This week has been similar to my last week, similar in the sense that nothing interesting has happened. I am still eating dairy, although I am trying to eat less dairy than I did previously. The one new thing I got this week was Chipotle. I haven’t had Chipotle since I went vegetarian because whenever I normally go, I get chicken. I didn’t really want to go if I had to get the sofritas. Sofritas are soybeans, or tofu. I tried tofu once and it made me really sick, so I am a little worried to try it again. Instead, I decided for my “meat,” I got fajita veggies. They’re just grilled peppers and onions, which is super delicious and, to my new understanding, low calorie when compared to the other options. It was pretty easy to turn my Chipotle order into vegetarian.

I have run out of most of the snacks in my room so that means I will fully commit to doing a GMO-free week next week. I plan on going to the farmers’ market to get some fruits and veggies which is a super simple and relatively cheap way to eat GMO-free. It is also a great way for me to be more vegan.

This week’s temperature has dropped a considerable amount. I have noticed that I have been much colder than I remember being last year. I do leave outside of Philly, so it wouldn’t have been as cold at home as it is here. Since I have felt so much colder, I decided to do some research to see if my new diet had anything to do with me constantly being freezing. Many vegans and vegetarians tend to have iron deficiencies. This is because meat and eggs are an ample source of iron, and vegetarians and vegans obviously don’t eat meat and eggs. A way to combat this iron deficiency would be to eat other iron-rich foods such as leafy greens, nuts, beans, and tofu. Iron is important because it helps the red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body, which produces heat due to the use of energy required to carry out that task.

Another deficiency that could be making me cold is a B12 deficiency. This vitamin keeps the nervous and circulatory system healthy, as well as aiding in the production of DNA. A B12 deficiency can result in numbness of the hands and feet, which is obviously a side effect of being extremely cold. B12 is found in red meat, eggs, and seafood. Again, this would be another thing that would be difficult to get enough of through the food a vegetarian or vegan eats because they don’t eat any of those foods. B12 is found in some milk and dairy products, so that in combination with a B12 supplement is good for people who eat a plant based diet.

Overall, my research has told me that I probably should be taking some supplements. Not only due to the cold weather now, but just to be healthier overall. I plan to start taking an iron supplement and B12 supplement, which will hopefully make me feel warmer in this brutally cold weather.