How can you tell if you’re anemic? Anemia is an important health concern for teens, and can affect the quality of life in your thirties on up. Take care of yourself over the long-term. Here you have find some signs.
Fatigue and dizziness are becoming more common among teens. These are the most common symptoms of anemia.
Anemia means you have too little hemoglobin, the oxygen carrying molecules, in your blood. Paleness is not a reliable sign of anemia, because mild anemia does not change skin color. Reliable signs are sore tongue and corners of the mouth, and dry, brittle thin nails, in addition to symptoms already mentioned.
Females lose iron during menstruation, so they need proportionately more iron-containing foods than men. Start enhancing your meal with liver, lean red meat, fish, egg yolks, dried fruits, soy products and blackstrap molasses. All these contain plenty of iron, copper, some vitamin C and/or folic acid. It’s also important not to limit your diet changes to these iron-rich foods. Add beans, peas, nuts, seeds and green leafy vegetables to the mix. Try to stay away from spinach and rhubarb stems, though. Spinach is green , but it contains oxalic acid, which reduces iron absorption.
Copper helps in iron absorption, so include egg yolks, cheese, seafood, wholegrains, apricots, cherries, and dried figs in your breakfast and as snacks.
Vitamin C also helps in iron absorption, so have a glass of orange juice with your meals to provide the necessary nutrient and the antioxidant properties to boot. Whole grains also contain iron, but they contant phytates. These compounds slow down iron absorptions, so eat whole grains separately from other iron-rich foods.