Stomach pain and bowel trouble

[jburth7]

I am a nursing mom (baby is 7 months old) and recently completed my second Whole30 (the first I did prior to being pregnant almost 2 years ago).  I did another Whole30 recently (finished the middle of May) to jump start back to healthy eating and re-set my mind.  The first round was great, I lost a few pounds (not a big thing b/c I'm normal weight anyways), but more importantly developed a great relationship with food (something I never had before).  I also had excellent results digestively which was the main reason I continued to want to eat "Whole30 like."

 

I did a second whole30 recently and did not have the same results on the digestive end.  Most days I'm either having stomach pain or I oscillate between constipation or diarrhea.  Since ending the Whole30, I continued the style of eating with template meals, etc. but allowed myself a few slip-ups - a sweet, an occasial grain, etc. Again, continued the same style of eating just didn't read every single label and/or went out to eat on occasion and tried to pick the best choices knowing they weren't compliant likely because of cooking oil, etc.  Things actually got slightly better on the digestive front but I didn't feel great, had some breakouts on my face, gained a couple pounds, etc and when I had digestive issues they were of the intense pain variety not just mild cramping, so I've gone back to the Whole30 to try and figure out what's causing my digestive issues.  I've posted what I normally eat during the day, I'm hoping others can chime in and give me some suggestions on where to improve.  As I said, I'm nursing and I do workout regularly (run about 5 days a week), so I eat four template meals plus a pre-WO snack (not usually post just because I workout on my lunch hour so lunch is combined)

 

Breakfast: 3-4 eggs, 1/2 cup or so (usually just a big handful) blueberries, some form of veggies (usually kale or cruciferous crunch from TJ's or leftover veggies from the night before), 1/2 sweet potato, cooked in coconut oil

Pre-WO: hard boiled egg, 1/2 avocado

Lunch: HUGE salad with spinach, romaine, arugula, some form of protein (i usually do 2 palm sizes - some form of leftover from another meal; chicken thighs, hamburger, etc.), veggies: peppers, mushrooms, green onions, tomatoes, 1/2 avocado, olive oil for my dressing, 1/2 sweet potato

M3: in between lunch/dinner because I'm starving and nursing: some form of protein- typically just 1 palm size, 1 cups cooked vegetable (usually broccoli or green beans because those are my favorites), an apple

Dinner: protein source; usually 1-2 palm sizes because I'm hungry I err on the higher side!, 1/2-1 sweet potato or squash or white potatoes or other starchy vegetable, cooked veggies- varies based on the night, we eat a lot of broccoli, green beans, carrots, brussel sprouts, homemade mayo of some type (my husband makes a lot of different spiced homemade mayo) for dip for the starch and I drizzle it over my veggies too

 

I drink a TON of water - usually 4-5 liters per day.

I do have a cup of coffe in the morning b/c I need the caffeine boost since my baby doesn't sleep well and I work full-time

 

Anyone spot anything that could help me out?  I'm wondering if it's the coffee since on mornings I don't have the time for a cup, I seem to have better digestion, but I still get the stomach pains in the late afternoon

[Carlaccini]

Hi There!

 

Sorry to hear about your tummy troubles.

 

I have some questions/general comments

 

How are your stress levels? Stress can make tummy troubles exist that don't normally occur.  

 

Broccoli, brussel sprouts, mushrooms, asparagus, avocado, onions and sometimes green beans, and coconut milk are known to cause tummy distress. These are vegetables that on the high side of FODMAPs - these fruits and veg have certain types of sugars that some of us have a hard time processing.  Basically if you are having large quantities of these vegetables daily - it might be worth a try to scale it back.  I did this and it did help with my bloating and tummy issues.

Also - some of us cannot consume vast copious amounts of raw veg.  I am one of these people.  Raw veg does not breakdown in my digestive tract too well. Giving me... um.... issues.

[jmcbn]

Yep, I concur with Carlaccini.

The cruciferous mix first thing in the morning would cause me to have stomach pain for sure, and you're having a lot of broccoli & sprouts - I had to cut both out for the same reason.

I'd probably cut back on those & then once the symptoms have settled try reintro-ing them all one at a time - leaving a few days gap in between - to identify the culprit.

I hope those 'issues' settle for you soon, & in the meantime maybe try adding some fermented foods and/or a digestive enzyme?