Hi all! I have a question about how to care for myself when I’m sick.
Here’s the scenario- I’m not vegetarian, but I have been having issues with eating meat lately. Normally I can eat chicken without any issues but about 3 days ago, I ate some chicken, and had an immediate gag reaction to it. This gag reaction correlates with my “accidental” visit to PETA’s website (my husband is threatening to block it! I’ve done this before). After eating the chicken I ended up feeling nauseated until I actually vomited. Afterward, I felt better (the chicken was out of my system). So here’s my problem. I have not been able to stomach ANY meat products since. Just the thought of it turns my stomach. I tried eating my meatless “chicken” burger, but I associate the smell of it with real chicken so I just couldn’t bring myself to eat it. The few things I have eaten I’ve ended up vomiting up again. So aside from lettuce, I haven’t really eaten anything for 3 days.
I think I’ve gone so long without eating a real meal that now the thought of eating anything is making my stomach flip flop. So I’m kinda in a damned if I do, damned if I don’t scenario.
Right now I’m craving toast and pasta, but I have resisted so far because I don’t want the BG reaction that I know I’ll get with those kind of carbs, and also I’m worried about eating something so loaded after going days on barely anything. I’m drinking lots of water and diet ginger ale, and have tolerated that well. My sugars have been GORGEOUS but every now and again I see a massive spike. Not really sure why, since I’m not eating anything to warrant it.
So… any advice on how to ease back into foods? And what might I try first that will be easy on my tummy? I don’t like oatmeal, which was my mothers suggestion. I feel like I’m starving and I’ve lost 4 lbs in 2 days. Kinda nice, but not a trend I’d like to keep going if you know what I mean. Thank you all in advance for ANY advice you might be able to give.
Also… is there anything I can take to maybe help with the nausea? I’ve heard catnip or peppermint tea might help but I’m afraid to try anything without a few “okays”.
If I’m not better by Monday I’ll call my doctor, but in the meanwhile I’m going crazy and that loaf of bread for hubby’s lunches is looking mighty good…
Yeah, I think it’s wise to never visit those sites. There are all kinds of gruesome sites that will put you off ANY food, not just meat… So if you’re sensitive, best not visit that stuff. 
You could try steamed veggies… I really like zucchini and yellow summer squash, with a bit of olive oil, and a dash of salt. I’m also planning on making a lasagna using eggplant slices, instead of pasta… I found Quinoa spaguetti at the organic store, and it doesn’t spike me much… Tastes like regular spaghetti. There’s various low carb breads you can try, too… I have low carb bread, and Smart Balance peanut butter (which has no extra sugars) and and sugar free jelly, every once in a while. That might be a bit much, but it’s protein, and some carbs. If worse comes to worse, make sure you have some servings of 15 carb every few hours, so you don’t go too low (with your meds and insulin), and get yourself in danger… A serving would be like a 1/2 a cup of orange juice, or soda… or 1/2 a banana, etc… Hope this helps, maybe… 
Sorry you’re feeling sick.
Catnip (which is in the mint family) & peppermint tea are soothing to the tummy. Peppermint tastes a lot better than catnip. If you like ginger, grated fresh ginger in hot water & then strained is wonderful for nausea.
Are eggs also a turn off? They’re easy to digest. Maybe soup? Sauteed veggies covered in grated cheese & baked are filling. When I don’t feel like eating, I drink protein shakes. I use NOW brand unflavored whey isolate powder with 1.5 cups of unsweetened almond milk, unsweetened cocoa powder & sweetener. Thick & yummy. Hemp protein powder is also great. I also eat a lot of peanut butter.
Veggie pancakes help with the wanting to eat bread feeling, or regular almond flour pancakes. Comfort food.
1 cup almond flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
1 TBS sweetener (omit if using for veggie pancakes)
For veggie pancakes, grate vegetable & squeeze out as much water as you can before adding to batter.
Mix together & cook.
Makes six, 4’’ pancakes.
Each pancake has 1 gram carbs, 2 grams fiber, 6 grams protein, 155 calories total. A bit more carbs with vegetables added.
