Tummy issues (oh, the TMI)

[paquerette]

I wonder if anyone would like to take a stab at suggesting what I should eliminate or add to my diet to clear up this stuff.

The issues seem to be that I'm in this constipation/diarrhea cycle, and that when it does finally happen it's fairly nasty. I'm also feeling generally blah, tired, depressed. But my life is generally not so awesome lately. And I'm pregnant and not sure how much of this to attribute to that.

Eating habits: lots of pasta and bread and pancakes, mostly whole wheat. Moderate amount of fresh veggies, mostly salads and carrots and cucumbers. Moderate amount of fresh fruits, mostly apples, peaches, pears, bananas. Some yogurt (stoneyfield whole plain) milk (local raw). Meat and eggs vary. Sometimes I don't have much appetite for them, and sometimes because we don't have much. Sweets and frozen junk or eating out, a couple times a week. Overall not great, not horrible.

I'm wondering if I need to either push more milk and yogurt, or maybe I should cut out grains. Or both. I'm not sure if fermented foods will work out very well; I can't even choke down sauerkraut unless it's cooked just now.

Some days I just want to give up and quit eating altogether! It's so frustrating.

[Leilalu]

double post!

[Leilalu]

It may be the bread products. Also, are you getting enough good fats? Butter, olive oil, coconut oil? Those kept me regular while pregnant. Almost too regular!

I also had to heal from IBS years ago, so meat intake was very important. raw dairy helped as well. My issues were that I was a veggie, with little fat intake.

So I would try eliminating the breads, or cutting down to several times a week,not everyday.

[quietserena]

Yeah in my experience, upping the fat and lowering the grains tend to get IBS type symptoms a chance to get better.

Also, good bugs. Yknow, probiotics. Not sure what you can handle in pregnancy (everything is still grossing me out) but yogurt or kefir in a smoothie or a popsicle would be relatively easy. If you're not used to it, kefir can have a laxative effect too! I learned the hard way.

[CrunchyFarmGirl]

I had those exact symptoms and it all went away after going gluten/ dairy free. I think it was the gluten half of that equation that did most of the work, but I can't be for certain. I had to be strict with it though and it can take a good 3-4 months to really show full symptom relief.
My daughter was REALLY colicky and now I know that she is gluten/dairy sensitive. I really think that if I had been gluten/dairy free during pregnancy and nursing that all of the screaming from those first few years could have been avoided, which would have completely changed my view of parenting.

[krankedyann]

Seems that if you have an issue with gluten, it can come to the forefront while pregnant. Mine did, and I know others who have had the same thing.

[lastrid]

Yup.

[fullofhope]

Originally Posted by krankedyann

Seems that if you have an issue with gluten, it can come to the forefront while pregnant. Mine did, and I know others who have had the same thing.

Mine too.

I found out when ds was 7 mo that I needed to go gluten free/dairy free, and that got rid of my problems as well as his screaming (mostly- he is an intense kid anyway!).

I was gluten free (and still am) through preg with dd, and she is very mellow and go-with-the-flow.

If I had known what my symptoms in pregnancy meant and had changed it then and there, I know his babyhood would have been very very different, and perhaps some of what we see now in his behavior and our parenting are a residual effect.

[paquerette]

Thanks.

My gut feeling (haha) has been leaning toward the gluten. Forgot to mention but I'm hypothyroid too and I've heard the two issues can be linked.

I do think I get enough fat. Cook everything in either butter or CO, EVOO in salads and pasta sauces, fatty meat, full fat dairy products, slather butter on everything I can.

I can handle a lot of yogurt, maybe some kefir, and on a good day a little kraut mixed with something. I cannot make them, at least nothing has worked out so far, but I can buy reasonable stuff.