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an embarrassing question

daisygirldaisygirl Raw Newbie

I can’t seem to find info on this no matter where I look. Everytime I start to eat 75-100% raw, by the second day I start getting cramps and very loose bowels, and have to make several trips to the bathroom throughout the day. I’ve tried reducing my nut/seed intake (it was on the high side) and it still happens…I get discouraged (because it continues for several days), then I go back to eating a lot of cooked food. Any ideas? I’d really like to be 100%, but this is really stopping me from getting there.

Comments

  • How about increasing the amount of “binding” foods in your diet? I find bananas especially good for that.

  • spiritedmamaspiritedmama Raw Newbie

    Bananas are a good idea, like juleskess said. I am wondering though if that is your body going through detox (which can take up to a month, sometimes more for some people), and you just need to let it run it’s course? You could try doing a master cleanse or fast to help move the process along.

  • I cannot say enough good things about the master cleanse. It will really help flush out your body of toxins and other narsties. However, mass quantities of pooing are a big part of the cleanse. You do a salt flush every day and take laxative teas each night. So if your digestive track is cramping and uncomfortable already, you might not want to put it through that until it calms down some.

  • LucyLucy Raw Newbie

    Hi Daisygirl,when I started eating raw I had 3 weeks in the bathroon with tons of elimination.That was my body sending all the bad stuff out.Dont worry,that is normal,and if you brush your skin in the morning will be easier to eliminate evrything fast.

  • JoescJoesc Raw Master

    Diarrhea is not caused from food but from irritable bowel syndrome, parasites, bacterial infections, viruses, medication, stress, and/ allergic reaction. Apples and bananas are good to eat. I know apples seems weird but my mom (nurse) gave the patients, bananas, rice, apple or toast to help when they have diarrhea. Remember BRAT, that is how I remember it and my mom too. Stay away from Dairy, spicy foods and food high in insoluble fiber.

    I suggest you speak with a doctor to see what may be the problem.

  • cramps and very loose bowels is not specific enough to say what is going on. However detox itself is not the cause. If no medical condition exists, the makeup of a diet certainly is the major factor in happy pooping! Just use what you know and keep learning, there are some very inefficient raw food diets around. I have never ate them but basically the stuff from the raw food restaurants is bad raw eating. >50% green, >50% sprouts, 75% vegetables and meticulous food combining are the most important guidlines for success.

  • Anytime you change your diet you will experience bowel changes. Makes sense when you think objectively about it. Stay the course, it will pass. No pun intended.

  • I went through a similar effect last year when I was doing a 21 day raw food feast. I had runny stool, and stomach cramps. This is your body detoxing. I literally could not leave the house for 10 days. You may need to limit your food intake. Allow your body to continue to cleanse. You have to think of your eating habits before you began eating raw. Also your eating habits now that you are raw. And make sure you note the colors of the stool.

  • Alright, I haven’t had the most solid bowel movements since going raw in April, but lately it seems to have gotten worse. They are very loose. This is gross, but I’m getting a little worried. I also get the feeling that I’m not completely eliminating. I do eat bananas, and I do eat apples.. Usually i’ll have 1-2 bananas a day and anywhere from 1 to 4 apples a day.. [generally pretty small]. I have been eating young coconuts lately. [about 2 per day.. ] and I eat other fruit and occassionally vegetables. I have noticed I’ve been eating far less vegetables than I would normally, and if i do, they’re put into a green smoothie. I feel best when I do this. I’m just not sure what to do at this point.. maybe I’m detoxing? The only non-organic food i have consumed in the last few weeks has been blackberries. I don’t have cramps, but it’s really starting to worry me. I don’t plan to go to a doctor, because I can just imagine what they’d tell me to do with my ‘diet’.. so save that piece of advice for someone else please. :]

    I look forward to hearing from others.. I read the posts above but still do not feel confident with what’s going on with my body.

  • germin8germin8 Raw Master

    Could it be that you can’t digest a certain food… like flaxseed?

  • Ive had the complete opposite problem, since going raw, I get constipated very easily! (Maybe its the 6-8 bananas a day??) What helped me get “regular” are lots of flax (and veggie) crackers, and of course, greens! The insoluble fiber makes for a lot of bulk so it should help with watery stools as well.

    You may have to deal with this in the beginning, any change in fiber intake takes a while for your body to get used to. Another idea would be to drink juices while you adjust.. this way you’re not going to be running to the toilet as much, and you can gradually transition to a high-fiber diet.

