Digestive troubles when starting Protein Power (Diarhea)

[sounion]

Every time I start this diet (I've tried Phase One at least 3 times in the last 2 months) I always end up having cramping and diarhea:eek:. Once I go back to carbs, the problem goes away.

Is this a common thing with converting over to a very low carbohydrate situation?:confused:

[Frank Hagan]

I had the opposite reaction. My GERD went away within a few days, and I did get constipated (I had gone from a very high fiber/high carb diet to 30 grams per day, and just wasn't getting enough fiber).

Are you eating something new when you start the diet?

[Ammy]

Are you eating foods that have sugar alcohols or "fake sugars"?? These things can cause MAJOR "issues".

It would help a lot if you gave us the menu from a few of your days.

[sounion]

Thanks for the info Frank and Amy.

I'm basically following the program-- to the letter-- but I absolutely stay away from all sugar substitutes and use only whole, fresh foods. Never anything out of a can or a box.

The only thing sweet comes from any fruit I might have. I don't drink any diet sodas and no coffee. The only thing I drink is spring water (Deer Park) and the occasional 4 oz. glass of milk:

I eat the proteins recommended by the book (omitting only Soy based foods as I have hypothyroidism--and soy is horrible for the thyroid).

List of foods? They are basically as follows:
fish, chicken, beef, pastured eggs; spring butter that we buy raw from an organic grassfed farm; salad greens; fruits and vegetables; raw cottage cheese or hard cheeses--stuff like that. Other fats like olive oil and some virgin coconut oil in my cooking.

The longest I've managed to stay on program is about two weeks (losing like 10 pounds!!) but the resulting diahrea is too much to take and I go back to incorporating carbs and the problem goes away. This is just weird and frustrating.:mad:

I don't know why, but every time I start up the Protein Power program (hoping to avoid the subsequent digestive effects) it just seems to happen every time I attempt going back on the program.

I'm guessing I'll just have to make an appointment with a doctor in hopes of figuring this out. Thanks for your help guys!

[Frank Hagan]

I checked to see if Dr. Eades mentions diarrhea, and he does in the chapter "Putting it All Together" (page 144 in the paperback version I have). His answer is:


Surprisingly, this is a more common complaint on this regime than constipation. Usually loose stools, and occasionally diarrhea, start a few days into the program and resolve a few days later as the body adjusts to its new diet. If it doesn't resolve, you need to be checked for an infection -- nothing to do with your new diet, just a possible coincidence. If that test is negative, reduce your intake of fish oil capsules, if you're taking them, reduce your intake of high fiber foods, and finally, makes sure you don't have an allergy to one or more of the new food you're consuming.


I've had trouble with some supplements; I'm allergic either to one of the vitamins like riboflaven or the soy binder in the pills (I get a rash, not intestinal problems, but you might think about anything new you've added).

[Mitra]

I was just thinking that I remembered some mention of this problem in one of the books, but I see Frank found it first :). If it's too bad to put up with while you wait for your body to get used to its new diet, then maybe you'd do better starting with slightly higher carbs and coming down to intervention levels more gradually.

Good luck.