Only you will know where your mind just jumped to, but I’m hoping it wasn’t the gutter!
Alrighty kids – it’s been eight days since my last post, and really that’s more like eleven because the last post was essentially no better than a “will return soon” sign, with no promise as to when. Truthfully though… I have written a post. Two of them actually – two versions of the same thing. Only they haven’t been published due to the fact that they’re about something I just don’t really want to talk about! You know the feeling you get when you’ve had too much candy? Like Starbursts or Swedish Fish or something. You have that sort of dull stomachache, and it’s almost like your mouth hurts? Yeah… that’s how writing those two drafts made me feel. Like I’m not only raining on everyone’s parade, but I whipped out my personal fireman-strength hose and turned that on full strength too. No me gusta… to say the least.
But then I realized that was only the angle on this story if I chose for it to be. Remember that whole attitude is a choice thing? And my favorite passage – “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7) Mmm yep, still a true as ever. So here we go, jumping right into the meat of the post (couldn’t help it):
How I became a carnivore my health.
… Rabbit Food …
Nope… put your iCal away. You didn’t miss April 1st. If you’ve been hangin’ out at Dr. TriRunner for a while, you know that I am was a vegetarian. For eight years to be exact. I became a vegetarian at the age of 12 because something in my very-large-12-year-old brain clicked, and I suddenly couldn’t separate the thought of eating meat (chicken, pork chops, turkey lunch meat, etc.) from eating people meat. I mean, a rib is a rib, no matter how you look at it. I actually look back and think – huh, I was a pretty smart sixth grader! Makes me kind of proud…. 
Aah! I digress. So that was the initial reason I became a vegetarian. Over the years, I became more passionate about animal rights, the meat industry in the U.S. (actually did a big thesis project on that one…), and definitely did my research to make sure I was being a healthy and educated vegetarian. Anyone, but especially an endurance athlete, cannot sustain on lettuce alone.
Photos of good veggie food: throw-back posts from April 2008!!
… Endo …
Also at a young age, I was diagnosed with endometriosis. “Diagnose” is sort of a misuse of the word, because that can’t actually happen without a laparoscopy (which I haven’t had done), but all signs, symptoms, examinations, and ultrasounds would suggest so. Trust me… yo’ girl has had more than her fair share of “lady exams.”
What is endometriosis? Aside from something I’ve mentioned all of like twice, but never in detail… it’s essentially a condition where endometrial tissue (the tissue that lines the uterus) grows in other places too, such as the fallopian tubes, ovaries, and pelvis. It acts as normal endometrial tissue, in that it builds up, thickens, and then tries to shed. Only there is nowhere for the blood to go because it’s not inside of your uterus. And basically, it hurts. A shitton. For more details on the disorder, the Mayo Clinic’s website (as with everything) does a good job breaking it down.
Long story short, in the past year, and more specifically the past four or five months, I feel that my symptoms have been getting markedly worse. The episodes of pain and cramping have become more frequent, and my period has gone NUTS. Most female distance runners fear losing their period, and I’m worried I’m going to lose all the blood in my body! (Haha – don’t you love my use of the color wheel here?) The last four months (and apparently five, starting Monday…) I have bled heavily for two weeks straight. Losing this much blood + endurance athletics = no good = potentially anemia. Once again… no me gusta.
Due to the non-existent awesome insurance that I am paying $300 a month for, anything beyond a flu shot and a sliver removal are considered “over and above” your necessary care. Endometriosis is considered “specialty” care, and specialty care is considered lots of $$$, and lots of $$$ is considered something I. Don’t. Have. So I do what I do best, and get my study on and try to figure out what is going on. No worries, I don’t count Wikipedia as a “source.” I am lucky enough to know several very knowledgeable (and qualified!) people to help me out here.
Flickr has many other photos for endometriosis, but I’m keepin it PG. They’re strictly medical though, so if you’re not squeemish then feel free to check them out.
… My findings …
(Although I tend to think I’m as smart as a rocket scientist, much of this is common sense.)
- B/C pills are the most commonly prescribed “treatment” for endometriosis. The pill I’m on is one that’s most likely doing jackshit for me. But hey, it is “covered” in that excellent insurance.
- SOY… is known to augment endometriosis. As a vegetarian for eight years, soy is obviously a large component of my diet for providing protein.
- SOY… is in freaking everything. Or at least it would seem to be in everything that I have come to know and love. Cereal? Really?
- If I cut out soy, that doesn’t leave me with many protein options. Especially when I factor in the amount of blood I’m losing, and needing to get EXTRA protein and iron to make sure I’m not headed towards anemia.
- Meat has protein. And iron. And helps prevent anemia. Amen.
