Do I Have to Gain Weight to Get the Nutrition I Need?

Question (edited to abbreviate): "I am nutritionally frustrated, and you are someone who will understand. In investigating my sudden onset joint pain, I found that I am anemic. I have never been anemic, and am guessing it may be due to my reduced calorie/reduced red meat diet that allowed me to lose 35 lbs. So today for breakfast I had a bowl of cereal with 5 g fiber and 4 mg iron, prune juice with 2 g fiber and 3.5 mg iron. I added a glass of grapefruit juice with vit C because prune juice has no vit C, and had a strawberry smoothie. This provides 7.5 mg of iron, toward a daily goal of 18, and 10 g fiber toward a daily goal of 25g. It also adds up to 13 Weight Watcher's points, and my daily total is 20 points. Am I going to have to re-gain 35 lbs in order to each enough food to correct my anemia and get enough fiber to avoid getting constipated? I see no option other than to take supplements, and that should not be the way this works. Am I wrong?" - B

Dear B,

This is a great question and a place where herbs are the perfect solution! There are so many herbs that are high in iron and herbal teas have no calories! Some ideas are below:

ROOT TEAS (Make as decoctions)
Choose one or mix together in portions
Burdock
Yellow Dock
Goldenseal
Don Quai
Oregon Grape Root
Pau d'arco

LEAFY TEAS (make as infusions or eat as foods)
Chives
Raspberry leaf tea
Alfalfa
Nettles
Dandelion
Chickweed
Horsetail
Mullein

There are also many dietary solutions to your problem - eating patterns and various foods you can focus on, as well as other therapies you may want to explore. If you would like a full consultation I offer consultations at www.HerbnHome.com

Blessings & Health,
Kristie Karima Burns, MH, ND