Before

Get a good night's sleep and eat a hearty low-fat meal before donating.  We advise avoiding nicotine in the hour before donating. These steps will help you avoid light-headedness. If your blood tends to be low in iron, you can start now to add iron-rich foods into your diet. These include meats (especially red meat and liver), fish and eggs. Some iron can be gained by eating beans, grains, nuts, dried fruit and dark green vegetables. Iron tablets may be taken 2 hours after meals with juice or water. Don't take the tablets with tea, coffee, or milk, as these interfere with iron entering your body. Don't take iron tablets if someone in your family has a history of iron overload or thalassemia without consulting your doctor .

After

We suggest avoiding nicotine for thirty minutes after donating. Drink plenty of fluids, but avoid alcohol and caffeine for the rest of the day if possible.