Digesting Meat After Being Vegetarian

[kbtoyssni]

I've been vegetarian for five years and have recently started eating some meat because I've read that a lot of people feel better when they do. Well, it turns out I do, too, at least most of the time. I have no problems eating chicken or turkey. I have eaten pork a few times without a problem, but the other day I had ham and had awful stomach cramps/gas/D, etc. I had ground beef a few weeks ago and threw up after it. I know you stop making the meat-digesting enzymes after being veggie for a while, do you think this could be the problem? Is pork/beef higher in whatever enzyme I can't digest than chicken and turkey? How long does it take for your body to start producing these enzymes again?

A side note because I know all you dilegent gluten-finding people will ask, lol I am 99.9% certain this wasn't from gluten. Both times I ate this stuff at my gluten-free home (I live alone) and I got meat that said gluten-free on the package.

[tarnalberry]

It could be, depending on how much of each you ate. It could also be that the ham didn't sit well with you, or you weren't used to the fat content of the ground beef - both of those things can cause some nausea for me, depending on how things are cooked.

[AndreaB]

A side note because I know all you dilegent gluten-finding people will ask, lol I am 99.9% certain this wasn't from gluten. Both times I ate this stuff at my gluten-free home (I live alone) and I got meat that said gluten-free on the package.

Yep, I was going to ask that , especially with the ham.

I had read it takes time for the body to start back with the enzymes too. We didn't have any problems going back to meat.

I don't know why you would react to just those. I was going to say that baby food typically has turkey or chicken added to it, but my husband told me they also have ham dinners, so the theory that chicken and turkey must be easier to digest may not be accurate. It could be a possibility though. How about trying one of those again in a couple weeks and see how you do.

[daffadilly]

I do not know about the enzymes, but I do know that my sister and I that have DQ1 cannot eat beef, it gives us a stomach ache, not sure of the reason, but with the horror stories of beef I am happy not to eat it.

With the ham I would say it was likely all the additives in the ham that was the problem...

I would say to stick to things like chicken, turkey, salmon, shrimp, talapia(fish), tuna, and occasional pork, I do okay with pork roast and pork chops. But I have a funny thing about pork, I always eat cabbage with it, either cooked, or in slaw, I am not sure why... I also like baked sweet potatoes with pork chops.

of course a lobster every now & then is a good thing also

[Guest cassidy]

I was a partial vegetarian for 17 years. I would go through stages where I would eat chicken and turkey but I never ate pork or beef the whole time. One day a friend was eating a steak and it looked good and I asked for a bite. I liked it and ate it several times with no problems at all. Now that I'm pregnant I can't stand to eat any meat but I might try it again.

So, maybe people have different experiences but I didn't have a problem going back to meat.

[Felidae]

I eat very little meat an fish, maybe once or twice a week. I buy organic meat and the only kind that doesn't agree with me is beef. I'm not sure why.

[loraleena]

I did this 3 years ago. No problems with chicken, turkey, fish. I do not want to eat red meat or pork. I do know that pork is extremely bad for you. It is a very toxic meat since it comes from animals that eat junk. I would avoid it. You can probably read more about it online. I would stick to free range organic meats as well.

[Felidae]

I did this 3 years ago. No problems with chicken, turkey, fish. I do not want to eat red meat or pork. I do know that pork is extremely bad for you. It is a very toxic meat since it comes from animals that eat junk. I would avoid it. You can probably read more about it online. I would stick to free range organic meats as well.

I visited and had a tour of an organic farm this summer and let me tell you, the pigs were eating better than many people I know. They eat an organic blend of grains (I can't remember the ingredients, but there were only two) and the organic grasses in the fields that they live in. It was really cool to see. The farmer even ate the grains himself because they are human-grade grains.

I agree large, commercial farms where the pigs are kept indoors have completely different feed, etc. It really depends on what you buying.

[Budew]

I've been vegetarian for 30 years. I am proud of it. I hate to give it up just because it is so much a part of me. Lately I am considering chicken, trying to get past feeling bad for the chicken and the folks who had to kill it for me. I know for me free range organic would be a must.

