[proudmamanow]

So I have been diagnosed with low iron (not surprising given my heavy periods and frequent bf). Dd has not been tested, but I know her dairy-heavy diet could use a lot of help this way. Can anyone give me suggestions on how we can improve iron intake ?
We do eat meat, although usually only 1X/week.

Here are my thoughts:
-use cast-iron cookware
-for me, stop drinking coffee with meals
-serve vitamin C and iron containing foods at the same time and don't serve dairy at these meals.
-serve iron containing foods like blackstrap molasses, dried apricots, beans and lentils, beef, broccoli etc. more frequently.

I know there are conflicting views on supplements, I will be taking Floradix and may try to get dd to take it too (though I expect it will be tricky). I'm interested in views on cereals like Cream of Wheat, Total that have additional iron added; I understand that these are not the most easily absorbed forms, but I also know that dd will usually eat them, which is a major plus!

 

[wombat]

Cooking in cast iron significantly increases the amount of iron you get.

All the things you mention will help. You probably won't need supplements.

Also the sea vegetables - dulse, and others I can't remember the names of right now, also parsley.... whizz the dried stuff up in your food processor and you can sprinkle this in your food. You can't really taste it. Cathe's book suggests adding the sea veges to your babies cereal and food. I used to do that with my dd, along with the blackstrap molasses. Her iron levels were fine at 12 mo - and she never got iron fortified cereal, and she was low weight also.

I would think making the cereal yourself with the natural iron supplements would make the iron more absorbable than the fortified stuff.

 

[NotTheOnlyOne]

nuts and seeds are great sources of iron. Pumpkin seeds in particular are really high and tasty too. If you can get some pepitas (the inside of a pupkin seed, the green part) and eat them by the handful or bake with them. I put them in oatmeal too.... Yum Yum

 

[ladywolf]

1 oz of dark chocolate a day. It will provide close to half the RDA amount of iron, but only if it is dark and high cacoa (?), 70%+

 

[proudmamanow]

no wonder I've been craving chocolate lately!!

my body knows what it needs!

great suggestions re: pumpkin seeds and sea vegetables too!

thanks so much---keep 'em coming!

 

[Gale Force]

Jesse,

Your plan is good. But if you want some more info, I have a free iron e-book on my site that gives food lists and preparation tips.

Amanda

 

[proudmamanow]

Thanks Amanda, I've subscribed and I'm really looking forward to it!

So far so good with me: I've dropped my morning coffee (moving it to mid morning) and am taking vit C with lunch...we had a lovely dinner of brown rice, broccoli, and beef with orange and blackstrap molasses sauce cooked in a cast-iron pan. (Maybe a bit of overkill on my part!). Dw & I loved it. Dd would only touch the broccoli which she dipped in nutritional yeast. But hey, at least she didn't have a big bowl of yogurt for dinner (she had that for lunch).

And for breakfast, I had some toast with tahini & molasses plus yeast (thanks to Cathe's recipe). Dd licked yeast and honey off of a waffle, ate 1.5 meatballs, had some grapes, cried for cottage cheese while I held firm and then distracted her, and then, wonder of wonders, ate a whole wheat flax seed pita bread! A big improvement for her over her usual dairy based meal...we're now trying to convince her to like dried apricots...keeping our fingers crossed!

Now if only I felt better immediately...I hate this draggy feeling!

 

[Gale Force]

Jesse,

Sounds like a great day! You will start feeling better soon.
Can you send me that beef and molasses recipe?

Amanda

 

[proudmamanow]

Thanks Amanda--I'm looking fwd to seeing the ebook when I get home tonight.

The "recipe" was just something I threw together...brown ground beef in cast iron pan. While it's browing, mix together 1 C. orange juice 2-3 Tbsp. molasses and 1/4 C. soy sauce, plus some cornstarch mixed with water. Pour over browned beef and cook until you get a yummy sticky sauce! I might use slightly less molasses next time as it does have a powerful flavour. But all these amounts are estimates, I just threw this together, like I said.
Still flattered to be asked though

 

[tbone]

I've been slightly anemic my whole life, these tips are great.

:

 

[momto l&a]

Would taking the liquid chlorophyll help you any?

I know that what my mw had me take whenever my iron was low. It worked.

Havent checked my iron this pregnancy.

: Though with all the cooking we do in cast iron plus all the brussel sprouts I eat I should be fine

 

[tamagotchi]

Is liquid chlorophyll really safe for pregnancy and breastfeeding? I read somewhere that it is detoxifying.

 

[anyuka]

fyi-Cream of Wheat is also very high in iron.