My diet wasn't always super interesting up until the past few months. I am now a dairy free vegetarian with a sensitivity to bell peppers and soy (just found that out this week)... this time last year I was a meat eating cheese chewing girl with a love for all things sweet. So how did I get here? Well interestingly enough none of it was really a total choice for me, my body told me what I should and shouldn't be eating; as it should I suppose.
I had never been a big fan of red meat, whenever my dad made it for dinner (and by the way his cooking is phenomenal) I used to feel bloated and icky for the next little while. It was never bad enough to stop eating it when I was younger but it began to be a larger problem around November last year. When the stomach pain and icky feelings kept happening I decided enough was enough and gave up meat all together. To some that may sound incredibly difficult but for me it was no biggie. I had been a vegetarian a few times in my life and it was something I was used to working around. Being a vegetarian before was strictly because I didn't agree with the meat industry or the treatment of animals, now that is mostly a motivator to stick with it for my sake and for the sake of animals and the Earth.
Milk however was much much harder for me. Still is because of how new it is right now. Anyone who really knows me knows how much I love cheese, I stopped drinking milk forever ago but cheese? Cheese was my best friend. But after the last time I ate it and immediately felt ill and had a lot of pain I knew I could never go back. Now that I've been off it for a few weeks I feel 100 times better. I am even sleeping better! It was like a miracle. I stopped being too sick to go into school and actually felt like a normal human being again.
Soy... goodbye soy. It again upsets my stomach, and after doing some research it looks like it's all GMO's now and really not that good for you anyway. Guess that's done too.
So what do I eat? Anything I can that has at least some nutrients. Beans, lentils, veggies, fruits, eggs.. let's just hope I never have to give up gluten!!
One thing no one really prepares you for when you're someone with an allergy or food sensitivity is the social issues you will run into. I'm not talking just about meat or dairy, I mean any food allergies that are commonly used foods in our western diet. I challenge you to walk into any grocery store look at how many things contain either meat, dairy, or soy and look and the things that don't... now try to make a nutritional meal that will cover the bases and sounds satisfying.
I've now taken to reading online menus for any restaurant we want to go to, to make sure they even serve food I'll be able to eat, it's difficult to find a non-meat dish that is dairy and soy free also. Pasta is my saving grace. The worst is being invited for dinner at someone's home and feeling terrible that they now have to scramble just as badly as you are to figure out what you can eat. Especially when it comes to my parents, when you grow up in a household with a loving Italian chef who puts his heart and soul into anything he makes it's hard to look at him and tell him you can't eat it... it's the best food ever too. It's also difficult to offer to just bring your own food as that may come off as rude. Sometimes I can't think of anything I want because nothing sounds good to me that I can eat, it feels like I have a set foods I can eat and I'll have to suck it up and eat it even if I don't enjoy it. I am used to having a love affair with food and when you're not happy with your meal on a constant basis it can become really discouraging. I will admit that because of these reasons I have often wondered what it would be like to just give in, grab a cheese burger with people who eat the same food and join in their omnivore ways again. But I can't, my body won't let me and my mind would be ashamed.
Another part of society I don't fully enjoy is the judgement that comes along with being vegetarian. It's like as soon as you say the word some people put their shields up and get really defensive. I just want to make it clear that I'm not bothered by what other people eat, what you put in your body is just as much your choice as it is for what I put in mine for me. The jokes I get are never needed and even though I laugh them off it can hurt sometimes. I just want to feel like myself and that it's okay my body can't deal with some foods.
So what the heck do I eat?... still trying to figure that out, but when I get there I'll let you know. My diet is not going to ruin my quality of life, I will be using this as a motivator to get as healthy as possible!!
-Lauren
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