Upset stomach and vegetarianism?? A bit graphic...?

Question

I put this in the Health-Diseases and Conditions section as well.

Okay, I've been reading around and have found a few things saying that meat stays into your intestines for a lot longer than other foods because it is so hard to digest. I have become a vegetarian now for a little over 2 months. About the end of Jan. I started having gas, an upset stomach, cramping and diarrhea. I was told since I was eating for things with fiber in them, and a healthier diet my body was just getting rid of the meat in my system, and cleansing my body. I'm starting to wonder about it now though. I sometimes don't even feel like I'm about to have a bowel movement, and I do anyways. The movements are not that normal either. They are liquid-like, and have a larger odor that usual.

I don't know what kinds of foods have a lot of fiber in them to begin with, but even so...is this normal? I mean it has been about two and a half weeks of this. It is not getting any better...I don't quite understand. Thanks

Answer 1

See a doctor, maybe this is not linked to what you're eating, maybe you have a bug. Or it could be some kind of food poisoning, I don't know. See a doctor to be sure.

I'm a new vegan, been so for about two months, and have never had this problem. I eat veggies, plenny fiber, and the "bouquet" I make now is noticeably less offensive than the stuff I made when I ate meat.

I wish I could help some more. Since you've had diarrhoea for a couple of weeks, definitely see a doctor. That's way too long to have the runs.

PsychoCola made a great point, you could be allergic to something you're eating. Get yourself checked out.

Answer 2

I must say, when I went Macrobiotic, I had the stinkiest gas of anyone around! However, I do believe that it may be in regards to what you are eating. Any refined products can cause this type of reaction, but this is usually related to the liver-gall bladder meridian. Try starting your day off with some miso soup and vegetables instead of cereal grains, etc. Make sure that your miso is the 1 1/2 year to 2 year aged kind. It also sounds as if you have some type of stomach ailment, which the miso will help with as well. You will need to eat broccoli, and brown rice at least once a day for a couple of weeks. The brown rice will cleanse the intestines without being harsh and the broccoli will help to rebuild the liver and the stomach lining. By no means should you be eating anything raw right now. It is very harsh on the digestive system to eat raw, or cold food. Also, stick with room temperature drinks or hot teas. No coffee. I wish you a lifetime of wonderful health with your decision to become vegetarian. Best of Luck!

By the way, high fiber foods are nature's riches! Any vegetable or whole grain is filled with nutrient rich fiber. Also, fruits are high in soluble fiber, but I wouldn't pursue them for a couple of weeks until the diarrhea clears up.

Answer 3

Fiber may have something to do with it. However, vegetarians can sometimes become anemic due to an iron deficiancy in their diet. Iron deficiancy anemia in turn can cause stomach pain or abdominal cramping with your bowel movements as well as diarrhea, weakness and fatigue.

Vegetarians who avoid all animal products may have a slightly higher risk for deficiencies in iron and some B vitamins. Although dried beans and green vegetables often contain iron, it is less easily absorbed from plants than from meat. Fortunately, most commercial cereals are fortified with vitamin B12 and folic acid (the synthetic form of folate). Studies on the prevalence of anemia in vegetarians are weak. A 2001 study of British resident reported that anemia was more common in vegetarians than in meat eaters. One 1999 study found no significant differences in hemoglobin measurements between vegetarians and non-vegetarians, but a large percentage of both groups (18% of vegetarians and 13% of non-vegetarians) had low iron stores. Additionally, the availability of iron in plants ranges from only 1-10%, while that in meat, fish, chicken, and liver is 20-30%.

Interactions between various foods can influence the absorption of dietary iron. Vitamin C can increase the absorption of dietary iron. Orange juice is a rich source of vitamin C. Thus, if a plant food, such as rice, is consumed with orange juice, then the orange juice can enhance the absorption of the iron of the rice.

You may want to try oral iron supplements (pills) to see if they help your symptoms. If you don't see a change after a few weeks, you should see a doctor and have your blood tested to see what's going on.

Good luck to you.

Answer 4

Have you begun to load up on cheese as a meat substitute? What you're experiencing sounds like a combination of detox and lactose intollerance.

If you're over cooking your veggies then you're breaking down the fiber too far and rendering it useless. Which may explain the sludge effect you're getting. Or are you overdoing on the fruit?

Try to only lightly steam veggies. Have them with an equal amount of whole grains. Quinoa, brown rice or whole grain pasta.

Some new veggies go all out on fruit and end up with the Trots Train. Watch out for that.

Add a chlorella supplement to your daily intake. It will help with the smell as well as help you rebound from the detox.

Answer 5

They were right, it could be your body getting used to a higher fiber diet. Foods high in fiber are whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables, so if you're eating a lot more of these that could be the reason. It should resolve itself after a while; what youi're describing isn't the normal state of things for a vegetarian. You might want to cut back on any high-fiber foods and reintroduce them gradually.

Answer 6

You using any coffee? I'd say try losing that first.

Colon issues are usually about a protein named gluten. Seeds provide an amino acid called glutamine, but its coincidence that their names are similar. Glutamine from raw seeds has two nitrogens, when it gets heated past 100 F the second nitrogen comes off and it can't build the lining of the colon for the nutrient transfer.

Add raw seeds and lose the bread. Eat tops of vegetables with bottoms of vegetable oils (beets with beet tops, potatoes with kale) and add an omega oil blend. You'll be fine in a few days.

Answer 7

If it didn't start until the end of January, I would probably assume that it has little to do with the fact that you're a vegetarian... but, on another note....

My entire life I've consumed very little protein, and I've always had upset stomache, nausea, and vomiting on almost a daily basis. My boss is a nutritionalist, and she put me on a high protein, high fiber and vegetable diet. I completely stopped having any problems with diahrea or nausea... and for that matter, haven't thrown up or felt crappy since. I have alot more energy, and I'm burning alot of fat and building muscle tone because of the protein. If you're going to stay a vegetarian, I suggest at least eating dairy or eggs to supplement your lack of protein.

Answer 8

What do you eat in an average day? And are you sure you're not allergic to anything you're eating?