Struggles going Meatless

Dr. Ruth,
I was a US Navy Diver, EOD blow em up, jump out of planes etc. etc. etc.  I had a friend who was a vegetarian and seemed to do ok.  I tried many times to go meatless, I even learned to turn down barbeques and such with friends.  However, it became plain to me that as I worked into a vegetarian diet slowly, (I started skipping meat meals, and then days to where I was only eating meat about 2 or 3 times a week), that when I would eat meat, I would obtain a powerful energy rush lasting overnight into the next day if it was a large steak.

I fell off the wagon and was told from a family member that there is something in the family genes that needs the red meat to process the red iron???  I do not know, but I can feel the difference.

Any ideas or helps???  I could really use something to help.
P.W.

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Dear P.W.,
Congratulations first on your willingness to try to improve your diet.  I can only tell you that from my own experience, that a pure vegan diet supports my doing Ironman Triathlons, (6 of them), 67 marathons, over 900 trophies in races ranging from 100 meter track, 5Ks, 10Ks, ultramarathons, etc.  Energy comes primarily from carbohydrates and meat has no carbohydrates.  Fat can be burned as energy but it is more difficult for the body to get into the fat-burning mode.  It much prefers carbohydrates.

Iron is supplied in leafy greens.  As far as I know and, as far as the scientific studies show, there is nothing in the genes that supports eating meat for humans.  Those cultures that eat a great deal of meat live very short lives.

Hope this helps,
Ruth E. Heidrich, Ph.D.