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New vegan-constipated and bloated
Started
by Katie B
on February 11, 2010
I"ve been a vegan now for 8 days and am totally constipated and bloated...what gives???
I had the same issue. It gets better. I think it might be your body adjusting. I know that I always had tummy troubles when I ate a lot of veggies or beans. And went I went veg it got even worse cuz I ate so much more of them. It's been over two months now and I haven't had any issues for a while. I think water helps too.
Be sure you're getting enough water. Often when you increase your fiber intake through veggies, your body will require more water to process things through your digestive tract. There's 2 kinds of fiber- soluble and insoluble. Soluble dissolves in water into a kind of gel that "makes things go smoother" for lack of a more tactful way to put it. Insoluble fiber creates bulk and they work together with your intestines to get waste products out of your body. Both require water to do their jobs effectively. If that doesn't help, try some prunes, hey, they work for grandmas the world over!
Hi Katie,
put a piece of raw ginger in the pot and cook it with beans, lentils and the like. It prevents the formation of gas in the stomach when the food is digested. I've recently tried it and it helped a lot!
Cheers from Munich,
Sandra
I have been vegan since Jan 1 and have not had digestive problems but my partner is very bloated and heavy feeling, has lots of gas, and her bowel movements are like a rabbits, if you know what I mean!?!? We are eating the exact same thing and I dont know why she is having problems and I am not? Does anyone have any suggestions?? I heard that it depends on your blood type, what you can eat and what you should eat?? Has anyone heard that??
I feel the same way, love the diet love the fact of eating clean but i am so bloated all the time, and that makes for a crabby me..i already drink a lot of water 2 1-liter bottles a day. what gives is right..i just dont get what to do anymore??
One word: Chew! Make sure you are chewing every single mouthful of food very thoroughly. Try not to drink much liquid with your meals, except a miso soup prior to the main dish. Then AFTER you eat, abo a cup of kukicha or barley tea helps to settle the stomach and feels like a natural "dessert". I also cook all of my beans with a 1 in square of kombu. Hope this helps. Please keep us posted!
I am so glad I found these postings because I am having the exact same problems! The weird part is, I first went vegan three years ago and had no bloating or constipation problems plus I lost a lot of weight. I then became vegetarian and back to eating meat for short time before finally deciding that neither of those eating choices was for me. But now I've been vegan again for three weeks and am swollen (which tips the scale) and constipated. I feel like I'm doing everything "right"--chewing, water, tea, etc...--so I don't know if this situation eventually rights itself or if this is how my body will be for forever. I feel so much better but I am frustrated that my body does not look so much better!
I'm having the EXACT same issue = vegan 8 days and bloated/constipated. The first few days were great - but now not so much - am gonna keep reading for tips.
when changing the diet, it is not uncommon for the digestive system to require a period of adaptation.
New, healthier foods require a new set of enzymes and a new balance of beneficial bacteria in the bowel in order to be properly metabolized. This process of adaption can take time to complete and yet it is not clear if all of the symptoms described in this post are symptoms of adaption.
it is possible for any single individual to experience difficulty with a food or ingredient, even if it's considered healthy. It is often the case that when people change to a vegan diet, they introduce new foods. Some of these vegan convenience foods that are commonly substituted for meat and cheese are relatively highly processed and can be difficult for some of us to digest.
The superhero plan is a great way to get these correspondences sorted out. It is nutritionally balanced and yet simple enough to allow us to identify what does or doesn't work for us as individuals. If the superhero plan is to daunting, consider brown rice and vegetables for a short while. If brown rice and vegetables improves your digestion, considering adding some beans. If you can tolerate those three food groups, add the processed foods back one at a time allowing yourself to observe their effects. If your symptoms return, the last thing you ate is the suspect.
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