motd Thurs March 8, 2012

[Guest guest]

THE IRON LADY

Thursday, 08 March 2012

Oh, that Meryl Streep! She must be running

out of room on her mantle for all of the s she's

won over the years. But hey, no one deserves them

more. In every role she plays, the lady is just

brilliant! Did you see her in The Iron Lady? It's the role

that just won her another Best Actress

Academy Award. In it, she played former British Prime

Minister Margaret Thatcher. And, I'm telling you,

it's as if she were channeling Ms. Thatcher.

How much of an "Iron Lady",

or Man,

are you?

The Iron Lady was strong and

resilient which is where she got her nickname. But

let me ask you something, how much of an "Iron Lady",

or Man,

are you? Well, to be strong like Mrs. Thatcher, you need a

strong body. And, guess what? There's a

mineral that'll help make that body of yours strong

like, well...iron! I won't even ask you to guess what

the mineral is because the answer is so easy. IRON!

(See, it would have been kinda like a trick question.

LOL.)

Iron is a component of your red blood cells that helps

carry much-needed oxygen throughout your body. Iron

has many important duties. It helps keep your liver

functioning properly. It helps your body's immune

system. It aids in cell growth. Iron even helps your

body fight off cancer. So, trust me, you want to make

sure that body of yours is getting enough iron, if you

want to get and stay strong.

Iron deficiency occurs when

your body is not gettingenough iron.

Iron deficiency occurs when, of course, your body is

not getting enough iron. Some

symptoms of this condition include feeling tired and

weak all the time, a lack of stamina at work or school

and, when trying to exercise, headaches and

breathlessness may occur due to a lack of iron. So as

you can see, it's important to get enough iron to keep

your body working efficiently.

Some good sources of iron includes foods like poultry

and fish. Nuts, seeds, dried beans, peas and legumes

are another good source of iron. And bring on those

fruits and vegetables! Spinach, squash, sweet

potatoes, strawberries and apples are among the fruits

and veggies that'll help your body get the iron it

needs. (So looks like you've got another good reason

to eat the five servings of fruits and vegetables your

body needs everyday.)

Other iron-rich foods include cereals, rice and even

pasta. Many whole-grain products, like grits, oatmeal

and whole wheat bread are also good sources of iron.

You'll note that some of the foods I talked about

should be consumed in moderation.

Hey, even too much of the good foods for your body

can equal too

many calories. So put your measuring cups to

work and be sure you're eating those good-for-you,

iron-rich foods in the right-size portions.

I hope you're ready for

your own starring role as The Iron

Lady.

Okay, now that you know why iron is so important, I

hope you're ready for your own starring role as The Iron

Lady or, Iron-Man,

for that matter. (Hey, Meryl Streep and

Downey, Jr. don't own

those roles, ya' know!)

Love,