I am hellbent on discovering what's wrong with my stomach

[Akasha224]

From a very early age, I've had an extremely sensitive stomach. Sensitive to what? Food. It feels as if anything I put into my body is rejected and makes me feel at least a little ill. Over the past few years, I've greatly changed my diet to try to put an end to the constant cramping and indigestion, but it only seems to work in short periods of time.

I started eating a vegan diet about three years ago (with good results, but still not ideal), and, at the suggestion of a gastroenterologist, cut out all breads and pastas from my diet. I've had extensive blood work done by this same gastroenterologist with no reported problems except for a vitamin D deficiency, which is helped by over the counter supplements.

Over the past few weeks, I have again reworked my diet and lifestyle to try to get rid of the remaining problems I'm having, but with limited success. I get far more exercise than I used to (biking 15 miles a day to and from work), practice yoga and meditation on a daily basis, vaporize cannabis instead of smoking it (as well as cutting down on my usage), cutting out very acidic foods or beverages (tomato sauce, coffee, fruit juices, etc.), eating organic foods, and cutting out any sort of processed/frozen foods. My whole mindset towards eating now is that food is nothing but fuel for my body, and it doesn't necessarily even have to taste good or be enjoyable.

Despite all these changes, I'll be damned if I can eat an apple or a banana without having a stomach ache, indigestion, and possibly diarrhea. It's not uncommon for me to have two to three trips to the bathroom within an hour after eating a meal, and a lot of the time, there's not even solid waste that comes out. I was considering doing a fast/cleanse of sorts, but it's difficult to plan out because of the energy I need on a daily basis, especially biking back and forth to work (I no longer have a car anymore). I've basically given up on doctors at this point.

Does anybody have experience with this kind of consistent, undiscriminating form of indigestion? And if so, how do you deal with it? I'm not sure how much else I can really cut out of my diet or what other changes I can make to my life to counteract this problem.

Thanks for the replies!

 

[dreamer042]

Have you tried juicing?

Often the body is able to assimilate and retain the nutrition in juices a lot better than it can when eating solid foods.

Maybe something to look into if you haven't already. :thumb_up:

 

[Handel]

As I have written in the past here, I spent 10 years with such problems that destroyed my life. For me, the problems all went away in 2011 when I went Paleo. The primary reasons for Paleo working for me personally was because it removed all grains 100% (not just glutenous grains). Other things that helped are removing refined seed oils, sugars, and processed foods (e.g. gluten-free cereals and pastas are still processed and so I avoid them).

However, rest assured, I'm not here to suggest Paleo this time around.

Instead, something you said raised my eyebrow. You mentioned that you get sick when eating even bananas and apples. These fruits, especially apples, are high in FODMAPs. There are a lot of people with sensitivity to FODMAPs. This is why a "normal" gluten-free diet hasn't helped you completely as it did for me. Because you might be instead intolerant to many more foods that contain these special sugars that FODMAPs reduces. That diet, created first in the late '90s, categorized the types of sugars that exist (e.g. starches, actual sugars, fructose, polyols etc etc), and then they tested lots of foods about how much they contain of these. They found that many people with a bad gut (and you're certainly qualify since you had a bad stomach since you were a kid), can't digest foods that contain high quantities of these special sugars. They can eat small quantities, but not much of each (or some of them).

In this diet, it's not about removing foods completely (although removing gluten completely would help immensely IMHO). Instead, it's about how much fodmaps they contain. So for example, onions are out in that diet, because they contain too much fodmaps, while zucchinis are in. And so on. And of course, these are healthy foods that you would never believe that could be detrimental to some people! There's a list about which foods are safe, and which foods are to be eaten less.

Doctors usually prescribe this diet only for a few months. You're supposed to slowly add foods from each type of sugar over time, and as your gut heals you would react less and less to them. To heal your gut further, you'd need fermented foods (e.g. home-made water kefir in a smoothie is good, kimchi later on when your diet allows you to eat brassicas), home-made bone broth (for its gelatin that plugs the gut, super-important to recovery), wild seafood daily (e.g. alaskan wild salmon, wild sardines, oysters, sea veggies).

