Not Vegetarian, But...

For over twenty-five years I was a vegetarian, no fish, a real vegetarian.

The first signs were when I was pregnant with our third. Meat and poultry didn't attract me. I preferred fish. Then at the end of the pregnancy, my blood pressure went up. Then when she was a year old I was stung by a bee and my arm blew up. The doctor told me to get off of animal products. After a while I resumed eggs and dairy, but I stayed off of fish, beef and poultry for over twenty-five years.

It drove my family crazy. At least, I was the cook and could control what I ate, at least most of the time.

I was in perfect health, just got fatter after a certain age, but that happens to lots of people.

Then a few years ago, after a very stressful time subbing in junior high, I began feeling hungry. And then I resumed my fish, beef, poultry eating as if I had never been a vegetarian. A few weeks later, I had a routine physical and the doctor said that my B12 was dangerously low. He said that if I hadn't already gone carnivorous, he would have prescribed B12 shots. Instead I took the under the tongue vitamin pills.

Since then, I haven't needed them. My B12 is high. And suddenly, recently, I no longer feel very attracted to all the meat. Again I prefer fish.

So, I'm in the midst of changing my eating, yet again. I've mellowed out since my vegetarian days and I have no desire to drive everyone crazy the way I used to. It's not a principle. Of course, I must find a way of getting off the new weight which has crept on this winter, when I hardly got to the pool and have been suffering from "knees." I have to be more careful about what I do, or my knees hurt.