[Holistic Star]

I was strictly vegetarian (not vegan as although I didn't have milk then, I did eat eggs) for 4 years and ended up really ill with pains in my joints especially my fingers with my dad begging me to please just eat some meat or fish.

I was much better once I started to eat meat and fish again. I'm not saying a study of one person is an argument for everyone to eat meat! It might just be an argument for being much more aware of how to get all the nutrients you need if you are vegetarian.

That said, I don't eat meat for every meal (and I don't think eating meat at even most meals is healthy) In fact I'm often asked if I'm vegetarian because I eat a lot of pulses and lentils (apparently no-one eats those out of choice!).

It's very easy to get vegetarian food in the UK (even if it is often deficient in protein) but when I went to the US on holiday (illinois) I couldn't find anything without meat in it, even the beans were cooked in a ham sauce!