Iron

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lookitscaitlin
lookitscaitlin Posts: 157
in Food and Nutrition
I recently added Iron to my food diary, so far it looks like I don't have much Iron in my diet, any ideas for getting more?

Replies

  • futiledevices
    futiledevices Posts: 309 Member
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    Have you thought about taking supplements? I am anemic and I've been told by a doctor to take several ferrous gluconate tablets a day, on top of a multivitamin+iron. Just a thought.. I am also unsure of iron rich foods other than red meat.. maybe certain beans. Would be good to know.
  • lookitscaitlin
    lookitscaitlin Posts: 157
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    i looked through my diary and I found that the cornflakes I had have a lot of iron.. Does iron deficiency make you tired?
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
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    1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds is 50% for the day.

    Also...look in the mirror and pull down your lower eye lid.
    If you see pink you should be fine with iron.
    If you see white then up the iron.
  • Play_outside
    Play_outside Posts: 528 Member
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    Do not take iron supplements unless you are advised to by a health care practitioner (doctor, dietician, etc). Have your hemoglobin and ferritin checked before starting a supplement. If your energy levels are fine and you are not tired all the time, then you probably have enough.
  • lookitscaitlin
    lookitscaitlin Posts: 157
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    ooh pumpkin seeds.. good idea :)
  • Kyliechristie
    Kyliechristie Posts: 85
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    I think spinach and potato skins are both good vegetable sources.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
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    My nuts mixture is
    1/8 cup pumpkin
    1/8 cup pistachios
    1/8 cup 65% dark chocolate chips

    I carry it in my apron at work and snack!
  • Le_Joy
    Le_Joy Posts: 593 Member
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    Dark green leafy vegetables, red meat, seaweed, etc... Pumpkin seeds as well as other seeds.
    http://www.mckinley.illinois.edu/handouts/dietary_sources_iron.html
  • lookitscaitlin
    lookitscaitlin Posts: 157
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    My nuts mixture is
    1/8 cup pumpkin
    1/8 cup pistachios
    1/8 cup 65% dark chocolate chips

    I carry it in my apron at work and snack!

    that sounds really nice :) i think i'll try it! thanks
  • etremoi53
    etremoi53 Posts: 45 Member
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    I was very anemic for a while and it does make you tired and sluggish. Iron really helped but I don't take it now because my levels are fine. It is really important to NOT take iron unless you are sure you need it. Excess iron can do damage.
  • Gettingbettereveryday
    Gettingbettereveryday Posts: 50 Member
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    If you are worried that your iron levels are low you should definitely get yourself checked by a healthcare professional before taking any supplements. Vitamin C helps with iron absorption so make sure your meals include something high in vit c along with the food containing iron.
  • persian_star
    persian_star Posts: 197 Member
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    I love pate on toast, and if I remember correctly that's agood source of iron? I know you shouldn't eat it when pregnant, and I assumed that was why. I'm not much for nuts and seeds, so pate is my best source :o)
  • klutzydreamer
    klutzydreamer Posts: 11 Member
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    I had an iron problem when I first went vegetarian. There are two types of iron. Heme iron is found in meats and poultry and non-heme iron is found in plant sources. Heme iron is absorbed easier into the body than plant sources. However if you eat vitamin C rich foods along with non-heme iron, then you are able to absorb it easier. For example you can put salsa on bean burritos and it would be absorbed better than the beans alone. Sources of heme iron is in meat, poultry while you find non-heme iron in beans, nuts, spinach, fortified cereals, etc. Here's a website that I found helpful whenever I was trying to figure out how to help with my iron intake: http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/vitamins/iron.html. And here is a slideshow that gives other examples: http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/top-iron-sources-44111008 I hope it helps!!
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    Keep in mind that when people enter things into the database, they don't always enter things like iron. You might want to do a little more research before accepting the number you're getting.
  • castadiva
    castadiva Posts: 2,016 Member
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    A quick word about pate - from what I remember, I don't think it's an iron issue re. not eating it while pregnant, but rather that pate can contain quite low levels of listeria and other bacteria that are not noticeably harmful to an adult (because we're talking small amounts) but could be a major problem for a foetus. Just thought that Persian_Star (who mentioned it) might like to know!

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