Former Vegetarians

[Nai]

I don't know if I can help as I was vegetarian, started eating meat again and then reverted back to being vegetarian and have been for the past 20 years.

I moved out of home and lived in a share house so I started eating meat again as it was part of the shared meals etc but my body didn't cope well and I got sick, gained weight etc so it was easy to go back to to being vegetarian.

[Starfish]

I used to be vegetarian for about 7 years, then started eating small amounts of meat for health reasons. When I got pregnant I craved meat. It was the only thing that didn't make me throw up (very odd, as when I was vegetarian it was the opposite, i.e. the mere thought of eating something like a steak would make me feel sick).

I think humans were designed to be omnivores, so I don't think that there is anything ethically or morally wrong with eating meat (like the OP we try and source all meat we eat to make sure that it is all free range).

[Jellyfish]

I was a vegetarian basically my entire life until I fell pregnant with DD1 at 20. When I was pregnant, I craved meat constantly and thought I should listen to my body. I now eat a select few types of meat but we often have vegetarian meals. I'm not sure what the future holds for me yet as I said I would re-evaluate after breastfeeding had finished and well, still going there!

[LionsandBears]

I was vegetarian for 10 years - from 17 to 27. It started with me nearly throwing up at the smell of pork. I first gave up red meat. Mum wouldnt let me give up all meat in Year 12 so I had chicken and fish . Once that was over, I gave it all up.

I was never a good vegetarian. I never took an interest in nutrition or how to balance things. I now know, based on issues with gut health & other things, that it probably caused me long term damage. I turned back when I started craving roast lamb. I tried to stop myself, but one day, my then bf & I were out eating. I looked at my vegetarian dish and reached over to his roast chicken and devoured it Before too long, I was eating my steak medium rare. I still havent eaten roast pork but trying it again is on my things to do list.

I recently read something - that veganism is good for detoxing and cleansing, which is why it can help with cancer. But for long term health, we need meat, specifically animal fats.

[meow]

I think humans were designed to be omnivores, so I don't think that there is anything ethically or morally wrong with eating meat

While I agree with this my qualifying but has always been "unless you can be perfectly healthy without it". So I never begrudged a nomad who eats what he kills etc, but I did feel that those of us in the western world with plenty of healthy vegetarian options available to us had a moral obligation to leave the poor animals alone (particularly since they are often factory farmed). I no longer believe that our family at least (and pretty much the majority of people) can be truly healthy without consuming animal products of some form.

When I was pregnant, I craved meat constantly and thought I should listen to my body.

That's interesting! From a life-long vegetarian I'm amazed you went with your cravings like that. I craved fish something chronic in both my pregnancies and I fought it. I barely supplemented omega in my first pregnancy too and part of my son's autism has absolutely been caused by an omega deficiency. Wish I'd followed my cravings!

I recently read something - that veganism is good for detoxing and cleansing, which is why it can help with cancer. But for long term health, we need meat, specifically animal fats.

Dr Natasha just wrote a blog on this too! She says veganism should only ever be a short term diet as it is essentially a 'starvation diet'. You can feel great on it for a while as you cleanse but eventually you need to enter a phase of 'feeding'.

I didn't feel at all like I was unhealthy as a vegetarian though I was mindful that we ate a lot of full fat dairy and eggs and I think that helps. But since I started eating meat I suddenly didn't want to eat ANY beans or lentils and all I wanted was lots of meat with lots of sea salt on it. Craving minerals!

[Ginger]

im subscribing. sorry, don't have time to reply now but i was a strict vegetarian for 15 years and have been eating meat for the last 3 years. will come back and explain why later!

[lise]

I was vegetarian for years, but was told by my GP that I just HAD to start eating red meat. Like LionsandBears, I was a bad vegetarian - I didn't really substitute foods well and basically just ate what DH ate but without the meat. One of my issues is that i'm allergic to most raw fruits and vegetables, as well as nuts, chickpeas and other vegetarian friendly foods, but my biggest problem is that I have a B12 deficiency. I've been tested for all sorts of things and doctors can't find a reason for it, but even with supplements and/or injections i'm fairly low so my GP said I HAD TO EAT RED MEAT!

I struggled big time when I started eating meat again, took my body some time to get used to it and psychologically it took ages (I was also a vegetarian for ethical reasons). Even now I probably don't eat as much red meat as I 'should', and I am very selective about what i'll eat. Having said that I can't imagine going back to a vegetarian diet as i'm just too limited with my allergies.