Carnivore diet and constipation

#1

I’m two weeks into carnivore diet and I’ve been constipated, what’s the remedy ? Is that normal ? I have not cut dairy out yet bc well I’m weak. I like food. The idea that dairy may now be affecting my gut sucks, because I already hate meat but I’m doing this to figure out what is causing my bowel issues (bloat, constipation, fluid rentention, stomach pains, trapped gas) I also eat eggs. I’m so addicted to coffee it isn’t even funny , if I can’t use cream I am just gonna whine and cry bc I’m pretty sure there isn’t an alternative to cream on a carnivore diet. Ugh I really was hoping I would not have to do the strict meat and water thing . Sorry I’m a baby. Lol

(Chris) #2

Do you have the urge to go but cannot? Or is there just no urge at all?

And many carnivores still use cream and other dairy. I don’t, it makes me fat and I don’t digest it well.

#3

I have the urge to go , I strain, and it’s rocks .

(Chris) #4

I would try some rendered fat- bacon grease or tallow. Others here may swear by magnesium. I only seem to get issues when I have too much butter (which is not often anymore).

#5

Could it be the dairy? I had a test done for it a while ago and it said I had issues with the protein in dairy but I wasn’t hoping I could at least consume it in my coffee. It didn’t seem to be a problem at first but then I started to add in cheese also.

#6

By magnesium do you mean magnesium citrate?

(Chris) #7

It very well could be.

Best bet is to drop down to a baseline of only meat and water - then add back one item at a time, by itself, to see which might be the culprit. That would hopefully at least narrow you down a bit.

#8

Does coffee cause any issues or is it usually just the dairy ?

(Chris) #9

Yes, Citrate is the one that’s mixed with citric acid and works as a laxative.

(Chris) #10

It can cause issues, depending on the person. My advice about meat-only baseline would apply here as well.

#11

Couldn’t that cause dependence ? I have tried magnesium oxide that works good but I’ve been dependent for so long on these types of things I’m just so tired of it and was hoping carnivore could help me figure out the problem

#12

Ok so cut out coffee as well? Can I eat any meats or is it possible those can cause constipation too?

(Chris) #13

You can get dependent on anything…I haven’t needed anything like this thankfully but I’m the type that would definitely form a dependence.

Yeah I’d probably cut coffee for a while as well. I think most don’t have issues with it, but if you really want to be sure and make sure not to waste time with nonsense, best to cut it all and add it back slowly.

I think any meats are generally fine, can’t think of one off the top of my head that would cause any constipation. Eggs might though. Beef, lamb, goat, and other grass eaters are the best nutrition-wise, but chicken, fish, pork, etc. probably won’t bind you up.

(Empress of the Unexpected) #14

Are you eating enough salt? That seems to help people in that department.

#15

I had horrible consripation the first week or so and I had not had digestive/elimination issues before this. I do not eat any dairy so that was not the issue for me. I drank a glass of warm salt water and then had to ultimately eat some apple sauce (apples make me poo like nobody’s business) to get that sucker to pass. I haven’t had a issue since. I agree with @Dread1840 of you want to have a starting point it’s best to get down to basics and try reintroducing one thing at a time to see how each thing effects you. Dairy and coffee may be having more of an effect than you even realize…or maybe not. Good luck.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #16

Good point, Regina. I find that constipation correlates strongly with how much salt I ate the day before. It’s funny that, as much as I lke salt, I can fall behind, now that I’m eating keto.

(Empress of the Unexpected) #17

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That’s two teaspoons of salt. Much as I love salt I don’t always hit the mark every day. So I set it out in the morning. Of course there is salt in food as well.

(Empress of the Unexpected) #18

image
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There we go

(Full Metal KETO AF) #19

I would not cut out coffee myself, it helps me go. The dairy could be the issue, I would at least cut the cheese (pun intended!). It’s likely casein causing the problem which cream and butter contain minimal amounts. You could clarify your butter into ghee if you really want to minimize. Bullet proof coffee could be the answer if you needed to cut out the cream and can’t handle black coffee. If you’re really having bad discomfort you could try a fleet enema which is not ideal but it’s better than a trip to the hospital with impacted bowels which is seriously dangerous if it goes on too long. Personal experience here, caused diverticulitis and temporary renal failure complete with hallucinations. Magnesium supplements should help with increasing water and salt intake. Carnivores bowel movements can be irregular compared to eating omnivore. I hope you feel better soon :cowboy_hat_face:.

#20

Ahhh thanks this reminds me a long time ago I was tested for some food intolerances and it was casein. I couldnt remember what it was in dairy that gave me issues. I always wondered why I didn’t have issues with things like butter or cream but I did if I ate any other form of dairy. I’m pretty sure I’m getting enough salt, but I’ll have to relook at things here. Is there any other dairy low in casein besides cream and butter?