your diet.

“There are two aspects to this – the first is to increase the intake of ironrich foods and the second is to increase your intake of vitamin C which is essential for promoting the absorption of iron in your body.

“Legumes like lentils, soybeans and kidney beans are great sources of iron as are the dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, and Swiss chard. Another way to boost your iron levels is by eating fortified and iron-enriched breakfast cereals.

“If you are looking to make a blood donation, we wouldn’t want anything to get in the way of the remarkable act, so remember to keep your haemoglobin levels up so that you can continue saving lives,” said Hicks.

For yummy recipes that could help you keep a balanced diet, visit Western Cape Blood Services (WCBS ) to access the digital cookbook.