Eating healthy makes me sick.

momwhosbusy

Its been about 8 months since I started eating healthy. I just reduced my junk food intake and fast foods to more veggys, brown bread, water and fruits. Thats when the strange attacks started. I have had about 6 and no one will help me. It all starts the same way. Sever bloating, nausea, sometimes vomiting, and diarrhea. Then all at the same time I feel the palms of my hands itch badly and turn red. Then the soles of my feet itch bad and turn bright red. Then it spreads all over my body and face (mostly around my nose and mouth) and my ears. I have been taken by ambulance 2 because the pain is so bad and disabling. Without running tests or checking me out Ive been told there is nothing they can do because Im not dying at that moment. The last time it happend all the parts that usually just turn red and itch swelled up. I looked like a monster. I went to urhent care still showing signs of what happend and the Dr. Told me there is nothing she can do because Im not dying. I tried to explain to here whats been going on, and at least adk her what she suggests I should do. Instead she kept repeating she cant help me. It all just seemef scripted and she was so cold and had no compassion. She just told me I could just go and I did. Ive had this happen 6 times and have had to put up with the pain, itchynesd and swelling on my own because no one will help me figure out whats wrong. Im super over weight and am trying bot to die, but I feel eating healthy is killing me. Has anything similar happend to any of you? Any suggestions? Im a single mom of two. And Im trying to stay alive.

This sounds like food allergies. (NOT a Dr. just someone who has food allergies with similar symptoms) I would suggest going to an allergist, or if you don't want to go that route do an elimination diet on your own and figure out what you're reacting to. I now have to carry an epi-pen with me at all times and follow a very strict medication plan and diet plan all under the supervision of my allergist.

shreddedadam

Seriously. Ugh. Since eating better I have just been so sick to my stomach. I feel gross all day and end up in the bathroom so many times. Before I would eat fast food 2-3 times a day and always felt just fine. Never had stomach issues at all. Today has been the worst day for tummy issues and here is what I have eaten so far:

Breakfast:
Oatmeal with a little brown sugar

Lunch:
Turkey and cheese wrap
2 servings raw carrots, 1 serving raw cauliflower
7oz diet coke

Snack:
1 serving almonds
1 serving cottage cheese

And 4 glasses of water so far. I have about 900 calories left for tonight and plan to have a turkey burger, kidney beans, and a grapefruit for dinner.

After weight lifting tonight I will have a glass of chocolate milk. And will most likely have at least 4 more glasses of water tonight.

Anyway, this is how I eat now but dang it is hard to keep up when it makes me feel so crappy. I feel like I just want to eat all fast food tomorrow so I can feel better for a day! Is it normal to have such stomach issues while eating healthy? And before anyone says this isn't the healthiest, believe me this is such a drastic improvement over how I was eating, so for me this is VERY healthy!

Diet coke has aspartame. You could be sensitive to that. There is protein there but it doesn't sound like its enough to me. Esp if you are weight lifting you need more protein to repair muscles. I would make sure I get atleast over 100 g protein a day but that is just me.

SkinnyFatAlbert

My cat gets sick if I change his food. Wonder if that could happen to people? Hmmmmmmmm.

emmad2

Your body is going through huge changes and honestly, in my first week I was violently ill - woke up in the early hours thinking I was having a gall bladder attack. But I pushed through it and it does get easier. Your body has gotten so used to the unhealthy stuff so it is a huge shock to your system and it is detoxing. But honestly, when you get through this and your body adjusts, you will start having a similar reaction to the unhealthy crap. My partner went through the drive through at Macdonalds a few days ago and I had to roll the window down as it smelled absolutely vile to me - good luck :-)

jasonpclement

If you go down the path I did, this will happen for as long as a couple months, maybe even longer (I can't remember exactly).

Your body should adjust however.

Not to be gross, but eventually the inverse will likely be true. When you don't eat fibrous foods, you'll have trouble staying regular.

JoRocka

i would start tracking your fiber, if you're not already. In my humble experience, going from 0 to 60mph in the fiber fast lane....well...you're gonna have a bad time. Let's just leave it at that. You'll get used to it, but. Yeah.

same with protein.