Please do a google search about all that and talk to your doctor about it. Here's the wikipedia entry: FODMAP - Wikipedia

 

[jamie]

I have no idea what your medical issue is, but bone broth and raw cultured dairy are good for the stomach. Bone broth is especially great for the stomach lining.

I would second the paleo diet comment, but with the addition of raw grass fed cheese. I suffered with digestive issues for a long time and that is the diet that eliminates most of the symptoms entirely. I have been vegetarian, vegan, raw vegan etc..A primal or paleo sort of diet with raw dairy included works the best for me. Don't be afraid to try different things if one thing is not working to your satisfaction.

 

[Enoon]

wow, sorry to hear you have such problems. It sounds like you might have some kind of intollerance to me - the problem is to find out what it is. I once met a girl who was intollerant or even allergic to fruit sugar...

It sounds like you are already eating what we would call healthy - whole foods, fruits, organic... But what is your eating pattern like? Have you tried eating much smaller portions but more often? Have you tried the food separation diet, or looked into it? Separation Hay Diet

What about your sleeping patterns? Our organs go on an internal clock following the melatonin cycle, afaik (at least this is what someone told me, who was researching into it for similar reasons as yours), and continuously eating while the organs are supposed to be "sleeping" could stress them, leading to problems. What about general stress in your life? Stress hormones can cause cramps and diareeha in the digestive tract. If you are stressed or depressed (which also releases stress hormones) this could be exacerbating the situation. Things like coffee and caffeine containing products in this case would be worsening the situation also.

How is your imune system in general? Do you get infections often? This could indicate that the intestinal flora is messed up and you could try to get some probiotics (in form of pills if you want to avoid yoghurt) to help restore it.

What about other triggers that make it worse or better? Try to find a pattern in all this, even if correlations seem unrelated to food. When I had problems with my intestine (stress/depression related) I found that after heavy trips for example I would be symptom free for almost a week, probably because it forcefully relaxed me and changed the way these stress hormones were being released for a while.

 

[Mustelid]

Maybe see the gastroenterologist again, or even a different one?

 

[Cognitive Heart]

I suggest dates and lentils. With lentils, you'd be getting a whole meal with packed fiber which can help regulate your BM's. You'd also be getting a powerhouse of nutrition which can help heal your gut lining and your overall health. Lentils need to be soaked for at least 20 hrs before cooking to neutralize the anti-nutrients and also reduce cooking time.

With dates, they have also been found to help regulate BM's considering their fiber content. Both of these foods also have high iron content.. which is very good for the functioning of digestion and protection of the stomach lining. The date sugar is of no concern because of the low glycemic levels and polysaccharides which are helpful towards easing BM's and energy levels.

With eating these 2 foods on a daily basis, you'll be well on your way to reclaiming your relief. I suggest the following as a guideline balanced meal once a day until you see improvement:

- 1 tall glass of cool water
- 2 medjool dates
- 1 bowl of brown lentils with 1/2 tsp of olive oil

Of course you can still eat other foods mentioned above.. this is just 1 simple method to maintaining your BM's. The pH is of no concern.. in fact, I would think acidic foods would help as they are not as detoxifying as alkaline foods.. which can possibly lead to diarrhea overtime. Most acidic foods also have anti-bacterial elements to them.

Hope this helps, as it does for myself.

Best of luck!

 

[jamie]

"My whole mindset towards eating now is that food is nothing but fuel for my body, and it doesn't necessarily even have to taste good or be enjoyable."

That's...not necessarily healthy in my opinion. People often fall into extremes when it comes to diet. I have done it and seen others do it. One thing I have also observed in myself and others, almost always when people have digestive things going on, is that there is self worth issues, stress and anxiety etc..

