Comments on: Recovering from Vegetarianism

By: Michael

Michael — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:45:53 +0000

Hi I am a 27-year-old man, and want to share my story. I was raised as a vegetarian for 19 years. However we did eat fish, eggs and dairy products in my family. I lived this lifestyle since I was 2 years old and first when I was 21 I was mentally able to break that habit. It was very hard to quit vegetarinism because I was programmed to think that meat was uneatable. In my mind it was non-food just as we all know that sand, stones etc. are not meant to enter the mouth.

Throughout my life I have always been smaller in size compared to people of similar age. I have always looked min. 5 years younger than my age. I have never suffered from any serious diseases, and I have a healthy body, and an above average IQ. However, I think the lack of growth caused by vegetarism has caused me disadvantages in social life, and I would strongly advise against any parents raising their kids as vegetarians, or even worse, as vegans. I think I excel in most areas of life, but I cannot influence my height anymore. Therefore I would caution against anyone feeding their children with this damaging estrogen rich food for prolonged periods. Soya is evil.

If any of you readers have recovered succesfully from vegetarism, also in adult life, please tell how you did. It is very difficult to find reliable information on this subject. Please share your stories too. Michael

By: Amy

Amy — Sun, 04 May 2008 12:44:08 +0000

Thanks Lacey. I will get into the book a lot more than I’ve been doing.

By: Lacey

Lacey — Sun, 04 May 2008 06:33:37 +0000

Amy, I think that the ‘NT’ protocols would be considered anything traditional that has been done for ages. Things like fermented foods, raw milks, bone broths, soaked beans and grains, full fat creams and yogurts, organic vegetables and fruit, raw honeys and real maple syrup and the like. I think it also means staying away from processed foods and grains, preservatives and boxed meals. If you read the entire NT book, it’s explained well. Sally goes into great detail about diet and preparing food aside from just for a meal.

By: Amy

Amy — Sat, 03 May 2008 10:34:58 +0000

Many times I’ve seen people say that their health has changed since following the NT protocols. I am a loss as to what this really means. Does it mean following the recipes and the literature written in the book or is there something that I am missing?
I do have the book and would love to follow its suggestions and implications but I just would like to know if there are other suggestions.

By: Clarence Gaston, LCCN

Clarence Gaston, LCCN — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:47:27 +0000

Mary
I know what you mean. To watch good friends destroy their health, and their family’s health in the name of vegetarianism is painful. All the information that you can give them to the contrary is ignored, and this is even after they experience many problems with their health. I guess we should pray that things will work out right for them in the long run. Somewhere they are missing the mark because if they are food combining properly they should not be having so many health problems. I wonder if they are following a vegan lifestyle because of spiritual reasons or health reasons. If it’s for spiritual reasons then they are commited to their belief and the suffering they experience for some reason is justified. These are the consequences they accept.
Peace, joy, love, health, happiness.
Clancy

By: Mary

Mary — Fri, 02 May 2008 12:11:01 +0000

I have watched a vegetarian friend raise her family as vegetarians over some ten years. All children were on soy formula from an early age. All have experienced learning delays well up into the primary school years (which they are still in) despite both parents being university educated and really involved with the kids. They are repeatedly breaking limbs, so often it is amazing. One got chicken pox a few years back, which most children breeze thorugh, and ended up almost dying of it, in hospital fighting for her life for weeks. One has thyroid problems, as a young child, and is always seeing specialists about it (no one has suggested a diet of soy). Whenever they stay with us they refuse anything with meat or milk, say they can’t even eat cheese (although they can eat corn chips with fake cheese on it). They say they love salads, and when I serve them, they don’t eat them. They bring with them their own fake soy sausages (TSP - Sanitarium) every time. It’s a typical example of meat avoidance but no replacement of nutriational food in any form. I lent their mtoehr Kayla Daniel’s book on Soy, to no avail. It is very sad seeing my kid’s friends from a loving family destroying their health. Not a good advertisement for vegetarianism.
Mary

By: Lisa Z

Lisa Z — Fri, 02 May 2008 09:17:28 +0000

Thanks for this article! I am trying to get “back on track” with my NT foods. I was starting to eat too many grains again and feeling it in my gut and bones and moods and uterus/ovaries. Time for some bone broths and cod liver oil again!

