Iron Rich Foods Finally Helped My Perimenopause Fatigue

I was absolutely exhausted. I would wake up exhausted. I would drag myself through the day feeling like I was moving through mud. I would come home from work and collapse on the couch. On weekends, I would sleep twelve hours and still feel tired. I thought it was depression. I thought it was just perimenopause. I thought it was just my body aging. My doctor ran some tests and discovered that I was severely iron deficient. I was shocked. I had no idea that my fatigue could be traced to iron. I started adding iron-rich foods to my diet and within a few weeks, something shifted. I had energy again. Real energy. Not the caffeine-fueled jittery kind. The kind where I could actually do things without feeling like I was running on empty.

How I got here

Fatigue during perimenopause is normal. Everyone knows that. But my fatigue seemed worse than normal. I was not just tired. I was exhausted in a way that made me question whether I could keep going. I had my thyroid checked. It was fine. I had depression screened. I did not seem depressed. I had my vitamin D checked. It was low, so I started supplementing. That helped a little but I was still exhausted. I tried everything. I tried sleeping more. I tried exercising. I tried meditation. I tried cutting out sugar. I was doing everything right but I was still completely exhausted. My doctor finally suggested checking iron and sure enough, my iron was dangerously low. I was not menstruating regularly because of perimenopause, which should have meant I was losing less blood. But apparently my diet was not providing enough iron to make up for the years of loss. I was severely depleted.

What I actually did

My doctor recommended iron supplementation but I do not do well with iron supplements. They make me constipated and nauseous. So I asked if I could try getting my iron from food first. My doctor agreed and gave me a list of iron-rich foods. I started eating more red meat. I know red meat is not fashionable but it is one of the best sources of heme iron, which is the kind your body absorbs most easily. I was eating beef a few times a week. I added chicken and turkey. I started eating more beans and lentils. I added spinach and other leafy greens to my diet. I ate more dried fruit like apricots and raisins. I drank more orange juice with my meals because vitamin C helps with iron absorption. I made iron-boosting recipes. Iron-rich pasta with red meat sauce. Salads with spinach and chickpeas. Lentil soup. I was intentional about getting iron into my diet. Within two weeks, I noticed a difference. Within a month, the change was dramatic. I had energy. I could go to work and not feel completely wiped out. I could come home and actually do things instead of collapsing on the couch. I could play with my kids. I could exercise. I could think clearly.

What actually changed

Realizing that my fatigue had a physical cause that I could actually address changed my entire perspective on my perimenopause. It was not just something I had to suffer through. It was something with a solution. My iron is still lower than it should be because I am still in perimenopause and my period is still irregular, but keeping my iron levels up with food makes a massive difference. On weeks when I am less intentional about eating iron-rich foods, I notice my energy dropping. On weeks when I am eating lots of iron-rich foods, I have real energy. It is a direct cause and effect. I also realized that fatigue might not always be just about perimenopause or depression or aging. It might be something with a physical cause that can be addressed. That realization gave me hope.

What my routine looks like now

I eat iron-rich foods every single day. Red meat, chicken, beans, leafy greens, dried fruit. I drink orange juice or eat vitamin C with my meals to boost iron absorption. I track my energy levels using PeriPlan and I can see that my energy is directly correlated with how intentional I am about eating iron. When my energy starts dropping, my first thought is now to check whether I have been eating enough iron rather than assuming it is just a perimenopause symptom I have to suffer through. My fatigue is so much better. I still have tired days because of perimenopause but they are manageable. The crushing exhaustion is gone.

If you are experiencing severe fatigue during perimenopause, I would encourage you to get your iron levels checked. It is a simple blood test. If your iron is low, adding iron-rich foods to your diet might be the thing that changes your energy levels. You do not have to suffer through exhaustion. Your fatigue might have a treatable cause.