What a long time not to eat meat. “I thought I was better than others”: Former vegetarians talk about returning to meat

Dr. Milton Mills studied the structure musculoskeletal system, digestive system, structure of stomachs, oral cavities, organs of vision, diet, rest, reproduction of offspring of a group of predators and a group of herbivores. As a result, it turned out that in all characteristics a person has a clear resemblance to herbivores, and not to predators or omnivores. Here are some examples:

Musculoskeletal system and limbs

CentaurThe structure of the legs of herbivores differs from the structure of the legs of predators and omnivores in that herbivores and humans have straight legs, adapted for long periods of standing in a standing position while searching for and eating plant food. In predators, the initial position of the legs is not straight, but with a bend in the area of ​​the knees and ankle joints. This allows predators to move silently and make powerful jumps from a place for a sudden attack on a potential victim.

Digestive system

Shipmanzee feeding a tiger cub The saliva of predators does not contain enzymes, since predators do not chew food, but cut it with powerful jaws and swallow it in large portions. In herbivores and humans, saliva contains enzymes and the digestion process begins in the mouth. The esophagus of herbivores and humans is narrow, since already chewed and softened food enters it.

The white rabbit loves greenery. The stomach of predators is extensive, accounting for 60–70% of the volume of the entire digestive system. In humans, the stomach makes up 21–27% of the digestive system; in herbivores it is also less than 30%. Predators are able to eat once a week or less, because their hunt does not end successfully every day, while herbivores and humans eat several times a day.

The acidity of the stomach of predators is much higher than that of humans and herbivores. In predators RN< 1 или = 1, в то время как у человека и травоядных РН = от 4 до 5.

Length small intestine Predators and omnivores have only 3 to 6 body sizes of a predator, which is much shorter than that of humans and herbivores - 10-12 body sizes.

The colon of carnivores and omnivores is short and smooth. In herbivores and humans it is long with an uneven surface.

The liver of carnivores and omnivores has the ability to neutralize vitamin A; the liver of herbivores and humans is not able to neutralize vitamin A and its excess can cause poisoning.

The kidneys of carnivores and omnivores produce concentrated urine. In herbivores and humans, they produce less concentrated urine.

Mouth structure

Both herbivores and humans have more muscular lips and tongues than carnivores and omnivores. These qualities are intended for the process of chewing food, which is inherent in herbivores, but not in carnivores and omnivores, which can only lightly grind food. The developed muscles of the lips and tongue of herbivores and humans help move food around the mouth for repeated grinding with flat teeth.

The mouth of a crocodile The mouth opening of herbivores and humans is small, which is a consequence of food entering it in small portions. In predators, the structure of the jaw of the mouth allows them to open their mouths very wide for successful hunting and quickly swallowing food.

Zebras came to drink. Humans and herbivores drink liquid, their mouths are capable of forming a vacuum to draw in liquids; predators lap portions of liquid into their mouths using their tongues.

The facial muscles of humans and herbivores are quite developed, since these animals and humans diligently chew food. In predators, the facial muscles are not developed; preference is given only to the vertical direction of movement of the jaw to cut the flesh of the prey.

Structure of teeth

The incisors of carnivores and omnivores are short and pointed towards the open end. Herbivores and humans have longer, wider, and flatter incisors.

Cow JawHuman teeth are similar to the teeth of horses, rabbits and other herbivores - we all have a row of large, closely set front teeth, evolutionarily designed for gnawing fruits and other hard plant materials. If you look at the teeth of predators such as cats, lions, tigers and omnivores like wolves, raccoons, dogs - the top and lower teeth very small, and on their sides there are developed fangs.

Bear fangsThe fangs of predators and omnivores are long, sharp and curved. In herbivores, the fangs are short and blunt, while in humans they are short and blunt. Some herbivores have longer fangs for a protective function.

The molars of predators are strongly pointed in the form of jagged blades. In herbivores and humans, the fangs are flat with small knobby slides.

