A question about donating blood....

cutezombiedoll

When you donate blood, should you increase your calorie intake for that day? I donated blood today, and I'm feeling OK so far, but I don't know if it's a good idea for me to eat fewer calories, like if that will make me fatigued later or make it harder for my body to replenish the blood. Any ideas?

pinuplove

I've always eaten my normal amounts and never had an issue Thanks for helping save a life today! I'm a big proponent of blood donation.

katielauren2001

I think that you should, are you not given something to eat straight after giving blood? After giving blood I usually eat something high carb and quite high in fat and drink quite a lot of liquid. You may start to feel faint so it is important that you eat and drink after giving blood.

treetop57

Lots of info here: http://www.livestrong.com/after-giving-blood/

runnercheryl

I'd say if you're ok now, you're going to be fine. I used to give blood, I can't any more, and as long as I accepted a snack after donating and took an hour or two to rest up, I was fine.

I did once end up feeling a bit ill because I decided to do a long shopping trip just after donating, but that was my own fault. Usually, your body makes a good recovery within an hour or two, and from there you won't notice a lack of blood having an impact.

student94

Your body will use several hundred calories over the next month or so to regenerate the lost blood. Personally, the day I give I'm starving and feel like I eat absolutely everything. That day doesn't seem to derail me, and I don't think letting myself spend a day miserably hungry can be good for me. If you don't have a change in appetite, I wouldn't worry about it though. Many people don't change their diet and are completely fine. Everyone's different.

and way to go for donating!