I think it might be lack of EFA (Essential Fatty Acids)...............
Recently I have heard people talk and I have done some research on Essential Fatty Acids. I always thought you could get all EFAs from veg. sources but its not all true. EPA and DHA can be sourced from algae which is where fish get it and thus thats why fish is toted for being a source of EFA. I do have spuirilina and chollrella every once in a while but its just so expensive I cant all the time. I have read that the body is a poor converter of DHA to EPA and algae mainly has DHA. It makes me wonder if being veg. is truly natural and right for us. I think of all the tribes of the world (Native Americans, Arabs, Indians, Africa, etc.) they all ate meat, but not nearly as much as most Americans of course, in my opinion we are meant to live in agrarian communities with lots of grain raising and some animals.
Well onto my situation I have had this sort of brain fog for quite a few years, and never felt 100% with it everyday. I have suffered depression, anxiety, and mania in my life and it seems it is getting worse. I have been vegetarian for more than 4.5 years and primarily vegan for 2 years (some eggs, raw cheese, and honey once or so a month). I feel socially unequal and just out of it at times. I am in college and most of the time see the people talking and I am just worlds away and I cant help it, and I'm not sleepy I drink plenty of tea. The same was true in high school but it just seems worse. Conversations with others is hard I used to really outgoing but now I just don't know what is going on. It's sort of hard to explain but I know something is not right I can't function and do all the things I want because I feel I cant learn or today is 'not a good day and I cant help it'.
I eat a varied diet and I have tried so many different things in my quest to cure myself of my mental problems both from life and the kind I can't understand. I tried gluten free and still live pretty gluten free, RAW diet and I still eat high raw, cutting out soy, exercising, and lots of other methods of trying to remedy the fog. I eat plenty of grains (soaked/sprouted ones only), fruits, veggies, nuts/seeds, and some legumes. I get plenty of sun, drink plenty of fluid, exercise, so on but still no 100%.
I think the Lord has ways of telling you things and recently I have heard people talk(on youtube and real life) about being vegan then going back to eating meat. I have been debating this issue and I feel it on my conscious because I want to be 100% with it. I have prayed for guidance and I wonder if this is it? On one side I want to keep the title vegan for X years but at the same time does a title matter at all. I too think about all the other people here and everywhere who function perfectly on vegan, but then again not everyone is created the same. All these questions circle my head and I just need to meditate on it for a while. I think if I did eat anything animal it would be a little raw wild caught fish in like Sushi. I did originally became veg. for moral reasons (didnt want to eat my dog) but now its more for health I can still look at pigs, cows, etc. and think they are too precious to eat but I guess I don't feel the same about fish (sorry!).
I hope no one takes this the wrong way since this is a vegan forum but I just wanted to put it out there to see if anyone had new info or had the same problem. I just want some advice from some of you out there. Please be nice I dont like negativity! And sorry for my book of info just felt like it needed some explanation.
Thank you for your time!
It might be the fat/carb ratio. I've been reading the 80/10/10 diet and if you eat higher than 10% of your calories from fat, when you eat simple carbs (like fruit), it messes you up. obviously i'm not a doctor, but definitely read the book. it's given me A LOT of info that i'm incorporating into my daily life.
and honestly, eating meat is definitely not gonna make you better. all those hormones, cholesterol, and fat, it'll probably make you feel worse.
i really recommend the 80/10/10 diet before you do anything.
Also try researching Macrobiotics. More sea vegetables and cooked brown rice and grains could be helpful. Perhaps you do not have sufficient digestive fire.
I dunno you look pretty thin are you sure you're eating enough? Your profile says raw vegan, maybe that lifestyle doesn't work for your body? I think soy and gluten are fine just don't eat them for breakfast lunch and dinner... I say eat more, take multivitamins (you can buy EFA vitamins look for Deva brand), make yourself a hemp protein shake for breakfast, make sure you're taking b12. If you aren't eating enough or you stay too thin you're still going to feel like crap even if eating animals. Sorry not trying to be mean or anything.
There is a book, a very unique book, that I think can help you.
It's called Food and Healing by Anne Marie Colbin.
She gets into the Yin/yang of food and the hot/cold.
You could be too "yin" and craving "yang" grounding foods. Meat is the ultimate grounding food but not the only one. There are vegetable ones.
You could be eating too much raw. Did you know too much raw can make you spacey? So can yeast overgrowth which, I am told, is often a problem with raw foodists.
Having "brain fog" is a common complaint from those who suffer from Candida. Do you eat a lot of sweets/sugar/cold/raw foods? That could be a hint that is the problem.
I would look into that book and try warming, cooked foods for awhile. Roots and grains and beans are very grounding.
Please investigate all of these things.
I think based on your different situation when you have doubts and combined with other health problems, it might be a good idea to be a partial vegan. In this case, lower your meaty diet but you still lean towards more on the vegan side.