I am Gasseous Maximus

[Mogaly]

Gassy, bloaty, full-of-hot-air, call it what you will. I am so incredibly bloated (not from water retention, but from gas). I'm assuming this is because I'm probably eating waaay more fibre than I was when eating SAD. My questions are: Is this normal? Will it go away? Any advice on how to deal with the discomfort?

Thanks :o

[Ireland]

Yup, it's pretty normal for people just starting out on raw. I still have days like that myself.

Suggestions on how to deal with it?

Let er rip! And remember...this too shall pass. Um...pun intended? :D

[Dara]

I have been wanting to ask this question for a couple of weeks now. I too am very gasous. I have been 100% raw for 6 months but I have only been gassy for the past couple of weeks. I don't know what to do!!! I soak all my nuts. I really need help.

Dara :o

[Wendee]

What about gas pain in the chest area?

Has anyone experianced this? It feels like little butterflies in there, LOL!

[trinity082482]

I just let em rip hahahaha :p they dont smell anymore. :D

[Princess Elaine]

Ahhhhhhhhhh, I, too, tend to have gas...not every day...doesn't seem to be a pattern so I can eliminate whatever is causing it...it is a problem for me.....yes, when I'm alone I can let 'em rip...BUT I'm a massage therapist...so you can see the problem....usually after lunch, again, no pattern as to foods that create it, is there anything I can take, do, whatever to keep this in check while I'm working...

Elaine

[chilove]

Hi there,

You can experiment with different foods that you are eating to see if certain foods are affecting you worse than others. The obvious culprits are broccoli and cauliflower. Tougher greens like kale and collards are also difficult to digest. Eating recipes with a lot of ingredients and especially mixing fats and fruits can cause a lot of gas. For optimal digest, eat mono meals (one item per meal).

All the best,

Audrey
www.rawhealing.com

[RowanC]

Once you're eating raw, I think you can do a lot to control gas by investigating food combining. It really does help. I almost never get gas unless I combine the wrong foods.

[Princess Elaine]

....this is making sense...the food combining...and the too many ingredients...I make a green smoothie almost every day and it has many thing in it...kale, collard greens, cilantro, ginger, parsley, apple, celery...etc...now every single one doesn't have all these ingredients...but often they do...could that cause gas???? I love my green smoothies and perhaps need to make them with fewer ingredients...

Elaine

[chilove]

Hi Elaine,

Try using greens that are more tender like romaine, red leaf and green leaf lettuce and baby spinach in your smoothies. They are much easier to digest. You can also try limiting the number of ingredients in your smoothies. Also be sure to "chew" each mouthful of smoothie. Digestion starts with the chewing process and getting saliva, which contains digestive enzymes, thoroughly mixed in with the food before you swallow really helps digestion.

All the best,

Audrey
www.rawhealing.com

[ryandvan]

My understanding (and I still NEED to study this more), is that in order for the probiotics in the colon to function properly, they need an acidic pH environment (the rest of the body of course preferring alkaline). Since virtually all the raw foods you are eating are alkaline, this creates an unideal situation in the colon. This is why you want to eat the more acidic foods (like nuts, grains, etc) toward the end of the meal (to leave the colon in an acid state). If you are eating virtually no acidic foods, you might consider something like Kombucha Tea, which is both acid forming and loaded with probiotics. Take one bottle a day for two days and my bet is the problem will disappear. Did for me . . .

-Ryan
radicalvitality.com

[Princess Elaine]

Thanks....I'm buying groeceries today and will try the soft tender greens...

....and Kombucha Tea??? I'll look for it today, I'm supposing the health food store has it???

This site is awesome...some of the life things we experience (like gas) and usually most people wanna pretend it doesn't happen and therefore I have no one to talk to it about...here....I get real answers from real people. Thank you.

[Fireheart]

How about some bay leaves in warm water. That will ease your gasey belly too.

[herb_gardner]

taking some probiotics, drinking kombucha, and taking some enzymes will help. also try juicing some of the heavier, hard to digest greens first, so youre body c an learn to digest them easier, then start eating them. i remember when i first started in with the green smoothies i was massively gassy, i tihnk it was because my body wasnt used to digesting all of that, i didnt have a high enough amount of hydrochrloric acid to break down the fiber. it will pass in time as your digestion changes and strengthens.

[fairygirl]

i get super duper gassy when eating sprouted grains... i quickly realized and cut them of my diet. now i get gassy occationally but its not even comparable to when eating the grains.