My Foodie Call

I love the science of food combining.

Although I do not know much about it.

I don’t feel too bad though because scientists don’t know much about it either. And they’re the experts….

Traditionally, experts tackle food and nutrients from a reductionist stand point, that is they try to study one micronutrient at a time.

For example let’s take kale.

We all know that kale is the latest “superfood”, right? Superfood it is. It has Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium (the absorbable kind, unlike nasty Tums)….

Here is the thing with kale. It has all of these wonderful magical super nutrients, but what happens when you make homemade “kale chips” that have added olive oil and sea salt to help with the crisp factor? How does the chemical composition of the vegetable change? Is your body still absorbing that calcium? How does the fat from the olive oil affect your body’s ability to absorb the Vitamin A? Does it help it? Inhibit it?

Scientists are really trying to tackle this from a different perspective because there are in fact so many variables that go into whether or not we absorb and retain the vitamins that we eat.

Food Science. Our food, their nutrients and how available it is to our body begins the moment that it enters our mouths. But what else are you eating and digesting at that same time?

It’s fascinating and there is still so much to learn.

Here is one tip.

OATMEAL.

When you have oatmeal…Do you make it with cow’s milk? Eat some yogurt with it?

Let’s not anymore, okay???

Oatmeal is a great source of plant-based iron.  Good right? 

Yes, when consumed correctly. 

When you consume iron-rich foods with dairy products such as skim milk, they will inhibit iron absorption. It is for this reason that you should not put yogurt in your green smoothies. Basically that spinach in your green monster? It will mean nothing with that vanilla yogurt blocking it’s iron. :(.

There is hope yet…

Eat me.

Eat me too.

To maximize your iron absorption, consume your Iron and Vitamin C at the same time. Bingo.

Iron+Vitamin C= Healthy

Food science. Just the beginning.