Smoothie issues. Advice needed!

mclaughlin709
mclaughlin709 Posts: 23 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi everyone.. I bought a nutribullet to start making fresh smoothies in order to get my servings of fruit and veggies since I am a really poor eater. (I'm working on that) problem is, when I drink them I get really bad stomach cramping.. actually it's pretty severe and buckles me over in pain wanting to throw up.

I did a Google search and this is not unheard of, but does anyone know why it might be happening? I do know that when I eat bananas, the same thing happens. I tried switching to daily greens but still felt the bloated crampy stomach, but not as intense.

A typical smoothie for me would be some fresh fruit, Greek yogurt, either water or almond milk, and some Chia seeds.

Any advice appreciated as I have now resorted to slimfast shakes.

Replies

  • spacecadetz06
    spacecadetz06 Posts: 19 Member
    Lactose apparently can cause upsets. It used to bother me drinking milk allot.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    Well, fruit and yogurt are mostly sugar. You would be much better off with green drinks. Use celery, a small amount of berries, and add a good green powder like ORAC Energy.
  • MommyL2015
    MommyL2015 Posts: 1,411 Member
    Have you added something that you don't normally eat?
  • melonaulait
    melonaulait Posts: 769 Member
    You could be having a problem with lactose. Or you could be allergic to one of the fruits, veggies or seeds you're using. Anyway, I suggest you revamp your smoothies and don't drink any that give you cramps.
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    It can also be your body isn't accustom to the fiber. You may want to decrease the amount of chia seeds and increase slowly to see if that may be causing the problem. The banana problem could be a ragweed OAS (oral allergy syndrome) so you may want to look up what other fruits are on the list for that syndrome.
  • acorsaut89
    acorsaut89 Posts: 1,147 Member
    What kinds of fruits are you including in your smoothie?

    For me, for example, pineapple will do this to me. I love pineapple but I can't eat it because I don't digest it. I have the same problem with raw veggies that are very high in fiber. I can eat them cooked, no problem. But raw I just can't handle it. I also get the same thing with bananas.

    I would suggest you switch up the fruit? It could also be dairy. I sometimes - not always, though - have issues digesting a lot of dairy, and greek yogurt especially if I eat too much of it.

    Also, if you're preparing that much fresh fruit anyways why not just eat it in portions throughout the day? Smoothies are great - don't get me wrong - but they can have a ton of hidden calories in them.

    Further, your list of ingredients doesn't provide any veggies in your smoothies either (unless I missed it) so why not just prep all of it and just eat it if you have to prep it for a smoothie anyways?
  • sylkates
    sylkates Posts: 173 Member
    This was happening to me when I first started using flax seeds in my breakfast.
    Turns out it was just way too much fiber from the flax. I reduced it to like 1/3 of what the health food blogs reccomend (just 2 teaspoons of whole seeds that I grind, the original recipes online asked for like 2 tablespoons whole seeds.)

    However, if it also happens to you when you eat bananas plain, maybe it is a digestive intolerance of bananas? That would be sad. :(
  • mamaChristine
    mamaChristine Posts: 18 Member
    It could be the amount of fibre, you know what that does.... ;)
  • SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage
    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage Posts: 2,668 Member
    How long after you drink the smoothie do you experience the pain? If it's right away, I would guess it's an allergy to one of your ingredients (for me, raspberries will have me in agonizing pain within 5 minutes). If it's not immediate, I would suggest it's the increased fibre content. Dial back the fibre a bit and gradually up it.
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    I don't put fruit in my smoothies. fruit is eaten later, as a snack.
  • mclaughlin709
    mclaughlin709 Posts: 23 Member
    MommyL2015 wrote: »
    Have you added something that you don't normally eat?

    Yes, fruit. Lol!!
    I'm a horrible eater and rarely ever eat fruit.
  • mclaughlin709
    mclaughlin709 Posts: 23 Member
    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage wrote: »
    How long after you drink the smoothie do you experience the pain? If it's right away, I would guess it's an allergy to one of your ingredients (for me, raspberries will have me in agonizing pain within 5 minutes). If it's not immediate, I would suggest it's the increased fibre content. Dial back the fibre a bit and gradually up it.

