Those of us who crave ice know that not all ice is created the same! I personally prefer Sonic ice and those that know me know that I am too serious about my cup or bag of Sonic ice! as a matter of fact it is 10pm and I have just returned from purchasing my cup for the night.Smh, I too obviously needed a self-care reminder.
By now some of you are scratching your head wondering why in the world I am rambling about a cup of ice. Well, The Mayo Clinic has this to say "Craving and chewing ice is called pagophagia and is often associated with iron deficiency anemia." Unfortunately the correlation between the two is still unclear. And we all know if the Mayo Clinic has taken the time to study something it must be kind of a big deal!
In the past cravings for crushed ice have gotten me up at night, forced me to drive the long way to my intended distination and strategically plan my route to out of town locations by proximity to the local Sonic.
So what is anemia? It's deficiency of red blood cells or of hemoglobin in the blood which can cause dizziness, exhaustion, lightheadedness, low blood pressure, malaise, or weakness and I have even experienced chest pain and irregular heart rate! Anemia can be a huge problem especially for us busy ladies, we need our energy level to be firing on all burners at all times.So here are my top 3 suggestions for kicking anemia and those pesky ice cravings to the curb.
1. Get to the doctor's office
I know, I know who has time to schedule an appointment and who wants to bother with a copay for a physician to tell you something you already know. But ladies, the severity of anemia can vary. Some of us can go by the local dollar market and grab the over the counter iron and be done with it, but others are not so lucky. Only your physician can tell you the exact levels of your red blood cell count. Once upon a time ago my iron level dropped so low I had to receive iron infusions daily for about 10 days. Also, be sure that you are getting those yearly annual physical exams. You know the ones that fall under preventative care ie. THE FREE VISIT!!! Ask your physician if an iron screening would fall under that visit. It never hurts to ask!
2. Incorporate more greens in your diet
Grab a bag of spinach or kale while at the grocery store. One of my families favorite dishes is sauteed kale and mushrooms. Throw some onion,garlic,salt and pepper in there and you'll have a winner. If chewing on greens is not your cup of tea then throw some in a shake or smoothie. Most blenders will do the job, try a cup of spinach with banana or your favorite fruit. You could also add a little ice and a nice summer treat :)
3. Sea foods
Believe it or not some sea foods are a good source of iron. Eating 3 ounces of clams, mollusks, oysters or mussels can provide you with 3.5 milligrams or more of heme iron (the type our bodies use best)Why not try a sea food theme for dinner one night a week to start? My kiddos and I love mussels and they're so easy to prepare. I purchase the frozen packs and steam them in a little butter and garlic, yummy yummy! And ladies you know what they say about oysters right???
Bottom line if you are experiencing any of the symptoms of low iron please don't delay, get that checked out! We can't let things that could be fixed so simply hinder us from showing up as our greatest self in life right? Lets begin using food for fuel and to heal our bodies. Now it's your turn, tell me how you use food to heal your body...
By now some of you are scratching your head wondering why in the world I am rambling about a cup of ice. Well, The Mayo Clinic has this to say "Craving and chewing ice is called pagophagia and is often associated with iron deficiency anemia." Unfortunately the correlation between the two is still unclear. And we all know if the Mayo Clinic has taken the time to study something it must be kind of a big deal!
In the past cravings for crushed ice have gotten me up at night, forced me to drive the long way to my intended distination and strategically plan my route to out of town locations by proximity to the local Sonic.
So what is anemia? It's deficiency of red blood cells or of hemoglobin in the blood which can cause dizziness, exhaustion, lightheadedness, low blood pressure, malaise, or weakness and I have even experienced chest pain and irregular heart rate! Anemia can be a huge problem especially for us busy ladies, we need our energy level to be firing on all burners at all times.So here are my top 3 suggestions for kicking anemia and those pesky ice cravings to the curb.
1. Get to the doctor's office
I know, I know who has time to schedule an appointment and who wants to bother with a copay for a physician to tell you something you already know. But ladies, the severity of anemia can vary. Some of us can go by the local dollar market and grab the over the counter iron and be done with it, but others are not so lucky. Only your physician can tell you the exact levels of your red blood cell count. Once upon a time ago my iron level dropped so low I had to receive iron infusions daily for about 10 days. Also, be sure that you are getting those yearly annual physical exams. You know the ones that fall under preventative care ie. THE FREE VISIT!!! Ask your physician if an iron screening would fall under that visit. It never hurts to ask!
2. Incorporate more greens in your diet
Grab a bag of spinach or kale while at the grocery store. One of my families favorite dishes is sauteed kale and mushrooms. Throw some onion,garlic,salt and pepper in there and you'll have a winner. If chewing on greens is not your cup of tea then throw some in a shake or smoothie. Most blenders will do the job, try a cup of spinach with banana or your favorite fruit. You could also add a little ice and a nice summer treat :)
3. Sea foods
Believe it or not some sea foods are a good source of iron. Eating 3 ounces of clams, mollusks, oysters or mussels can provide you with 3.5 milligrams or more of heme iron (the type our bodies use best)Why not try a sea food theme for dinner one night a week to start? My kiddos and I love mussels and they're so easy to prepare. I purchase the frozen packs and steam them in a little butter and garlic, yummy yummy! And ladies you know what they say about oysters right???
Bottom line if you are experiencing any of the symptoms of low iron please don't delay, get that checked out! We can't let things that could be fixed so simply hinder us from showing up as our greatest self in life right? Lets begin using food for fuel and to heal our bodies. Now it's your turn, tell me how you use food to heal your body...
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