Help! Why do I get sick all the time?

Diva_79
Diva_79 Posts: 66
in Health and Weight Loss
So I'm at a point of total frustration now. I tried logging on MFP for a while then I felt I was "analyzing" too much so I stopped logging my food diary. I'm not sure that was a good idea

2 months ago I quit smoking and 1 week ago I quit coffee as I find that it makes me feel really anxious. I also prefer my coffee with soy milk and I was drinking too much soy.

For the past 3 months I have regularly been suffering with cold or flu I feel OK for a few days then I'm sick again. I thought exercise would help so I joined a gym. I did great for two weeks but got sick and have not been able to go for two weeks now... I'm not bed ridden but I'm constipated, bloated and constantly tired and usually have a slightly sore throat. I should mention that I was Vegan for 12 months and I switched back to a full diet of meat dairy and everything about 4 months ago. Now I am wondering if I'm sick because I was vegan for 12 months or if I'm sick because I'm eating meat again. In the past 6 weeks I have resorted to reaching out for a lot of sugar processed foods like cake and chocolate I think because I feel so tired. While I was vegan I ate super healthy with very little processed sugar. Needless to say I have gained a couple of kilos and I feel awful about that. I'm not sleeping well and I look tired.

After so many changes and reading about the blood type diet and paleo and different ideas I'm completely confused and a little in despair. I'm thinking I should try "detoxing" with a 7 day juice fast to get me back in track again but I'm worried that that may make me sicker. .. Can anyone help me?

Replies

  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    Biological systems don't like big changes and you describe major changes to your body in just one post. Subtle improvements over time will yield the best long term results. Sounds like your normal flora is overturning trying to react to your diet and changes - couple this with nicotine and caffeine withdrawal and its quite a shock to your system.
  • Diva_79
    Diva_79 Posts: 66
    Thank youfor your response :-)
    Do I just need to be patient then?
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
    Thank youfor your response :-)
    Do I just need to be patient then?
    It's not just a matter of patience. You said you're eating a lot of sugar and not eating as healthfully as you before when you were vegan.
    Would advise you to start eating more fruits and veggies and less sugar and maybe a visit to your MD in regards to your sore throat, bloating and general tiredness.
    I hope you feel better soon!
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    First, whether it's diet related or not, you should go to a doctor and just make sure you aren't actually dealing with a low-grade infection or something that you haven't been able to shake. They might be able to point you in the right direction on whether you are dealing with a food allergy or not as well.

    Quitting smoking and then coffee can really mess you up for a little while, so you have to take that into consideration! And it seems like your diet has been swinging to extremes all over the place, maybe you need to just moderate and see if it all settles down?

    Don't "detox", it doesn't do anything.

    If nothing else, try to walk whenever you can, when I feel lightheaded or run down, a walk around the block can help.

    And not everyone is the same way, but when I eat a lot of sugary stuff, I end up feeling really run down and edgy after the sugar rush subsides.

    Good luck, I hope you find some relief...
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Doctor to rule out an illness. More fruits & veggies and water for the constipation. Can you narrow down to certain things causing the bloat and constipation? For example, pizza does that to me for sure. I would start making extra notes in the food diary to see if there is any correlation between certain types of foods and feeling worse.
  • Diva_79
    Diva_79 Posts: 66
    Thank you everyone I'll go and visit my doctor today :-)
    I'll definitely cut down on sugar as hard as that is!
  • Diva_79
    Diva_79 Posts: 66
    I'll take on your suggestion with the food diary
    I'm so confused about food at the moment that I'm notsure what is doing what to me
    The only thing I'm really happy about is that I quit smoking (again!)
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,839 Member
    We can't see your diary so we don't know what you are eating but I agree with the others. Get a check-up to rule out an actual infection and then start eating a well balanced diet. To know what one is, look at http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/, especially, their "Healthy Eating Plate."

    Now, here's my experience. I fought off-again-on-again sinus infections for years. I got what my parents called "nervous stomach" starting in childhood.

    Finally, after many years and a variety of anti-biotics and other treatments, I happened upon an ear-nose-and-throat specialist who was also an allergist. He prick-tested me for food sensitivities and BINGO!! There are a bunch of foods that I react to with really bad GERD that, in turn, exacerbates the sinus issues.

    I was the sinus infection poster child but haven't had one for several years. Sadly, I must avoid tomatoes, garlic, members of the onion family, chocolate, tree nuts, etc. and drink Lactaid. Oh, and canteloupe. Canteloupe will give me a wicked belly ache. So, all those "nervous tummies" I was supposed to ignore were real, biological responses. What I thought was an ugly post nasal drip was GERD.

    Turns out, both my sister and mother pretty much react to the same list of foods. Go figure. We are not technically "allergic" to these foods in the anaphalaxis-carry-your-epi-pen-with-you sense. We are just sensitive to certain foods and react badly to them.

    So, food sensitivities are something worth considering.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    Passed over the sore throat comment and definitely agree with visiting your doc. Make sure to include everything going on with you and include the herbal supplements when they ask about meds. Persistent sore throats are sometimes due to sinus drainage due to GERD. Any ENT will be able to challenge this and develop a short term/long term treatment path. Whenever you shift diets always a good idea to supplement with yogurt and keep your flora happy.
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
    The best way to beat tiredness for me is to exercise. I can be half asleep on the train but if I get on the treadmill and do 20/30 minutes I'm awake the rest of the night.
  • Diva_79
    Diva_79 Posts: 66
    Great advice Thanks for sharing your experience
    I haven't been keeping a food diary I got frustrated but I'll stay again today :-)
  • Diva_79
    Diva_79 Posts: 66
    I do notice a constant post nasal drip its very annoying
    I saw an ent 6 months back but I don't recall being tested for food allergies
  • AglaeaC
    AglaeaC Posts: 1,974 Member
    I agree with the recommendation to go see your doctor. Anything you've described so far doesn't explain illness that includes fever etc.

