Hi everyone,
I am new here and interested in going veggie/vegan. I'd like to give a bit of background on where I am at dietary-wise, and then ask an important question with which I am hoping some of you can help me. I currently do not eat red meat or pork, but still eat dairy, poultry, and fish. My plan is to transition gradually towards veganism or at least vegetarianism. I tried going vegetarian in college, but started not feeling well after 2 weeks. After reincorporating chicken, I instantly felt better. I'm not sure if this was because of what my body needed or the fact that I wasn't getting enough of what I needed due to the limited choices in our college dining hall. I was doing my best to eat lots of veggies and beans, but my only alternative besides that was Gardenburgers. I think I just didn't have access to enough fresh, quality fruits and veggies to make a true go of it.
Due to some medical reasons, I am also on a low-sodium, low sugar, no caffeine, no alcohol, and no chocolate diet. I eat a lot of fruits, veggies, and whole grains. I try to buy organic or at Farmers Markets when I can.
I am trying to start my transition by eating 1-2 meals per day vegetarian or vegan. I have always been a person who felt like I needed "protein" at every meal. I have done a lot of reading and understand there are many plant-based ways to get enough protein.
When I eat a vegan meal, I often feel empty or light-headed afterward. Although my stomach feels full of food, I feel like I haven't gotten something that I needed from the meal. For example, today I had a great kale salad with plenty of lightly toasted seeds, avocado, shallots, and some olive oil-vinegar-lemon for dressing. My stomach was full, but I felt light-headed after. I am also hungry shortly after some of these types of meals and feel I need to eat some sort of protein -- even some almond butter works. My question is: Is this normal? Did any of you feel like this when you started not eating animal proteins? Is it something my body needs to get used to, or am I not getting enough of something my body needs?
Thanks for any advice.
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