The look of a white dog Most predators do not distinguish colors and do not recognize stationary objects. Their vision mainly captures what is in motion. Herbivores and humans easily distinguish many colors of the rainbow, as well as non-moving objects. This indicates that their main life interest in the process of evolution was concentrated on the plant world, where color and shape help determine the edibility of objects.

In addition, most predators and omnivores have excellent night vision, while many herbivores and humans are not able to clearly see surrounding objects in the dark.

Periods of activity and rest during the day

Night hunter Predators and omnivores sleep up to 20 hours a day, the main activity occurs at night. Most herbivorous mammals and humans are active during the daylight hours.

Carnivores and omnivores are able to provide nutrition to the body for several days with one large feeding. Herbivores and humans must eat food several times during the day.

Reproduction

FoalThe period of gestation of offspring by predators and omnivores is 2–3 times shorter than the period of gestation of cubs by herbivorous mammals and humans.

Blind PuppyAs a rule, raptors and omnivores produce numerous offspring from one pregnancy. While herbivores and humans usually give birth to one young, in rare cases 2.

The offspring of predators are born blind, while those of herbivores are born with open eyes.

All these similarities illustrate that man, in the process of evolution, was formed precisely as a creature adapted to eating fruit.

Thus, doctors come to the conclusion that the human body is not biologically designed for eating meat, and this explains the numerous diseases that have become an everyday reality for humanity in the era of active consumption of animal products.

I’ve been a meat eater all my life, and when I accidentally came across this article, I decided to try to give up meat partially, four days have passed since the decision, and surprisingly I don’t even feel like eating it. Of course, I will use it periodically, but it has become much easier for me.
1. Meat contains only 35% nutrients. In plants – 90%.
Compared to plant foods, it contains few vitamins, carbohydrates,
minerals (and even those are largely destroyed during cooking,
pass into an indigestible form).
To digest meat, the human body needs
a large number of time and therefore energy.
Thus, the coefficient useful action meat food
(the ratio of the energy received from digesting meat to the energy expended on its digestion) is very small.


2. The opinion that meat contains amino acids that are essential to other foods is erroneous.
All necessary for the body amino acids of this group are synthesized by beneficial microflora in the large intestine (if, of course, a sufficient amount of food is consumed to nourish this microflora - raw fiber - and it is not destroyed by yeast bread - dysbiosis).

3. When justifying meat consumption, they cite the fact that meat contains vitamin B12,
which plants lack. But if you introduce sprouted wheat into your diet,
containing this vitamin in large quantities, there is no need for meat and for this reason
(Vitamin B12 can also be produced by healthy microflora).

4. Meat contains proteins foreign to our body, which inhibit beneficial microflora,
causing dysbacteriosis, introducing disharmony into the functioning of body systems,
its ability to self-regulate and self-heal,
leading to overstrain and depletion of adaptive reserves, contributing to the development of cancer.

5. Meat excessively acidifies the internal environment of the body, which suppresses nitrogen-fixing bacteria in respiratory tract, less nitrogen is absorbed from the air, therefore, the need for food (“zhor”) increases.

6. Excessive amounts of proteins and purine bases contained in meat form many acidic residues in the human body - uric acid, causing slagging and poisoning of the body. Acid waste from meat (as well as sugar, white flour products, cakes) combines, being neutralized,
with organic lime from bones, their fragility increases (osteoporosis), diseases of the joints (rheumatism, arthritis) and teeth occur.

7. Meat is heavily contaminated with putrefactive bacteria (they appear immediately after the slaughter of the animal, a significant part of them is resistant to heat treatment),
cadaveric poison - after all, weeks (and even months) often pass from slaughter to consumption,
worm eggs. Necrobiosis products contained in meat are related in their action to hemlock and strychnine. In addition, the meat of a killed animal is contaminated with more than two hundred harmful hormones, which the animal’s body releases from horror when it is led to slaughter.
Often, to accelerate the growth of animals or to treat them, they are given drugs that have carcinogenic properties.
And how many nitrates, herbicides and insecticides enter the body of animals along with food,
and then into our body?

