Are you feeling off? anxious? maybe even a little depressed? You may need to look at your Iron levels. I am continually surprised by how many women are anemic. THIS IS IMPORTANT. 

Iron is a vital mineral that plays a role in every cell of your body. It is a component of the hemoglobin protein in red blood cells which carries oxygen throughout the entire body. 

When there is lack of iron in the body, red blood cells become small, and less oxygen circulates to body tissues. A common symptom of this would be low energy, light-headedness or pale skin. 

There are So many other symptoms that can occur when your iron stores are low. One being Depression. Iron deficiency can contribute to depression because of its relationship with dopamine. (Happy neurotransmitter). Iron is required for the production of dopamine in the brain. Our bodies use tyrosine from protein rich foods to produce dopamine, but this only happens in the presence of iron. A lack of dopamine can lead to depression and anxiety. We don’t want to get to this point!

So low iron equals to low dopamine levels leading to feelings of depression and anxiety.

The most reliable way to test for iron stores in the body is to test for ferritin. Your standard doctor will give u an average range of anywhere from 5-100. Please understand these ranges are based on clinically ill people. These are not baselines you want to follow. Feelings of anxiety and depression can start to arise anything below 30. An ideal range is anything from 50-100.

So, your moods are off you are feeling anxious. What else do you feel?

You may get headaches, suffer from ADHD, heart palpitations, hair loss (ferritin should be over 75 for optimal hair maintenance)-All these symptoms from just being low in iron!

If your iron deficiency is discovered, it’s important to note that the next step is not just to supplement with iron. THERES A REASON YOU ARE IRON DEFICEINT. You always must ask WHY. A starting list to investigate usually includes heavy menstrual periods, a vegetarian diet or a diet low in high iron foods, low levels of cofactors including b12+ folic acid, celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, digestive issues (can’t absorb anything you are eating/low stomach acid) and chronic infections including parasites and pathogens. It’s possible to have multiple issues at once, in fact most people do! We need to remember that while iron at the right dose is essential for health, it is a heavy metal so supplementing with iron without getting to the root issue can sometimes do more harm than good.

I truly believe in sourcing our nutrients from whole food high iron sources while figuring out our root cause. For this I love the super food spirulina that is one of the main ingredients in Holi (youth) .Spirulina is an algae And it's one of the most nutrient-dense, superfood on earth, packed with every vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant you need to work alongside the extra iron. It's a combination of bio available iron, B vitamins, and other antioxidants that prove to be extremely effective in the fight against anemia-based side effects.

Getting iron from Spirulina means easy digestion and absorption because your body recognises it as a whole food. Mother Nature provides cofactors that support the use of iron in the body including Vitamin A, Vitamin C, copper and B Vitamins that are all needed for iron absorption in the body!

What is the root cause of your iron deficiency? There may be more to investigate here but supporting the body with iron rich superfoods while getting to the root cause is the best place to start. 

***THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR REGULATED BY THE FDA.  WE ARE NOT DOCTORS, THEREFORE ALWAYS CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR FIRST.