Q: Hey Jill i am from Belfast Central School and i have some questions. i am in 8th grade and i love your music sooooo much but i have a problem. My mom says i have been getting paler lately and i might be enimic (not enough iron in your body) i was wondering what kind of food besides green foods and pills i can eat to help with that? i would really apreciate your help! KEEP ROCKING OUT
Kayla Shea Ross
I’m so glad you liked the show and thanks so much for your question. Anemia can be caused by not eating enough iron, but it can also be an assortment of other things too, like low vitamin C (iron needs vitamin C to be absorbed so if you don’t get enough, then you will be anemic!), B6, B12, or a sign of something else going on like Crohn’s disease or if you aren’t eating enough in general.
Sometimes anemia can be caused by a poor diet, even if you are trying to be healthy. For example, if you’ve become a vegetarian and haven’t worked with a dietitian to make sure you are getting enough iron from non-animal sources of iron. Sometimes if your body weight is too low for your height, you could also become anemic. If you really are pale and weak, you should definitely see a doc who can do a simple blood test to find out what is causing the anemia and if you really are anemic. The test they would do is called a "serum B12" or "serum iron" test. The doc can also do tests to see if you have some kind of absorption problem, like Crohn’s disease, that might be affecting your body's ability to absorb the iron that you are eating.
If you’ve decided to become vegetarian, or you are too thin, make an appointment with a dietitian to work on an eating plan that will help you get the nutrients you need.
But first, do some of your own detective work. Here is some nutrition information that might help you decide what foods you might not be getting enough of and you might be able to see for yourself where the problem is!
There are lots ways to get enough iron in your diet besides eating a ton of veggies and popping iron supplements. Eating foods high in vitamin C along with the iron-rich foods help make sure your body is taking in as much iron as possible.
Below is a list of foods high in iron and vitamin C. There's definitely some vegetables listed, but other non-veggie sources too!
Good sources of iron:
- Grain foods: Fortified cereals and hot cereal like oatmeal; brown rice
- A variety of beans like kidney beans, chickpeas, pinto beans, black beans -- you can get black or kidney beans in a burrito or taco; have some refried beans with it and you'll get even more iron! Add chickpeas to a salad. Do you like hummus? Hummus is a great tasting dip made from chickpeas! And refried beans from your local Mexican takeout offer a good source of iron.
- Lentils - as in lentil soup! Pumpkin seeds too. Also almonds and Brazil nuts. Mix some shaved almonds into your yogurt or morning cereal.
- Veggies: Spinach is an excellent source of iron. If you don't like spinach, try mixing it into mac 'n cheese, pasta with marinara or melting some lowfat shredded cheese on top of the spinach rather than eating it plain.
- Fruits: mostly dried fruits are high in iron such as raisins and dried apricots. These could also be added to cereal or yogurt.
- Meat/seafood sources: clams, oysters and mussels are EXCELLENT sources, but we don't usually eat these regularly; beef, shrimp, tuna, sardines and turkey are foods we tend to eat more often and are good sources of iron.
- Eggs - especially in the yolk so don't throw those yolks away! Cook up an omelet, have 2 slices French toast or enjoy an egg salad sandwich on whole grain bread.
Vitamin C makes sure the iron you eat is well-absorbed in your body. So it's good to eat foods that have vitamin C WITH the foods that have iron. Mostly fruits and veggies are good sources of vitamin C, such as:
* Fruits: Oranges and 100% orange juice, grapefruit juice kiwis, strawberries, pineapple, mango, cantaloupe, papaya, guava
* Veggies: Red and green bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, sweet potato, cauliflower, kale, vegetable juice, tomato juice
Anemia can also be related to vitamin B12. The main sources of vitamin B12 include meat, eggs, and dairy products. That’s why I was asking if you were a vegetarian. Many times strict vegetarians do not get enough B12.
WHAT IS ANEMIA? DO I HAVE IT?
