new vegetarian experiencing sickly

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone,

 

I'm new to the board. I decided to go vegetarian the start of May and

have not eaten any meat since then. I went cold turkey because of

personal conviction and couldn't imagine touching meat after much

learned.

I have been trying my best to eat healthfully. I don't just survive

off of pasta. I eat very little of that actually. I've been eating

assortment of nuts, beans, hummus sandwiches, veggie fajitas,

rice, veggie pizzas, etc. I was feeling great the first 2 weeks or

so. Now all of the sudden, i am feeling more exhausted than usual and

hungry all the time. I notice that when I'm done eating, i actually

feel really nauseous. I have bad headaches too.

This has been going on for the past week or so. I at first

contributed it to a bug but these feelings i've described only come

and go.. they are not constant like the flu.

I am commited to staying meat free but i'm also very new at this and

don't want to be hurting my health by my lack of knowledge. are these

feelings of sickness normal and a sort of detoxificaton?

 

thanks!

[Guest guest]

Welcome to the group, Marielle.

I don't think your feelings of sickness

are at all normal due to vegetarianism.

I would recommend you seek the advice of

a doctor to determine what might be wrong

right away. A simple blood test should help

give answers about your change in health.

This group is not a medical group, so I try

to caution people not to seek medical advice

here if they are feeling ill.

Hope you feel better soon!

 

~ PT ~

 

, " Marielle " <sfbuc wrote:

 

> I am commited to staying meat free but i'm also very new at this and

> don't want to be hurting my health by my lack of knowledge. are these

> feelings of sickness normal and a sort of detoxificaton?

>

> thanks!

>

[Guest guest]

Marielle:

 

Yes it is normal to feel tired in the initial stages of a new vegetarian

lifestyle. As long as it doesn't persist for a long time, this is simply your

body's way of " cleaning house " , and after it finishes the " detox " you should

feel fine.

As for the headaches, it could be a minor food allergy. I would monitor the

foods I've been eating more closely to pinpoint which one is preceded by a

headache. Also although I see you've been eating nuts, which is good, I don't

see where you named off any raw fruits and vegetables. Veggie fajitas and

pizzas are fine for one or two servings a day, but since these are PROCESSED

foods I would limit them; the majority of what you eat a day should be in their

purest possible form, meaning whole and raw foods. Also are you drinking alot

of water throughout the day? It is important to sip water through the course of

the day(about 1.5 liters is a good target to aim for, but as you increase your

intake of raw fruits and veggies you may find you need LESS, so listen to your

body on this), and if possible try to refrain from drinking roughly 15-30

minutes before, during, and about 30 minutes after. This will allow your body

to more adequatley utilize the nutrients in the food

you're eating.

Another possibility as to why you may not be feeling well is perhaps going

" cold turkey " wasn't for you. I do find it admirable that you want to go veg

for ethical and health reasons, but everyone's body is different and some

people, when making a drastic dietary change, may need to take thier time and do

it gradually, which gives your body more time to adjust to the new changes,

instead of giving it so much of an " overload " of new stuff all at once.

If all of the suggestions I made above don't work, I might consult a dietician

and/or physician. There could very well be a more serious, underlying problem,

so if the fatigue persists I wouldn't delay in making an appointment!

Good luck and please let me know how my suggestions work out for you, ok?

 

Keep us posted,

 

Lisamarie.

 

Marielle <sfbuc wrote:

Hello everyone,

 

I'm new to the board. I decided to go vegetarian the start of May and

have not eaten any meat since then. I went cold turkey because of

personal conviction and couldn't imagine touching meat after much

learned.

I have been trying my best to eat healthfully. I don't just survive

off of pasta. I eat very little of that actually. I've been eating

assortment of nuts, beans, hummus sandwiches, veggie fajitas,

rice, veggie pizzas, etc. I was feeling great the first 2 weeks or

so. Now all of the sudden, i am feeling more exhausted than usual and

hungry all the time. I notice that when I'm done eating, i actually

feel really nauseous. I have bad headaches too.

This has been going on for the past week or so. I at first

contributed it to a bug but these feelings i've described only come

and go.. they are not constant like the flu.

I am commited to staying meat free but i'm also very new at this and

don't want to be hurting my health by my lack of knowledge. are these

feelings of sickness normal and a sort of detoxificaton?

 

thanks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I am not a doctor, so what I say is not to be constituted as medical advice,

etc. & nbsp; I've been a vegetarian for over 20, closer to 25 years now and

haven't had similar problems. However, I DO have a lot of gastric problems and

severe anemia and what you're experiencing sounds more like you need to see the

doctor rather than picking up a mc grease burger. & nbsp; hugs and welcome to the

group, jeanne

 

--- On Fri, 5/30/08, Marielle & lt;sfbuc & gt; wrote:

Marielle & lt;sfbuc & gt;

new vegetarian experiencing sickly

 

Friday, May 30, 2008, 4:30 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello everyone,

 

 

 

I'm new to the board. I decided to go vegetarian the start of May and

 

have not eaten any meat since then. I went cold turkey because of

 

personal conviction and couldn't imagine touching meat after much

 

learned.

