Preemptive measures for nausea

[Kynard]

I would very much like to try whole30 again, but historically I have experienced  difficulties with nausea and loss of appetite anytime I attempted a diet that restricts grain.  While this is not recognized as an expected side effect in official literature, it is a consistent issue for me.  It begins on day 1, and generally persists until I eat crackers or bread, whether that’s in 3 hours or 3 days.  As I absolutely must function at work, tolerating nausea and inadequate oral intake for extended periods of time is not an option.  Is there a way to avoid or at least improve this symptom without seeking a prescription nausea medication? 
 

Thanks! 

[ShannonM816]

This is something I have not heard of before. When you have tried in the past, have you eaten starchy vegetables (potato, sweet potato, beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips, rutabaga, plantains, or winter squashes like butternut, acorn, or kabocha)? If not, that might help as it might be more about carbs than grains. 

Or, have you tried gradually reducing your grain intake over time before doing whole30, kind of weaning yourself off of them instead of just stopping them? 

[SugarcubeOD]

7 hours ago, Kynard said:

 It begins on day 1, and generally persists until I eat crackers or bread, whether that’s in 3 hours or 3 days.

Do you normally eat grains at every meal of every day? The reason I'm asking is because that's a pretty quick response to not eating something... Can you think back to a random day where you might not have been doing the whole30 but you also didn't eat grains and remember if you were nauseated?  Perhaps there's something else that's different when you undertake a Whole30 that is contributing? Do you drink black coffee on an empty stomach during Whole30 for instance that might be a factor? I'm definitely not saying this is not due to grains, just want to dig a little deeper. 

[Kynard]

7 hours ago, SugarcubeOD said:

Do you normally eat grains at every meal of every day? The reason I'm asking is because that's a pretty quick response to not eating something... Can you think back to a random day where you might not have been doing the whole30 but you also didn't eat grains and remember if you were nauseated?  Perhaps there's something else that's different when you undertake a Whole30 that is contributing? Do you drink black coffee on an empty stomach during Whole30 for instance that might be a factor? I'm definitely not saying this is not due to grains, just want to dig a little deeper. 

 

8 hours ago, ShannonM816 said:

This is something I have not heard of before. When you have tried in the past, have you eaten starchy vegetables (potato, sweet potato, beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips, rutabaga, plantains, or winter squashes like butternut, acorn, or kabocha)? If not, that might help as it might be more about carbs than grains. 

Or, have you tried gradually reducing your grain intake over time before doing whole30, kind of weaning yourself off of them instead of just stopping them? 

I have tried substituting starchy vegetables and fruits previously with little improvement.  I do eat grains frequently, and it’s unusual for servings to be more than 12 hours apart.  After about 12-14 hours, I get so nauseated I can barely move if I eat vegetables or meat without bread, rice, or potatoes.  The potatoes may help, but are inconsistent, particularly as the duration of my abstinence from processed carbohydrates increases.  If I know that I can’t have at least one of those starches, I have no appetite for other foods.  I’m fine for a while if I don’t eat at all, but that’s obviously not sustainable.  

I am accustomed to drinking black coffee on an empty stomach in the morning, and that should not be causing any issues. 

Generally even antacids and antigas  medications are not as effective as a serving of crackers in relieving my nausea.  Once I actually resolved it by eating a slice of pizza, and that seems unlikely to work for nausea resulting from an unrelated illness.  

 

[decker_bear]

I remember this being something I struggled with during my first W30, though it was not as severe as yours. I found that salt, chicken broth and seltzer water helped. I also NEED CARBS and I don't do well without them. I have sweet potatoes almost every morning with breakfast - and if I don't have sweet potatoes, I have a higher carb fruit. Over time it got better. When the nausea would get really bad, sucking on a small salt rock (like what I would pull out of the grinder) could ease it. Making a batch of bone broth might be a good thing to have on hand as it is far less processed than commercial broth. And of course, salt your food.

Also consider that you may be trying to break an addiction here. If your body, physically or psychologically, is addicted to something in these simple carbs, it's not going to go away effortlessly. It may be beneficial to start your W30 on a weekend or when you have a couple of days off work so that you can really rest and take care of yourself.