I know… rocket science right? So, now that you have my whole endometriosis rundown (the part that I feel is like listening to nails on a chalkboard) that concludes the flashback, and we return to the title of the post…
Hello iron-deficiency anemia.
… BEEF …
As of Tuesday April 27th, I am no longer a vegetarian. And I figured if I’m going to eat meat with the purpose of getting this iron in me, I need to do it right. Beef. And not just any beef, but Chipotle’s Barbacoa shredded beef.
How was it? Crazy. Not crazy like bad, but crazy weird. Add this to the list of “findings” … meat takes a helluva lot longer to chew than non-animal foods. And I’m sure my stomach found those shredded cow muscles entering my digestive system and said, “What the ⠃ ⠥ ⠉ ⠅ are you putting in here??” (haha yessss!!) Eating meat just seams so raw and so primal to me… it’s not like it “tastes” bad. If it tasted bad, then companies wouldn’t make faux meat products like Light Life Buffalo Wings or Morningstar Farms “Ribs”.
Eating meat is definitely going to take some getting used to, and also a lot of learning! I had a 20-minute conversation with my new hommie in Trader Joe’s today about eating meat, endo, triathlons, and backpacking. ?? Yes. I’m not going down this road kicking and screaming, and I’m not being forced. This was no one’s decision but my own, and although I would like to still be a vegetarian, I do not think that for my health it is the right choice. I was talking to a friend today, and told her “As much as I’ve wanted to fight sometimes and say “I know my own body!” … it’s not always the case that a physical reality and a mental ideal match up.” And in this case, what I ideally would like and what physically is goin’ on ain’t tellin’ the same story. Capish?
I would also like to say that I would only buy local, organic, free-range, grass fed, smiling happy [dead] cows from California. But honestly? How many times have you heard me say budget is an issue? Muchas veces, my friends. Realistically I can’t afford such things. I will be eating animals (the word “meat” seams so misleading to me at this point…?) on a limited basis, so as best as I can, I will follow my conscious and at least try to support companies and sellers that follow more humane practices. All in all though, humans are still killing the animal for consumption. I might get some hateration for this, but it doesn’t really make a difference to me.
@ Chipotle… scared.
Examination of the cow now marinated and in my Burrito Bowl.
IRON.
… El Fin …
Time for me to end here amigos. I hope you will understand my decision, and if you don’t… well, your choice! I’m all for honesty as we all know, and this is what’s currently going on. I appreciate your honesty, whether it is in accordance to what I am thinking/feeling, or not. As always, any questions and comments are welcomed whether you leave them here in the comments section or send me an email.
Shoot. Now I gotta go change my “ABOUT Me” page. So much for finishing this VO2 report!
⠇⠕⠧⠑ ,
Erika (yes – that’s what the “E” stands for!) aka Dr.TriRunner
p.s. maybe I could win this $60 shopping spree and buy something from CNS’s kitchenware site… I could definitely use some help in the grilling department!
Comment By: Crunchy Granola Gal
April 29th, 2010 at 6:33 pm
Wow, I have a very similar story to yours – vegetarian at eight (vegan for one of those years), starting eat chicken and fish and a little bit of red meat at age twenty. I’m (almost) twenty-four now and could never even imagine going back to a vegetarian diet. Not only for health reasons, but also the sheer pleasure for the taste buds! I never thought I’d be a meat-eater, and here I am. Crazy stuff. Good luck!
Crunchy Granola Gal´s last blog ..Salads are for the weak
Comment By: kate
April 29th, 2010 at 6:57 pm
wow! thanks for sharing this with us. that must have been a huge decision for you. but it sounds like you did your research and thought everything out. i am impressed woman! you are strong and intelligent
kate´s last blog ..Happiness is…..
Comment By: Katie
April 29th, 2010 at 7:03 pm
I ended a vegan/vegetarian streak as well. I added miles and about passed out on a run. I knew then that I wasn’t fueling properly. I am also slightly anemic (and getting worse especially on my period) and although I feel insane guilt I know the eggs, meat etc. are better for my body and I finally have muscle and feel better. And YES I was an educated vegan, but my body just wasn’t taking to it well. I have a history of passing out and I knew I was always walking a fine line being vegan/vegetarian and it finally came to a head. So back to omnivore! Good luck! I also do the best I can with the money I have, but you know sometimes you gotta eat.
Comment By: Karyn
April 29th, 2010 at 7:23 pm
((hugs)) i think i knew about your endometriosis but i never knew how serious the pain was for those who have it. i really hope that you start to feel better and that the condition improves! you are such a strong person and i love how you researched it out, knowledge is power! ((hugs)) again chica
Karyn´s last blog ..Graduation Day
Comment By: Mellissa
April 29th, 2010 at 7:31 pm
Such a big decision, and I truly hope it helps with your health!