I would say that food SHOULD be enjoyable and taste good..life is worth enjoying. Falling into extremes that deprive you of these little joys in life is not a balanced activity..and can also add more stress, anxiety, self worth issues.. You can eat the best organic food on earth, and it can still taste good and be enjoyable. Enjoy life it's to short to waste.

There is a lot of fad diet info out there, that does not apply to all people as claimed. If something is not working, try something else. Do not fall into some strict definition of diet unless it is really working for you.

 

[Cognitive Heart]

I would say that food SHOULD be enjoyable and taste good..life is worth enjoying. Falling into extremes that deprive you of these little joys in life is not a balanced activity..and can also add more stress, anxiety, self worth issues.. You can eat the best organic food on earth, and it can still taste good and be enjoyable. Enjoy life it's to short to waste.

Good point, jamie! All aspects must be seen before making any decision. I can relate to this with the fact that I can still eat the greatest food I can find, prep it accordingly, and still enjoy it.. even if its bitter, there are so many variations to fully enjoy a meal and life without being too hard on yourself because that in itself can be destructive.

 

[Akasha224]

Wow, I didn't expect this many responses so quickly. Thanks dudes.

Have you tried juicing?

Often the body is able to assimilate and retain the nutrition in juices a lot better than it can when eating solid foods.

Maybe something to look into if you haven't already. :thumb_up:

I have not tried juicing as of yet...when you say "juicing" do you mean a diet consisting of no solid food whatsoever, or just primarily juices with some solid foods?


Handel, I've actually never heard of FODMAPs before, but I will start researching this...I also thought it pretty strange that something as seemingly innocuous as an apple would have cause such upheaval.


Enoon, one change that I have made to my diet is that I do in fact eat smaller portions, much more often. I'll eat something small (piece of fruit, vegetables with hummus, rice crackers, etc.) every two or three hours during the day. I typically don't eat full meals anymore unless I happen to not be working that day and have the time to prepare one. I have not tried the food separation diet, but I will check out that link. Thanks a lot.

My sleeping patterns are a little unusual the past few months since I started a new job - I usually work nights now (3-11pm typically) whereas I used to work days at my old job (7-3). I've always been an early to bed, early to rise kind of person, so this change has caused some discomfort for me physically, especially since I started biking to work - after the ride home, I'm full of energy and can't fall asleep until usually at least 1 or 2am...whereas before I'd be in bed and asleep by 9pm most nights. My body has a very exact internal clock and I'm one of those people that's absolutely miserable if I don't get a solid night's sleep.

There is stress in my life, but not to a degree that I would consider debilitating to my physical functioning (at least most days), but I suppose every little bit can contribute to the whole. I've also experienced the same phenomenon with tripping (mostly with Psilocybin though): weeks of having a sour stomach simply disappear when I wake up the next morning from a trip. It makes sense that there is a physiological cause for it though (stress hormones).


Cognitive Heart, I will try to add this to my daily diet and see what happens. Would pre-cooked, canned lentils suffice, or would you recommend getting uncooked and doing it myself?

That's...not necessarily healthy in my opinion. People often fall into extremes when it comes to diet. I have done it and seen others do it. One thing I have also observed in myself and others, almost always when people have digestive things going on, is that there is self worth issues, stress and anxiety etc..

I do enjoy some foods, and don't necessarily just eat a "perfect" diet without regard to how anything actually tastes. I'll also have days where I'll go out to a restaurant, or have a meal at someone's house, thus breaking my "diet." I'm trying not to go to extremes, but it does get frustrating when it feels like you're eating as healthy as humanly possible and you still don't feel well. However the stress from not feeling well, causes more stress, which causes you to feel worse...the cycle goes on and on.

Thanks for your replies everyone!

 

[dreamer042]

Either way really, the more juices you are able to incorporate the better.

A nice juice feast can work wonders at healing the digestives and helping with the problems associated with malnutrition do to the body not being able to assimilate and utilize food very effectively.

Even one fresh juice a day in addition to your normal diet is making sure you are getting a large influx of readily absorbed nutrition on a daily basis and can do wonders for healing and overall well-being.

