I’ve dabbled in vegetarianism a few times over the last twenty years, and I’ve decided to go back. I’m not doing this to lose weight ( I like me just the way that I am), and I’m not making my family become vegetarians either. I’m honestly going back, because my stomach is a wreck, and I have to do something about it.

Many months ago I had a nasty parasitic infection, and I’m still having complications from it. My migraines have worsened, chronic fatigue syndrome has invaded me, and I have new food allergies and complications that I’ve never had before. Eight months of feeling miserable is enough, and I have got to get better.

It seems like probiotics are a good place to start. Adding Greek Yogurt and Kefir at least twice daily has been an easy fix. I also jump-started the vegetarian ways by cutting beef completely out of my diet.  I still wanted to eat it, but the smell of beef cooking turned my stomach. I then decided to cut fried foods out of the equation too, this helped cut down on acid reflux, and the overall tummy unhappiness.

Now I’m at the point where I’m still eating fish (occasionally) and boiled or grilled chicken, in very small amounts. I think I am at a point where I could cut it out completely.

I’ve decided that the ovo-lacto vegetarian diet looks like a good fit for me. I’m unable to eat eggs (allergy), and I can only use lactose free milk products (allergy again), I always have lots of Lactaid enzyme on hand for recipes that call for cheese. I really enjoy baking, so I want to keep that option open too.

Like I said before, I’m still cooking the exact same way for my family, I’m just making extra veggie dishes for me. It has been a really fun experiment so far. I feel better after eating, where before I was feeling pretty miserable. I’ve also been under budget the last two trips to the grocery store, added bonus.

I’ll be posting recipes here and there, and sharing photos from some of my dishes too. I really hope that this change in eating habits can get me back on the road to wellness.

So help me out… Do you have any favorite veggie or fruit dishes to share?