What to do after throwing up...?

[orianaoracle]

I'm at the end of Day 29.  Everything was going fine today.

 

My breakfast was a little late this morning (around 10:30 - 11 a.m.), but it consisted of:

 

• An omelet made with 2 eggs cooked in coconut oil, filled with Nom Nom Paleo's Asian Ground Beef, Mushrooms, and Broccoli Slaw (made with ground goat, instead of beef, and cooked in Whole 30-approved bacon grease instead of lard).
• One small sweet potato with a tiny bit of coconut oil and cinnamon.

 

Felt fine.  Lunch (again, pushed back) was around 4 p.m.  I was going to workout at 6, so I tried to keep it low-carb.  It consisted of:

 

• A bit of Dijon Pork Tenderloin leftovers (had it for dinner last night and was fine).
• A bit of Mashed Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic (had it for dinner last night and was fine - made it with my own chicken stock).
• Mixed greens with 1 hard-boiled egg, 8 kalamata olives, a handful of chives, and one sliced lemon cucumber drizzled with a tiny bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

 

I felt fine afterward.

 

I went to my workout and was struggling somewhat through it and had issues with "tasting" my lunch a little now and then (not uncommon for me if I'm doing a lot of jumping around).  We did an all-legs rotation of about 7 - 8 different exercises/machines by starting out with 21 reps on each one, and  25 jumping jacks after each exercise.  Then, after the first set, we did 18 reps and 25 jumping jacks.  Then, 15 reps and 25 jumping jacks.  We ran out of time halfway through the set of 15 reps.  I tried to stay fueled with water throughout and afterward.  We stretched and I headed home.

 

As I left, I started to feel nauseous.  I was thinking maybe I had pushed it a little too hard in class and that I needed some more water.  I felt really nauseous the entire drive home, and it continued when I got home.  I stripped off my exercise gear and laid down in bed in front of the box fan for awhile, thinking I was probably overheated.  I tried to sip a bit of water, but it did NOT at all sound good.  I got an ice pack out of my freezer and laid it against my face and on my neck for a little bit.

 

I thought things were starting to settle down, but all of a sudden, I knew I had to throw up.  I did so and (I'm really sorry about the TMI here, but I think it's important) part of my lunch came up and didn't really seem to be digested much at all.  By this time, it had probably been more than 3 hours since I had eaten.  Things slowly settled down over the next hour or two after that, to the point where I thought I might actually be slightly hungry.

 

So, this is where my question comes in.  Normally, when not on Whole 30, I've always been told to follow the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, and tea) when sick.  I obviously can't have rice, and as part of my Whole 30, I've chosen to be caffeine-free for the 30 days, too; so, no tea.  That leaves bananas and applesauce.  Do I just eat a little of that and leave it at that for the night, or should I try to sneak in a little protein or something, too?

 

I just don't want to mess things up at the very end (Day 30 is so close I can almost taste it!) of my Whole 30.  With half of lunch gone, and no post-workout mini-meal or dinner as of right now (it's been 6 - 7 hours since I ate lunch), I assume I should probably try to stomach at least a little something.  Thoughts?

[Guest]

I think I have read that the response is to eat what works for you.  I'd probably reach for some broth, some sort of egg, and some sweet potato with coconut oil.  Start slowly and try not to go to bed hungry.  If it just won't go down and you'll rest better without it, maybe just stick with whatever will stay down.

 

I hope you feel better!  (and, maybe get some better responses)

[orianaoracle]

Thanks, Nico!  I didn't even think about broth - duh!  I have both beef bone broth and some chicken broth leftover from a crock pot whole chicken dish.

 

Is it bad to have another sweet potato since I had one for breakfast?

[Guest]

I'd go for sweet potato before banana or applesauce or rice or toast.  If you are still not feeling well, it's not really the time to worry about carbs.  Just nourish yourself for the best healing and rest.  Plus, it sounds like you worked hard in that workout!

 

If you have any other protein/fat/veg combos that sound good, I don't think there is a wrong answer.  Leftover chicken plus carrot and celery cooked in broth makes a quick and amazing chicken soup.

[Tom Denham]

Nico is exactly right. Broth and sweet potato are great choices if you remain queasy. However, if you feel fine after you throw up, you can eat a regular meal.  

[notacommittee]

That's so funny; I always thought BRAT stood for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast, not Tea.

 

I think you could still do the tea, though, even if you don't do caffeine. Ginger tea is supposed to be really good for your stomach, and most herbal teas are naturally caffeine-free.

 

Definitely agree with the bone broth + sweet potato. Egg yolks might also be good in the broth for extra nutrition. I also like vegetable soup, especially cream of anything (made with coconut milk).

