Recently I was told by my doctor that I have Anemia. Anemia is common among those with Celiac Disease, though mine is most likely self-inflicted, at least at this point in time. I have been donating blood this year and it seems as if I may need to take a break. Labor Day weekend was the 3rd time this year that I donated. Since then I have been tired and run down. I expected that for a week or two, but not this long. Additionally, my menstrual cycles are off, which is what lead to the testing to begin with. I opted to try iron rich foods for the next few weeks before looking to iron supplements. My stomach doesn’t do well with iron supplements, so I hope that this works. I will repeat my blood test in 1-2 months to check on my levels.
After doing some research, here are some iron-rich foods that I already eat:
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Kale/Spinach
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Dried fruit (raisins, prunes, apricots)
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Beans & lentils
Some foods iron-rich foods that I am adding:
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Bison
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Red meat – filet mignon
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Shrimp
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Scallops
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Vega Shake & Go Smoothie (30%-40% of the RDA for iron)*see my review below
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Chia seeds
Last night I was piecing together dinner when I got a chance – the rest of the family had already eaten. I sautéed some kale & carrots in a touch of extra-virgin olive oil and added some black beans and gluten-free pasta for a huge pasta/veggie bowl. I tossed everything with some low-sodium soy sauce (La Choy is gluten-free) and then topped with some goat cheese. Awesome, iron-rich combo!
I can think of so many more combinations that would work well in this dish. I had the leftover kale & carrots with my lunch today. I had a tuna melt and spinach salad, which has become a lunch staple these days. I just read about how it is important to get enough vitamin C, as your body absorbs iron better with it.
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I had the opportunity to sample the Vega Shake & Go Smoothies in the past month. There are 4 different varieties of the Shake & Go Smoothies:
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Bodacious Berry
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Vanilla Almondilla
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Tropical Tango
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Choc-A-Lot
I was able to sample all but the Tropical Tango. The shakes are simple to literally shake & go. Simply add 4 – 8 oz of water, shake & go. The flavors were tasty and the nutritional stats are good. Some of the additional benefits are listed below:
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Two servings of veggies
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2500 mg Omega- 3-6-9
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11g complete protein
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Only 100 calories
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1 billion probiotics cultures
The shakes are free from gluten, dairy, soy, corn, wheat & yeast and only have 6 grams of sugar per serving! Vega products can be purchased online or in stores (Whole Foods) across the US. I can see these shakes being useful during marathon training in addition to extra vitamin support while trying to get my iron level up.
My son and me, November 2000. This is before we were gluten-free/diagnosed Celiac.
I would consider an iron supplement. It is difficult to consume enough iron for women and many of the iron sources are not readily absorb-able for example the oxalates in greens bind with the iron making it difficult to absorb. If you decide to supplement, take supplement with a heme iron source (such as red meat) and consume with a vitamin C source. I was anemic (hgb – 8) again after being gluten free for several years and was very discouraged. I added red meat to my diet and supplemented and have been fine since. I take the Ferrous Sequels supplements (labeled gluten free) they are ferrous gluconate which is not as strong (not sure if that is the right word may be as absorb-able as) ferrous sulfate but it has a stool softener in it. It is very well tolerated. Good luck.
Sophia,
Thank you so much for the information on Ferrous Sequels. I will definitely look into that. My hgb was 11 and I guess it should be over 12.
Kim
There are also now enteric-coated iron tablets that are easier on the stomach.
Great iron info! Be sure to eat with Vitamin C, like mentioned above, but do not take with dairy – the calcium cancels the iron absorption. Good luck!
I have been struggling with iron deficit as well. My body did not respond well to the iron from my primary doctor. However, my chiropractor recommended Ferrofood supplement, and I have felt so much better! So, you may find that a more natural iron supplement works better with your system.