Hi.. i was a vegan for four and a half years, then a raw vegan foodist for another half year... i had a bad gallstone flush, and immediately could not digest raw foods anymore, and my health deteriorated tremendously. my naturopath put me on ox bile digestive enzymes and probiotics, and that helped tons with improving my digestion. she recommended i start eating animal products again, which was frustrating, but i felt so horrible that i was willing to try anything. age 15 and up i had a hard time digesting meat and dairy, thus becoming a vegan at 18. restarting the animal products was no problem, health wise, with the fortificaiton. i am very careful about where i get my animal products, as cruelty is something that i'm passionate avoiding with my food choices. yes, killing an animal is cruel, but giving them the most happy life up until that point is not. i get all my animal products (raw milk and cheese, grass-fed beef, pastured chicken and eggs, fish and honey) from a local farmers market, and i've visited most of the farms to see how they treat their animals. it seems the smaller the farm, the more committed the farmer is to keeping things bucolic, and thus humane. the thing is, my health is better now, eating meat and dairy, than it was when i was a vegan and a raw foodist. another thing my ND found was that i had adrenal fatigue, which plays a very strong role in how well people digest food. working to correct the sluggish adrenals with dhea and cortisol supplementation has allowed me to go off the digestive enzymes, and i'm much more refreshed when i sleep, i have more energy, and i'm twenty pounds lighter than i was as a vegan. go figure. i read a very interesting book called "Nutrition and Physical Degeneration" by Weston Price, a dentist who traveled all over the world, studying the dental health of indegenous populations. it was written in the 1940's, when globalization and western influence wasn't as rampant as it is today. it is a very interesting study that shows humans thrive on geographically "local" animal products, and degenerative diseases set in with the introduction of "white mans' foods". I have achieved health due to addressing adrenal fatigue, taking enzymes, and eating animal products again. i know this message is offensive to many people, but i must share my story in hopes that anyone else who's health is suffering may find a way to achieve balance again. to each their own. sincerely, heather, 24, seattle, wa
