okay real talk- I've tried going vegan for a bit over 2 years. Switched to oat and almond milk, beans, tempeh, lots of recipes from Sweet Potato Soul (yum!). But my body is STILL not used to it. I have constant gastrointestinal problems and spent more time on the toilet than ever. I had constantly low iron, despite eating all the 'high iron' vegan foods like beans and spinach and vit C and taking supplements. Doc flat out told me 'eat a steak sometimes'. I feel like a failure
I would say that this is definitely not a normal response to a plant-based diet, I’m not medically qualified in any way but based on what I’m reading it sounds similar to accounts from other people who found out that they were actually dealing with an intolerance or an allergen. A general practitioner will not necessarily know much about nutrition, everything you can get in animal produces you can get elsewhere from many sources, and of course steak is not a vitamin.
You’re certainly not a failure, you’re dealing with a health issue you don’t understand and getting poor advice from your doctor. If I were you I would try to set up an appointment with a specialist, someone who can assess allergies, intolerances or a nutritionist. Failing that, try to identify what you’ve eaten when you experience the digestive issues particularly, as it’s likely to be from a specific type of food. This is not what you would normally expect to see from a nutrient deficiency, so I think there is something more at play here.
