Dull head and dizziness in the evenings

Heather Milnes

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  1. Vegan newbie
Hi there,
I am trying to understand what is happening to my body. I am a very happy 4 week vegan female but I am suffering from a dull head and dizziness which gets worse the later on in the day it gets.
Can anyone identify with me to help this go away?
 
hi Heather

Welcome to the forum and congrats on 4 weeks!

One of the main reasons that new vegans have issues with dull heads and dizziness is that they are not eating enough calories.

What have you been eating for these 4 weeks?

Emma JC
 
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hi Heather

Welcome to the forum and congrats on 4 weeks!

One of the main reasons that new vegans have issues with dull heads and dizziness is that they are not eating enough calories.

What have you been eating for these 4 weeks?

Emma JC
hi Heather

Welcome to the forum and congrats on 4 weeks!

One of the main reasons that new vegans have issues with dull heads and dizziness is that they are not eating enough calories.

What have you been eating for these 4 weeks?

Emma JC
Hi Emma,

Thank you very much for your prompt response. I've been eating a very varied diet which goes something like this....
Breakfast - overnight oats with coconut yoghurt, almonds and strawberries
Lunch - curried lentils and an Apple
Dinner- cauliflower rice with one punnet of mushrooms stir fried into the cauli rice with half a tin of refried beans
Supper - fresh fruit salad
Nectarine mid morning
 
That's sounds like great 'whole' food and yet maybe not enough.

I would suggest that you track what you eat and the calories you use up for at least two or three days on Cronometer - it is free and if you enter the amounts that you are eating you will easily see if you are in a calories deficit which I suspect is what might be happening. If you are trying to lose weight, that might be your goal but you may need to go easy and if it continues then asking a medical professional might be a good plan.

Emma JC
 
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That's great advice. I also forgot to mention I'm in the throes of early menopause too so that might be a factor. I feel absolutely amazing apart from this. My aches and pains have gone, I'm sleeping great and have lost a few pounds but I'm not overweight I'm kind of just right I think!
 
Quick follow up - don't be afraid of starches/carbs as the glucose that they are converted to is the food our brains need.

75/15/10 or 70/15/15 or similar ratios of carbs/fats/proteins.

Maybe mix some real rice in with the cauliflower rice and maybe some potatoes with your lentils etc.

Dr Greger's Daily Dozen is also a good way to measure if you are getting a good ratio and there is an app for it.

Emma JC
 
That's great advice. I also forgot to mention I'm in the throes of early menopause too so that might be a factor. I feel absolutely amazing apart from this. My aches and pains have gone, I'm sleeping great and have lost a few pounds but I'm not overweight I'm kind of just right I think!

So happy it is helpful for you - menupause may be part of the explanation and if weight loss isn't needed then enjoy your whole food starches and fruits and veggies and nuts etc.

So good to hear your aches and pains are gone!!

Emma JC
 
So happy it is helpful for you - menupause may be part of the explanation and if weight loss isn't needed then enjoy your whole food starches and fruits and veggies and nuts etc.

So good to hear your aches and pains are gone!!

Emma JC
Emma thank you so much you are a star! I'll let you know how I get on!
Thanks again xxx
 
Hello and Welcome!

Are you taking a B12 supplement or food with B12 added? B12 is the only thing that a plant based diet lacks. But getting a vegan B12 supplement is easy enough.
 
Are you taking a B12 supplement or food with B12 added?

While B12 is important to vegans, it is highly unlikely you would suddenly fall b12 deficient in just 4 weeks of a vegan/WFPB diet. Emma's suggestions seem the most logical so far. I don't know much about menopause, but there's no question a biological life change like that might have something to do with it.

So, after a quick googling I found this (symptom #14 dizziness): https://www.bodylogicmd.com/content/34-symptoms-of-menopause-and-treatment-options
 
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Hello and Welcome!

Are you taking a B12 supplement or food with B12 added? B12 is the only thing that a plant based diet lacks. But getting a vegan B12 supplement is easy enough.
Hi there,

Thank you very much for your reply. I ordered some last night and started taking today .
 
While B12 is important to vegans, it is highly unlikely you would suddenly fall b12 deficient in just 4 weeks of a vegan/WFPB diet. Emma's suggestions seem the most logical so far. I don't know much about menopause, but there's no question a biological life change like that might have something to do with it.

So, after a quick googling I found this (symptom #14 dizziness): https://www.bodylogicmd.com/content/34-symptoms-of-menopause-and-treatment-options[/QUOTE

Hi there,

Thanks for the reply, this is a very helpful albeit somewhat daunting list of possible symptoms! I can relate to half of them! I have started taking B12 today so thanks for the tip

Heather
 
That is so good!! congrats Heather

Emma JC
Thanks Emma! Made this tonight not sure you can see? Curried brown rice with lentils, sultanas, peas, curry and mango tofu with fresh spinach leaves and coriander x
 

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hi Heather

It is now 2 months later and I just wondered how you are doing as a 12 week vegan?

Emma JC
 
I hope you are doing great too. I absolutely love being a vegan it is so much beneficial. I use to be 230 lbs I am now 160 and I feel better than I have ever felt before. I have been vegan for almost 1 year now and it as changed my life. I’ve only gotten a cold once and it lasted for almost 3 days. I feel the best I’ve ever felt.
 
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