Anemic?

[ladypeace82]

Last time I donated blood I noticed that if I dropped 7 points I would be anemic. I don't remember what it was they tested that shows that? White cell count? It's just that simple tip of finger test they do.... anyone know?

anyway. that was two months ago. Is it possible that with raw I could already have dropped below that and could be anemic? My mom's husband asked me if I was anemic b/c I was cold.... I know with raw, in the beginning, we are always really cold.

When we were at her house last night to watch America's favorite team as well as the worlds greatest football team from the most amazing city in the universe that is located in the greatest state in north america........
that everyone else was hot and i had two blankets on!!! ummmmmmmmmmm

anyway.
GO COWBOYS!

[Rawlicious]

ladypeace82,

You are so right on all accounts regarding the Cowboys, amazing city and greatest state!!!!:) AMEN SISTER!!!

I don't know anything about the anemia. Just had to second that emotion.

[ladypeace82]

ladypeace82,

You are so right on all accounts regarding the Cowboys, amazing city and greatest state!!!!:) AMEN SISTER!!!

I don't know anything about the anemia. Just had to second that emotion.

OHHH YEAHHHHHH!!!!! :)

[racheyCYZ]

hey ladypeace, I have always had high iron (11, i think)...they check it with the finger prick...you can get iron from leafy greens i think. as far as being cold your body is not digesting ALL day and NIGHT so im sure your internal heat is lower? i doubt you are anemic due to raw..maybe just add some more greens. SAD eaters can be anemic too...oh well. these are just my thought nothing exact ive read. good luck and check the iron out if it makes you feel better.

[sfdreams]

What they are testing when you donate blood is your hematocrit. That is the packed cell volume of your red blood cells.

I got iron defieciency anemia late last year. (I was not raw at the time, but a lacto-ovo vegetarian.) I kinda felt stupid allowing myself to become anemic. What I did not know then, and do know now, is that it is really important to eat foods with Vitamin C at the same time that you eat iron-containing foods. Non-heme iron sources (i.e. non-meat) are harder to assimilate without the Vitamin C.

So....spinach salads with orange slices, anyone???;)

p.s. My iron level has risen, and continues to improve even after becoming raw.

[ladypeace82]

well i guess I'm just cold then. I've had plenty of oranges and spinach GS here lately.

[racheyCYZ]

funny i just read a post about the banana, it says high in iron..good for anemia, i htink it was crysatgoneraw who posted it today. i read that raw can make you cold in the begining because your blood flow is directed toward your internal organs for healing...makes sense. but my feet are freezing right now..so youre not alone.

[halikatak]

I don't think that anemia is directly related to eating raw. I know many people who are anemic and they eat meat every day.

I was curious as to what causes it so I looked it up.


What Causes Anemia?

There are three general causes of anemia:

Decreased red cell production by the bone marrow
Increased red cell destruction, or hemolysis
Blood loss from heavy menstrual periods or internal bleeding When you're anemic, your body either produces too few healthy red blood cells, or destroys them faster than they can be replaced or loses too many of them. If your diet lacks certain vitamins and minerals, the production of hemoglobin can slow down.
Types of anemia caused by decreases in red cell production include iron deficiency anemia and vitamin deficient anemia.
If something in the body destroys or attacks red blood cells, the bone marrow tries to produce more blood. If the destruction of red blood cells is rapid, the marrow can't catch up. This problem is often inherited. The resulting anemia is called hemolytic anemia.
A severe bleeding episode can result in temporary anemia until the body has had time to make up the blood that was lost. But even small, persistent losses of blood may cause anemia if you have a poor diet. A healthy person whose diet contains plenty of iron and vitamins can produce large amounts of new blood, reducing the risk of anemia.

[Eevie]

Alhough in my opinion Ca is more delicate than iron (in whatever diet, not only raw), here's what is also high in iron, for example:

Parsley, quinoa and amaranth! (And many more, of course)

Eg. I love to make quinoghurt (or just mylk) from sprouted quinoa (or amaranth) :p

Love,
Eevie

[sfdreams]

hey ladypeace, I have always had high iron (11, i think)...they check it with the finger prick....

