Hi Irene,

I was vegetarian for 27 years, and it took me about a year to
transition, with a great desire to. Everything I was learning pointed
clearly to my need for meat.. my protein deficiency, digestive
disturbances, Chinese medicine dietary theory, etc. etc. So I started
out with chicken soup, but diluted it with vegetable stock, slowly
increasing the proportion of chicken soup. Homemade chicken soup, not
canned or in any other form, otherwise you get starches and processed
sugars and who knows what. If she's squeamish about it, maybe she could
find someone to make it for her.

Also bone marrow soup is excellent and very building. Beef bones or
bones from any animal, preferably range-fed. After eating a diet high in
grains, HCL production may be impaired, so yes, betaine hydrocholoride
supplements might help. Also digestive herbs taken as powders with
meals.. I sprinkle them right on food.. cumin, coriander, fennel. Often
vegetarians become too cold constitutionally, and the digestive strength
weakens, so warm, cooked foods should be eaten. Ginger is also a good
herb to use with meat to help digest it, especially cooked into soups.

Aversion to eating meat is often the result of protein deficiency, so
that vicious cycle has to be broken, and by gradually increasing the
meat intake, I can tell you it's possible.

I started with chicken soup, but also other meats are good depending on
the person's personal preference, and many people find that range-fed
meats are easier to digest and more tender. I get them from a local
farm, and you can find suppliers at http://www.eatwild.com.

It can take time to rebuild, but I know nutritionist/herbalists who work
with many former vegetarian clients specifically on this, and having
some animal protein at every meal is the way to go. Also fish, wild if
possible, and eggs.

You can assure your friend that even the most sensitive stomach (mine)
can tolerate chicken soup made from good quality chicken; it just took
some time to adjust to the idea on many levels.

-Karen






----- Original Message -----
From: "Paleo Babe" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, January 04, 2002 6:15 PM
Subject: Transition from vegetarianism


>
> After listening to me extoll the virtues of Paleo, a vegetarian I know
is
> willing to give it a go, meat and all.
>
> The thing is, she hasn't eaten meat for a long time. She tried eating
some
> chicken soup, but even that really upset her stomach. Some people have
> suggested she take digestive enzymes. I also noticed a post this week
about
> hydrochloric acid capsules - would this help?
>
> Any other suggestions for someone who hasn't eaten meat for a long
long
> time?
>
> Irene
>
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