to consider eating meat again?

[HappyHourAgain]

Ok, I really don't know what to do.

In the past year I have been diagnosed with Lactose Intolerance, Coeliac's Disease (Wheat & Gluten Allergy), I have IBS so can't eat chillis or anything high fat without getting terrible tummy pains, and I am also intolerant of several food colourings. And...I'm a vegetarian.

So needless to say, it's an absolute minefield, and I am finding myself terribly low in energy because I have so little choice in what I can eat. I am struggling to cut out dairy completely because of so little choice, and for the past month every single day without fail I have eaten the same things:

An orange for breakfast
Baked Potato for lunch (plain as cannot have cheese/beans/coleslaw on it)
Tofu and rice with cherry tomatoes for my tea.

Every single day for a month.
I am so low on energy and just look washed out and tired all the time, not wonderful when trying to run around after a 1 year old.

My GP has suggested introducing meat back into my diet, but after 10 years of not eating it I don't think i could stomach it.

Would it be really hard on my tummy after not eating it for so long? I'm also struggling with the moral side of it as my principles were the reason for giving it up in the first place and I am really struggling with the concept and don't know if I could physically stomach it, as well as handling the emotional side of it.

Does anybody have experience of eating meat again after going without for so long? I'm so confused!

Oh, that sounds awful for you. Sorry you're having so many problems. I'm not saying don't start eating meat again, but is there definitely nothing else you could have to vary your diet a bit? What you're eating sounds extremely limited. Could you add some baby spinach in with the tomatoes, some gluten-free baked beans on your jacket, and vary the rice with lentils, etc? Perhaps if you started off by just reintroducing fish into your diet rather than the full spectrum of meat, would you feel happier with that?

I'm no expert and have no personal experience of food intolerances or digestive conditions, but I'm sure there must be something else you can eat? Hope things start to improve for you soon.

My DH was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease a few years ago and in the year or so before he was diagnosed he did start eating meat again because he felt so awful. He was fairly sure that whatever was wrong with him was food related, but he didn't know what it was. He had lost a lot of weight and didn't look good for it! He also felt weak and just generally unwell. When he was first diagnosed he also had lactose intolerance, but now that his gut has healed he is OK again with lactose. My understanding is that this is quite common, so you may well find you have the same result.

The IBS type symptoms might be relieved too, when your gut starts to heal.

He only eats meat occasionally, usually when we are out. I don't cook it for him and tbh he's too lazy to do it himself .

How about starting off with some fish?

You should have had a referral to a dietician tbh after your dignoses- they could help you with suggestions- it must be a bit crap for you eating the same thing every day and not knowing what else to eat. Can you access a dietician through your GP?

I starting eating meat after 15 years! had unbelievable cravings during my second pregnancy.Started off with chicken and fish only for about a year and my tummy was fine (although I've no health conditions or allergies) opened up a whole new world of meal options! I've have since tried a little red meat- Which I thought would make me ill after all this time but it was fine although tbh I don't really like it so have eaten very little. Loving the White meat and fish though. I do feel really guilty that I've let my values/beliefs/principles go. Hth

Consider how serious the reactions to the foods are, so that you can try to reintroduce some of them again so that you get more of a balanced diet. I don't process wheat that well but find that Rice and Oats are fine.
Have you tried different milk to Cows milk? For example, Soya milk, Goats Milk, Sheep Milk.

An orange for breakfast is not enough. What foods can you eat? Eggs? - That's an omelette, which you could have with cherry tomatoes, some sort of potato (fried slices of previously boiled potato for example) with baked beans (a gluten free variety, Heinz Baked Beans in Tomato sauce are gluten free).

You could add a rasher of bacon to that, if you wanted to start introducing meat. You may find it easier to cut the bacon up into small pieces and mix it into the beans.

My sister was a strict vegetarian for years, but was advised by her gp to introduce a bit of meat to her diet for certain reasons.

She did start eating meat, but researched where she bought it from, to make sure it was all free-range/ethically produced.

Her energy levels are much higher since eating meat.

Someone else suggested you should see a dietician - I think you should as well. If you are not wanting to eat meat, they should be able to come up with suitable alternatives that will suit you.

go and see a nutritionist or dietician.

There are still lost of things you can eat.

I think a lot of Thai food is low in fat, vegetarian, non wheat and it´s all dairy free! You can leave the chilli out. Treat yourelf to a good Thai cookbook (or search online)

You can also eat pulses, can´t you? Make yourself a lovely Dal (lentils, coconut milk, tomatoes, some tumeric)or if you cannot digest pulses, do a bit more with your potatoes. Roast with garlic, thyme and olive oil. Aubergine bake with tomato sauce (no cheese).

Rice, rice noodles, lots of glutenfree pasta around.

Snack on popcorn. Use almonds (blend with water) or coconut for making creamy sauces.

Maybe some fish? Eggs? (omelets)

good luck!

I know you have suffered ill health/ v. restricted diet but all I can think is that you must be so slim.

You are absolutely not being unreasonable. I was diagnosed with IBS 8 years ago. At the time I was vegetarian and I think that may have contributed to it. I went back to eating meat and found my symptoms got a lot better. I was veggie for 4 years. I think it may be because meat is slower to digest, so it seemed to slow things down with my digestion which is what I needed.

You don't have to eat meat every day. What about eating free range meat once a week to begin with? Give it a few weeks and if you don't get on with it then you can go back to being a full vegetarian.

If as someone else suggested you sourced ethically produced meat maybe you wouldn't feel so bad?

I'd advise against starting with red meat as that can be a bit much on the tummy if you haven't had it for a while but you should be OK with a bit of chicken. How about fish?

I don't understand why you don't eat a full spectrum of fruits and veggies?

Perhaps you are low in B12, that could account for your tiredness. I believe that the body can't get this from non animal sources. Its possible to have a B12 injection though.

Your menu isn't helping one bit. Get a vegan cookbook and get a bit more adventurous. You can have houmous on your jacket potato, can't you?

I haven't eaten dairy in over ten years, and there is plenty of variety and options available.

As a grain, I think quinoa is your saviour. It's delicious, versatile, easy to cook, and mega-high in protein. Also, learn how to be more versatile with how you cook tofu.

Check out your freefrom range at your local supermarket for foods that don't contain wheat etc. Can you use gluten-free flour - if so, get baking and experimenting.

Join a support group and learn more about what you can and can't eat. www.coeliac.org.uk/

And as someone else said, eat more variety with your fruit and vegetables. And what about nuts?

And go see a nutritionist. I don't know where you are based, but you can find a vegetarian one no doubt, or a sympathetic meat-eating one, who will help you find ways to stay vegetarian and not have to compromise your ethics.

have you looked at the SCD diet

www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/beginners_guide/beginners.htm

www.scdiet.org/

I think meat is very important and also animal fats