I’ve been a vegetarian
for over a dozen years now and for some time before that I only ate chicken and
fish. My family thought – and still thinks – that it’s “weird” and “unhealthy”
to be a vegetarian. They often make comments about what I eat (or don’t eat)
and tell me it’s impossible for me to be healthy as a vegetarian.
Actually, however, I have
fibromyalgia, so the situation for me is different than it is for my nay-saying
relatives. The fibro was extremely bad during my undergraduate years. Doctors
put me on so many medications that I felt spacey and drugged out for much of
the time. There are months that I can scarcely remember.
Then one doctor
suggested I try cutting meat out completely. I’d long considered vegetarianism
for ethical reasons, but it was simply too difficult in my family, because of a
strict father who would not have permitted me to eat something different for
dinner than he ate. But then I had permission – even encouragement – from a
doctor. My father was not going to argue with a doctor.
Okay, the doctor also
suggested I cut out bread. I tried that but it was hard to give up, so that
didn’t last.
The vegetarianism did
last, though. I found that I definitely had less muscle pain with a vegetarian
diet. I was able to do the ethical thing and also take care of my health. I
went off all medications (except the occasional over-the-counter
pain-reliever), I slept better (still not brilliantly, I must admit), and the
pain was nowhere near as bad.
I still had to deal
with complaints and derision from my family (who sometimes take pleasure in
taunting me by showing me the big steaks they are eating and/or making animal
noises while they chow down on lamb chops or pork roasts), but I moved away
from my hometown and was able to take complete control over my diet.
Mentally and
physically, vegetarianism has been very healthy for me indeed.
