Help me!
So, I was thinking about putting this in the poo thread but I think it's different enough to have a new thread. Also, there may be something about this somewhere else too, but I'm terrible about finding old topics.
Ok. So I feel really awkward saying this but I have the worst gas ever right now. I've been intensely vegetarian for almost a year now and vegan I would say 98% of the time, but sometimes when I go out to eat or something and there isn't anything vegan on the menu, I settle for just meatless.
Over the past few months I've been noticing that I have a lot of gas. Sometimes it's just loud but not smelly, which I usually figure is just from beans and that's not what bothers me. But over the past few days I have been really gassy and it STINKS! Pretty much to the point where I can't stand it.
I know I'm slightly lactose intolerant but I haven't had any significant sources of dairy since Sunday (went out to dinner and got stuck with alfredo). Over the past few days it's been mostly beans, rice, quinoa, veggies, etc, not much fruit though and also not too much processed soy.
So does anyone have any suggestions or experience with this? I also feel like my digestive processes are really slow, and I don't get those awesome vegan poos everyone gets excited about. I just feel like ever since going vegan I haven't experienced all the great things everyone raves about - smoother digestion, clearer skin, more energy, etc. I feel like I eat relatively healthy (certainly more so than before), so I don't know why I'm feeling worse now. I would really like to not go back to eating meat, so I'll try pretty much anything that sounds sane.
Thanks! And sorry if this was tmi for anyone. :-[
Once you cut all the animal products the poo will come flying out! Promise... you will be raving about 3 vegan poops a day in no time... LOL... I was having a gas problem awhile ago but it went away... it was weird because i would only get it sitting down... my theory about stinky farts goes like this: your farts are stinky when they're blowing over the poo in your butt so i'm guessing u have a nice vegan poo poo a comin :)
i think veggies can make you gassy too... hope u feel better soon and the dumpster farts subside
more raw fruits and veggies (especially fruits, and eat them on an empty stomach)... try to eat easier to digest foods and didn't eat them with anything hard to digest/that takes a long time. eat the harder to digest stuff for dinner.
that's all i've got.
After being vegan for nearly two and a half years I had the same thing happen to me (along with other lovely digestive issues) rather suddenly and without consuming any dairy. I couldn't figure it out either. This went on for a couple of months. The only thing I could figure was a gluten intolerance so I've left the gluten out of my diet for the last three weeks and things have gotten alot better. So maybe give that a try. Oh, and maybe try cutting your consumption of onions in half.
Have you been eating anything different? I go through that and then figure out it was a specific food.
How much refined flour are you eating? I do best, poowise, when I eat less grains and more fruits, veggies, and beans. White flour, oils, and other refined foods tend to bind one up. Maybe trying stirring in some flaxseed meal into foods will help.
I might be the only one, but tofu generally doesn't agree with me. It gives me horrid-smelling gas. I've never had trouble with it binding me up though. I don't eat it often because of this.
My boyfriend had this problem. something to do with beans and the forth? foam.. when they are cooked.. bad gas. Good to cook beans with some lemon juice or a little vinegar.. just to help it balance. So i have been told. Its good to get a lot of similar food, to eat some oatmeal and then the next meal eat one type of fruit or vegetables. Try only having one mixed meal a day. That might help.
You might have a mild gut infection (I had a bad one for 1 1/2 yrs)...have you had to take any antibiotics or other medication in the past several months? Try a good quality probiotic. Hopefully that will do the trick, if not you might talk to your Dr about getting a stool culture to find out if you have a gut infection.
I agree with what Nicolynn said above about the probiotic. If you are not eliminating optimally then you are at risk for imbalances in your gut flora and that can lead to allergies, fatigue and many other nasties.
Here are a few things to try though:
Chew each mouthful 5+ times more. This is KEY because you may be getting gas from a pancreas that is having to work overtime to digest your grains, beans veg and fruit because we tend to neglect the importance of thorough chewing.
You can try a plant enzyme (make sure the ingredients include amylase, lipase, protease and cellulase) and take two tablets before each meal to aid in digestion.
Move your body more. Sometimes all the gut needs to get moving is a little low-impact exercise. Try walking outside for 10-15 minutes after a meal or check out a yoga class.
Make sure to drink a minimum of 6 glasses of pure, filtered water daily.
Give this a try. It will boost your digestive system and hopefully get you past the gassiness and indigestion.
Best,
Eri