Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I have gone paleo for about 3 months now. I occasionally cheat on dark chocolate and have been eating quite a bit of fruit (about 4 servings a day) in addition to about 3 servings of veggies. All was good - constipation and bloating gone, energy back, etc.

Two months ago I started my new job, got really stressed out. Lost weight, and amenorrhea, bloating and constipation kicked in. I felt very gassy after meals. Probiotics stepped in - I eat sauerkraut/kimchi with my meals now but I still feel a little gassy. I started out paleo going low-fat but have been increasing fat for the past month. I have also tried going VLC but constipation kicked in, so I'm back to eating my veggies and fruits. Still, my digestion is not quite going right and my missed periods are worrying me. I have consciously gotten a better grip with my stressors and have been working on getting more rest and strength exercise.

What else should I do? Any recommendations? Should I resort to digestive enzymes?

(I'm 5"3, 100lbs, Body fat: 22%)

edited Aug 18 2011 at 3:30

asked Aug 18 2011 at 3:25

neelie
153●7

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Sauerkraut gives me gas. The brassica bad boys are good and giving people the poots. So beware on that. Stress can stop your periods and do a number on your guts also. I didn't have a period for 5 months while I was evacuated from my home (New Orleans) during Katrina. The day I left to move back...my period showed up! Stress, especially in people with IBS-type symptoms, can throw digestion out of whack. I'd lower my fruit intake a little (too much fresh fruit is hard on digestion), stick with my veggies, and try to Zen out as much as possible! – NewEra Aug 18 2011 at 14:17

Thanks! Appreciate your advice :) – neelie Aug 18 2011 at 14:57

Were you still low fat when trying VLC? You would probably avoid constipation if you upped the fat a lot. – Ambimorph Aug 18 2011 at 15:20

Dragonfly · Answer 1 · 2011-08-18 04:17:45Z UTC

You might want to try kombucha--works great for me as a digestive aid & probiotic. Also, make sure you aren't drinking too much with your meals. 3-4 oz of liquid is usually OK--more can dilute your digestive juices.

Magnesium citrate (400-600 mg) can help with the constipation and you may want to back off of the fruit a bit --if you have fructose malabsorption (like me!) you may be eating a bit too much. Maybe try some starchy carbs (sweet potatoes/white potatoes) instead.

A diet change with or without weight loss can stop menstrual periods as can stress. I'd relax & make sure you are eating enough.

turkeytyme · Answer 2 · 2011-08-18 07:19:15Z UTC

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Reduce your stress. Stress will stop your period. How much fat are you getting? Don't be afraid to have plenty of good fats. Keep it up with the probiotics. Getting your gut bacteria back in shape helps constipation.

answered Aug 18 2011 at 7:19

turkeytyme
4,123●6●18

Yea stress is probably the root of all my problems... I'm actually quite used to taking fruit (been eating this amount or more over many years) while I'm taking much more fat than I've ever been used to - I cook w ghee, coconut oil or olive oil, take fish oil supplements and pick fatty cuts of meat nowadays. – neelie Aug 18 2011 at 14:53

Doitwhileyoucan · Answer 3 · 2011-08-18 10:41:25Z UTC

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When I first became paleo I also went ammenorhic for 4 months. I had to get on a dose of progesteonento balance me out and all good since then. 29 yo, 5'4", 125lbs, 18% bf. I started at 120, 20%.

answered Aug 18 2011 at 10:41

Doitwhileyoucan
111●1

	Oh what led you seeking to up progesterone? Was that an experiment that went well? – neelie Aug 18 2011 at 14:56
	can you talk more about the progesterone dosage? – nursling Oct 4 at 14:11

Amenorrhea, bloating and constipation

3 Answers