The paleo diet is awesome but it can’t fix everything — some medical conditions do not respond well to dietary changes. Eating paleo food without taking into account your specific tolerances can lead to frustration. The paleo diet is a not a one-size-fits-all solution. This does not mean the food is not full of nutrients and perfectly healthy. In some cases, it might even contain very few gut irritants.
Although fiber is widely regarded as the Holy Grail of digestion, it may not be suitable for everyone. In this case, try reducing your vegetable intake; eat more nutrient-rich animal foods, such as eggs, grass-fed beef and liver. You should manage to strike a balance by experimenting with fresh-pressed vegetable juice (IBS Friendly Recipes). This liquefied version comes with the beneficial nutrients minus the hard-to-digest fiber.
If you are struggling with digestive issues and cannot figure out the source of the problem, try excluding the following foods for two to four weeks (one at a time).
The Usual Culprits
1. Garlic
For many unfortunate paleo aficionados, garlic earns its troublesome stripes by virtue of containing high amounts of FODMAPs. Ingesting the popular herb can lead to constipation, diarrhea, gas or bloating. Unfortunately, garlic is not the only perpetrator in this regard. A number of vegetables can also trigger problems, including cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, leeks, onions, and kale.
2. Coffee
Despite being a healthy beverage, organic coffee may upset sensitive paleo digestive systems by causing bouts of cramp, constipation and diarrhea. Caffeine exacerbates chronic digestive problems in addition to stressing the adrenals of people with a leaky gut or experiencing the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
3. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are a wholesome fruit that taste delicious and they are rich in potassium, antioxidants, vitamin A and C, among other nutrients. However, they belong to the nightshades family, which is notorious for causing discomfort to some people.
4. Nuts
Nuts are a great source of potassium and carbohydrates but not everyone shares in the nutritional wonders. The fiber in the nuts can declare war on the gut by causing a major upset. If you are trying to lose weight, then eating nuts could actually block your progress.
5. Coconut oil
Coconut oil is one of nature’s truly awesome gifts to humanity; it’s brimming with medium-chain triglycerides and antioxidants. This is in addition to being stable at high heat. Unfortunately, the delicacy comes with disturbing side effects for some. It causes running stomach despite containing loads of healthy fat and being a wholesome poster item associated with the paleo diet.
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