“I was wondering just how much Iron does an 18 m. old need? My son is about 25 pounds and 32.5 inches tall. My husband and I are vegetarians, and though we would let our son eat beef etc. (like at grandmas) we just don’t have it around the house. We take vitamins and eat […]
Top Iron Veggies
Tofu (1/2 cup, firm) 5-10 mg. Artichoke (1 medium, boiled) 3.9 mg. Lentils (1/2 cup, canned) 3.2 mg. Beans (1/2 cup, canned) 1.5-2.3 mg. Honorable mention: Beet greens, chickpeas, pumpkin, and spinach (1/2 cup, canned) all have 1 to 2 milligrams per serving DV Children: 10 milligrams; Adults: 12-18 milligrams. These DV’s are based upon […]
Why do You Need Iron?
Iron is necessary to make hemoglobin, the substance that carries oxygen through your blood to all the cells in your body. Hemoglobin is what makes red blood cells red. With insufficient iron, and therefore not enough hemoglobin, red blood cells become small and pale and don’t carry enough oxygen. You may have heard the phrase […]
How Much Iron do You Need?
Children, 1-10 years 10 mg. Teen males 12 mg. Adults males 10 mg. Teen and adult females 18 mg. Pregnant women 30 mg. * Average RDA for iron Babies store iron from their mother’s blood while they are in the womb. Babies born prematurely need extra iron because they do not have enough time in […]
Why Do Babies Especially need More Iron?
It is very important for growing infants to get enough iron in their diet. Infants between one and two years of age who have iron deficiency anemia have been found to have lower scores on mental and motor functioning tests; their scores are also lower at five years of age. The late Frank Oski, who […]
Why do Women Need More Iron?
An active, menstruating woman should eat at least eighteen milligrams of iron daily. This is easier advised than done. A well-balanced diet supplies around six milligrams of iron for every thousand calories. Yet, women usually eat about 2,000 calories, which amounts to around twelve milligrams of iron a day. Add to this diminished iron intake […]
How Can I Tell if My Children or I are Low in Iron or Anemic?
If you suspect anemia, look for these signs: Paleness (especially noticeable in the face and earlobes of infants and children; in the palms and nail beds of adults) Weakness Fatigue Shortness of breath Irritability Difficulty concentrating Increased susceptibility to infections Intolerance of cold temperatures Constipation Brittle, flat, thin fingernails
4 Tips to Maximize Iron Absorption in Pregnancy
Help Your Iron Absorption in Pregnancy You need more iron in your blood during pregnancy to keep your energy levels up. Be sure to eat plenty of foods high in iron to maximize your iron absorption in pregnancy. 1. Eat Iron-Boosting Foods Foods high in vitamin C (citrus fruit, strawberries, green pepper, kiwi), when eaten […]
What are the best food sources of iron?
BEST IRON-RICH FOODS Meat and poultry Beef (4 oz) Ground beef (4 oz) Lamb (4 oz) Pork (4 oz) Veal (4 oz) Lunch meat (2 slices) Hot dog (1) Chicken liver (4 oz) Liver (beef, 4 oz) Liver (calf’s, 4 oz) Chicken (light meat, 4 oz) Chicken (dark meat, 4 oz) Turkey (light meat, 4 […]
Learning and Good Study Habits
Nourishing Your Child’s Love for Learning and Promoting Good Study Habits How can we instill good study habits and make our kids interested in learning? Our daughter is ten and she loves reading. Answer: When I am asked, “What is the most important educational skill I can help plant into my children?” I answer, “Implant […]
Tandem Nursing and Nutrition
Nursing: Tandem Nursing and Nutrition Tips Question: “Martha, tell me everything about tandem nursing and nutrition!” Tandem Nursing Well, first we advise you to read our two-page section on tandem nursing in The Breastfeeding Book. There is really a whole lot more that can be said about tandem nursing than what we have room for […]
Preventing Night Waking
Tips and Tricks to Prevent Night Waking Question: My 9 week old all of a sudden won’t sleep at night (he used to do 3 to 5hr stretches) and has been doing 20-minute naps the past 2 nights. I can’t figure out what is going on and how to correct it. Even putting him in […]