katyroq

Thanks for your input, jmcbn. That's interesting that we stop making lactase when we don't need it! That could totally explain what is going on. I actually don't like dairy that much, so I think I'll leave off for a while and concentrate on figuring out what foods are causing the bloating.

Hello, I'm looking for some help/advice on what I'm learning from my reintro. I finished my 2nd whole30 on July 20th. The first was 3 years back when I didn't have a health problem, just wanted to clean up my diet. I was surprised during that reintroduction that I get anxiety from grains in general, and had tummy trouble with peanuts. I have eaten a fairly low grain diet since that time, mainly rice. This recent whole30 was to try to help my autonomic nervous system disorder which causes racing heart and fainting. Within a week, I felt like a new person! I have gone very slowly into reintro because I do not want to mess up a good thing. Also, I do enjoy what I'm eating and don't really desire much besides compliant food, so I am in no hurry. I mainly want to do a good, thorough experiment. 1st week of reintro - rice (mix of white and brown). It gave me almost too much energy - anger/quick temper, and increased anxiety. It was also PMS week, so I decided that may be confounding and to try the reintro again sometime later. 2nd week: I ate compliant, a little lax on sugar in things like sauces (I ate ketchup at a restaurant). 3rd week: Reintro a small amount of dairy by adding cheese to an otherwise compliant dish. I noticed that afterward I had gas, bloating, and a bit more sudden urge for BMs. These are the symptoms of lactose intolerance, but here is my question: as far as I can tell, there is little to no lactose in cheese. Also, I added about 1 cup shredded cheese (0 g sugar) to an otherwise compliant dish, which I divided into 6 portions for the week. So how much lactose could I really be getting? Or am I just really super sensitive? I have never had tummy issues with dairy before. Yesterday, I went to a restaurant and had a mostly compliant salad with blue cheese (which I read has low lactose), and I got very sick afterward. Horrible stomach cramps and diarrhea. It came on within an hour after eating, but I was basically fine in 6 hours. Seems classic for lactose intolerance, EXCEPT I don't think I was eating much lactose!!! I am very confused and would appreciate others' input. Do I wait a while and try dairy again? I truly am trying to make sure I only change one variable. Here is what I have been eating every day this past week, with the exception of yesterday's salad meal: Breakfast: 3 eggs, 1/4 avocado, sweet potato hash (eaten every single day of and since the whole30) Lunch:compliant taco salad (lettuce, tomato, olives, 1/2 avocado, banana pepper, compliant salsa, ground turkey cooked with onion, green pepper, spices) I ate this for 1 or 2 weeks during the whole30 for lunch. Dinner: chicken with coconut milk, sundried tomatoes, CHEESE, over zoodles. Yesterday's salad: BLUE CHEESE, Lettuce & spinach, hardboiled egg, bacon (w/sugar I'm sure), grilled chicken, tomatoes, red onions, no dressing. Final question: While the whole30 did wonders for one health issue, the thing that it did not help is my constant intestinal bloating, which has gradually gotten worse over the last 2 years. My abdomen is always hard and gets pains when pushed on, likely due to gas buildup. I do not get acute pain/cramping normally, just a general feeling of pressure/fullness all the time. From reading, I am thinking of trying a low FODMAP diet, and I have already tried to cut out broccoli, cabbage, and haven't eaten much fruit at all during the last 7 weeks. I do eat a lot of avocado. I am thinking of finishing my reintro, then eliminating FODMAPS but hopefully able to add in other foods such as rice. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated! If you've read through this giant novel, thanks

Hi Lauren! Sorry about the POTS but always good to meet someone who understands the challenges. I'm feeling great after the 3rd week of my whole 30. My morning POTS symptoms are almost nonexistent and my heart rate is generally lower when standing and walking. I'm starting to get more energy as well but still needing about 10 hours of sleep a night. That i can manage if it helps me feel more normal! I hope you're seeing some results soon! I didn't notice anything until day 6 when I woke up without nausea and racing heart. Then I cleaned all day and didnt have to take breaks to lie down and sleep. Since then I've felt pretty consistently good as long as i get enough food and sleep All the best! Feel free to comment back and let me know how you're doing!

