The story of how I couldn't make it to the evening 😮💨 and was empty on protein and iron
Hello ･ᴗ･
Thank you for choosing to read this from among so many articles ☺︎
I'm Hachimitsu.
For the past few years,
I haven't had the energy to make it to the evening 😮💨
It's exhausting to make dinner, help the kids with their homework, or take them to their lessons 😇
My stomach is in bad shape, my sleep is shallow, and I don't feel refreshed even after sleeping 😱
When I went to the hospital to consult about it, I ended up having a blood test.
That's when it was pointed out that ferritin levels might be low.
What is "stored iron" = ferritin 😳⁉︎
Ferritin is a protein that can store iron inside and is distributed throughout the body, mainly in liver cells.
If we compare it to household finances, hemoglobin is the money in your wallet you use daily, while ferritin is your savings position.
Just as a household without savings cannot be called healthy, if ferritin is lacking, symptoms of iron deficiency appear.
When I read the book that was recommended to me, I learned that ferritin levels drop significantly during menstruation, pregnancy, and childbirth.
In a single pregnancy and childbirth, iron equivalent to a ferritin level of 50 is transferred to the fetus.It seems the mother's iron stores become empty 😱*1
I happened to find my ferritin levels from about 7 years ago and 3 years ago 😳
I found out that until 3 years before 2023, it was close to 30.
January 31, 2019 → 29.7
June 8, 2023 → 29.1
Current
May 12, 2026 → 6
6⁉︎
Oh my goodness 🤣
Empty‼︎
The standard range is 4–120, so "6" is within the standard range, but according to Western standards, 100 or less is considered iron deficiency 😳*2
So, I tried drinking protein shakes and taking iron supplements, and increased my intake of boiled eggs and meat, but with my weak stomach I ended up feeling unwell after about two weeks. (I did too much at once 🙄)
Give up 🫥
Stomach-first diet
First, I decided that fixing my stomach health and relieving constipation was the priority ˙꒳˙
I thought that if I did that, it would properly digest and absorb nutrients.
That is
side dishes with few seasonings
.
Consuming too much salt or sugar makes internal organs work at full capacity to break them down, so too much energy is used for digestion.
Also, strong seasoning overstimulates the appetite and easily leads to overeating.
With side dishes that have few seasonings, you can enjoy the flavor and texture of the ingredients, you end up chewing more, and it also rests your stomach and helps with digestion 🤗
Tips for efficiently creating energy
I want to rest my stomach, absorb nutrients properly, and create energy efficiently!
Carbohydrates: They become the body's gasoline (for exercising or thinking with your head) and create energy called ATP, so they are important. But they
consume a lot of vitamin B.
Lipids: While saving vitamin B, they can create about 3 times the energy (ATP) of carbohydrates! *3 So, I decided that while taking staple foods like rice in moderation, I want to refrain from unnecessary seasonings and sweets and make
high-quality oils my allies. Let's aim for a healthy body by creating lots of ATP ☺️
What are side dishes with little seasoning?
Use condiments and aromatic vegetables
Add seasoning later
Utilize grated daikon radish and lemon
Mix in nuts and sesame seeds
Utilize fermented foods like miso and salted malted rice
Add flavor with sesame oil or perilla oil, etc...
I want to cherish the taste of the ingredients without overdoing it within my capabilities 🤗
(It also helps reduce salt intake 😍)
Eat plenty of protein
Protein is also important ✌🏻
Digestive organs like the stomach and intestines, as well as digestive enzymes, are made from protein.
If you are lacking protein, your digestive organs cannot work healthily, and your digestive power will drop. *4
From now on, I want to think about menus with little seasoning that use plenty of meat, fish, eggs, etc. 😊
I want to make full use of the nutrients I ingest and become a version of myself that is energetic until the evening!!
I would be happy if I could record meals on note that allow both myself and my family to stay healthy 🤗
Reference books
*1 *2 "Depression and Panic Were Caused by 'Iron' Deficiency" (by Tokumi Fujikawa)
*3 *4 "How to Cure Depression Without Relying on Medicine" (by Tokumi Fujikawa)
Do you ever feel sluggish in the evening? 😮💨
Thank you for reading until the end. With gratitude 🩵
#Protein #Ferritin #Iron #MealRecord #SideDishesWithLittleSeasoning