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Valley OBGYN
All women know that menstruation is no walk in the park! Cramps, bloating, and facial breakouts are just a few of the problems that may arise from Mother Nature’s monthly gift. Clearly, our menstrual cycle can wreak havoc on our lives in more ways than one, which is why it is so important to be educated about what is happening to your body during this time, and what steps you can take to lessen the period blues.
As menstruating women, we may bleed for up to a week in a given month, and this blood loss can ultimately have a profound effect on our mood, energy, and general wellbeing. In fact, chronic blood loss can result in iron deficiency.
What exactly does it mean to be iron deficient? It means that your body’s iron level has dropped below what is normal or healthy. This exhaustion of our iron stores is problematic because iron plays a pivotal role in making hemoglobin. Hemoglobin happens to be a rather crucial protein; it is a component of red blood cells and has the important job of transporting oxygen throughout the entire body, which allows us to move, think, and function. Without iron, there is no hemoglobin, and without hemoglobin, we become anemic.
What’s anemia?
Iron-deficiency anemia is when you do not have enough healthy red blood cells that are capable of carrying oxygen to your tissues and muscles, which results in exhaustion. Feeling absolutely drained, groggy, moody and unfocused are common signs of anemia. Being in such a stupor is no way to live!
What can you do?
Iron supplements are a simple and easy way to combat this problem! Most importantly, eat some delicious iron-rich cuisine! Iron can come from two main sources, meat-based protein or plant-based foods. In the meat category, lean meats such as beef and chicken, and seafood such as oysters and mussels, will provide a significant amount of iron. While in the plant-based category, iron can be found in lentils, spinach, beans, and dark chocolate!
As women, we are highly susceptible to iron deficiency and anemia given that we loose so much blood during our periods. So if you’re starting to feel a little more fatigued and run-down, do yourself a favor and add some iron to your diet!
