Need to increase your iron level?
A friend and wellness buddy of mine, Sophia, sent me a text that said: “I have a friend who just had a blood transfusion because her body does not absorb iron very well. Doctors have no answers other then to come back every so often for another transfusion. Do you know of any natural remedies or foods that would increase her iron absorption?”
The benefits of juicing
To Sophia, creator of Your Daring Life, I replied:
“You know I’m going to say that I believe JUICING to be one of the fastest ways to increase iron levels, because there’s virtually no digestion needed when consuming this liquid food. Therefore, this allows the body to pretty much get right to the business of absorbing the vitamins, minerals, etc., that are pressed out through the juicer!”
In “The Complete Book of Juicing” by Michael T. Murray, N.D. — under a section called “Iron Plus” — he shares a wonderful juice rich in iron.
Murray says: “This is an incredible drink, especially for women prone to anemia and low iron levels. Check out the high content of folic acid, magnesium, vitamins C and E, as well as iron that this drink provides.” (He includes a chart.)
Murray says to put the following items through a JUICER for an iron-rich drink:
- 1 (small) beet with top
- 2 kale leaves
- 1/2 cup broccoli florets with stems
- 4 carrots
- 1 apple, cut into wedges
Juicing guru, Jay Kordich, says that he uses apricots to get a great deal of this iron.
“When I cannot juice apricots, I eat them dried and always carry a package with me for quick snacking,” he explains in “The Juiceman’s Power of Juicing,” a book loaded with juice recipes and related information — as is the case with Murray’s book mentioned above.
I’ve followed the guidance found in Jay Kordich’s book for as long as I’ve been juicing.
Then, a year ago, Murray’s book was given to me as a birthday gift from a dear friend and the one who employs me at Life’s Journey Yoga & Wellness Center in Florida, and I’ve also enjoyed every moment I’ve spent with this informative, interesting, and well-written book.
I have much respect and appreciation for both of these authors and juicing experts.
Along with apricots, Kordich mentions “leafy greens and certain nuts” as “other excellent sources of iron.”
Other juice recipes
“Have you tried spinach-carrot juice yet? Or how about greens-carrot-apple juice?” he asks.
Greens-carrot-apple juice with a touch of ginger would be my favorite.
Here’s one of the many juice recipes I enjoy feeding through my juicer:
- a couple handfuls (or more) of greens — enough to get about 1/4 glass of green liquid (How about using spinach and/or kale and include a few sprigs of parsley?)
- approx. 4 – 5 carrots
- 1 or 2 apples
- knob-size piece of ginger
If you’re not using a masticating juicer, sandwich the greens between the apples to help squeeze as much of the liquid out as possible.
Cheers to your liquid form of iron!
You should be watching those iron levels rise pretty quickly.