I tend to get heavy periods and I get a little anemic. How do those who thru-hike combat deficiency?

What foods and supplements help you the most? Vitamin C is a great way to help iron absorption (reduction agent), but if it's not a heme iron source, it's hard to absorb it, anyway. For example, if you eat tons of spinach, you probably will not only not absorb most of the iron, but also inhibit the absorption of it from oxalic acid oxidizing the iron, making it not able to be absorbed through the small intestine to bind with transferrin (iron transport protein). However, if you eat more red meat or natural heme iron sources, the iron is more bioavailable to the body.

Has anyone noticed that non enteric coated iron tablets and simultaneous Vit C intake help anemic symptoms on a thru-hike, especially with higher elevations (see 2,3-BPG and altitude changes). It's kind of hard to eat quality red meat if you're on the trail for days at a time and on a budget.