How to get enough protein without protein powder?

@personalizedbook Yeah I think there is a larger issue going on. I should probably go to a doctor and just haven't gotten around to it yet. High fiber intake is from lots of vegetables, beans, whole grains and potatoes. I drink lots of water, enough that my pee is light in color. I have gone through periods where I methodically and obsessively chewed the living daylights out of my food to see if it helped with the constipation, and it seemed to have no effect.

As far as I know, the things that make me constipated include meat, eggs, dairy, protein powder, nuts, peanuts, seeds, anything fried, refined wheat (white bread, white pasta, seitan).

If I don't eat anything listed above, I poop effortlessly and like clockwork, once a day, first thing in the morning. If I eat anything on the list once, I might be okay, or might skip a day or two. If I eat anything on the list multiple days in a row, I might squeeze out little rabbit pellets once or twice a day, but will go days and days without a real bowel movement. My belly will get swollen and bloated and anytime I eat or drink anything, my stomach will swell and put pressure on my diaphragm, making it feel like I have just eaten a thanksgiving dinner.

I would love to figure out what is wrong with my gut, but I just don't really trust most doctors. I have a feeling they would tell me to take laxatives or something equally unhelpful. I should go to a doctor though. The closest theory I have at the moment is that I might have low stomach acid, which is congruent with inability to digest animal protein. I have started drinking apple cider vinegar with meals as it is supposed to promote acid production. I haven't tried re-introducing any of the foods I have issues with yet.

Let me know if you have any ideas or theories as to what is going on. I would love to have a less restrictive diet.
 
@farmer88 Hmm, it could be some type of IBS or diverticulitis? Perhaps some food allergies or an imbalance in your gut bacteria? Those foods don't have much in common although dairy and gluten are common allergens. Have you tried a protein powder that includes digestive enzymes to see if that makes a difference? Or have you tried taking a good probiotic to see if that does anything? In the end, a doctor might be required.
 
@farmer88 sounds like what happens to me when i eat the foods im allergic to. i would recommend an allergy test and perhaps an endoscopy to see if your stomach is adequately digesting your food.
 
@farmer88 TVP is my hero. My favorite uses are in spaghetti sauce or as taco meat. 1/4 cup serving has 12g protein and I can easily have 2 servings with a single meal.

Tempeh is also great for protein
 
@farmer88 Do you drink a ton of water? Have you had a checkup recently including a thyroid panel? This is really an issue for your doctor, since their about a million possible causes for constipation. Water is always a huge factor me, as is keeping my thyroid levels where they need to be.
 
@farmer88 For constipation the first steps are 2-3 liters of liquids a day. I know you say you drink a lot, but I want to encourage you to track your water and to make daily water goals. Look at increasing your daily fiber, try and have a grams of fiber goal to hit every day. It sounds like you are physically active, which also helps prevent constipation. If these three things aren’t working I second that it’s time to seek medical advice.
 
@secretpk I drink 4-5 liters of water/day, especially because I run and have to rehydrate. Fiber intake averages 75 g/day which is 300% my recommended daily. I know I need to see a doctor. I've been putting it off, but this has come up multiple times in this thread, so maybe I will finally do it!
 
@farmer88 Have you tried stopping eating certain food group as experimentation for a few weeks? For example, I stopped eating wheat (basically bread / pasta) and after a few weeks , my constipation issues vanished.
Experiment with your own body and see what helps .
Also, increase your fruit intake of soft fibrous fruits (Papaya & mango etc) . Reduce your banana intake , as that often bungs people up !
 
@sweetmama7896 I have tried stopping certain foods, which is how I figured out that nuts and protein powder mess me up. I have gone through periods of eating lots of fruit, which was fine, but didn't help me digest things like nuts or powder any better. I will try backing off on bananas! That's one thing I haven't tried yet.
 
@farmer88 I do protein powder (Garden of Life) as part of a bigger smoothie with blueberries and avocado. The added fiber seems to alleviate the constipation issue.
 
@clairexu It was Garden of Life that gave me issues. I eat crazy amounts of fiber, averaging about 75 g/day which is 300% my recommended. I have had constipation issues forever, and eating more fiber has never helped for whatever reason.
 
@farmer88 Check out gutsense.org and the book Fiber Menace. I've dealt with similar issues my whole life and discovered that too much fiber, especially insoluable fiber from grains and psyllium makes things worse, as does the raffinose in vegetables like cabbage and broccoli. Some people also benefit from a low FODMAPS diet, although it is very hard to manage on a vegan diet. You might find that only certain foods on the list are triggers and you already know what many of them are.
 
@farmer88 Running 40-45 miles/week and constipation are the two things that stick out to me. That much running can be stressful on the body. Might try cutting back till your get your digestion in order.

I wouldn't be surprised if you replaced all that running with relaxing walking, and your constipation resolved itself.
 
@bankboy100 I've only been running this much mileage for the last several months, but I've been struggling with constipation for years. I've had it through periods where I was almost sedentary, so I don't think the running is to blame.
 
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