I want to start today’s entry by sharing an email that I received the other day:
Thank you for [your article on vegan diet dangers.]
I hope there is a part II on how to convert to a diet with meat after prolonged veganism.
I read somewhere that the system may experience problems accommodating meat after being on a vegan diet for too long.
I hardly ate meat not because I wanted to be on some kind of vegan diet but because it isn’t convenient for me to get quality organic meat.
Since I haven’t been eating meat regularly for a few years, I get sick these days whenever I eat meat because my body gets very acidic from the meat.
If I use the oven to cook red meat or beef liver, it is almost guaranteed that I’ll have liver heat/fire. Fish is better but it is still dicey. Don’t know if this is an effect of aging or long-term diets without animal meat.
Did you experience any problems when you first introduced meat back into your diet?
First, thanks to SS for emailing. For more than a dozen years now, I’ve received an email or two most weeks from struggling vegans as well as ex-vegans, and I’m always happy to write about my experience as an ex-vegan.
Going from a strict vegan to a partial carnivore in 1999 when I returned eggs into my diet was quite easy for me.
You see, back in 1999, I’d been dreaming about eating eggs for weeks.
But from years of reading and vegan indoctrination I’d swallowed hook, line, and sinker the idea that if I ever again ate ANY kind of animal food I would break out in huge hives before puking my guts out.
Well, I was young and bold then, so I decided to test the vegan wisdom [sic] by consuming a soft-boiled egg that I’d just prepared.
Lo and behold, the first bite of that egg tasted like nectar of the Gods.
It’s been more than ten years now since eating that egg, and I can still vividly recall how wonderful it tasted.
It was like my body was saying, “Finally, you fool. You’re finally feeding me something I really need again.”
Before I finished that first egg, I was already boiling a few more.
I ate five of them before my body kind of signaled “Stop, that’s enough.”
So I stopped and took time to evaluate how I felt.
I felt great!
No upset stomach, no hives, no puking, and only a little bit of guilt.
You see, I realized in that moment of crystal insight the foolishness I’d engaged in for so long of reading and listening to vegan gurus and buying as complete truth the vegan thinking they promoted.
Instead of listening to them, I realized the only authority I should listen to was the real expert on my body: MY BODY itself.
That’s some background of my vegan to carnivore journey.
Moving to the present time, with my latest experiment in Stone Age eating, I’ve had minimal transitional problems.
Indeed, going from a predominantly plant-based diet with 5 to 15% animal foods to a diet that’s currently 60% fat, 30% protein, and 10% carbs has been one of the easiest dietary transitions I’ve ever made.
The first four days were a bit tricky because I was hankering after the grains and carbs I’d been so addicted to for so long, but once that passed, eating mainly animal fats and proteins has been glorious.
So, for me, the transition to full-blown Aging Boomer carnivore has been quite successful as well as very interesting as well as easy.
That appears to be the case for other ex-vegans as well.
In researching this vegan to carnivore topic, I stumbled on an interesting website a few nights ago — Rhys Southan’s fascinating, informative, and entertaining LetThemEatMeat.com.
The site features numerous interviews with ex-vegans. I didn’t read every interview, but I read quite a few of them and I think I’m safe in saying that most of the interviewees had no problems when they returned animal foods back into their diets.
Well, that’s enough about that.
I hope any ex-vegans who read today’s entry will take a few minutes and reply to this post by commenting below and sharing their experience when going from vegan to carnivore.
Chet
Hello Chet,
I’m happy to have found your blog and website. I was a vegan for about five years and a vegetarian for ten so altogether fifteen years of no meat.
I was experiencing some health problems such as being cold and dry (I live in a climate with a cold winter), fatigue and some aches in the joints. An Ayurvedic Physician told me to go have a spicy beef stew at a local Thai restaurant (wouldn’t work for everyone but based on my condition was the perfect thing).
That first bite was heaven. I felt like I reentered my body after floating for many years.
A good book on traditional cultures and the necessity of some meat for the human body is Nourishing Traditions by Sally Falon.
I have also studied the classical Ayurvedic texts such as Charaka Samhita and found that to be very helpful too.
The only culture that comes close to veganism is the South Indians and they have one of the shortest life spans. (Many people mistakingly teach that Ayurveda means vegetarian due to this cultural influence-not true).
Mostly I listen to my body and eat accordingly. My diet now has a lot more good quality fats and several servings of organic meat per week and I feel a lot better.
I think any problems that happen with transitioning may be due to meat not being prepared in a way that suits the digestion of the individual and a weakening of the digestion in general from improper diet for the person’s constitution and condition. Some people may need to transition with brothy soups and stews and one pot meals to begin with but that would have to be determined on an individual basis.
Certain herbs and spices also aid in digestion so cooking becomes an art that will vary depending on the needs of each individual and will change as the digestion and condition changes. Thanks for all the info on your site!
Sophie, thank you for your thoughtful and informative comment. Great reading!
Chet
Just last nite I decided that I was going on a diet of protein, veggies and water and today I find this piece thru my email. Thanks for confirming what I finally concluded is the right diet for me
Hi Chet,
Interesting reading. So, the human body is made to eat/need meat. Our intestines are longer than obligate carnivores, but shorter than herbivores. We have canine teeth, as well as grinding teeth. So, eat organic meats, more healthy organic (maybe grow them ourselves) veggies, drink clean water and don’t sweat the smaller stuff!
Thanks for great information,
CJ Strehle
CJ, you nailed all that right on the nose!
Chet
Hi Chet:
Love your articles! Don’t you mean that you are a “Diverse Omnivore” rather than a “Carnivore”? (Meaning that you eat veggies and fruits etc. along with your meat)?
Sarah, that’s precisely what I meant!
Chet
My wife and I renewed a subscription to Vegetarian Times recently—it has probably been 20 yrs since we last read it. We were both surprised to see that the overwhelming emphasis was on veganisn. This apparently is the “way to go” for people who say they are vegetarian. How disappointing! Yet another fad is taking people astray, depriving them of enjoyable eating and optimal health.Foods from dairy sources and eggs,when taken in moderation and from organic sources, are beneficial to ones’ health. The test is always this,what cultures,what people have lived long vigorous lives following a vegan diet? Add the rawfood diet to that while you’re at it. For me, I don’t eat meat because I don’t like the idea of killing animals to obtain my food. It just seems to be incredibly cruel. If you have watched how animals of the same species interact with each other you will see that they are more than just dumb beasts with no feelings or attachments.
Dave, there has never been a culture living 100% on a plant-based diet in the history of this planet.
Though I personally think death, cruelty, and destruction are merely yang to life, kindness, and creation’s yin and therefore should be equally accepted as part of what is, I certainly understand the argument for not eating meat because one doesn’t like the idea of killing animals.
In any event we’re on the same page regarding egg. I consider the egg to be nature’s perfect food, and I eat a lot of ‘em
Growing and consuming organic foods was the normal way of life for our forefathers. Most people are not aware that synthetically packaged foods (made with synthetic ingredients and chemicals to prolong the preservation process) only came around in the mid 1900s. Today, lots of smart consumers have returned to this healthier practice of eating fresh and organically grown foods where the production process is devoid of non-organic pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides.
Thank you , I love to read about other vegetarians and vegans as it gives me the strength to continue. I have about a thousand vegetarian feeds in my google reader, but another can’t hurt!! I did manage to find a good lentil recipe here, but I’ll be sure to try yours too. Thanks!