Joan Wilen and Lydia Wilen
Joan Wilen and Lydia Wilen are folk-remedy experts and home tipsters based in New York City. They have spent decades collecting “cures from the cupboard” and are authors of several books, including Secret Food Cures.
Iron deficiency is the most common causes of anemia worldwide. The mineral is vital to form hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. Without sufficient hemoglobin a red blood cell is not healthy, cannot carry enough oxygen, and leaves the anemia sufferer extremely tired and struggling in daily life. Changes in diet that introduce more iron-rich foods can help resolve iron-deficiency anemia and help keep it from returning. The excerpt below from Secret Food Cures by Joan Wilen and Lydia Wilen contains advice on food that can fortify blood and help resolve deficiency induced anemias.
Blood is an extremely complex substance that consists of a variety of liquid and solid elements, including red blood cells, white cells, and platelets. The average adult has between five and six quarts of blood circulating through their body by way of the blood vessels.
Anemia makes a person feel weak and listless, and iron-rich foods can help with anemia, and supplement with B vitamins and minerals like copper. To help circulation as well as purification of the blood and aid in elimination of iron deficiency anemia, we offer suggestions with the suggestion that you first have appropriate professional blood tests performed. And always consult with a physician before embarking on any self-help program.
• Grape juice (no sugar or preservatives added) is a wonderful source of iron. Drink eight ounces every day.
• Eat raw spinach salads often. Be sure to wash the spinach thoroughly to reduce the risk of food-borne illness. Combine any of the following in your spinach salad—watercress, radish, kohlrabi, garlic, chives, leek and onion. They’re all high in iron.
• Every morning after breakfast and every evening after dinner, eat two dried apricots.
• Snack on raisins.
Note: In the case of a serious iron deficiency, you may require more iron than you can possibly get from any or all of these remedies. We suggest you seek help from a health professional
• Raw (not canned) sauerkraut is said to do a super job of fortifying the blood. It also helps rejuvenate the body in other ways. Eat two to four tablespoons a day, right after a meal. (Raw sauerkraut can be found at health food stores.)
• Check with your medical adviser before going on this one-day fast! Combine two tablespoons of lemon, one tablespoon of honey and a cup of warm water. Dose: Every two hours, from morning until two hours before bedtime, take two tablespoons of the mixture. No food throughout the day, just the lemon/honey/water mixture.
• Raw (not cooked or canned) pumpkin pulp and squash are said to have purifying properties. Eat them in salads.
• When they’re in season, a peach a day helps wash toxins away.
• Garlic is said to help thin and fortify the blood. Eat raw garlic and/or take garlic supplements daily.
CAUTION: Do not eat garlic or take garlic supplements if you have a bleeding disorder or ulcers or are taking anticoagulants.
• Drink fresh carrot juice as often as once a day if you have access to a juicer or eat raw carrots. They contain calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamins A, B1, B2 and C