I doubled my protein and was having what felt like football shaped issues in the bathroom.

major changes ALWAYS will upset the status quo.

Adjust with baby steps. And get a handle on how your macros are breaking down- like mine- I upped protein- and not fat- and was also low carb- so I had all sorts of issues- brought the fat up to speed and my body was MUCH happier.

biggmama64

Thanks for this post. I just started eating healthy.. again.. and sick.. again. I hope I can get through this. It's good to know I"m not the only one this happens to.

FitCanuckChick

Speaking from my personal experience - watch the raw "gassy" veggies (like cauliflower). I cannot eat it raw - it wreaks havic on my tummy. I find raw celery to be a good transition raw veggie (for me anyhow). And I was also feeling nauseaus and off when I started back on this. Upped my protein and it was what I needed!

sumeetg37

Just a thought, but if you have a slightly irritable bowel you may want to consider giving your raw veggies a really good wash before consuming. Sometimes bacteria on them can irritate your bowels. I know this is especially true with lettuce.

Katiemarie4488

FIBER FIBER FIBER !!!!! lol


http://livehealthy.chron.com/regulate-bowels-after-eating-much-fiber-3214.html

How to Regulate the Bowels After Eating Too Much Fiber

How Does Increased Fiber Affect a Bowel Movement?
Research has shown that fiber helps regulate your bowels when you take the recommended amount; however, consuming too much can lead to more frequent bowel movements than normal or constipation. Dietary fiber is found in foods such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Learning how to incorporate fiber into your diet can help you re-regulate your bowel movements.

Step 1
Cut back on fiber and reintroduce it to your diet slowly. Consuming too much fiber can lead to overactive bowel movements, along with gas, bloating and stomach discomfort. MayoClinic.com recommends you use a dietary enzyme supplement to reduce bloating. Avoid fibrous food for three to five days and gradually add small amounts of fiber to your meals over time. The University of Michigan Bowel Control Program recommends you to add five grams of fiber back into your diet in two-week intervals.

Step 2
Drink plenty of fluids. Water helps your body digest fiber effectively by helping it pass through your stomach and intestines. The Cleveland Clinic recommends you to drink about eight cups of water per day, which is equivalent to about two liters of water daily. Other fluids such as juices and flavored tea count towards your recommended intake.

Related Reading: Remedies for Gas From Eating Fiber

Step 3
Get fiber from food sources rather than supplements. Taking supplements increases the likelihood of consuming too much fiber, particularly when you are unknowingly getting additional fiber from food sources. Have vegetables such as artichokes, green peas and spinach in addition to fibrous fruits such as pears, berries, prunes, apples and oranges. Eat two cups of fruits and 2½ cups of vegetables daily. Choose whole foods such as brown rice, bran, oats and air-popped popcorn over refined foods such as white bread and white rice.

Step 4
Aim for the recommended amount of dietary fiber. Men 50 years of age and younger should consume 38 grams of fiber a day while women should have 25 grams of fiber daily. Men and women 51 years of age or older should respectively have 30 and 21 grams of fiber daily.

mccindy72

Its been about 8 months since I started eating healthy. I just reduced my junk food intake and fast foods to more veggys, brown bread, water and fruits. Thats when the strange attacks started. I have had about 6 and no one will help me. It all starts the same way. Sever bloating, nausea, sometimes vomiting, and diarrhea. Then all at the same time I feel the palms of my hands itch badly and turn red. Then the soles of my feet itch bad and turn bright red. Then it spreads all over my body and face (mostly around my nose and mouth) and my ears. I have been taken by ambulance 2 because the pain is so bad and disabling. Without running tests or checking me out Ive been told there is nothing they can do because Im not dying at that moment. The last time it happend all the parts that usually just turn red and itch swelled up. I looked like a monster. I went to urhent care still showing signs of what happend and the Dr. Told me there is nothing she can do because Im not dying. I tried to explain to here whats been going on, and at least adk her what she suggests I should do. Instead she kept repeating she cant help me. It all just seemef scripted and she was so cold and had no compassion. She just told me I could just go and I did. Ive had this happen 6 times and have had to put up with the pain, itchynesd and swelling on my own because no one will help me figure out whats wrong. Im super over weight and am trying bot to die, but I feel eating healthy is killing me. Has anything similar happend to any of you? Any suggestions? Im a single mom of two. And Im trying to stay alive.

