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digestion issues

I've been raw for a month (i was a healthy vegan before going raw), but i'm still extremely bloated all the time. im slightly constipated but also frequently have diarrhea when i do go, though i go to the bathroom a few times a day. i'm drinking plenty of water, and eat a lot of fruits, veg, and nuts. i dont really count calories but i know it's always above 1200. does anyone know how i can speed up my digestion's recovery process or if i just need to wait it out longer?

Comments

  • Hi! I experience the same issues! Do you have any food sensitivities? Also, I find food combining helps with the stomach issues (somewhat). I feel for you, because I know how uncomfortable it is.

  • i'm pretty sensitive to everything it seems like, how about yourself? it seems like no matter what i eat or when i end up the same-really bloated. yesss its very uncomfortable, i'm hoping with time it'll go away. i'll try the food combining. thanks

  • seaweedseaweed Raw Newbie

    The more nuts/seeds I eat the more bloated and gassy I get. Same with nutritional yeast, sprouted grains, too much oils, and too much dried fruit. It took me a while to become aware of all these, and I'm sure there are a couple more food items I have trouble with.

    I also take digestive enzymes daily, it helps settle the stomach and ease bloating.

  • pixxpixx Raw Master

    I second the digestive enzymes suggestion! My digestion tends to go in waves as to it going smoothly or not. Yes, nuts with fruit is a problem for me, but sometimes it's just not seeming to be attached to anything I ate. I tend to have a couple times a year (lasting a few weeks) that it just doesn't run so smoothly in my stomach, even before I went raw. I've used the digestive enzymes for years, and it's helped a lot.

    Fresh pineapple is a good one to eat- it's sometimes in the natural digestive aid capsules, as well as papaya (I think?). Lately, I've taken to eating that, instead of the capsules.

    Good luck! Hopefully it will settle down for you.

  • carrie6292carrie6292 Raw Newbie

    I have the same problem as well - and I've been experiencing it worse since ending my last cleanse/detox. I really need to follow the food combining charts a little more carefully and see what happens! I am sooooooooooooo bloated right now and not finding any relief - and i'm not eating nuts or seeds right now! I'm taking it easy tomorrow - having some fresh coconut water. Then, i'm going to do mostly smoothies for the day. I'm also going to try to "fast" for 2 days every 2 weeks or so and see how i do on this. I've heard it can be very beneficial! Congrats on getting your eating disorder under control!

  • where could i get the digestive enzymes? whole foods, maybe? i'm already taking probiotics.

    pixxs- thanks, i'll see how i feel with pineapple (:

    carrie, that sounds like a good idea for me too, but i wouldnt really trust myself on any kind of fast. i might try all smoothies for a day and see how it goes, though, that sounds like a good idea. thanks!

  • I've been seeing and hearing people talk about "Food combining".... what is that exactly? is there a chart for that? or a book i can read that explain more about it? I'm new to raw too and I've recovering from eating disorder as well... I'm going through the same problems your going through now. I thought it's just me messed up my own system, it'd be great to know if there's a certain way to eat to ease the problems. Thanks!!

  • fermented foods and probiotics help so much with digestion! raw sauerkraut, apple cider vinegar, unsweetened yogurt and/or kefir (they make yogurt and kefir from coconut milk), and rejuvelac (the fermented water from soaking wheat) are all amazing. eating a ton of leafy greens feeds the good bacteria. papaya is a wonder fruit for digestion because it has the digestive enzyme papain. food combining is the best thing you can do.

    1. eat fruits and veggies separately. they require different enzymes to digest properly. if you eat them together or too close together it will cause bloating and indigestion. the best thing to do is to eat fruit on an empty stomach and eat veggies at a later meal. lemons, avocadoes, tomatoes, and papaya are exceptions. you may eat these fruits with veggies.

    2. don't mix too many different foods together at a time. the less foods you mix, the more effective the digestion.

    3. always eat proteins rich foods at the beginning of the meal and then eat vegetables after. proteins need hydrochloric acid to digest. if you eat vegetables or other carbohydrates first, your stomach will not secrete the hydrochloric acid necessary for digestion.

    4. chew your food thoroughly. your saliva has digestive enzymes. your food should be like soup before you swallow.

