One of the goals on my 101 List this year is to donate blood. I've never done it before and really want to give it a shot. I love the idea of giving a part of yourself (literally) to help someone else. It's quite amazing. And apparently, many people in Korea are reluctant to donate blood, whether it be due to fear, or lack of information. Therefore, I'd like to do my part in raising the number of Korean blood donors. :) For more info on donating blood in Korea, go to the Korean Red Cross website.
So last week, I headed to a blood bank near my neighborhood, filled out the lengthy questionnaire, and was ushered into the doc's office. I was really excited about it. All was going according to plan... until the doc pricked my finger, tested my blood, and declared that my iron/hemoglobin levels are low. Rejection! The doc didn't tell me my specific level, but she said that apparently, low iron levels are common in girls, and that a lot of them get rejected. Just another upside of our lovely monthly cycle, right, ladies?! So in the end, I had to walk out of the blood bank with all my blood still in me. Blast.
Needless to say, I was disappointed. I like to think that I'm a generally healthy vegan with good levels all-around, and I take a certain amount of pride in the fact that I eat a healthy, varied diet of whole foods, and exercise regularly. But I guess when it gets down to the nitty gritty numbers, there are improvements to be made.
So my question is, have other vegans had this problem while trying to donate blood? What are some things that I could do? Seriously, I welcome any advice. The doc said to take in more iron, and come back in a week or two (I'll probably give myself more time- up to one month, before I try again). She also gave me a card with some tips on raising iron-levels, but it was very meat-oriented in its suggestions (and I didn't tell her I'm vegan). I've been doing a lot of research on this, and while there is a lot of good information out there, there is also just as much confusing, contradictory information. That said, I'm trying to eat a lot of beans, lentils, tofu, dark leafy greens, oats, raisins, and blackstrap molasses, since they are all listed to be good vegan sources of iron. I'm also trying to take in more vitamin C, which apparently helps with iron absorption, and avoid drinking tea or coffee with my meals, which inhibits absorption. I could take supplements, but I've had bad experiences where I get nauseous after taking vitamins containing iron. Besides, I want to get the majority of my nutrients from whole foods.
Anyway, here are some foods I've been eating that are supposedly high in iron.
Curried Lentils & broccoli with hot sauce (not ketchup! hehe)
Mapo tofu with swiss chard, and huge green peppers.
Chili-style kidney beans cooked with celery, corn, onions, and tomato paste, & broccoli on the side
My favorite breakfast: hot oat porridge with flax seeds, blackstrap molasses, and raisins, eaten with some clementines for vitamin C.
Rice mixed with some lentils and seaweed, vegan kimchi, spinach, and black beans.
Dark leafy greens with some beans and seaweed, dressed with some soysauce/sesame oil
Anyway, hopefully things will go better the next time I visit. I don't like the idea of having blood unsuitable for myself, let alone other people, so I'm gonna try everything I can to eventually pass the finger-prick test. I guess it's now more about having healthy iron-levels than actually donating, but at least being able to donate will be a good indicator or goal to reach.
Ok, that's all for now. Eat your iron, people! :) Tootles~