Day 22 – old symptoms resurfacing

[Rob Watson]

Hi gang,

I'm day 22 into the program – from about day 3-11 I was feeling fantastic. All my food cravings had gone and a lot of my original symptoms were fading away (bloating, aching muscles, tension headaches etc.).

It's just since day 12 onwards I've had a quite a few things come back up, my cravings have come back, constipated at times (which I hear can be common on a Paleo style diet), bloating around my face and my gut are is feeling tight and uncomfortable. One theory is this could be my gut rebalancing (see further below) and getting used to the new way of eating!?

I have certainly noticed my clothes are fitting me better, I heard that by going on a paleo style diet you can shift a lot of water weight which I've certainly noticed, which is a big plus. I'm very grateful to be on the Whole30 doing this reset, it's just a little disconcerting seeing the symptoms reappear for the past week or so. 

I'll certainly be seeing the finish line and most likely staying on a paleo diet going forward.

Here is a typical days food for me:

Breakfast - vegetable juice made up of ginger, lemon, spinach, celery and cucumber. Shortly followed by the 3 egg omelette which contains 1/2 a white onion, handful of spinach, 3-4 mushrooms, 1 tomato. I'll then have 1/2 avocado on the side.

Lunch - roast wild salmon or line caught cod fillet with at least 3 portions of vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, avocado & cabbage)

Dinner - rib-eye steak, 1 portion sweet potato mash,  2 portions of mushrooms, spinach & broccoli

Drinks - about 1 litre of water, 3-4 herbal teas, 1 cup of bone broth and 1 cup of chicory coffee with coconut oil.

As a side-note I thought I'd share some background - I've had lab tests back this year to let me know I have bacterial/parasitic issues in my gut. I've been experiencing certain health flare ups for 19 years since I was 19, and I feel it could well be more systemic and affecting larger part of my body because of the length of time. I feel this because one of the main physical symptoms appears to be linked to my lymph nodes, as I experience discomfort, tightness and swelling, particularly around my neck and jaw. During the same time, I experience similar feelings in my gut so I feel there’s a clear link between the two. On top of this, I experience sleep issues, tension headaches, aching muscles, rashes/fungal infections etc.

The thing that is currently on my mind is what is the actual condition. It certainly feels as though it’s some sort of autoimmune condition, it’s just what is it; leaky gut, lupus, arthritis… I’ve even gone as far as to think I may have Lyme disease because it’s been recurring for so long and what I now know about the bacterial issues in my gut.

 Just thought I'd share in case anyone else has experienced similar symptoms along the way.

Thanks in advance guys!

[ultrarunnergirl]

Hi Rob,

  We recommend you not drink your veggies on your Whole30, we'd rather you eat them so you get the additional satiety that comes along with chewing your food. 

  Looking at your food, I notice lots of cruciferous veggies - broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage. Try subbing out for veggies like squash, carrots, tomatoes, green beans and see if that makes any difference with the bloating for you.

  With your other concerns, I think you should definitely consult a doctor. You may also benefit from working with a functional practitioner or specialist on these issues.