It’s Because You Don’t Eat Meat

Recently, I had the unfortunate surprise of developing a full-on bout of adult acne. Now, if I wasn't already in my 40s and dealing with the joys of getting older, this breakout almost had me resembling a teenager again. Acne at my age? Really? Since going plant-based, I’ve been loving my glow, so understandably it came as a shock when these angry red dots started appearing on my face.

While chatting with friends over a coffee, one of them jokingly (but, you know, not really) said, “It’s probably because you don’t eat meat.” Of course, the implication was that if I’d just cave in and have a steak, all my problems would magically disappear.

Well, turns out the culprit wasn’t my plant-based diet—it was the B12 injection! Yep, I’m one of the 1 in 10 lucky people who get acne from it. Who knew? My energy had been running low lately, so I figured a B12 boost was the way to go. But instead of a magical burst of energy, I got a teenage throwback breakout.

It got me thinking though, how often do we hear this? Anything that goes wrong—literally anything—gets chalked up to not eating meat. Tired? Must be because you don’t eat meat. Got a headache? You need to eat meat. Brain fog? You guessed it, the absence of steak is clearly to blame. It’s the go-to diagnosis for every little issue.

The truth is, since going plant-based, I've experienced some amazing benefits. I’ve got way more energy (despite the occasional low), my digestion has improved, and my skin usually does glow. Plus, eating a plant-based diet is linked to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, better heart health, and improved fitness. Yet, there are those moments when your omni friends and family read something on Google which instantly makes them doctors and dieticians, eager to share their advice.

Just because something goes wrong doesn’t mean it’s because we don’t eat meat. Life is full of little surprises, no matter your diet.  Going plant-based might raise a few (or a lot of) eyebrows, but honestly, even if, for argument's sake, ditching meat causes these minor issues, I’d take them any day for the peace of mind that comes from living with compassion.