FitSugar

You Asked: My Vegetarian Diet Is Making Me Gassy

FitSugar — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 03:47:51 -0700

Dear Fit,
I am trying the vegetarian lifestyle and have finally given up bacon and hamburgers and went meat-free. I have a family history of obesity, heart disease, and cancer, and have read that a diet rich in fruits and veggies can play a huge role in prevention. I've been loading up on the green veggies, beans, fruits, and tofu. My taste buds don't really miss meat, but it hasn't even been a week and I'm having some, well, unpleasant side effects. I'm unbelievably bloated and gassy all the time, and am close to giving up on my veggie quest. Is it possible that my body is trying to tell me that a vegetarian diet isn't right for me, or is there a way to go about this so that I'm not feeling so inflated?
- Puffed Up

First of all, I applaud you for taking your health into your own hands and going meat-free. Your body is greatly benefiting from consuming less saturated fat and more plant-based proteins. I'm actually not surprised that you're experiencing such embarrassing and uncomfortable side effects, but that doesn't mean you can't become a vegetarian. To hear my suggestions read more.

From your diet description, you're doing everything right with your food choices, but there's such a thing as too much, too soon. Vegetarian foods are very high in fiber, and if your digestive system isn't used to that, it translates to gas and maybe even diarrhea. So my advice is to slowly ease into this diet. Be a flexitarian for a while. Consume your old diet that includes meat, and gradually increase your fruit, vegetable, legume, and whole grain intake as you fade out the meat. At first, eat small portions of foods that are especially gas-producing such as broccoli, beans, green peppers, apples, and high fiber cereals. Slowly increase the portion size over time and the gassiness should begin to dissipate. Making the switch to a vegetarian lifestyle overnight is a shock to your system, so all you need to do is move forward slowly, listen to your body, and you'll be meat-free (and less bloated) within a few weeks.

Do You Avoid Foods That Give You Gas?

FitSugar — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Eating spicy foods, green peppers, broccoli, beans, meat, dairy products, high fiber cereal, and apples are a few common foods that can result in gas for some people. I'm sure you know exactly what kinds of foods cause your tummy to gurgle and become bloated. So tell me . . .

The Price of Gas? Foods That Make You Pay

FitSugar — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 07:53:11 -0800

I'm not sure what's worse: gas or the bloating that accompanies it. Sure, gas is a fact of life, but there are certain foods that are known to cause that uncomfortable bloat that doesn't go well with body-conscious clothing. Unfortunately, some of my favorite fruits and vegetables are gas culprits! Are any of your favorites in this group? Take the quiz!

Source

Take the quiz

Speak Up: What Foods Give You Gas?

FitSugar — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:00:00 -0700

Nobody likes having gas. It is uncomfortable, makes you feel bloated, and can be super embarrassing when you're in a small room with a handful of people. So I was wondering, what foods tend to make you gassy? Do you eat these foods anyway, and deal with the odorous consequences, or do you avoid foods that make you toot?

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The Side Effects of Swallowing Air

FitSugar — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 07:30:00 -0800

While I thought death and taxes were the great certainties of one's life, WebMD tells me it is the gas we pass that is the ultimate commonality of mankind. It turns out you do have something in common with the Queen of England.

It seems that swallowing air causes burping, and this is actually a very common occurrence. You probably aren't swallowing air on purpose, but excess air is making it to your stomach anyway. Here are ways common activities increase our accidental eating of air.

Smoking (just another reason to quit)
Chewing gum (especially when you "smack" your gum)
Drinking through a straw (when you make the awful sucking sound when you hit the bottom of the glass)
Sucking on hard candies (once again with a lot of "smacking" involved)
Drinking a lot of carbonated beverages (did anyone say Diet Coke?)
Eating or drinking too quickly (this is yet another reason mothers, internationally, tell their children to slow down when eating)

If you find yourself burping with an uncomfortable frequency, take a look at the above list to see if you need to modify your behaviors. Surprisingly, some medical conditions can contribute to swallowing air, and thereby promote unwanted burping. Allergies and sinus infections both create postnasal drip, which can make you swallow more often. And we all know what swallowing excess air can lead to!

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Silver Lining of High Gas Prices: Smaller Waist Lines

FitSugar — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 02:30:00 -0700

I don't know about you, whenever I go to fill up my car with gas these days, I get mad because the cost of gas is so high and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. I always say, nothing good can come out of this. Until now...

Leave it to science to find a silver lining to the ridiculously high gas prices. However, new findings are claiming that an increase of an additional $1 per gallon in gasoline prices will reduce U.S. obesity by 15 percent after five years. How so, you ask? Well the sky rocketing gas prices may reduce obesity by leading us to walk, bike or take public transportation (more walking) instead of driving. Furthermore, it may lead us to eat leaner at home instead of rich food at restaurants.

