If you constantly feel fatigued, dizzy, or even short of breath, then you could be suffering from the symptoms of anemia. Signs of anemia can range all the way from an unusually rapid heartbeat, to trouble sleeping, and more people than you might think suffer from this condition. In fact, one in ten teenage girls currently suffer from anemia.
Anemia occurs when you don’t have enough red blood cells, otherwise known as hemoglobin, in your system. This disorder means that your blood doesn’t have the capacity to carry necessary oxygen around the body in order to feed and revitalize your muscles and cells. Fortunately, it’s worth noting that there are ways that you can fight back against this condition.
Along with potentially suggestion supplemental iron tablets, your doctor is likely to suggest that you make a few changes in your diet to improve the amount of iron you naturally consume. Since juicing is the perfect way to get all the nutrients and vitamins you need into your body fast, it only makes sense that juicing for anemia would be a great solution!
Here, we’re going to cover the steps you need to follow to create a great juice to beat and treat anemia.
Why Juicing Can Help with Anemia
Many people think of juicing as a way to lose weight, and forget that it also has a range of benefits to offer in terms of potentially reducing the symptoms of chronic health conditions, and enhancing long-term wellness. For people who suffer from anemia, poor dietary choices are often the reason that they begin experiencing issues with their iron levels in the first place. Because of this, a few changes to your diet can be enough to reintroduce iron into your system and get your blood cells back on track.
Remember, the lack of oxygen in the average anemic person can leave them feeling weak, fatigued, and pale, suffering from heart palpitations and other serious problems. Iron is crucial for the synthesis of hemoglobin, and the right juice can boost your iron intake instantly.
Step 1: Juicing Iron-Rich
The first step in juicing for anemia is choosing the right iron-rich produce to get into your diet. Vegetables like beetroot, broccoli or spinach can improve your iron intake for the day, helping you to fight back against deficiency-related anemia issues. What’s more, adding spinach and broccoli to your juices will ensure that you have all the extra vegetables you need for good nutrition in your diet.
Step 2: Juicing Iron-Rich Fruits
Since juicing only vegetables can lead to a very potent drink, you might find that’s helpful to mix your iron-rich vegetables with substances like carrot and apple to help balance out the taste. Alternatively, why not up your iron intake even further with fruits that are perfectly suited for iron absorption, such as watermelon or dates? Watermelon offers a very flavoured juice base that can be used to highlight other flavors.
Step 3: Consider Additional Herbs
As wonderful as a juice can be without herbs or any added extras, there’s always the option to place additional beneficial substances into your juice mix if you want to improve the value of your drink. Iron-containing herbs like mint can add a fresh flavor to your juice, which compliments the existing taste of various vegetables and fruits. What’s more, the compounds that are found in peppermint can also assist with easing symptoms of indigestion, calming the muscles in the digestive tract to relieve gas and acid reflux.
Step 4: Anemia-Tackling Substances
Finally, while you’re sprinkling herbs into your juice, why not add a substance like spirulina or brewer’s yeast into your drink? These unique supplements are ideal for adding iron to your juice mixes and giving you an additional boost of health-supporting vitamins and minerals. However, the appropriate dosage of such substances can vary, so it may be worth speaking to your doctor about your juicing recipes before you begin gulping down your daily drink.
The Beet and Treat Anemia Juice
Now that we’ve covered the essential steps to creating your own anemia-battling juice blends, we’re going to offer up one of our favorites for inspiration. This one is known as the “beet and treat” juice, and it’s packed full of beetroots, which are naturally rich in iron. The carrots that go alongside the beetroot help to make the iron absorption easier with a large dose of vitamin C. You’ll need:
- 2 Tablespoons of brewer’s yeast
- Half a lemon
- 4 carrots
- 4 beetroots
Run all of the ingredients except the brewer’s yeast through your juicer, and once they’re all mixed, add the yeast and whisk thoroughly. Drink the mixture before breakfast for an all-day-long iron boost.