    5. don't drink any liquids for atleast 30 min before you eat and don't drink any liquids till 30 min after you eat. liquids dilute your digestive juices. to take a digestive enzyme take a sip of water with apple cider vinegar.

  • I am exactly the same - I have diagnosed sensitivities to wheat, eggs, dairy, corn etc etc, but find that in conjunction with those, I cannot eat rye, spelt, or oats. I find even things like strawberries bother me. I did have some eating issues for a few years when I was younger, so that is interesting if that is what it stems from.

    Regarding fermented foods, apple cider vinegar is great as is miso soup (if you aren't 100% raw). I saw always soak nuts before eating them - I find this helps with digestion as well.

    As for digestive enzymes/probiotics, I'm always confused if these are vegan are not. I wanted to try some, but after researching them and seeing that many of the ingredients come from animals, I'm not sure. Does anyone know if this is the case with probiotics/digestive enzymes?

    I find having some pineapple and/or papaya helps with digestion, but only eat them on their own. The same goes for melon - never ever eat melon with anything else - I have never experienced anything like it when I ate melon after a meal a few weeks ago. The stomach pain was excruciating, and it actually propelled me to look into food combining and go more raw. here is a great chart that found online about food combining and some other resources:

    http://www.alderbrooke.com/images/chart.jpg - Chart (this is fairly straightforward and makes alot of sense to me - its tricky to get used to, but worth it)

    http://www.rawreform.com/content/view/351/127/ - Angela Stokes on Food Combining

    http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/digestive-physiology-and-food-combining/ - really great website about raw food/digestion/food combining

    Hope this helps - I am with you on this one haha!

  • CarnapCarnap Raw Newbie

    Probiotics are indeed good.

    Also, if I don't have some dehydrated bread once a day I get loose stool as well.

    Bloating and gas might be food combining or it might get better as time goes.

  • pixxpixx Raw Master

    the hissing of: Yes, many digestive enzymes are of animal origin. You just have to look for the ones marked vegetarian, which are from pineapple and papaya.

    Probiotics, on the other hand are a bacteria; A good one mind you! But most are bred on dairy, so not entirely vegan. I have seen some labeled no dairy used, but rarely.

    Just watch the labels! :~)

  • thanks everyone for the food combining links and ideas, i'll definitely have to try all that.

    the hissing of summer lawns- your sensitivities could be from that. i never had any digestive problems as a regular sad eater or a vegetarian before i messed up my system.

    there are some vegan probiotics at whole foods that i have, and i'll definately look out for the veg digestive enzymes :)

    im excited that there are so many ways to help my body recoop! i imagine i'll just have to be patient..three and a half months isnt a long time of being healthy after so many years of being really unhealthy.

  • ddigiacomoddigiacomo Raw Newbie

    Green smoothies seemed to help alot for me. I love them and make them every morning!

  • I've also been having some bloating issues to and in relation to food combining, I've been reading a lot about eating fruits, vegetables and nuts separately. One would think they would digest fine together, but apparently, foods that are higher in fat and protein like nuts and seeds sit in the upper intestines to digest, while foods like fruits digest very quickly. Eating things like these together creates more of a "blocked" situation, probably causing your bloating. Try eating fruits as a separate meal and eat more fermented foods like, raw sauerkraut, Kombucha and raw cheezes, as these will help cleanse your digestive system and smooth out your gut. Hope this helps! There is a lot of information about food combining out there that should really help you, it's a very common problem.

  • will do :) thanks

  • I just went to my chiropractor for the same issue and he told me to take 1 tablespoon unfiltered apple cider vinegar 3x a day. He also said my ribs were out of place probably because I spend too much time slouched over a computer at work and it doesn't allow my stomach or my lungs the space they need, besides weakening the abs.

    Many diets for allergies recommend eating only a few foods that you know is good for you for a couple of weeks and then slowly adding foods back to see which ones you react to.

