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Finally I know why I am so tired all the time. Why I breath like I 400 lb person trying to climb Mt. Everest every single time I’m doing more than just sitting. Why I want to sleep 24 hours a day (and it still seems not enough). Yes, first of all it’s called pregnancy, heading to the last month if it. Second of all it’s an iron deficiency.

On Monday I got a call that my iron pills are waiting for me in my pharmacy and I should go and get them. While I was trying to explain that I’d tried iron pills with my previous pregnancy and they did make me really sick (like vomiting, for example) and I had to stop taking them, the lady on the phone said: “You really must try it again”. She said if I won’t do it I probably will end up with blood transfusion during my c-section and there is not enough time to boost it up with iron rich food only.

So, here I am swallowing my pills twice a day like a good and reasonable woman. No sickness this time but mostly because I have it on VERY full stomach. I am not afraid to eat anymore because I got something stronger than milk and tums for my heartburn, as well. I wasn’t sure if I want it. My doctor said she’s going to give me the prescription anyway and I can do with it whatever I want but it’s not going to hurt the baby and I should use it because I look like I’m hurting A LOT (and she was right). So I got it.

And a miracle happened. Since yesterday late afternoon I haven’t have any pain and I am slowly forgetting what heartburn is and I’m learning how to enjoy my food again instead of being afraid of every single bite. 

Despite what my doctor said about being too late to boost my system with rich in iron food I’ve decided to change my diet anyway. Finally I have the motivation to try to cook with kale, collard greens, spinach and all kinds of beans and lentils. They’ve always intimidated me so I never cook with it. I cooked with spinach a few times and I really liked it but never was motivated enough to do it more often, though.

The first night I didn’t have any greens at the house, so I fixed myself a bowl of beets and apples salad. I was actually planning on making beets latkas but at the end I decided to go with more raw (not totally, though) and less oily plate. Good that I am not afraid of beets. In Poland we eat them a lot. Boiled, baked, raw, pickled… . So it wasn’t really hard to come up with something fast and enjoyable to my taste buds.

4 small beets, boiled, peeled and grated

2 apples, cut into desired size pieces (I cut one apple into very small pieces, and one into big) 

4 green onions (whole with white parts for spicy taste)

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into desired size pieces

Juice from 1 lemon

or

3 tsp. apple cider vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything together and chill in the fridge for about 1 hour.

Btw, I’m writing this post while sipping on my spinach smoothie.

Which is actually pretty delicious.

because if two year old eats a spinach smoothie it’s got to taste good. Right?

and if a dog’s looking at you like that while you’re eating your smoothie…

…it means something, too (that she actually wants to be scratched behind her ear.lol).

I made two versions of this smoothie.

First version:

1 banana

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup canned pineapple with juice (additional 1/4 cup)

2 handfuls baby spinach

 1 Tbsp. chia seeds

The first version wasn’t really my kind. I am no the biggest fan of the taste of banana in my smoothies. Their flavor always overpowers the rest of whatever you mix together.

So my second version didn’t have it. I mixed:

1 apple

1 handful frozen blueberries

1/2 cup frozen pineapple

1/2 cup ice cubes

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

1/4 pineapple juice

2 handfuls baby spinach

1 Tbsp. Chia seeds

1 Tbsp. honey (definitely not going to use it next time – smoothie was too sweet)

As with today I can say that my iron rich diet is pretty delicious. I am really excited to try a few of the ideas I got from my friend how to cook/eat greens 🙂 I’m going to try them all!

Have a great day, My Friends… and do not forget about your iron intake 😉

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• Spinach tropical Fruit Healthy Smoothie (bestfruitsmoothies.com)
• Blood flow increased by Beet Juice (mybigearth.com)
• Be Still My Beeting Heart (quotidiennemoi.wordpress.com)