Turning it all around

Iron deficiency has been a silent beast lurking around inside me for years. Admittedly, it’s something I’ve always shrugged my shoulders at and carried on without thinking of until we started trying for a little buddy. With a wake up call from the midwife yesterday I know that I need to shift things up another gear. (Not to worry, little man isn’t affected - he’s draining me of all my irony goods, including the supplements I've been taking. I just need to top them up for my own benefit or else I'll be in the dreaded 'high risk' category of pregnancy. A very scary thought.) 

With two bulky grocery bags and a waddle home, today is the day I turn things around. Here’s a little list of ingredients to help you form your own iron army:

- Legumes: chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils

- Nuts: cashews and pistachios top my list

- Leafy greens: spinach and kale - soooo happy that I have the taste for greens again!

- Red Meat: beef and lamb (muscles, scallops and liver pack the biggest punch). Being a recovering vegetarian and living in a ‘no red meat’ zone, this is the last category to step into my diet. I’ll be balancing my chicken with a bit of steak from now on.

- Organic Dark Chocolate: Montezuma’s is a favourite! Sorry creme eggs, I’ll be shelving you for a while.

Try to remember not to eat these ingredients alongside dairy & breads, as the iron will be swallowed up and lost forever...this is a rule that I've only just learned and need to live by. (Obviously don't cut those ingredients from your diet, just eat them at separate times.)

Fingers crossed to healthier blood.