Been vegetarin for almost 8 years but thinking of eating meat again?!

I don't think this is so much an issue of vegetarianism as it is of self-respect. Do you really want to let the people who are supposed to love and respect you bully you into doing something that you believe is morally wrong? Heck, even if you don't think eating meat is morally wrong anymore, do you really want to show people that you will do something that you really don't want to if they tease or nag you enough? They may think they are being "silly," but it obviously bothers you. Have you tried telling them that they are hurting your feelings?

It is possible that your diet is lacking and that is why you are getting sick and having skin problems. Then again, stress can have the same impact. Are you old enough to help with the shopping? See if Dad will let you take the car and do some shopping. I'm sure he would be glad to have the help if your mom is so ill (sorry about that, by the way). Taking over some of the food preparation duties will have a significant impact on your ability to control what you eat and (hopefully) get more complete nutrition.

If you are in a place where you honestly, in your heart, believe that it is time to quit vegetarianism, then consider trying it. You can get meat from animals that were treated relatively well. If you happen to know a hunter, or someone who raises their own animals for meat, you will probably feel better about eating those animals than ones that were raised on a commercial farm. However, if most of the pressure to quit being vegetarian is coming from outside, and you really do feel like you would be doing something that violated your morals, don't start eating meat. Instead, stick up for yourself. Tell your boyfriend that it bothers you when he "jokes" about vegetarianism because it is an important value for you. Tell your dad that you don't try to pressure him to go vegetarian and would rather he didn't give you a hard time about not eating meat. As I suggested earlier, you should offer to help with the shopping and cooking to make sure that you are getting proper nutrition.

The dry skin could be from the weather/stress, yes. If it is from diet, it is likely because you aren't getting enough water or fat. As for the illness, you could be low in zinc. Vitamin C is also good for the immune system.

Regardless of you eating meat or not the animals are still getting killed in the exact same quantity. Humans are herbivores, we need meat in our diet to survive.
Now do us all a favour and go make a bacon butty, you'll love it.

go ahead, have a ball. double cheeseburgers are delicious, hell i can eat just about anything i want tho i've been skinny since birth lol.

too long.. lost interest.

raw vegetarian... 43 yrs. (soo much for your rant.)

Stuff those dumb people and their jokes.
If you went to India and ate with all the hearty fat men there eating their sumptuous vegetarian meals, you wouldn't hear jokes or jibes.
Also, I doubt wether you'd see your skin was dry and dull.

Maybe you really need to eat different food, like Indian curries or something.
Like seriously, I love Indian food, I've been there four times. Just adopt a diffrent cuisine for a bit.
MEat is vastly overrated, and your skin and body LOVES things like chickpeas, mustard greens, mustrad oi, turmeric and so on, and maybe it's that you haven't gone outside of a comfort eating zone for a bit?

Healthy is nothing to do with eating dead creatures bodies- the nutrients you need are in seeds, nuts, grains, green veg, oils and different spices I bet you have missed.

I think your family is rotten to be so against you, In my opinion that is very rude and very shallow minded.

If you have a poor diet in general, then eating meat is not going to magically make you feel better. You have to make sure your body is getting the right amount of nutrients it needs, whether that be from a vegetarian diet or not. Are you getting enough protein? Eating meat isn't the only solution for that. If you are feeling ill quite often, then I suggest seeing your doctor, and getting some blood work done.

About the comments, just tell them to back off if it bothers you so much. They don't realize that what they are saying is actually getting to you. Once you get the point across clearly, I doubt they'd continue if they knew it was upsetting you.

Hi there, what a pickle eh! now i'm on the veggie side of the fence and have been for 29yrs but that doesnt mean i think everyone should be vegetarian - my family eat meat to varying degrees, one is veggie like me, one daughter only eats chicken - 2 daughters eat all meat and the compromise i've reached with myself is - if i have to buy meat for them - the animal has to have had a happy life and danced in the rain if it wanted to (outdoor bred) before being humanely slaughtered.(if that actually exists)
Don't beat yourself up - it sounds like you have simply changed the way you feel towards meat a little - so instead of being a fulltime vegetarian be a part timer - call yourself an 'ethical meat eater'
Do whats right for you - you may find you change your mind again in a couple of months - and thats fine too!

