For the past 20 years I’ve studied, review, listen and read, read, read about the benefits of food and diet.  In the end I believe that the most congruent message whether you are a vegetarian, pescetarian or pro-paleo is to eat real food.    Real food provides the body with the nutrients it needs.

 I’ve learned that there are essential amino acids and essential fatty acids (Nope there’s no such thing as “essential carbohydrates”).  Fatty acids can be acquired through a pescetarian diet (if you are conscientious about each meal and it nutritional value).   Meat, fish, eggs are all protein sources that offer all of the 21 essential and non-essential amino acids.  Amino acids are the building blocks of life.  Each and every amino acid individually and collectively serve a major purpose: building and repairing muscle, supporting the brain, supporting the mitochondria (source of all energy), supporting our stress response (we need that these days!), building the foundation to our detoxification system, and so on.  Any deficiency in one amino acid can create a mal-function within the body.  Any mal-function can create a cascade of effects.

Living on a pescetarian diet has its limitations.  Fish, eggs and whole sprouted organic tofu and a few plant-based foods are truly the only options to acquire the 21 essential and non-essential amino acids.  Alternative vegan/vegetarian products are filled with chemicals, Soy vegetable protein (TVP), processes and even gluten (seiten).  Those products are exactly that; a product, not real food.  Fish has its issues as well as our oceans, lakes and rivers are contaminated.  So truly a real food, pescetarian diet would require small fish (that can fit in a pan), free range local eggs and tofu.  I was getting bored with my food options.  And the research was compelling regarding the benefits of eating grass-fed, organic meat.

Why did I quit eating meat in the first place? I suffered from debilitating menstrual pain (vomiting, diarrhea, severe exhaustion) since I was 12 years of age.  The doctors placed me on many anti-inflammatories including drugs, attempted to remove the tissue (the burns were too deep), put me through menopause when I was 20 and their last recommendation was Vicodin on a weekly basis.  After 14 years of severe pain, no resolve and on my way to a drug addiction I read Dr. Northrup’s book “Women’s Body, Women’s Wisdom”.  She recommended that dairy and meats were inflammatory.  She also suggested eliminating them to see if it made a difference.  (An elimination diet in 1996?  Now it is one healing modality for my clients).  I became a vegan.  In 3 months my pain became tolerable. In 6 months it was mostly gone.   My years of eating an American, Italian diet were over.  Or so I thought.

When I study and learn and if applicable I will try the health tip out on myself.  For example: eating a spoonful of coconut oil every morning, interval training at 20 minutes per day 4 times per week (to compare benefits to endurance training), progesterone therapy, abstaining from alcohol, sugars and wheat… etcetera.   I am 44 years old, athletic, lean and a borderline A personality.  Basic metabolic typing suggests that my body requires more fats and proteins in my diet to support the external stressors and the internal stressors.   I am peri-menopausal which means hormonal shifts are occurring.  I am cautious about how I will cycle.  Will I experience pain again? I won’t know if my health will improve/decline until I try.

Beginning to eat organic grass-fed meat again is a major mind-shift and will create a biochemical shift as well.  I’m looking forward to the findings and I’ll be sure to share them with you as I journey through this change.

I’ll let you know.  

Be well,

Lynn