And yes, I was mostly vegetarian for ten years because my husband was when we got married. It did a lot of damage to my health. Sorry to say.

By: Cathy Mifsud

Cathy Mifsud — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 23:51:15 +0000

Dear Kathleen,
what makes you so sure in your veganism beliefs that you can confidently bring up your children as vegans when this is a modern way of living? No peoples in history lived on such a diet. What about Weston Price’s research, what do you think about his findings? Do you think he had alterior motives?
Do you know of any vegans that have watched their vegan children grow to then have their own children? Has this ever happened?
We know from Weston Price that people did thrive continuosly from generation to generation on their native diets which all included animal foods. There is no risk in feeding a child organic raw dairy or organic bone broth / organs because we know for fact that these foods are nutritious. It seems a risk too great in raising a child on vegan foods only.
I was once vegan for 12 years so I have personal experience. I honestly wish I trusted the inherent knowledge of my maltese family when they showed concern for me as I deteriorated before their eyes. I didn’t see at the time how narrow mindedf I’d become. I try to keep open mind these days. Look forward to hearing from you,
Cathy.

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 02:33:45 +0000

Hello again!
Thanks to Cathy for having the courage to talk about her experiences. The world we live in is a vast and unending series of events and environments which all take us down different paths in life. I cannot answer all of Cathy’s questions as I would be here all day and night! However, Cathy, I understand your fears, but the answer to all fears is to do your own research. Don’t let hearsay and rumors make your decisions or guide you in one set direction. Find out for yourself who is funding these studies you speak of. Who is writing the articles? Are they merely a spokesperson for the meat or dairy industry in disguise? What I would say as a Vegan is, that there is nutrition in meat and dairy products, but is it the best form of nutrition you can get? Is the calcium that one gets from milk the best form of calcium for us? Is there a better, more easily digested form in a non-dairy food source?
The debate can be endless and we could go back and forth forever. My best piece of advice to you and indeed anyone when making choices about their health, is to read widely, check the backgrounds of the people making unusual claims (ie: their previous work history and/or publicly stated beliefs)and if in doubt, consult a health practitioner who can assist you to make good choices. Don’t go it alone! In our country, we have open to us, qualified health practitioners from every part of the globe. Be it Western, European, Asian, and so on. We are lucky. Use them and you will feel more confident to speak to your friends when they talk about such rumors. Thanks again Cathy and don’t worry about my little ones. They run me out with their boundless energy, endless questions about our wonderful planet, great health….and….big smiles through perfectly straight white teeth!!!!!!!!

By: Cathy Mifsud

Cathy Mifsud — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 02:56:57 +0000

Dear Kathleen
I just deleted a HUGE letter to you about my life. Thought I’d spare you my life story and keep it simple.
Veganism didn’t work for me. I feel it damaged me. I will be forever great full to Ralph Moser for handing me New Dawn - Stephen Byrnes ” Myths of Vegetarianism” and Ann Burger for recommending I read ” Nourishing Traditions”.
I feel for your family because the examples of veganism I have seen and hear about through friends, especially in the little ones is not good. It includes delayed developement and rotting teeth. I have read articles, one from ” Kindred Mag ” that a study on American vegan children showed an average IQ much lower compared to meat eating kids. They also had more health issues. I’ve read the Vegan Sociaty’s websites and found some of the food it promoted eating to be dead and toxic.
If you are healthy why do you need a western style doctor? If you are healthy why did you need a hospital and drugs to birth your children? How are your vegan friends little ones going, how are their teeth and developement? A vegan 21 month old boy I know has browning teeth and no words. What unbiased information led you down this vegan path? Please consider reading other unbiased info like the research work of Dr Weston Price because your childrens health and the health of their children largely depends on you.
It would be nice to hear from you again. Kind regards, Cathy.