Hello guys!
I am 19 years old and live in the Dallas Metroplex. I would be thankful, if anyone is willing to read my story. It's sort of long so I understand, if you don't.
In my late high school years, I became more health-conscious because I was fed up with being overweight and fatigued all the time.
I followed the conventional wisdom, and I cut out red meat from my diet. I felt better or at least I thought I felt better. My digestive
system seemed to feel more comfortable, and I felt healthier. (Unfortunately, I would later learn that not having the zinc found in red meats
make protein digestion more difficult.) I continued this way until I became more ideological when I learned about the horrors of
factory farming. It made me decide to cut out chicken and turkey. It also reaffirmed my decision to not eat red meat. Then, I cut out all fish
and other animal byproducts soon followed such as dairy and eggs.
All of this would end up as a terrible mistake.
I will describe these next events with what I know now.
I went into college practicing veganism. Looking back, I remember signs that should have signaled to me that what I was doing was not good for me.
I remember that I had an underlying anxiety, and I was always craving food. In my first semester, I guess I had this illusion that I felt great. I felt incredibly
motivated(unusually so) and managed to keep up with my work and surpassed most of my peers. I became obsessed in my studying. That was truly all I did.
My schedule was:
1. Wake up
2. Go to class
3. Study except when eating or doing other maintenance functions.
My obsessiveness increased as the semester went on. I cut ties with most of the friends I had made. I eventually ended up with a perfect GPA. Strangely though
I was not happy.
These are all signs of copper toxicity and the adrenal stimulation it causes along with a high carbohydrate diet. Nutrient deficiencies didn't help either My adrenals would not last much longer.
On my second semester, I adopted an eating pattern that was truly atrocious. It accelerated my inevitable crash. I had wheat at every single meal. Every. Single. Day.
1. Wheat based cereal in the morning with soy milk
2. Wheatberries and barley salad with mixed legumes and kale at lunch
3. Wheat pita bread with hummus and tabouli(bulgar wheat) afternoon snack
4. Wheatberries and barley salad with mixed legumes and kale again at dinner
5. Snacking on fresh fruits throughout the day
I did not eat like this on my first semester. I varied the food I packed from home on the weekends. On the second semester though, I limited to a few foods just out of convenience, so I could
study more on the weekends.
It wasn't long until the most hellish period of my life began. I became majorly depressed, and I didn't know why. I didn't pay attention to possible nutrient deficiencies because my thought
process became rigid and payed attention only to school work. Until the end of the academic year, I literally wanted to DIE.
I look back at this period in my life with great discomfort. I really could have died then.
I spent the summer trying to recover. I was able to eat a more varied vegan diet since I was home. I did everything I was supposed to do such as combing rice and beans, eating leafy greens, ton of fruits, and healthy oils. However, I didn't feel better. I often felt worse after eating.
I switched universities so I could go to school from home in order to relieve stress. I soon realized that I had no drive, no motivation, no nothing. I existed as an empty shell, existing but not
truly living. It constantly felt like I was in a dream world. I would end up failing all my classes.
It was during this period though that I "discovered" the work of Weston A. Price. (Actually, the first time I heard about him was during a seminar at my first university. Shame that I didn't listen then.)
I went to WAPF website and read through the nutritional information. Dr. Mercola was also a resource. I didn't change my ways immediately. I read about the nutrients that were missing from my diet, and I tried artificial supplementation. It didn't help. My logical reasoning slowly surfaced, when I supplemented zinc. The rigidity gradually slipped away just enough until I was willing to change. I went to a local farm and picked up A2 raw milk and pastured eggs. I came home and had both. The "meal" tasted essential. It wasn't long until I added pastured pork, beef, and lamb.
I have been "deprogramming" my mind for the last 2 months or so.
Throughout my experience I have gained these problems: depression, IBS, candida, leaky gut, food allergies, chemical sensitivities due to candida, extreme fatigue/adrenal burnout, insomnia, anxiety, OCD, eczema
I have made improvements, but I still suffer these problems. The adrenal burnout still isn't letting go and makes me wonder whether or not I will ever feel purpose driven.
I can no longer eat grain, raw tough vegetables, and fruit. Fructose makes me feel ill and glucose causes a stronger blood sugar crash than I have ever experienced in my life.
I have been eating mostly animal food lately(cooked). I have trouble digesting the protein and fat sometimes, but I force myself because I know it is necessary. However, raw milk kefir and raw eggs have been kind to my digestion.
I have lurked for 2 days on this forum, and you guys have sold me on the idea of eating raw animal foods. The ancestors did it; how bad could it be?
Researching about alternative medicine has helped open my mind about many things.
I would be grateful if you guys help me on the road to feeling humans again.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year
