A couple of weeks ago I posted that I'd been knocked back for a blood donation. That got my attention. I also mentioned that I hadn't been eating too much meat of late. Thinking back I realised I'd got into a bad habit of just grabbing a piece of cheese, a few nuts and cups of coffee with double cream. Satiating yes, but not entirely balanced.
So I've changed focus. Having concentrated on low carb, high fat to the detriment of overall health in that my iron levels were low and will now be eating protein with every high fat meal, even if it's just a little. That way it will be doubly satiating and restore the balance.
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MikePollard
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For iron eat lots of dark green leafy veg. Savoy cabbage, kale, etc.
Forgot to add, you need vitamin ‘c’ to absorb iron . I’m sure that dark green leafy veg has some vit. C . Liver ... none, so add something with vit. C to your meal.
My gran had a bout of iron deficiency in the 1930’s and they made her eat raw liver with a glass of orange juice. Yum!
Iron absorption is a complex thing. We can’t all do it & not all the time. It’s much easier to absorb iron from red meat than green vegetables. Even then, not everyone at every moment of their lives can absorb iron from their diet. I am particularly weird in the blood /iron department and despite eating meat 3 perhaps 4 times a day, still need iron transfusions. A lack of B12 can limit our absorption of iron too. Not saying this is relevant to you, but it’s an extra bit of chat on the topic.
You are in lockstep with diet doctor. They are increasing the amount of protein the recommend.
One interesting thing they said: there is a theory that our bodies will get us to keep eating until we have eaten enough protein. That would be an alternative explanation of why processed foods are so unsatiating.
Black pudding is also high in iron. Personally I love it for breakfast but it's not for everyone. As others have said iron absorption is very complex. For example drinking a cup of tea with your meals can prevent iron absorption. It may be worth getting it checked out with your GP as you may need a course of tablets to get your levels back up. If they are very low it can be difficult to judge how much impact your diet alone is having.
Yes definitely! I found it useful when I anaemia after surgery as the iron content is good but the carbs are not so good. Anemia is awful though so really important to get that sorted x
Just worth mentioning (I got turned away for low iron in what turned out would have been my last blood donation), that they make it clear you don't have anaemia, just that you might have after the donation. You will feel fine and indeed be fine, but they won't take your blood.
Yes I think the only way to know is with a blood test. Also too much iron is really dangerous. I think people often think they have anemia when they don't and can take iron supplements unnecessarily. You can make your own keto friendly black pudding but you need to add pigs blood which isn't readily available! X
The NHS Blood Bank does to a blood test if you fail the specific gravity test. It's instantaneous, like a blood glucose test. So Mike (and I) know(s) our iron level. Mine was well above anaemia, but below their safety threshold.
I did actually investigate making my own black pudding, but decided against it. I found that you can buy a kg of dried pigs blood from Amazon for around £11, so maybe keep it in a cupboard as a natural iron supplement.
Ha looks like I have misunderstood this thread. I thought it was about concern over low Hb which is an important concern. Apologies for the misunderstanding x
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The NHS 12-week "plan"
I need some reassurance, please