 Blood deficiency is commonly encountered amongst women and is at the root of many gynaecological disorders. Blood deficiencies mean that the blood is not nourishing important organs and systems and can soon lead to serious metabolic problems.
Signs of blood deficiency include vertigo, blurred vision or spots before the eyes, fatigue and lassitude, insomnia, poor muscle tone, numbness, pallor, dry skin and hair, pale tongue (also lips and nailbeds), poor memory, PMT, scanty, difficult or no periods, feeling the cold, palpitations, anxiety/nervousness.
Other factors contributing to blood deficiency: inherited tendencies; poor diet as a child; chronic blood loss in childbirth or accident; faulty digestion including malabsorption (e.g. colitis); mineral, trace element and vitamin deficiencies; abnormal gut flora; parasites.
Useful Supplements
Beetroot Extract
Vitamin C
Spirulina
Sea Plasma
Raw Liver Extract or Liver Glandulars
Floradix liquid herbal iron tonic
Useful Foods
Kelp seaweed
Dried Apricots
Liver
Green Leafy Vegetables, especially Watercress
Foods which tonify the blood: liver, whole grains, dark green leafy vegetables, home made chicken soup, roast chicken (esp. the legs), sweet rice, molasses, dried apricots, egg yolk.
Foods which are rich in Vitamin C and which help the absorption of iron: blackcurrants, dark green leafy vegetables (spinach, cabbage, Chinese greens, Pak Choi etc.), orange juice, broccoli, kiwi fruit. Eat some of these with iron rich foods. Iron rich foods include Blackstrap Molasses, eggs, lentils, watercress, lean meat liver and kidneys, black treacle, blackcurrants.
Steer clear of caffeine as it inhibits absorption of iron. It also promotes poor blood sugar regulation and cravings for simple sugars which reduce blood quality.
The production of blood is governed by the spleen. Spleen power is reduced by : faulty digestion, dieting, eating too much cold food, irregular eating, mental strain whilst eating, poor study and work habits, worrying about things you can do nothing about, poor time management, and eating on the run or while standing up.
Habits which support the digestion:
*All foods should be easy to digest and cooked
*No raw foods or salads. No cold foods. This means not just ice cream but salads, chilled foods, drinks straight from the fridge and excess fruit in winter
*Regular meals, regular pace of daily life, regular sleep, regular rest and relaxation. Enrol friends and family in your supporting you in regularising your habits
*Soup made with chicken stock
*Add warming spices to foods: cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon
*Orange and yellow root and ground vegetables, e.g. carrot, pumpkin, parsnip, turnips, squashes and pumpkins are sources of natural sweetness, especially when chewed well. They provide the best nourishment for the spleen and help reduce cravings for
*Foods to avoid: excess milk and cheese, refined sugar, chemicals in food, liquids with meals, junk food, bananas, peanuts
These are all useful suggestions for anyone suspicious of blood deficiencies. To address your particular deficiencies, and the stress factors that lie behind them, please consult your nutritional therapist, qualified tester or wholistic doctor.
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