    Usually about 15 Minutes or so.. I can never finish it. Half way through and im buckled over in agony
  • mclaughlin709
    mclaughlin709 Posts: 23 Member
    sylkates wrote: »
    This was happening to me when I first started using flax seeds in my breakfast.
    Turns out it was just way too much fiber from the flax. I reduced it to like 1/3 of what the health food blogs reccomend (just 2 teaspoons of whole seeds that I grind, the original recipes online asked for like 2 tablespoons whole seeds.)

    However, if it also happens to you when you eat bananas plain, maybe it is a digestive intolerance of bananas? That would be sad. :(
    sylkates wrote: »
    This was happening to me when I first started using flax seeds in my breakfast.
    Turns out it was just way too much fiber from the flax. I reduced it to like 1/3 of what the health food blogs reccomend (just 2 teaspoons of whole seeds that I grind, the original recipes online asked for like 2 tablespoons whole seeds.)

    However, if it also happens to you when you eat bananas plain, maybe it is a digestive intolerance of bananas? That would be sad. :(

    It happens when I eat bananas plain as well. I'm assuming it's an intolerance but it still happens even without bananas added. I'm wondering if my body is trying to adjust to the foreign healthy food.. it's used to junk.
  • mclaughlin709
    mclaughlin709 Posts: 23 Member
    Lizzy622 wrote: »
    It can also be your body isn't accustom to the fiber. You may want to decrease the amount of chia seeds and increase slowly to see if that may be causing the problem. The banana problem could be a ragweed OAS (oral allergy syndrome) so you may want to look up what other fruits are on the list for that syndrome.

    I will look into that. Thanks
  • mclaughlin709
    mclaughlin709 Posts: 23 Member
    acorsaut89 wrote: »
    What kinds of fruits are you including in your smoothie?

    For me, for example, pineapple will do this to me. I love pineapple but I can't eat it because I don't digest it. I have the same problem with raw veggies that are very high in fiber. I can eat them cooked, no problem. But raw I just can't handle it. I also get the same thing with bananas.

    I would suggest you switch up the fruit? It could also be dairy. I sometimes - not always, though - have issues digesting a lot of dairy, and greek yogurt especially if I eat too much of it.

    Also, if you're preparing that much fresh fruit anyways why not just eat it in portions throughout the day? Smoothies are great - don't get me wrong - but they can have a ton of hidden calories in them.

    Further, your list of ingredients doesn't provide any veggies in your smoothies either (unless I missed it) so why not just prep all of it and just eat it if you have to prep it for a smoothie anyways?

    That's my issue. I just don't like fruits and veggies so I figured a smoothie would make it easier.
  • Noelv1976
    Noelv1976 Posts: 18,948 Member
    You're allergic to something. Do you drink it really quick, or take your time? Also if you're combining all those servings in one drink, can be over doing it, especially with the fruit. Also know that Greek yogurt has a lot of protein, so over eating can cause some form of bloating issues.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    It may be the chia, or you're sensitive to dairy. Have you increased your dairy intake lately?
  • ninjapixie87
    ninjapixie87 Posts: 124 Member
    It sounds like an allergy to fruit. I have a few friends who are allergic to fresh fruits, but are ok with them if they are cooked. It has something to do with the way the proteins break down when they are cooked/heated.
  • Kimo159
    Kimo159 Posts: 508 Member
    First, are you intolerant to anything? Perhaps you could swap the chia seeds for avocado or hemp hearts to see if that was the intolerance (while still keeping some healthy fats). Then, if that doesn't help, take the greek yogurt out. You might be lactose intolerant. You could add protein powder to keep the protein in your smoothie. Or just try to eat all of those things separately at once (i.e. make a chia seed pudding to test almond milk and chia, eat some berries and greek yogurt to see if it's either of those). Do you take any supplements with your smoothie? I find a most multivitamins bother my stomach if I take them with a smoothie. So I usually wait until lunch to take my multi.
  • valente347
    valente347 Posts: 201 Member
    Based on my experience I would suggest it was an issue with so much fiber. I can't munch on raw veggies on an empty stomach because I get horrible cramping pain when I do.

    Otherwise, lactose is a common intolerance and some people are more sensitive in the morning on an empty stomach. My sister cannot drink plain milk in the morning or have cereal for breakfast, but is usually ok for a milkshake by lunch.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Try those things separately and see if it affects you. It's the only way to pinpoint the cause.
  • socajam
    socajam Posts: 2,530 Member
    Chia seeds soaks up a lot of liquid - I would look at how much I am eating. They are not as glorious as people make them out to be.

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