8. Meat contains many extragenic substances, excessively stimulating the appetite, which leads to overeating.

9. It takes 6-8 hours to digest meat (vegetables - 4, fruits - 1), so by the next meal this meat will not have time to be completely digested and will partially begin to rot, and since you cannot eat only protein foods all day, then in that next appointment Incompatible products will end up in the body side by side, which will further intensify rotting. Rotting undigested meat (as well as eggs and milk) emit methane, which destroys vitamin B3, as a result (without this vitamin) the insulin enzyme loses its activity and blood sugar is not converted into animal sugar - glycogen. This is how diabetes mellitus occurs.

10. Methane also destroys vitamin B6, which controls the process of cell growth, and, becoming a carcinogen, is deposited in slagged tissues. subcutaneous tissue in lipomas, papillomas, polyps (places of future cancerous tumors). A sign of the presence of this carcinogen, which in the future provokes cancer, is the coloring of urine red after eating beets.

11. Fish meat is no less harmful (the same corpse poison, in addition, all our River fish infected with worm eggs). Many organochlorine compounds enter fish meat from the environment, which disrupt the production of testosterone in the body of men. With abundant consumption of fish, men are deprived of reproductive functions and become effeminate. The consumption of fish is often justified by the need for phosphorus for the body. But the phosphorus of boiled fish goes into an indigestible form. Organic phosphorus is contained in sufficient quantities in walnuts (in optimal combination with the necessary calcium), buckwheat (if it is not subjected to prolonged heat treatment), millet, egg yolk, peas, yogurt. However, these “live” products do not have all of the above harmful factors, characteristic of meat.

12. Particularly harmful meat broth. The “strengthening” meat broth actually consists of animal waste. It also contains highly concentrated extractive substances that cause overeating (and contribute to the development cardiovascular diseases). Digesting broth requires 30 times more energy than digesting meat, so it greatly weakens the body (especially during illness).

13. Everything said fully applies to meat products.
In addition, sausages, ham, sausages contain harmful additives
(dyes, synthetic spices, sodium nitrate, saltpeter, preservatives,
starch that does not combine with protein), which initially leads to indigestion when consumed systematically,
and then to mental illness, cancer
Edible gelatin from bone decoctions is also harmful (super concentrate).

14. After eating meat, heaviness occurs,
makes you sleepy (all energy goes to digestion),
fatigue, irritability, constipation occur,
and when abundant intake meat food - salt deposition in the legs (gout),
atherosclerosis, cholecystitis, pancreatitis (in short, all the consequences of slagging in the body).
Hot temper and aggressiveness develop.
Meat eaters often develop multiple sclerosis, cancer of the colon, breast, blood.

15. This is what the writer and doctor V.V. Veresaev noted about meat food (“Notes for myself”). When he was assigned an academic ration in the 1920s, there was only enough meat for half a month. And then he noticed that in the first two weeks the family was in a typical “meaty” mood - heaviness in the head, lethargy. When the meat ran out, “a desire to work appeared, the mood became light, the body became mobile.”

It is advisable to replace dead meat proteins with living proteins, primarily nuts (but not bitter almonds, which contain a strong poison - hydrocyanic acid), and seeds (not fried). The best nuts are walnuts. Nuts contain more protein than meat, and require much less gastric juice for digestion.

Sprouted wheat grains are a complete protein food. Less often you can also eat cheese and cottage cheese (but since it also contains animal fats that “clog” the liver ducts, you should add vegetable oil, curdled milk, nuts or eat with salad).

A complete meat replacement - buckwheat, sprouted grains. The maximum amount of living proteins is found in soy. The full set of amino acids necessary for the synthesis of human proteins is found in soybeans, peas, beans, and beans.

Vegetarianism is a nutritional system based on complete or partial abstinence from meat. Of course, such a “diet” also has a moral side to the issue. But, it must be said right away, it will not be taken into account in this article. Let's look at vegetarianism as a nutritional system and try to understand its advantages and disadvantages.