 

I have been trying my best to eat healthfully. I don't just survive

 

off of pasta. I eat very little of that actually. I've been eating

 

assortment of nuts, beans, hummus sandwiches, veggie fajitas,

 

rice, veggie pizzas, etc. I was feeling great the first 2 weeks or

 

so. Now all of the sudden, i am feeling more exhausted than usual and

 

hungry all the time. I notice that when I'm done eating, i actually

 

feel really nauseous. I have bad headaches too.

 

This has been going on for the past week or so. I at first

 

contributed it to a bug but these feelings i've described only come

 

and go.. they are not constant like the flu.

 

I am commited to staying meat free but i'm also very new at this and

 

don't want to be hurting my health by my lack of knowledge. are these

 

feelings of sickness normal and a sort of detoxificaton?

 

 

 

thanks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; My husband and I went vegetarian about 20 years ago. I

don't recall either of us having these types of symptoms. We do still eat eggs,

dairy, and occasional seafood; but I try to make the best possible choices in

these areas. We eat mostly veggies and grains, but there are times when I find I

am craving higher protein and I eat cheese, eggs, or fish.

& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; Are you eating foods with a lot of sodium? Check the

nuts and any processed foods you are eating. If you have switched from eating

meats to eating frozen and prepared foods, you may be eating more additives and

salt. Too much salt gives me a headache, especially microwave popcorn and

roasted nuts.

& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; Have you considered that you may have changed your

intake of caffeine & amp; sugar? Those things can affect your energy level, too.

& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; Some of the prepared veggie foods are pretty healthy,

but it's amazing how many additives/chemicals are in some of them, so be sure to

check the labels.

& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; As far as gastric issues, if I am going to eat lots of

bean/tofu products, I take some Beano with it. Papaya enzyme tablets are great

for heartburn and indigestion and they actually taste better than Tums, etc. You

can get them at the health food stores.

& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; One last thing, there is a great headache book called

" Heal your Headache " that I heard about on NPR's People's Pharmacy that lists a

lot of the common headache triggers and discusses the issue in a very

interesting way.

& nbsp;

Hope this helps, but I do agree, if this continues, you should see your doctor.

 

 

--- On Fri, 5/30/08, Marielle & lt;sfbuc & gt; wrote:

 

Marielle & lt;sfbuc & gt;

new vegetarian experiencing sickly

 

Friday, May 30, 2008, 8:30 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello everyone,

 

I'm new to the board. I decided to go vegetarian the start of May and

have not eaten any meat since then. I went cold turkey because of

personal conviction and couldn't imagine touching meat after much

learned.

I have been trying my best to eat healthfully. I don't just survive

off of pasta. I eat very little of that actually. I've been eating

assortment of nuts, beans, hummus sandwiches, veggie fajitas,

rice, veggie pizzas, etc. I was feeling great the first 2 weeks or

so. Now all of the sudden, i am feeling more exhausted than usual and

hungry all the time. I notice that when I'm done eating, i actually

feel really nauseous. I have bad headaches too.

This has been going on for the past week or so. I at first

contributed it to a bug but these feelings i've described only come

and go.. they are not constant like the flu.

I am commited to staying meat free but i'm also very new at this and

don't want to be hurting my health by my lack of knowledge. are these

feelings of sickness normal and a sort of detoxificaton?

 

thanks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

are you pregnant? lol...it sounds like food allergies to me too...i

get really sleepy after eating anything more than a snack because of

food allergies...you dont have to have a trip to the hospital to be

allergic to food...the insides of my ears (feels like its between my

jaw and ear drum) starts to itch if i have something that bothers my

food allergies...changing your diet could just trigger an underlying

issue...go to the dr and talk to him/her...get their opinion...ask

for a scratch test and under skin test for specific foods for the

ones youve been eating regularly...have you changed any laundry soap,

perfumes, house plants, anything you come into contact

recently?...that could be a factor if its allergies...youd be amazed

what an impact your diet change has, it is a catalist for other

issues comming to the surface...i hope some of this has been a

help...feel free to email me...mary

 

>

> Marielle <sfbuc wrote:

> Hello everyone,

>

> I'm new to the board. I decided to go vegetarian the start of May

and

> have not eaten any meat since then. I went cold turkey because of

> personal conviction and couldn't imagine touching meat after much

> learned.

> I have been trying my best to eat healthfully. I don't just survive

> off of pasta. I eat very little of that actually. I've been eating

> assortment of nuts, beans, hummus sandwiches, veggie fajitas,

> rice, veggie pizzas, etc. I was feeling great the first 2 weeks or

> so. Now all of the sudden, i am feeling more exhausted than usual

and

> hungry all the time. I notice that when I'm done eating, i actually

> feel really nauseous. I have bad headaches too.

