Your blood donation can make a difference...
and so can your diet!

What you eat can affect your blood donation. Donors who eat high-fat foods 24 to 36 hours before their donation run the risk of having too much fat circulating in their blood and in their donation. When this happens, it may become difficult or impossible to test the collected sample tubes of blood. If it can't be tested, the donation can't be used.

To prevent this from happening, your diet the day before and the day of your donation should consist of low-fat, high-calcium foods, and plenty of non-alcoholic fluids. You will feel better and ensure that your donation will be available for others.

He Saves Lives While Lowering his Cholesterol!

By monitoring his health through regular platelet donations, Dale Moore has lowered his cholesterol 100 points - without medication. How does he do it? First, he donates on Mondays - the day that total cholesterol profiles are offered to all donors. Second, once he realized that his cholesterol level was too high, he changed his diet. “I eat less meat and less dairy than I used to,” he says. Third, he began exercising more. He lives close to the blood center and often rides his bike to the donor room. “Donating helps me check my own health. I can keep track of my iron and cholesterol levels.” He adds, “Of course the best reason to donate is that I’m able to help others. I walk into a restaurant and look around and think, ‘Someone in here might be alive because I donated blood.’”

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For more information on healthy eating, visit these web sites:

American Heart Association (Healthy Lifestyle section)
www.americanheart.org

American Dietetic Association (Food and Nutrition section)
www.eatright.org

Food Network (Healthy Eating section)
www.foodnetwork.com