113 | Is It Common To Get Digestive Problems Moving to Plant-Based? [Summer Series] - Plant Based Eating Made Easy | Simple Strategies & Clear Nutrition Guidance to Transform Your Health | Dietitian, Plant-Based Diet

Episode Transcript
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(00:01):
Are you wanting to begin a plant-baseddiet but don't know if you'll be
able to handle the gut transition?
You've heard or seen others onsocial media complain about gas
and bloating, and you're worriedthe same will happen to you.
Does this happen to all peoplemaking this diet change?
And how long can you expectthat gas and cramping to last?

(00:24):
Let's discuss this important transitionissue in this fourth episode of a
special Summer Series highlightingCommunity questions, we'll look to
see if gut problems should be expectedfor all people moving to a plant-based
diet, and if so, how quickly youcan expect things to get better.
Whether you've already started yourdiet transition, or hope to begin

(00:47):
soon, this episode is for you.
I'll meet you on the inside.
Welcome to the Plant BasedEating Made Easy Podcast.
I'm your host, Anna Tseng, plant-basedRegistered Dietitian and Transition Coach.
Hi Friend, do you want to regain yourhealth with plant-based eating but feel

(01:08):
overwhelmed and lost about how to do it?
Do you feel it'll be hard to changeyour meat-heavy diet and impossible
with working, running the home,or chasing after the grandkids?
If so, you're in the right place.
Here you'll find simple strategies,clear nutrition guidance and
practical tips to help you thriveplant-powered with more energy.

(01:29):
So, if you're ready to ditchthe guesswork and transform
your health the stress-free way.
Cozy up now with a hot cup of tea orlisten while you walk and let me show
you how doable plant-based eating can be.
Let's do this!
Sometimes we're just bombardedwith too much information.

(01:50):
There's so much thrown at us that it'simpossible not to get overwhelmed.
I feel that way sometimes, and then mybrain just wants to shut off, especially
when there are at least seven otherthings needing my attention and headspace.
Have you felt this way?
I know how challenging thisall makes for trying to change

(02:13):
to a healthier way of eating.
That's why I created the Plant-PoweredLife Transformation Course, to simplify
and bring together in one placeall the key essentials you need, in
order to really master the basics ofa plant-based diet with confidence.
You'll get video lessons, smartstrategies, and easy-to-make

(02:34):
recipes to guide you step-by-stepinto a lifestyle that will truly
transform your health, at a pacethat works for you and your schedule.
It's all designed to be clear,straightforward, and easy to follow.
Learn more about this Course atplantnourished.com/ppltcourse or

(02:55):
see the link in the show notes.
Starting anything new can be difficult,especially if it's a lifestyle change
and you don't really know what to expect.
If you've been eating a meat-heavy dietfor decades, it's natural to wonder
how your body will react to addingdifferent foods to your meals, like

(03:16):
more beans and lentils, and it doesn'thelp that you've heard of friends or
others on social media complaining aboutgas and bloating in their transition.
Or maybe you've just started plant-basedeating and it's affecting your body.
You weren't expecting these gut symptomsand lately they've gotten worse.

(03:37):
In fact, it's now much harder toconcentrate at work, be around family,
or even participate in social events.
How long will this all last?
No one wants to deal with gut problems.
They're not only unpleasant to dealwith, but affects those around us too.
That's why I could identify withthis member of my free Beginners

(04:00):
for Plant Based Diet SuccessCommunity who shared his situation.
He wrote within the group , "Is itcommon to have digestive issues when
converting to plant-based eating?
I started eating plant-basedabout three weeks ago.
I am doing pretty well with the changes.
I do have grilled shrimpor salmon on occasion.

(04:22):
Having lived a life of chronicconstipation, I now get very
crampy and sometimes three bowelmovements a day that are very loose.
Is this normal and will my bodyreadjust?" What a great question.
First, I want to say thisto the Community member.
I'm glad to hear that your diettransition has been going pretty well

(04:45):
and that the chronic constipationproblems are now reversed.
Having constant constipation createsa chronic level of discomfort all in
itself, and I know this has impacted yourday-to-day living to a certain extent.
Now, here are my thoughts regardingyour current situation of having
cramps and very loose stools.

(05:07):
If you've been on a meat-heavy diet fora long time and never had much vegetables
and other plant-based foods regularly,then making the switch to suddenly
eating a lot more natural whole foodssuch as vegetables, whole grains, and
beans will be quite a big change foryou and your body's digestive system.
Your gut or your digestive systemnow has to get used to processing

(05:31):
much more nutrient- and fiber-richfoods, and it needs time to build
up the good gut microbes to handlethese new foods in indigestion.
So just like you have to get used tothis new plant-based diet, lifestyle
change mentally and emotionally,your body does too in a physical way.

(05:52):
These growing pains are all goodthough and over time the digestive
system does learn to adapt well.
So the cramps, gassiness, and loosestools will gradually subside as
you continue a plant-based dietand your microbiome grows stronger.
For most people, if you don't have anyexisting underlying gastrointestinal

(06:14):
problems, these transitional gutissues tend to resolve on their own
after about four to six weeks, butthis is just an estimated period.
In reality, this transitionalperiod can really vary quite
a lot from person to person.
For some, they may notexperience any gut issues at all.

