Became a Vegetarian: Getting Pale skin and a Severe Headache!?

Question

Hi everyone!

I'm a 22 years old female, I became a vegetarian on 02/21/08, but now I feel in a severe headache and getting cold even if it's warm, also my family telling me that I have a pale skin.

How can I become a healthy vegetarian?

Help Plz!

Thank you very MUCH!

Answer 1

Are u sure its not  just a flu or a cold or something?   if u think its veggie realated u should just take a non animal tested paracetamol or something and it may have a different effect on ur body but when some people stop smoking the get more unhealthy before they get alot healthier but if u stick at it you will be pleased you did, you dont wanna go back to eating poor dead animals that had to suffer.    Eat fruit and drink plenty of water!

Answer 2

You are most likely anemic.

Anemia -- iron deficiency.

Eat foods with plenty of iron (such as brocolli!)

I'm sure if you just google it up, you'll get tons of food charts.

Also, you'll feel weak if you don't get enough protein. Tofu is an AMAZING source of protein, as are nuts, seeds, beans, etc.

Good Luck! :)

Answer 3

yeah youre probably anemic or have some other deficiency. B12 is very common too. time to go see the doc and get on a multivitamin. good luck

Answer 4

it may be linked to starting be aveggie. did you get a medical check up before u started to ensure that you were healthy.

i do not think that it is connected to your new diet,but get your self checked out anyway.then buy a good veggie cookbook,one that supplies all the nutritional info you need.when i became a veggie family /friends said i was pale ,why.because they did not want me to be a veggie,as they did not understand.

Answer 5

you need to speak with your doctor. maybe you not getting enough iron which making you anemic.....

Answer 6

I don't know what you diet contains of, but you should eat a lot of vegetables and be sure you get the vitamins you need. What you also should do is to consult a nutrition expert :)

Answer 7

I'm sorry you're having that experience. Vegetarian diets are very healthy when they include a variety of fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and grains. You should make sure you're getting enough calories; don't just eat lots of low-calorie foods like salads.

Here's a meal planning guide for vegetarians:

http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/f...

Also, here are good vegetarian sources of protein, iron, and calcium: http://www.tryveg.com/cfi/toc/?v=08sourc...

It wouldn't hurt to take a multivitamin that contains iron. Regardless of diet, young women have higher rates of anemia compared to the overall population.

You may also want to meet with a nutritionist who can evaluate your current diet and tell you what you need to change. Hope this helps!

Answer 8

Well, I suppose we cannot help you very much.

You could be living on twinkies and potato chips and pop for all we know, right?

Answer 9

Study nutrition all you can, it is not as simple as just not eating animal products. Vegetarianism can be very unhealthy if you are not diligent. Supplements will get you through the learning process, but you should really learn how to adapt your diet to the cycles of your body, especially as a young female of child bearing age.

Answer 10

What you discribe sounds more like anorexia then a vegetarian diet. I suggest you see your doctor them do some research on how to eat a proper vegetarian diet. That is unless your just a troll.

Answer 11

Well if it were the diet, I believe you would have been experiencing these predicaments a couple of weeks after you became vegetarian. Not a couple of months.

Have you stopped drinking water recently? I know water affects the skin.

Answer 12

There are some nice links here on healthy eating. http://newfreebooks.com Go to the research section.

You have the right idea, but you have to have some good knowledge to do it right. I did it without the right knowledge and it caused some bumps too. Also, go to your local (privately owned) health food store. They are usually the experts in this kind of thing. Don't buy a lot of pills, but just ask them about nutrition, and they should be a great help.

Answer 13

I agree with brown sugar. I had an iron deficiency while I had my period a few months ago and I was horribly weak and everyone said I looked very pale and ill. I would start taking iron. Since meat is a major source of iron in people's diets. It's important to take supplements to make up for what you're not getting from meat to stay healthy. Be careful not to take to much Iron as high levels in your body can be very toxic and dangerous to your health. I usually take one iron capsule every other day. Hope you feel better.

Answer 14

i was the same way when i first became a veg 3yrs ago. i became anemic and was a lil pale & also very cold when others were extremely hot. i also had no B12 in me. being a veg can be a lil more expensive since u can't just go out and grab a burger 4rom McDonalds for a buck. but you have to be creative. i love in n out. i get a veg burger and put fries in it. YUM! ITS DELICIOUS. Being a veg is great you just have to dicipline urself and make sure u get a daily dosage of vitamins ur body requires. g'luck