I'm wondering if anyone here has dysautonomia or knows how it may affect a whole30. I did my first Whole30 3 years ago and never got to the Tiger Blood stage. I had a surge of energy in the middle of the 30 days, but then it leveled off and I felt basically the same as I always did - tired all the time. Recently, I was diagnosed with a form of dysautonomia called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and one of the main symptoms is fatigue. I'm wondering if this is why I never got the energy last time. I'm on Day 3 of a Whole30 right now, so I guess I'll see. Basically, POTS is a condition where my autonomic nervous system does not respond properly to standing up. Becuase of gravity, when you stand the blood pools in the legs. The ANS triggers the blood vessels in the legs to constrict so that enough blood remains in the heart and brain. For people with POTS, the blood vessels don't constrict, causing the brain to be at a shortage of blood. That sends the message to the heart to beat faster, and eventually can cause fainting in order to get back to a horizontal position. So basically standing up my heart is working too hard, causing every day to be extra tiring. Exercise is especially difficult, as even jogging gets my heart rate up to close to 200 which is way higher than my "target heart rate". Just standing and wlaking around gets me in my target heart rate easily. There are some known causes of POTS, but mostly it's not known what causes it. Eating a gluten free and dairy free diet does help many people, so that's one reason I'm trying Whole30 again. Anyway, there have been a couple people on the dysautonomia forum who mentioned Whole30, so I'm just trying to see if anyone is here.

Hey everyone! I'm Katy, and I'm so glad there are several people starting around the same time. I started my first Whole30 on New Years, so there were plenty of people at the same stage, and it was really nice to get to interact and learn about others' experiences of the Whole30. I started on my 2nd Whole30 on 6/20/16, and what follows is what I wrote in my log, which serves as an okay introduction. My first Whole30 was 3.5 years ago, and went pretty well. My main takeaways were: Vegetables are delicious!!! Lots of great new recipes that I continue to make because they are *that* good Making a week's worth of food ahead of time is a great way to ensure eating healthy I am very sensitive to sugar and basically all grains - causing blood sugar fluctuations & anxiety, not stomach issues I don't do well on a low carb diet I never really got to the high energy stage of the Whole30, though I remember a couple days in the middle I felt amazing. I started a PhD program a few months after finishing my whole30, eating mainly compliant but adding back in rice, soy, and noncompliant sauces for convenience's sake. For the last 2 years I have been extremely busy and take all 3 meals with me to the lab. Often I'll get home at 11pm or later, and I've developed a habit of eating a snack then, which really turns into stress eating too many potato chips or other simple carb (usually salty for some reason...sugar makes me wired). I honestly like how the carbs make me really sleepy right before bed (though I have no trouble sleeping without them). I have also started eating more simple carbs in general, and they make me feel emotionally good in the short term but overall crummy. My goals for this Whole30: Break the night snacking habit See whether W30 helps my medical condition (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), which some have found is better on a gluten and dairy free diet. The main symptom is fatigue with less frequent heart palpitations, heart racing, fainting, and nausea. Looking forward to journeying with you all!

I completed my first W30 in January, purely for health, not trying to lose weight or eliminate any health problems. During reintroduction, I had some mild intestinal discomfort after eating some grains (not necessarily gluten grains) and beans. I was happy to not have any terrible reactions to reintro, but I really didn't have a taste for grains or dairy. So I have continued eating pretty much grain free, dairy free since that time, at least when I cook for myself. I have been eating sugar and non-compliant oils as well as a bit of soy (sauce) and almond milk. And if I'm eating out or with others, I am not too restrictive. However, recently I've been getting a lot of intestinal distress and even diarrhea when I eat grains. Like having corn on my otherwise compliant salad at lunch several days in a row. Or bread and then one serving of oatmeal. These are not even gluten grains for the most part, so I don't think it's gluten. Anyone have any clue what's going on? This is way worse than any reactions I had in re-intro, and I'm wondering why it's taken so long to surface. Or is it just an unfamiliar food - that my gut is not used to grains in general, not necessarily an adverse reaction? I'd appreciate any insight y'all have. Thanks!

Suzy and JJB Totally hear you on this one! Sugar is BAD, and I and my body know it! It's the only non compliant food I've really struggled with or even wanted post-whole 30. I feel much more addicted to it than i was before doing W30...Good luck!

Hi, Thanks for the responses to Wayne's original question. I, too, am a distance runner and have noticed the ammonia smell. Pre-whole 30, I only got it on the longest runs during marathon training. Yesterday, after only 7 mi, I could hardly breathe in the shower it was so strong. I thought maybe this was normal with low carb diet, but I'm gathering that it's not. Maybe my body is just not fat-adapted? How will I know that it is? Will continuing to train at the same level/pace keep me from getting fat adapted? I did a whole30 in January, and I've been mostly compliant since that time with the addition of sugar (working on that...). The last 2 weeks I increased my exercise by a lot to start training for a half marathon.