Sometimes BG goes up with no food at all. Illness does this, hormones, stress, liver dumping glycogen & a host of other things.
Hope you’re feeling better soon.
There are lots of proteins that are easier than meat – cottage cheese, eggs or egg substitute, cheese sticks/string cheese, peanut butter on celery. Soups are a good suggestion and I keep the EAS shakes in my fridge for days I need some protein to wrap around my veggies. A handful of nuts - walnuts or almonds are good boosts. I also absolutely live on yogurt. I mix in 1/2 a cup of fiber all and give it a crunch. How do you do with fish? Just a little tuna or salmon on a salad is good.
Good Luck. Its hard when you don’t have an appetite. I don’t eat red meat anymore but don’t miss it, it makes my stomach flip flop so I know the feeling. I remember when I was pregnant I couldn’t handle raw meat at all (gag) so I lived on peanut butter and eggs. You’ll find something that will work. Until then, write down your food so you don’t short yourself – you need to eat!
I have food issues also. Just eat what your body is craving. That’s how I do it. Your body knows what it needs. Listen to it!
I’ve heard a lot of people say that ginger can also help with nausea. A lot of people will drink ginger tea (which I think would be your best low carb ginger option) to help, I’ve never tried it, because I don’t like tea, but I also think ginger in other forms can help too (sucking on ginger candies, ginger cookies, ginger ale?). Good luck!
I guess it all depends on if you really want to eat meat or not. If youre wanting to eat it for protein, theres a million ways you can still get it.
As far as the nausea, you might just have to eat toast and drink tea or diet 7up to settle your stomach down
Are you taking any other medicines that are not diabetic related?
As far as insulin goes, are you on shots…do you have a set amount of insulin you take PLUS a sliding scale for when youre high or do you carb count?
If you do want to get back to eating meat, you might just have to go thru this spell youre in right now. Just make sure you eat when you are supposed to, maybe a bit less, but still eat. Drink broth, that settles the stomach…if you can handle the low sodium broth do that…I dont know anyone that can Sugar free jello - there are so many protein/carb free foods out there and you can make great recipes too.
I guess it all starts with do you WANT to eat meat or not.
Drink plenty, eat small amounts and check your sugar often.
Hey Devon,
I have been a veg for 20 years so if you want help with non-meat subs I can help you out. Yes, alot of them are created to taste like the real thing - this is mostly done to help those who are transitioning from a meat diet to a veg one who have cravings. Me, I don’t crave meat at all anymore and I never will ever go back. I am very happy with my veg decision. I like some of the subs but not all of them. Chicken wasn’t really high on my list but I like the veg burgers, hot dogs and bacon - mostly. There are lots of high protein (if you are worried about protein) that can be had in some of the veg subs. Not all of them taste exactly like meat - but some can be high in carbs so must be careful. There are those some veg protein shakes that have a significant amount of protein. Some are vegan and some are veg. Vegan means no dairy, eggs, etc - in case you weren’t sure. But if PETA video on factory farm chickens bother you than you the eating eggs from factory farmed chickens will make you gag too.
Your reaction to the meat means you care about what the truth really is - at least, regarding factory farms.I went through this all 20 years ago when I found out about factory farms. I love animals too much so I decide I can’t be a party to this and since I couldn’t shut down the factory farms by myself - going veg was the best way to remove myself from being part of “chain”. I never looked back. But I have a lot of willpower. Everyone is different and what they can stomach about the reality of our modern farming methods.
But since this “rejecting meat” is new to you, let me ask you a question, is it the aspect of factory farming that upsets you or that the animal has to die? If it doesn’t bother you that an animal has to die for you to eat it, than you might want to check out humanely raised meats and chickens. You can often get these from local farmers who raise “free range” and “hormone-free” livestock. Eggs too are readily available. Or if you live near a good health food store like a Whole Foods - they will have these items. If you feel you are on your way to veg-dom, they are a nice start for those who can’t give it all up at once. The PETA video show the horrible factory farms - small local farms who raise their animals humanely are a different story. So maybe that might be more for you - you might not have the “I can’t stomach this” reflex. Not sure exact where you stand on this. But just some suggestions for you.
