[tenshi<3]

I just wanted to start out by saying I'm so glad I found this forum.

I have wanted to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle for many years now. I am on my way to becoming a vet tech, have 2 adopted dogs I love like my own children, and I truly believe that all life is sacred. At this point in our society, I truly believe there are very few reasons why humans have to continue to eat meat and promote a society that is cruel to meat animals. I truly believe that a vegetarian lifestyle is the healthiest and most moral lifestyle, and I deeply desire to adopt that lifestyle. I already eat meat very sparingly.

However I have been having some health problems that have kind of thrown a wrench in the works. I have been hospitalized twice for severe anemia, and received a blood transfusion once for it. I am on ferrous sulfate for five months, and the doctor has told me that I should try to eat liver once a week, and if I can't stomach liver then I should eat red meat at least two to three times a week.

I have been trying to research ways to incorporate iron into my diet that does not include pills or meat. The only thing I have read is that some plants do contain iron, but it is not as easily absorb-able by the body even when vitamin C is taken with it.

Despite my research not going well, I refuse to give up on living a vegetarian lifestyle. What do you guys do to have an adequate iron intake? Are there any foods that are not as popular that I may not have heard of?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Envy]

Good sources of dietary iron include lentils, beans, leafy vegetables, pistachios, tofu, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, fortified bread, and fortified breakfast cereals. Iron in low amounts is found in molasses, teff and farina.

 

[dormouse]

Honestly, to be safe, I do take a women's multivitamin. They well vegetarian varieties at stores like Whole Foods. I think it's just a good idea, because I've had low iron for a while, even before my transition to vegetarianism. The daily multivitamin fixed these problems completely.

 

[River]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dormouse

Honestly, to be safe, I do take a women's multivitamin. They well vegetarian varieties at stores like Whole Foods. I think it's just a good idea, because I've had low iron for a while, even before my transition to vegetarianism. The daily multivitamin fixed these problems completely.

Which one do you take? I ask because I'm thinking about changing my multi.

 

[dormouse]

Quote:

Originally Posted by River

Which one do you take? I ask because I'm thinking about changing my multi.

I just bought it at my local coop, and it has the name of the coop on it. On the back, I think it says it's made by Lutemax/Kancor, but Googling those names doesn't find a multivitamin.

 

[River]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dormouse

I just bought it at my local coop, and it has the name of the coop on it. On the back, I think it says it's made by Lutemax/Kancor, but Googling those names doesn't find a multivitamin.

Oh nifty, My co-op does vitamins too, maybe they're the same... I'll have to check that out!

 

[silva]

Since you've been diagnosed with anemia, an iron supplement is recommended. Generally speaking, too much iron causes problems, so you should be diagnosed before supplementing.

Use a cast iron skillet! Really adds iron to foods- esp. acid based foods like tomato. So easy to maintain when no animal products are used in it.
http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/iron#ida

 

[Photojess]

agree with the cast iron~ Love cooking all of my soups and stews in a cast iron dutch oven. Also you can get more greens and you should also vary them in to green smoothies....they really aren't as bad as they sound, if you've never done them before.

 

[Nishani]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dormouse

Honestly, to be safe, I do take a women's multivitamin.

When someone has anemia that has resulted in a hospitial admission, it's too late for a daily multivitamin to make a dent. Only a blood transfusion is going to fix that.