Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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Ive decided to take on the paleo lifestyle after I heard all the benefits and figured id give it a try. Im currently around 12 days in and have began getting stomach aches and spasms. At some point my mouth even fills with fluid in prepartion of throwing up im also pretty bloated around my stomach! What im woundering is if im doing anything wrong firstly, or is this a normal part of the adjustment process? I have heard of the carb flu and am hoping its down to this as im really beginning to love my new lifestyle and dont want to go back.

Any help will be greatly appreciated

Chris

flag	asked May 25 2012 at 12:47 Chris 13●3

	Have you considered that perhaps you have a GI bug? It could very well be adjustment to paleo or a food sensitivity you aren't sure about yet, but it could also be just a nasty infection that'll pass in a few days. (I hope you feel better!) – blueballoon May 25 2012 at 13:31
	Fingers crossed it is as simple as this all i can do at the moment is wait and see. Really concerned about possible food sensitivty so not sure how to test for that. thanks for the time – Chris May 25 2012 at 14:35

Aglaee the Paleo RD · Accepted Answer · 2012-05-25 13:26:01Z UTC

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What are you eating? What did you use to eat? Do you have any health issues?

It is hard to tell? Could you give more details as to what your symptoms are like? Is it more like heartburn or general abdominal discomfort? Is it mild, moderate or severe?

Are you 100% gluten-free (check all ingredients on food labels, especially in sauces, seasonings, etc)? Maybe you are eating too many fruits and have fructose malabsorption or issues with FODMAPs? Are you eating enough fat? Protein shakes are not really Paleo... what kind of protein is it?

edited May 25 2012 at 13:26

answered May 25 2012 at 12:50

Aglaee the Paleo RD
3,934●4●16

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Need more data input! Also tell us age/gender/weight. – Dave S. May 25 2012 at 12:54

Currently a tipical days food will be fruit and protein shake for breakfast, soup for dinner with probably more fruit, and dinner will meat and vegtable based such as stir fry, stew, meaty salad. Old diet consisted heavily of carbs wouldnt be a meal without either bread, paste, rice or potato therefore the adjustment has been pretty big. In terms of health issues there was nothing to report, excercise regularly and still pretty young (21). Thanks for your interest – Chris May 25 2012 at 13:11

Sorry Dave S. My bad new to the game. Im a 21 year old male, height of around 6ft and weight of 13 stone. Average body shape maintained through regular gym trips and rugby training. – Chris May 25 2012 at 13:14

Okay in terms of symptoms its an abdominal pain which feels to be lower than that experience with heart burn but cant be sure. This pain has only began last few days and comes and goes through with the pain being felt at periodic intervals. I would say its moderate in terms of pain enough to have me slightly wincing. Im currently eating more fruits than ever averaging easily 8 fruits and veg a day probably more. In terms of the fat potentaily no, ive been pretty strict to above meal plan above. I will begin double checking sauces for gluten this could be a potential factor. Low carb protein... – Chris May 25 2012 at 13:42

using it as sort of meal replacement i guess rather than having a huge breakfast i find that it fills me up with added fruit. Im using it try and add a bit of muscle mass. THANKS for taking time to help me out on this :) – Chris May 25 2012 at 13:44

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Divrgurl13 · Answer 2 · 2012-05-25 13:16:45Z UTC

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I started paleo 4 weeks ago and my body FREAKED OUT when I started eating healthier. I had an upset stomach and some serious constipation for a few days, but now I'm all set and feel better than ever.

answered May 25 2012 at 13:16

Divrgurl13
2,548●2●6●25

	Great your literally describing how i feel right now! How long did this period last for you? How was your energy levels during the transition mine are all over the place. My body thinks its boss!!! – Chris May 25 2012 at 13:25
	I've been a hyper active little thing since starting paleo and it hasn't waned yet! – Divrgurl13 May 30 at 16:45

Kelly · Answer 3 · 2012-05-25 14:06:22Z UTC

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What always goes through my mind when I hear of symptoms like this is

How much fat are you taking in?? what's your % so we have an idea....why? because if you start drinking cans of coconut milk or eating tons of avocados and coconut oil, you will put your digestive system into distress from too much fat and/or you can start having die off symptoms.

Especially for a newbie, too much of anything new thing can cause distress.

feel better!

answered May 25 2012 at 14:06

Kelly
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	I am keeping my fat intake very low sticking to a strict fruit breakfast, soup/salad lunch and a meaty dinner such as stir fry, stew, paleo fijitas no wraps :( my snacks are either fruit or nuts. I dont drink anything but water really, im not up to scratch on nutrient but i would say judging by that my fat intake is kept to a minimum id imagen? Yeah im starting to sway toward that point of view my body may just be shocked he did lovvveee pasta,rice and chips. thanks for your help – Chris May 25 2012 at 14:12
	what is your fat intake in %, sometimes when you list it all you'd be surprized at what you really are taking in. Nuts fall into the fat category, and if you don't chew them well, they don't digest well for some. You use EVOO, other good fats, avocado? try listing in fitday.com your full day and see the % if you dont usually do it, good experiement to try and see if what you think matches the reality.....it opened my eyes at the beginning! – Kelly May 25 2012 at 14:51

GoukuGT · Answer 4 · 2012-05-25 15:44:03Z UTC

It sounds like you are going overboard on the fruit. Fruit is just fructose and that is still going to cause gut irritation and inflammation. A typical breakfast should be heavy on protein and fat. Protein shakes are not a good idea at all! Protein shakes are extremely insulinogenic (especially whey), combined with the large amounts of fruit you are setting up the perfect storm for insulin spike and sugar crash followed by weight gain around the middle. In the morning your cortisol level is highest and that means that you should be eating protein and fat to prevent a large insulin release. I personally have to avoid carbs unless they are veggies or fruit immediately after working out. Other sources of irritations can be too many nuts. Cut the shakes, fruit and up the fat and protein.

Paleo Hellllppppp!

4 Answers