I drank the vegan Kool-Aid, so to speak, and revamped my entire diet. I got myself a fantastic juicer, made smoothies as meal replacements, found filling protein from avocados, and replaced my grilled chicken and veggie dinners with lentils and kale. Often when people gain weight from a vegetarian diet, it’s because they’ve replaced meat with refined starches, processed foods, and sweets. But I’d been careful to not do that. Not only was I uncomfortable, but I also became terribly embarrassed and insecure about my appearance. Given my medical history, when my body changes so drastically, it’s very difficult to not panic and assume the worst. I tried to manage my fears and, rather than dialing my oncologist, I looked at what I was doing in my daily life that could lead to these awful side effects. Before drastically re-introducing meat back into my diet, I did some research on vegetarianism. Having read various articles and speaking with people who’d had similar experiences, I decided to safely add lean meats back into my diet. Within one week of adding free range, organic, grass fed chicken back into my diet, I lost four pounds and felt much less bloated. My new problem became that I truly believe in the health benefits of plant-based diets, not only for my own health, but also for the environment. How could I stick to my beliefs and my newfound principles, while also making sure that I was giving my body the nutrition it was craving? I’m not a nutritionist or a doctor, but I do like to make educated decisions regarding my mind, my body and my impact on the environment. I’ve found that keeping myself open to the suggestions of others, reading up on nutritional trends, and making smart, safe, and manageable decisions is the best way to go.
