GI issues on a Whole60

[sovvy]

Hello! I'm a huge fan of the Whole30, and am currently on day 40 of a Whole60 - my 5th time doing a Whole.

 

This round I have had a host of GI issues, namely constipation. It's gotten so bad that I've resorted to laxatives more than once in these last 40 days to get relief, only to go another 3-4 days after again.

 

I eat a lot of veggies, I drink plenty of water. I eat organic sweet potatoes and potatoes with at least two meals per day, and between coconut milk (canned), ghee, avocado oil and homemade mayo I'm getting plenty of fat. My energy is out of control, my skin is clear, and I feel great EXCEPT I'm bloated and can't poop! I've even tried digestive enzymes, first one per meal, then upped to two per meal as prescribed on a blog on Whole9.com with no effect.

 

A typical days food:

 

B: french press coffee with canned coconut milk, 2 eggs and homemade sausage, a handful of diced potatoes roasted in avocado oil and sometimes a serving of broccoli or kale if it's leftover from dinner

L: organic buffalo burger, leftovers from dinner or other kind of protein, usually some kind of mayo based sauce,and a sautéed or baked veggie (kale, broccoli, brussels, snap peas etc)

PWO: Hardboiled egg and a piece of salami and a banana or apple

D: Meat + veg combo, some kind of starch (sometimes potatoes)

 

Any insight? I'm dying for relief. Thank you!!

 

 

[AmyS]

Your meals look good. Many people report good success with Natural Calm - the unflavored version is Whole30 compliant. Natural Calm is a powdered form of magnesium citrate. It makes some of us regular and makes some of us permanent bathroom residents. I would imagine you'd be in the first category.  Also, I would take more than 2 digestive enzyme capsules. I have to take 4 or 5 with each meal when digestive issues crop up.

 

Other folks may have other tips, but those are the two things that come to mind immediately. Give it a go and good luck!

[candree]

I can totally relate to your post!  I am on day50 of my targeted whole60 and have experienced many of the whole30 benefits but never gotten over the constipation issues either!  For the first 30 days, i was lucky to go every 4 or 5 days, i added a digestive enzyme to my meals and 2 tsps of Natural Calm every evening and it's still hit or miss (i'll go 2 or 3 days in a row and then nothing again for days). I am also experiencing a significant amount of gas in the evening and i suspect i'm reacting to something (maybe onions) so i'm on a mission to cut them out this week to see what happens.

 

Strangely enough, i didn't have constipation issues prior to whole30 so i find it very strange that eater better has thrown my body into such disarray in this regard!

[hollylu]

I'm no expert, but I take magnesium for a variety of reasons and if I take too much my stools get too loose. On the rare occasion that I get constipated I take a little extra magnesium and that takes care of it. Vitamin C works the same way (for me).

[NicoleLeal]

I completed my first whole 30 and am now on day 39! 

 

I was also having a lot of bloat issues and my sister mentioned that she reacts the same way to broccoli. I was eating broccoli at least 2xs a day and now that I don't have it I have not had any bloating or constipation or any pain at all. I also noticed the more fat I eat the better my digestion works. I have been roasting my veggies in a bit of olive oil, seasoning and lemon juice; marinating my veggies with a bit of olive oil and lemon juice for my salad and cooking with coconut oil and adding a touch of ghee to my potatoes. This seems to really have made my stomach feel better and work better. 

 

I was sad to give up broccoli but it's been for the better. 

[Looney123!]

I'm having the same issues, so I'll try to cut out broccoli and roasting veggies.   Thanks for the post!

[Nina429]

Im having a similar but slightly different issue. Similar in that i am highly irregular, once every 2-3 days and never know when. Different in that my stools are very soft and not formed. I am at day 30 and will extend to 60. I have so many victories, but this is my only compliant. I am eating plenty of fat, protein, and veggies, some but not a lot of fruit. Does anyone have any suggestions/ insight?