Giving up meat is a trend today. Most Hollywood actors and others famous people They are proud that they do not eat animal products. At the same time they look great.

Making vegetarianism a great advertisement. But, you need to understand that the capabilities of the average person and a film actor, to put it mildly, are slightly different. Therefore, before giving up food of animal origin, you need to know all the advantages and disadvantages of such a choice.

Vegetarianism benefits - advantages of vegetarianism

Because food plant origin contains a minimal amount of fat, then giving up meat allows you to lose excess weight. This is one of the main advantages of a vegetarian diet. Moreover, many have joined this nutrition system precisely because of the opportunity to get their body in order.

• Plant foods have little energy value, but at the same time saturates the stomach well
• If you replace meat with vegetables and fruits, you can not only reduce subcutaneous fat, but also remove toxins and waste from the body. Eating plant-based foods helps normalize metabolic processes in organism
• Many studies have shown that vegetarians suffer less from hypertension. diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases
• Vegetable and fruit dishes are rich in vitamins and microelements. Minerals such as potassium and magnesium, without which the human body cannot function normally, can be obtained mostly from products of plant origin: potatoes, bananas, buckwheat
• Plant foods contain a lot complex carbohydrates, which are an excellent source of energy and are not deposited on the sides and buttocks as fat. This is why vegetarians look slimmer and fitter.

Vegetarianism - cons

• Plant foods contain a lot useful substances and vitamins. But it contains extremely little of the most important substance for all living things - protein.
• Yes, it is present in vegetables and fruits. But plant protein has a low amino acid composition. Which does not allow it to be used as a replacement for protein from meat. Moreover, vegetable protein is less easily absorbed by the body.
• A lack of protein over time can affect the functioning of the immune and reproductive systems.
• Of course, replace animal protein vegetable is possible. To do this, you need to combine foods with different amino acid composition. But this is very difficult to take into account and, according to at least, you must have special education
• But it’s not just the lack of protein that vegetarians should worry about. If you decide to give up meat, you need to include iron-rich foods in your diet. This macronutrient is widely distributed in the plant world. But iron is absorbed from plant foods much worse than from meat.

Lack of iron can lead to decreased hemoglobin and endocrine disruption.

IMPORTANT: Iron is best absorbed with lemon or ascorbic acids. And also with fructose. This must be taken into account when choosing your vegetarian diet.

If you decide to give up meat, you also need to know that most likely, your body will not receive enough vitamins: B2, B12, A, D and trace elements: selenium, copper, zinc and calcium. Therefore, it is very important to increase the consumption of plant foods in which these substances are present in large quantities.

It is also worth considering the financial side of the issue. Prices fresh fruits and vegetables are quite high today. Especially in winter. In addition, many vegetarian recipes require imported vegetables and fruits, which are difficult to replace with domestic products.

Giving up meat - advantages

Giving up meat can actually have its benefits. According to the British Journal of Cancer Research, vegetarians have a 12% lower risk of cancer than people who regularly eat meat. But, unfortunately, English experts did not provide data on how much meat lovers consumed it.

• Plant foods are easier to digest. Especially if she is not exposed heat treatment. Therefore, vegetarians, and especially raw foodists, recover faster
• They need less time to sleep. This is due to the fact that plant foods, thanks to enzymes, relieve the burden on the digestive system. And the body spends less energy to digest it
• By giving up meat, you can reduce cholesterol levels in the body. Firstly, one of the reasons for the increase of this substance in the body is fatty food animal origin. Secondly, herbal products contain substances that can remove excess cholesterol from the body. Garlic is especially famous for this
• You also need to know that when excessive consumption meat products, the intestines will not be able to quickly process them. This will lead to putrefactive processes in the body. Toxins will begin to form in it, which, if released into the blood, will cause various problems.

