Abdominal Pain after Most Meals - Stress?

[Callan]

Hi everyone,

If you've been following my log, you're probably aware of my situation (which isn't that bad), and many of you have offered awesome suggestions as to what could be causing my problems. Basically, after most (but not all) of my meals, I've been experiencing weird abdominal pains, basically right where my stomach is, that subside after 30 minutes to an hour. It doesn't matter what I've eaten: sweet potatoes, caffeine, lettuce, steak, eggs, tomatoes, beets, carrots, coconut oil, olive oil, palm shortening, broccoli... I can't find any common nutritional link between these episodes.

Somebody mentioned it might be stress, and yes, it does happen most commonly when I need to eat quickly to get things done, eat while "on-the-go," or eat while thinking about other things. But just now I had a yummy breakfast of tuna salad (homemade mayo, wild skipjack), raw cucumbers, and some sprouted sunflower seeds, and I can feel a bit of the ache coming on. This might be psychosomatic.

That said, there are two things I'm wondering about:

1) I'm not eating THAT differently now during the Whole30 than I was prior. I did not experience these stomach aches back then, or at the very least, I wasn't aware of them;

2) Is it possible that the body's physiological response to stress can change while modifying one's diet? When I got stressed out before, it would feel like my brain was going haywire. Now, those bouts of anxiety no longer occur. Could this be how my body is now choosing to respond?

Thanks for any insight! I can copy and paste some of my meals here, but they're all available in my log. http://forum.whole9l...13/page__st__40

[Renee Lee]

There are two branches of the nervous system; the parasympathetic (rest&digest) and the sympathetic (fight or flight).

When we're chronically stressed, we're always operating in the sympathetic system, which basically shuts off digestion.

From an evolutionary perspective, this makes sense, but it's just annoying nowadays. I would really try to set aside some "you" time, and try not to eat on the run.

[Callan]

After experimenting for a few days, I'm pretty sure it is stress. Unfortunately, it seems that merely existing around the people I live with can trigger this stress response.

I'm trying to be more mindful and take it easy whenever I can, and it's improved but I haven't gotten it perfect yet. Nonetheless, I'm fascinated by how much more in sync my mind (conscious and subconscious) and body seem to be becoming. It feels as though I'm working to catch up on certain connections that I've become oblivious to.

...Or, that may be 5am talking. We'll see.

[Aberrantatavia]

Hi callan,

I actually asked in your log if you knew what your stress triggers were before I saw this lol

I too am a person who needs their space and alone time. I just don't have the ability to send out tons of energy without recharging regularly. Do you have that ability in your home? Is your space (bedroom or other) YOUR space? Is it built for you and can you escape there? I know this makes a huge difference for me. Ive been in a fantastic relationship for the last few months and as wonderful as this man is, he's in my space - my bedroom isn't really mine anymore, so I'm now working on my spare room to be my space for crafts and schoolwork, etc.

It might be as simple as you not getting some aspect of something you need because of your living situation.

I hope you can figure it out without a lot of pain and suffering!

[Holly]

My daughter used to get daily stomach aches from stress. If you put food into an already tight stomach, it can cause pain or nausea. Sometimes drinking a small warm soothing drink right before eating can help this. Not eating raw food can help this too. Even though you said caffeine doesn't make a difference, it is a bad idea to add it to an irritated stomach.

There might not be a nutritional link to the pain. Physiologically, there could be some other things going on too. Acid reflux often causes stomach pain as opposed to the feeling of heartburn.

Hope you feel better.

[Callan]

Thanks for the insight, guys. I really should cut out caffeine - I don't use it as a energy source in any way, nor am I addicted, I just like coffee and tea. So, I'll stick to herbal and decaf now.

I just recently was able to move into my own room, but I share a kitchen with my stepmom who is a fat-phobic neat freak and hates the way I cook and eat, so whenever she's in there disinfecting the stove and tea kettle and complaining that I didn't wipe down the stove knobs after using it, I'm bound to feel tense and stressed out. I do the best I can but it's never good enough and I'll always be walking on eggshells.

I do not think there is a specific nutritional link. Case in point: Today, while at work (and on my feet at a fast-paced cafe job) I became starving and had (shock, horror!) a larabar. I didn't like it very much (yay - now I won't crave them!) but it contained innocuous ingredients. Shortly after consumption, I found out that my folks were coming home early (they were away this weekend and I was enjoying my alone time) and I had left the kitchen a mess. This double whammy of stressors had me feeling like crying from this annoying (not terribly strong, but definitely distracting) pain. In the past, my mind would have been racing and I would have been ruminating on everything. Now, my mental response is calm, but I guess I can't fool my gut!

[melbournegirl]

I guess as Amy says, doing a whole30 and eating healthy foods clears your mind to bring out other prior subconscious issues.... I hope it is stress because then you can possibly fix it more easily than a medical issue. I do get upper stomach pain more frequently since starting whole eating but for me I think its the fat digestion since I dont have a gall bladder. I have been experimenting with digestive enzymes....