feeling weak on the primal diet

mdcoug · February 2013

Well someone needs to explain to me how the baby can't tolerate dairy and yet is drinking breast milk.

Not sure if SRS....but you know dairy is cow's milk, right? They're a different species.

Maybe I should have been more clear. I get that babies should not drink dairy milk under 1 year and that dairy milk is cows milk. What I meant was how do you tell if a 4 month old baby can't tolerate breast milk from a mother that drinks dairy milk?

Because the baby starts showing symptoms that something in his/her diet (and since it's breast milk, the mom's diet) is irritating them: eczema, reflux, vomiting, etc. Babies are seen by the pediatrician quite often in the beginning, so it's not uncommon for a baby to be diagnosed at this early of an age.

And to the OP: ditto the others, if you are only getting 1500 - 1700 cals/day, you should probably be eating more. Talk to your pediatrician, OB/GYN or lactation consultant to see if they have any advice on your symptoms and this diet.

caribougal · February 2013

I've been eating Primal since July. When I first started, I also felt week and foggy-brained, and it was a combination of adjusting to reduced sugar (carb flu) AND not eating enough calories (I was following the stupid 1200 MFP directive). Once I realized that I really wasn't eating enough and bumped up my cals I felt much better very quickly. I felt lethargic from day 2-10, and then on day 11 it was like a switch flipped and I felt great. And, my sugar cravings were gone.

As others have said, you need around +500 cals above maintenance right now for breastfeeding. That can mean A LOT of food on Primal, maybe more than you're used to eating. Since you won't have calories from junk food or low-nutrient grains, you'll apply those calories to yummy veggies, fruits, nuts and protein. And, you can have plenty of carbs coming from veggies like sweet potatoes, root veggies, and fruit. Some people eat low carb Primal, others eat high carb Primal. The key thing is that your carbs come from fruit and veggies, not Frankenfood, which you wouldn't want your baby to be eating anyway (and s/he eats what you eat).

As for vitamins, I took my Prenatals while I was breast-feeding. They should be all you need, but you can ask your doc. You could also drink something like Kombucha or a dairy-free probiotic to help your gut microflora. I also take Vitamin D and Omega-3 fish oil. I don't take anything else, since I figure I get lots of good vitamins from my food.

Giving your baby the gift of lots of nutrient-rich veggies, fruits and protein is wonderful. You're maximizing your health for your baby. Congrats!

AllTehBeers · February 2013

Well someone needs to explain to me how the baby can't tolerate dairy and yet is drinking breast milk.

Not sure if SRS....but you know dairy is cow's milk, right? They're a different species.

Maybe I should have been more clear. I get that babies should not drink dairy milk under 1 year and that dairy milk is cows milk. What I meant was how do you tell if a 4 month old baby can't tolerate breast milk from a mother that drinks dairy milk?

Because the baby starts showing symptoms that something in his/her diet (and since it's breast milk, the mom's diet) is irritating them: eczema, reflux, vomiting, etc. Babies are seen by the pediatrician quite often in the beginning, so it's not uncommon for a baby to be diagnosed at this early of an age.

And to the OP: ditto the others, if you are only getting 1500 - 1700 cals/day, you should probably be eating more. Talk to your pediatrician, OB/GYN or lactation consultant to see if they have any advice on your symptoms and this diet.

Thanks for that. I've never had or been around babies so it's an alien topic to me.

NakeshiaB · February 2013

Any well balanced diet should not require extra vitamins, unless you have a medical condition that depletes vitamins from your body or stop you absorbing vitamins.

As the others said, I would eat all your calories, to the maximum of your TDEE until you have stopped breast feeding. I've experienced what you are going through a couple of times but that was during a week long fast/detox (stupid fad idea by the way!). I was seriously under calories on all those days and almost fainted a couple of times.

On another note I've never understood this paleo/primal diet. Even our earliest ancestors ate some form of seeds/grains when they could. Perfectly preserved people from 8000BC have been found and their stomach contents contained grains. Still, experiment and remember there isn't a diet that can't be tailored to suit your own needs, and that of your child.

Best of luck :-)

caribougal · February 2013

On another note I've never understood this paleo/primal diet. Even our earliest ancestors ate some form of seeds/grains when they could. Perfectly preserved people from 8000BC have been found and their stomach contents contained grains. Still, experiment and remember there isn't a diet that can't be tailored to suit your own needs, and that of your child.

Best of luck :-)

That's because humans began cultivating grains around 10,000 BC give or take a millennium. But homo sapiens in the form of anatomically modern humans have been around for about 200,000 years as hunter gatherers until about 10,000 BC (more or less, depending on the part of the world).

Personally, I don't get caught up in what our paleolithic ancestors ate. That is very interesting, and I enjoy reading about it. But to me, it serves only to provide a blueprint... a framework to make choices within. Ultimately... it's about eating the healthiest foods I can enjoy and afford within our current society.

nikibob · February 2013

Well someone needs to explain to me how the baby can't tolerate dairy and yet is drinking breast milk.

Not sure if SRS....but you know dairy is cow's milk, right? They're a different species.

Maybe I should have been more clear. I get that babies should not drink dairy milk under 1 year and that dairy milk is cows milk. What I meant was how do you tell if a 4 month old baby can't tolerate breast milk from a mother that drinks dairy milk?

by a tedious process of elimination usually. my baby was really fussy after almost every feeding. i knew my husband has an intolerance to milk so thats what i started with. once i eliminated it from my diet, no more fussy. her doctor confirmed and she's been great ever since.

feeling weak on the primal diet

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