Iron Deficiency and issues surrounding iron are a common problem for women and some men. There are several times in a woman’s life when they typically have low iron; during pregnancy, postpartum and when their menstrual cycle is un-regulated. Men and women can both have low iron after a surgery or when other health issues arise. Some symptoms to lookout for when you are low in iron look like the following and a few may even surprise you.
Low energy
Fatigue
Breathless
Dizziness
Light-headedness
Fast heart rate
Brittle nails
Pale skin
Full body itchiness
Taking iron
Iron Rich Foods:
Sesame seeds
Black beans
Cooked and raw spinach
Dark Chocolate
Garbanzo Beans
Kale
Sundried Tomatoes
Kidney beans
Swiss Chard
Sunflower Seeds
Lentils (all colors)
Prunes
Potatoes
Olives
Lima Beans
Black-eyed peas
Peas
How to take iron: 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal and with Orange juice, Lemon juice/ Lemonade. The vitamin C in the juice helps absorption. You can also do a buffered vitamin C supplement with the iron or take a product like Ferrasorb found at our online dispensary. https://wellevate.me/jennifer-walker#/ If you are like me and you can’t take iron on an empty stomach because it will upset your tummy I usually take it 1 hour after eating. It just may take you longer to build up your levels. Also make sure Iron is not taken with any calcium products like Tums, milk or calcium supplements as it will block the absorption.
***Last reminder of taking iron is that it will constipate some people. If you are still menstruating, take it only during menstruation cycles to prevent constipation and boost your energy and overall iron levels. (This means your levels are a little low only)
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