I have a lot of different DNA mutations that affect how I react to almost everything in my environment. I never react the way research tells me everyone else reacts, and this makes it more than difficult to figure out health issues.
For example, I read a lot of the tea called Yerba Mate. It was supposed to be great for everything that ails me. It was supposed to lower high tryicaerides, so I gave it a try. I have no issues with caffeine, so I didn't expect any trouble. The claims for this tea are mostly for weight loss. Well, it did cut my appetite and give me a huge boost in energy. I loved it, but after not eating more than 500 calories (because I wasn't hungry on it) a day for a week, I gained 12 pounds. My heart rate skyrocketed, and my blood pressure dropped. If my daughter hadn't tried this with me, I would have thought it was just me, but she gained 14 pounds. I think it was mostly water weight, as it came off pretty fast, but still.
Then Friday, after not eating meat for several days, I broke weak and had a hamburger with my family. I don't know why, but I wasn't able to say no to the burger. The smell of it, and watching my family eating with so much pleasure, was too much. It was sooooo good, but this morning I am sick. I thought it would be like when I take a sugar day once in a while. About 3 times a year for 1 day each time, I will allow myself to have sugar, and then the next day, I feel the same as I did when I used to get a hangover from drinking. This is different, though.
I do have all the same symptoms of the sugar hangover, headache, nausea, fatigue, etc., but I also feel really, really depressed, and the fatigue is like I hit a brick wall. Now I know why I felt so great when I stopped eating meat. For some reason, eating meat affects the neurotransmitters in my brain negatively; this is not what is supposed to happen, according to all the research I did today. I never react the way all the studies say I should, and sometimes it is downright depressing. All the research says that eating meat is supposed to make me feel much better mentally and physically. Especially with the MTHFR mutations I have. How is a person supposed to make good health choices if their mind and body don't react as everyone else's does? You know how all the studies say you are supposed to respond.
Well, I am 1 step closer to quitting meat for good, though. Every time I succeed in quitting something, I always do the 3 steps forward and 2 steps backward process. I always have to go back, at least, one more time and try the thing I am giving up, just to make sure I wanted to give it up. Then I get sick and realize that I really do want to give this or that up. In the end, I always succeed in quitting whatever it is, but never without a couple of setbacks.
So, now I know I don't want meat anymore, and I am hoping this will be the only setback on this quitting journey. There was a lady on here who warned me this would be difficult, and boy, was she right. Still, I know I will succeed at this because I do feel so much better off meat. Feeling better is a very motivating factor when it comes to quitting something, for me.
I wish you the best of luck in everything with your diet. I know people that just give up because the success is not moving fast enough or they are not used to changes in their bodies. You are my hero for at least trying to beat the negatives
I keep intending to try some of that sort of tea. I ended up throwing out all my ... I wanna say chagga stuff cuz I found out I had a significant reaction to raw mushrooms
@dirgeIt could work for you better than it did for me..It is supposed to be really good for most folks. I would advise starting out slow. It really is strong stuff. Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I do appreciate it. :-)
