Nutrition

Inflammation Fighter:

Slightly sweet baby bananas are rich in vitamin B6 and potassium. These nutrients smoothed the cellular
inflammation that triggers a host of health concerns, including weight gain and joint pain. Both nutrients
also aid in fluid balance, working to ease the bloat and puffiness that can strike in the summer.

Can't Sleep/ Low iron may be to blame

Iron deficiency, which affects 1 in 5 women under 45, is will know for causing fatigues. When levels of this mineral drop, hemoglobin can't transport energizing oxygen. But low iron has also been linked to periodic
limb  movement disorder, a condition marked by repetitive involuntary leg or arm movements that occur
during sleep. It's common among women with restless leg syndrome, which may be caused by problems in the way iron is transported across the blood brain barrier, according to a new study out of Penn State College of Medicine and Johns Hopkins University. Many women who suffer from either condition experience frequent nighttime awakenings, restless sleep and fatigue. If blood tests show your serum ferreting level is low, ask your doctor about taking iron supplements, and try avoiding foods or meds that interfere with iron absorption, such as coffee, tea, eggs, chocolate and calcium supplements.

Doctors miss iron overload in 50% of women

Up to half of women over 50 especially those who have excess belly fat suffer from iron overload, says Cheryl Garrison, executive director of the Iron Disorders Institute in Taylor, South Carolina. But the condition is overlooked in 50 percent of women, in part because the symptoms are so vague. Plus doctors
rarely order the tests that spot an overload M. D. s and nine years for a woman to get a diagnosis.

Iron deficiency, which is more prevalent in premenopausal women ( who lose blood through menstruation)
becomes less common as periods stop. That's when iron overload can become more of an issue, says Herbert Bonkovsky, M. D. chair of the Iron Disorders Institutes's medical advisory board. The body has no way to get rid of the iron, which builds up in the organs, causing them to work less efficiently and leading to fatigue and other symptoms. Treatment is vital since excess iron levels can lead to serious problems over time.

To confirm iron overload, your doctor should use two simple blood tests: serum ferreting and transferring saturation.

Undergoing weekly or monthly blood draws is the most effective way to reduce excess iron.

Choosing the right fields and drinks can help. Eat no more than three servings of red meat per week and drink green or black tea with meals, their tannins help inhibit iron absorption. ( To find the iron content of a food, go to Iron Disorders.org.)

If you take a multi, it should be iron free. And avoid taking vitamin C at meals it can increase iron absorption from food.

Ref: First for women 8/29/2011