Anemia is a disease that afflicts women the most, especially during pregnancy. To combat it, it is essential to seek medical supervision and eat a diet rich in iron.
Anemia or iron deficiency in our blood is, without a doubt, one of the most common realities. Especially among women, since heavy periods or the difficulty of our body to assimilate make us suffer from this disease so frequent.
We give you simple guidelines so that you can overcome it little by little.
Anemia and its effects on our body
Sometimes we feel tired without knowing why, our hair falls out, our nails are fragile and we cannot carry out our day-to-day life as effectively as before. What is happening? Surely the first thing you will do is undoubtedly go to the doctor, and it will be he who informs us that our blood iron level is very low and that we suffer from anemia.
Some of the most common symptoms include:
- Short of breath
- Weakness
- Dizziness
- Cold in feet and hands
- Fast or irregular heartbeat
- Chest pain
Usually, we have usually prescribed the usual iron tablets. Some pills that for many people are difficult to take because they cause some small side effects: constipation or diarrhea, gas or stomach pain. But they are generally effective and raise blood iron.
We must always be very attentive to the signs of our body that may indicate us to come to suffer it again. Remember that anemia results in a lower red blood cell count and, therefore, that we have less oxygen in our blood. Therefore, the heart suffers more, it goes faster and we tire more.
If the anemia becomes persistent then we will have to go through a more exhaustive analysis to find out what this low level of iron is due, to find out what its origin is. Genetic factors and other diseases can lead to anemia, but it is usually something that can be solved with iron supplements and proper nutrition.
Simple guidelines to raise your blood iron level
First of all, we must bear in mind that there are certain foods that could interfere with the absorption of iron in our body. Such is the case of caffeine, tea and even calcium present in dairy products or phytates from cereals. These make iron not assimilate as it should, as they are inhibitors. They make us lose a small amount of it.
What does this mean? Basically, we must take care of how we feed so that the iron is properly fixed. We can not, for example, take a plate of spinach and then consume tea, we would lose part of this mineral. So let’s see some very useful tips.
Green juice, your great ally.
Leafy green vegetables are highly rich in iron. For breakfast, it would be very appropriate for you to prepare a green juice. For this, we can prepare a smoothie with spinach or kale, an apple and a few sprigs of parsley. The flavor will seem a little strong, hence it is appropriate to add half a glass of water so that the smoothie does not become so thick. Drink it little by little.
Two hours after your breakfast you can have a coffee or tea. In this way, it does not interact with any other food that has iron.
Iron-rich lunches and dinners
We will make sure that our lunch has a high iron content.
- The bivalves are excellent: mussels, cockles, clams, chirlas…
- We will consume red meats only once a week. On other days, you can make yourself delicious salads with pieces of turkey or chicken breast.
- Combine it with spinach, remember that without being natural they will have a higher iron index (if we fry or cook them, they lose their nutrients, so it is always better to take them raw). Watercress, radishes, beets, parsley or Brussels sprouts or legumes, such as lentils, are also very rich in this mineral and combine well with salads.
Two hours after your lunch, you can complement your daily diet with a contribution rich in fiber or fortified cereals. You can make yourself a bowl of oatmeal, a wholemeal sandwich, or tea if you want.
For dinner, we can prepare, for example, some stuffed aubergines in the oven. For the filling, you can use liver pate or minced meat. Combine it with tomato chips and fill the rich aubergines.
Medical supervision and supplementation
Raising your iron levels requires some effort. It is not at all about eating only red meat, for example. You should always have medical supervision and follow the diet recommended by professionals. Iron supplements are effective, but our diet is the key.