New vegan and constipated? HELP?
July 23rd, 2010 | by admin |Hey, i have been vegan for about 3 months now.
The beginning was great, but now I am having problems with bloating, gas, and constipation.
My diet consists of fruit, vegetables, salads, nuts, nut butters, whole grains, seeds, beans…
I thought I wasn’t getting enough protein so I purchased some hemp protein powder that I now put in my smoothies.
I thought after 2 months my body would have adjusted, but no ):
Maybe I need to take some probiotics to help restore my intestinal flora? (read this on the internet)
Should I cut back on fiber? (but everything I eat is fiber?)
I am just always bloated.
Yes, I have tried:
- exercising
- drinking tea
- chewing food really well for digestion
- eating smaller meals
And trust me I drink more than enough water.
yes, i cut out soy milk/products as it was causing a lot of problems.
i will hold back on the beans.
i was a vegetarian and use to eat a lot of processed, "junk" food, along with a lot of dairy. biggg pizza & icecream lover.
now i am vegan and have been eating the healthiest ever, yet my stomach has a hard time getting use to it.
I had digestive problems as well (though mine were the opposite ^^) after going vegan.
Did you transition hard or was the change made gradually? Any serious shift in diet can take a toll on your digestive system and sometimes it has a hard time bouncing back.
Have you tried cutting out foods that you didn’t eat very much of before you went vegan and figuring out if any one thing is causing it by process of elimination? Sometimes you’ll reveal odd food sensitivities once you clear your body and are consuming lots of other things to replace your animal proteins/products. I, for instance, ended up being allergic to soy milk, lol.
Remember that heavier foods like nut butters, whole grains, etc. can contribute to constipation, and processed foods are never that helpful to /any/ plight. Maybe you just need to rebalance what you’re eating and place more emphasis on fresh fruits/veg?
After 2 months, you may want to talk to a nutritionist and work out a vegan diet that works for your body. Just remember that not all of them are open to alternative diets/lifestyles and to place emphasis that this is what you want to do and would prefer their guidance in doing in the right way — not their nagging to eat dairy or fish.
5 Responses to “New vegan and constipated? HELP?”
By bambaclat on Jul 24, 2010 | Reply
I had digestive problems as well (though mine were the opposite ^^) after going vegan.
Did you transition hard or was the change made gradually? Any serious shift in diet can take a toll on your digestive system and sometimes it has a hard time bouncing back.
Have you tried cutting out foods that you didn’t eat very much of before you went vegan and figuring out if any one thing is causing it by process of elimination? Sometimes you’ll reveal odd food sensitivities once you clear your body and are consuming lots of other things to replace your animal proteins/products. I, for instance, ended up being allergic to soy milk, lol.
Remember that heavier foods like nut butters, whole grains, etc. can contribute to constipation, and processed foods are never that helpful to /any/ plight. Maybe you just need to rebalance what you’re eating and place more emphasis on fresh fruits/veg?
After 2 months, you may want to talk to a nutritionist and work out a vegan diet that works for your body. Just remember that not all of them are open to alternative diets/lifestyles and to place emphasis that this is what you want to do and would prefer their guidance in doing in the right way — not their nagging to eat dairy or fish.
References :
By Sweet on Jul 24, 2010 | Reply
Its the beans, beans are known to give some people gas. Try this don’t eat the beans for a day or more and you may notice a difference in your body.
References :
By Robo on Jul 24, 2010 | Reply
It could be a food allergy/sensitivity. I had the same problem, and then I stopped eating soy. That seems to have fixed it for me.
If possible, you might want to be tested for food allergies.
References :
By nick on Jul 24, 2010 | Reply
If you like lemons they are the best natural cleansers. Citrus good. Papaya good. Basically all fruit is a cleanser and some vegetables are a mild cleanser.
Please also consider performing enemas on yourself. It may sound repulsive, but its for your health and waste sitting in your body is so bad for you.
References :
By just me on Jul 24, 2010 | Reply
Sometimes I feel like that with beans. Most of the time I feel fine though. Did you start drinking the protein powder before or after you felt like that? I’m just asking b/c I once started drinking regular protein powder in my pre-vegan days and it was not fun trying to use the restroom. I stomach didn’t take it too well. Its not really hard getting enough protein on a vegan diet. As you know beans, lentils, nuts, tofu are a great source as well as quinoa. Almost everything you eat has some protein.
References :