Lately, I’ve started to figure out how much meat works well for me.
When I was in my second year of high school, I suddenly started developing a rash on my legs. I felt like it got worse whenever I ate meat, but when I mentioned this to my doctor, I was told it was probably just my imagination.
Until then, I had eaten meat without giving it much thought, so I continued eating it more or less as usual.
And the rash continued, too.
But the rash was itchy, and I didn’t like the way it looked, so I decided to stop eating meat for a while.
The rash temporarily improved.
But then I would feel freezing cold in winter, and I didn’t have much energy.
So I started eating meat again, and the rash came back.
“What am I supposed to do?” I wondered.
After I started working, I was told at both the hospital and an acupuncture clinic that I wasn’t getting enough protein, so I tried hard to eat more meat.
But then, perhaps because I was eating too much, my digestive system and menstrual symptoms became worse, and two uterine fibroids were found.
I had very heavy bleeding and large blood clots, and the pain was so severe that I couldn’t sleep even after taking medication every month.
I was also severely anemic.
I tried protein supplements and other supplements prescribed by the hospital, but they didn’t agree with me.
I also researched and experimented with all sorts of things on my own.
As for meat, I looked into everything from the animals’ feed and how they were raised to the cut of meat and freshness.
But nothing really seemed to click.
As I kept trying this and that, I gradually began noticing something:
My body seemed to react differently depending on the season.
From around April to October, eating meat tends to bring out my rash.
But from around November to March, it is much less likely to appear.
So during the warmer months, I don’t eat meat. Instead, I mainly get my protein from small fish, natto, and other foods.
During the colder months, I continue eating small fish and natto, and I also have about 100 g of chicken two or three times a week.
And when I do that, I don’t feel itchy, my menstrual pain has disappeared, and I have a reasonable amount of energy.
Recently, I also learned at the hospital that one of my uterine fibroids had disappeared, while the other had become smaller.
I do love meat. It’s delicious, and it makes me feel warm.
But I seem to feel better when I don’t eat too much of it.
Maybe eating a little meat in winter, almost as a kind of seasonal nourishment, is what works best for me.
So, for my body at this point in my life, it seems that having small amounts of chicken from time to time during the winter works well.
By the way, meat from four-legged animals—such as beef and pork—makes me itchy all year round.
My husband, on the other hand, seems to feel better when he eats more chicken than I do.
Even so, he apparently doesn’t feel good if he eats too much, so I usually serve him 150–200 g of chicken every other day, alternating with fish, along with plenty of vegetables.
In general, men may need more animal protein than women.
Of course, there are individual differences, and factors such as body size, age, and activity level probably need to be taken into consideration as well.
I don’t want to become overly obsessed with food.
But I actually find it fun to experiment with different ways of eating, find what works for me, and notice how my body responds. ✨
I’d like to keep experimenting as my age and lifestyle change, and continue finding the way of eating that feels right for me. 😊
Thank you so much for reading!