It sounds like you need to see a gastroenterologist. Your symptoms sound suspiciously like those experienced by Crohn's and other IBD sufferers. Those of us with GI issues often can't tolerate many raw, natural foods. I personally can eat very little fresh fruit, veggies, no gluten, and no dairy. Get to a GI quick and tell them what's going on.

redheaddee

Log all your food for a bit and then ask your doctor.

1Cor1510

Had this same issue. What helped was when I started out this time, I just cut my portions on what I normally ate and tried to incorporate healthier snacks. Then brought in the healthier food a little at a time. I still eat my favorites like pizza, the occasional burger, but watch the portions when I eat that stuff. I have IBS. I still have issues here and there but have found that ADDING fiber has helped me. At first I shot for 10-15 grams. Now I shoot for 20. The Dr. said I should be having 25-30 grams a day. Instead of doing the drastic change all at once, like I tried before and felt awful, adding this in gradually seemed to help, and make it more of a lifestyle change then a diet.

lcvaughn520

I think there is a lot of good advice here! I will add my own personal experience. I regularly eat a spinach salad with tons of raw vegetables for lunch (spinach, broccoli, celery, carrots, chickpeas, etc.). On the days when I use light or fat free dressing, my stomach often feels crampy and upset for most of the afternoon, but when I use dressing with full fat (it's actually usually olive oil), I don't have issues.

For me, I think eating a moderate amount of healthy fat while consuming a lot of fiber helps me be able to digest all the fiber a little bit better. I have literally zero scientific reason to think this is true, but it's just what I've noticed about myself and it may be worth trying. A little healthy fat is never a bad thing, so even if it doesn't work, you won't be hurting anything!

danielledanna

Stop drinking diet coke.
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dailys/03/jan03/012203/02p-0317_emc-000199.txt

That is the list of terrible health effects... from the FDA! There are at least 4 stomach problems that can be attributed to it.
Aspartame is not eating healthy, but there are alternatives.

I believe walmart may even carry the products now, but Hansen's makes diet soda and there is a bran called Blue Sky as well, avail at Whole Foods. MAKE SURE it says natural, and sweetened with stevia, or truvia. Trust me, diet stuff with aspartame kills your tummy, I'm watching my mother go through the same thing.

seltzermint5

I don't get why everyone seems to think your diet sounds so terrible. What you are eating sounds pretty darn varied & tasty to me although I would think that the end part of your day wouldn't equal anywhere near 900 cal so be sure to eat enough!

I kind of have the opposite issue at times. Eating healthier causes me occasional bouts of constipation.

laurenz2501

I'm having a similar reaction and don't understand it at all. On days I eat crappy food I feel physically fine (emotionally disappointed) but fine. On a healthy food day? Sick as a dog.
I had eggs, coffee and a pat of butter on light rye for breakfast. Lunch was a cup of light soup and a half of a single-serve chocolate milk. And I'm so distressed internally I had to take time out of my work day to peruse the indigestion aisle.
Taco bell and drinking all night? Wake up feeling great the next day! (except for my self esteem) Oh, how funny.

:laugh: SAME HERE!!! :drinker: (which is why I've gained 10lbs in 2 months....ugh!!!) Once I started eating healthy I ended up at the Gastroenterologist's office. Not fun. The problems have subsided a bit now though.

erialcelyob

It is probably just your body adjusting to the good food after all the junk that you used to it, I'm sure it would be better over time, if not you could make your change more gradual if it is that bad

lizziebeth1028

Yep I'm with everyone else on here - it could be too many raw veggies. Also - how many calories are you eating a day? If you've drastically lowered your intake and are not eating enough it can make you feel sick.

JanaCanada

As with any addiction, food addiction is something from which you have to experience withdrawals in order to start healing. Your body takes some time to adjust to de-toxifying it. Why do you think drug addicts in rehab crave sugar?

The brain/body connection is a mystifying thing, but trust me......I felt the same way you did at the beginning of my journey. Now, not so much. Good luck!