Thinking out loud with Amanda today!
1) It’s cold outside. Not that I’m complaining (the cooler days are welcome in the midst of summer heat), but I’m still a little surprised! Mild winter…now mild summer? No more seasons? End of the world?
2) But I snapped this on Monday, so apparently I’m still feelin’ that heat. 72F is great for lounging outside, but STEAMY for working out.
3) And this tragedy.
that little black speck = a flea
[source]
4) Alrighty, friends. This community has plenty of experience in the area of food + GI issues, I’m sure.* I’ve had indigestion and general GI discomfort for the past couple of weeks, which is throwin’ off my appetite and, well, the comfort of my insides. (LOL this is legit poop therapy.) I can’t think of anything in my diet that could be the cause.
5) …maybe it’s stress from adjusting to a new work environment and routine?
6) …maybe it’s dairy?? (Please, Lord, don’t say it is so.) I do eat a helluvalot of that stuff.
7) I’ve even been looking seriously into possibly doing Whole30. I’m considering this because of the GI issues, but also because I’ve been getting a lot more red spots/acne/dryness on my face + a weird rash on my back. If there’s a time to do Whole30, it’s during the summer at home (and right before my family goes on vacation in July, heh). I’m not 100% sure I want to commit, but for now, I’m taking it easy on the dairy (with sadness).
8) That means grains are still in my life, but I’m trying to keep things simple.
*I’ll talk to a doc if this persists, but for now, I’m willing to listen to anyone with experience!
9) I never thought I’d say this, but these vegan, raw crackers taste like the delicious Parmesan crisps my mom used to buy.
Kale Goji crackers from Healing Home Foods
I SWEAR. I don’t do imposter foods, but these are an exception. We got these from…the farmers’ market.
10) Mom has been getting into these 7-minute workout apps, and she’s been asking me to do them with her. Moving and grooving with Madre, what a dream.
Hope you all have a great pre-Friday! Take care of your tummies 🙂
So tell me:
Do you have any experience with prolonged indigestion? What was the cause for you? Dr. Google is telling me many possible causes, of course.
Have you ever tried nutritional yeast? I can finally vouch that it tastes a lot like cheese.
What are some of your favorite workout apps?
Daily Moves and Grooves 
Ugh. Digestive issues are the bane of my existence, and I have a bunch. I’ve tried… a lot of things (elimination diets, etc.) but never Whole30/Paleo. Funnily enough, I just got home from school and I’m determined to really give the Paleo thing a shot. I start my internship next Monday, so I’m going grocery shopping this weekend and going for it. BEST OF LUCK to you and if you want any support, I’m here for you 🙂
Thank you so much, Ellen! Best of luck to you too! I hope that you find something that works well for your tummy 🙂
Nutritional yeast is really tasty! I use it to make dips with yogurt and onion salt. It’s super fast an easy. I used to have some GI stuff about a year ago and I was eating too much finer. Who’d a thought too many vegetables would cause me to have to make a trip to the bathroom about three times each run?!
So basically, I traded veggies for chips, fruit and rice and it worked. I am no longer the master pooper 🙂
Haha opposite problem from me! A little TOO regular. Too much fiber makes me feel just as gross as too little fiber, so I empathize with you.
From an RD, I’d highly advise against Whole 30. I could go on and on but this best summarizes it… http://abbylangernutrition.com/the-whole-30-a-lesson-in-extremes/
Thank you for sharing that link, Victoria! I agree that the site and whole branding seems pretty sketchy.
First of all, isn’t it awesome to work out with our moms? It’s so motivating, because my mom is WAY more persistent than me.
😦 I know what digestive issues are like. The biggest thing for me is actually stress, but I do think that there are some things that I think might not help my stomach as much. I’m still a bit hesitant to do a Whole 30, but if it would help my body heal and function better, I would love to do it.
So… I don’t have a lot of experience, but I will be praying for wisdom for you. ❤ Oh, and don't stress. Stress is the worst. God is in control!
I’m definitely hesitant to do Whole30 too. I actually don’t think I’m going to try it, but I’m adopting some elements of the program.
And your prayers are always appreciated, Emily ♥︎ Thank you 🙂
Oh my gosh, I’ve also had HUGE indigestion problems. Not going into depth, but I had tons of stomachaches no matter how healthy I ate. And I found that I was eating WAYYYYY too much peanut butter and almond butter! Because i ate them so often and ate too much in one sitting, I developed sensitivities to them! So as of now, I’ve been avoiding them and trying out walnut butter instead, and not having too much. Anyhow, I might incorporate nut butters back into my diet sometime, but I hope this helps see what your digestive issues could be stemming from!
Aw that’s such a bummer! I definitely eat a lot of nut butter, but I don’t know if that’s the culprit. I can try reducing it a little to see if that’s a factor though. Thank you for sharing your experiences, Cassie!
