I'm on week two of vegetarianism, and I'm glad to report that the majority of cravings have dissipated. Much to my surprise, I think I'm actually beginning to enjoy the vegetarian lifestyle. While the lack of variety when going out to eat is still a problem I've been dealing with, it seems to be becoming less and less of a priority for my eating habits.

I've dropped a pants size in the past couple of weeks -- down to 33 from 34 -- and noticed I've lost weight in my face (which is pretty awesome). I also have felt healthier overall -- a feeling that is hard to explain, but you'll just have to trust me.

But I have noticed a few downsides in the past couple weeks, as well.

Even with taking mineral supplements and vitamins to maintain adequate nutrition, I've been feeling kind of sluggish lately and suffering from pretty fierce headaches (which I only used to get once in a blue moon).

After doing some research, I've noticed the most common reason for these symptoms was a deficiency in iron, a nutrient I was advised to monitor my intake of before becoming a vegetarian. But that didn't make much sense because I've been eating an abundance of leafy greens, which typically are identified as an excellent source for iron.

So I decided I should speak with a nutritionist to double check what's going on. After failing to get a hold of a number of professors on the Penn State Nutrition Department's online staff list, I instead got in touch with Eddy Luke, a doctor at Health First in Altoona.

He told me that while iron deficiency could possibly be the reason for my fatigue and chronic headaches, he offered another viable reason: detox. Luke said my body could be filtering out the chemicals added to processed and other types of food I've eaten over the course of my lifetime. He said symptoms of a detox could even include flu-like symptoms.

"If you are eating a really healthy, natural diet, your body may just be catching up on the chemicals that it has built up over the years," Luke said.

After he told me about detoxing, the idea made sense. I realized how many additives I've consumed from processed and fried food over the years and it probably explains why I have felt healthier lately, though fatigued and plagued by headaches.

Even though Luke said he detoxes every year (not by the vegetarian route), he doesn't recommend vegetarianism because everyone needs a strong source of protein.

In my situation, it is harder as well, he said, because I dislike most, if not all, nuts, which are a common source of protein for vegetarians. Luke recommended that I keep eating eggs to maintain my protein levels and possibly consider eating fish, especially because the meat substitutes don't have the same nutritional value of something natural and unprocessed.

"Eggs are better than anything from a box or can," he said. "Consider how many steps it has taken from the field. If it is more than one step and has gone through processing, it's not good for you."

So after receiving advice from Luke, I've decided to see if my fatigue and headaches fade and definitely start eating more eggs to make sure I keep up with my protein intake.

Check back next Friday.

Chris Bickel is a senior majoring in public relations and is The Daily Collegian's Friday columnist. His e-mail address is cdb5067@psu.edu.