I attempted to go vegetarian twice.
Different motives lied behind these radical lifestyle changes. The first time, weight loss forums tricked me into believing that ditching animal products would grant me a body of a Victoria's Secret model. The second, I adjusted my diet for a Californian skater I was dating at the time. He double majored in French and Philosophy and was an animal rights activist.
Each time, I slid down the Body Mass Index table and into 24 size jeans. The number on the scale sank. So did my bust, waist and hips ratios, itching my girlfriends' self-esteem and causing my mother to frown. Unbought beef steaks and fish fillets in the supermarket applauded my determination.
What these attempts had in common is that they failed.
I balanced on the verge of triumph when everything collapsed.
My resolution to stick to a plant-based diet made my vegetarian boyfriend happy — not sure if the animals I could have eaten but didn't share his enthusiasm. Yet it had a detrimental effect on my health. Animal slaughter-free thinness came with the bonus of muscle cramps and soreness, brittle nails, and limp, dull hair. I felt down and depressed for no apparent reason and lost the drive to move forward with my academic career.
What did I do wrong? — Everything, as I didn't do my research.
Good nutrition is the key to mental and physical well-being. However, newbies tend to underestimate the complexity of a balanced vegetarian diet. Whether it is for ideological or health reasons, many people who decide to go vegetarian fail to fully educate themselves on the topic, thus causing themselves more harm than good.
Although a diet free from animal products was approved by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as nutritionally adequate and healthy, it doesn't consist in cutting back the variety of foods you eat. In fact, becoming vegetarian implies quite the reverse.
An inappropriately planned vegetarian diet can lack essential nutrients, such as iron, protein, calcium, zinc, vitamins B12 and D. These are the nutrients that can't be synthesized by the human body and must be extracted from food or dietary supplements. Their deficiency can lead to health problems I experienced first-hand in the past.
If you consider going plant-based, remember to consult your treating doctor beforehand. A balanced vegetarian diet offers plenty of health benefits but is prohibited to those suffering from certain medical conditions, such as colitis or pancreatitis.
Nutrition is a science that can't be mastered in haste. That's why you must educate yourself on the topic: familiarize yourself with books and articles about vegetarianism, watch educational documentaries. Be cautious with your daily intake and make sure to fulfill your nutritional needs. You might need to complement your diet with vitamins and dietary supplements to thrive.
Prepare for detox symptoms, including fatigue and headache, mood swings, trouble sleeping, and, in some cases, acne or skin rashes. However, they don't mean that vegetarianism isn't suited for you — your body is just adjusting to the dietary change.
Last but not least, if you decide to go vegetarian, do it for the sake of your own principles and well-being. Don't give up animal products only because your meat-free friends or significant other pressure you to. Listen to your body and treat it in accordance with its needs.