Interesting concept and one that I'm actually buying. I have always been a major proponent of walking, biking and taking public transportation for more reasons than just the high gas prices (more exercise during the day, better for the environment, etc.). Plus at the rate gas seems to be rising, it looks like obesity should be reduced way more than 15 percent in my town.

Think about it; how many times have you said, "Maybe I should just walk," after glancing at the per gallon price tag of gasoline? So maybe next time you really should just walk.

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Why Choose Local Produce?

FitSugar — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 02:30:00 -0700

Summer is here and one of my favorite things to do is go to the farmers market. I love to support local farms, and I feel good knowing where my produce came from.

What are the benefits of buying local produce?

By supporting local farms, you're helping to keep them in business, which supports your community. In return, this helps to protect precious farmland from becoming developed.
You're helping to cut down on the use of fossil fuels and the amount of pollution emitted by trucks - if you buy organic apples from Chile those apples are making a very long trip on the way to your mouth. Wait until fall and buy them from a local grower and this summer eat berries and stone fruits (peaches, plums, apricots, etc.) that are in season.
The best part is that when you buy local, you are receiving the freshest possible produce, picked just hours before getting to you.

So buying local is good for the consumer, for the farmer, and for the earth. Hey, this reminds me of the 100 mile diet. You want to shoot for eating foods that are produced or harvested within 100 miles of where you live. Summertime is a great time to adopt this "diet" since the sunny warm weather brings so many gardens and farms to life.

So the next time you go shopping for your fruits and veggies, look for signs that say "locally grown."

Source

Which is MORE Embarrassing?

FitSugar — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 02:45:00 -0700

Being human, there are things that happen to all of us, but they don't make them any less bearable. So, tell me, which is more embarrassing...?

Does Beano Prevent the Gas We Pass?

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 04:00:00 -0700

Beano contains a natural enzyme known as alpha-galactosidase that works with your body's digestion. It claims to break down complex sugars into simpler sugars, which your body can easily digest, so it prevents gas before it starts.

Beano advertises that it can prevent flatulence when you eat gas-producing foods like beans, vegetable, and whole grains. This is great because many people avoid certain healthy foods because of the embarrassing after effects.

With every 1/2 serving of food (about the size of 1/2 a baseball) you are recommended to take 1 tablet of Beano or 5 drops of the liquid. You should take it with your first bite so it has enough time to start working.

So what do you think - Does Beano really prevent gas?

Adzuki - The Most Magical Fruit of All

FitSugar — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 03:00:00 -0800

Beans, Beans, the magical fruit. The more you eat 'em, the more you - yeah yeah. We know.

But have you ever heard of adzuki ( also spelled aduki or azuki) beans? In Japan, these small reddish beans are the 2nd most popular legume after the soybean.

Like most beans, adzukis are rich in the best sort of fiber - soluble fiber - which helps to eliminate cholesterol from the body. They have 16.8g per cup (that's extra magical).

They are a good source of magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc copper, manganese, and vitamin B3.

As a high-potassium, low-sodium food, they help reduce blood pressure. And adzuki beans are higher in protein than most beans, containing 17g per cup. (Black beans contain 15g, pinto beans contain 14g, and kidney beans contain 13g.)

Not only are they low in fat, but when combined with grains, beans supply high quality protein which provides a healthy alternative to meat or other animal protein.

If you're looking to lose weight, eating beans may help - they make you feel full and take longer to digest, so you'll eat less.

Adzuki beans also contain protease inhibitors which frustrate the development of cancerous cells.

Beans are really nutritious, but the gaseous side-effects can cause you not to eat them. Want to avoid flatulence? Then read more

To avoid the gas, introduce beans into your diet gradually.
If you choose to use dried beans and soak them beforehand, THROW OUT the water after they've softened. Do NOT use the water to cook with as it is extremely gas-producing.
Choose beans that are easier to digest such as adzuki, black-eyed peas, and lentils. The hardest to digest are navy, lima, and whole cooked soybeans.
Cook beans with gas-reducing herbs such as a bay leaf, cumin, epazote, or kombu. Add 6 leaves or 2 tsp dry herb to the pot.
Avoid beans that are cooked with added sweeteners such as brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup - it could stress out your digestive system.
Try a digestive enzyme sprinkled on your beans. They help to break down the oligosaccharides before they reach the large intestine, which is where the flatulence problem begins.
Laugh about it. Everyone gets gas when they eat beans.