Actually, Rachey, I *think* you are maybe referring to hemoglobin?? And if so, 11 is actually on the low side. (normal for women is 12-16). Iron normals at our hospital (it can vary from place to place, dependent on the instrumentation and method used) is 35-170. Hematocrit (see my previous post) is approx 3x the hemoglobin value. (i.e a woman with a 13 hemoglobin value should have approx at 39 hematocrit.) Iron is neccessary for the formation of the heme molecule, which is part of the hemoglobin that gives red blood cells their color.

At our local Red Cross, they use the copper sulfate method for ascertaining if you are eligible to donate. Although my hemoglobin is around 12.4 (low normal) now, my fingerstick blood always floats down very slowly....and they have to check it with a spun hematocrit before they allow me to donate. Probably because I am still recovering from my iron deficiency and my cells are still teeny weeny. (That's a very scientific, technical phrase!:p )

....just putting my clinical lab scientist's two cent worth in!!;)

[ladypeace82]

well, all that info means i'm not anemic.
since raw i'm always cold. what makes it worse is for whatever reason, there is an air vent diagonal to me, and it's facing right at me. it's cold outside, but they are blowing cold air out of it! :(

[violetsareblack]

There are usually many other obvious symptoms to it besides being cold. Mainly feeling dizzy/tired/weak all the time and when bending over/sitting/standing. Of course, if your body is detoxing you can have the same symptoms but my dizziness due to detox was different than the dizziness due to having low iron.

I have read that spinach can actually block iron absorption and should always have some vitamin C with it but as is with any greens vitamin C always helps absorbing it better. My son was diagnosed severe low iron so believe me, I read up on it and vegetarian options for getting it back up. I just always made sure he had vitamin C with everything he ate that was green or had high iron in it. He is not raw but is vegan. And most people I know who have low iron eat TONS of meat so don't ever let anyone tell you that's what you need. Most plant foods are higher in iron than most meats.

[dalimeindacoconut]

Well, I've WAS as in PAST TENSE always dealing with anemia on and off. Last year after a surgery again it was confirmed again. They tested my blood. Like you, because of my concern I've researched for hours regarding this subject. Instead of freaking out about it anymore I decided to have my blood tested to see if I was low on anything and check to see 'what type of anemia I have' to make sure I added those raw foods into my diet which would heal it. After three months of being raw it was absolutely cured. I have no more anemia. Just keep eating your greens. After much research I also am sure to take a natural B12 spray from WF's to ensure I get B12 as according to many studies B12 is the only vitamin missing from a vegetarian or raw food diet.

[oceanee]

I also have been anemic off and on. When I was a teenager I went through all these tests and though today there is a scientific newly made up name at that point in time....I was told I had a Mediterranean form of anemia ( I am 1/2 Greek)...which was my body had trouble absorbing iron.I was not a meat eater then but did dabble in it years later which was of no help.
In these last few months of drinking green smoothies as I continue on my journey to be 100% raw ( starting December challenge) I know I have increased my numbers.
I can just tell that pure injection is the best for absorption.
Oceanee

[Nurse in the Raw]

Last time I donated blood I noticed that if I dropped 7 points I would be anemic. I don't remember what it was they tested that shows that? White cell count? It's just that simple tip of finger test they do.... anyone know?




You probably had a Hematocrit or Hemoglobin (measures of the proportion of blood volume that is occupied by red blood cells) by finger stick. Don't worry the numbers have a VERY broad range. I can donate 500 cc's of blood and only go down 1 point.

[raw_danceruk]

I have never been anemic even as a real trashy vegetarian..

However 6 months ago by Iron stores were low, since being raw its back in the "normal" range... still cant give blood though as I have crohns on my medical files(despite being healed now:) )

This is the blood-ferritin levels ..think she said 12 was normal and mine was something like 4!

sometimes I worry about my doctor..never un-nerving when she needs a book to explain my blood results to me!!