For most of my adult life, I have struggled with regulating my iron levels. I don’t eat a lot of meat and until recently wasn’t aware of alternative iron sources other than OTC medication.

Every year during my annual exam, I get my hemoglobin levels checked. I took iron supplements with no improvements.

A couple of years ago, my iron levels became so low that I became anemic without knowing. The extreme fatigue is when I decided to see my doctor.

Labs confirmed my ferritin levels were lower than normal. My doctor diagnosed me with iron deficiency anemia.

My doctor recommended a couple of prescriptions that at first, I was open to trying as the OTC supplements were ineffective. That is until she started telling me what the side effects were.

Going back and forth between diarrhea and constipation in order to get my iron levels up did not sound exciting to me.

Another option would be to increase my intake of meat. Not interested. When I eat meat, I want to enjoy it and not treat eating it like a chore. There had to be a third option.

How I Knew Something Was Wrong

A diet lacking iron-rich foods or experiencing issues with absorbing iron contributes to iron deficiency anemia. Tell-tale signs of iron deficiency are brittle hair and nails, shortness of breath, and cold hands and feet.

Anemia is not limited to women. Athletes, the elderly and vegetarians are at risk of developing a mineral deficiency.

One of the first signs I noticed something was I was displaying some of the iron deficiency anemia symptoms was when my hair started falling out and began shedding like my cat.

The difference between my cat and me is that I have thick curly hair and she has a short and thin coat of hair.

At one point I was contemplating using products that thicken hair or start fluffing it. Did I mention I have very thick curly hair that many folks pay a lot of money to recreate for themselves?

A second sign was feeling fatigued, light-headed, and very sore during and after strenuous activity. At my previous job, I was the first person to arrive in the morning and would have to walk down to the basement to get to the women’s locker room.

There were a couple of times that I would turn a corner and almost pass out. I am happy that didn’t occur as I would not have been found for a couple of hours.

The third sign was experiencing vertigo and not being able to stand long periods. I was always leaning on something to hold me up.

The Search for a Natural Iron Supplement

After my diagnosis, I increased my meat intake. My iron levels increased slightly, but not enough to be given the all-clear by my doctor. The standard ferritin range is 9 – 204 ng/mL. At the time of my results, I was at 23 ng/mL. With four months, it increased to 66 ng/mL.

How did I experience such a large increase? A natural supplement I found online called Floradix. The supplement consists of an iron and vitamin formula in a base of herbs great for vegetarians.

The iron supplement comes in a liquid and tablet form. I tried the liquid supplement for awhile but faced challenges with transporting it in my carry-on to cover 1-2 weeks of travel without constant access to a refrigerator.

The tablet is great and comes in an 80-count pack. I grab what I need and put in my purse when traveling. When I am at home, I set one tablet out on my nightstand.

One of the reasons OTC iron supplements didn’t work is having to take one pill two times a day and would forget to take the second pill. Also, it’s difficult to absorb iron.

One recommendation I read about was to take an iron supplement with orange juice. Since I am a night owl, I wait until midnight to take my iron supplement.

I stop eating after 8 p.m. If I have been very active during the day, I will have a light snack at 9 p.m. This helps with not binge eating at night and then experiencing some rather weird dreams from it. One of the drawbacks is if I sleep in late, I wake up starving.

I always start my morning off with an elm bark latte. One of the ingredients the recipe calls for is one tablespoon of molasses another great source of iron.

You can purchase blackstrap molasses at your local grocery store cheaper than buying it online. Check out my post, Natural Medicine for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) for the recipe.

If I forget to take my iron supplement, I take it right away in the morning on an empty stomach and then wait 30 minutes to an hour before eating breakfast.

I haven’t experienced any stomach issues by taking Floradix on an empty stomach. Not all iron supplements are the same and everyone responds differently. It’s important to go with what works for you.

Iron Deficiency Management

Foods rich in iron are now part of my daily meals: lentils, spinach, molasses, and almonds. If you are a fan of smoothies, add a handful of almonds to get both protein and iron.

Every once in a while, I treat myself to a filet mignon at a nice steak house due to its small size.

I have been maintaining this daily iron supplement routine for over a year now. My hair is slowly growing back thicker which is a good sign as I hate wearing hats in the winter.