 

[Cognitive Heart]

I would recommend doing it yourself for the learning experience.. really hope it does help! Lentils are very cheap by bulk.. even if they are organic / non-gmo etc.

 

[jamie]

Here is a good example of how not everything works for everyone. I was raw vegan for a good while it did not do for me what others claim it does for them. My digestive disorder did not heal the way people said it will. I did a couple week long juice feasts as well, and really if I am being honest, I am not sure it helped anything any more then simply eating clean food in the first place did. Of course I felt better as a raw vegan(at first) then I did eating a SAD. For my body however, there was other whole foods diets that I excelled on much more. If your going to be vegan, consider taking a b12 supplement. I watched someone I really cared about seem like they were falling apart after many years raw vegan. A b12 supplement cant hurt anyway..best case you never needed it..worse case you end up with neuropathy from such low b12.

 

[Akasha224]

Here is a good example of how not everything works for everyone. I was raw vegan for a good while it did not do for me what others claim it does for them. My digestive disorder did not heal the way people said it will. I did a couple week long juice feasts as well, and really if I am being honest, I am not sure it helped anything any more then simply eating clean food in the first place did. Of course I felt better as a raw vegan(at first) then I did eating a SAD. For my body however, there was other whole foods diets that I excelled on much more. If your going to be vegan, consider taking a b12 supplement. I watched someone I really cared about seem like they were falling apart after many years raw vegan. A b12 supplement cant hurt anyway..best case you never needed it..worse case you end up with neuropathy from such low b12.

I do take a B12 daily, as well as a multivitamin and a vitamin D supplement for the deficiency I have.

 

[Auxin]

I grew up with something quite similar, never ending gut pain but without the diarrhea. Doctors were less than useless, and I had the misfortune of having good insurance so I saw many doctors. Virtually none ever even mentioned food, like "whats the stomach have to do with food?"
In the end I fired them all and simply tested every component of my diet.
When I quit chocolate the 20 years of constant pain mostly stopped, when I cut out eggs and processed meats the rest of it stopped. Chocolate was the real key as the pain it caused me would last 8 days and would worsen for no reason or if I ate something as innocent as an apple until those 8 days were up (1% of americans are chocolate intolerant).

I'm not saying you need to quit chocolate, but just reinforcing the above suggestions of testing everything in your diet, and removing each individual item for 2 weeks.

 

[Akasha224]

I grew up with something quite similar, never ending gut pain but without the diarrhea. Doctors were less than useless, and I had the misfortune of having good insurance so I saw many doctors. Virtually none ever even mentioned food, like "whats the stomach have to do with food?"
In the end I fired them all and simply tested every component of my diet.
When I quit chocolate the 20 years of constant pain mostly stopped, when I cut out eggs and processed meats the rest of it stopped. Chocolate was the real key as the pain it caused me would last 8 days and would worsen for no reason or if I ate something as innocent as an apple until those 8 days were up (1% of americans are chocolate intolerant).

I'm not saying you need to quit chocolate, but just reinforcing the above suggestions of testing everything in your diet, and removing each individual item for 2 weeks.

Oh wow...I've actually never met, or even heard of, anyone with a severe intolerance to chocolate. Some people say they don't necessarily handle it well, but I didn't know it could be this bad. I guess it just goes to show that you can be allergic/intolerant to anything, as you said. Thanks for the advice!

 

[inaniel]

Have you tried a parasite cleanse?

 

[obliguhl]

Have you tried testing your poop for a possible dysbiotic state of your got flora?

 

[Akasha224]

Have you tried a parasite cleanse?

I have not. What potential parasites are we trying to cleanse?

Have you tried testing your poop for a possible dysbiotic state of your got flora?

I have not tried this yet either.

 

[Jungleheart]

I have a very sensitive stomach as well and follow the 80/10/10 diet (google it). Otherwise it could be parasites, which I've never had to deal with.