Very upset stomach and other issues

[KelseyZ]

Hi, I have been having major stomach pains after lunch everyday since starting the Whole 30. This is day 4. The only thing I have really changed is using Almond Butter in my morning smoothies instead of peanut butter. I also ate a bit of Spinach, which does upset my stomach sometimes. I usually take Pepto or have a ginger chew, but neither of those seem to be compliant. Any other suggestions or possible causes? Thanks! 

[ShannonM816]

Nuts and nut butters do upset some people's stomachs, so maybe skip those for a few days and see if that helps. If you know spinach is a problem at times, try substituting other leafy greens, or try cooking the spinach as sometimes cooked vegetables are easier to digest than raw.

For right now, you could try peppermint or ginger tea and see if that helps. Also be sure you're drinking plenty of water every day. There are yoga stretches that are said to help with gas pain or constipation, you can use Google to find out more about those if you want to try it. 

In general we don't recommend smoothies, so while it may or may not be contributing to this issue, we believe you'll have better results overall if you give them up for 30 days. You can read more about that in the Can I Have guide, just scroll down or search for smoothies:  https://whole30.com/2013/06/the-official-can-i-have-guide-to-the-whole30/

[KelseyZ]

16 minutes ago, ShannonM816 said:

Nuts and nut butters do upset some people's stomachs, so maybe skip those for a few days and see if that helps. If you know spinach is a problem at times, try substituting other leafy greens, or try cooking the spinach as sometimes cooked vegetables are easier to digest than raw.

For right now, you could try peppermint or ginger tea and see if that helps. Also be sure you're drinking plenty of water every day. There are yoga stretches that are said to help with gas pain or constipation, you can use Google to find out more about those if you want to try it. 

In general we don't recommend smoothies, so while it may or may not be contributing to this issue, we believe you'll have better results overall if you give them up for 30 days. You can read more about that in the Can I Have guide, just scroll down or search for smoothies:  https://whole30.com/2013/06/the-official-can-i-have-guide-to-the-whole30/

Hi Shannon, thank you for your reply! I will skip the nut better for a few days, and use different leafy green. Tea does help, but not super effectively. I will also look up Yoga stretches! 

My smoothie isn't so much a smoothie- it's one banana, a cup of almond milk, a spoon of Cacao power, a spoon of Chia seeds, and a spoon of Almond butter. Is that compliant? Thanks! 

[ShannonM816]

That would fall under the same recommendation as smoothies -- technically it is compliant, but we believe you'll have better results if you don't have it for 30 days. If you want to have it, you can, but think about whether it is really serving you well. Is it keeping you from eating plenty of vegetables with your meals, or taking the place of a template-based meal? Is it serving as a substitute for sweets or desserts? For some people, smoothies or similar foods keep them stuck in old habits like having sweet, carby foods for breakfast or drinking a meal rather than sitting down and eating mindfully.  These are reasons why we suggest people not have smoothies during their whole30.

[BookJockey]

You could look into trying a probiotic. They tend to help me a lot.