under weight

I am a 45 year old women who is underweight, I am anemic, I weigh 110 lbs. I have been through a depression, a rotten divorce, raised children alone, so now I am looking to gain some weight

any suggestions would be appreciated,

Kristina

Sue-Anne's Reply:

Hi Christina,

sorry to hear that you have been through such a difficult time. Hopefully now the universe has opened up the space to allow much more wonderful things into your life.

I trust that you are doing all you can to help your anemia. Iron supplements can help. Doctors prescribe ferrous sulfate which is constipating. It is better to take ferrous gluconate, which will not constipate.

Iron is best taken on an empty stomach with vitamin C or something containing vitamin C, oranges or freshly squeezed orange juice. Don't take iron supplements with anything containing calcium as calcium hinders the absorption of iron.

To gain weight, eat a healthy diet that is high in protein and healthy fats. You can find a list of the protein content of foods here.

A breakfast high in protein is key, 2 eggs with a runny yolk is perfect. With some toast made with spelt or kamut toast.

Go for healthy snacks, When I had been sick as a teenager and lost a lot of weight, my mom used to make me shakes with an egg yolk in them.

Healthy fats include salmon, sardines, avocados, raw nuts such as almonds or walnuts, raw seeds, such as pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.

Ensure proper digestion. Healthy digestion requires water, drink plenty of water and eat raw healthy foods that contain digestive enzymes, celery is excellent. If you are having trouble digesting consider taking a digestive enzyme.

I hope that these suggestions help and that you are feeling better soon!