Personal Development for Smart People Forums - View Single Post - New Vegetarian Feels Tired in Mind and Body

andyspinks · 11-08-2006, 08:07 AM

I was a vegetarian for 5 years, from when I was 20 - 25. During this time I had periods where I felt listless and emotionally drained, especially when I was stressed or working long hours. I'd attribute at least some of this to my diet.

When I was 25 I went to live in China for a year and before leaving I decided I would eat meat while I was there. As part of my visa application I had a bunch of health tests and it was during these tests that my doctor told me that I was low on iron. One of the reasons I decided to eat meat for the year was to see how much difference it would make.

I took iron supplements to get my levels back up and ate meat for the next year when I was in China. I can't say I noticed a huge difference in my energy levels while I was eating meat again.

I got back home again (Australia) and immediately returned to a vegetarian diet (sorry, but all the pig, cow, chicken, dog, donkey, frog, fox and intestines that I ate while there can't convince me that meat actually tastes nice), but this time I did a lot of research and really broadened my horizons on the types of foods I make / eat. This time I can definitely say that I have more energy than ever before and as an added bonus I haven't been sick for over 14 months.

I've changed other parts of my lifestyle too which may have had an effect, like riding and practicing yoga everyday (I hadn't done any consistent exercise since I was about 17), but I think a lot of it comes down to having a diverse and informed diet.

There is a reason that vegetarians / vegans have stigmas about not getting enough energy, being low in protein, iron and other things. For most people it is a big change in diet and as such you need to go into it well informed. I don't think its enough to just take your old diet and stick some tofu in as a substitute for the meat you have to have. I think you should take the time to design a diet and make sure you're covering your bases each week. You can also use it as an opportunity to branch out into other foods / ingredients that you may not have ever tasted or even heard of before - you'll be amazed at the options out there.

About 2 months ago I made the move to being a vegan which apart from a few minor errors hasn't been too difficult at all. With the change in diet I've started to eat things like amaranth, quinoa and other things I'd never heard of before. Take a broader look at your diet and do your reading on how to eat a balanced vegetarian diet. I think it will really make a difference.

Andy.

11-08-2006, 08:07 AM	#18 (permalink)
andyspinks Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Melbourne Posts: 6	I was a vegetarian for 5 years, from when I was 20 - 25. During this time I had periods where I felt listless and emotionally drained, especially when I was stressed or working long hours. I'd attribute at least some of this to my diet. When I was 25 I went to live in China for a year and before leaving I decided I would eat meat while I was there. As part of my visa application I had a bunch of health tests and it was during these tests that my doctor told me that I was low on iron. One of the reasons I decided to eat meat for the year was to see how much difference it would make. I took iron supplements to get my levels back up and ate meat for the next year when I was in China. I can't say I noticed a huge difference in my energy levels while I was eating meat again. I got back home again (Australia) and immediately returned to a vegetarian diet (sorry, but all the pig, cow, chicken, dog, donkey, frog, fox and intestines that I ate while there can't convince me that meat actually tastes nice), but this time I did a lot of research and really broadened my horizons on the types of foods I make / eat. This time I can definitely say that I have more energy than ever before and as an added bonus I haven't been sick for over 14 months. I've changed other parts of my lifestyle too which may have had an effect, like riding and practicing yoga everyday (I hadn't done any consistent exercise since I was about 17), but I think a lot of it comes down to having a diverse and informed diet. There is a reason that vegetarians / vegans have stigmas about not getting enough energy, being low in protein, iron and other things. For most people it is a big change in diet and as such you need to go into it well informed. I don't think its enough to just take your old diet and stick some tofu in as a substitute for the meat you have to have. I think you should take the time to design a diet and make sure you're covering your bases each week. You can also use it as an opportunity to branch out into other foods / ingredients that you may not have ever tasted or even heard of before - you'll be amazed at the options out there. About 2 months ago I made the move to being a vegan which apart from a few minor errors hasn't been too difficult at all. With the change in diet I've started to eat things like amaranth, quinoa and other things I'd never heard of before. Take a broader look at your diet and do your reading on how to eat a balanced vegetarian diet. I think it will really make a difference. Andy.