Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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Hello,

Ever since going Primal, I have been hit with mega stomach pain and cramps. Whenever I eat any "animal," whether it be eggs, chicken, beef, or fish, I always get a burning/cutting sensation in my stomach. The food simply "sits" there for hours-and-hours making me feel bloated. In fact, I have often gone eight hours without eating after having a breakfast of half an avocado and three hardboiled eggs. After being stuffed for hours, the food will pass through my stomach within about 30 minutes making me feel ravenously hungry.

Interestingly enough, if I eat only veggies and fruit, I never get these horrible stomach pains. Quite honestly, I'm thinking about giving up this lifestyle because the pain is just not worth it. I feel like I'd much rather eat a bunch of salads, and snack on fruit, during the day instead of suffering through this.

Thank you very much, Arthur

flag	asked Sep 2 2011 at 4:39 Arthur 63●1●7

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r u a wabbit? or not? – henny Sep 2 2011 at 4:48

BTW, even though I'm not overweight, will I gain weight by eating a higher-carb diet of fruits and veggies without "animal" foods? Thanks, Arthur – Arthur Sep 2 2011 at 5:27

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I also had this problem some time ago when I was trying to become paleo. I fixed it by only eating raw meat, eggs, and fish for my animal foods. – Bread-Eating Beelzebub Sep 2 2011 at 11:58

Arthur, I definitely agree with the comments below regarding low stomach acid/weak digestion. Do some searching online and do some research on how to properly use betaine hcl, digestive enzyme, and other digestive support supplements. – FED at LiveCaveman.com Sep 2 2011 at 13:56

Hi Fed, Do you recommend a specific brand of betaine and digestive enzymes. Also, I've been taking probiotics for several years, and they haven't really been helping. Thanks! – Arthur Sep 2 2011 at 16:52

show 4 more comments

Happy Now · Answer 1 · 2011-09-02 05:00:38Z UTC

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You might be low on stomach acid. Have you tried adding betaine and digestive enzyme supplements at the beginning of your meals? And are you chewing really, really well?

answered Sep 2 2011 at 5:00

Happy Now
25.6k●13●68

No, I haven't tried adding any digestive enzymes. Yes, I think I do chew my food well, and I eat slowly. I often spend about 15-20 minutes eating a meal. Tonight, I had one head of steamed broccoli with 1 tbsp. of EVOO and a 5-6 oz salmon fillet. I feel completely bloated and stuffed. I wonder why this doesn't happen when I only eat plant matter. – Arthur Sep 2 2011 at 5:03

Also, is it possible to be a moderate fat, no "animal" Primal eater? – Arthur Sep 2 2011 at 5:14

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I know there are some lacto-ovo paleos around these parts, but I don't know if there are any vegan paleos. I'd highly recommend trying Betaine before giving up on animal products all together, it is specific to helping break down protein. I'm also curious to know how you do on bone broths. If you can do broth and the rest veggie/fruit, I bet that could stave off most deficiencies that otherwise arise on a vegan diet. – Happy Now Sep 2 2011 at 6:13

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Okay! I'll give the betaine a try. No, I haven't tried bone broth. However, I'll google it and make some. I have to admit, I'm concerned that that the excess carbs (even if they are "clean" carbs) from a vegan diet will get stored as fat. However, I'm just not sure that the pain of meat-eating is worth it. I feel lighter, happier, and more upbeat on plants. To be honest, I feel like I've cheated on Primal after it has done so much for me healthwise. – Arthur Sep 2 2011 at 6:22

In my opinion there is such thing as cheating if you are working towards feeling well. – Happy Now Sep 2 2011 at 6:51

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kari · Answer 2 · 2011-09-02 05:20:39Z UTC

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You might want to get checked for gastroparesis. I have trouble with protein and raw foods - am seeing a naturopath and integrative doctor and getting myself sorted out :)

answered Sep 2 2011 at 5:20

kari
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I thought about gastroparesis; however, I really wanted to rule out other causes. Whenever I eat any protein/fat, it totally kills my appetite for hours on end. When I eat tons of veggies and fruits, my stomach "wakes up" and starts working again. In fact, if I alternate days of veggies+fruit/meat+veggies, I find that my stomach has an easier time digesting the "animal" foods. Thanks, Arthur – Arthur Sep 2 2011 at 5:26

