Pumpin’ (poppin’) iron

What was that? I left out a huge part of my doctor’s appointment yesterday, just so I could make it a separate, single-focused post? Oh yeah, that was me.

The big bombshell? I have … low iron.

Not that big of a deal, right? That’s what I thought! But the nurse — who was not Friendly Nurse, unfortunately — acted like I had hours to live, or something.

Let me back up: After I had my glucose test a few weeks ago, I had gotten bloodwork done. When I sat down yesterday, the nurse said the results from the test were fine (as I kind of figured, seeing as I’m the queen of low blood sugar).

But then she looked at me seriously and said my “hemoglobin” was very low. I panicked for a second, thinking, “What the hell is hemoglobin???” and then she explained that it was my iron. I had low iron.

BFD, right? My mom has low iron. Darling Husband has low iron. No biggie.

And I noticed there was a Post-it and a highlighted note on my folder, saying a big fat “99.” Not-so-nice Nurse went on to explain that normal levels for women were between 120 and 160, and I was … yup, 99. According to my last round of bloodwork, my level was 125 at that point. Oops.

Then the nurse — who I was really started to dislike by this point — took a pamphlet off the wall and read it to me. Like I was an idiot. I felt like saying, “Um, now that I know I have low iron, I’ll work on it. Promise.”

So here is the outcome out my low-iron-ness:

1. I will take one slow-release iron pill every day (with orange juice, which improves iron absorption)
2. I will increase my fibre intake (since taking iron supplements can cause the C-word)
3. I will work on eating more iron-rich foods

Here’s the CliffsNotes version of what the nurse told me:

Eating these foods helps to increase your iron absorption (i.e. eat this stuff with the iron-rich stuff):

• Oranges
• Orange juice
• Cantaloupe
• Strawberries
• Grapefruit
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Tomatoes
• Potatoes
• Green & red peppers

• Brown rice, 1 cup cooked (0.8 mg)
• Whole wheat bread, 1 slice (0.9 mg)
• English Muffin, 1 plain (1.4 mg)
• Cream of Wheat, 1 cup (10.0 mg)
• Raisin bran cereal, 1 cup (6.3 mg)

Iron-rich legumes, seeds, and soy:

• Sunflower seeds, 1 ounce (1.4 mg)
• Soy milk, 1 cup (1.4 mg)
• Kidney beans, ½ cup canned (1.6 mg)
• Raw Spinach, 1 cup 1 (mg**)
• Cooked Spinach, 1 cup (3.5 mg **)

Iron-rich vegetables:

• Broccoli, ½ cup, boiled (0.7 mg)
• Green beans, ½ cup, boiled (0.8 mg)
• Potato, fresh baked, cooked w/skin on (4.0 mg)
• Vegetables, green leafy, ½ cup (2.0 mg)

Other iron-rich foods:

• Blackstrap Molasses, one tablespoon (3.0 mg)
• Dates or Prunes, ½ cup (2.4 mg)
• Beef, Pork, Lamb, three ounces (2.3 to 3.0 mg)
• Liver (beef, chicken), three ounces (8.0 to 25.0 mg*)
• Dark meat Turkey ¾ cup (2.6 mg)
• Pizza, cheese or pepperoni, ½ of 10 inch pie (4.5 to 5.5 mg)