Ways To Add More Iron To Your Diet

Katie Katie Parsons is the creator of Mumbling Mommy and is a freelance writer, editor and communications specialist. She works from her home office on the east coast of Florida. Most often she writes about life in a combined family of five children and what it's like being a full time work-from-home parent. Feel free to pitch guest post ideas or just drop her a line at katie@mumblingmommy.com.

I’ve been taking Floradix to
improve my iron numbers

A few weeks ago I was told that I had developed anemia in my pregnancy. The doctor told me off-handedly that my “numbers” were similar to those he would expect to see in women from third-world countries.

How could this be?

I had been faithfully taking my prenatal vitamins for months before I even found out that I was pregnant. I eat a balanced, healthy diet and am certainly not starving myself (believe me). My doctor explained that in pregnancy, some women just need that extra boost to keep their iron levels up to par. I’ve done some reading since then and taken some advice from friends who are educated in the matter and I’ve compiled a list of ways all women can improve their iron consumption and absorption (also very key!).

— Lay off the coffee and tea. Okay, you don’t have to totally give them up but wait at least two hours after their consumption to take your vitamin or any iron supplements that you have been prescribed. Compounds called tannins commonly found in coffee and tea prevent iron from being absorbed as it should be.

— Eat iron-rich vegetables like brocolli, spinach and beans with a little bit of meat. The body has more trouble absorbing the iron found in vegetables so the addition of meat makes it easier to take in the iron from your veggies too.

— Take a liquid iron supplement instead of a pill. I’ve been taking Floradix twice per day, half an hour before a meal, and my numbers have improved greatly in just three weeks. The absorption rate is higher with a liquid and I have not had any issues with constipation, which is very common with iron pills.

— Pump up your vitamin C intake. This helps absorption as well. Any way that you can sneak in some extra vitamin C into a meal or snack helps.

— Eat liver. I personally cannot stomach it but this is the number one thing other people have told me to do. If you think cow’s liver may be too rough on your stomach, try chicken liver instead.

True stories from the front lines of parenting.

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