How Can I Boost My Iron?

If you experience fatigue, shortness of breath, cold hands and feet, headaches and dizziness; you may have an iron deficiency. Iron is a mineral essential to your health, as it's your body's main oxygen carrier. It regulates your body temperature, supports your immune system and promotes energy metabolism. Women, more so than men, may lack iron because the male body is better equipped to store it.

Instructions

• 1

  Consult your doctor to help you identify the cause of your iron deficiency. According to the Mayo Clinic, if it's not your diet causing the lack of iron, it may be an intestinal disorder disabling your body from absorbing nutrients. Surgery may be needed to correct this.

• 2

  Get a prescription for medication to treat underlying issues causing the iron deficiency. Take birth control pills to reduce the flow of heavy menstrual periods, or use antibiotics to combat ulcers.

• 3

  Eat red meat, seafood and poultry up to three times per week and eat liver at least twice a month, as these foods are good sources of iron.

• 4

  Replace your breakfast cereal with a fortified breakfast cereal enriched with iron. Eat breads baked with fortified flours. Look for the word "fortified" on the product packaging.

• 5

  Increase your intake of iron-rich foods including nuts, watercress, beans, cooked spinach and eggs.

• 6

  Prepare your iron-rich foods, so they don't lose any nutrients. Cook them for as quickly as possible, in the least amount of water.

• 7

  Avoid drinking tea when eating your iron-rich foods as this reduces your body's a absorption of the mineral.

• 8

  Take iron tablets, as prescribed by your doctor. Take one tablet per day with a glass of orange juice. Orange juice allows your body to better absorb the iron. Take the tablet on an empty stomach for optimal absorption. If your stomach gets upset, take the tablet with a meal.