Anemia can't go vegetarian. I can forgo green but not meat. Vegetarian food thanks but no thanks.. pls no offence.
Biscuit, I must correct you. I was anemia and failed my test (blood count) for four times. For ladies, the blood count must be 12, weight at least 45 kg for guys, 14, weight at least 50 kg.
Not wanting to lose my chance to donate blood to help others (your body will produce new blood cells in 1 or 3 mths time, can't remember which is which liao), I consume lots of dark, freen leafy vegetables and to my surprise, I am able to donate on the 5th attempt. I don't even count on the iron tablets they gave me also.
Am a regular blood donor last time, even got privilege to see doctor at polyclinic first (cos you save other's lives ma, so they let you see doctor earlier), foc some more. So, for those who wants to save $ and at the same time can help others, can think about this too.
To bad, I'm not even 45 kg now, so can't donate blood liao.
They should reconsider, allowing people to donate blood so long they have enough blood count, despite of their weight.
Here's an excerpt of an interview with my friend, Joo Heng, being a regular blood donor.
Blood Donation Star Is Vegetarian
Last issue, this eNewsletter contained a letter debunking myths about vegetarians and blood donation. Below is an interview with Goh Joo Heng (
goodman48@singnet.com.sg), one of Singapore’s top blood donors.
1. How long have you been a vegetarian?
10 years
2. What led you to go veg?
I realised it was cruel to shed the blood of animals to enrich my own.
3. What kind of veg are you?
Vegan
4. When did you first become a blood donor? What kind of blood donation do you do?
My first donation was during junior college about 15 years ago. I started donating frequently after becoming a vegetarian. I have donated whole blood, plasma and platelets. Now, I donate mostly platelets and occasionally whole blood.
5. How many times have you donated blood?
Around 140. 83 times through the blood bank/mobile service and around 60 times platelets at SGH (Singapore General Hospital).
6. Why do you donate so often?
To save more lives and to return to the universe as much blood as possible that I have taken.
7. Do you worry that donating so often will make you weak?
I don't feel weak so there is no reason to worry. I monitor my haemoglobin level and serum iron store. So far, I have always passed the haemoglobin level test prior to blood donation. My most recent haemoglobin level on 8 May 07 was 14.8 g/dl, well above the 12.5 g/dl required for blood donation.
Recently, I also took a serum iron test to make sure my iron store is ok. The test also turned out to be ok.
8. How do you obtain enough iron?
I don't pay particular attention to getting enough iron. A healthy vegetarian diet will take care of itself.
9. Do you make a special effort to obtain other nutrients?
Yes, as iron alone is insufficient. Vitamins such as B12, folic acid, minerals such as copper and potassium are also required.
I take nutrient dense food such as whole grains, sweet potatoes, spirulina, vegetable juice, raw salad, vitamin B12 and sea minerals.
10. Have you ever encountered doctors or others who have counselled you to eat meat? If so, how did you respond?
No, they don't have a reason to do so as I rarely need to visit the doctor, and I’ve passed all the haemoglobin and iron level test.
My omnivore sister also donates blood, and she sometimes failed the haemoglobin level test and couldn’t donate. I asked her to drink vegetable juice and her haemoglobin level increased and she could donate again.
Eating meat to boost the iron level has side effects. Meat is loaded with pesticides, antibiotics and growth hormones. It can also result in excessive iron, which is dangerous.
11. Do you do anything sporty?
I exercise almost every day, usually rope skipping on weekdays and jogging or swimming on weekends. I can still do 12 chin ups at my current age of 32. In my recent In Camp Training, we took the IPPT test. I did the most number of chin ups and clocked the fastest 2.4 km run timing (under 11 mins) in my platoon. I was the only vegetarian.
12. Have you received any special acknowledgement from the Blood Bank?
Yes, the bronze and silver award from the blood bank. I have clocked 83 times at the blood bank so I should receive the Ruby Award soon. My 60 donations at SGH are not recorded in blood bank database so these are not counted. If these are included, I am only short of around 10 donations to the Champion of Champion award which only a small handful of people in Singapore have achieved. I think the number is less than 20, and they are much older than me.
13. Do you have any advice for vegetarians considering blood donation?
They should eat a healthier vegetarian diet consisting of whole grains, sweet potatoes, and salad and drink vegetable juice. I suspect vegetarians failing the haemoglobin test are eating the typical unhealthy vegetarian diet of white bread, white rice, noodles made of white flour, white sugar, processed and fried food. Basically, vegetarians who don't eat much vegetable can't be expected to have rich enough blood to donate.
To enrich the blood, take more red fruits and vegetables such as beet root, apple, black grapes, watermelon, red dates, red dragon fruit, red rice and goji berries. They can also take chlorophyll-rich food such as dark green vegetables, chlorella, spirulina, and wheatgrass. For plasma or platelet donors, coconut water is a good replenishment.
Those with further queries can post their questions on the donorweb forum:
http://forums.donorweb.orgI am the forum moderator there and will do my best to answer the questions.
Also on the donorweb forum, a female vegetarian has shared her tips on increasing the haemoglobin level for blood donation.
http://forums.donorweb.org/showthread.php?t=41Shell, since you enjoy organic food, I recomend you a cheap, organic shop at Smith St, called Ci Yan. The lady boss got last stage cancer, but by altering her diet, she cured herself without any medication/ chemo. Organic brown rice selling at S$4.50. Her set rice has enough and all the nutrients needed for your body. Also selling porridge, curry puff, yong tau foo, laksa, etc etc. Too bad, no more soy ice cream.
And only once in a blue moon, she'll make organic brown rice dumpling, the best ever I've ever eat, compared to my fo tang's!
You can try Synbiotics @ 147B 3rd flr Telok Ayer St, Whole Earth @ 593 Geylang Rd/ Yogi Hub either at 16 Madras St/ Stanley St. Can also try the indian buffet (available on Fri & Sat only) at S$7.90 at Gokul (the only indian vege restaurant which offer no ghee, garlic/ onion) at 19 Upper Dickson Rd. Wow, so many choice to spoil our taste bud!
Yes, I do agree with you, when I eat organic food for the first time, I'm not use to the taste too. But you know, healthy food are mostly raw.
Also, a sharing from a meat eater male friends of mine. He's into body building and way before his competition, he only eat steam chicken (yes, meat), everything also steam/ boiled, no fried food.
After few months when he tried to eat fried food back, he can't seem to be able to take the taste. So this conclude that not only when you switch to a vegetarian that's hard, everything are the same.
