The FastDay Forum

Hi! I've been fasting for six weeks now and it's going really well. However I went to the doctors last week because I've been losing lots of hair (bit scary - I'm only 34!), so I was sent for a blood test. My hair loss has been noticeable since the beginning of the summer so not directly fasting related, in fact I had convinced myself it was the contraceptive pill.

Anyway I've got to go back to the doctor because it seems I have anaemia. I have had it before during my two pregnancies, and am assuming they'll put me on iron tablets. I have a feeling she may suggest not fasting too.

Any thoughts? Is fasting with anaemia a good idea? Should I give it a rest for a bit? Does fasting cause hair loss in itself?

If I do stick with it, any ideas what I could eat on fast days that has plenty of iron. So much conflicting advice on the internet!

Any advice or thoughts from you knowledgeable people would be much appreciated! Thanks

Spinach is yummy, coconut oil rubbed into your hair once a week can help (see thread), Floradix liquid iron formula is great too. Eat lots of colourful veg and fruit, and 60g of protein a day, lay off sugar.
Good luck m'dear :0)

Thanks Azureblue! I usually eat spinach anyway, and have recently bought some coconut oil. Have used it on my hair twice so will keep with this.

I've read that caffeine and calcium can interfere with iron absorption, so I'll also try to avoid thosr yoghurts I have for puds on feed days! Will start measuring protein too. Thanks!

If you're anaemic rather than low in iron, nothing you can eat is going to get your iron levels up to normal levels. The only way to do that is via supplementation. It won't hurt to have iron-rich foods like red meat, spinach etc and to cut back on the caffeine, but it's also not going to help much/enough. So, I'd take the supplements and not stress too much about the diet.

Thanks for that Tara.
Will update tomorrow after my doctor appointment.

Well, just to update . . .
My doctor has prescribed 3 iron tablets a day to tackle the anaemia, and also sent me for another blood test, just to rule out coeliac disease.
She seemed quite convinced that fasting wouldn't hurt as long as I eat a balanced diet. So fingers crossed these can boost my iron.

I just want to add that taking iron tables should treat your anaemia, but I still think you should eat more foods rich in iron. Especially when you stop taking tablets you need to know which foods will help you to prevent developing another anaemia.

The best source of iron is meat and meat-products. Beef, lamb and liver contain a lot of iron. This form of iron is called haem-iron and it is much more bioavailable and the absorption is much higher.

The other form of iron is called non-haem iron and it comes from vegetables, fruits, eggs. Vegetables rich in iron: broccoli, peppers, spinach, seaweed, parsley, olives. Nuts (especially walnuts) and seeds (especially sesame) contain plenty of iron as well.

In order to enhance absorption of non-haem iron you should get some vit C at the same time while you eat food rich in iron. So for example have a glass of orange juice with your meal.
On the other hand, you should avoid eating excessive amount of calcium, as calcium inhibits iron absorption. Furthermore, addition of spices and tea can reduce iron absorption even by 50%.

Don't forget that there are a lot of products fortified with iron. For example most of breakfast cereals are fortified with iron. It is a very good source of iron as well. However, if you add milk to your cereals, it may lower iron absorption as milk is rich in calcium.

I hope this information will help you to boost your iron on everyday basis;]

Thank you Hania. I've already got some beef in for Sunday roast and some extra slices for sarnies in the meantime! I have cut down on beef as my little one doesn't like spaghetti bolognaise or chilli, both of which my older boy always loved. So I had been eating less I think. Interesting that you mention spices inhibiting absorption - any particular ones? As I said, before it would always be bolognaise or chilli, which obviously have spices! Any ideas?
I'd thought that about calcium - bran flakes with banana or blueberries is a staple breakfast for me (excluding fast days and weekends when I usually have boiled eggs or bagels!). Maybe I should have dry bran flakes and orange juice as a snack sometimes!
Anyway, thank you for your interest and info!

[carorees]

A lot of the iron in fortified breakfast cereal is not available as the cereal chelates the iron. The availability of the iron depends on the form of iron used in the fortification. Having a glass of fruit juice at the same time allows the iron to be released with some forms, while milk can either enhance or inhibit absorption depending on the form of iron. However as breakfast cereal and fruit juice are both high in carbs, I would advise avoiding relying on this as a source of iron but to think more about the red meats and vegetables.

This study examined the bioavailability of different forms of added iron: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15705227

[carieoates]

If you are indeed anaemic please ask which anaemia it is and let us know as this will indicate whether or not diet will help. Anaemia comes in many forms from just plain old not enough red blood cells, plenty of cells bit not enough haemoglobin in, small cells, large floppy cells, blood loss, the list goes on and on. As hania and Caroline say it is not always just iron tablets which will help.

These are the spices that inhibit iron absorption: chili, rosemary, oregano and cinnamon. Chili is the most powerful inhibitor, it can reduce iron absorption by 38%. On the other hand it has been shown that turmeric doesn't affect iron absorption.


http://jn.nutrition.org/content/136/12/2970.full

Thank you for all your replies. I do not know which sort of anaemia it is, apart from the doc saying I had low iron and putting me on ferrous fumate (sp?) tablets. I will ask more when I go again. I have been eating more red meat and upping the green veg too. I tried curly kale for the first time this week and liked that.
The blood test for coeliac disease came back negative.

The fruit juice with iron is a good idea, but, being high in carbohydrates will slow down weight loss. Instead take some vitamin C tablets with the iron. One other advantage to vitamin C tablets is that they can negate or balance out the constipating effect of iron supplements.

[carieoates]

Well. that's one you can knock off your list. Wish I could get 2.5 ml of your blood and have a look. Are you feeling better though?

Carieoates - I didn't realise that there were so many variations! If you were closer I'd gladly give you some blood - lol!! And I feel fine, I hadn't realised there was anything wrong - except for so much hair coming out! Which is still coming out in handfuls, I think I may be going a la Gail Porter before long.