Eggs and Bloating?

[Beth Christie]

Hello! I've seen a couple times on this forum that people are cutting out eggs and I was just wondering the reasoning behind this?

I did my Whole30 in October and have stayed mainly Paleo- and when I off road I can really tell because how I feel, sleeping patterns etc. all go really downhill.

The only physical side effect I get is an extremely bloated tummy. I used to think my pregnant looking belly was just because I was fat, but after my Whole30 shrunk my belly to almost nothing I realized it was actually because of food intolerance. (22 years later I realize this. So much wasted time and anguish.)

Now the problem I have is that every now and then I still return back to my pregnant belly bloating- I've noticed it after eating almonds and it's just happened now after eating my regular breakfast of eggs and sweet potato hash browns, even though pre-breakfast I was marveling at how tiny my stomach was. (I still haven't got over it )

The other piece of the puzzle I haven't mentioned yet is that for my entire life my average BM has been less than 1 time a week, but I've never felt constipated or backed up, I've only just noticed since my Whole30 that the only effect has been a little belly bloating before my BM.

So after all that, my question is if anybody has any advice on what is causing the bloating and how to get rid of it?

Is it because of my lower than average BMs (even though I feel fine)? I'm drinking my kombucha a couple times a week, and drinking my coffee every morning to try and regulate it but I've never been able to raise it to more than twice a week.

Or could it be something that's still in my diet that makes me puff up like a pastry every now and then?

Any advice is welcomed to help kick my yoga pants out of my weekly rotation once and for all!

[KatieOz]

It sounds like you're still eating something that you're intolerant to... eggs and nuts are both common allergens so those may be the culprit. I actually have a similar issue when I eat foods that I'm sensitive too (except I go much longer >_< ) but things improve dramatically when I cut out my allergins. Gluten/Wheat and Dairy are the big trouble makers for me,, but I've also discovered that I have trouble with nuts as well. You can go to a naturopath and be tested if you want to know without eliminating them, that's how my sister found out she couldn't have nuts (and a whole host of other things, most of which are excluded on the paleo diet). Hope that helps

[Tom Denham]

I can't imagine not having a bowel movement every day. I went 46 hours without a BM after surgery 2 weeks ago and found it upsetting. I stopped taking pain pills very quickly so they would stop hindering a movement. The food you are eating has to go somewhere, so if you are eating for 7 days before having a BM, I have to think that is at least partially responsible for your experience of bloating.

Eating wilted greens, taking Natural Calm magnesium supplement every night, and drinking 2 or 3 big glasses of water in the morning when I first get up works for me. I don't know why it wouldn't work for you too, but I am far from expert in this regard.

And as Katie said, you may be eating something that your body is sensitive to. That could explain at least part of the bloating, if not all of it.

[michelleinmn]

If there was one thing that I was doing while doing my Whole30, it was spending time in the bathroom. I never knew one person could have so many BMs and so much (sorry if this is TMI) at a time. Not sure if it was the higher fiber content in the food I was eating, or my colon was busy getting healthy or what, but wow...now that I've "off-roaded" <---love that phrase a bit, the movements have reduced in amount and frequency, and lo and behold, the bloat has returned. A long way to go to say I wonder if you're getting enough fiber in your diet from real foods - leafy greens, cruciferous ones like broccoli and brussels sprouts, etc?

Anyways, I also experienced the nut thing - especially when I was using them too often as unplanned snacks.

Michelle

[Beth Christie]

Thanks for the replies!

My diet is probably lacking in greens, if I'm being honest. Most of my vegetables come from sweet potato, peppers and carrots- I could definitely step it up. I would much rather have the solution be having to add something into my diet than to have to eliminate something! (Well, something other than gluten, grains, dairy and soy.. Ugh it's a long road to ultimate health )

Tom - I will do all three of those things as a mini experiment next week and see what happens! Question, do you think there's an advantage to eating fresh spinach as opposed to buying frozen? I've always lived under the impression that fresh is better, but many of my pre-whole30 notions have been dispelled so I was wondering about that one.

[Kirsteen]

Question, do you think there's an advantage to eating fresh spinach as opposed to buying frozen? I've always lived under the impression that fresh is better, but many of my pre-whole30 notions have been dispelled so I was wondering about that one.

I don't know if there's any nutritional reasons but for me the answer is simply taste. I honestly don't know how people can eat frozen spinach. This is purely personal but to me it looks like pond scum I love fresh spinach however, either in a salad or quickly wilted over whatever I'm having. It's my go-to green of choice when I don't have any cooked and ready

[NatPatJen]

In response to your weekly visits....

Before Whole30, at which time I was mostly grain free, dairy free, and eating great except for sugar, I was basically a rockstar in that department. Sadly, the Whole30 changed it both in frequency and volume. I spoke to my naturopath and she asked how much flax and other seeds I was consuming. Pre-Whole30: a ton. During W30: very little. The ground seeds absorb the water necessary to produce the desired result. And things are much better now that I'm back on the flax train. Just FYI!

I highly recommend naturopathic care. The personalized approach and support is fab.