Cons of giving up meat

• Avoiding animal products has its disadvantages:

  If you still decide to give up meat, then seriously think about your diet. Some amino acids from this product are essential for human body and can only get into it from the outside

• And if at first a vegetarian does not notice any changes, then after 5-7 years a representative of such a food system will have a decrease in immunity
• The lack of animal products has a particularly negative impact on children's body. A child needs meat and fish to grow. In addition to protein, such products contain a large amount of nutrients, which children need for proper development.
• With the help of plant foods, you can “fill” the body’s need for alpha-linolenic acid, but not for omega-3. But this one fatty acid necessary for the body to proper operation musculoskeletal, nervous and cardiovascular systems
• Without Omag-3 it is impossible to keep your hair and skin in order. Of course, you can include more in your diet walnuts And linseed oil. But then you'll have to eat these foods all day

Creatine enters the body with meat. This substance is found in large quantities in beef. If you give up meat, vegetarians may develop creatine deficiency. What will affect rapid fatigue, decreased physical activity and memory.

IMPORTANT: Giving up meat for the first time will give you a lot of benefits. positive points. But, when the body begins to lack nutrients that can only be obtained from meat, malfunctions may begin in its functioning. That is why you need to be a vegetarian 5 days a week, setting aside two days for yourself to replenish the body’s need for food of animal origin. Remember, at the beginning of the article it was promised that there would be no moral aspects to the issue. Only science.

How to give up meat?

If you have weighed the pros and cons and decided to give up meat, then you should not immediately start promoting the rest of the diet, much less establish a plant-based diet for your children.

Before giving up meat completely, you need to prepare yourself for this. gastrointestinal tract. To do this you need to do several fasting days: kefir, vegetable and fruit. After which you need to gradually give up first the meat itself, and then the broths based on it.

IMPORTANT: Some areas of vegetarianism involve eating fish, eggs and other animal products. And unlike the strict directions of such a nutritional system, it does not have such a negative effect on the body.

After you have eliminated sausages, smoked meats and other “harmful” foods from your diet meat food you can move on and exclude others less harmful products. But, at the same time, you need to monitor your diet and make up for losses. Beans, nuts and soy can help increase your protein, iron and vitamin intake.

It is very important to include calcium-rich foods in your diet. For example, asparagus, raisins, cabbage and, if your beliefs allow, milk and eggs. Tofu bean curd will help fill the need not only for vitamins, but also for protein. And as a source of zinc, you can choose buckwheat and corn.

After giving up meat, you need to diversify your diet well. You should definitely buy a book of vegetarian recipes and discover a new dish every day. Stew with mushrooms, bean pastes, stuffed vegetables, pizza with peppers and mushrooms, pancakes with fruit filling, etc. All this can help you give up meat forever. Of course, if such a task exists.

Consequences of giving up meat

Vegetarianism has undoubted advantages. Plant food is a natural antibiotic that suppresses pathogenic bacteria multiplying in the intestines. In addition, eating foods without animal products can reduce the level of bad cholesterol. Which reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

But plant foods do not contain a single important amino acid that our body cannot synthesize. Which makes her inferior. Moreover, such a nutritional system does not allow the body to obtain the full amount of vitamin D.

Its amount in products of plant origin is minimal. Moreover, other substances in such products interfere with the normal absorption of this vitamin. Avoiding meat is especially dangerous childhood. In the USA there is even such a diagnosis as “early nutritional rickets of adolescents.” And it is usually given to children of vegetarians.

Changes in the body after giving up meat

• When giving up meat, a person begins to receive less important substances. Including vitamin B12. The importance of this vitamin cannot be overestimated. It is necessary for the formation and growth of blood cells
• Therefore, its deficiency can lead to irreversible consequences. Some clinical researches showed that the lack of this substance in the milk of a vegetarian mother even causes anemia in the child, who is on breastfeeding. You can see the journal article about such studies Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, 2009
• Another negative change that occurs in the body when refusing meat products is weakening bone tissue. By the way, the aforementioned vitamin B12 is also responsible for this. In addition, vegetarians do not receive enough vitamin D, which is also responsible for the quality of bone tissue.
• That is why the bone mineral density of vegetarians is low. Which leads to frequent fractures among representatives of such a food system. You can read about this in the magazine Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, No. 3, 2010

Kirill. It all depends on the person himself. If he shouts at every corner that he is a vegetarian, and he sits on rolls and other flour products, then there will be no benefit from such a power system. Quite the contrary. Vegetarianism is not just the absence of meat in the diet. This is the power system. It needs to be studied and selected balanced diet. Otherwise, you can harm your body.

