whey intolerance

[AZhiker 2,251]

I thought I would throw this out there in case it might help anyone else. I had an endoscopy this week which among other things, indicates Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE). which will be confirmed with biopsy results. EoE is basically an allergic response that changes the lining of the esophagus and can result in scarring and permanent damage. food allergy is the most likely culprit in most cases. This tissue change had never been noted on any previous endos - just this one which was 10 months post op, which makes me think that it must be something in my diet that was added since surgery. My doc mentioned that whey can do this in some people, and Whey Protein is the ONLY thing that is different and has been added since surgery, and we all know how much we rely on the Protein Shakes and Protein Powder to get our requirements in. So I have switched to plant based protein powders now. I had cut out dairy products several weeks ago, to work toward more plant based eating, but was trying to finish up the whey protein powder, just because it is expensive and didn't want to waste it.

Well, the surprising result is (gets graphic, so those with weak stomachs)........my bowels have completely changed. While many of you are constipated, I have been struggling with light colored, loose, frothy stools, up to 8 times a day and coming with urgency that made me carry an emergency "clean up" kit. A also had a lot of malodorous gas that was socially embarrassing. Since stopping the whey, my stools are NORMAL! Normal color, normal firmness, and only 1-2 times a day. Gas is now minimal. This is wonderful! I did not realize how much the loose frequency was affecting my quality of life, especially with outdoor exercising, running errands, and work. So much better now!

Sooo........ if anyone else has the stool symptoms I have experienced, try cutting out the whey and maybe all dairy for a week and see what happens.

[FluffyChix 17,409]

Wow hon!!! I'm so glad you have it figured out!!! That's amazing on the throne results. Great for you!!!! Glad you found a new Protein powder that works for you!!

[Deblearn 30]

It is very common for us to no longer tolerate whey. My nutritionist had me use plant based Protein starting with the pre op diet and to also change to almond milk. So glad I did.

[FluffyChix 17,409]

I love unsweetened cashew milk, too!

[AZhiker 2,251]

24 minutes ago, Deblearn said:

It is very common for us to no longer tolerate whey. My nutritionist had me use plant based Protein starting with the pre op diet and to also change to almond milk. So glad I did.

Wow. Who knew? And all of us depend on those Protein shakes/powder for a long time.

[FluffyChix 17,409]

2 minutes ago, AZhiker said:

Wow. Who knew? And all of us depend on those Protein shakes/powder for a long time.

My doc says that often, it's only a brief window of intolerance and that it can go away the further you are out from surgery?

[AZhiker 2,251]

I am presently using organic soy milk, as it has a lot more Protein than almond or cashew milk. Soy products (milk, yogurt, tofu, tempeh) do not seem to bother me.

Which plant based protein powders have you found to be palatable in smoothies and yogurt? I've tried several, but all have stevia. OWYN brand has cane sugar, but seems to be the most pure of all of them, but I haven't tried it yet.

Edited December 12, 2019 by AZhiker

[AZhiker 2,251]

Just now, FluffyChix said:

My doc says that often, it's only a brief window of intolerance and that it can go away the further you are out from surgery?

In my case, it appears to have triggered the esosinophilic esophagitis, so if the whey is indeed the culprit, avoiding it is a no brainer for me.

[PEGGO 107]

6 hours ago, AZhiker said:

I am presently using organic soy milk, as it has a lot more Protein than almond or cashew milk. Soy products (milk, yogurt, tofu, tempeh) do not seem to bother me.

Which plant based Protein powders have you found to be palatable in smoothies and yogurt? I've tried several, but all have stevia. OWYN brand has cane sugar, but seems to be the most pure of all of them, but I haven't tried it yet.

Is Stevia not good for us ? I was told it was one of the ‘better sweetners’ So I sometimes use it. Is there a better alternative does anyone know?

[PollyEster 228]

9 hours ago, AZhiker said:

I am presently using organic soy milk, as it has a lot more Protein than almond or cashew milk. Soy products (milk, yogurt, tofu, tempeh) do not seem to bother me.

Which plant based Protein powders have you found to be palatable in smoothies and yogurt? I've tried several, but all have stevia. OWYN brand has cane sugar, but seems to be the most pure of all of them, but I haven't tried it yet.

AZhiker, have you tried plain unsweetened Ripple milk made from pea protein? 1 cup/240ml = 70kcal, 8g protein, 0 carbs, plus Iron, vit d, and dha Omega 3's. It makes nice thick smoothies, but is delicious on its own over ice (or try it with a few drops of pure vanilla or other natural extract mixed in to switch up the flavour profile).