I am totally not an expert, but I’ve had some tummy troubles as well 😦 What really worked for me was reducing the amount of peanut butter I eat in one sitting or throughout the day. So sad, I know. Peanut butter is so yummy. I did some research, and some foods like peanut butter, other legumes, nightshade veggies, etc. contain lectins, which can be inflammatory to the gut when consumed in large quantities. Something to look into maybe. Hopefully you feel better soon!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Evangeline! I do eat a lot of peanut butter… I’ll see if reducing it helps 🙂
Aww man 😦 Boo for stomach troubles. I’ve had a problematic one for as long as I can remember, but I recently cut waaaaaaaay back on dairy and eggs because I had a feeling it was triggering my eczema, and my stomach troubles eased up a lot as well. I know dairy is a big trigger for a lot of people (especially as we get older), so I’d definitely try cutting back a bit and seeing how you feel. That being said, stress can wreak havoc on our stomachs as well, so it could also be that. Super helpful, right? I know. But stomach problems are such a pain to try and figure out. Keeping my fingers crossed for you!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Amanda! I’m definitely cutting back on dairy, but not eggs yet. I’m doing a slow trial and error 🙂 I do have eczema that is flaring up, so I might be experiencing a very similar thing!
Sorry to hear about your digestive issues. 😦 I have definitely noticed I am much more sensitive to basically anything more than milk in my morning coffee over the summer months. I don’t know whether it’s the pollen and allergens in the air, the humidity, or just coincidence but I get sinus issues with dairy in the summer. (Yogurt is the worst for me!)
I’d maybe go for reduced dairy first and then see how that makes you feel like you suggest. Good luck & hope you feel better!
The allergens have been terrible this year! Maybe that could be a factor with this sudden onset of lactose intolerance (or whatever this is). Thanks for sharing, Jessica! Hope you’re trucking along with your GI issues/allergies as well 🙂
I’m sorry to hear about your tummy probs! I’ve been feeling pretty sick lately too and am mostly eating W30 again (with the exception of things like rice, rice cakes because they’re easy to digest). During the program it was the only time I’ve been symptom free. I’m actually so annoyed with my constant IBS flares that I’ve been referred to a GI specialist for a bunch of testing to help me get some answers! We can do W30 together, yeah?!
That’s so great that whole30 works so well for you, Jo! I’m still on the fence about it, but I’m definitely willing to adopt some elements of it.
I hope it’s not dairy! I can’t imagine life without a glass of milk… or ice cream! Either way, sending healing thoughts your way. I think the Whole 30 is a great idea! Hopefully it helps you determine where the GI issues source from.
No ice cream might actually make me cry. But we’ll see what happens! Thank you for the well wishes, Julia ❤
In my case, my eating disorder caused digestive issues – it was horrible. Even in recovery they were still very present and I had to take lots of chemical stuff in order to get things… going again. 😉 They also had horrible side effects, so that sucked. A lot.
What helped me most were (besides recovering, obviously) psyllium husks. You can put them in your drinks/food/whatever, and they help naturally to get your disgestion going. To be honest – they don’t taste good. But it’s worth it. (I’m still very lucky to say that I don’t have to rely on those things anymore…)
I totally understand how you’re feeling though, and I hope your tummy troubles go away soon!
I’m sorry to hear about those hard digestive issues in recovery, Isabella. Thank you for sharing your experience.
And I’ve heard of psyllium husks, but I didn’t know they helped with digestion. Thank you!
I suffered from digestive issues for a long time (over a year) and couldn;t figure out the cause. I completed a whole30 and still my symptoms persisted. Then I went to see a naturopath, and it was determined that I am unable to digest raw fruits and vegetables. Since then I have started cooking all my vegetables and fruits and all my symptoms disappeared (which was awesome because I didn’t have to give up my beloved dairy!!). I hope this helps.
Interesting! Lots of raw vegetables definitely can be a lot for my GI tract. Thanks for sharing, Marie!
I had the same issue my senior year of high school, ironically at the same time we were learning about lactose intolerance in bio class- and that was the culprit! Lots of people are lactose intolerant, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it was that. Maybe keeping a food diary (loosely speaking, not including measurements/amounts of food) could help you find the issue. But I would definitely suggest trying to cut out dairy completely for a day or two to see if that’s the problem…if it is, there are so many good dairy-free alternatives! Plus there’s always Lactaid, which is a pill you can take that helps you digest dairy 🙂 Best of luck!
I’ve been drinking Lactaid milk, which I actually really love! Thanks for the advice, Meghan 🙂 I’ve *almost* cut out dairy completely and I think I’m feel better!
Hey there! Have you ever considered veganism? I’ve had serious digestive issues before I went vegan but once I went, my digestion is better than ever. There are so many benefits and some many reasons to go vegan but I’m not here to talk to you about it, however if you are interested there are plenty of resources online. But why don’t you just try a mostly planted based diet for a couple of days to see if it will help with your digestions? I’m sure it will certainly do 🙂
I have not considered veganism before! I have nothing against veganism, but I don’t think it’s the best option for me currently. I’d be willing to try veganism for a short period of time though to see how it works!
duuude i wish my mom would workout with me! hah. as for the digestive issues, it could be a host of things. i would try some elliminations- keep a food diary for a week and see when you have the most discomfort. is it a midnight snack? too many carbs at one meal? dairy? maybe too many acidic foods? too much sugar? too much fat from nut butter?
i’ve experienced most of these things and i have IBS. the FODMAPs diet really helps me! i eat plenty of legumes, but am moderate with some of the fruits and veggies on there, and stay away from a lot more. good luck girl ! ❤
i'm here if you have any other questions!
I feel like my diet is very balanced right now, so I’m not quite sure! The consistency of my meal times is what’s a little wonky though, so maybe that has something to do with it. But what is FODMAPs?? I can google it, haha.
Thanks for the advice, girl!