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traineo Community / Diet & Nutrition Tips / Possibly TMI - IBS and fresh veggies
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Tara C
traineo Regular
Posts: 60
Post History
 # Posted: 28 Feb 2008 04:59


Hey hey everyone. This is kind of weird, but I need some help.

I've been eating a lot more fresh fruit and vegetables. I used to always have a salad and some cooked veggies with supper.. but now I'm eating uncooked fresh veggies as a snack, 2 or more cups of fresh veggies with my lunch, and a fruit smoothie (with benefibre) with my supper.

I drink 3-4 litres of water a day.

By about 2pm my intestines are so sore. I'm swollen, crampy, bloated and ... gassy.

Is this just because my body is getting used to a dietary change? I dont know.... I've always eaten fruits and veggies, just not this much. Is there such thing as too much veggies? Could this be happening because of my IBS? It's been going on for quite a while now.

Thanks in advance for your advice.
Rob M.
Fitness Guru
Posts: 442
Post History
 # Posted: 28 Feb 2008 05:03


There probably is such a thing as too many veggies but I think of all the problems in the world that you could have, that is probably one of the better ones, lol.

Not sure why it makes you sick.
THE NEW ME
The Master
Posts: 2856
Post History
 # Posted: 28 Feb 2008 05:09


tara- i can relate. im not a doc but i think your body is probably not used to getting so much fiber. if you suddenly introduce so much at one time, it is alot for the body to handle. maybe you can cut back a little and slowly add more over time, until your body gets adjusted.
Lilly K
Fitness Guru
Posts: 275
Post History
 # Posted: 28 Feb 2008 05:53


Tara, I can relate as well...I recently went vegan, and my stomach was not happy with me at first. The "diet" I'm following (and never plan on leaving) calls for 3-4 fruits a day, 1 lb cooked green veg & 1 lb raw veggies a day (plus unlimited beans, a little bit of nuts, etc.)...so, I eat a lot of fruits & veggies!! I would say that it took a few weeks for things to work themselves out, in my case.

Suggestions:
Take beano for the gas (it's not just for gas from beans, but also from other [mainly cruciferous] veggies), that helped me A LOT (yeah, yeah, TMI - but we're all human!).
Talk to your doc about the IBS - see if there's anything else you could do.
Could it be just too much food, period? 2 or more cups of fresh veggies along with other food seems like a lot. And then all that water just pushes it down, might just be an overload...

Fruits & veggies are definitely good for you - don't stop eating 'em!! Hope you feel better soon!
Ryan F
traineo Fanatic
Posts: 99
Post History
 # Posted: 28 Feb 2008 15:49


Try cutting the fibre out of your diet for a while (or at least back a bit to previous levels) to see if that makes you feel better. If and when it does, start to reintroduce more fibres. Even do things like switching from whole grain bread to white for a while.

I have ulcerative colitis and this was one of the things recommended to me by a nutritionist. When I have flare-ups I'm supposed to cut back on fibre (among other dietary tips, which I don't currently recall ) until I'm feeling better. When I'm feeling better I should then start to change my diet back to how it was, which includes increasing fibre intake.

I'm at work right now, but if I remember tonight I'll try and find the rest of the info given to me by my nutritionist.
Stand Up Bean
Fitness Guru
Posts: 434
Post History
 # Posted: 28 Feb 2008 17:38


there are so many other factors it can be:
-do you smoke?
-have you had any surgeries?
-do you drink out of straws?
-do you chew ice?
Tara C
traineo Regular
Posts: 60
Post History
 # Posted: 29 Feb 2008 04:30


Ryan, I didn't eat nearly as much fibre today and I didn't get the cramping and gas.

Troy, I don't smoke (never even tried it), I've never had surgery, straws annoy me, but I do drink from a water bottle all day at work, but it has a hole in the top rather than a spout, and nope, I don't chew ice.

I just want to be able to eat lots of veggies!
Ryan F
traineo Fanatic
Posts: 99
Post History
 # Posted: 29 Feb 2008 06:49


Well, I'm glad you might have found the source, but it's too bad you have to cut back on veggies.

I would recommend trying 1-2 more days with less fibre and then slowly bring in more fibre over the period of about 4-5 days and see if that helps. If cramps, etc come back after that, you might have to find your fibre threshold and try not to take in any more than that.

Unfortunately I couldn't find the info given to me by my nutritionist. I must have thrown it away or misplaced it during my move. Here's a few of the things I recall, though:

* Drink plenty of water (you should be doing this anyway, but still worth mentioning)
* Blueberries are good for your innards
* Essential fatty acids are also good for you innards
* Yogurt with probiotic bacterial cultures help out your digestive system
* In addition to fibre, other things can help irritate your bowels, too. Red meat is harder for your system to digest than chicken or fish, for example. Nuts can also be difficult for your system to digest and therefore cause irritation.

Hopefully some of these tips can help you out with your desire to eat plenty of veggies


Angie H
Fitness Guru
Posts: 718
Post History
 # Posted: 29 Feb 2008 14:49


One reason you are bloated and gassy is due to a surge in bacterial activity. The bacteria naturally in your intestines is also enjoying the abundance of healthy food in your intestines! Gas is a waste product of their consumption. I'll see if I can find a link for you.
Stand Up Bean
Fitness Guru
Posts: 434
Post History
 # Posted: 29 Feb 2008 17:05


i really don't know if this will help, but there are digestive streamlining methods that might... things like "food combining" and properly mixing carbs, meats, veggies, etc.

would live cultured yogurt help with the bacterial activity?

just brainstorming...
Angie H
Fitness Guru
Posts: 718
Post History
 # Posted: 29 Feb 2008 19:12


Here's a link:
What Causes Gas?

It's actually quite amusing and informative. There's a list of foods that cause different types of gas, and it appears the stinky stuff is made by bacteria. Carbonated beverages can contribute also!
Dave Nicholson
The Master
Posts: 2094
Post History
 # Posted: 29 Feb 2008 19:20


oof... 10+ beers, drunk eating ground turkey, zuccini, beans (white+black), onions, peppers, quinoa, kashi for breakfast, repeat of drunk food for lunch...

=IBS..... holy methane, batman.
Angie H
Fitness Guru
Posts: 718
Post History
 # Posted: 29 Feb 2008 19:28


Dave, maybe you should invest in the carbon filter underwear they mentioned at the bottom of the article.


Dave Nicholson
The Master
Posts: 2094
Post History
 # Posted: 29 Feb 2008 20:24


If things continue, I suspect those will be waiting for me on my desk on monday....


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