  • also, lemon juice and water can help your body get 'back on track' by providing alkalizing properties. Do you sprout seeds etc? That can help with digesting them easier, as can soaking nuts before eating. I swear, food combining has eliminated 80% of my digestion issues, and I've only been conscious of implementing it for the past month. That, and chewing my food more slowly, and eating slower. Going more raw has helped me to appreciate food more, and slow down when eating:-)

  • thanks 2plus2, ill have to try the apple cider vinegar thing if i can stand it. do you think giving the chiropractor a shot would help too? my posture is pretty bad and im the "man of the house"- lots of heavy lifting and whatnot. i hadnt considered that it could be affecting my digestion.

    the hissing of- i think im going to try always drinking lemon juice first thing in the morning. yeah, i always sprout my seeds. i'll definately start trying the food combining stuff (: i agree, i never appreciated food as much as i do these days being raw.

  • you guys are awesome!! Thanks for all the fabulous advices, they're all really helpful. I usually drink lemon water in the morning already and now I'm going to try the apple cider thing. I hope I didn't mess up my system too much that I can still fix it by combining food right and eating raw. I have great hope and thank you all again!!

  • is the lemon water thing helping? :) i hope you and i will both have systems that work perfectly again very soon!

  • the only thing I find with lemon juice, is that my tongue gets sore if I have to much. I know it sounds weird, but does this happen to anyone else?

  • bittbitt Raw Newbie

    probiotics are the easiest answer. i prefer to have mine as kombucha tea.

  • zinfandelzinfandel Raw Newbie

    digestive problems disappear on an 80/10/10 diet and there is no purpose for supplementation.

  • CarnapCarnap Raw Newbie

    Hi.

    If the gass does not want to leave...there might be some old constipation blocking it. I had this problem to some extent recently. I never thought I would do it, but I did an enema. It helped sooooo much. It was not the most fun thing I have ever done in my life and was unpleasant for thirty minutes after. But I have had a great improvement in my overall health in that area all week since I did it.

    I bought a special solution with potassium salts and herbs, an enema that you don't hold. You expell it immediately.

    You should do one. I had pain on my right side as well. I though it was my appendix, but I was just blocked up from being constipatded the week before. Even though I was having BMs, there was still blockage and spasms!

    If you are having trapped gas like that, you need to get what is stuck and hardened out of the lower bowel with an enema. Try not to eat too much today before if you do it. You should not eat or drink a few hours before doing it.

  • Hey,

    I don't know how much I agree with food combining ( I mean I definitely agree with it for the most part, I'm just talking the nitpicky refining parts of it), but what I can say is that if you are taking probiotics, you might want to think about prebiotics.

    Prebiotics basically 'feed' the probiotic bacteria, and help to establish their presence in your gut. Baby spinach and bananas are two known prebiotics, so maybe make a smoothie with spinach and bananas, then take your probiotics? Might help!

    There's another prebiotic that is a form of fructose called FOS powder; homeopathic and alternative pharmacies and doctors will know about it and can give you some; I don't think you need a prescription, and you can use it to sweeten smoothies and whanot. My mom swears by it, and she has had all kinds of digestion issues.

  • WinonaWinona Raw Newbie

    Im surprised that no one has suggested colon hydrotherapy. It was very helpful for me in relieving the same IBS type problems that you describe. I go every 2-3 months, and it's done a world of good for me. Also, it's helpful for me to eat 1.5lbs greens/day, and starting the morning with a green smoothie (including dark leafies like kale, collard)

  • ZemphiraZemphira Raw Newbie

    Wow this is a great thread, very informative. I'd like to add that ginger really helps with gas and bloating -- maybe try having some fresh ginger on hand and take a small chunk or two if you're really uncomfortable. It helped give me some relief when I had a bad experience with unsoaked pistachios.

    I concur with Bitt, I looooove my Kombucha tea although, it really gives me quite a buzz.

  • rawmamanibblesrawmamanibbles Raw Newbie

    yea my digestive system has been on a riot lately. everything raw upsets it and created alot of discomfort for quite some time. i find i HAVE to eat something cooked with my raw meal just to get some releaf.

    fermented cultured food helps alot before a meal.

    how do you make raw coconut milk keifer or yogurt?

    and how do you make rejuvelac?

  • My guess would be with what Aviatrix mentioned- tummy's just not use to so much fiber and roughage. Especially if you haven't eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables before going raw.

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