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Hmm, when I eat protein & fat, it totally kills my appetite for hours on end, too, but I consider that a good thing. I don't want to feel hungry all the time. However, I don't have teh bloating and "sitting there like a rock" feelings you are having (in fact, all my bloating went away when I went Paleo). I immediately thought you might not have proper stomach acid, so you might want to try supplements for that. Also, you might want to try Probiotics, those helped me a lot. – Cave Tomboy Sep 2 2011 at 10:00

Hi Cave Tomboy, When I do end up digesting Primal fare normally, I have a wonderful sense of being full, satisfied, and energized. I wish I could experience this feeling more often. :) Also, I've been on probiotics for many years, and they haven't really done much. Arthur – Arthur Sep 2 2011 at 16:55

Kikilula · Answer 3 · 2011-09-02 11:08:22Z UTC

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Have you read this:

http://www.gnolls.org/1444/does-meat-rot-in-your-colon-no-what-does-beans-grains-and-vegetables/

Perhaps you'll find an explanation for your problem there - not enough hydrochloric acid.

answered Sep 2 2011 at 11:08

Kikilula
2,219●4●13

Jo-Anne · Answer 4 · 2012-04-05 10:40:14Z UTC

It could be the volume of food, eat to 80% full and see if it makes a difference. In the book The essential guide to Water and Salt, the authors F. Batmanghelidj MD and Phillip Day suggest to have a glass or two of water half to one hour before eating to help with digestion. I have increased my water intake and have noticed the difference. And another benefit is a decrease in my cravings as well as meal size.

Renee · Answer 5 · 2011-09-02 05:16:42Z UTC

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What's wrong with eating salads and fruit? Plants have fiber and fiber helps peristalsis. I eat low sugar fruits and I don't have this problem. When I tried eating very little fruit and salad to see what happened my body totally rebelled. I listen to my body and now no problems. I would definately look into some real issues like hiatial hernia or some good digestive enzymes like someone else said. Also maybe take the diet more slowly?

answered Sep 2 2011 at 5:16

Renee
1,762●1●7

	Hi Renee, I was suspecting a hernia as a possible issue. I used to have GERD when I ate grains and dairy. Thankfully, those are gone now. Could my LES still be relaxed. Finally, I have been Primal for about 6 months now. – Arthur Sep 2 2011 at 5:24
	It might be. Sometimes when I eat a high fat meal, my hiatus acts up. I am a noob at paleo eating. I like to use digestive enzymes when I get them. It's probably better to allow my body to adjust. I'm not really a meat person. – Renee Sep 2 2011 at 17:35

Alex Grace · Answer 6 · 2011-09-02 13:46:23Z UTC

This is a bit of weird one, but ... how fast do you eat?

My f-i-l suffers badly from stomach problems, indigestion and heartburn, and, put simply, it is because he eats too fast. He wolfs down a meal, he doesn't chew enough, he takes too much air in, eats too muich at one go, and his digestion just cannot cope with it.

He won't change however. So just takes loads of indigestion pills.

Natureman · Answer 7 · 2012-04-05 12:56:20Z UTC

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I have similar problems and would be glad if anyone has any more information what helps :)

answered Apr 5 2012 at 12:56

Natureman
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Hi Natureman. See the comment I posted to Arthur under his original post about seeing a doc and getting your gut bugs tested. – MeepsIsWellfed Apr 5 2012 at 13:23

Want2BHealthyGirl · Answer 8 · 2012-04-05 18:27:26Z UTC

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As mentioned in the couple of the posts above -- sound like "low stomach acid" especially the burning sensation in your stomach. Here's a good link to test yourself: http://scdlifestyle.com/2012/03/3-tests-for-low-stomach-acid/

answered Apr 5 2012 at 18:27

Want2BHealthyGirl
278●2●5

Ambews · Answer 9 · 2012-04-05 18:48:18Z UTC

Another angle: it turns out that I am sensitive to eggs. When i started paleo I started to eat a lot of them and eventually I got some food stuck in my esophagus and had to go to the emergency room for an endo. It caused a constriction which went away after severely cutting back on eggs. You might try changing in your diet specific to the proteins and also play around with the enzymes and stuff other suggest.

Michelle · Answer 10 · 2012-07-25 20:16:12Z UTC

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Look up Gastroperisis!

answered Jul 25 at 20:16

Michelle
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