Ok so now I have your attention…I’m talking about the mineral, not the household choir if you must know I do all the ironing in our house.
So what’s the go? Why am I making this point…truth is most health-conscious women, mums and some of the ladies I train are at significant risk of Iron deficiency and therefore so are their little tackers. You see when we’re born our mother passes on about six months worth of iron stores, from that moment on we as humans need to eat iron to maintain our body stores. Why is it so important? Well, Iron is the UBER that Oxygen needs to get to our muscles. Without the UBER, our body’s tissues don’t get the oxygen they need to produce energy and maintain vital biological pathways. Common side effects are excessive fatigue or a burning sensation when exercising. But, tell me out of all your friends who aren’t tired? Right, not many and who has heard the saying feel the burn when exercising! Quite often these go undiagnosed. Here is the unique part about iron though, our body doesn’t have another place to store the thing other than the blood. This storage fact is why women of childbearing age are at such risk. Experiencing blood losses on a cycle of 28 days and burning the candle at all ends (work, family, some time for you) iron quickly falls off the priority list.
So basically to order an Uber for the ladies and little ones in your life its recommended lean red meat be on the menu 2-3 times per week as that’s the best-absorbed source.
Eggs and fish are an excellent source also. There are some vegetarian sources like spinach and legumes, but you do need a lot more in comparison to animal sources. For clients of mine that are vegan or vegetarian, I recommend a regular blood test with their GP and supplementation as an alternate.
Watch out for excessive fatigue symptoms or any complaints of burning sensations while exercising. Gents, keep a close eye on how your partner is faring, if you notice bags under her eyes or that she is run down, might be worth suggesting a visit to your GP. Regular blood tests for women of childbearing age would be my recommendation. Do your best to keep lean sources of red meat, fish, eggs and legumes on the dinner table. I respect all individuals choice whether they be vegan or vegetarian, but iron is essential to keep in mind. Something to monitor if these are the choices of the individual and as the husband in me suggests, involving your GP in this decision is essential.
Say hi to your GP for me.
Sean
Useful Links
https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/iron
https://gpaustralia.org.au/