Hi there, you have clearly avoided meat for your own good reasons but part of the problem is being confident about where the meat you are eating is sourced from. It is one thing to just eat meat but another to buy carefully. Being secure in the knowledge of where that meat was raised and how it has been cared for by farmers is a big thing. Anyone with any knowledge on this question knows that the best looked after animals result in the tastiest meat and highest quality. Don't worry you can always buy great meat and make your own burgers, giving you full control over what is in them!

www.donaldrussell.co.uk

Because you didn't eat meat for a long time, I suggest you to start from eating a little bit of fish (but don't eat a lot) every day try a different meat, but as I said eat small portions, that will help your organism to adopt quicker to new food.
After a week start to eat more. After couple of weeks, you'll get use to it. (some people it may take couple of months to adopt to new food

While some people can do very well on a vegetarian diet, for others it is actually pretty bad for you - there are a bunch of reasons for that (you should do some reading).

Maybe go get a blood test and see if you are deficient in the nutrients that are most easily gotten from meat - protein, iron and the b vitamins and so forth. Deficiencies in those can cause the problems you describe and if you are low then yeah, going back to a diet that includes some meat will probably fix a lot of you problems.

As for the moral arguments, the human body has evolved with a diet that includes meat from other animals. It is part of the old "circle of life". The horror comes from modern factory farming practices, and from the sheer volume of it that we consume these days. Include meat in your diet but don't go overboard - have small portions (about the size of the palm of your hand) and you don't need to have it every day. And try to source meat from animals that have led relatively natural lives.

Congratulations, 8 years is a lot, and especially since you're doing it for moral reasons, you can be very proud of yourself. I've only been a vegetarian for 1 year, but I'm feeling great nevertheless. My advice would be to keep going, especially since your blood tests came back good. As long as you have protein and vitamin sources, you should be fine. And think of all the lives you are saving! You are doing a wonderful thing both for yourself and for the environment.

I believe everything will be fine. My doctor has been a vegetarian for more than 15 years now. And he's a doctor, he knows what he's talking about! As for all the little jokes and making fun, you should talk to them and tell them how they make you feel. I'm sure they'll be considerate. I know what you feel, I've been through it (and the jokes haven't stopped, but they're a lot less often now), I just shrug it off and think of the benefits it brings me.

I hope I was helpful, and you have all my support.

The jokes...just tell them it sometimes annoys and upsets you and you'd like them to stop. As for your health, do you take vitamins and whatever? Getting illnesses often can be because you're stressed, but if your diet is lacking, then that will be a factor too. If you'd rather go back to eating meat then you should do that. Don't let guilt stop you from doing something you feel is right for you.

I had the very same delima. I do eat meat now but mostly because i like it. I only buy free range hand raised meats. I do research on the farms that i buy from. I only eat hand caught fish. And wow what a difference. I do feel better. These products are costly so i dont eat much meat. 2 to 3 times a week at most and usually only once per day. U only really need 4 oz of protein a day. If u do decide to introduce meat back into your diet do so slowly. Too much will wreak havock on your digestive system. U can be earth and animal friendly and eat meat.

I agree that you should tell the people who joke about your food that it upsets and you would like them to stop. They should be able to respect your choices and be supportive. I also agree that you may want to think about taking a daily vitamin supplement if you don't already. Vegetarian diets are sometimes lacking in vitamin B complexes and also vitamin D which you need to help you break down and use calcium. However, if you really don't feel that you want to eat meat, don't! I was veggie for 6 years and eventually decided that I did just want to eat meat, I started with chicken and gradually began eating other meats like bacon etc. I don't really eat red meat since I just don't enjoy the taste and texture. If you really want to eat meat again, maybe start by having one 'meat day' a week but don't be pressured if you don't want to.

How about rather than asking an internet forum of vegetarians/vegans who god knows what sources their own information comes from, go instead to a doctor & dietician to professionally try to determine the cause of your problems.

It could be anything from stress, smoking, drinking, lack of excercise, inadequate diet. All these factors can lead to a run down immune system, either ways its your choice to eat meat & whilst yes research is key, ultimately we are just avatars & texts with no connection to who you are as a person based on your daily life

vegetarian
logic & reasoning

Yes go ahead. lean meat is the best source of high quality protein, but always remove the visible fat. If you don't like the way farm animals are treated try eating free-range meat where possible. You could also try game (rabbit, pigeon, pheasant, duck, venison and the like). Fish is another option. If you do decide to reintroduce meat and/or fish to your diet do it a little at a time to give your stomach time to adjust.

Maybe you're not getting enough exercise....Believe it or not, exercise helps your metabolism a lot and makes you feel more energetic throughout the day. And helps relieve stress...which is possibly what is making you feel tired also.

I also like to supplement with yerba mate tea...the chocolate one is amazing.

If you feel your skin is dry, try vitamin e cream or oils or you can try a hyaluronic acid supplement.