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Constipated when switching diet


angani
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I've been postponing trying to find an answer but it's getting on my nerves and thought that maybe I could start out here, I wasn't sure which category I should write in.

When I switched diet from a typical western diet about a year ago to a plant-based whole foods diet I started having issues with bowel movements which also lead to my acne getting worse (instead of the other way around) and I was hoping that maybe someone had the same experience with a solution.

I eat mostly potatos, quinoa, rice, beans, lentils, vegetables, fruit, berries, nuts, seeds etc.

No soy, no wheat, a minimal of processed food and I try and get as much organic as possible.

I had a temporary solution for the past 3 months which was taking bacteria (since I've stupidly enough been on antibiotics for acne etc before and probably killed every healthy bacteria I had in my bowels) and it helped a lot but now I have the same issue again.

It feels like I'm drinking enough water but that might not be the case, how much water should I be drinking? Some days when I really think about getting liters still nothing happens and it's really becoming an issue and I have no interest of turning no-vegan. I'm well aware of prune-juice but that's mostly painful and really not a solution to the problem.

Is there anyone who has any idea? I would be most greatful.

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I've been postponing trying to find an answer but it's getting on my nerves and thought that maybe I could start out here, I wasn't sure which category I should write in.

When I switched diet from a typical western diet about a year ago to a plant-based whole foods diet I started having issues with bowel movements which also lead to my acne getting worse (instead of the other way around) and I was hoping that maybe someone had the same experience with a solution.

I eat mostly potatos, quinoa, rice, beans, lentils, vegetables, fruit, berries, nuts, seeds etc.

No soy, no wheat, a minimal of processed food and I try and get as much organic as possible.

I had a temporary solution for the past 3 months which was taking bacteria (since I've stupidly enough been on antibiotics for acne etc before and probably killed every healthy bacteria I had in my bowels) and it helped a lot but now I have the same issue again.

It feels like I'm drinking enough water but that might not be the case, how much water should I be drinking? Some days when I really think about getting liters still nothing happens and it's really becoming an issue and I have no interest of turning no-vegan. I'm well aware of prune-juice but that's mostly painful and really not a solution to the problem.

Is there anyone who has any idea? I would be most greatful.

 

This is fairly rare. I have not had this issue, but it really seems like you are doing everything right. I am not doctor and this is not medical advice, but are you on any other meds? The whole "good bacteria" thing could be somewhat of a factor as you pointed out. Do everything you can to increase the good bacteria. Besides ingesting a probiotic supplement, you could:

 

Try fermenting your veggies for more support.

Stay away from alcohol

Stay away from pools and chlorine

What is your work environment like?

It looks like you are getting plenty of fiber and water.... I usually try to get in at least a jug or more per day.

 

You mention prune juice is painful. I don't think it would take this long to clean you out since you have been on the diet a while. But I remember that laxative foods were very painful up until all the scary stuff finished working its way out.

 

In short, I think you really should ask a doctor. But be ware, they may tell you to stop being vegan.

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I also feel that this is a rare issue since most advice is to eat the food that I already eat. It really feels like it's lack of probiotics to digest the fibre that's the issue. I only use organic products for hair/skin etc, don't swim in chlorine pools. Right now I'm in University. I used to be on Zoloft for about 3 years, which I also quit when going vegan, when I went vegan I also quit birth control pills and I haven't been on antibiotics for a while. I guess I could eat more of the probiotic supplements and I just passed by information on soluble and insoluble dietery fiber. But it's really frustrating because it doesn't feel like there is much else I can do.

I agree with doctors, also out of experience they never have a solution anyway and have no interest in finding what's causing the issue and will probably just prescribe me something.

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I use to have crazy acne and bloating..

Lately I've been fermenting a lot of stuff like yogurt, sauerkraut, water kefir, kombucha.. and I might try to ferment beans.

I have cut all legumes out though as they seem to be hard to digest(which is why I may experiment with fermenting them)..

I removed all Gluten from my diet which helped a lot.

Also, I discovered that I'm allergic to Corn, which would irritate my stomach and cause me to sneeze and have runny nose.

I never noticed that before because I was eating so many things prior to cutting a lot of stuff out. When I reintroduced corn, my acne broke out. Same with legumes, gluten.

It may just be that these things are difficult to digest, so the body reacts to them as if they're toxins.

So foods that help re-flourish the intestine walls with good bacteria should help.

I'd work with real foods with good bacteria as you'll get a lot more living bacteria than in pills, because you don't know if what's in the supplements are actually alive. Or consume both..

I've cut out a lot of foods but I don't know how willing you are to do that. By cutting out a lot of foods and keeping a journal of what you eat, you'll get a more accurate idea of what foods are effecting you.

I've been eating quinoa everyday(white kind, seems easier to digest than the red kind).. helps with my acne.

So, I don't know if this post helps any, but figured I'd share some ideas.

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