(06:35):
For others, the GI discomfortresolves naturally after a week.
For still others, it could be a fewmonths before their body seems to
fully adjust to the dietary changes.
Just within my own family,there were different responses.
While my husband and I didn't have anyunpleasant transitional gut issues, my

(06:57):
daughter did need a little bit more 'gutreadjustment' time in her preschool years.
For a while, she would get intermittentbouts of diarrhea and pass quite a
bit of smelly gas, but that phaseeventually passed and she no longer
passes the same levels of gas or hasany issues with her bowel movements.

(07:17):
I have also interviewed quite a fewguests on this podcast who have said they
didn't experience any significant gutdiscomfort during the transition phase.
The reason there is so much variationin gut responses though is because there
are a lot of factors that can affecthow a person's digestive system will
react once plant-based eating starts.

(07:40):
These factors include individualdifferences, what the previous diet was
like, how fast the diet transition wasmade, what specific plant-based foods
were introduced first, the amountseaten, and what prepping and cooking
techniques were used to prepare the meals.
Just think about it.
If you're just starting out eatingplant-based and have never eaten much

(08:03):
vegetables or beans, your gut willlikely be able to handle a bowl of
roasted vegetables much better thana huge bowl of leafy greens in a
raw salad that first couple of days.
This is also a key reason why Ibuilt into the Plant-Powered Life
Transformation Course specific guidancearound how to prepare and cook with

(08:24):
common plant-based ingredients likebeans, whole grains, and lentils.
This is important as how you preparethese foods can really have a big impact
on potential transitional gut issueslike excess gassiness and bloating.
Within this Course, I also give simpleplant-based recipes that help to
introduce whole plant-based foods intoone's meals in a step-wise fashion,

(08:48):
starting with more easily digestibleplant-based foods that will be more
gentle on one's digestive system.
Looking back, none of the Plant-PoweredLife Transformation Course students
and clients I've worked with havecomplained of any gut transition
issues, so that's great to hear.
This has definitely helped them enjoytheir plant-based diet transition

(09:11):
and new lifestyle that much more.
Now, here's what you can expect over time.
In general, as you continue aplant-powered diet and as existing
transitional gut issues subside, youshould be able to enjoy a baseline
of one to three bowel movements a daythat are smooth and pretty effortless.

(09:32):
That's something to look forward to.
This is what many of my current andpast clients now enjoy, especially those
that previously had constipation issues.
In fact, this is one of thebiggest benefits my husband saw
with moving to a plant-based diet.
So know that having more than onebowel movement a day is actually

(09:53):
quite normal when you are on afull whole food plant-based diet.
Now, back to my Communitymember who posted this question.
Overall, I think you're doing well inyour diet transition so far, but sounds
like your digestive system needs a bitmore time to adjust to the dietary changes
you've made, but know that there aremany strategies that can be used to help

(10:14):
reduce symptoms like cramping and loosestools during this transition period.
One way that might help your body easemore successfully into this new way
of eating is to stick more to cookvegetables for now and cut down the
portion of beans you are having daily.
Then over the next few weeks, as younotice your GI symptoms improving,

(10:36):
you can gradually increase thequantity of cooked or canned beans
in your meals, and also the amount ofraw vegetables you're eating daily.
I hope this helps your situation.
So today we looked at a Communitymember's question, is it common to get
digestive problems moving to plant-based?
And we saw that yes, this can bea common transitional experience,

(11:00):
especially for those who have been usedto a meat-heavy diet for a long time.
But many factors can impact this,and so not everyone moving to a
plant-based diet needs to expectsevere gastrointestinal issues.
We also looked at what you can expectover time as you continue on a whole food
plant-based diet and some strategies tohelp reduce transitional gut symptoms.

(11:24):
If you'll like to learn more aboutthis topic, go to episode 12, which I
will link for you in the show notes.
It will go through more details aboutpossible reasons why issues like
gas and bloating can be experiencedduring a plant-based diet transition.
Remember, if you'll like morestep-by-step guidance to build a strong
plant power lifestyle, check out thePlant-Powered Life Transformation

(11:48):
Course at plantnourished.com/ppltcourseto see if it's right for you.
Thank you for listening to the PlantBased Eating Made Easy Podcast.
If this podcast has helped you,please take a moment to rate and
leave a written review on theApple Podcast app or on iTunes.

(12:09):
Knowing how this podcast hasmade a difference in your life
never fails to light me up.
I may also select your reviewto be read on this show.
Remember that moving to plant-basedeating can be simple and doable,
even with your existing healthchallenges and busy lifestyle.
If you have a plant-based diet questionyou'd like me to answer on this show,

(12:30):
share that question with me using thecontact options in the show notes.
Thanks for joining me today andI can't wait to connect with
you again in the next episode.
Until next time, keep plant-focusedand thriving, my Friend!

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113 | Is It Common To Get Digestive Problems Moving to Plant-Based? [Summer Series]

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