Staying healthy when you are doing the job of being a mom is a challenge, and often does not go as smoothly as you would like. When you have health problems of your own, the job is even tougher.

Unfortunately, there are a number of conditions and diseases that can cause anemia, which as defined as having an abnormally decreased amount of red blood cells or haemoglobin in the bloodstream, which may or may not cause symptoms.. This can be anything from common monthly symptoms to much rarer conditions related to internal bleeding.

However, you can still stay healthy even if you are anemic. Here are seven ways to do so.

Do Light Workouts as You are Able

Anemia often comes with symptoms like dizziness, weakness, and fatigue. All of these make working out difficult at best, and some days impossible. The key is that you still need to retain muscle tone, and that can be challenging when you don’t feel well.

The key is to do light workouts when you are able. Yoga, stretching, even chair, bed, and couch exercises will help you keep your health and muscle tone at least maintained where you already are.

Watch Your Diet

Your diet has a huge effect on you when you are anemic. You need to take in foods that are high in iron and that give you long-term energy. For instance, red meat is usually good for someone who suffers from anemia. It is high in both iron and protein, giving you long lasting energy and blood building components.

Even if you are not a fan of red meat, there are a lot of vegetables that are also high in iron. They include kale, spinach, and other dark green leafy vegetables. Some root vegetables like beets also are high in iron content.

These can be cooked in a variety of ways, from raw uses in a salad to roasting, frying, and baking. The internet is filled with iron rich recipes that will help boost your blood health and your energy levels.

Drink Water

When you have any disease, one of the keys to healing is to stay hydrated. This is especially true of anemia, because blood loss also causes dehydration. You will need to increase your intake of water, likely to twice as much as the normal intake for someone your age, height, and weight.

There are a number of recommendations for the amount of water you should drink every day, but the key is to look at the color of your urine. If it is clear or nearly clear, you are hydrated enough.

Take Supplements

Besides watching your diet, there are many supplements that you can take to help you deal with anemia. These are usually iron and protein rich and vary from beet extracts to iron pills. These supplements are available at nearly all health food stores and vary greatly in potency and purity.

These are the two factors you should look at most when purchasing supplements. Not all iron pills are created equal, and the cheaper the supplement, the more suspect it is. If something seems too good to be true or too inexpensive, there is probably a reason for it.

At the same time, you can often find better supplements at good prices either online or in local co-ops and health food stores.

Get Medical Help

While certain types and causes of anemia are manageable on your own, often the cause of anemia comes with its own dangers. If you are anemic on a regular basis, there could be another root cause. If you have a rare condition or are not getting the answers you need from your family physician, online services like XpertDox can be a good place to look for the specialist you need.

Often even rare diseases can be helped by iron infusions or blood transfusions. You will need a specialist to order these once they have checked your blood chemistry and levels, but the can help you when your body is not healthy enough to produce the blood cells you need on its own.

Get the Right Treatment

Blood transfusions come with a certain amount of danger, and iron infusions can actually be harmful under the wrong conditions.

In many cases simple medication, supplements, and diet will be enough to keep your anemia under control, and you will not need additional more extreme treatments. Be sure to check with your doctors and medical professionals before embarking on any treatment program on your own.

Don’t Neglect Your Mind and Spirit

Your health has to do with your mind and spirit as well as your body. When your body is not feeling well, when you are anemic, sometimes situational depression is a risk. Other factors, including weakness, can increase this risk since they inhibit will power.

Nourishing yourself spiritually is also very important to not only prevent depression and other mental issues, but to keep your attitude and energy at positive levels as well. Meditation can be very helpful.

Taking care of your mind is important as well, and this often involves reading when you can, and even educating yourself on your condition. This not only keeps your mind active, it can help you think through some of the fog and confusion that often accompanies anemia.

Staying healthy when you have anemia can be exceptionally challenging. Weakness, fatigue, and even dizziness can make it difficult to exercise, and confusion can make your mind foggy and unresponsive. It takes a conscious effort to maintain your health, but to do so you may need to watch your diet, take supplements, and increase your intake of water.

Along with nourishing your mind and spirit, these things will help you keep your health even when you are anemic, whatever the reason.