Or Iron continued….
I’ve found (through the ABA mafia) an excellent dietitian that is going to help me negotiate this minefield. Apparently, humans are born with at specific transporter in the gut for haem (blood based) iron, and that eating vegetable sources of iron metabolises in a completely different way. So this means that eating meat will boost my iron levels in combination with and complementing my iron supplements. Which is actually much better news than I was expecting, and she is going to guide me in eating the right amount to get me out of this situation without going overboard. She is also going to look at my overall diet, and make sure I keep a good balance – useful for someone who hasn’t eaten red meat in a long time. I’ve also got to make sure I’m still taking care of Inigo and Mark’s dietary needs too.
I was going to respond to the comments on the previous post in the comments section, but it got unwieldy, so here we are.
Thanks everyone!
Ali – I remember having a bit of tandoori chicken about 8 years ago, it it came back up rather violently. I shall heed your sage words of warning!
Steph – I cannot tell you how much I appreciate having an econometrician (did I spell that right?) in my life. I shall be consulting you for the spreadsheet, flow chart and venn diagram of my next decision 🙂
Emma – I am still unable to walk into a butcher shop, so I am doing my research on the internets (of course). I am unable to look into the meat cabinet at Woolworths, so talking to a butcher might actually explode my brain. Also, I don’t think I could cook meat in the house – the bunnies, who are very sensitive people, freak out at meat cooking smells, and I don’t think it’s fair to make Mark and Inigo live with it either. But restaurants – that is another question entirely 🙂
Min – After about a decade of vegetarianism (though still loving the taste of meat), I have found that I can salivate at the idea of salami, (or pate, or bacon, etc.), but when it comes to the crunch, the thought of actually eating said delicacy actually turns my stomach. So while I like the idea of pate, I looked at it in the supermarket today, and read the ingredients, and as soon as I read “animal and vegetable oils”, the magic was gone. And I know I can’t eat a factory famed duck liver. And I still kind of hold on to the idea that if I am prepared to eat an animal, I ought to be prepared to kill it. I reckon I could kill a cow (with years of therapy), to save myself and my child, but I am still doubtful about killing a chicken or a duck. But then, I am a weirdo.
Ginevra – you’re right. And it’s such a cliche, but I don’t think there is anything else on this planet that could convince me to do this, except that little guy.
Fe – thanks for your support. Nothing like going carnivorous with an ex vegan for company!
Disco Knitter 
If you had the need/opportunity to buy meat, eg had the use of someone elses kitchen and chose to cook yourself an iron supplement, I think a butcher might be a better place to go than a supermarket.
At the supermarket its all standardised and glad-wrapped and disconnected from the source, which seems in a way disrespectful to the animal. A good butcher (such as the one near Coles at Birkenhead, which has a lot of organic meat) should be sympathetic to your situation if you explained it to them and be able to give you advice. Theyre the ones who are willing (if not permitted) to kill the beast they eat and theyll be able to tell you the difference a healthy well-treated animal can make. Ive found that butchers have become vastly more knowledgeable about gluten-free alternatives in the 5 years since Ive been off gluten, so you may find theyve changed for the better since you last went to one.
And I dont blame you about pate – I dont like it but, if I did, Id refuse to eat it anyway!
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Do you know, I didnt actually consider restaurants? Sorry about that, comes from living in the sticks.
The last time I had to rely on a supermarket for meat, I stopped eating meat. Not spending my money on grey meat.
Youll like this, (and the bunnies will too, theyd probaby beg to share.) Weve started eating lovely big salads for breakfast. Best breakfast food Ive ever found.
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