> This has been going on for the past week or so. I at first

> contributed it to a bug but these feelings i've described only come

> and go.. they are not constant like the flu.

> I am commited to staying meat free but i'm also very new at this

and

> don't want to be hurting my health by my lack of knowledge. are

these

> feelings of sickness normal and a sort of detoxificaton?

>

> thanks!

 

[Guest guest]

Just an FYI - there are quite effective blood test available to

determine allergies. Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't the scratch

or " needle prick " test considered a little archaic and barbaric since

the blood tests have come along?! I'm just askin' :-)

 

, " none ya "

<black_rayne80 wrote:

>

> ...go to the dr and talk to him/her...get their opinion...ask

> for a scratch test and under skin test for specific foods for the

> ones youve been eating regularly...

[Guest guest]

, Jo Connors <jeconnors56

wrote:

My husband and I went vegetarian about 20 years ago. I don't recall

either of us having these types of symptoms. We do still eat eggs,

dairy, and occasional seafood; but I try to make the best possible

choices in these areas. We eat mostly veggies and grains, but there are

times when I find I am craving higher protein and I eat cheese, eggs,

or fish.

 

how is eatting fish being a vegetarian?...there are true vegetarian

foods that are high in protein that will allow you to cut out all

animal flesh...there is tofu, suppliments that can be added to shakes,

and all kinds of foods...as has been stated on this board many times

before, americans actually consume way too much protein which damages

health...(and i have to say that it is one of my pet peaves to hear

someone that eats fish/seafood say that they are a vegetarian, after i

work so hard to make sure every little trace of animal product known to

man is kept out of my foods)...mary

[Guest guest]

i certainly hope i'm not pregnant! lol. i have a 8 month daughter

that keeps me busy enough. :)my symptoms of fatigue and illness have

mostly subsided, thankfully. it may never have been diet related but

they came on in the same window of time after i went veggie.. that i

really wondered. i think as u stated things coming to the surface

with diet change.. maybe my allergies just flared up. all is good for

now. thanks everyone for their help.

 

 

 

 

-- In , " none ya "

<black_rayne80 wrote:

>

> are you pregnant? lol...it sounds like food allergies to me too...i

> get really sleepy after eating anything more than a snack because

of

> food allergies...you dont have to have a trip to the hospital to be

> allergic to food...the insides of my ears (feels like its between

my

> jaw and ear drum) starts to itch if i have something that bothers

my

> food allergies...changing your diet could just trigger an

underlying

> issue...go to the dr and talk to him/her...get their opinion...ask

> for a scratch test and under skin test for specific foods for the

> ones youve been eating regularly...have you changed any laundry

soap,

> perfumes, house plants, anything you come into contact

> recently?...that could be a factor if its allergies...youd be

amazed

> what an impact your diet change has, it is a catalist for other

> issues comming to the surface...i hope some of this has been a

> help...feel free to email me...mary

>

> >

> > Marielle <sfbuc@> wrote:

> > Hello everyone,

> >

> > I'm new to the board. I decided to go vegetarian the start of May

> and

> > have not eaten any meat since then. I went cold turkey because of

> > personal conviction and couldn't imagine touching meat after much

> > learned.

> > I have been trying my best to eat healthfully. I don't just

survive

> > off of pasta. I eat very little of that actually. I've been

eating

> > assortment of nuts, beans, hummus sandwiches, veggie fajitas,

> > rice, veggie pizzas, etc. I was feeling great the first 2 weeks

or

> > so. Now all of the sudden, i am feeling more exhausted than usual

> and

> > hungry all the time. I notice that when I'm done eating, i

actually

> > feel really nauseous. I have bad headaches too.

> > This has been going on for the past week or so. I at first

> > contributed it to a bug but these feelings i've described only

come

> > and go.. they are not constant like the flu.

> > I am commited to staying meat free but i'm also very new at this

> and

> > don't want to be hurting my health by my lack of knowledge. are

> these

> > feelings of sickness normal and a sort of detoxificaton?

> >

> > thanks!

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

i was told by my allergy dr not too long ago, but 2 years ago, that it

was no where near as effective as the scratch test and under the skin

tests...cause otherwise i wouldnt have sat thru all that lol...mary

 

 

, " severalspecies01 "

<severalspecies01 wrote:

>

> Just an FYI - there are quite effective blood test available to

> determine allergies. Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't the scratch

> or " needle prick " test considered a little archaic and barbaric since

> the blood tests have come along?! I'm just askin' :-)

>

> , " none ya "

> <black_rayne80@> wrote:

> >

> > ...go to the dr and talk to him/her...get their opinion...ask

> > for a scratch test and under skin test for specific foods for the

> > ones youve been eating regularly...

>