[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #9b9b9b;”] T[/dropcap]here have been 3 times in my life where I’ve felt felt seriously tired. Like exhausted. For an extended period.
First was during my days as an aspiring young winemaker.
While I had most amazing time learning the wine making ropes, it was long, hard, physical work. Which meant biceps that would make Schwarzenegger proud and an appetite (literally) like a horse.
But over time I realized it was more fun drinking wine than making it. And a career change took care of that problem.
Second was my experimental month of being vegetarian.
At the time I couldn’t understand why I felt so tired. But after discussing my experiment with a nutritionist friend, she pointed out I wasn’t getting enough iron. And of course the tiredness lifted as soon as I went back to eating meat.
Third was during both my pregnancies.
Luckily this time I knew what was up! So I made eating red meat a focus (with no complaints from my Irishman). I can’t tell you what a difference it made to my energy levels.
So if you’re feeling super tired, there’s one great place to start…
Eat more iron rich foods!
In general, I think it’s not very helpful to try and eat for specific nutrients. But the link between iron deficiency and tiredness is pretty direct so I feel it’s a worthy exception.
To save you ‘googling’ here are some ideas of my favourite ingredients rich in iron…
My Favourite Animal Based Iron Rich Foods
Red Meat
Liver including pate
Oysters
Mussels
My Favourite Vegetable Based Iron Rich Foods
Chickpeas
Leafy Greens (Spinach / Chard / Kale)
Sesame Seeds / Tahini
Cashews
Almonds
Lentils
NOTE: Eating citrus at the same time makes it easier for your body to absorb and actually use the iron you eat. So a squeeze of lemon or lime is always a great addition.
—
‘Super Iron’ Supper
While I prefer to focus on eating real food rather than trying to get specific nutrients, sometimes it is fun to really have a specfic focus when creating a recipe. Like this meal of my favourite iron-rich (and pregnant-lady-friendly) foods.
enough for: 2
takes: 15 minutes
450g (1lb) minced (ground) beef
1 can chickpeas (400g / 14oz)
1 bag baby spinach
3-4 tablespoons tahini (optional)
3-4 tablespoons lemon
1. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan. Cook beef on a medium high heat until well browned.
2. Add chickpeas and cook for another few minutes to warm. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
3. To serve divide baby spinach between two bowls. Top with beef and chickpeas. Drizzle over tahini (if using) and finish with lemon juice.
Variations
vegetarian / vegan – replace beef with extra chickpeas or cooked lentils.
no tahini? – tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds. You could just skip it or replace with your favourite nut butter such as almond or cashew butter. Or a handful of sesame seeds, cashews or almonds will also do the trick.
different greens / more veg – add any wilted leafy green such as kale, collard greens, spinach, chard (silverbeet).
more substantial – add more chickpeas or other legumes.
hot! – add some chopped fresh red chilli to the beef as it cooks.
Do YOU struggle with tiredness?
And have you found any solutions? I’d love to hear in the comments below…
Big love,
Jules x
Absolutely LOVE this recipe! SO simple and it makes so much sense – I have horribly low iron levels as well, but find red meat quite expensive to buy regularly, so this recipe it perfect :) Adding it to my meal planner for next week now!
Spirulina is supposed to help with iron levels (and other minerals) but can be a bit pricey. Maybe try as an extra boost when needed.
This Looks super yummy I cant wait to try them
This was a yummy dinner!
Looking forward to trying this recipe! It looks delicious, and hey if it’ll give me energy to get through a whole day without a solid 4 hour nap then that’s even better
I am a born vegetarian and never had an iron deficiency. Not even after my kids were born and when I bled rather profusely after an operation .I get tired from not enough vitamin B., but I only take it very sporadically, twice in my life time to be honest. We often expect too much from our bodies, it is winter you need quiet time like our ancestors.
Looks so yummy, I’ll try it asap since I became vegetarian 3 years ago, yet, I keep learning more recipes and trying different combinations of grains and veggies, organic food has changed my life, less diseases to struggle with, it is amazing how tasty and nutritive food can be once you remove every harmful element which oxidizes cells, thanks for this kind of recipes!!!!
Hi Jules, I am looking for ways of eating liver pate but I cannot find any recipes on your blog… any suggestions? thanks!
Hi Beta –
I have a pate recipe for my paying customers on a separate website.
You’re welcome to join us!