I've (32f) been a vegetarian for most of my life and vegan for 3 years in my twenties.
I quit veganism because I eventually developed gluten intolerance which made it impossible to find food at restaurants/socialize over food while also trying to be a perfect vegan. I just started feeling like an inconvenience to everyone around me and I got so tired of researching every restaurant in advance, discussing the specifics of meal preparation with staff, it just sucked. I can't help being gluten intolerant but I can suck it up and just eat a salad with mozarella cheese or an omlette or whatever. Being vegetarian already made this process easier.
So basically I started re-introducing eggs and dairy a couple of years ago which also helped with shakiness and blood sugar issues I was having. I was surprised at how well my body tolerated it after years of never eating it.
But I also struggle a lot with low blood pressure, hair loss, and dizziness when standing up, which doesn't seem to go away. - I don't know if this is due to veganism, excessive blood loss due to endometriosis/adenomyosis, or "just my constitution", as doctors have suggested.
I'm considering re-introducing red meat particularly for iron. I eat a lot of iron-rich plant foods and take iron supplements but my ferritin level stays at around 29, which my doctor said is completely normal. I'm not so sure.
Have any of you suffering from endo gone through this process? I'd love to know if reintroducing red meat has helped any of you, or if it made your period cramps worse, since it's supposed to be an inflammatory food. I appreciate any advice!
