Thoughts on Happy Blood With Lots of Iron....
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Hi friends,
Happy August! This month can be tough with the heat and the kids back in school, so remember to be gentle with yourself and stay hydrated and fed (more on this in a moment).
Traditional Chinese Medicine is a big fan of donating blood. Obviously, it is good for the community and good for your karma but it is also good for your body! Blood donations are usually low in the summer, so I thought that I would take this moment to encourage you to consider donating.
Donating a pint of blood (the classic quantity) triggers the body to make a fresh batch. Typically, the body will make fresh blood in small bits on a regular basis. But the nudge from donating a whole pint jump-starts the system, making fresh blood and cleaning up old blood. And this is a good thing for us!
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The picture above shows my new friend, Nurse Lisa, at a mobile blood donation center. She says the most common reason that she has heard for not donating is that "people just don't know how easy it is."
The Red Cross has a donation center in Midtown plus lots of mobile blood drives. The Midtown location offers extensive office hours and the mobile units are great at efficiency - I am in and out in about 45 minutes with the mobile blood drives.
There are many of individuals who are unable to donate due to pre-existing conditions. There is lots of information, including current guidelines for LGBTQ+, on the Red Cross website at http://www.redcrossblood.org plus a friendly phone number for specific questions at 800-RED-CROSS.
Please consider donating blood this month. It helps those in need, your community and your body.
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Meat and Plant Sources for Iron
Iron from animal sources is more easily absorbed by the body. But plant sources can be sufficient with a little planning. The top plant foods for iron include greens, beans, and molasses. Vitamin C will help the body absorb the plant based iron, so add in some lemon juice or another yummy citrus. I once met a lady from Jamaica who said that she was raised with the tradition of eating a spoonful of molasses daily during pregnancy to keep her iron levels high.
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Building Your Iron
Iron deficiency is the number one nutritional deficiency in the world and is on the rise in certain populations in the US. If your iron is too low, you aren't eligible to donate blood (in case you hadn't yet recognized the connection). Building your iron levels takes time as the body absorbs only a little bit at a time. So keep enjoying black bean soup, kale salads, spoonfuls of molasses, and the occasional hamburger.
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As with so many things with our amazing human bodies, this newsletter is just an overview of a complicated topic. Feel free to keep reading at
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00051880.htm
http://www.irondisorders.org/iron-deficiency-anemia
http://www.redcrossblood.org
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Wishing us all healthy blood, beautiful food, and a great school year,
Rebecca
Rebecca Lantz
Diplomate of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
Licensed Acupuncturist
CompassionateCareAcupuncture.com
located at Healthspring Holistic Center
3802 North Druid Hills Rd
Decatur, Georgia 30033
404-486-9644
As always, I love to hear from you. If you have a question or comment, just hit reply and let me know.
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