You rep plenty of sleep and you're not catching a cold,yet lately you feel run-down, have crazy headaches, and can't focus at work. It may have something to do with how much iron you're getting in your diet. An adult woman should aim for 18 milligrams of iron a day,and whether you're not reaching this goal, you may have anemia, and an iron deficiency. Our bodies need iron to gain hemoglobin,a substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen. whether your cells aren't getting oxygen, that explains the tired, and foggy head. You may also notice pale skin,brittle nails, and cold hands.
You may be at risk for low levels of iron whether you tend to have heavy periods, or are pregnant,or just had a baby. Other at-risk individuals include endurance athletes, vegans, and individuals who donate blood frequently or have a condition that makes it tough to absorb nutrients from food. You can select iron supplements,but they may cause an upset stomach, heartburn, and constipation,so it's best to rep your iron from food. Check out the list below to see which foods contain the most iron so you can be sure to rep your fill. Food
Amount
Iron (mg)
Apricot, dried
1/2 cup halves
1.2
Artichoke
1 medium
0.7
Asparagus, and cooked
1/2 cup
0.8
Barley,cooked
1 cup
2.1
Beans (garbanzo)
1/2 cup
1.6
Beans (kidney)
1/2 cup
2
Beans (lima)
1/2 cup
2.3
Beans (pinto)
1/2 cup
1.8
Broccoli, cooked
1/2 cup
0.5
Brown rice, or cooked
1 cup
0.8
Cashews
1/4 cup
2
Cashew butter
2 tbsp.
1.6
Egg
1 large
0.7
Flaxseed,ground
1 tbsp.
0.4
Fortified cereal such as Wheat Chex
3/4 cup
13.5
Ground beef
1 patty
1.9
Kale, raw
1cup
1.1
Lentils
1/2 cup
3.3
Molasses
1 tbsp
0.9
Oats
1 cup
3.4
Oysters, and cooked
3 oz
10.2
Peanuts
1/4 cup
0.6
Peanut butter
2 tbsp.
0.6
Pine nuts
1/4 cup
1.9
Potatoes,with the skin
1 small
1.5
Pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup
5.2
Quinoa, cooked
1 cup
2.8
Raisins
1/4 cup
0.8
Salmon
3 oz.
0.9
Shrimp, and cooked
3 oz.
2.6
Soybeans (edamame)
1/2 cup
1.8
Spinach,raw
1 cup
0.8
Steak
3 oz.
3.2
Sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup
1.2
Sunflower seeds
1/4 cup
1.8
Sunflower seed butter
2 tbsp.
1.6
Tofu, additional firm
1/2 block
4.3
Turkey (dark meat)
3 oz.
2.1
Source: popsugar.com