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I go about 2-3 months perfectly fine and then all of a sudden- I crave chicken, beef and fish. I also begin forgetting things and feel really dizzy. I went to the doctor and he didn't find anything wrong except he told me to start taking prenatal vitamins. I normally live a vegan lifestyle and then all of a sudden- I crash and burn and eat something. After I eat it, I feel emotionally horrible but I am not forgotful/dizzy anymore- until a few months later. I am assuming I am missing some short of vitamin but I'm sure. Does anyone have any ideas? I try to get enough protein, vegetables and grains in my diet. Thank you.
this may sound foreign to you, but often, we just simply need more calories, or sometimes even water. Maybe some fresh peices of fruit throughout the day, or a baked sweet potatoe with earth balance will end the cravings.
Thank you- I will try anything.
Are you getting adequate calories daily? aswell as a variety of different foods?
I take it you had your blood sugar tested?
http://www.amlaberry.co.uk
Go with Quorn or Morningstar to help with the cravings. Not sure if they will give you the nutriants you might be missing, but they do help with the craving for meat. Primal Strips offer some great soy and mushroom "jerky" options that bite and taste just like meat, too.
meat cravings: protein, iron, fat, calories (salt?) so add in heaping portions of foods that have these qualities. when i have those kinds of days, i open a couple can of beans and eat LARGE servings at each meal. black beans are versatile, as are chickpeas. i make sure i am getting fats too, with olive oil, nuts, or avocadoes. i find that once i pump those beans in my system, my energy lifts and i feel more satiated. i am soy sensitive so cannot tolerate the fake meats. plus, many have eggs and dairy in them. good luck. :)
Does everyone agree that having a "craving" is most likely a lack of nutrients? I too have had several urges lately to eat meat. A strong urge if I'm being honest. Should I increase my fat and salt intake over the next few days to see if it goes away? I have experienced a craving before for something like... chocolate cake, but never such a strong urge as I am having lately with meat.
Emma, I do not believe that cravings alone mean that you are missing nutrients. It means that you miss the taste and texture of meat. These pass slowly with time the same as anything else.
Dizziness is probably caused by lacking something that you are used to and need, but probably not a systemic deficiency like b12 or iron (although you should be taking b12 ), because that is something that takes a lot of time to lose and time to build back up. I agree with what people said about eating things with high levels of protien and fat when you have the cravings and making sure you are having enough calories. You might also want to try adding some omega 3s to your diet, they have a big impact on brain health. You can eat flax seeds, walnuts, chia seeds or get this and put it on you food or salads every day and see if it helps:http://www.spectrumorganics.com/?id=59
Agreed on having some blood work done to rule out b12, iron and the other common nutrients that are hard to get on a vegan diet.
http://www.amlaberry.co.uk
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