Hi jpketz, I remember you commenting on one of my posts possibly at the end of my whole30 or early in reintroduction. I just had a few other comments, seeing your interest in this for your nephew. First, caffeine. I used to drink coffee (1cup/day max). I am very sensitive to it, and it would definitely affect me. But I liked the taste and how it woke me up in the morning. I went of caffeine in the fall because i knew it contributed to anxiety. So I didn't drink it at all during my whole30 in January. During reintro, I added decaf coffee briefly. I was very sensitive even to that! Maybe it's just me, but it seems like doing the whole 30 has made me more sensitive to caffeine in general (or at least decreased my anxiety enough that I can tell how sensitive I am to small amounts). I found the Whole 30 to help my anxiety greatly. I am not on any medications, but that is because I'm trying natural measures first. My mind felt much more calm and clear. But I also think you pointed out something that there is a lot of anxeity in the process of trying to help our anxiety! Committing to a vastly different lifestyle for a month with no promises that it will help is anxiety-producing! I'm a person who normally thinks a lot about what I'm going to eat. I've been obsessive about it in the past (eating disorder) so I was worried that this would be bad. However, it's actually reduced my food anxiety. With the plan, I was not overly worried about what i was going to eat or if I was going to eat something. Either it fits with whole 30 or it doesn't. It's actually pretty simple. Part of it is also planning meals ahead and knowing I wouldn't be left "scrounging" for whatever junk food I could find (which now I can't find because it's not there!) During reintro, I found that my anxiety was worse when I added sugar (obviously!), grains of all kinds (not just gluten), or simple carbs including white potatoes. I did not immediately notice a connection with diary, but that's just my experience. And I didn't do much dairy re-intro because I really could care less for it now. Also, the sugar dragon causes a lot of anxiety. Any time we have a disordered relationship with food, it increases anxiety. During my reintro, I struggled with sugar and chocolate. I was completely satisfied to eat compliant all day; then after dinner, bam! The sugar dragon was out and I was more powerless than ever over what I ate. The combination of the sugar/carbs and the fact that I knew what I was doing but was helpless, created some intense anxiety! I'm just starting another Whole 30 with very little fruit, nuts and snacking to try to kill off that sugar dragon for good. Finally, I'd like to mention a website I've found helpful and contains some ideas similar to whole30. http://www.radiantrecovery.com/. This website is specifically about sugar sensitivity, which is what I believe my anxiety issues primarily stem from. And that's why a grain-free, sugar-free diet has helped me so much. All the best to your nephew and to you, as you so compassionately and sensitively try to help him! I am so touched by that because I am his age and don't have that kind of support from anyone. It's really rare for someone to care that much...good for you.

Thanks, hojo, for starting this thread, and for everyone who has commented. Really helpful to know I'm not the only one... I did my first whole30 this January, and I did not really struggle with sugar cravings after those first days (though reading this post I realized I did eat a lot of raisins sometimes which probably had to do with sugar addiction). However, once it was over and I was "free" to have a little, I had a piece of chocolate. And that's when the real struggle began. I have never been so powerless with sweets as the last few weeks. And I truly am powerless. The other night, I was hungry and I had some roasted cauliflower in the fridge. I started eating it and it tasted amazing! Then I ate a piece of chocolate (because I can!) and it tasted fine but not nearly as good as the cauliflower. But I keep eating the chocolate. This is how I know I have a problem. I'll be starting a second W30 soon, and totally eliminating sugar & fruit. I'm also concerned about sweet potatoes. Are they addictive as well, as has been mentioned? I have been eating one almost every day, though it's mainly because they're easy to prepare and I am training for a half marathon, so they're a good source of energy. At this point, I'm afriad addiction may develop, but I don't think it's there. I have that "I love this and can't get enough" feeling while eating sweet potatoes (but I also get that with other amazing, flavorful veggies!) but I don't miss the sweet potato if I don't have one. So I think I'm okay for now. But I'd like to hear if any of you have actually develped that addiction, or if it's just hypothesized... I think I have an addictive personality and I don't want to fall into it! I hear you all on the social situations. Those are hard, especially with family as they tend to be like, "why are you deviating from how we raised you?" I appreciated the tips given above. I'm a pretty quiet person by nature, so I find it hard to be extra gregarious to make up for the fact that I'm not eating whatever is provided. I feel very self conscious. This weekend, I went to a baby shower and it was all cake/cupcakes/chocolate fountain. I had a little fruit, but I just felt so awkward not eating, but not talking a ton either. I guess I need to focus on not being ashamed or apologizing for doing what I need to do to maintain optimal health. My relationships are healthier when I am not on the crazy sugar roller-coaster anyway...

@Xandra - Thanks for the encouragement and the blog link - I'm going to have to check it out! @Moluv - Yep, I've been thinking about another Whole30. But I'm a bit hesitant. I know I can follow the rules, it's the "riding my own bike" that I'm having trouble with. What happens once the next W30 is over...? @JJB - So glad you can relate (okay not really but it makes me feel less crazy!). It always helps to know I'm not alone! Good luck to you in figuring yours out. @megmac - Interesting...and I hate to admit that you're probably right! I hate the thought of chocolate being out right now, partly out of my desperation for it (!) and partly because I mean, it's the only non-compliant thing I even WANT. Thanks for all your comments & suggestions. I haven't been around this site much since ending the W30 - maybe part of my problem is not having the support and secretly wondering if I am crazy. My roommate thinks I'm wack-o, that I'm "imagining" how much better (or worse) I feel based on food, and that it's crazy to try to have the kind of lifestyle I want... Any ideas on finding support (other than here)? Or maybe I just need to get over having someone make fun of my food choices, or myself being "upset" when I can't eat compliant due to a work event or something...

