I've been taking iron supplements for so many years now, I do stagger them so I spend some time supplement free but am always, always in the low to normal-low range. The only time I Wasn't low was when I was pregnant with my first child, I was very careful with supplementation during that time, took all sorts of things, green powders, super foods, bee pollen etc. I couldn't stay raw past 5 months though, I got SO hungry! But aside from that, always been low. The doctor's have run a few different related tests but none of them have shown anything and no doc has ever seemed particularly concerned about it. I would like to be in a normal range, I'm taking that seaweed you suggested and will follow it with ashwagandha, follow that with a round of silica, and follow that with yellow dock and dandelion tinctures. One thing at a time, some to facilitate normal function and others to boost iron. We'll see what I feel like with each one...

coco Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've been taking iron supplements for so many
> years now, I do stagger them so I spend some time
> supplement free but am always, always in the low
> to normal-low range. The only time I Wasn't low
> was when I was pregnant with my first child, I was
> very careful with supplementation during that
> time, took all sorts of things, green powders,
> super foods, bee pollen etc. I couldn't stay raw
> past 5 months though, I got SO hungry! But aside
> from that, always been low. The doctor's have run
> a few different related tests but none of them
> have shown anything and no doc has ever seemed
> particularly concerned about it. I would like to
> be in a normal range, I'm taking that seaweed you
> suggested and will follow it with ashwagandha,
> follow that with a round of silica, and follow
> that with yellow dock and dandelion tinctures. One
> thing at a time, some to facilitate normal
> function and others to boost iron. We'll see what
> I feel like with each one...

Id say before you were to try any of the other things would be to focus on bitters, as iron is dependent on stomach acid for absorption. Im sure it was yourself in the other thread that said about acid reflux so this may be why you have chronically low iron intake, especially if the doctors havent found any other more sinister issues.

Most health food stores tend to only stock swedish bitters which are poor because they contain stimulant laxative herbs. If you can find grape bitters or chinese they are better options. Or just a herbal powder of a bitter herb which is also good. Will be interesting to see if this increases your iron pending you choose to go this route.

no acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome which hasn't recurred since i first tried raw many years ago but i still have to be a bit careful about heavy eating or weird combinations. nobody likes to be in the room with a gassy lassie, not even the lassie!

What am i taking that ashwagandha for? oh yes, you mentioned my low stomach acid might be adrenal related i think. i can start with the yellow dock, it's a natural iron supplement that is certainly bitter! eww. i thought i picked up some dandelion tincture but i can't find it here so maybe i didn't. no idea where to get good bitters around here, i can up my endive intake in the meantime though

coco Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> no acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome which
> hasn't recurred since i first tried raw many years
> ago but i still have to be a bit careful about
> heavy eating or weird combinations. nobody likes
> to be in the room with a gassy lassie, not even
> the lassie!
>
> What am i taking that ashwagandha for? oh yes,
> you mentioned my low stomach acid might be adrenal
> related i think. i can start with the yellow dock,
> it's a natural iron supplement that is certainly
> bitter! eww. i thought i picked up some dandelion
> tincture but i can't find it here so maybe i
> didn't. no idea where to get good bitters around
> here, i can up my endive intake in the meantime
> though

Im on so many forums that im beginning to lose track, the ashwagandha was advised as a good adaptogen for some reason but i cant remember what it was now. Remember to try and get the tincture to come in contact with the back of the tongue which is where the bitter receptors are located, half a teaspoon pre meal.

Iron article... thanks, Powerlifer... looks good! I thought Strawberries were a good source of iron so looked it up and in the process found this neat link on
iron rich fruits:
[www.ferralet90.com]
and veggies:
[www.ferralet90.com]

Oh, totally explains why I love mulberries and tamarind! Too cool.

I'm wondering if I have low stomach acid as I am always low on iron too and have to permanently supplement. My doctor suggested that it might be an absorbtion issue.
It certainly didn't used to be the case - I was vegan when I was pregnant (14yrs ago) and had very good iron levels.

I discovered I was terribly low in 2007 (whilst eating meat and dairy at that time) when they did blood tests for exhaustion - found out I had an underactive thyroid too (auto immune variety - unfortunately). Anyway I've been vegan again for almost that long and it doesn't seem to matter what I eat - always low iron. It literally plumets as soon as I stop taking the supplements.

Is there a way of testing ones stomach acid?

Theres the Heidelberg stomach acid test etc but your best bet would be to just supplement bitters and possibly zinc for a while to see how you get on. You wont be wasting money as you'll get the liver cleansing benefits of the bitters etc.

Auto-immune conditions are part due to adrenal gland dysfunction.

ok, well I'm willing to give it a go - in your opinion what are the best bitters to take for this particularly situation.

I'm going to try dandelion for that myself

flipperjan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ok, well I'm willing to give it a go - in your
> opinion what are the best bitters to take for this
> particularly situation.

It doesnt really matter what bitter they all have the same action, obviously the more bitter the better. Andrographis is known as the king of bitters due to being very bitter tasting so thats what i usually use but any bitter herb works, Gentian, dandelion, milk thistle etc. The main key is that they come in contact with the back of your tongue where the bitter receptors are located so its powders or tinctures no capsules.