Comment By: BostonRunner
April 29th, 2010 at 7:44 pm
Interesting story! I hope this helps with everything!
BostonRunner´s last blog ..Answers
Comment By: Angie Bishop
April 29th, 2010 at 8:48 pm
I eat meat because I just can’t seem to get enough protein. I will not eat soy and am on a trial dairy free diet. Lately I have been eating Veinison. I get it ground and can make all kinds of stuff with it. Its already free range and not shot full of hormones or antibiotics and they live happy free lives for the most part. They are also very low in fat.
Maybe something to try. I was eating beef to deal with iron levels but found the fat too…..rich.
Don’t forget to learn to cook in a cast iron pan. You never have to wash it and it does help with iron levels. Its great to cook up some potatoes, peppers, onions and venison.
Angie Bishop´s last blog ..Imagining, packages, I won and Dam to Dam.
Comment By: Ashlei
April 29th, 2010 at 9:17 pm
I was vegetarian since I was 12 and then vegan for about a year and got horrible iron-deficiency anemia and the supplements didn’t work plus I have digestive issues with Crohn’s disease so I started eating grass-fed bison and it’s helping so much. I’d rather not have to eat animals but sometimes you just have to choose your health! Good luck with the endometriosis and figuring out what works for you
Ashlei´s last blog ..CSN Stores Giveaway Announcement
Comment By: Susan
April 29th, 2010 at 10:31 pm
I hope it helps! I’m sure it was weird eating meat for the first time after having it be so long! I don’t eat much meat anymore, and eating chicken seems weird to me sometimes! I’ve thought about taking on the vegetarian label sometimes, but other times I really want a hamburger! Hopefully this will help you out medically/health-wise and help you kick even more butt out on the road!
Susan´s last blog ..It’s Blogger Meet-Up Week!
Comment By: Pau
April 30th, 2010 at 2:24 am
I started eating meat because of severe anemia while I was thriatlonist. I was vegetarian for 7 years before that. But you know what girl, meat gave me more energy to train and I actually crave for meat now
Comment By: Jessica
April 30th, 2010 at 3:27 am
Interesting info about the soy – I don’t think my body tolerates soy very well, but never made the correlation before. I tried cutting out everything else (dairy, wheat, etc.) and never found the culprit.
I have a lot of respect for you being so in tune with your body, and giving it what it needs. It must have been a difficult decision to make.
Thanks for the insight on my focus/goals. You said it well and I needed to hear it!
Jessica´s last blog ..goals
Comment By: Chelsea
April 30th, 2010 at 6:35 am
I admire your commitment to your values and to keeping your body healthy. I think you make a smart compromise to select the *best* animal products you can within your budget. It’s all any of us can do really. I hope it helps with your symptoms. Boo on your crappy insurance company.
Chelsea´s last blog ..Lake Monona 20k Race Preview
Comment By: sarah
April 30th, 2010 at 10:19 am
You gotta do what’s good for you. Though I’ll tout the benefits of vegetarianism til the day I die, pretty much everything becomes secondary when you’re in pain and your health is in question. I really hope you start feeling better!
sarah´s last blog ..To track or not to track
Comment By: AR
April 30th, 2010 at 10:52 pm
As much as I often think there is a pressure to believe otherwise, I think the fact is that a vegetarian diet is not going to work for everybody. And I hope you don’t get any hate for it because there are many of us out there that have made the education decision to eat animal products because its what works best for us. For many of us (particularly female endurance athletes), red meat is a better choice than processed soy – and I don’t think there is anything wrong with attempting to be an ethical meat eater.
And because I’m also on a budget: interestingly, I found that grass fed ground beef was only about a dollar or so more expensive than the leanest non free range ground beef at my grocery store. the chicken however? tends to be twice the price. meh. hope you have better luck than i do finding deals on it should you find any.
Comment By: Lizzy
May 1st, 2010 at 9:21 am
Hey beautiful running twinny!
I love you…even if you have turned to the dark side to eat Mr. Moo! I do LOVE that you went to Chipotle to get your dish…umm I am soooo obsessed with fajita salad bowls right now!
Every time I sit down to write a post about friday I always wanna write confessions…and I think of you! haha! (donno if that’s good or bad! lets go with good!)
I hope you have a FABULOUS weekend! get in a great runnn and bikeee!!! eeek I wish we could run/bike together, I wanna be a Peace Coffee Repper with you!
OHHH did I tell you that I am surrounded by Peace Coffee vendors!?!? Is it goood coffee, because I’m definitely going to pick up a bag in honor of you!
~loveee u lady!!!
~xoxo!