A quick recap: I finished my W30 at the beginning of February and focused on reintroduction for the next couple weeks. I felt SO great and loved the results! Overall I found I'm sensitive to pretty much all grains, white potatoes, corn - starchy, carb-full stuff. I can feel my blood sugar rise, then drop, then I get very anxious. The grains bother my stomach a little bit as well. But it's mostly the anxiety that is the problem. Dairy is fine, but I have no desire for it. Same with legumes, although my stomach does not like peanut butter at all! Overall, I don't crave carbs/dairy/legumes, and if I do eat them, i do not really enjoy them. However, CHOCOLATE! That is the one thing I can't get enough of. It's "dark" chocolate, but not the healthy, high % cocoa kind. I have always been pretty self-controlled about sweets but I seem VERY out of control right now. I can't help eating all the chocolate in my possession... Let me make it clear that I am not craving sweets in general, but gooey, chocolatey brownies or cake. Maybe it's because I was at a work function and ate chocolate cake. Even though it didn't taste amazing at the time, I ate it all because of the texture (I LOVE certain textures). Then I made some "healthy" brownies (almost paleo) and I couldn't stop eating them! I guess I am rambling, but I'm concerned about the psychology of all of this. I know that I love eating W30. Good food, tasty, healthy, and it keeps me from the crazy sugar swings I'm used to. However, I'm really struggling wtih almost forcing myself to eat badly. I will eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner completely compliant. But I'll eat a few chocolates through the afternoon, then after dinner go crazy with whatever chocolate/peanut butter/or random carbs I can find. Maybe to punish myself? Maybe I'm afraid of how hard it is to maintain the kind of eating I want to and need to for optimum health. It's like I'm determined to eat everything I had put in the back of my pantry, and I'm determined to enjoy it, even though I don't really enjoy it (Except for chocolate!) and I know what negative effects I'll feel. Ironically, I finally got the book ISWF (I've been on a waiting list from the library since Jan) and it makes SO much sense to read all the science (I'm a biochemistry person, so loving the details). So I eat NON compliant food while reading the book every evening!!!! I have the knowledge (From the book), the experience (From the January W30) to support that this way of eating is good for my body. Why am I forcing myself to eat food I don't want and isn't good for me. I'm okay with 90% compliant plus some chocolate (but not tons of sugar...), but it doesn't feel simple, like I can relax into that lifestyle right now... Just wanted to share and see if anyone has any input!

@jpketz. Thanks. Great connection to Glycemic index...I think it makes a lot of sense. I'm sensitive to sugar and have alwasy struggled with rapidly changing blood sugar levels, so that could be it. I have eaten sweet potatoes almost daily on the W30 and beyond, and I have never noticed anxiety issues. But definitely the white potatoes. Hmm, I will have to read more about beans when my book arrives! Just googled "glycemic index and anxiety" and one of the first articles said "Most who struggle with anxiety are insulin sensitive." The article is mostly talking about balancing high GI foods with low GI foods, but I thought it was an interesting sentence.

I have determined that peanut butter causes tummy trouble, but other beans are fine. I'm excited to have my diet expand to include beans! Also, white potato and grains (not necessarily gluten) increase anxiety. I ate too much potatoes yesterday and was very anxious all evening and through the night (tense dreams). I haven't tried corn yet, but I wonder if it's too starchy as well. Fortunately, I really don't have a taste for these foods at all. I've known for some time that sugar affects my anxiety, but I have actually noticed more of an effect from potatoes/grains. Maybe it has to do with the amount, since I have so far only eaten a few small pieces of chocolate at a time, but more volume of grains or starches.

@Melelina - yeah the timing thing is tricky. And nothing on your list (except maybe protein powder) stands out as a possible culprit. Have you had other days where you felt like this, and do you see any crossover between what you ate then? Maybe pick one thing that you ate yesterday that you think might be the problem, and eat it at every meal some day? That's what I'm doing with peanut butter, since I may have accidentally had artificial sweetener yesterday. Eitehr way, it's one of those...I think. It's so complicated! Also, this is totally random, but I also have eaten a lot of spaghetti squash recently (Wed dinner, Thurs lunch and dinner) after never eating it before, and I had bloating yesterday too... Like you, I don't think it's the problem, and in my quick internet search i didn't find anything. But, you know. Just fyi.