{"id":562,"date":"2021-05-28T21:44:22","date_gmt":"2021-05-28T21:44:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplestartnutrition.com\/?p=562"},"modified":"2021-07-24T17:54:26","modified_gmt":"2021-07-24T17:54:26","slug":"pump-up-your-blood-with-iron","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplestartnutrition.com\/?p=562","title":{"rendered":"Pump Up Your Blood with Iron"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"562\" class=\"elementor elementor-562\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2fe0497b elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2fe0497b\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-24d2222\" data-id=\"24d2222\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e482050 elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-title elementor-page-title elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"e482050\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"theme-post-title.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Pump Up Your Blood with Iron<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b07178e elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-featured-image elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"b07178e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"theme-post-featured-image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Untitled-design-15.png?fit=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-563\" alt=\"red blood cells\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Untitled-design-15.png?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Untitled-design-15.png?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Untitled-design-15.png?resize=1024%2C577&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Untitled-design-15.png?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Untitled-design-15.png?resize=1536%2C865&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Untitled-design-15.png?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4d5beaa1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4d5beaa1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do you love giving blood?&nbsp; The American Red Cross staff are so nice; you get to lie on a bed for 20 minutes while you donate (longer if you donate double red), and they give you a sticker and a cookie at the end (or Cheez-its like I pick).&nbsp; Then I can take it easy the rest of the day, and no one will argue with a blood donor!&nbsp; No? Just me?&nbsp; I really like doing it, but I ran into a problem the other day. I went, and they sent me away without donating!&nbsp; I didn\u2019t pass the hemoglobin test!&nbsp; What?!&nbsp; I need to fix this, so I can get back to my donating.&nbsp; Let\u2019s investigate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Iron is part of hemoglobin (which I\u2019m lacking) and myoglobin in muscles.&nbsp; Both of the molecules (hemoglobin and myoglobin) transport oxygen.&nbsp; Plenty of iron means plenty of molecules to transport oxygen to all the cells in your body.&nbsp; But not enough iron\u2026.well, that can make things a little more difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Iron deficiency anemia is often seen in children, adolescent girls, and women of child bearing years (Bingo, that\u2019s me), people with certain chronic illnesses, blood loss, vegetarians, or frequent blood donors (me again!). &nbsp; Mild or moderate cases may not display any symptoms, but severe cases may lead to<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>impaired work performance and productivity<\/li><li>paleness<\/li><li>fatigue<\/li><li>dizziness<\/li><li>racing heart rate<\/li><li>chest pain<\/li><li>cold hands\/feet<\/li><li>craving for non-food items like dirt or ice<\/li><li>brittle nails<\/li><li>sores on your mouth or tongue.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The best way to find out if you have iron deficiency anemia is to have your doctor run a CBC (complete blood count) to check your hemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume.&nbsp; Mild to moderate cases can be helped by increasing iron intake with food and\/or the addition of iron supplements.&nbsp; Severe cases may need a red blood cell transfusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s start with iron in our diet.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Recommended Daily Allowance or RDA (which is the average level of intake sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97-98%) healthy individuals) is broken down by age and gender:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td>Men 19+ years<\/td><td>8mg daily<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Women 19-50 years&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Pregnant woman<\/td><td>18mg daily&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;27mg daily<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Women 50+ years<\/td><td>9mg daily<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To meet those goals, we can add high iron foods to our diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td>Food\/serving<\/td><td>Mg per serving<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Oysters (3oz)<\/td><td>8<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Tofu (1\/2 c)<\/td><td>6.6<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Fortified* cereals (1oz)<\/td><td>1.8-19.2<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Canned white beans (1\/2 c)<\/td><td>3.9<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Lentils (1\/2 c)<\/td><td>3.3<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Cooked spinach (1\/2 c)<\/td><td>3.2<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Beef (3oz)<\/td><td>3.0<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Pumpkin seeds (1oz)<\/td><td>2.3<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Prune juice (3\/4 c)<\/td><td>2.3<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Chia seeds (1oz)<\/td><td>2.2<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">*Fortified means something is added to the product (in this case iron), it\u2019s not naturally occurring.&nbsp; Examples of fortified cereal are Total with 18mg per cup, Post Raisin Bran with 10\/8mg per 1.25 cups<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Note to self:&nbsp; Iron exists in two forms:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>heme iron, found in animal foods<\/li><li>non-heme, found in plant foods.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Heme iron is absorbed more efficiently than non-heme iron.&nbsp; So, see if you can choose it more often, or up your intake of non-heme sources (like 1 cup of cooked spinach instead of just \u00bd a cup).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Don\u2019t forget to give your body a little help with\u2026.. vitamin C!&nbsp; Adding a source of vitamin C at your meals can help your body absorb iron.&nbsp; So have a glass of orange juice with your iron fortified cereal in the morning, slice up some strawberries and kiwi to go with your yogurt that\u2019s sprinkled with pumpkin and chia seeds, and make sure to have saut\u00e9ed peppers with your steak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the flip side, save chocolate, raw spinach, tea and coffee for between meals.&nbsp; They hinder the absorption of iron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So here goes nothing.&nbsp; I\u2019m going to try and up my intake of iron over the next few days in preparation for my next blood donation.&nbsp; Let\u2019s see if it works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>4 days later\u2026.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It worked!!!!&nbsp; I was able to donate blood and got my Cheez-its!&nbsp; So feel free to give me a call if you need a little help too\u263a&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This blog was written by Chris Henigan MSl, RD, LDN, co-founder of Simple Start Nutrition.&nbsp; For more blog posts and nutrition information follow @simplestartnutrition on Instagram and Facebook.&nbsp; Also feel free to contact us, by visiting our website (<a href=\"http:\/\/simplestartnutrition.com\/\">simplestartnutrition.com<\/a>) to schedule an appointment to discuss your nutrition related needs.&nbsp; We\u2019d love to help.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sources:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhlbi.nih.gov\/health-topics\/iron-deficiency-anemia\">https:\/\/www.nhlbi.nih.gov\/health-topics\/iron-deficiency-anemia<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/iron-deficiency-anemia\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20355034#:~:text=As%20the%20name%20implies%2C%20iron,tired%20and%20short%20of%20breath\">https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/iron-deficiency-anemia\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20355034#:~:text=As%20the%20name%20implies%2C%20iron,tired%20and%20short%20of%20breath<\/a>.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-dc5e6ab elementor-post-navigation-borders-yes elementor-widget elementor-widget-post-navigation\" data-id=\"dc5e6ab\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"post-navigation.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post-navigation\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post-navigation__prev elementor-post-navigation__link\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/simplestartnutrition.com\/?p=516\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"post-navigation__arrow-wrapper post-navigation__arrow-prev\"><i class=\"fa fa-angle-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><span class=\"elementor-screen-only\">Prev<\/span><\/span><span class=\"elementor-post-navigation__link__prev\"><span class=\"post-navigation__prev--label\">Previous<\/span><span class=\"post-navigation__prev--title\">What is a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)?<\/span><\/span><\/a>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post-navigation__separator-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post-navigation__separator\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post-navigation__next elementor-post-navigation__link\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/simplestartnutrition.com\/?p=573\" rel=\"next\"><span class=\"elementor-post-navigation__link__next\"><span class=\"post-navigation__next--label\">Next<\/span><span class=\"post-navigation__next--title\">Healthify your Meal when Eating Out<\/span><\/span><span class=\"post-navigation__arrow-wrapper post-navigation__arrow-next\"><i class=\"fa fa-angle-right\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><span class=\"elementor-screen-only\">Next<\/span><\/span><\/a>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do you love giving blood?&nbsp; 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