The following is excerpted from the Church News. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
A wise, oft-repeated proverb teaches that if you give a person a fish, he or she will eat for a day — but if you teach them to fish, they will eat for a lifetime.
Apparently, there is also wisdom in teaching someone to cook with a fish — specifically, an iron fish. An ongoing effort between the Church and its humanitarian partners is helping families in many parts of western Africa battle anemia by teaching them to cook with a “lucky” iron fish.
First, an (iron) fish tale that needs no exaggeration.
Lucky Iron Fish is a patented, reusable cooking tool that a family can add to a boiling pot of soup, broth or rice. Once the hot, liquid-based meal is ready to eat, the tiny iron fish is removed, cleaned and set aside for the next day’s meal prep.
While the iron fish may be gone from the meal, the health benefits remain. When used consistently and as directed, the tool releases 6-8 milligrams of iron — enough of the essential mineral to help remedy and prevent iron deficiency in a person.
Iron deficiency anemia is a dangerous condition often caused by malnutrition, particularly in impoverished areas of the world lacking dietary diversity. It can be a form of chronic “hidden” hunger, typically found when a person is not eating recommended amounts of necessary nutrients.
“Unfortunately, the effects of that hidden hunger can be just as severe as acute hunger,” said Julie Ramos, a manager for the Latter-day Saint Charities Clean Water & Food Security program. “It’s long term and can harm the body over time.”
To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