You might need to increase your water in the beginning due to slight detox effect.

It doesn't sound like something to look forward to!!!

What is the science behind it? How does having something bitter on your tongue increase your stomach acid?

The bitter taste stimulates the bitter receptors which in turn stimulates the release of stomach acid, pancreatic enzymes, bile secretion whilst providing a flushing(cleansing) action to the liver.

The bitter taste isnt very nice ill admit but ive witnessed amazing benefits from those with hormonal conditions, to those with osteoporosis.

hi power lifter

i just stumbled onto your site just this second and am entranced by all the different colors on the silver spoons

red, green, silver gun smoke , etc.

can't say i read everything
because like i said, i JUST got onto it

but i did peruse your first post about

something about
competitions

yeah

that's my favorite word

contests, events

etc.

I know I already won all of them

yep

just for the taking

its in the bag already

past tense

where's my reward?

do i get a free year's supply of raspberries and cinnamon?

anyhoo

looking forward to checking out your site

oh.. by the way

puhhhllleaaaazzeee don't make me get into some contest where i have to lift a bunch of barbells and do benchpresses and stuff like that and whatnot

i mean, with a name like youuuurzz

i don't think i have much of a chance

anything that doesn't involve lifting

okee dokee?

and i'm in

Hey powerlifer, what about Olive leaf extract, that stuff is horrifically bitter,lol... would that work? seems like it would since its just the bitterness that matters... plus, I love the stuff for the other benefits...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

Curator Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hey powerlifer, what about Olive leaf extract,
> that stuff is horrifically bitter,lol... would
> that work? seems like it would since its just the
> bitterness that matters... plus, I love the stuff
> for the other benefits...

Hey curator, like i say anything bitter works, but you wouldnt want to use olive leaf long term as a bitter even in the small doses that are needed as a bitter.

Which is why its usually best to go with the liver herbs that have bitter properties. I mean goldenseal etc are bitter and are often included in some bitter formulas but berberine containing herbs can kill off the good flora. Although in most cases the dose is too low for that to happen many of the bitter formulas suggest for you to take 1 teaspoon where it could become a possibility. Half a teaspoon is fine.

Haha la_veronique, there will be no lifting and the name is powerlifer not lifter lol, although it was meant to be lifter . Competition should start in january.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/31/2010 11:27AM by powerlifer.

ohhhh, so in spirit, I HAVE been getting your name right all this time, as you DID mean it to be lifter,lol... ya know, you could just start a new account with the T where its supposed to be...although Powerlifer is a pretty darn good nick, intentional or not, So I could see why one would want to keep it.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

Curator Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ohhhh, so in spirit, I HAVE been getting your name
> right all this time, as you DID mean it to be
> lifter,lol... ya know, you could just start a
> new account with the T where its supposed to
> be...although Powerlifer is a pretty darn good
> nick, intentional or not, So I could see why one
> would want to keep it.

Haha yeah, i suppose the only reason i keep it is that im now known on other raw forums as powerlifer.

I see herbal remedies are away to be banned or extremely regulated in europe come may 1st, i will be doing a piece on it, but i aint happy not for business but for personal reasons also.

thats unfortunate, also, I forgot to ask earlier, why not use Olive leaf extract in the long run? Ive not heard of Any substantiated negative side effects from using it in moderation, although to be fair, I did only research it for a few days, instead of the weeks, or in some cases months, ive spent researching other things... Ia it this berberine you speak of? At first I thought you where just takling about goldenseal, but realized just now that you may have been talking about a wide variety of things the way it was worded...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

Some of the things you like are on that chopping block I'm afraid.

[www.rawfoodsupport.com]

A few people have been asking me about hormonal imbalances so i thought id do a little article on what can help.

[vegankingdom.co.uk]

Just a little post on heavy metal toxicity and natural methods to remove these accumulated metals.

[vegankingdom.co.uk]

Another new article and how to support liver health naturally - [vegankingdom.co.uk]

Heres a little article that may interest some of you that cant afford expensive gym equipment or dont have access to a gym.

No gym equipment, no problem? - [vegankingdom.co.uk]

Great article powerlifer

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

Curator Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great article powerlifer

Thanks curator, i think i might invest in a camera so i can do a little clip etc to make things easier to explain without having to link to others articles.

But that will have to wait for now as i splashed out on a vita mix TNC.

Hey, great article! I couldn't find the video link though, the rossboxing one?

coco Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hey, great article! I couldn't find the video link
> though, the rossboxing one?

Thanks coco, woops it didnt seem to work now its working though.

Had to change the theme because the old one was causing problems, hopefully you see the video now coco.

As i say watch out when first starting full superman ab roll outs, i thought i had a good degree of core strength and stability but that movement is something else. I nearly ripped my ab muscles, now i can do them with ease though so trying to do the one handers Ross does in the video, so far no luck lol.

Did another small piece if anyones interested about the many factors that relate to optimal health - [vegankingdom.co.uk]

im thinking of doing a competition soon, mainly aimed at the audience of this forum, just abit of fun really. What kind of prizes would people be interested in, whole foods, vegan books etc?