Q: Hey Jill i am from Belfast Central School and i have some questions. i am in 8th grade and i love your music sooooo much but i have a problem. My mom says i have been getting paler lately and i might be enimic (not enough iron in your body) i was wondering what kind of food besides green foods and pills i can eat to help with that? i would really apreciate your help! KEEP ROCKING OUT
Kayla Shea Ross
Anemia
Hi Kayle,
I’m so glad you liked the show and thanks so much for your question. Anemia can be caused by not eating enough iron, but it can also be an assortment of other things too, like low vitamin C (iron needs vitamin C to be absorbed so if you don’t get enough, then you will be anemic!), B6, B12, or a sign of something else going on like Crohn’s disease or if you aren’t eating enough in general.
Sometimes anemia can be caused by a poor diet, even if you are trying to be healthy. For example, if you’ve become a vegetarian and haven’t worked with a dietitian to make sure you are getting enough iron from non-animal sources of iron. Sometimes if your body weight is too low for your height, you could also become anemic. If you really are pale and weak, you should definitely see a doc who can do a simple blood test to find out what is causing the anemia and if you really are anemic. The test they would do is called a "serum B12" or "serum iron" test. The doc can also do tests to see if you have some kind of absorption problem, like Crohn’s disease, that might be affecting your body's ability to absorb the iron that you are eating.
If you’ve decided to become vegetarian, or you are too thin, make an appointment with a dietitian to work on an eating plan that will help you get the nutrients you need.
But first, do some of your own detective work. Here is some nutrition information that might help you decide what foods you might not be getting enough of and you might be able to see for yourself where the problem is!
There are lots ways to get enough iron in your diet besides eating a ton of veggies and popping iron supplements. Eating foods high in vitamin C along with the iron-rich foods help make sure your body is taking in as much iron as possible.
Below is a list of foods high in iron and vitamin C. There's definitely some vegetables listed, but other non-veggie sources too!
Good sources of iron:
- Grain foods: Fortified cereals and hot cereal like oatmeal; brown rice
- A variety of beans like kidney beans, chickpeas, pinto beans, black beans -- you can get black or kidney beans in a burrito or taco; have some refried beans with it and you'll get even more iron! Add chickpeas to a salad. Do you like hummus? Hummus is a great tasting dip made from chickpeas! And refried beans from your local Mexican takeout offer a good source of iron.
- Lentils - as in lentil soup! Pumpkin seeds too. Also almonds and Brazil nuts. Mix some shaved almonds into your yogurt or morning cereal.
- Veggies: Spinach is an excellent source of iron. If you don't like spinach, try mixing it into mac 'n cheese, pasta with marinara or melting some lowfat shredded cheese on top of the spinach rather than eating it plain.
- Fruits: mostly dried fruits are high in iron such as raisins and dried apricots. These could also be added to cereal or yogurt.
- Meat/seafood sources: clams, oysters and mussels are EXCELLENT sources, but we don't usually eat these regularly; beef, shrimp, tuna, sardines and turkey are foods we tend to eat more often and are good sources of iron.
- Eggs - especially in the yolk so don't throw those yolks away! Cook up an omelet, have 2 slices French toast or enjoy an egg salad sandwich on whole grain bread.
Vitamin C makes sure the iron you eat is well-absorbed in your body. So it's good to eat foods that have vitamin C WITH the foods that have iron. Mostly fruits and veggies are good sources of vitamin C, such as:
* Fruits: Oranges and 100% orange juice, grapefruit juice kiwis, strawberries, pineapple, mango, cantaloupe, papaya, guava
* Veggies: Red and green bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, sweet potato, cauliflower, kale, vegetable juice, tomato juice
Anemia can also be related to vitamin B12. The main sources of vitamin B12 include meat, eggs, and dairy products. That’s why I was asking if you were a vegetarian. Many times strict vegetarians do not get enough B12.
Happy eating!
Jill