Addressing My Low B-12 Issue

I was pretty fortunate during COVID that I did not have any significant health problems that required attention. But several months into the lockdown, my doctor let me know that I needed some routine lab work so she could refill my blood pressure prescription. It was during that regular check that she discovered my B-12 was low. So low, in fact, she asked me if I was a vegetarian. Although I did cut red meat out of my diet several years ago, I am not a vegetarian. It just got very uncomfortable for me to digest. So I eat pork, chicken, and turkey instead. She asked me to start taking B-12 supplements, and we would recheck my labs in a few weeks.

Let's be honest: left to my own devices, my diet would be one of a toddler with unlimited access to the snack bin. I love snacking. I love chocolate. I love finger foods. So, that combined with the fact that I don't take a daily vitamin, it doesn't surprise me that now that I'm in my mid-40s, my body finally waves the red flag.

Thankfully, after a few weeks of taking B-12, my labs returned to normal levels, so as long as I keep taking supplements, I should be fine long-term. But the whole experience got me thinking more seriously about what I'm eating, food portioning, protein consumptions, and implementing a vitamin routine in my daily life. And for someone who isn't exactly thrilled about change, these were some big steps to consider.

So rather than overcommit and under-perform, I decided to set small goals with the hope I'd be more consistent. I try to make sure I'm eating something with some protein for breakfast. Typically my go-to is a meat and cheese stick. But when I am feeling more hungry, I will eat half of a breakfast sandwich. I've really been loving the EVOL sandwiches. I've also discovered it is easy to make your own breakfast sandwiches ahead in larger batches, freeze them, and then pop them in the microwave for a quick re-heat. Think egg McMuffin only better.

For years I used to have half a turkey sandwich for lunch. But lately, I've gotten away from sandwiches and prefer to do something like pita chips and hummus, or a slice of pizza, etc. But again, I'm trying to stay away from just sugar and carbs, i.e., my usual craving de jour of chocolate and potato chips.

Dinner has been and continues to be my biggest meal of the day, which is all well and good on the protein front unless we are having a BSFD: Big Salad For Dinner. I typically garnish my salad with a little bit of blue cheese, but that isn't the best or highest source of protein in itself. So on salad nights, I take an extra B-12 and call it good.

The whole low B-12 thing came as somewhat of a surprise to me. I was not feeling sick, perse. In fact, if my doctor hadn't checked my B-12 in my labs, I probably wouldn't have known I was deficient. I did have some feelings of hunger on some nights, but not like a familiar hunger feeling. More like a malnourished type of hunger. Could that have been a result of the low B-12? Possibly I suppose. I haven't had that feeling since starting the vitamins. But then again, I've been eating better too.

I think eating something for breakfast has been the best positive impact. I've never bought into the super-hyped notion that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and that failure to eat a full breakfast buffet before 9 am will doom your day to misery. But I will say that I have noticed that when I eat something more substantial for breakfast, it sets the tone for my day in a couple of ways. 1) energy: I have more energy throughout the day, and 2) I am less inclined to snack or binge on junk food.

In addition to taking the B-12, I've also started taking a daily women's multi-vitamin. I prefer the gummies because they are easier for me to swallow, and honestly, they taste good. It's like having a couple of healthy gummy bears in the morning. I have high intentions of keeping up all these habits and exploring more ways to nourish my body, whether it be through healthy foods, vitamins, and minerals, protein supplements, or a combination of all three. I don't mind getting older. In fact, I think the aging process is a welcomed natural process, especially when you consider the alternative. Even in that process, though, I want to know that I am doing everything I can to support my body positively and not be doing things to work against it.

As always, this is just my own experience. I'm not offering any dietary advice or suggestions. Be your own best advocate and have a conversation with your healthcare provider if you have concerns about your nutritional health.