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Miriam Kwari

Hello friends and welcome again to this week’s edition of making our food our medicine.

Last week we were in the mouth, talking about gingivitis and this week we will briefly talk about Anaemia. Anaemia is a reduction in the number of oxygen-carrying haemoglobin in the blood.

Fatigue, low resistance to infection, and some breathlessness are some of the early signs people with the anaemic condition experience. Some will show dark circles under the eyes and bruise easily.

Iron deficiency anaemia is caused by lack of iron, often because of blood loss or pregnancy. It’s treated with iron tablets prescribed by a GP and by eating iron-rich foods.

Symptoms can include:

◆ tiredness and lack of energy

◆ shortness of breath

◆ noticeable heartbeats (heart palpitations)

Things you can do yourself

◆ Eat dark-green leafy vegetables like watercress and covo, spinach, beetroot, carrot and so many green juices. Let us remember to go organic green here from our gardens.  I have spoken and written so much about the importance of green juice or liquid chlorophyll.

There are questions that have been sent through to me, including how one can juice when they do not have a juicer.  My response will remain the same.

◆ Please do not remove vegetable stems when you juice veggies. Both the leafy parts and the stems should be used in our juice because they also help build up our calcium in the body.

We all know that calcium helps in building strong bones and teeth. Many people believe that we need milk to build calcium. I have a funny question to ask here.

If that is the case, then how come cows produce that excess calcium rich milk and maintain their strong bones and hoofs, without drinking any cow’s milk throughout their life? Funny question, right?

The point is to make leafy green juice your medicine and your food. One can even make juice from, “MOWA or BONYONGWA, MUTSINE, RUNI,” etc and so many other weeds that are food veggies. Greens are not just the greens, remember.

Other colours are also rich in iron, including your beetroot and onion. Onion for men will play a triplicate role and we will look at that in the future.

◆ Eat fruits daily

◆ cereals and bread with extra iron in them (fortified)

◆ meat though I am not a fun of beef

◆ dried fruit like apricots, prunes and raisins (prunes are dried plums)

◆ pulses (beans, peas and lentils)

Eat and Drink less:

N.B. I am not saying stop, but just, less of…

◆ coffee

◆ milk and dairy

◆ foods with high levels of phytic acid, such as wholegrain cereals, which can stop your body absorbing iron from other foods and pills

Large amounts of these foods and drinks make it harder for your body to absorb iron.

You might need to go to a specialist dietitian if you’re finding it hard to include iron in your diet.

Causes of iron deficiency anaemia

In pregnancy, iron deficiency anaemia is most often caused by a lack of iron in your diet.

Heavy periods and pregnancy are very common causes of iron deficiency anaemia.

Heavy periods can be treated with herbals too.

For men and for women, bleeding in the stomach and intestines is the most common cause of iron deficiency anaemia. This can be caused by:

◆ taking medicines such as ibuprofen and aspirin

◆ stomach ulcers

◆ inflammation of the bowel or food pipe (oesophagus)

◆ piles

◆ cancers of the bowel or stomach – but this is less common

Untreated iron deficiency anaemia:

◆ can make you more at risk of illness and infection – a lack of iron affects the immune system

◆ may increase your risk of developing complications that affect the heart or lungs – such as an abnormally fast heartbeat (tachycardia) or heart failure

◆ in pregnancy, can cause a greater risk of complications before and after birth

Herbal help

◆ thyme tea

◆ peppermint tea

◆ nettle tea

◆ chamomile tea

◆ yellow dock tea

◆ dandelion tea

◆ graviola tea

I have always asked you to get GRAVIOLA. Many people who have come to me have received a combination of these teas and more, depending on the cause of the anaemic condition. Remember to look after yourself and others.

God bless you abundantly.

 

◆ Miriam Nyasha Kwari/0773378571/ [email protected]