JoeGoldfarb.com

My vegan diet ended four days ago. I made it through the month-long trial experiment feeling well, but at the beginning of the following month (this month - March), physical problems manifested. The air seemed cooler on my skin. Every object seemed twice as heavy as it should be. I experienced difficulties lifting weights as if I had no strength. From what I understand, these are signs of low dietary iron - a reduction of oxygen in my blood stream. Yet, I thought I have been consuming adequate amounts of that metal. After several days of living with this new issue I decided it was time to try some of the foods I abstained from during my vegetarian and vegan diet. First up, scrambled eggs!

It has been five months or so since I have had eggs of any kind, so my frying skills were a little rusty. I forgot to use oil on the pan so the eggs stuck to the metal. I did not cook the two scrabbled eggs long enough so they were a little wet. These factors, plus having not eating any animal products minus milk for nearly two months cause this culinary experience to be poor. The eggs were rich, dense, wet, stinky, pasty, and gross. Every bite and chew made my mouth frown. After I finished eating I was burping eggs. Revisiting the unsatisfactory meal with every burp only made matters worse. However, about twenty minutes later I felt a boost of energy, a feeling of physical empowerment. Curious, I noted the feeling and went on with my night.

The next day I recalled the air did not seem cold the previous night or in this present moment. During the current evening it came time for a tofu dinner, but I felt a strong repulsion towards tofu and conversely felt a strong pull towards eggs. So I skipped the tofu and had more eggs. Again, I felt a boost of energy after eating eggs. Later that day I was able to lift weights without the resistance I experienced beforehand.

Come the third day I once again was craving eggs. I have never in my life craved eggs. Nor in my life have I ever ate so many eggs back to back like this. Also, the thought of eating a tofu dinner manifested a sicking feeling in my gut - a feeling of feeling of vomit and death and repulsion. I made myself a tofu dinner anyway and consequently had a difficult time eating it all. A few hours later a made myself two scrabbled eggs, ate them and felt fantastic afterwards. However, the eggs still stunk and tasted strange, weird and foreign to me.

On the fourth day I choose to expand my food menu to what I previously had been consuming before my veggie and vegan diet. I bought some smoked salmon and drinkable yogurt. In the past, salmon was like candy to me. This time, eating salmon lox’s (moist smoked salmon strips) was disgusting. In fact, it was so gross I only ate half and gave the rest to my cats. Afterwards, I ate a banana which was by far a more enjoyable experience. Then I ate some more eggs.

Finally came the yogurt. It tasted awfully dirty. It’s hard to explain, but it tasted dirty much like how a low grade hamburger from some take out joint tastes dirty. About an hour later I became abnormally tired, as if I was under the influence of a sleep drug. I slept in about two hours longer than normal the following day. When I woke I had a minor congested sinus cavity. I have read that sleep and mucus problems can be symptoms of diary ingestion, but beforehand I never was aware of any sinus pain. However, a chiropractor two years ago noted that I have inflammation as if under an allergy atack, even though grass is not common in the desert in comparison to other areas of the United States. Moreover, this was during the winter, the season grass does not bloom. I speculated that the inflammation was due to living with cats, but now with a clogged sinus cavity after drinking yogurt I wonder if that inflammation has to do with consuming diary.

It is quite fascinating how removing certain foods from my diet can change how the food itself tastes and how my body works and reacts to that food upon reintroduction. With first hand experience, my veggie and vegan diet has made me appreciate fruits and vegetables as sustainable food sources more than ever before. But even though I was getting at least forty grams of mostly soy protein daily, it seems that form of protein is not what my body needs or wants. I will soon try some other high protein sources such as almond butter and see if it abates my egg craving. Moreover, I will have some raw fish soon since it will be clean, firm with no order. Because those qualities are opposite from loxs, it may be more agreeable to my palette. I am looking forward to my continue exploration of food and diet.

My monthly trial of a Vegan diet is drawing to a close. During this time I experienced very little resistance toward this lifestyle which means I am capable of continuing it into the future. The resistance I did experience consisting of four things.  During the beginning of the experiment, I found it difficult to adjust to a lack of chocolate milk at night. Chocolate milk had been a daily staple of my life for years. Switching to hemp milk or rice milk proved to be a poor substitute but never less ended up as a replacement beverage for milk.  Secondly, toward the end of the month of I began craving yogurt. I’m not sure why. Throughout the month the sight of an egg carton in the refrigerator caused a third arm, ghostly in nature, to spring forth from my chest toward the eggs resting on the cold shelf. The hand, incorporeal, pass through the egg carton, though the intention was clear: I desired eggs. Since I am practicing a vegan diet I cannot eat them, therefore, I closed the fridge and walked away.

I do not care for the taste of eggs very much. However, I feel good after eggs are consumed as long as there was an extended period of time after the last intake of eggs. See, I begin to feel sick if I eat more than four eggs in a week, and in the rare instances when I do eat more than four in a week, if often need several weeks without eggs to reset my state back to zero. I know I am back to zero when I begin to crave eggs again. The last time I had an egg was back in December and it was hardboiled. This issue of my dislike in egg taste centers on the yolk. The reason why I become pulled to eat eggs is unclear. It could be the protein, the sulfer or something else. Come March first I will eat a hardboiled egg. I am eagerly awaiting this moment and I think about it every day. I am curious to know how it will taste and how it will make me feel. I predict that the egg will smell very stinky and will possibly turn me off. On the other end I expect my body to react favorably to an egg inside my stomach. We will see what happens come March 1st.

The last experience of my former diet that lingered into my vegan diet was the smell of barbaques. This smell invoked pleasurable memories and feelings inside me of smoked meat, beer and friends. While I had no desire to eat the fired and smoked meat, I greatly wanted to taste it and smell it and feel it inside my mouth. This is a clear contrast to eggs (and possibly yogurt). I desire the burnt yet moist meat in my mouth without the desire to actually eat it.

During the month of march I expect to eat an egg. There is a remote possiblity that I will eat yogurt, fish or steak as well. The point of this is to see how my body has changed from my vegan experience. I predict I will dislike steak and yogurt, but will enjoy fish and eggs. I want to continue my vegan diet. So, to help me realize this future of a plant diet I will have a vegan alternative physically next to each of the non-vegan food items I expect to eat.

I will eat those food itmes only at the time I feel like I need them (wanting to eat an egg has been a daily feeling for me all month. So that’s going down very soon!).