Did adding back meat make you feel better, or just make the diet easier?

[kbtoyssni]

I am buying free-range organic meat. I don't think I could eat it otherwise. I don't have a moral problem with it if the animals are treated well.

I started eating it again because someone suggested it might make me feel better and it does. I still feel a little guilty when I eat meat, but the health benefits are definitely obvious. It's the one food that I can honestly say I feel full after. When I don't eat meat, I stop eating because I think I feel full - either because I think I've had enough or my stomach is just done with wanting me to put more food in it. It's a hard feeling to explain, but I think after so many years of my stomach being messed up, I've lost touch with my body's hunger signals and when I eat meat is the only time I feel like those hunger signals are functioning properly.

The part that I'm having the most trouble with is when I go out to eat. Obviously eating meat at a restaurant makes things so much easier, but I know it's not free-range so there's a definite internal struggle going on there.

[Budew]

I was thinking organic free range chicken broth might be a start.

Do they make such a thing?

I know what you mean about messed up hunger responses. Never hungry, never full.

It is not a moral thing with me either. Monfort meat was in the same town I went to college. The workers went on strike because of the mental anguish of working the kill line. I have trouble getting over that someone has to do the job. I feel bad when I kill a bug. I know I couldn't kill a chicken and have a hard time getting over the poor worker who does and what it may do to them.

[AndreaB]

I was on either a vegan or vegetarian diet for about 9 years. Just went back to eating meat as I'm intolerant to the veggie protein. I only buy the free range stuff, 100% grass fed. I order from Open Original Shared Link. For fish I order from Vital Choices. There is a link to them from uswellness. We find their fish far superior to any we've had before.

I find that I stay full longer if I eat animal protein. I only eat 2 meals a day most times so that is a good thing for me anyway.

Either pacific or imagine foods make a free range chicken broth.

[jerseyangel]

Pacific makes the free range broth (regular and low-sodium)--and it's very good!

[Budew]

You are so good. I checked it out already. My local grocer carries Pacific free range organic chicken broth.

Deep breath. I hope people don't think less of me for not being vegetarian, but desperate times bring on desperate measures. I think I can do this.

[jerseyangel]

You are so good. I checked it out already. My local grocer carries Pacific free range organic chicken broth.

Deep breath. I hope people don't think less of me for not being vegetarian, but desperate times bring on desperate measures. I think I can do this.

Of course no one will think any less of you! We want you to be healthy and happy--you do what you need to to make that happen.

No one answer is right for everyone--and sometimes even the best things for us change from time to time.

I know you can do this--try, and go from there. Listen to your body!

[AndreaB]

Deep breath. I hope people don't think less of me for not being vegetarian, but desperate times bring on desperate measures. I think I can do this.

Why would anyone think bad of you? You need to do what is necessary to maintain your health. I've had people question why God did this to us, our church promotes the vegetarian lifestyle. I don't see it the same way they do.

Take baby steps as needed, as you feel comfortable. Please don't let others put you down.

[Felidae]

I am buying free-range organic meat. I don't think I could eat it otherwise. I don't have a moral problem with it if the animals are treated well.

The part that I'm having the most trouble with is when I go out to eat. Obviously eating meat at a restaurant makes things so much easier, but I know it's not free-range so there's a definite internal struggle going on there.

I totally agree with you.

[Kody]

I've been vegetarian for five years and have recently started eating some meat because I've read that a lot of people feel better when they do. Well, it turns out I do, too, at least most of the time. I have no problems eating chicken or turkey. I have eaten pork a few times without a problem, but the other day I had ham and had awful stomach cramps/gas/D, etc. I had ground beef a few weeks ago and threw up after it. I know you stop making the meat-digesting enzymes after being veggie for a while, do you think this could be the problem? Is pork/beef higher in whatever enzyme I can't digest than chicken and turkey? How long does it take for your body to start producing these enzymes again?

