Fix Iron Deficiency Naturally | Best Foods To Eat + Iron Absorption Tips | Boost Haemoglobin

Namaskar, if you often feel tired without any reason, get frequent headaches or notice that your skin looks dull, there is a very good chance that your iron levels are low and this is a very serious problem. This is affecting many people in our country, especially women. In India, iron deficiency affects women, youngsters and even children. These deficiencies can cause some harsh symptoms, extreme fatigue, weakness, chest pain, inflammation and shortness of breath. But the good news is that you can begin to correct this naturally through food and few powerful habits. Today I will show you how to do this and at the end I will also give you a tip to help increase the bioavailability or iron absorption in your body. I will also tell you about food items that act as iron blockers and should be avoided. But first, let's understand why iron is important in your body. First and foremost, iron helps your haemoglobin in red blood cells to carry oxygen in different parts of your body. When your iron is low, your cells don't get enough oxygen. That is why you feel weak, tired and breathless. Second, iron plays a very important role in your immunity and then it is also essential for healthy muscles, bone marrow and organ function. Now let's look at what iron rich food you should eat and also what is the right way of eating them. You may already be eating leafy green vegetables like palak which are good sources of iron, but the problem is they always don't get absorbed properly in your body. First, let us see some unique iron rich foods that are excellent but unknown sources of iron. First comes amaranth or chawli leaves which are a good source of iron. These vibrant green leaves are not only rich in iron but also have vitamin C which enhances iron absorption in your body. You can make a delicious saag, this traditional Indian superfood. For this you will need one bunch amaranth leaves or chawli, chawli ki bhaji, pepper to taste, mustard oil or ghee, salt to taste, half teaspoon turmeric, half teaspoon jeera. To make this saag, wash first and chop the leaves. Now in a pan heat ghee or mustard oil, add jeera, add leaves, turmeric, salt and pepper, cook till soft. Now enjoy this with some bajra roti for lunch or dinner. You can also make similar saag of methi leaves or drumstick leaves too which are also good sources of iron. In fact, methi seeds have more iron that is even more than spinach. Every 100 grams of fenugreek gives you 33.53 milligrams of iron while 100 grams of spinach can give you only 3.57 milligrams of iron. The next iron rich superfood are black sesame seeds, dates and jaggery. Black sesame seeds are rich in vitamin B and iron which are essential nutrients for preventing hair turning grey, hearing loss and memory loss. Sesame seeds contain 14 milligrams of iron which is about 78% of recommended daily intake for adult males and 35% of adult women. Let me give you some recipe for mid morning snack which can really boost your iron level. You will need two soaked dates, one teaspoon black sesame seeds, one small piece of jaggery, half an amla grated or the juice of half lemon, a pinch of dry ginger powder, mash everything together and eat this around 11 am when your digestion is active. This small combo is powerful because it has iron, vitamin C and natural enzymes. You can have this 4 to 5 times in a week and see the improvement in your energy level, your hair texture and even your skin. The next plant based source of iron is horseradish or kulthi dal which has one of the highest iron sources among dal. You can include kulthi in your diet with this unique rasam horseradish food. So you will need half a cup of horseradish, one small piece of tamarind, one teaspoon mustard seeds, a handful of curry leaves, a pinch of asafoetida called hing, half teaspoon turmeric, black pepper as per taste. So here soak horseradish overnight, pressure cook until soft and then add all these things like turmeric, tamarind, black pepper and water. Let it simmer. Prepare tempering with ghee or sesame oil. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves and hing. Add to the dal and serve hot. You can have this with rice or as a soup at lunch time. It is warming, detoxifying and iron rich. Now since you know about different Indian superfoods which has high doses of iron, let me also give you another tip to remember. Plant based iron or non heme iron is hardened for the body to absorb. You can be eating iron rich food every day, but unless you combine it with vitamin C, your body will absorb very little of it. So the tip to increase your body's iron level from non heme iron is by adding vitamin C. What you must do is squeeze lemon juice on your dal, saag or khichdi. Have a small glass of fresh amla juice or orange juice. Add guava, papaya or Indian gooseberry as a mid morning fruit. This one habit alone can double the iron absorption in your body. Now let's understand about iron blockers and how to avoid these during meals. Iron blockers are certain foods that interferes with how your body absorbs iron, especially you would have them with or immediately after meals. So avoid items like tea and coffee. Tea and coffee, they contain tannin which blocks iron absorption. Then we have even cheese or milk that also blocks iron absorption. Also avoid processed packaged food which causes inflammation and weakens digestion. Wait at least one hour after taking your iron rich food before consuming any of these. Nature has given you everything. If only you know how to use it wisely. Let food do the healing. Let your breath and body respond and let yourself feel nourished again. Namaskar