Stomach-ache! Help!

[Sicilian Girl]

G'Afternoon!
I started raw three days ago after deciding that I was sick of being sick all the time. I had my gallbladder taken out in emergency surgery on Sept. 11, 2001 (in the midst of the horrible tragedy in NY) and have not been healthy since.

I have been to doctors of all shapes and sizes from MD, DO, Oriental Medicine, ND's etc and have gotten no help regarding the constant state of upset. I was told by all of them that I would just have to learn to live with constant irritable bowel like symptoms. (A side note: I have been a vegetarian for 15 years now and eat a pretty lowfat diet.)

So, I am turning to raw as it seems to have helped so many people. My question is this: Why does my stomach hurt so much on Day 3?

I searched all the "detox" areas and this doesn't seem like anything anyone has answered previously (unless I missed it-if I did; I apologize profusely!!). It's like a gnawing pain, not a grumbling gas-type pain. I honestly expected some intestinal upset, but haven't had any. Just the stomach pain.

I am eating fruits and leafy veggies in mass quanitities as I joined a CSA farm near my house. I am supplementing with nuts, oils and nut milks. Any thoughts?

Thanks!!

[Arky]

Since you are not cooking your produce, you should be careful to ensure that you soak or sprout all foods that contain phytic acid or other enzyme inhibitors. Such foods include beans, nuts, and some grains. In fact, it would be wise to use all such foods sparingly, in your situation, even if the phytic acid is reduced through use of the above methods (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=49565#post49565).

This will assist digestion considerably.

Also, take it easy on the oils - they are not easy for the body to digest. As you know, the gall bladder ordinarily produces bile. Bile is important for the emulsification (http://www.mamashealth.com/organs/gallbladder.asp) of oils and fats, as part of the digestive process.

To assist in the emulsification of fats, therefore, you should include foods which are good sources of lecithin (although please note that I would not recommend the inclusion of soy lecithin in your diet - or indeed, any soy products (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=42236#post42236), even fermented ones such as miso etc. Soy is far from the wonder food the soy industry would have you believe). Certain sprouts can be good sources of lecithin, particularly if allowed to reach the 'green' stage (e.g. Sunflower sprouts and Buckwheat sprouts):

http://www.geocities.com/newlibertyvillage/earthstar/starburst.htm

Avoid dairy - cows milk is very rich in casein and lactose - neither of which are especially friendly to the human digestive system.

Avoid all vinegar, except apple cider vinegar which, in limited quantities is acceptable. Apple cider vinegar contains malic acid. Other vinegars contain other acids (e.g. acetic acid) which are very detrimental to the human digestive system (amongst other books, see Mikhail Tombak 'Can We Live 150years?' and Dr Norman Walker 'Fruit & Vegetable Juices' for discussion on this issue).

Experiment with prebiotics, probiotics, and even fermented foods (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5241) (see, also, here (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4898)), since these are known, in some people, to assist digestion considerably. Kefir (http://www.geocities.com/newlibertyvillage/earthstar/starburst.htm) is a classic fermented drink and, contrary to popular belief, need not involve dairy.

More broadly, I would recommend that, to avoid digestive difficulties, and to achieve a healthy diet in general, you take great care to ensure a wide variety of foods, and to avoid over consumption of any individual foods. Lastly, I highly recommend that, given your stated symptoms, you strive to simplify your food intake at each meal - eat no more than 5 different foods at any one sitting. This is a good tip for trouble-free digestion, in addition, of course, to following good food combining practices.

HTH.

J.

[twinyoga]

I have a less technical response.

I use to have IBS and I'll tell you that I believe exercise and reducing stress helps it more than diet (at least in my case). Is becoming raw producing a stress on you? It did for me at the beginning and then my stomach got worse! It was a vicious circle.

I finally learned a bit about food combining and I relaxed and started to enjoy raw at the same time.

Lots of people can share info on food combining. I keep it pretty simple. I only mix one food category at a time. For example if I eat fruit, it's only fruit. If I eat veggies it's only veggies. Same with nuts and other stuff. You can check out my journal to see what I'm doing. And I feel very good.

I also think your stomach is getting use to not having such heavy foods in you.

I hope this helps a bit.

[Essensual]

Arky,

Can you share a little further about how kefir can be made without dairy?

[Revvell]

I also have a less technical response. If the pain is on the right side, then it may be liver/gb acting up; if it's in the stomach area as has been stated and you are eating a lot of fiber, it could be doing a serious colon cleansing. I've had that happen after eating cabbage for awhile ~ as though a finger were digging out the colon pockets. Quite uncomfortable.

:cool:

[kel]

I too was having terrible stomache aches when I started. I have stopped eating all nuts, and started food combining. No fruit with any thing but fruit, melons with melons and veggies with veggies. There is a chart in Alissa book and I am trying to follow it. This seems to have helped, has only been a few days with out dibilitating cramps however. I too have IBS and have had several intrusive medical procedures. Seeds do not seem to case the trouble that the nuts do. But seed will irratate my bowels if I eat to many. :eek:
I haven't tried the trick of soaking my nuts and seeds but I am going to.

[Arky]

You can also (in addition to soaking, not instead of) try grinding your nuts and seeds inorder to reduce the likelihood that they may lodge themselves in the villi of your gastrointestinal tract, causing discomfort. This is a contentious one, but some commentators do believe that all nuts and seeds should be ground to a paste (e.g. sesame tahini) to avoid this possibility.


J.

[Arky]

Arky,

Can you share a little further about how kefir can be made without dairy?


Sure, simply follow the links in my original reply (they are all the underlined words). Dom's site (link provided) is about the best I have seen on the subject of Kefir. Coconut milk is just one of many possible substrates for producing kefir cultures, although it is important to note that the culture must be appropriate for non-dairy use. Dom's site will explain all, and will provide links to a culture database to enable people the world over to acquire kefir cultures from likeminded individuals who already possess the material :)


J.

[Sicilian Girl]

Thanks to you all for your hints and advice. Am feeling better today and have noticed that I mainly feel sick when I eat fruit. Strange....will keep adjusting/trying combos etc....

Have a great day! :p