Iron is lost from our bodies in many ways. When we work out, we lose it on our sweat; as a dietary choice, being vegan or vegetarian and choosing not to eat animal products means we don’t consume any meat products that normally would be high in iron; once a month, girls lose tons of iron when they have their period. So if you’re a girl and vegan, then this will be especially helpful for you.
Of course, everyone should be aware of why they may feel the following symptoms, and what they can do about it.
Symptoms of an iron deficiency would include:
Fatigue: Ever feel really tired even when you thought you had a ton of sleep last night?
Poor concentration: Having a hard time performing at school and work.
Feeling cold: Having a hard time staying warm.
Feeling under the weather: Easily getting sick and infected.
As you can see, not having enough iron makes life a whole lot more difficult. It’s also hard to identify an iron deficiency if you haven’t had a blood test. More extreme cases of iron deficiencies involve being anemic, low blood pressure, and brittle nails. The reason iron is so important is because it helps to transport oxygen in our blood, as a part of the protein hemoglobin.
Inconvenient solutions:
One option that many doctors recommend is taking iron pills. They often come in large pills that are hard and gross to swallow. If you bite into one by accident then the iron gets all over our teeth and it’s a pain to remove.
You can avoid both the symptoms of low iron deficiency and the hassle of taking the pill. Also, if you’re someone who finds it hard to remember to open that bottle and take a pill every day, then the following will help you incorporate iron into your daily diet.
Five foods to add to your everyday meals to increase your intake of iron:
- For vegans and anyone who loves a salad, spinach is your friend. There are so many ways to cook it as well. For some, it can be easier to eat it in a soup. If you’re not pressed for time, you could even try your hand at making a quiche.
- Broccoli is another vegetable that will make getting enough iron a lot easier. Additionally, if you choose to be vegan or vegetarian, you should also be taking more Vitamin C. Broccoli is useful in two-folds, as it has Vitamin C as well.
- There are fortified cereals that you can buy that are high in iron. You might have to spend a little bit more time at the market looking through the different nutritional facts on the sides of the box, but if you’re someone who absolutely won’t eat meat, then maximizing the products you do eat is important.
- If you don’t have a dietary restriction and just haven’t been paying much attention to your food (or you’re a student who can’t afford to buy healthier foods very often) try to increase the quantity of meat you’re consuming. Red meats, pork, and poultry are all high sources of iron.
- Seafood lovers rejoice: treat yourself to some clams, oysters, shrimp or mussels. As alternative, seaweed is a great option and there are tons of different kinds available (dried, fresh in salads, etc).
Hopefully these tips will help ensure you have enough iron in your diet, regardless of whether you have dietary restrictions, or just haven’t been paying attention.
Happy eating!
References:
http://media.giphy.com/media/zFCtrTxeU7rX2/giphy.gif
http://magazine.foxnews.com/sites/magazine.foxnews.com/files/styles/700_…
http://media.giphy.com/media/5ZdW3tadQFppS/giphy.gif
http://media.giphy.com/media/11RuG8n1SEkLqo/giphy.gif
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/files/wh6_uploads/images/iron-supplement….
http://www.finecooking.com/cms/uploadedimages/Images/Cooking/Articles/Is…