At the beginning of the year I promised myself I would try new things in
2011. New things, new places, new people. I started well: singing in a
gospel workshop... singing! About God (I'm not a believer)! In front of
an audience! And loving every minute of it, I might add. So that's
several firsts right there in one endorphin-filled afternoon.
The
last few weeks I've been laid up with sinusitis. Not quite what I had
in mind, but a new one on me in any case. It led to another bout of
labyrinthitis, sadly an all too familiar ailment. Top that off with
probable anaemia, and that's ten days of sick-bed fatigue right there.
And that's where my most surprising 'new thing' kicked in. I was lacking
in energy and seriously craving protein, by which I mean meat -
specifically chicken broth. Restorative chicken soup - good for the
soul, right?
In 23 years of vegetarianism I've never craved meat.
I started eating fish maybe 10 years ago because I needed protein, but
eating it never sat comfortably with me. I wasn't the best pescetarian
and could go days, weeks even, without protein. But here was my body
craving meat. I felt rough, really poorly, and my body was screaming at
me to listen to what it needed. Four days of rather reluctant bed rest
later, I was still unwell and more fatigued than ever. I dragged myself
to the local shop for supplies and found myself staring at a fridge full
of ham.
So... I made chicken broth. I admit I squirmed a little
while cutting it up, but I figured I had to handle the raw meat if I was
going to eat it. And eat it I did.
A week into my new-found
omnivore diet and I've only got as far as chicken and bacon. I don't
know what else I will eat, or how long I will eat it for, but right now
it feels right. I'm still not feeling 100% better or energised, but I'm
getting there, and eating the food my body is craving may or may not be
aiding my recovery. Who knows?
What I do know is that as a
teenager I chose to stop eating meat. Now, aged 37, I am choosing to eat
meat again (ethically farmed of course). I can honestly say I didn't
see that coming.
So in this instance my new thing is actually a
return to basics. A simplifying of my life, if you like. And in that
respect, given the changes I've experienced these last few years, I
guess it's not such a surprise after all.