[orianaoracle]

That's so funny; I always thought BRAT stood for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast, not Tea.

 

You may be right.  I think I heard tea from someone sometime and it stuck in my head.

 

I ended up having a big mug of bone broth, a couple of scrambled eggs, a sweet potato, and I did add in a banana, mostly because it was going brown and needed to be eaten, and I had intended to have it with my dinner before I got sick.  I know it probably wasn't that great to eat a sweet potato and a banana, but I didn't want to throw it out.

 

I still feel fine this morning.  I think there was something in my lunch that didn't agree with me.  I'm a little nervous to eat the mixed greens or the olives again.  Those, and the chives (which are now gone) were the three things that were "new" to me in my lunch yesterday.  The only other "odd" thing was the lemon cucumber; but, I ate one on Saturday and had no problems.

 

Thanks, everyone!

[Emily T]

Can I hijack this post - I am in the midst of what is apparently an all day digestive issue. Severe nausea, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. By severe I mean I spent the first half of my day on the floor of the office bathroom. This happened I believe because I switched probiotics and took too high of a dose.

I am not sure what to eat. I am craving crackers or bread, or white potatoes. The thought of other food makes me nauseas. I'm about to have some broth, any other suggestions? I'm avoiding fodmaps at the moment...

 

edited to add - okay, I have no broth. I thought I had some in the fridge! There is no way I can get to the store right now....

[orianaoracle]

Can I hijack this post - I am in the midst of what is apparently an all day digestive issue. Severe nausea, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. By severe I mean I spent the first half of my day on the floor of the office bathroom. This happened I believe because I switched probiotics and took too high of a dose.

I am not sure what to eat. I am craving crackers or bread, or white potatoes. The thought of other food makes me nauseas. I'm about to have some broth, any other suggestions? I'm avoiding fodmaps at the moment...

 

edited to add - okay, I have no broth. I thought I had some in the fridge! There is no way I can get to the store right now....

 

Emily, any chance you can have a coworker run there for you, or maybe take you home?  It sounds like you shouldn't be at the office.

 

The scrambled eggs, broth, and sweet potato suggestions every else made really helped me.  I'm sorry I can't be of more help to you!  I hope you feel better soon!

[notacommittee]

Emily,

 

What about some other bland foods? Maybe some squash? Or turnips? Mashed would be pretty gentle on the stomach.

 

You could also try just a big mug of warm water. That can be very stomach-settling. If you add a pinch of salt and a little lemon juice (not enough so that you can taste it),  you'll get some electrolytes in there, which is good if you're having diarrhea. I always drink that when I have a flu-type illness, and it keeps me from getting run-down on top of the disease.

[notacommittee]

 I know it probably wasn't that great to eat a sweet potato and a banana, but I didn't want to throw it out.

 

Just curious, why do you think it wasn't good? I don't see anything wrong with eating both of them, especially not if you're feeling icky and looking for something you can keep down.

 

But I'm glad you're feeling better at any rate!

[Guest]

Emily,

 

What about some other bland foods? Maybe some squash? Or turnips? Mashed would be pretty gentle on the stomach.

 

You could also try just a big mug of warm water. That can be very stomach-settling. If you add a pinch of salt and a little lemon juice (not enough so that you can taste it),  you'll get some electrolytes in there, which is good if you're having diarrhea. I always drink that when I have a flu-type illness, and it keeps me from getting run-down on top of the disease.

 

Make it ginger tea and you may feel even better!  Ginger in any kind of cold water is also really soothing.

[Emily T]

Emily, any chance you can have a coworker run there for you, or maybe take you home?  It sounds like you shouldn't be at the office.

 

The scrambled eggs, broth, and sweet potato suggestions every else made really helped me.  I'm sorry I can't be of more help to you!  I hope you feel better soon!

I definitely should NOT have been! I had to wait for my tummy to settle before I could go home.

 

I ended up having peppermint tea and a banana larabar. I didn't have any sweet potatoes or broth and I ate eggs this morning (it wasn't appetizing the way they came out).

 

Feeling much better now, though a little sensitive. I had a salad with some oranges, grilled chicken, and a vinaigrette just now and its staying down.

 

It was definitely NOT food poisoning - just those damn probiotics. I just switched to Jarro-dopholus - I took 3 this morning. I'm not sure if I just took too many, or if I reacted badly to the brand, or if I had some sort of bacterial die-off, but I bet you guys anything I'm about 5 lbs lighter this afternoon. 

 

Since this is the internet and partially anonymous, I need to share the worst part. I was in the bathroom in the midst of this hell WHEN THE FIRE ALARM WENT OFF. I had to leave the building, go to a RESTAURANT, and be in agony there. SO. MORTIFYING. 