As for protein powder, you might want to try the plain unsweetened pea protein powder, or one of the plant protein blends, from Canadian Protein (canadianprotein dot com). They've sustained me well since my VSG on Oct 15 - my labs are perfect.

I've been WFPB for 7 years, and it's the best thing I've ever done for my physical health and mental well-being; at least as beneficial as my surgery and perhaps moreso in other ways. There are less than a handful of people on these boards that I follow, but I've very much enjoyed reading about all of your experiences and experiments here, and am excited about the continued benefits you'll reap with a WFPB lifestyle. All the very best you!

Edited December 12, 2019 by PollyEster
typo

[AZhiker 2,251]

I like to stay away from it for 3 reasons - 1) it is a processed product which I am avoiding, 2) the brain can interpret any kind of sweetener as caloric intake and cause increases in insulin, and 3) I m trying to retrain my taste buds. A few raisins or some banana add quite enough sweetening for me and I don't want sugar cravings to start up. I do have some dark chocolate once in a while, but it is a treat in its own right - not a sweetener for something else.

[AZhiker 2,251]

2 minutes ago, PollyEster said:

AZhiker, have you tried plain unsweetened Ripple milk made from pea Protein? 1 cup/240ml = 70kcal, 8g protein, 0 carbs, plus Iron, vit d, and dha Omega 3's. It makes nice thick smoothies, but is delicious on its own over ice (or try it with a few drops of pure vanilla or other natural extract mixed in to switch up the flavour profile).

As for Protein Powder, you might want to try the plain unsweetened pea protein powder, or one of the plant protein blends, from Canadian Protein (canadianprotein dot com). They've sustained me well since my VSG on Oct 15 - my labs are perfect.

I've been WFPB for 7 years, and it's the best thing I've ever done for my physical health and metal well-being; at least as beneficial as my surgery and perhaps moreso in other ways. There are less than a handful of people on these boards that I follow, but I've very much enjoyed reading about all of your experiences and experiments here, and am excited about the continued benefits you'll reap with a WFPB lifestyle. All the very best you!

I will definitely look up these products. Thank you so much for the suggestions. My question to you now, is how would you propose I eat enough to get the volume required for WFPB? My volume is still so restricted, that to eat even a "small" Budda bowl salad takes literally hours. I have broken up the components - eating the grains and legumes separately as Snacks between meals. But it seems like I am just eating all the time, which I really don't like, as I fear it could set up the grazing behavior I had before surgery. Getting all the food in on a normal day is hard, and when I exercise, I have to use supplemental bars (plant based, GF) to get the calories in.

[Deedee12 1,859]

AZhiker, have you tried plain unsweetened Ripple milk made from pea Protein? 1 cup/240ml = 70kcal, 8g protein, 0 carbs, plus Iron, vit d, and dha Omega 3's. It makes nice thick smoothies, but is delicious on its own over ice (or try it with a few drops of pure vanilla or other natural extract mixed in to switch up the flavour profile).
As for protein powder, you might want to try the plain unsweetened pea protein powder, or one of the plant protein blends, from Canadian Protein (canadianprotein dot com). They've sustained me well since my VSG on Oct 15 - my labs are perfect.
I've been WFPB for 7 years, and it's the best thing I've ever done for my physical health and mental well-being; at least as beneficial as my surgery and perhaps moreso in other ways. There are less than a handful of people on these boards that I follow, but I've very much enjoyed reading about all of your experiences and experiments here, and am excited about the continued benefits you'll reap with a WFPB lifestyle. All the very best you!

I [emoji173] Ripple milk!!!!!!!!!!

Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

[PollyEster 228]

I’m very pleased to meet another WFPB post-bariatric athlete here! Although I’m not as active as you, I’m somewhat athletic (active 7 days a week with hill hiking, race walking, distance cycling, squash, cardio, weights, sea kayaking, downhill skiing, etc. and currently training for a triathlon in August), and once I’m into maintenance, consuming enough (and the right types of) fuel for workouts is – and will continue to be – an ongoing experiment for me.

If you, like me, were athletic at any point in your life prior to weight gain or WLS, then you’ll know that athletes need to eat more frequently than non-athletes, no matter what type of food lifestyle they’ve chosen, typically at least 6 meals per day – 3 meals and 3 Snacks, depending on the intensity of training. So my best advice is to structure every meal and snack so that they support your workouts. The timing of all meals and snacks should support optimal performance and recovery, so for example, if you train after work, save one of your snacks for about 1 hour beforehand, and eat dinner within an hour after completing your training session.

