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New Vegan Feeling Sluggish?
Started
by KindBritt
on October 26, 2012
Hello Kind Lifers!
I made the switch to a vegan lifestyle about a month ago and overall, I feel great. I've been experiencing almost all of the great benefits that Alicia describes in her book. My eczema has cleared up, my skin looks fabulous, my hair is shinier, I'm slimmer, and up until the last few days, I've been filled with energy. Plus, I feel GREAT about what I'm doing!
The last few days have been rough though. Mornings are great but for the first time in years, I find myself in dire need of a nap in the afternoons. I've been really cautious about staying healthy throughout this entire process and I've cut out caffeine.
Any ideas or advice about my recent sluggishness? I've been relying on the fact that it will go away once my body gets use to no meat or dairy, but it's been a month already and this just started happening.
Thank you in advance for your help!
Hi Britt, I remember experiencing the same thing almost three years ago when I became vegan. I realized I needed to take a B12 supplement every 3-4 days. That really helped. good luck! keep up the good work!
Perfect! Thank you very much!
I also cut out caffeine when I went vegan and when I need a natural boost, I get a GT's Synergy Kombucha. I love the effervescent taste plus it's filled with probiotics and antioxidants. It's kind of an acquired taste though . Lately I have cut out gluten and most sugar from my diet and that has been really profound, because I wake up even more energized and stay that way all day. I've been vegan for 5 months now and I'm still learning about how to fuel my body to feel my best, so don't get discouraged!
Thank you! I cut out caffeine almost immediately after I decided to go vegan. I had a cup of coffee a few days ago and I was SO sick afterwards. I really appreciate your suggestion!
I agree with Morgan, cutting out gluten and sugar can help immensely! What is your exercise routine like? A while back, I was feeling tired a lot too, until I started exercising more regularly and sticking to a set schedule. I also added a lot of raw fruit and vegetables into my diet and started taking a multivitamin, which also helped. I probably only need the B vitamins, like fireweed suggested, but I feel a little more insured taking the multi!
Thank you for your suggestions! I recently started taking a multi-vitamin instead of just the B-12 and I feel a lot better! I didn't cut out sugar completely but I noticed that just following a vegan diet cut out a lot of sugar from my life. I use to drink a lot of sweet tea and I've sinced replaced it with green tea which I sweeten with a little Agave nectar. As far as working out, I'm not as dedicated as I would like to be, but I do try to run at lease three times a week.
I'm not vegan myself, I'm stepping into vegetarian. But - since winter is upon, could it be the change in season? I know we recently went over 6 days with just no sunshine at all, I felt so sluggish. But once the sun came out again on a regular basis I felt like myself.
Britt, I found that green smoothies with some sea veggie helped me get rid my sluggishness. Spirulina or Chlorella for example. Also lots of Kale and green goodness through out the day. And like the others above, I eliminated wheat and found a huge difference. I'm a little late in posting so it is good to hear you are already seeing a difference with the multi-vitamin.
Thanks Vegmom! We eat a lot of yummy green vegetables in my house and I've read a lot of positive things about kale but I haven't tried it yet. I notice that when I eat a lot of processed foods that are technically vegan but aren't technically healthy, I feel more and more sluggish. It's nice to reverse that feeling with fresh veggies! Thanks for your suggestion!
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