[Emily T]

I'm drinking green tea now, I dont have any ginger. But I will stock up on that for next time (though I hope to God there is no next time) 

[orianaoracle]

Just curious, why do you think it wasn't good? I don't see anything wrong with eating both of them, especially not if you're feeling icky and looking for something you can keep down.

 

Well, I figured it was probably a ton of carbs in one meal.  Even after a full Whole 30 under my belt, I am still not really sure about the rules on fruit, I guess.  It tasted good and stayed with me, though.  So, that works for me.

[orianaoracle]

I definitely should NOT have been! I had to wait for my tummy to settle before I could go home.

 

I ended up having peppermint tea and a banana larabar. I didn't have any sweet potatoes or broth and I ate eggs this morning (it wasn't appetizing the way they came out).

 

Feeling much better now, though a little sensitive. I had a salad with some oranges, grilled chicken, and a vinaigrette just now and its staying down.

 

It was definitely NOT food poisoning - just those damn probiotics. I just switched to Jarro-dopholus - I took 3 this morning. I'm not sure if I just took too many, or if I reacted badly to the brand, or if I had some sort of bacterial die-off, but I bet you guys anything I'm about 5 lbs lighter this afternoon. 

 

Since this is the internet and partially anonymous, I need to share the worst part. I was in the bathroom in the midst of this hell WHEN THE FIRE ALARM WENT OFF. I had to leave the building, go to a RESTAURANT, and be in agony there. SO. MORTIFYING. 

 

 

Emily, I'm so sorry you had to go through that!  I can't even imagine.  I'm glad that you're feeling a little better now, though.  Might not hurt to pop a frozen container of broth in the office freezer if you can.  That way, you'll always have something if you need it.

[notacommittee]

Well, I figured it was probably a ton of carbs in one meal.  Even after a full Whole 30 under my belt, I am still not really sure about the rules on fruit, I guess.  It tasted good and stayed with me, though.  So, that works for me.

 

That's really not a lot of carbs, especially if you work out at all. You'd be surprised at how few carbs are in potatoes (sweet or white) compared to grains. And besides, there's nothing wrong with carbs!

[notacommittee]

Since this is the internet and partially anonymous, I need to share the worst part. I was in the bathroom in the midst of this hell WHEN THE FIRE ALARM WENT OFF. I had to leave the building, go to a RESTAURANT, and be in agony there. SO. MORTIFYING. 

 

OMG that sounds so awful. Talk about terrible timing for a fire alarm! I'm glad you're feeling better now though.

[WholeUs]

This is my second attempt at Whole30 and I am on day 9. I woke up fine, went to work fine, was feeling great. Ate a banana and some pistacios for breakfast and then my stomach started feeling sensitive. An hour later, I was in the bathroom throwing up. So I came home on my lunch break to freshen up - and I threw up again. I really don't feel like I have a bug except for the few minutes before I throw up. During my first Whole30, I became VERY sick on day 12. Fever, throwing up, and called in sick to work for 2 days. I don't want to call in sick this time as it feels self-induced.

 

Is this really my body reacting? I didn't eat THAT terrible before Whole30...

[GFChris]

This is my second attempt at Whole30 and I am on day 9. I woke up fine, went to work fine, was feeling great. Ate a banana and some pistacios for breakfast and then my stomach started feeling sensitive. An hour later, I was in the bathroom throwing up. So I came home on my lunch break to freshen up - and I threw up again. I really don't feel like I have a bug except for the few minutes before I throw up. During my first Whole30, I became VERY sick on day 12. Fever, throwing up, and called in sick to work for 2 days. I don't want to call in sick this time as it feels self-induced.

 

Is this really my body reacting? I didn't eat THAT terrible before Whole30...

Not sure why bananas and nuts would cause vomiting.

That being said, our recommendation is to eat your first meal within 1 hour of waking, along with having a meal that meets the recommended template of 1-2 palms of protein, 1-3 cups of veggies and a compliant fat. Nuts are a fat on a Whole30.

 

Perhaps try a template-based meal instead?  

[WholeUs]

I don't know what caused the vomiting. I just know that it came on pretty sudden and then went away - just leaving my stomach weak feeling...which is to be expected. I'll have some broth for dinner and maybe a banana.

 

I typically don't eat that sort of breakfast - I love eggs and have them almost every morning. But this was the start of my work week after a busy 3-day weekend and we all know what those are like trying to get everything together before heading to work. I'd decided to skip breakfast at home and opt for "fast food" of pistachios and a banana. I don't know if it was the food so much as it was just my body reacting to a change. I know that tomorrow (day 10) is statistically the day that people who quit, will quit. I want to make it.