A side note because I know all you dilegent gluten-finding people will ask, lol I am 99.9% certain this wasn't from gluten. Both times I ate this stuff at my gluten-free home (I live alone) and I got meat that said gluten-free on the package.

sorry to go off topic, but how do you make sure your meat is gluten-free? I have boughten my meat at Wal-Mart lately (only place open at 2 am lol), steak, bacon, sausages and how do I tell if they have glutened? I always get the regular plain ones, with no spices or whatever. They seemed gluten-free when I checked the labels, but I am by no means an expert yet. Are they usually?

[BRUMI1968]

I only get gluten-free bacon and ham. Anything with smoke flavor might have gluten. I also buy uncured bacon and uncured ham. These are better for you.

I also only eat grass-fed beef, as far as beef goes. It has a much better omega fatty acid profile (it's all about ratio - how much three to how much six - and grass fed beef is WAY better than corn-fed). Plus, I think it's too ironic for Celics to eat animals that were forced to eat stuff they don't digest naturally. Cows were made to eat one thing and one thing only: grass.

I was veggie (plus fish) for 18 years maybe; then off and on vegan; off and on raw-foodist. But now I'm eating meat more often. I especially like grass-fed hamburger patties with salt and pepper. I do find I do better if I eat them alone...almost like a snack.

Anyway, don't let anyone harass you about eating meat. We are not separate from nature; we are part of it. And our sustinence, be it veggie or not, is all part of the life/death thing. Granted, yucky factory farms shouldn't be part of it at all - but it sounds like you've got that covered.

Good luck.

[waywardsister]

I was a vegetarian for several years and gave it up also - I felt and looked HORRIBLE, and got fat. 'Course I had no idea that I was intolerant to gluten and casein at the time! Anyway, my first meat meal was roast turkey, and I got VIOLENTLY ill. After that it was fine though, I just introduced meats slowly. Maybe steer clear of the heavily processed ones for now, like deli meats etc?

You can buy digestive enzymes. Might help, at least for awhile until your gut gets used to eating meat again.

About digestion rates etc - beef is actually the quickest food to digest. Dr. William Beaumont made a huge study of this in the early 1800's with a guy who had a hole in his stomach - the doc could insert food and remove it to see the rates of digestion. Yeah, eeuuuww. Anyway, beef's gone in about 2 hours; chicken takes slightly longer. Veggies take much, much longer esp. when they're fibrous. My point is your gut isn't used to foods that have such a rapid transit time, so that could cause some upset as well. Your gut is used to having to work much harder to break food down (grains, veg etc).

Also - ever heard of rabbit starvation? If you're not eating enough fat, or only lean meats, you may have digestion issues as well. D is common in this scenario. Don't be afraid of fat

Food for thought! But I'm just some chick on the internet, so...the Weston Price Foundation may have some good info for you, maybe Beyond Veg as well:

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

PS: It's super-easy to make your own broth in a crockpot, and it's a great source of calcium as well.

[kbtoyssni]

sorry to go off topic, but how do you make sure your meat is gluten-free? I have boughten my meat at Wal-Mart lately (only place open at 2 am lol), steak, bacon, sausages and how do I tell if they have glutened? I always get the regular plain ones, with no spices or whatever. They seemed gluten-free when I checked the labels, but I am by no means an expert yet. Are they usually?

I've been buying my meat at the local health food store where I buy all my specialty gluten-free food, and the package says gluten-free right on it. I think it's called Applewood or Applegate Farms. I get the sliced deli meat there since they only sell gluten-free meat. I wouldn't ever buy sliced meat from a mainstreet store due to the risk of CC. This store is very gluten-free-friendly - they even sell gluten-free deli sandwiches.

And thank you everyone for the links. It looks like there's a lot of good information out there, so I'll definitely be reading those.

[Budew]

Too weird.

Vegetarian 30 years and suddenly I craved chicken.

I even ate chicken broth.

Then this morning I started the 20 grams of l-glutimate.

They craving is gone.

Too weird