Svetlana. My mother works as a gastroenterologist. She says she notes the many benefits of vegetarianism, but also says that you can’t give up meat completely. Only meat protein is absorbed by 98%. And it’s easier to get iron from such products. Vegetarians usually feel great for several years. And this strengthens their belief in giving up meat. But then some substances are completely produced by the body. Which can lead to problems conceiving a child and even anemia.

Video: Eating plant foods - benefits and HARM!

Is meat really as bad as they say? Let's dispel the myths about the benefits of vegetarianism and the dangers of meat once and for all!

Through vegetarianism a person gains enlightenment

Judging by this belief, those who eat meat a priori cannot be initiates. Apparently animal protein blocks the ability to enlighten in our body.

In fact, enlightenment has nothing to do with the type of nutrition, because it is a state of mind. Someone can perhaps achieve enlightenment thanks to a juicy piece of meat.

The human digestive system is not designed to digest meat

Scientists have been arguing for decades about who we really are - herbivores or predators? They attribute this to the long intestines. In herbivores it is elongated, but in predators it is not. Our digestive system much more complex than in animals. Man is an omnivore. Our body is designed in such a way that we are able to digest and plant foods, and food of animal origin.

Meat can be processed and even rot in the stomach for up to 36 hours, while taking away a person’s energy

Our stomach contains enzymes and hydrochloric acid, which helps digest meat, to small intestine Only amino acids reach, so there can be no talk of any lingering and rotting food here. Moreover, rot is dead cells, and if rot occurred inside a person, he would simply get poisoned and die. If a person could not eat meat, then our ancestors would not have survived in the cruel world of predators, eating only grass and leaves.

A vegetarian diet is healthier

Of course, a properly thought-out diet, in which there is a place for products containing all macro- and microelements, helps reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and other things.

But, firstly, in reality, not everyone adheres to it. And, secondly, there are also Scientific research proving the opposite.

For example, in Britain it was found that meat eaters are less likely to develop cancer of the brain, cervix and rectum, compared to vegetarians.

Vegetarian dieters live longer

This myth was most likely born when it was proven that vegetarianism helps prevent certain diseases. But the most interesting thing is that there is confirmed statistical data about the lives of people with different diets no one has. And if we remember that in India - the birthplace of vegetarianism - people live on average up to 63 years, and in the countries of Scandinavia, where it is difficult to imagine a day without meat and oily fish- up to 75 years old, the opposite comes to mind.

Vegetarianism allows you to quickly lose weight

According to research, vegetarians have a lower body mass index than meat eaters. But do not forget that this indicator may indicate not only the absence of subcutaneous fat, but also a deficiency muscle mass. In addition, a vegetarian diet is important.

Plant protein is similar to animal protein

The fact is that plant protein does not contain a complete set of amino acids. In addition, it is less digestible than animal food. And getting it entirely from soy, a person risks “enriching” his body with phytoestrogens, which negatively affect the hormonal metabolism of men.

Animals are living beings. Killing them is like killing a person

In fact, plants, fungi, microorganisms are also living, since they have life cycle, they are born, reproduce, die. Therefore, from a moral point of view, cutting celery for salad is as immoral as slaughtering rabbits in a slaughterhouse. In addition, any, even the slightest human action (for example, washing hands) can lead to the death of hundreds of thousands of microorganisms that live on the skin or in environment. One tablet of any antibiotic commits real genocide of the intestinal microflora, but this does not mean that antibiotics should be banned for ideological reasons?