Not to fuel the fire and make your husband mad - but if you are interested you should watch the movie “Earthlings” - I think you can see it for free on YouTube. Not trying to convert you or anything but if you need help in this subject and are interested in changing to being veg, you can message me.
Since become diabetic, I have had problems too. Since most breads, pasta and potatoes (things I hate a lot of before) are now out. (I am mostly vegan btw). It has been a difficult transition but good in a way because i am eating lots more veggies and greens - things that i should be eating anyways! I never worried about protein too much before - I am trying to get more in my diet through veg subs but not stressing about it too much. It is getting lots easier as time goes on.
For the nausea, can you keep water down? Keep drinking that water. Also, have some steamed veggies - they are gentlier on the tummy than raw veggies when you have nausea. I had an episode like this right after I found out I was diabetic - don’t know what happened - but I felt nauseated everytime I ate something and even water. The only food I could stomach was a little avocadoe - probably because it is smushy and soft. I got really dehydrated and ended up in urgent care and needed fluids - so if you can keep water down keep drinking it. Once I had bacteria in my stomach (don’t know how it got there - maybe I didn’t wash my veggies well enough), but I couldn’t keep water or food down. I had to get meds to get myself back on track. This was many years ago.
Oh, I get a low carb bread called “Healthy Ways” - don’t know if they have it near you but check the shelves. I was a HUGE breadaholic and I have that low carb toast in the morning and I do OK.
Hope you are feeling better soon! I will be happy to provide any “veg” advice if you require it.
Peanut butter settles my stomach when I am nauseous. And Calm Tea (Tazo). It has Chamomile, spearmint,peppermint, etc.
And if you need a treat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups are soothing too.
Kimberly- I’m am rejecting meats for two reasons… one, I object to how they are “harvested” and two, I just feel bad about eating it. I thought about free range meats, and to an extent I was able to find them, but when I asked if the animal was “harvested” at home or in a slaughter house, they were being taken to a slaughterhouse and I don’t agree with that. I can just imagine the angst I believe they feel being uploaded from home and all that. Sooooo… Free range isn’t really an option for me because I don’t see the point, yes, Bessy is happy at home until her last hours. Not what I’m looking for. Plus, although I don’t have a cuddly relationship with chickens (they are SO MEAN), I don’t really wish them dead either. So if I just shut my brain off, I can eat meat, but I haven’t been able to shut it off the last few days. As a general rule of thumb, I don’t eat fish, I don’t eat red meat, and I don’t eat pork. I’m basically all chicken, all the time. Sometimes I’ll eat a piece of pork but again, if I think about it… I don’t drink milk and I have a hard time with eggs but I’m learning to not like them, but tolerate them. I wouldn’t starve if that was all I had. I do like string cheese so that is good.
I also have massive texture issues. If I don’t like the texture of a food, I can’t eat it. For example pineapples and oranges. I love the flavor and the juice but I can’t actually eat it. I just can’t bring myself to swallow it. So that rules out a lot of the soy protein and tofu and whatnot, until I find a way to change the texture, I just can’t eat it. So really, putting protein into my diet is the important part. I don’t have a lot of disposable income so I worry about trying new things because I don’t want to waste the money if it’s terrible. ::SIGH::
I ended up caving and eating a very small portion of noodles. I’m feeling a little better, it was nice to have something in my tummy but overall I’m starting to not really miss eating. I’m wondering if that is because I haven’t had anything in a while that now I’m used to it? Is that possible or am I justifying things in my mind?
Is peanut butter ok for me to eat? I was taught that I should eat peanut butter to raise my blood sugar. I don’t normally keep it in the house but I’ll try it. Does it provide protein as well?
Peanut butter has protein. Any food raises BG:) Depends on how much peanut butter you eat.
Well all, I caved an ate a little pasta. It was just 1/2 a cup so I didn’t spike. My tummy feels a little better but overall, I still don’t feel like eating anything. I’m going to try some of your suggestions like string cheese and peanut butter. My BG have been so low that I think I can get away with some fruit and maybe even some toast. Hubby is threatening an ER visit, so I am making an attempt for dinner. Thank you all for your advice. It’s been very helpful.