Lizzy´s last blog ..HEY hey May!
Comment By: Megan @ Mego Blog
May 1st, 2010 at 12:54 pm
Hi! I just found your blog via Liz’s blog @ Healthy Bites Conquer Athlete Appetite. Anyway, I’m glad I found you! You’re an amazing athlete and I’m looking forward to reading your posts and learning from you (I’m just getting into triathlons). I can’t imagine how hard the decision was to start eating meat again after 8 years… Have a great weekend!
Comment By: Greg Van
May 1st, 2010 at 9:22 pm
Wow. What a way to end a streak. Chipotle. Im a meat lover and I can barely eat there!
Comment By: Jenna
May 2nd, 2010 at 8:19 am
Welcome to the world of meat…enjoy!
Jenna´s last blog ..My Worst Enemy.
Comment By: Katherine
May 3rd, 2010 at 10:56 am
I was thinking today about whether I should go back to eating birds (chicken, turkey) or keep up with just the full on veggie (plus fish) that I’ve been doing. I don’t really have a reason not to eat meat; I’ve just been eliminating from my diet I guess. Thanks for this post- it came at a good time for me. Food for thought!
Katherine
whataboutsummer
Comment By: Subway Giveaway! « Dr. Tri Runner
May 4th, 2010 at 10:50 am
[...] Dr. TriRunner Eats Beef. [...]
Comment By: Courtney
May 4th, 2010 at 11:53 am
I am actually a runner who lives in Minneapolis too, and I I have endo as well…small world
I was diagnosed with endo at the ripe young age of 15 or 16 (had the lapo to prove it and 2 subsequent ones since then). I was a vegetarian then, and am now a vegan. I just wanted to comment and say that in all the research I have done (and it has been extensive!), dairy comes up time and again as being problematic or something that they link/suspect/etc. I didn’t go vegan for that reason or anything, but thought I would let you know. Obviously you need to do what is right for you and you know your body, though!
Anyway, I just discovered your blog today, and wow! What a wonderful resource–thanks so much for all of your posts! I am enjoying reading through them
Comment By: Emily (A Nutritionist Eats)
May 5th, 2010 at 10:38 am
Thanks for being so honest, it seems like you have made the best choice for you and that is wonderful!
Emily (A Nutritionist Eats)´s last blog ..breakfast quesadilla
Comment By: Puisan
May 8th, 2010 at 6:49 am
I was vegetarian since I was 17.
Initially, the idea of animal cruelty drove me to veganism for the first 2 years.
I later realized that I wasn’t getting enough protein and was at risk for megaloblastic anaemia..(I’ve learnt a lot at med school)
Then started taking eggs and dairy.
Throughout the first few years of my non-meat life, I was very much involved in animal liberation.
I would be…shall I say, on the verge of being a fanatic…and would wear no leather and use no products tested on animals.
Of course everyone around me thought I was weird or going through a phase or some sort.
But I persisted.
But as I progress along in life, the whole animal liberation thing took less a hold on me and through more reading of both pro-vegetarian and pro-meat topics, I wasn’t so sure if this whole vegetarian thing was good for me.
8 years down the vegetarian life…..I picked up running and have been running like crazy ever since…(especially since I’m working in a mental institution, running keeps me sane)
I started to feel tired easily and was having difficulties keeping my weight down despite the increase in physical activities.
And I had terrible cravings for red meat!!!! All I could think about after a long run was sinking my teeth into grilled steak!
And finally last year (my 10th year being vegetarian), I gave it up…..for good!
There was the guilt factor…I mean, it wasn’t easy on the conscience when I started eating meat again.
To my surprise I feel a whole lot better.
I felt less tired and less cravings for food….
So perhaps not everyone is made for vegetarianism.
And I totally understand how you feel!!!
Puisan´s last blog ..More backtracks…..Borneo International Marathon 2010
Comment By: IRON – Definitions, Deficiencies, and Darn good sources « Dr. Tri Runner
May 8th, 2010 at 11:31 am
[...] Dr. TriRunner Eats Beef. And YOU said… sarah on Subway Winners!!Onelittletrigirl on I’m FREE!!Puisan on Dr. TriRunner Eats Beef.kate on I’m FREE!!Eve on Subway Giveaway! [...]
Comment By: Allison
May 10th, 2010 at 6:29 pm
There’s a lot of information out there about how soy messes with the estrogen levels in the body. It’s mistaken for it basically. That would probably be why the endo is getting worse. It really messes with your thyroid and can cause irreversible damage. Lots of vegans and vegetarians have problems with their estrogen levels because of their very soy heavy diet. I would recommend googling “soy estrogen” or something and read about it. Very interesting, eye-opening stuff!