I have just discovered a new report from Australia showing that iron deficiency can hamper your weight-loss plans. Researcher Dr Amanda Patterson from Newcastle University states that women show anxiousness, nervousness and carelessness with even a mild iron deficiency in their blood tests. Not surprisingly these women also showed lower vitality and emotional stability, which may frustrate their efforts to lose weight.  It saddens me that up to 20% of Australian women could be overweight and their weight-loss plans affected by iron deficiency.

Another researcher Dr Helen O’Connor found that obesity tends to make it harder for you to absorb zinc and iron which also contributes to iron deficiency. The upshot is that if you are on a weight-loss plan, it could mean you are both zinc and iron deficient.
Just to remind you – women are also at risk of being iron deficient during menstruation, when breastfeeding and during pregnancy.

What are you going to do about it? First check with your medical advisor – they sometimes suggest a supplement, or a modification to your diet.

To make a start, this may help.
The iron you get from meat, poultry and fish is readily available to your body. Eggs, beef, pork, chicken and turkey are all good sources of iron (Personally I don’t eat pork or other “farm fed” animals – but that’s another story). Soybeans, lentils, kidney beans, spinach and leafy green vegetables contain iron, but it is less readily absorbed. In general, always vary your food to make sure you have a complete diet.

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