Obviously you’ll also have increased nutritional needs for optimal performance and health during long distance cardio training and events such as cycling. The typical recommendation is that endurance athletes get 60% of their calories from carbohydrates on training and event days. To calculate this, take your calorie intake for the day and multiply it by 0.6. Then divide that number by 4 to get the number of carbohydrate grams you need daily to support optimum performance. For example, on a 1500 calorie per day diet, that number is 225 grams. Carb needs will go above and beyond this on days with longer training sessions but you might not be able to hit such a high number due to space constraints or fear of dumping, so all you can do is increase your carbohydrate count slowly over time to see how your body reacts, making sure to use a variety of high quality complex carbohydrate sources such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. The mixed grain Cereal you’ve mentioned in other posts is ideal.

Immediately prior to an endurance training session or event, the typical recommendation is for an athlete to ingest 1-3 grams of easily digestible high quality carbs per kilogram of body weight (bananas, figs, etc.). Bariatric athletes won’t reach that number, so the goal would be to increase carb consumption before an event to a level at which you are physically comfortable, then note any performance improvement. Foods high in Protein and fat are digested more slowly, so are usually avoided in the hour before an event. Just keep experimenting with pre-race fueling to see what works best for you.

During a training session or event, endurance athletes typically take in 30-50 grams of carbohydrates per hour. Bariatric athletes will need to spread this out in smaller portions (protein bars, energy gels, dried fruit, lightweight hydration back packs with added electrolyte and carb powders, etc.). After a training session or event, endurance athletes usually consume about 15 grams of carbohydrate within 30 minutes of finishing. One to two hours later, another portion of high quality complex carb rich food with some protein mixed in is needed for muscle recovery (i.e., banana with Peanut Butter, a glass of Ripple milk, etc.). I have read studies that indicate that glucose ingested while exercising is less likely to lead to dumping syndrome, but this is an individual thing to be approached extremely carefully, but in general plant-based whole foods like fruit do not cause dumping syndrome as far as I’ve read and can be used in place of sports drinks and gels.

To address any increase in hunger due to training, or to supplement in order to maintain weight, in the past I found that low calorie high nutrient shakes are ideal (i.e. Ripple milk, a few nuts and/or seeds, ½ c berries, a handful of raw dark green leaves, and 1-2 tbsp of blended pea/soy/rice/hemp/chia protein powder, and if needed, a handful of steel cut oats that have been soaked in Water overnight to soften).

Most Americans, as well as virtually all WLS-post-ops in maintenance from what I have read on these and other boards, consume too much protein, but endurance athletes actually do need a bit more protein, anywhere from are 1.0-1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight. Remember that all plants have protein in them, and to count their protein towards your daily intake.

Re hydration, I monitor this closely, particularly at my early stage post-op (I use a hydration pack and will continue to). Taking a before and after workout weight on a calibrated digital scale is an excellent way to determine hydration status. If the post-workout weight is lower than the pre-workout weight, you’ll be able to track exactly how much water was lost through sweat and respiration.

In terms of micronutrients, some endurance athletes may have increased needs for vits a, c, and e, as well as Iron, Calcium, potassium, sodium, and chloride. Get regular labs, keep taking vits, and rehydrate with electrolyte drinks or powders (I like Ultima Replenisher).

Finally, investing in a WFPB bariatric nutritionist is worthwhile because calibrating nutrition for a post-bariatric athlete is both difficult and very individualized. Parts of what I’ve written here comes directly from notes I made during sessions with my own WFPB bariatric nutritionist. I will also try to put together a brief recommended reading list within the next day or two.

Disclaimer: These suggestions are intended for bariatric endurance athletes in maintenance ONLY. If you are exercising at a low to moderate intensity for less than 2 hours per day for 6 to 7 days per week, you don’t need extra nutrition, calories, macronutrients, or micronutrients to support your exercise or recovery, and doing so will only hinder your weight loss or cause weight gain.

Edited February 12, 2020 by PollyEster

[123456789#$% 12]

I really can't believe it, I take like the smallest sip of whey Protein isolate and I'm FULL, seriously I cannot drink more than a sip of whey protein, I get too much bloating, but soy protein isolate sits well for me. Hate the estrogen effect soy products have but I digest.