Hi Demi -- I used to be a strict vegetarian. I'm not trying to discourage you from it, but I'm not sure it's the best diet for folks recovering from mercury poisoning.

Huggins mentions that vegetarians/vegans tend to have a more difficult time recovering from CMP. I did alot of reading and research on this issue, and I could never come up with a scientifically foolproof answer.

However, after going 6 months post-removal without really feeling a whole lot better, I decided to put aside my reservations and experiment with a small portion of meat. I *immediately* felt better -- significantly so. I don't know what is special about animal protein, but there is something about meat that just makes me feel better.

What I do now is eat one meal a day that contain animal protein, typically chicken, turkey, grass-fed bison or beef, or eggs, per day. My other 2 meals are strict vegetarian. I feel worlds better than before.

If you're concerned about the ethical, environmental and health issues, I buy strictly organic/free range meats, or at the very least, products that don't use antibiotics or growth hormones and that are raised in humane conditions. I'm thankful to have both local farmers in my area who sell such products and an excellent health food store that carries top quality products.

I also have a hemp protein smoothie for breakfast, with organic fruits, hemp protein, and rice milk. But I've found the animal protein is absolutely necessary for me.

I would stay away from dairy products altogether, and some people have problems with eggs. However, I have had no issues with high sulfur foods like eggs.

Hope that helps.

Tom

p.s. I wonder if it's even possible to have a low carb, strict vegetarian diet. I tend to doubt it.