A bit embarrasing...

[covasque]

Yes...so...I have been trying to do the whole30 day challenge, and everything was going great, I actually can feel the difference in what I put in my mouth. But I had run into a problem, I have gotten horrible gas. I don't know what it is but it is to the point where I literally be getting cramps every 4-5 minutes. It is horrible pain, I don't know what it is but it just keeps getting worst....so I stopped and started eating grains and dairy and in 2 days it was gone...I am upset that my intake of vegetables cause me literal pain...sounds like something that would happen to me of course #mylife. any suggestions of what it could be? I want to get back on track with the whole30 but I would rather not if I have to deal with that pain...and I cannot be farting every 5 minutes. I was very uncomfortable.

[Snappy Shark]

Where is the pain? In your belly/gut or somewhere else in your abdomen? If you're not used to eating protein and healthy fat at every meal, your body probably is in an equilibration period. I finished my Whole30 ~1 week ago (still eating clean, though), and it wasn't until those last couple of days that my gallbladder (under the right rib cage) stopped aching/cramping every time I ate a meal.

I'd say that the fact that the discomfort goes away when you eat grains is less an indication that grains are a healthy choice (they're not!), but rather that your body is used to one type of fuel and you're trying to teach it how to digest something else.

The mods/others on the forums suggest digestive enzymes and homemade bone broth as effective methods to combat the digestive distress that so many people experience while their bodies figure how to eat real food. I didn't start eating bone broth regularly until recently, so I don't have a lot of experience about how it helps with digestive discomfort, but I found that sauerkraut (a fermented food with bacterial cultures) helped a bit with my gallbladder issues.

I hope you feel better soon!

[Robin Strathdee]

Here's the thing - when you make a switch like this, especially from a diet that includes easily digested sugars (grains, dairy) as primary fuel sources, all of the chemicals and bacteria in your gut have to make a significant adjustment. Gas, bloating, strange poops and all manner of things similar are VERY common during the beginning phases of a Whole30. It makes perfect sense, then, that when you went back to old foods your troubles died down. I would recommend starting again and giving your body time to level out.