How I Solved My Anemia Naturally
As an amateur marathoner, I know first hand how difficult it can be to keep my iron levels in a safe range while in the middle of a training block.
When I first got my ferritin levels tested and learned that I was anemic, I was overwhelmed with what to do next. Which foods contain iron, and how much? How much iron do I get in my normal diet? Should I supplement?
I needed a way to track my daily dietary iron intake—so I created Chomp! With Chomp, I can see exactly how much iron is in each food I eat, monitor my total daily intake, and track my trends over the week—all without needing supplements. I’ve been using Chomp for months now, and I’ve definitely noticed a difference. I used to think I was getting more than enough iron, but after I started tracking my intake, I realized I was nowhere close to a getting sufficient amount. Now, I can train more consistently than before, and I’ve been able to run higher-mileage weeks back to back. I created Chomp with the goal of transforming people’s relationship with what they eat. For endurance athletes, monitoring iron levels isn’t just helpful—it’s essential for sustaining energy, maximizing recovery, and pushing past limits to reach new goals.
Understanding Anemia & Iron for Runners
Iron is key for energy production, muscle function, and recovery. It supports metabolism, stamina, and muscle repair, helping runners adapt to training and avoid fatigue.
Anemia occurs when your body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen efficiently, often due to low iron levels (as in my case). For runners, this means less oxygen reaching the muscles, leading to fatigue, weakness, and decreased endurance. Even mild anemia can make workouts feel harder than they should, causing heavy legs, breathlessness, and slower recovery.
Runners are more likely to have low iron because of the extra stress training puts on the body. Women are especially at risk due to menstrual cycles. If iron intake doesn’t match these demands, it can lead to fatigue, sluggish runs, and slower recovery.
When I was anemic and training, I suffered from extreme fatigue, a horrible constant headache that felt like a brain freeze, shortness of breath, overall weakness, and absolutely no appetite. Anemia can present itself in a myriad of symptoms so it is important to be in tune with your body.
Prioritizing High-Iron Foods
Instead of relying on supplements, I really like focusing on eating iron-rich foods to keep my levels stable. I really like eggs, grass-fed beef, and salmon as my iron sources. I’m not really a big fan of plants but when I do happen to be eating an iron rich plant I try to pair it with a Vitamin C source when possible for better absorption.
Tracking My Iron Intake with Chomp
Chomp is a macro tracking app that is unique in its ability to track almost anything. In my case, I added iron as a tracking metric to get a really concrete idea of how much iron I consume in a day from the foods I eat.
I log everything I eat and Chomp automatically calculates the amount of iron in each food and for the day. I really like looking at the weekly view as well to get an idea of if certain iron level days loosely correspond with how a run went or how I felt.
Tracking my iron intake with Chomp helps me determine when I need to supplement and how much, based on my dietary intake. I’ve also mitigated my risks of over consuming iron. I found my perfect iron level to strive for each day and I can actually hit it thanks to Chomp.
How to Track Iron Intake with Chomp
To set a goal for your iron intake, tap the pencil icon next to the Iron metric on the 'Update Metrics' page (see last screenshot).
Start Tracking Your Iron Intake Today!
Try Chomp for free today on the App Store or Google Play Store!