User jon - PaleoHacks.com

Answer by Jon for What am I doing wrong?

2011-03-18T08:40:20Z

Runny stool usually means an inflamed colon. I'd try some digestive support in the ways of probiotics and digestive enzymes. Also, I'd cook all my food well and go easy on eating much raw plant material (cook it). Maybe you're eating something that's messing with your colon so try rotating out of what you've been eating. For instance, stop with the broccoli and cauliflower and try to consume some tubers post-workout (since it sounds like you're doing intense exercise). Just mix it up.

It kinda sounds like maybe you're eating high protein. High protein intake can sometimes cause these symptoms so you may need to really look at what % of calories you're getting from each macronutrient (protein:fat:carbohydrate). If you find you're very high protein and low fat and low carb, try adjusting that by increasing fat and/or carbs.

If you like fish, eat more fish. Animal fat from grain-fed critters is usually unbalanced in PUFA and other toxins can be found in the fat. Whether or not this is a significant worry, who knows. Grass-fed beef, wild caught animals, etc, have much better fatty acid profiles and you'd expect low toxins etc so the common view is all that fat is good for you. Since you can argue both perspectives with regard to corn-fed cows, for example, I think that's why Cordain prefers leaner cuts of meat consumed.

Comment by Jon

2011-03-19T06:48:14Z

I think you either have 1) some gut irritation/inflammation/autoimmune thing going on, 2) an infection or possible microbe overgrowth, and/or 3) your fat intake is too low relative to your protein (which might be high) and carb (which might be low) intake.

Comment by Jon

2011-03-19T06:45:48Z

So when someone is "low-carb", they're usually also high-fat and moderate-protein. Just be aware of this loose macronutrient ratio. You can eat high-protein for a while but it's probably not the best long term strategy. You definitely want to avoid omega-6s, especially linoleic acid (LA), since you're consuming plant fats (which will insure you run into lots of LA). Since you detest animal fats, stick with lots of coconut milk and coconut oil which contain decent amounts of medium chained triglycerides. Supplement with a high quality fish oil in enough amount to offset your LA intake.

Comment by Jon

2011-03-18T09:04:28Z

I just looked up some more info and I'd definitely try the digestive enzymes. Undigested material can cause significant GI irritation. Remember too that you're losing electrolytes consistently with your condition and it might be hard to stay hydrated. Again, a few different inflammatory conditions might shed some light on it (Crohn's, IBS, etc). Good luck. Hope it works out for you.

Comment by Jon

2011-03-18T08:58:38Z

Just remember, broccoli and those kinds of vegetables are very low carbohydrate so it's possible to overdo protein, especially if you're not eating high fat. Also, there's things in sulfur containing veggies like broccoli and cauliflower that can upset the GI tract for certain individuals. I think they've been implicated to sometimes cause problems with people who have IBS. Try rotating out of those ones and try a difference class of veggies for a bit. Definitely cook all veggies very well until symptoms subside.