Giving blood is one of the few things that is totally altruistic these days and is it’s own reward (apart from a chocolate biscuit and cup of tea afterwards that is). Most people don’t do it and this annoys me. Fair enough if you have a genuine phobia of needles but if you try and tell me that you’re simply “just too busy” and you really can’t spare a maximum of two hours a year to maybe help save somebody’s life then I’m sorry, I don’t believe you.
This evening I wasn’t allowed to donate blood for the first time in the eight years that I’ve been giving blood regularly (at least three times a year since 2000). My iron level was 12.4 apparently, which is borderline acceptable but still too low to donate and a sample has now been sent off for further testing. The level is rightly set quite high for donors own safety. I’m now not allowed to donate for six months which I think is somewhat excessive.
I was given a leaflet on what foods I should be eating in order to raise my iron level and it basically just listed my diet: oily fish, eggs, pulses, brown rice, wholewheat pasta, wholegrain rice and green leafy vegetables. I also easily get my five portions of fruit and vegetables in each day too. I guess I’m just tired.
It was also recommended that I drink more red wine and Guinness which I plan to adhere to rigorously!
Noticed you missed meat and poultry on that wee list of high iron foods
Also “Foods can be cooked in an iron skillet absorb iron, which the body can then use.” http://www.bloodcenters.org/corner/documents/iron.pdf
Surely Irn Bru has the same effect?