---

My energy levels have dropped like crypto this week. I feel like I'm walking in treacle - I'm fatigued despite 'taking it easy' as people say, and getting a good 7 to 8 hours sleep. And I'm anxious, for the first time in months, despite taking my miracle pills of St Johns Wort, fish oil and valerian - a magic trio that seems to work for me. My heart beat is driving me crazy and I'm thinking in pea soup fog and I'm breathless, too - wait - hang on - it can't be iron deficiency, can it?

Breathlessness is a warning sign of low iron for me, but I've never really made the link between low iron and anxiety until now. Seems crazy when I'm always walking on the knife edge of anxiety and depression but one of the symptoms is a foggy head, so when I'm anxious I'm trying like hell to solve it as a problem, and when I'm not, I'm not really thinking about it, so it's no suprise I've missed a few things.

There are links between mental health and low vitamin B and iron - this study found that iron deficiency, particularly in childhood, can cause 'the risk of psychiatric disorders, including mood disorders, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and developmental disorders'.This study concluded that altered metabolism of iron and other metals modifies emotional behaviors. They also validly concluded that:

More systematic and controlled studies are warranted to better understand the underlying mechanism of iron-associated emotional behavior and mental health. It is necessary to improve our understanding of the pathologies associated with anxiety and other psychiatric disorders to develop therapies to alleviate emotional dysfunction.

Yes, yes and yes. There is so much to learn about mental health and it's impossible for the health system to truly assist everyone until they're screaming out for help, or, they're simply medicating it with an opoid. I'm on a constant journey of curiosity and discovery here and don't expect I'll ever get to the bottom of it, but what if it is a iron problem? Do I undergo costly testing and unhelpful doctors? I wonder if it's because I was brought up vegetarian - not something I want to broach with Mum as she always did her best, and there's nothing I could do about it now, but I do wonder!

I can certainly make sure I take my vitamin B's and iron (here's another [study](Low B levels are also linked to anxiety) if you were interested in the science - not the role of this post) My naturopath had prescribed me an activated B and I've stopped taking it because I ran out and was feeling better. Therein lies the other lesson - just because you're feeling better, doesn't mean you give up your meds!

Hence, the moong dahl soup with leafy greens, full of iron and lots of nutrients I need. Plus, I'll probably take a supplement.

My recipe is a bit of a bastardised version of the Indian moong dahl, but it's the one I like to make. In this recipe I use a lot of leafy greens from the garden - beetroot tops, silverbeet and kale. I also use a turmeric paste with ginger in it, but you don't have to use that - fresh ginger would be nice too. And don't forget the black pepper, which helps with the absorption of pretty much everything!

Lemon juice makes the soup taste even better, but the vitamin C in lemon juice also helps absorb the iron. I used bone broth in this recipe too but you can use ordinary stock, as listed in the ingredients. I really did need something totally nutritious to pick me up this week! Hopefully I'll be up off the couch soon and back into the energy of the world.

1.5 cups of green moong beans or yellow split peas
A few big handfuls of leafy greens
A bunch of coriander (omit if you aren't a fan - I am!)
An onion (I only had spring onions from the garden)
Ginger
A spoonful each of turmeric and cummin
Half a teaspoon of cinnamon and ground coriander
Optional chilli
Black pepper to finish

Soak the moong overnight and cook until soft. In a frying pan, melt ghee or coconut oil and fry spices and onion for about two minutes to release flavour. Add to soup with stock and the greens. Cook ten more minutes. Blend half the soup (this is optional, but I like the creaminess of it) with a bunch of coriander. Reheat gently. Serve with lemon and pepper and more ghee if that's your thing (it does make it nice and creamy!)

Do you suffer from low iron?

Did you know low iron levels can contribute to feelings of anxiety?

---

---

---

▶️ DTube
▶️ IPFS