  • hannahmariehannahmarie Raw Newbie

    i am wondering if you guys came from a SAD diet or vegan/vegetarian? i am a little over a week 100% and i haven’t been through much detoxing or difference yet and i am attributing it to the fact that i came from a pretty healthy vegan diet to begin with. if you are coming from SAD to raw that is a big change! i would say set yourself a time limit that you will do it for (nothing that will mess you up if you aren’t eating right) and try it out. maybe it will get better as you go along.

  • I was a cooked vegan for about a year and half before going raw.. and a vegetarian [a SAD vegetarian] before that for about five years. I don’t eat nearly as much flaxseed as I once did, but when i do, i grind it up finely and have never had a problem with it before. I don’t like to do toooo many dehydrated foods as i can feel my weight increase almost instantly.. sigh. I still do not know what to do. I’ve searched the internet for possible solutions or reasons but haven’t had any luck. Before the end of the summer when I was raw as well I would get tons and tons and TONS of fiber, and my stools were fine. they were large and for the most part stayed together. I was very very regular and it felt good. I felt like i was eliminating everything and in the morning would have a bowel movement once upon waking, once shortly after drinking some water and moving around a bit, and then almost always another one about twenty minutes after breakfast.

    I include juices from time to time.. I tend to make fresh grapefruit/orange/lime juice when I do. I prefer to have the greens in my smoothies for the fiber..

    Sigh.

    Anyone else have any suggestions? any at all? I’d be so grateful.

  • My ex experienced the same and labeled it “raw food stomach”. If high-raw he’d have very loose bowels. While we were together he newer found out how to – or what to – eat raw not to experience this.

    After reading “Green for Life” by Victoria Boutenko my thought was that his problem was too little stomach acid.

    Honestly, I’d consult a raw coach, preferable a raw doc (oh, how I’d LOVE to have Gabriel Cousens’ private phone number!).

  • While we’re on this subject….I’ve been having major bloating in the afternoon. I usually have a smootie for breakfast then a snack like a pear or granola. In the afternon is when I start my veggies and nuts. Am I combining improperly. My bowels have been normal and regular. Any ideas on how to beat the bloat?

  • OK, so I’m a doc and I eat raw food. Do I qualify?? I’ll try to take a stab at this. You all seem to be on the right track. It does take a while for the gastrointestinal tract to get used to a new way of eating. Also, if one is transitioning from a high cooked diet to a high raw diet, potentially problematic areas of the GI tract are likely to complain. Low stomach acid and the wrong balance of healthy bacteria in the colon are the first 2 things I’d think of and the easiest to correct. With time and a high quality probiotics (read: don’t buy your probiotics in a health food store or online unless they can guarantee proper storage and quality products), the colon should settle down to the new way of eating. To help foods digest properly, you might try 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water and drink before meals. This will help to prepare your gastrointestinal tract to receive food. In time, your body should be able to produce its own adequate supply of HCl. A healthy stomach pH will not only help food to digest but it will assist your body in killing off any bacteria, viruses, parasites, etc that are ingested, assisting in overall GI and immune health. Of course, a balanced diet including greens, veggies, fruits, nuts, sea vegetables, sprouts, etc. is a must. If initial stomach or abdomen symptoms quiet down after a few days or a week, you may be able to blame it on detoxification. If things don’t settle down with these measures, then you might consider contacting your local naturopathic physician for assistance with your particular problem.

  • Thanks Linda. What you are saying makes a lot of sense to me. Where do you suggest getting hight quality probiotics? I was living in NYC and had a connection through my naturopath there, and now I’m in San Francisco and running out of my supply.

  • Savrah – Generally speaking, most of the physician supplement lines that naturopathic doctors carry will have quality probiotics. If the product does not state how it should be stored, it should be kept in the freezer for best results, the refrigerator is OK. The few days that a product is in shipping won’t effect the product unless it is exposed to extreme heat. The next question is Do you want FOS in your product or not? FOS (fructo-oligosaccharides) is a pre-biotics or to put it in easier terms, food for the freindly bacteria. A good percentage of products have FOS, however, many people who begin taking probiotics with it can experience gas and bloating for a couple of weeks. If you have a sensitive stomach/intestines, I would recommend that you begin with an FOS free probiotics (HMF Intensive is one example distributed by Seroyal International) for a month or two before moving to more of a maintenance dose with FOS for a few more months. Be patient…repopulating the colon with friendly bacteria can take some time and more all-at-once isn’t necessarily the best way to go. Your best bet may be to contact your ND in NY and see if he/she will ship some to you. The next best thing would be to call Seroyal (1-888-737-6925) and ask them to recommend a practitioner in your area. If these options don’t work, let me know and I can help you.

  • Linda, Thanks for this info. I’m going to look into, and get back to you if I have questions. :)

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