I'm a vegetarian. I have been for 1 year. I meditate twice (sometimes up to 4 times) daily and do daily qigong. I also train bodybuilding and kung fu. Since becoming vegetarian, let me share with you what has happened to me.
My mind has become clear. I have much greater control over my emotions. My insides feel so pure. I have become much more intelligent. I get on better with other people and I am much more tolerant than i've ever been. I come up with ideas all the time which I never would have had 1 year ago. I also feel I understand philosophy and religious texts much better. I used to have episodes of depression. Now I have none. My willpower has increased 100 fold.
Now, for the bad side. I have become much weaker. My joints constantly click and are painful (knees, shoulders, wrist). I have become very, very stiff despite frequent training. My muscles are weak and stiff. My skin has become very bad. My eyes are constantly dry. People tell me that I look pale. I experience numbness in parts of my body. Sometimes 1 or 2 fingers will go numb for an hour or even more, no matter how much i shake or whatever. There are more, worse problems, which I will not go into.
After going to a Chinese doctor, he said that I have deficient kidney yin. The problem is, tofu, vegetables, and almost all food vegetarians eat are considered yin. We are supposed to eat a variety of yin and yang. Without eating any yang foods, the fire does not rise up, and not enough blood is produced. I am now on herbal remedy to cure this, but the doctor said unless i eat red meat it will keep coming back. So now i'm in a dilema considering whether to eat meat again or not.
Advice would be appreciated very much.