In late 2015 and early 2016, I decided to be vegetarian full time. This came after a year of me forgetting to eat meat and a friend guiding me to the realization that I had only been eating meat when I visited home or my parents visited me. Being fully vegetarian, I no longer struggled with eczema, didn’t pass out during that time of the month, and didn’t get the “itis” after meals. I learned about new foods and my cooking skills quadrupled. I love being vegetarian.
Unfortunately, I’ve been struggling with iron deficiency anemia since 2014. Doctors have been flabbergasted by my low iron levels and lack of progress after taking iron supplements. Since I moved a lot, each doctor would try the same things contesting that I didn’t know what I was talking about. Last year, a doctor actually listened to the history and sent me to a hematologist. It turns out I have a hemoglobin C trait and perhaps a touch of Thalessemia… In the common tongue, only 60% of my red blood cells are normal functioning cells. My body is struggling to process iron. In the last couple of years, I have been experiencing an increase in headaches, lethargy, and lack of focus. The combination has effected my ability to do my best at work and on the blog (if you’ve been following PSALMS to God, you’ve noticed the inconsistency). All three are symptoms of iron deficiency.
While most plant sources are actually more plentiful in iron, plant based iron is harder to process than meat based iron. For that reason, I have decided to give beef a try once again. 😟 This week I tried ground beef for the first time in 7 years. I didn’t get sick. It tastes the way I remember. It felt weird…
I do not plan to eat meat on a regular basis, nor continue if it does not improve my iron situation.
