“B” Energized!


I could easily be a vegetarian, but I cook for some hard core carnivores so red meat once or twice a week is my compromise. It’s not usually my favorite night for dinner, but I didn’t remember how good the Rubbed Steak with Polenta was until I tried it again this year. It’s so good and simple to make that I’m going to make it for dinner guests next time! 

This week enchiladas sounded really good so I entered “enchiladas” in the search bar on the recipe page and then picked one of the recipes that came up so I could improve and include it in the weekly menu.  I ended up making some improvements to the Easy Beef and Kale Enchiladas that I hope you will like, one of them being the option to use chicken. BTW I’ve been wondering how to avoid buying $3.69 boxes of organic chicken broth and was so excited to try something new that worked.  I bought my first $16 organic, whole fryer chicken and boiled it in a HUGE soup pot full of water and vegetables for flavor. I hour later I had 4 generous cups of organic cooked chicken and 5 quarts of the same kind of amazingly delicious broth. A rotiserie chicken plus 5 qts. of organic broth would be $25, so I just made $9!

Whether you eat chicken or beef, do you know the hidden treasure of vitamin B12 found in all meat and in meat products like eggs and milk?  See why Sprouts grocery store even offers occasional B12 shots to its customers for “more energy”.

B12 HELPS DISTRIBUTE OXYGEN
If you’ve done any fast running lately, then the direct connection between energy and oxygen is probably pretty clear in your mind.  B12’s contribution is multi-faceted, but one way it sustains life is by the crucial role it plays in the distribution of oxygen throughout the body, and that comes in pretty handy on a run or walk.  You basically don’t move without oxygen.

OXYGEN TRAIL
Let’s think about the last time we sprinted and then follow the oxygen trail backwards. Oxygen is sucked into the lungs through our gaping mouth. Oxygen is met there by red blood cells which have iron-rich hemoglobin within.  “Hemoglobin enables red blood cells to carry oxygen from your lungs to all parts of your body…”(1) That of course is where you need the oxygen for energy in the muscles. Red blood cells need to be constantly replaced, and that cannot happen without iron, vitamin B12, folate and other nutrients.  In other words, vitamin B12 is crucial to the manufacture of red blood cells. Anemia is the absence of a sufficient number of red blood cells, meaning less oxygen in the blood, and therefore problems like loss of energy. (2)  Basically, vitamin B12 is a part of who we are down to the very core.

WHERE TO FIND B12
You will be happy to know that a vitamin B12 deficiency is hard to find where people have access to meat and animal products.  The recommended daily intake is 2.4 mcg (micrograms) for adults, and about half of that for young children. (3)  You might be interested in the stats below:

Beef Liver (1 slice)                      48 mcg
Clams (3 oz.)                          34.2 mcg
Top Sirloin (3 oz.)                        2.4 mcg
Cheeseburger (double patty)              1.9 mcg
Fortified breakfast cereal 25% of DV       1.5 mcg
Milk (1 cup)                                            0.9 mcg
Egg                                                     0.6 mcg
Chicken Breast (1/2)                                   0.3 mcg

STORES IN LIVER
All sources are obviously not B12 equal, but more good news is that this particular water soluble vitamin can be stored in the liver for a very long time.  Therefore, you could eat one slice of liver and be good to go for awhile. Ok, maybe that won’t happen, but at least you can see from the chart where to to get what you need.

Time is up for this week, so we’ll look in a future Weekly Special at how protein depends on B12 for the growth and repair of cells, what part it plays in keeping a healthy nervous system, or how it affects the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats in the body. (4) 

You will love the perfectly spiced Rubbed Flank w/ Polenta  which pairs with F.L.T. Sandwiches to save you time.  Our bean balance is accomplished with super easy and filling Lemon Lentil Stew w/ Spinach. And don’t neglect to try the much lower fat Asparagus Guacamole and Carrot Cake...two things you will want to make more than once.

Be sure to get the daily B12 you need, especially if you aren’t an enthusiastic meat eater like me.  I hope you like the beef and chicken recipes posted this week as much as we all did here at Orange Tree Lane!

molly's avatar

Molly

(1) & (2) http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/anemia/DS00321/DSECTION=causes
(3) http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitaminb12/
    (4)  http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=107

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