bye-bye anemia!

 A few weeks ago a blood test showed that I was anemic and a recent blood test showed that I'm not anymore. Cool, right? Heck yeah it is. There's nothing fun about sleeping 12 hours a night and then spending the rest of the day on the couch because washing the dishes was too strenuous a task. I was tired, weak, dizzy, short of breath and just plain miserable.

Well, how did I get better? 

Lemme tell ya my delicious little anemia busting secret.

Kal Vita Mom Prenatals are what I take daily. It contains (25mg) 139% of your daily iron intake. That sounds like enough right? Well not in my case. After discovering I was anemic, the midwife recommended I take Floradix Iron Supplement in addition to my daily prenatals.  My husband went out and found some in liquid form but I went through the whole bottle in about two weeks (at $25 a bottle, that's not a very good deal). So he got me the tablets to try next. I don't remember the price but it's cheaper than the liquid and lasts significantly longer. 

Taking the recommended two pills a day will supply you with (20mg) 112% of your daily iron.

So taking the Floradix and the prenatals made me feel a heck of a lot better! 

But I wanted to feel 100% better.

Why not just take a regular iron supplement?

From what I understand regular iron tablets are harmless to take during pregnancy, but they often cause constipation and other stomach issue and that's just not desirable (or healthy) for a pregnant woman who might already be battling constipation and tummy problems.

Now it's time to chow down... iron style.

I consume these foods almost on a daily basis along with my prenatals and iron supplement.

1) You'll be surprised how good that sugary breakfast cereal is for you. It's packed full of vitamins!  One bowl your average breakfast cereal contains 25% of your daily iron. If you're like me, then eating four bowls of cereal in one sitting is a pretty common occurrence. And guess what? Four bowls is 100% iron. Delicious.

2) I crave instant oatmeal. Not just any instant oatmeal- I want Walmart brand strawberries and cream instant oatmeal.. and  I eat a lot of it. Luckily for me oatmeal is also high in iron. One package contains 20% daily iron. I don't know about you, but I normally eat two.... or three.

3) Another craving of mine is probably one of the most common ways to get some iron. Spinach. Yes, spinach. I eat it in place of lettuce on burgers and sandwiches. It's mixed into pretty much every soup, pasta dish and casserole I make. I love my spinach and I think it's safe to say that it loves me back.

4) A glass of apple juice = 100% vitamin C. Vitamin C helps your body better absorb iron so it's very important to get this in as well. There are plenty of other ways to get vitamin C into your diet, but I prefer apple juice. Why? Because it's on the top of the list of things I crave!

Good to know!

"Besides caffeine, these beverages contain types of natural chemical compounds called polyphenols. Coffee is a rich source of the polyphenols called tannin and chlorogenic acid. Herbal teas contain chlorogenic acid, too, while black teas are rich in tannin. Other caffeinated products such as cocoa, particularly Swedish cocoa, are also rich in polyphenols...""...Polyphenols, not caffeine, are most concerning if you consume caffeinated products and are concerned about iron intake and anemia. These compounds naturally inhibit the body's ability to absorb iron. According to the Iron Disorders Institute, as much as 60 percent of iron can be inhibited by drinking 1 cup of coffee. It doesn't matter if the coffee is decaffeinated or not since it's not the caffeine that plays a role in iron inhibition. The Iron Disorders Institute notes that the polyphenols in tea and Swedish cocoa can inhibit iron absorption even more than coffee -- by as much as 90 percent." (Source)

Special Note: Please realize that I am not a medical professional. I'm just a pregnant blogger sharing my experience with overcoming anemia. Please consult with your doctor or midwife should you have any questions or concerns about anemia.