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anemia
Anemia has been my arch nemesis for many years, but I managed it at certain times and at other points, it spiraled out of control. However, I have been a keen blood donor since I was 16.
The fact that I am only on 11 donations has nothing to do with my fear of needles, but more with the fact that I am usually deferred. In fact, I was deferred 3 times this year alone due to low hemoglobin levels. The norm is 12 – 16 grams per deciliter and in order to donate it has to be a minimum of 12.5. My norm ranged from 10-11.8.
The symptoms of anemia include:
- Fatigue
- Pale skin
- A fast or irregular heartbeat
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Dizziness
- Cognitive problems
- Cold hands and feet
- Headache
However, what Mayo Clinic neglected to mention in this list is that these symptoms make you progressively more grumpy, forgetful and moody. Families with anemics can testify to the fact that they are no fun to live with.
Recently, I have started to fear that I have some severe medical condition which is inhibiting my body’s ability to develop red blood cells. After all, I supplemented with iron tablets, over the counter iron supplements, eating iron rich foods and everything else I could find. But NOTHING WORKED!
In order for supplements to work, your body needs to be free of toxins, so that the cells can absorb the nutrition. It helps if you take liquid ionic mineral supplements (which I have not been able to find anywhere in South Africa, but luckily I have a friend in America who supplies them at really good rates and posts them via priority shipment to anywhere in the world!).
When we started our new weight-loss program 3 weeks ago, I went through severe detox (that’s normal when you take a quality, natural program).
I had a swollen lymph gland the size of a large grape under my right armpit for a few years and during this detox period one day, it started itching terribly and I felt a “popping” sensation. In the few days that followed, I noticed how I started feeling better from an anemic perspective.
That’s when I decided to go donate blood again
While filling in the forms, I was informed that if I am deferred again, I will not be able to return again for at least a year. Of course I became quite anxious – not only about the fact that I would be unable to donate, but about what could be wrong with me…
Then the Hb test rolled around. Instead of doing the simple pin-prick test, the nurse said she would just put it straight into the machine. While the machine processed my blood work, the nurse took my blood pressure, which of course was rather higher than my norm (due to the anxiety!) and then the machine beeped and my Hb level was…. wait for it!
It was 14.2!!!
So here’s the deal – if you are taking supplements or medications and they are not working, you should consider detoxing.
Whether or not you are trying to lose weight, you should give these products a try:
- RoseOx – to fight free radicals
- Fibre & Herb – nothing like fiber to scrub your body clean from the inside
- Herbal Beverage – delicious natural diuretic which boosts your energy levels
Also drink a lot of water. How much is enough?
What happens during detox?
You will probably experience some nausea, increased visits to the bathroom and increased thirst for a few days. But it was WORTH It!!!
Update: Since this post was written (in December), I have been able to donate blood twice. My third donation is due next week and I will keep you posted. 