Can't get enough Iron. Tips?

simsam33
simsam33 Posts: 5 Member
edited November 30 in Food and Nutrition
Granted, it's my first day doing this diet thing, but I ate literally as much as I could and I'm still only at 56/100 iron. Argh!

For some back story, I'm anemic and often have trouble eating enough. I'm not a huge fan of eating and I'm not a good cook, so I rarely get enough calories and nutrients. My anemia has gotten really bad however, so I'm super determined to eat more and eat the right things.

I started off with VitC, because although I feel like I got some iron in my diet, I definitely wasn't getting much VitC, which is essential to absorbing it. I don't seem to have a problem with VitC, though. Adding organic orange juice and a half a bell pepper to my breakfast seems to REALLY jack it up. That's great. That's doable.

But iron is proving more of a challenge. Though I ate two solid meals today (I'm used to only eating one) and put a focus on iron, I still only managed 56/100. I'm feeling a bit discouraged already, I guess. I'm wondering if maybe I should change out my breakfast of meat/veg/egg/bagel/OJ and just replace that sucker with a bowl of Total :neutral:

Anyone have similar issues? I'd love to hear some tips/advice!

Replies

  • alichristiana
    alichristiana Posts: 76 Member
    Ive noticed that a lot of entries in the database are missing iron and calcium where it just hasn't been entered. This has been a frustration for me also, as i have a history of anemia so am very concious about these things(albeit in my case it turned out to be autoimmune, didnt stop the doctor and my family from blaming my diet for years before) You're probably getting more than MFP has been telling you!
  • simsam33
    simsam33 Posts: 5 Member
    Oh, I didn't realize! I'll have to be more vigilant in recording/comparing nutritional info then. Thanks for the advice!
  • Unknown
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  • Buff_Man
    Buff_Man Posts: 623 Member
    Guys, if you're anaemic you should be taking iron supplements to keep your levels up! Speak to your doctor. Dark leafy vegetables are high in iron too
  • Selkie_Runner
    Selkie_Runner Posts: 41 Member
    MFP database is not an accurate way to monitor iron. A lot of entries will/do not have Iron listed (as a lot is user generated). Before taking any supplement speak to your Doctor. Too much Iron is dangerous. Green leafy veg are a good source
  • simsam33
    simsam33 Posts: 5 Member
    ek786786 wrote: »
    Guys, if you're anaemic you should be taking iron supplements to keep your levels up! Speak to your doctor. Dark leafy vegetables are high in iron too

    I'm on a supplement, of course. But it has some unfortunate side effects, so my GP suggested that I try a new diet with a lower dosage. This is me doing that. I was giving spinach a go (great with pasta!) but it's only like 4% of the recommended DV per 1 cup. Kale, 5%, Broccoli 6%. That's a lot of eating, lol!
    Selkie_Runner wrote: »
    MFP database is not an accurate way to monitor iron. A lot of entries will/do not have Iron listed (as a lot is user generated). Before taking any supplement speak to your Doctor. Too much Iron is dangerous. Green leafy veg are a good source

    Yeah, I didn't realize iron was such an overlooked variable. I'll be more careful about trusting the MFP data in the future. Thanks for the advice!
  • jennypapage
    jennypapage Posts: 489 Member
    liver has a ton of iron. i used to eat it once a week when i was younger because of anemia. throw it in the pan with some olive oil, oregano ,salt and pepper.delicious!
  • evivahealth
    evivahealth Posts: 571 Member
    Selkie_Runner wrote: »
    MFP database is not an accurate way to monitor iron. A lot of entries will/do not have Iron listed (as a lot is user generated). Before taking any supplement speak to your Doctor. Too much Iron is dangerous. Green leafy veg are a good source

    ^^ This. Green leafy veg and a supplement. I try really hard to eat all the colours of the rainbow everyday, with an extra focus on greens. I still wasn't getting enough. I've been supplementing my iron for about a month now and the difference has been phenomenal. It's especially important for ladies to pay attention to iron levels, so good job for looking at your nutrients and not just your cals! :)
  • SarahJP20
    SarahJP20 Posts: 6 Member
    Nutribullet drinks with kale and spinach? Struggle to get enough iron but protein too. Lower fat red meat recipes difficult to source. Will try liver though.
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member
    edited March 2016
    I eat a bowl of Whole Grain Total for breakfast most days. It helps me get enough iron per day
  • distinctlybeautiful
    distinctlybeautiful Posts: 1,041 Member
    Take a vitamin. Mine have 300+% iron.
  • sandycoast
    sandycoast Posts: 4 Member
    I have low chronic iron levels too. What works for me is that I drink a lot of homemade green smoothies (kale, spinach, dandelion, chard, etc) and make sure to eat them with vitamic C (lemon, limes, oranges, apples) for better absorption. Also, I take spirulina and chlorella supplements to boost my iron (and protein) levels naturally. I've never been a fan of traditional iron supplements - too taxing on my body.
  • CaitlinW19
    CaitlinW19 Posts: 431 Member
    When ever I have some extra leafy greens, like half a bag of spinach left over, I toss it in my dehydrator. When it's dry (which doesn't take long at all), I put it in my food processor and then keep that in a little jar near the stove. I add a few scoops to a lot of our meals. Would be hard to track, but would certainly give you the peace of mind that you are getting more iron. This could be done with an oven for dehydrating and a blender if you don't have those appliances :-).
  • hilarymcm
    hilarymcm Posts: 55 Member
    I monitor my iron as well. I add Nutiva hemp protein powder to smoothies/yogurt/etc., it delivers 25% RDA of iron. If you like bitter leafy greens, dandelion greens contain a ton of iron.
  • WholeFoods4Lyfe
    WholeFoods4Lyfe Posts: 1,518 Member
    I know that you said that you are not a good cook, but when you do cook, try to use a cast iron skillet. Depending on the age of the skillet, the newer the better, and the types of foods that you are cooking, more acidic means more iron leaching, the amounts of iron that you get can vary, but it will definitely help.
  • simsam33
    simsam33 Posts: 5 Member
    Thanks so much for the advice, everyone! Lots of great tips here! I'm feeling a little better about it now :smiley:
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    edited March 2016
    I pass on this little gadget any chance I get. Because cool. The site tells you how much iron is added to the dish when you use it.

    http://www.luckyironfish.com/
  • BeYouTiful94
    BeYouTiful94 Posts: 289 Member
    I'm sure someone has already said this, but if you're anemic, you should be taking a supplement. I'm anemic and, after running some labs, my GP told me to go pick up 325 Ferrous Sulfate iron supplement and take it twice daily. It was like 2 bucks and she said that my most recent labs weren't as bad

    Another thing though, I don't think all of these entries actually have vitamins and such filled out. Just the "biggies" like protein, fat, carbs, sugar, etc. Just make sure you're getting in your red meats and leafy greens and you can be sure you're getting some iron
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