Struggling with veggies...

2514 Views 14 Replies 14 Participants Last post by 121938, Mar 29, 2017

SaGa

Discussion Starter · Jan 30, 2016

I love veggies. I love salads, fried veggies, beans, whole grains, love them all. The problem is that I CANNOT digest anything. I'm tired of being bloated, gassy, and pooping over five times a day; therefore, I've quit eating all raw veggies and high-fiber foods. This was really hard for me. I'm vegan but vegetables are painful. I'm eating so much white rice, tofu, potatoes, and VERY few cooked veggies. This has helped my digestive system a lot but I feel like all I am eating is carbs, and I'm still hungry. I'm really lost. I binged today (mostly on crackers, peanut butter, pasta, other stuff) and I feel like crap. I also live in a dorm room, and the buffet at school has a ton of vegan options so it's really easy to overeat. My parents love meat and cheese and make fun of me trying to be vegan.

I need support. How do you veggie eaters not have diarrhea all of the time? How do I include fiber in my diet without paying for it later?

P.S. Sorry for sounding like a drama queen. I realize this post is quite dramatic and scattered.

1 - 15 of 15 Posts

Crouton

· #2 · Jan 30, 2016

Honestly I have my days like this sometimes, when I'm constantly farting or having to poo 5 times a day, and I hate those days. But on the other hand, if I go a day where I don't eat a lot of fibre, then I get constipated really easily. I'm with you on this one, the right amount of fibre is such a hard thing to figure out. And as someone who eats mostly plant-based, almost all our foods are high in fibre which can make it even harder.

I don't really have any advice for you, but I'm curious about this too so I'm posting to hopefully get some advice as well on this topic.

SaGa

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 30, 2016

I am glad I'm not the only one who has this problem.

silva

· #4 · Jan 30, 2016

Have you seen a doctor about this? How long has this going on?
It sounds like it could be an imbalance in your gut flora - like if you've been on antibiotics, had diarrhea or vomiting sickness. Ever tried taking probiotics or digestive enzymes?

Reactions: 2

David3

· #5 · Jan 30, 2016 (Edited)

Hi SaGa,

You might find it useful to make an appointment with a Registered Dietitian (RD). A Registered Dietitian is a professional with a university degree (often a masters degree) in human nutrition. They can work with you and/or your physician to treat your digestive disorders in a way that accommodates a vegan diet.

You may be able to see a Registered Dietitian for free, through your university's student health service.

Or, there are several Registered Dietitians in the area around UNLV who specialize in digestive disorders and vegetarian nutrition (see below). You can search for Registered Dietitians at this website: http://www.eatright.org. Just click on the red "Find An Expert" button in the upper right-hand part of the webpage. Some Registered Dietitians will accept your health insurance, if you are trying to treat a medical problem (which it sounds like you are).

Molly Michelman, MS RDN LD
The Food Connection
9070 W. Cheyenne
Las Vegas, NV 89129
702/644-1204
[email protected]
http://www.thefoodconnectionlv.com

Crystal Petrello, MS RD
Crystal Clear Wellness and Nutrition
Las Vegas, NV 89149
702/575-7717
[email protected]
http://www.crystalclearnutrition.com

Mary Dunaway, RD CDE
2121 E Flamingo Rd #114
Las Vegas, NV 89119
702/382-8841
[email protected]
www.nutritionconsultantslv.com

Pamela Wagner, RDN CNSC
Nutrition House Calls of Las Vegas
702/860-8547
[email protected]

Mary Ann Florestan, MA RD LD CDE
Alere
[email protected]

Serena Jason, RD LDN CNSC
124 Shady Run Terrace
Henderson, NV 89011
[email protected]

http://www.crystalclearnutrition.com

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Werewolf Girl

· #6 · Jan 31, 2016

Has this been a constant problem or a new issue? I can't say for sure if it would be the same for you but I know for me when I first went vegan I increased my fiber intake a lot and I definitely had a week or two where I was a lot more bloated and gassy than usual but after awhile I just kind of adjusted I guess and things went back to normal. Maybe you could try easing into it and eating a small amount of raw veggies every day to see if you get used to it?

