Day 24 and still experiencing inflammation symptoms

[RichelleRenea]

I'm a nurse, so I'll deliver my info this way :-)

Situation: 5 months +1 week postpartum, breastfeeding mama started W30 on August 1st. My meals follow the template, but especially in the last portion of the day when I'm at home with baby, tend to be on the small side.  At Day 24, I am still experiencing these inflammation symptoms: 

• Abnormal bowel movements (sometimes constipated, sometimes borderline diarrhea, sometimes almost normal)
• Keratosis pilaris on upper arms (more pronounced this week)
• Very mild facial acne (one pimple that showed up near my hairline last week)

Background: Pre-baby (and during pregnancy), ate 80/20 paleo. Large sugar dragon took hold during postpartum.  Numerous gluten partakings in the month before W30.  History of having leaky gut symptoms and abnormal bowel movements, but never clinically diagnosed with IBS. History of resolving cystic acne with the removal of gluten from my diet.

 

Assessment: I think that I must be someone who is slow at detoxifying, and that the gluten off-roadings in the weeks before I started W30 are just now showing themselves as the chicken skin and the continued abnormal bm's.  I have had a couple of normal bm's since starting W30.  

 

Recommendations?  Here's what I really want to do, but I want some opinions from you guys as well.  I want to keep rolling and do another 30 days, but I'd really like to have some organic, no-sulfite wine on occasion.  'Occasion' meaning at dinner on Saturday nights with the hub and when out with friends chit chatting, no more than 1-2 glasses per sitting. I also think it would be a good idea for me to get back into the book and follow the recommendations for what else to cut out if you have IBS, even though I don't have an official diagnosis.  

 

Here's my big question: am I going to completely pop this balloon of healing I've got going with a few glasses of high-quality wine?  Momming is hard, and I know I shouldn't view the wine as a 'treat' or as a way to relax, and if I really need to wait on it, I will.  

 

[jmcbn]

In truth I think the day after the alcohol (sulphite free or not) will mask any patterns you might see in the foods you are eating so I'd say you'd be better to wait - but then I'm a mod, and so being the food police is my job

With a history of leaky gut, abnormal bowel movements & IBS like symptoms your best bet would be to go low FODMAP for a while to see if things don't improve. Low FODMAP is the mainstream recommendation for any serious IBS sufferers and then when you combine the two Whole30 removes any additional inflammatory foods so IMHO that would give your gut the absolute best chance to heal. It may seem like a big deal but it's definitely doable - there are a number of us here on the forum who eat Whole30(ish) + low FODMAP on a permanent basis.

If you need any further direction with this please shout.

[danielleavincent]

I also had inflammatory symptoms a couple weeks in, so I eliminated nightshades and that did the trick... and of course as jmcbn wrote, FODMAPs could be to blame.

Regarding the wine, I was a very enthusiastic wine drinker (and good wine, too!) before the Whole30, so I feel your pain here. In my experience, part of the biggest effect of the Whole30 is not about the inflammation, but rather about my relationship with the things I eat and drink. I'm not going to tell you what's right for you, but for me, one of my favorite things about completing the program fully, including giving up alcohol, really did help me see how I was using alcohol to cope with my issues... and most importantly, that I didn't really need it as much as I thought.

It sounds like you're not talking about drinking a bottle of wine every night (like I did), but just a glass. I would encourage you to just stick with the Whole30, as it is. It's only 30 days, and you're less than a week from the finish line. I know you'll feel so proud of yourself if you just hold out for six more days.

a side note from my personal experience, which I am about to share on a separate thread: Giving up alcohol was a big hurdle for me. MUCH bigger than sugar. I found a book called the 30 Day Sobriety Solution and did that in conjunction with my Whole30. I think it was such a good combination that I sent both books to my dad.

[RichelleRenea]

Thanks guys.  I will definitely be going low-FODMAP, just printed the shopping list.  I have indeed been eating lots of onions and garlic :-)

 

As far as the wine, I'm still on the fence, but I have almost a week to decide.  Thanks again!