Gorrillas are herbivores and feel great at the same time!

So what? Man is not a gorilla. As a reverse example, we can say that the wolf only eats meat and does not need vegetarianism. By the way, gorillas living in captivity eat meat if they are given it. And they don’t have any digestive problems. In addition, they live longer than their wild counterparts.

Vegetarianism is much cheaper than meat production

Vice versa. In order to feed a person and try to provide him with the necessary amino acids and vitamins, you need to eat a large number of different fruits and vegetables every day. You can calculate how much money will be spent per day on a complete vegetarian diet. In addition, there simply is not enough field area to feed all of humanity with plants.

First of all, these are the books Finding Ultra by Rich Roll and Scott Jurek. But unlike these comrades, I did not become a vegan, because it is very difficult in our latitudes, especially in winter. And I didn’t go 100%, because I only eat fish and seafood occasionally. I wouldn’t say that without meat my life has changed dramatically, but there have been a few positive changes.

Just a small disclaimer. I'm not an animal rights activist, I don't throw paint on people who wear fur coats, and I don't run out from the table in horror if someone orders a steak.

I don’t want to impose my way of life on anyone, because all people are different and what is ideal for one may never fit into the life of another.

In 2013, I became completely interested in running, ran my first marathon, read a lot about running and healthy eating and tried to somehow impose all this on my life. In addition, at the end of the year I was in the USA, ate a New York steak in New York and realized that the topic of meat could be closed for me. The first plus the second led to the fact that before the New Year I decided to conduct a kind of experiment on myself in the first six months of 2014 and see what comes of it, the results of which I will share with you.

What happened to me

1. The most important change that I noticed after just a couple of months was reduction of fatigue during the day. If earlier in the evening I would collapse, even if I sat at the table all day, now for such a state I need to “knock myself down” during training.
2. Sleep has become much better. Before giving up meat, it was difficult to wake up even after eight hours of sleep, but now seven is enough. But I still try to sleep at least eight, because it is important for recovery after training.
3. Improved digestion and general well-being . Previously, I had intestinal problems from time to time and felt heaviness in my stomach. Now there is none of this, since there is no meat, which in itself is heavy enough to digest. In addition, store-bought meat, including poultry, is usually not of the best quality.
4. Also during this time My athletic results have noticeably improved. I ran a marathon and two ultramarathons, but this cannot be directly associated with, since I trained all this time and it is not known what the results would have been if I had not changed anything in my diet. But we cannot exclude the possibility that the diet had a positive effect on sports.

How to replace meat, which, as is known, is a source of protein, which is necessary for the body, especially those exposed to sports stress. Special problems It didn’t arise for me here, because I’m not a vegan, I didn’t give up eggs, fish, dairy products, which contain a sufficient amount of animal proteins. Also I'm catching up vegetable proteins from legumes, especially lentils, nuts, mushrooms.

At first, I entered all my meals into the program, but then, when I was convinced that everything was OK with the balance of carbohydrates, fats and proteins, I gave up on this matter.

And some tips for those who decide, like me, to experiment on themselves:

1. Avoid sudden changes. Before complete refusal I didn’t already eat much meat, so this wasn’t a problem for me. If you eat meat products and poultry every day, then refuse by gradually reducing their amount in the diet, and not immediately. And in general, if you are a fan, then think about why you should give up what you love so much. :)
2. At first, write down what and how much you eat. This can be done, for example, in MyFitnesPal or another similar application, which will calculate the amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates consumed, as well as their proportions. You cannot replace meat with buns and cakes; the body needs protein.
3. Constantly monitor your feelings. If you feel a deterioration in your general health or notice other negative changes, immediately stop the experiment and return to your usual diet.
4. You can get tested from time to time to see if everything is normal.
5. Don't expect quick changes and do not draw conclusions after a few days or even weeks. Changes in the body do not occur immediately, so be patient.
6. Prepare for questions from others with or without reason. :)

Good luck with your experiments!