Reactions: 1

veggie man

· #7 · Jan 31, 2016

Mostly lentils instead of large beans, and thoroughly cooked, veggies also well cooked, some oil in everything, and digestive spices like ginger, black pepper, salt, turmeric, cumin, coriander and fennel, preferably sauteed in the oil for a bit, mixed in. Chew well, take sips of water with the meal, and don't mix too many sweets like dried fruits or more than a few bites of raw foods with the cooked veggie meal.

This is an Ayurvedic approach. It works great for me for many years. I have great elimination once a day and very little gas. I hope it helps you.

Reactions: 2

LedBoots

· #8 · Jan 31, 2016

veggie man said:
Mostly lentils instead of large beans, and thoroughly cooked, veggies also well cooked, some oil in everything, and digestive spices like ginger, black pepper, salt, turmeric, cumin, coriander and fennel, preferably sauteed in the oil for a bit, mixed in. Chew well, take sips of water with the meal, and don't mix too many sweets like dried fruits or more than a few bites of raw foods with the cooked veggie meal.

This is an Ayurvedic approach. It works great for me for many years. I have great elimination once a day and very little gas. I hope it helps you.

This! ^^ Chew your food way more than you think necessary.

Reactions: 2

Naturebound

· #9 · Jan 31, 2016

I agree with Werewolf Girl's approach. If you are new at being vegan and/or have dramatically changed your diet, your body probably just isn't used to the increased roughage/fiber. A gradual approach might help, instead of total avoidance.

I personally can't handle a lot of fried foods, vegetables or not, and steaming them or baking works better for me. I do use a lot of spices like the ones veggie man mentioned. I tend to pair my veggies with a grain like rice, millet, couscous etc instead of eating them alone. Some higher fiber grains like brown rice, oats, or a legume like sweet potatoes (steamed) are a little easier on the digestive system than others also.

Instead of a big raw salad, why not try just a little bit of raw celery with peanut butter on it? Or try a vegan creamed spinach (if you have access to a kitchen/utilities to cook it), or shred a little carrot to go in a hot cereal (and add spices like ginger which can aid in digestion).

As far as fruits, citrus fruits and berries tend to be easier on digestion/bloating/gas for me than apples, bananas, and others. Also, cruciferous veggies like cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage are known for causing gas. Those are the ones you really want to introduce gradually and in small amounts.

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PandemicAcolyte

· #10 · Feb 4, 2016

I starting having this problem when I switched to using brown rice instead of white and increasing my vegetables, so I'm going back to using white rice now. I've been vegan for almost 2 years now and do better with having the white rice even everything out.

Sheila Burz

· #11 · Feb 6, 2016

May be you should do some cleanings of your body, I've read that meat eaters have lots of parasites so cleanings are obligatory. May be they want to eat but not you. Read something on this point I'm sure you'll find something that fits you)

Capstan

· #12 · Feb 6, 2016

I agree with silva that you may have a shortage of flora in your GI tract. I recommend supplementing for a while with probiotics or digestive enzymes. I've found 'Peaceful Digestion' by VegLife to be a good one. Once the flora has been established, you can discontinue the supplements.

Neha17

· #13 · Mar 29, 2017

You can have boiled veggies ad salt and black pepper .You can also have boiled sprouts instead of veggies or a combination of both it will not bore you .Good luck !!

BlueMts

· #14 · Mar 29, 2017

Sometimes you can not digest your food properly because you are lacking in enough stomach acid.

Mix a tablespoon or so of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water and sip it with at least one meal a day.

Fixed my problem and continues to fix it if it returns. I just start with the vinegar again. Digestion fixed.

121938

· #15 · Mar 29, 2017

Maybe we should be thinking of what frequent bowel movements means biologically. What I mean is, we are always telling meat eaters that we are more like herbivores right? Well how do you think herbivores bowels operate? They are pooping frequently every day. On the other hand, the carnivores defecate once a day, maybe every other day.

The reason fibre is so important to us is to protect our long bowel from harm from having composting/rotting food spending a long time in contact with the walls of the digestive tract which lessens the possibility of any kinds of cancers that we could get in the digestive tract. It moves it through quickly and efficiently.

Declaring yourself 'more like a herbivore' and then envying the solid bowel movements of the carnivore is merely looking at it from an incorrect perspective. Our bowels are operating just like they are supposed to and doing it efficiently if you are on the toilet several times a day. Did you ever walk through a horse paddock that you just cleaned up a couple hours ago? There are at least two new piles for every horse in there - in only two hours. Efficiency at work.

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