How's Your Iron Level?

A healthy iron level is important for overall good health while trying to conceive and when you're pregnant.

Could you be anemic?
Fatigue and weakness are the familiar symptoms of the blood disorder anemia, which afflicts millions of Americans.

Another sign you might be anemic is a cravin for ice. Seriously. Cravings for ice have emerged in the medical literature as a puzzling and increasingly documented sign of anemia, especially its most common form, iron deficiency anemia. Scientists don’t fully understand the link, but some suspect that compulsive consumption of ice — called pagophagia — relieves inflammation in the mouth brought on by iron deficiencies

Dietary recomendations: Iron, copper, protein, folic acid and vitamins B6, B12, and C are all necessary for the formation of red blood cells. Iron: eat more organic organ meats, lean meat, eggs, fish, poultry, molasses, cherried, apricots, dried fruits, green leafy veggies, parsley, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, kelp, seaweed, nuts, nettle and yellowdock tea. B12: lamb, sardines, salmon. Folic acid: dark green leafy veggies.