miyutris Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 I started my Whole30 on Monday of this week. I am an endurance athlete (long-course triathlons) and I train 10-12 hours per week. During peak training I tend to become ferritin/iron deficient. My doctor has always had me eat 2 tablespoons of black strap molasses a day to treat the iron deficiency because my stomach does not tolerate iron supplements. I had lab work done last week and I am running really low on ferritin and total iron, so she told me to start on the molasses again. My question is whether or not it is Whole30 compliant. If it isn't, any suggestions on what to do about the anemia? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators ladyshanny Posted August 12, 2015 Administrators Share Posted August 12, 2015 Blackstrap molasses would not be Whole30 compliant and I think it might be pushing the "doctor's orders trump Whole30" rule but it is yours to decide what to do. (I say might be pushing the rule because lots of doctors say "you must eat x# servings whole grains per day" but we don't allow that to overrule the Whole30 rules, so..........) Foods high in iron include: red meat, pork, poultry, seafood, dark leafy greens and some dried fruits like raisins or apricots. I personally take an oral iron supp every morning (Feramax 150) and while I had trouble with other iron supplements, this one was fine from the first dose. It's an OTC, you might consider trying it? It was recommended by my doctor as something that would cause little to no stomach upset (you can take it with food as opposed to many iron that you must take on empty stomach which can cause the upset). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munkers Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Molasses would not be compliant since the plan excludes any kind of added sweetener, including natural sources. Two tablespoons of blackstrap molasses has about 5mg of iron in it. A cup of cooked spinach has 6mg. Animal sources like beef, oysters, clams, and liver have even more and would be a better option to help increase your iron intake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miyutris Posted August 12, 2015 Author Share Posted August 12, 2015 Thanks so much. I am going to try the Feramax as even lots of iron-rich foods haven't been particularly helpful in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ultrarunnergirl Posted August 12, 2015 Moderators Share Posted August 12, 2015 Keep an eye on your levels as you Whole30. Because grains, dairy and soy are known iron-absorption blockers, you may get a lot more than you used to from food as you go. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/13/a-host-of-ills-when-irons-out-of-balance/?_r=0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rfisher261 Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Make sure you are getting enough vitamin c as it aids iron absorption. Also, taking iron in conjunction with vitamin c helps your ferritin increase which is a measure of how well your body stores iron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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