Ah,ok. Well, if you aren’t cool with any animal being killed for meat because you feel guilty than you might very well be on your way to veg-dom someday.
That is exactly how I feel. Before I found out the “truth” I thought that cows lived to old age and died of natural causes and instead of wasting the meat by putting it in a cow grave, they sent it to McDonalds to get some use out of it! Boy, was I shocked when I learned how far from the truth that was!
I never even went for the “free range” stuff (well, it really wasn’t readily available at all 20 years ago when I switched) but I did do the switch slowly but sounds like you are just a poultry person (do you eat turkey or other birds?) but you are feeling bad about that too. But there are places that will slaughter the animal at the small farm instead of sending it out to slaughter. Alot of times you can find places like that at farmers markets - places that will have chicken and other meats too. Another option, if you are just going for protein, if you can tolerate eggs and intend to keep doing so, is you might be able to find a person who keeps chickens like pets but eat the eggs they lay so the chicken don’t get slaughtered (although for myself I look at the egg as a possible future chicken). I know a long shot but many people do it. In fact, with the economy the way it is, many people are getting chickens for their yard so they can have the eggs. I am sure there might be some that will sell out the eggs.
I have met some really nice chickens myself. I used to work with birds at a zoo though so I am biased. They do get territorial especially when they have chicks. 
So sounds like you might be eating mostly cheese for your protein for a while. I eat alot of veg subs like veggie burgers, dogs etc. I eat peanut butter too. But only so much. THere are also other nut butters you can eat (peanuts are not technially a nut) - almond, cashew, tahini (seseme - high in fat though so don’t eat a ton) even walnut butter if you can find it.
Alot of the soy subs do have that sort of “meaty” texture. There are some deli meat subs which are more like luncheon meats - but I wasn’t impressed with their taste. My favorite meat sub is Smart Bacon. It doesn’t really have a meaty texture (more end up crunchy) but tastes like bacon. Some of my favorite veggie burgers were more grainy and nutty and seedy in texture but those tend to be high in carbs.
You can do a tofu scramble which will have a scrambled egg like texture after you finish. I am too lazy to do the scrambles but they do have protein. Tofu can also be blended to be creamy and you can make dips and such out of it. Changes the texture a bit.
Hummus also has some protein - not a ton - but it is lower in carbs and doesn’t raise my blood sugar. Tempeh is another option but it has a similar meaty texture - but it does have protein and no soy if you want to avoid soy.
I get the money part, I really do. I too have no money - no job. I just moved and reapplied for food stamps in my new state so yeah, I understand about buying something new and not liking it -don’t want to waste the money. I have pretty much tried all the veg stuff so I already know what I like. But in the past I have bought countless veg things I thought were crap - than the boyfriend would eat them so at least I didn’t waste them.
For milks, I love the unsweetned almond and hemp milks, they are very yummy. Also I have found an unsweetened soy yoghurt that has some protein and is low in carbs but not sure how you feel about yoghurt. For things like sour cream, I use a vegan sub one the Toffutti one but I only use like a tablespoon. I also have a recipe for a cashew sour cream which takes a bit to make but comes out yummy.
If you want to avoid eggs in other things like mayo (if you eat that), Veganaise is the best. I was a big heavy mayo lover and this stuff replaces it. I dont like the other veg mayo subs. NO carbs either!
Hmm, quite a dilemma for you! I think for now for the protein at least, the best veg option for protein that I can think of for you where texture would not be a problem is a veg protein shake - you can mix with any milks, juice or water (although they tend to taste pretty crappy with water). Just make sure you check the carbs. Some are higher than others. I know lots on here do whey or egg ones to boost their protein. I have found a few vegan ones but I don’t always drink them. They can get expensive though.
I think also possibly that because you were upset when you ate the chicken that effected your stomach. If eat when I am upset, often my stomach will turn sour after. Glad you were able to get something down. I would just eat small bits right now and chew alot and slower too. Maybe your stomach just needed a break too. It happens.
If I think of any other ideas for you I will post them here! I am glad you are feeling better though!
Hi! My sister in law has chickens so I have happy eggs available. I just don’t really care for them. Too eggy.