When Healthy Habits Make Your Stomach Hurt

23 Oct When Healthy Habits Make Your Stomach Hurt

By Shanti Pappas

I sometimes tell clients to eat fewer vegetables or stop taking their fiber supplements. That usually surprises them, especially when they’ve been doing everything they were told would improve their digestion.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio via Pexels

After more than 15 years working with digestive issues, I’ve seen how easily good advice can become bad advice when it’s applied to everyone.

I remember a client going through menopause who was making a real effort to increase her protein. She complained that it was making her constipated. When we looked more closely at what she was eating, I discovered she was eating enormous amounts of Parmesan cheese. For some people, dairy can be constipating. She’d blamed protein when the problem appeared to be something much more specific.

Other clients tell me they can’t tolerate much protein because it leaves them feeling heavy and uncomfortable after meals, almost as though the food is sitting in their stomach. In those cases, I’m interested in how well their digestive system is functioning. Stomach acid helps break down protein, and delayed stomach emptying can also contribute to that uncomfortable fullness. Symptoms like these are worth raising with a doctor, who can check for conditions such as gastroparesis.

I had another client who was working hard to drink more water to help her constipation. She preferred sparkling water and drank it throughout the day. She was also struggling with considerable gas and abdominal pressure. We started looking at how much carbonation she was consuming.

I’ve found this particularly useful to consider with constipation. Carbonated drinks can add to gas and bloating, making an already uncomfortable situation worse.

Questioning the Usual Recommendations

These experiences have taught me to question the usual recommendations. Someone is constipated, so they’re told to eat more fiber. They’re bloated, so they try a probiotic. They want to eat healthier, so they start having enormous salads and green smoothies.

I’ve worked with women doing all of these things who were still bloated, constipated, and experiencing abdominal pain.

Some vegetables and other plant foods contain carbohydrates that intestinal bacteria ferment, producing gas. For someone with a sensitive digestive system, that gas can cause considerable discomfort. Adding more fiber can sometimes make things worse.

When I work with someone struggling with digestive pain, I start by looking at what she’s eating, when she’s eating, and how she’s eating. I also consider how well she’s digesting food, her bowel habits, and whether changes in gut bacteria may be contributing to her symptoms. Thyroid function matters, too, particularly when constipation is an issue.

Start With a Medical Evaluation

Not every digestive problem can be solved by changing someone’s diet. IBS, for example, can cause significant pain even when routine medical tests are normal. The nerves in the gut can become unusually sensitive to gas and stretching, and stress can influence those sensations.

But IBS is a diagnosis that should be made by a physician after other causes are considered, and persistent abdominal pain, bloating, or constipation deserves a medical evaluation first. Depending on your age, symptoms, and history, that may include:

• A medical checkup and blood work, which can look for problems such as anemia, thyroid disease, celiac disease, or diabetes.
• A gastrointestinal evaluation, which may include colonoscopy or other tests. Colorectal cancer screening is recommended for most adults starting at age 45, and sooner for people with symptoms or a family history.
• A gynecologic exam for women. Ovarian cancer and other pelvic conditions can cause persistent bloating, abdominal or pelvic pain, feeling full quickly, or changes in bowel habits, symptoms that are easy to mistake for a digestive problem.

Don’t wait to seek care for warning signs such as rectal bleeding, black stools, unexplained weight loss, anemia, fever, persistent vomiting, or symptoms that are new or worsening. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) explains colorectal cancer screening options and who should be screened.

When someone has already been evaluated and is still struggling, I don’t automatically recommend another supplement, more fiber, or a longer list of foods to avoid. I’d rather spend the time understanding why she’s uncomfortable.

Sometimes the answer is hiding in something she’s been doing every day because she thought it was good for her.

For a broader overview of digestive health research, see this MedicalResearch.com overview of [anchor text].

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Last Updated on October 23, 2026 by Marie Benz MD FAAD