Stomach issues since vegetarianism

Question

Hey there! I started going vegetarian for a project for Environmental Science class, and lately I've noticed that my stomach has been cramping on and off. It will go from mild to severe cramping. My doctor said it's because I'm overweight. I thought it was because of coffee, so I nixed the coffee. It still happens. Could someone please give me advice for what to do?

savetheanimals · Answer

Eat a high carb vegan diet. When you went vegetarian you most likely are substituting all the murder (meat) by eating more other animal products. All animal products are unhealthy for you.

ahimsa32fa · Answer

Nutrition is extremely important, but no more important than physical exercise when it comes to health.

You will likely lose weight on a (healthy)vegan diet, and during this process, the toxins stored in fatty tissue may cause temporary problems as they are being eliminated from the body.

AndyT · Answer

Hello luka,

Sorry to hear about your challenges. To give any meaningful advice you would have to tell us what you eat now.

Regards,
Andreas

JonPol · Answer

I think it could be a number of things. The best thing to do would be to eliminate all the things that are problematic for people, like soy, wheat and maybe nuts. Pay attention to your body when you eat certain things. If your eating allot of processed food that could be the problem. Id check out a good doctor that prescribes a good vegetarian diet therapeutically. Like Dr Fuhrman or Dr McDougall, you can buy there books off amazon

Laylah · Answer

It was completely opposite in my case - I used to get stomach aches when I was a meat eater and all the problems stopped after I turned vegetarian...

Hope you'll get well soon, good luck LukaThalius :)

GarrettHnatiuk · Answer

It must be something you are eating new or more of. For instance...eating more veggies when you are unfamiliar with it, can cause discomfort. Such changes wouldn't happen so quickly anyhow.

tina x · Answer

Try to savor each bite, slowing down to make sure you're  chewing is thorough. This will help quite a bit. You might also consider taking a vegan digestive enzyme. If you can, wait about 30 minutes after your meal to drink liquids, if other than water. If you want to sip water or tea during the meal, it's fine. Certain people have sensitivity to soy. If you are drinking soy milk, or eating lots of tofu, see what happens when you reduce the amounts. Generally, ginger root and fermented foods are excellent for digestion, so if you like tempeh, vegan kim chee, and yogurt (even vegan yogurts have healthy bacteria), then you might want to add these foods to your diet.

DunkiesandDimeys · Answer

Calcium supplements really helped me with cramping issues. I thought I was getting tons of calcium, but maybe my body needs more or something.
It can also be due to consuming lots of fiber. If that is the case then your body should adjust after a while. 
I highly doubt it has anything to do with your weight. Anymore, doctors will blame anything on weight. Maybe you should try to see another doctor if your issue doesn't resolve soon.
I'm sorry to hear about your cramping issue. I hope you feel better soon. 

www.cafepress.com/dunkiesanddimeys

Star the magic vegan · Answer

Cramping stomach issues can be complex. Dehydration from coffee, alcohol, meds and not drinking enough water can be one cause. Another can be not enough starch in your diet because you want to lose weight which can lead to diarrhea and cramping. Another can be food allergies, or asbestos from heating vents above the food table, or a low grade appendicitis, tape worms, crone's disease, atopic pregnancy, damaged disks in the lower back with a nerve relay to the stomach area etc. You may want to work with a better doctor as well as an herbalist who practices acupuncture that can interact with your doctor. You may also want to see a nutritionist, an allergy specialist and a gastroenterologist as well as a gynecologist.     

A Vegan diet is a cure for acid reflux and ulcers. A Vegan diet is an alkaline diet and so it reverses any acid imbalances. Vegan diets are also used to cure cancer and other health issues. I doubt that a Vegan diet can cause this problem because millions of people are Vegan without this cramping issue. Of course, you have to do Vegan right and use vegan vitamin D3 pills, nutritional yeast for B complex and spirulina for amino acids. Also you must eat multiple colors of vegetables daily because the colors represent different mineral and vitamin compounds and other nutritional molecules. 

You should check into what other products you started when you started a vegetarian diet. Maybe you are eating radiated or contaminated foods.

diannaoftheoaks · Answer

It could be you are mixing your fruits and veggies.  Best to eat them one hour apart. Otherwise they can cause gas, which in turn can cause cramping.

AllyG · Answer

I'm vegan and gluten intolerant. I had a few stomach issues with bloating and cramps. So I was more mindful of my portion sizes, and it seems to have fixed my problem.

Maybe eat smaller main meals, and have substantial snacks so you are not overloading your digestive system.

rahul2630 · Answer

Well, I can't lie that the foods that you mentioned aren't too healthy...and will cause upset stomach. Esp. cheese. It may be that you are eating so much less of these foods so that now when you do consume them they are far more potent on your system. Try to go a week without any dairy and see how you feel.

Helen Woodard · Answer

Maybe you are eating too much carbohydrates too. its too hard for your stomache to digest if you eat too much carbs and dairy. 

Try eating mostly fruits and vegetables in your meals and you should feel alot better. fruits and veggies are easy to digest.

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