Can't digest leafy greens?

food
#1

There was a time when I could’ve consumed greens without digestive issues but now I can’t digest greens. I can’t digest fruit anymore either but don’t care.

How is it possible to eat and digest leafy greens without eventually defecating turds that feel like glass shards?

I am able to digest green juices made from cicoria spadona leaves without the stems if I filter out the pulp with a fine tea sifter.

I can digest nuts and avocadoes with zero issues. So it isn’t an issue with digesting plants.

Has anyone been through a similar experience and gained the ability to digest greens?

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #2

Why do you care?

#3

Haha. A lot of people in the ‘what did you keto today’ thread seem to be able to digest greens and tomatoes. I’m a little jealous. I wouldn’t mind having a salad again.

(Laurie) #4

I developed reactions (mostly abdominal pain) to some plant foods but not others. The list was rapidly growing. Instead of keeping track, I just stopped eating greens and most other plant foods. Sorry, I don’t have any suggestions for getting back the ability to eat greens.

(Butter Withaspoon) #5

Can you digest cooked greens? Is eating cooked greens a way to introduce one at a time…?

(Bob M) #6

I have salads periodically, though if I have too many of them too quickly, I get things like irritable bowel syndrome (where you have to RUN to the bathroom).

This may be because I still ate them infrequently.

I can handle tomatoes, too, though. Again, something I kept eating infrequently.

For both of these, I try to eat them only in season (for me, in New England, US). Sometimes, that’s not possible. For instance, if I go out to eat, I often get a salad to replace fries with a burger.

I do believe that eating cooked vegetables is better for me, but obviously there aren’t many cooked salads.

It’s also tough, as spiralized zucchini tends to give me digestive issues, but I was able to eat this with no issues I could determine:

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/zucchini-ribbon-salad-recipe-1922455

I’m not sure what the difference is.

#7

Interesting. Do you remember what you added to the zucchini salad?

I’m thinking raw onions have a beneficial effect in regards to digesting the salad.

#8

Had the same exact thing happen after years of super strict keto, get this.

It’s got every enzyme there is, protein, fat, carbs, and cellulose which digests plant matter. One thing I’m not sure of but assume is that is (may) make fiber a normal carb because again (I assume) it’ll make you digest it instead of passing it through. I’m basing that on nothing and never stop and look it up. But it fixed my bloating and discomfort after big salads and good helpings of things like broccoli.

(Bob M) #9

It was exactly like the recipe.

I’m thinking maybe the salt helped? You put the zucchini in salt for a while.

It may also be that the zucchini in the recipe is in strips and not spiralized. I’m really not sure, and I haven’t done a comparison of each. I stopped eating spiralized zucc a while ago due to issues, and I’ve only had this salad once. (Do want to try it again; just haven’t had time.)

#10

I recommend

  • Cooking the vegetables. Even with the spiralized zucchini, you want to toss in olive oil for 3-5 minutes.
  • Not eating too much of it and gradually increase consumption.
  • Using digestive enzymes
  • Optionally, taking apple cider vinegar (1 tbsp diluted in 10tbsp water) before eating.
  • Eat vegetables with fats.

Since you mentioned you were able to consume greens before, the above may help get you back to doing that again.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #11

Yep, it’s got cellulase in it, so the fibre becomes a digestible source of glucose, like all the other carbohydrate. Anyone taking fibre to bulk up their stools should probably avoid taking this product.

#12

I don’t experience bloating or gas. The stool bulks up fine but feels like there’s glass shards surrounding the turd. I’m not going to spend money to digest a salad. I’ll stick to carrots and onions for the time being.

(Joey) #13

I find this issue of interest… never having suffered from what’s been described above.

I eat giant leafy green salads nightly (spinach, kale, broccoli, cucumber, peppers, loaded with proteins like eggs, meats, fish, whatever) and have no issues with digestion whatsoever. So I’m left wondering what’s behind your once being able to digest and enjoy leafy greens, and then losing the ability to do so?

Since it’s not your original genetics, my first guess would be that you’ve changed your gut biome through your changed eating habits.

Which, in turn, suggests that you can restore that gut biome - somehow. :thinking:

#14

Same here. I eat a good amount of veggies daily (circa 400g most days) daily with a good side of protein with no issues at all. I have however heard some people really don’t do great with veggies - we are all different I guess.

Maybe it’s to do with certain changes in gut bacteria - affecting the ones that aid digesting fiber? It is interesting.

#15

Wouldn’t you say that’s an indication of not digesting them correctly?

(Robin) #16

I was a happy vegetarian for many years. Veggies are still my favorite foods, but I restrict them greatly now due to diverticulitis. The ones I do eat are cooked within an inch of their lives.

#17

Now that I recall. I shifted my gut microbiome years ago and killed off oxalate degrading bacteria without knowing it. I couldn’t digest nuts so I started introducing small amounts of nuts without the skin and then with the skin to gain the ability to digest them. Slowly but surely I’m now able to digest more than 100 grams of nuts a day but greens no more. I can tolerate fruit vegetables like zucchini and roots like carrots, onions and even raw onions.

Other plants like cruciferous plant stems mess with my thyroid and the nicotine in tomatoes makes them addicting.

@lfod14 It seems like I’m digesting the fiber but not the oxalates. It seems that the shards are oxalates.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #18

You know, it is within the realm of possibility that the OP was experiencing symptoms before, but those symptoms were masked by all the other aches and pains from a high-carb diet. And now, on a cleaner diet, those symptoms are more obvious.

Now, I have no idea what’s truly going on here, I grant you, but such a scenario is indeed possible. We’ve seen other forum members uncover such hidden problems before, after all.

#19

My ache was constant delirium and I didn’t have digestive issues because of working one of the hardest jobs on the planet. I was consuming a smoothie every morning with lots of spinach, bananas and 50g ground flax seeds.

@SomeGuy @JustMo I don’t understand how you’re able to consume that much vegetation without the fiber excessively lowering your cholesterol and ketones.(?)

(Joey) #20

Sorry, I’m a bit confused… Why would eating green leafy vegetables lower cholesterol and/or ketones? :no_mouth: And if it did, what would be wrong with that?