Nausea from eating healthier?

meganrosemitchell
meganrosemitchell Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've recently gone very strict. Much less sugar and way more vegetables among 100 other changes. It's been about 2 weeks of strict diet change (in a good way) I knew I would get headaches from only eating natural sugars but I keep getting nauseous. It makes it hard to stay on track. Is this a common thing that will pass?

Replies

  • meganrosemitchell
    meganrosemitchell Posts: 2 Member
    I should add that I am taking in enough calories, Im wondering if it's just the increase in fiber? all the extra fruits and vegetables my body isnt used to?
  • wallflower_17
    wallflower_17 Posts: 15 Member
    I can get this feeling when I've eaten much fewer carbs than usual for a day or two.
  • Tedebearduff
    Tedebearduff Posts: 1,155 Member
    Hard to say anything with no details but would advise to go see your doctor and get a blood test done to check glucose levels could be diabetic and not aware.
  • Terytha
    Terytha Posts: 2,097 Member
    I get nauseous when my vitamin B12 levels drop too low. Have you cut back on animal products also, like meats and eggs?
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,158 Member
    Why would you get headaches from eating only natural sugars? Less caffeine would cause headaches, sure. Never mind, though: Doesn't matter.

    For many people - especially people with sensitive digestive systems - an instantaneous, major overhaul of one's way of eating can cause various kinds of digestive distress. Partly, it's one's body; partly, it can be one's microbiome.

    I understand that some folks are very "all or nothing" in their approach, and that that works best for them psychologically. But, for some people, a gradual revision of one's eating can be easier to tolerate physically.

    I wouldn't rule out checking with the doctor, though. There could be some illness, food sensitivity or the like.

    I've read research suggesting that microbiome adaptation is quicker than researchers expected (sorry don't have a cite), so if that's a factor, you may be reaching a turning point soon. (Eating probiotic foods like yogurt, kefir, miso, raw sauerkraut, etc., might possibly help.)

    If it's physical sensitivity of your digestive system, I don't have any idea how long that might persist. (I'm lucky enough to have the highly adaptable cast-iron digestive system of a true genetic peasant: It rolls with the punches, so I don't have relevant experience to share. ;) ).
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited August 2019
    Over the years I have gone back and forth between types of sugars, and never got headaches from this.

    Did you recently cut out caffeine? That is the common explanation for dietary change-related headaches.

    https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/caffeine-withdrawal-symptoms
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,089 Member
    Without more details on your diet and the recent changes, I'm going to vote for the most likely causes as
    (1) caffeine withdrawal
    (2) sensitivity to newly introduced food or much higher levels of some food
    (3) keto flu (yes, no indication of low-carbing in OP, but it these days "very strict" often encompasses "carbs are evil")
  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
    Any time you make drastic changes in your diet too quickly, you can expect your body to rebel. We're all unique, so the rebellion can hit us in many different ways, i.e., headache, nausea, constipation, diarrhea.

    You should change things up a little at a time.
  • peggy_polenta
    peggy_polenta Posts: 325 Member
    if you are eating low enough carbs to be in ketosis, this is part of the keto flu which lasts about 2 weeks then goes away...as long as you don't put yourself in and out of ketosis, that is.
  • jo_nz
    jo_nz Posts: 548 Member
    Not all "healthy" foods are ideal for every person. You might just need to play around with your diet to find what works best for you.

    I can't tolerate much yoghurt (I just feel really ill), even though that's meant to be great for the gut - and my son is the same. When he was a toddler, every time he had even a little yoghurt he would throw up. He possibly still would get sick, but we know to limit or avoid it. My husband and daughter can eat as much as they like without ill effects.

    Some acidic foods make me queasy too - some types of apples or tomatoes - so I just have to be cautious.
  • GrizzledSquirrel
    GrizzledSquirrel Posts: 120 Member
    I’m no expert, but you say you’ve increased your fibre intake. Make sure you also increase your intake of water. Fibre can absorb a lot (albeit this is probably localised to your gut).

    I know dehydration gives me headaches/nausea.

    Otherwise, I second all those above advising against extreme changes of any sort, if you can.
  • gallicinvasion
    gallicinvasion Posts: 1,015 Member
    Another possible cause; I used to get nauseous every morning for months, and I couldn’t figure out why. I eventually discovered it was because I was taking a new iron-rich multi-vitamin right when I woke up, on an empty stomach.
  • BarbaraHelen2013
    BarbaraHelen2013 Posts: 1,940 Member
    edited August 2019
    I also have that problem with iron supplements, which always make me vomit as well as iron rich foods, if I eat more than a little at a time they’ll make me nauseous. Not to mention the awkward effect as they pass further through my digestive tract!

    Edit to add: extreme hunger also makes me nauseous in waves. What calorie level are you eating at?
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    BarbaraHelen2013 wrote: »
    I also have that problem with iron supplements, which always make me vomit as well as iron rich foods, if I eat more than a little at a time they’ll make me nauseous. Not to mention the awkward effect as they pass further through my digestive tract!

    Edit to add: extreme hunger also makes me nauseous in waves. What calorie level are you eating at?

    All supplements I've taken (I've never taken iron supplements, but did try a multi for a time and occasionally take D3, B12, and DLA/EPA, depending on the time of year and whether I'm eating meat), say not on an empty stomach. The multi, even without iron, gave me stomach upset, which apparently is not uncommon, which is one of the reasons I stopped it.

    I wouldn't take an iron supplement without a dr's recommendation (just as an aside, not applying this to you), since iron overdose can be really damaging.
  • BarbaraHelen2013
    BarbaraHelen2013 Posts: 1,940 Member
    I completely agree! The time in question re the iron supplements was during 1 of my 4 pregnancies when my Hb level tests came back low and the Dr called me up to come pick up a prescription for an iron supplement as it was important to raise the level before the birth. Turns out he was a huge baby so was draining me but I didn’t take the supplements beyond 2 days worth and I was fine

    I don’t take any form of supplements, not even a multi, I’m just not a believer in them unless medically indicated for specific deficiency issue. It’s my understanding that the vitamins and minerals in a supplement are not as available to the body as their counterparts in actual food. They certainly don’t taste as good! 😉😂
  • mburgess458
    mburgess458 Posts: 480 Member
    Some raw vegetables upset my stomach, I assume because they are hard to digest. Just a thought if you’re eating things raw or barely cooked.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    mburgess458 wrote: »
    Some raw vegetables upset my stomach, I assume because they are hard to digest. Just a thought if you’re eating things raw or barely cooked.

    That can be an IBS trigger. My sister had to give up raw cruciferous veg, among other things.
  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,912 Member
    Oh - someone mentioned supplements up above - I get nauseous if I take fish oil capsules. I'm fine to eat oily fish and eat a fair amount of it.

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