Anemia

I went to the doctor last week. I wanted to check on my iron levels, which are usually low. I've been feeling pretty energetic lately, so I stopped taking iron supplements. But I wanted to see for sure whether I should stop them or not. The good news is that my daily iron levels are just fine. That's an improvement. But yesterday, my doctor called with the results of the iron stores blood test. The normal range is 10 to 200, and I am at 12.8. At least I'm in the normal range, but for a person to feel really good, research suggests that the iron stores level should be up above 50. So I'm shooting for 50. I'm going to start focusing on iron rich foods and supplementing with iron again.

I looked up the information I have in my nutrition file, from a previous doctor, on the treatment of iron deficiency.

Foods high in iron:

• green leafy vegetables
• dried beans, especially garbanzos and lentils
• blackstrap molasses
• lean meat/organ meats
• dried fruit, especially apricots
• almonds, cashews, walnuts, pumpkin seeds
• shellfish, especially mussels
• wheatgerm
• cooking in a cast iron skillet

Foods that inhibit the absorption of iron:

• coffee, tea
• antacids

Iron Therapy:

Buy ferrous fumerate or ferrous succinate 30 mg. Take it twice per day in between meals. If this upsets your stomach take it three times per day with meal, although it is not as well absorbed with food. Always take it with 1000mg of Vitamin C or a food high in Vitamin C to enhance absorption.

My plan is to take an iron supplement (ferrous fumerate) each morning before breakfast. I will take it with 1000 mg of Vitamin C powder mixed into a few ounces of orange juice. I will keep drinking my green smoothies, rich with dark leafy greens, every morning and afternoon. At the T2CHK Message Board, someone mentioned stirring a tablespoonful of blackstrap molasses into warm water and drinking it like a tea. I will give that a try today. It sounds like it could be good. I already use my cast iron skillet frequently. What I should add to my diet are more lentils and wheatgerm.