    Sleep is extremely important and lack of it and/or lack of regularity has been linked to increase in weight, so while I do agree with some others that the coffeine and nicotine may have something to do with messing up the system, sleep really is the best gift you can give yourself on your road to health.
  • Diva_79
    Diva_79 Posts: 66
    I took a look at the HarvardHealthy Eating Plate
    Where I'm going wing at the moment according to this plate is I eat fried foods like Thai (I love hot chips from a take away shop I eat those 1 time per week or fortnight). I eat white rice and lebanese bread instead of wholegrain beads and brown rice and I probably eat to much potato. Unfortunately since I stopped logging my food diary in my fotness pal I've gotten into the habit of eating chocolate and or cake for snacks almost every day. It's become worse over the part 2 months and harder to quit

    I do eat loads of veggies everyday and I've started drinking home made mean green juice every day to supplement my diet. I'm using a single auger juicer so the juice is delicious and amazing

    I also take b vitamins and multivitamins everyday and I eat mums home made lebanese yoghurt once a week maybe I should eat this more often for the probiotics....

    I noticed on the Harvard website that coffee is OK?? I thought coffee was an evil addictive drug like white sugar? Does any one here have an opinion on coffee

    Ill see if there are other threads on coffee otherwise I might start a new thread
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    I tend to disregard anything naming a food as evil. Everything in moderation is a good policy.

    From a scientific perspective coffee is a good source of antioxidants as well as magnesium and chromium - both caffeinated and decaffeinated. From a personal perspective, there's nothing quite like the smell of freshly brewed coffee when you need that pick me up. I make a ritual out of my morning coffee and plot my day the first 15 minutes of work over a cup - very calming.
  • Diva_79
    Diva_79 Posts: 66
    I tend to disregard anything naming a food as evil. Everything in moderation is a good policy.

    From a scientific perspective coffee is a good source of antioxidants as well as magnesium and chromium - both caffeinated and decaffeinated. From a personal perspective, there's nothing quite like the smell of freshly brewed coffee when you need that pick me up. I make a ritual out of my morning coffee and plot my day the first 15 minutes of work over a cup - very calming.

    Interesting that you mentioned magnesium! Now that I am not drinking coffee should I pay attention to where I might be getting magnesium from?

    When I quit last week I had the WORST muscle aches and headaches for about 4 days...... is that magnesium related?
  • itsbasschick
    itsbasschick Posts: 1,584 Member
    did you make it to the doctor? years ago i had ongoing sore throat and some other issues that turned out to be maybe an allergy... no doctor ever tested me for allergies, but there was something in our apartment that was making me sick, and no one ever figured out what it was but when i moved out the symptoms all went away.
  • Diva_79
    Diva_79 Posts: 66
    did you make it to the doctor? years ago i had ongoing sore throat and some other issues that turned out to be maybe an allergy... no doctor ever tested me for allergies, but there was something in our apartment that was making me sick, and no one ever figured out what it was but when i moved out the symptoms all went away.

    I didn't get there today... I'll go in the morning... time for bed now it's 12:33am and i'm stuck on here reading peoples posts... im new here I didn't know this community existed and its awesome :happy:
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Caffeine withdrawal symptoms top 10
    http://www.caffeineinformer.com/caffeine-withdrawal-symptoms-top-ten
    I tend to disregard anything naming a food as evil. Everything in moderation is a good policy.

    Yes, this ^^
  • YF92
    YF92 Posts: 2,893 Member
    With respect to everyone here.

    Go to a doctor. Asking here might get you some good replies, and also some replies that are just not correct.

    e: Coffee is ok. One or two cups a day can actually help, too much coffee is not ok. Just like everything else in the world, moderation is key. Keep in mind that if you use a fat burner, it might have a lot of caffeine in it, so dont consume coffee anytime near it. Got a lil story on that one.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    Mg deficiency may be a factor, but probably not the root cause. Headaches are likely dehydration and caffeine withdrawal. A cup of coffee has ~10mg Mg and your RDA of Mg is over 300 depending on your age/gender.
  • Diva_79
    Diva_79 Posts: 66
    I quit smoking in May and cut back alcohol in June. I got the flu... And pneumonia... At the same time. There's a lot of info hidden out there about the impact of quitting smoking. Your body is adjusting. Take care of yourself, if you feel too bad see a doctor and give it time! It was a hard summer for me, but I'm feeling better day by day and still losing!

    I quit alcohol last december .... Best thing I ever did
  • Diva_79
    Diva_79 Posts: 66
    With respect to everyone here.

    Go to a doctor. Asking here might get you some good replies, and also some replies that are just not correct.

    e: Coffee is ok. One or two cups a day can actually help, too much coffee is not ok. Just like everything else in the world, moderation is key. Keep in mind that if you use a fat burner, it might have a lot of caffeine in it, so dont consume coffee anytime near it. Got a lil story on that one.

    Can you share the story?

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