Boosting your iron levels with a delicious ayurvedic beverage
Today I wanted to touch on a topic that I think is often neglected in western medicine (or at least that is my experience in the few visits I've had to the doctor): your iron levels.
As a vegetarian for many years, and married to a vegan, I always made sure to include lots of iron rich foods in my diet. After my miscarriages, I lost quite a bit of blood and that became a major concern for me. During my pregnancy I even started including animal protein once a week because my body was having trouble keeping up the iron levels for both of us.
Now you may be asking: why is iron so important for us?
Iron is a crucial component of hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that binds with oxygen and transports it from the lungs to the rest of the body. This process is vital for energy production and overall cellular function.
If hemoglobin levels get really low, it may reduce the supply of oxygen to the vital tissues such as the brain and the heart. Then you can experience confusion, difficulty focusing, chest pain, etc.
Iron is also essencial for energy production, immune function, cognitive function, metabolism and pregnancy and fetal development.
Now I'm not here to bore you with this stuff but women especially should play close attention to their iron levels since most of us bleed monthly and some of you may be trying to conceive and stay pregnant.
This week I shared a recipe that I love on my Instagram and I find it essential especially during my period. If you missed it, you can check it out here. You can include even more soaked and dried fruit such as apricots, figs and prunes. It's important to soak them at least for a few hours as we are in a cold and dry season. By soaking it we re-hydrate the fruit and make it more balancing for the winter season.
Other incredible plant-based food you can include in your diet are lentils, beans, pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews and dark leafy greens. Beef and chicken contain heme iron, which is more easily absorbed by the body. Consuming vitamin C rich foods alongside non-heme iron sources (plant-based) help enhance iron absorption. So you can add a few drops of lime over your food for example.
One thing to note is that it is important to check your blood before you overload your body with iron and supplements. There is such a thing as too much iron and iron toxicity!
I hope this information was helpful and if you do make this delicious beverage, let me know what you think. I absolutely love it!
Have a great weekend and until next time,
Thais