I am soooooooooooooooooooooo bloated!!!

[just_jo]

Has anyone ever experianced this going raw???

Its not new weight gain; nope, not pregnant (but I look like I am a nice 4 months along) been putting in about 2 hours a day with some sort of work out; but me belleeee is sooooooo swollen.

It aches and I am really having trouble getting my jeans done up.

I'm not all that new to raw; always tried to stay about 70-80%, I try to eat slooooowly and chew well, and have not been eating beans and legumes.
And I try to get my 12 glasses of water in a day.

Anyone with some wonderful ideas??

I really don;t know what to think except that I have been having more fruits than veggies (veggies are mostly greens, and salads)

sigh.................................. :(

thanks in advance all

jo

[Rawkinlocs]

How's your food combining? I know that whenever I eat improperly combined foods, I get bloated, gassy (sorry if TMI) and the like.

But perhaps maybe you could use an increase in the greens area or even some flax seed in some form or another (ground and added to smoothies or salads; crackers, etc.) to help get things moving (??)

Oh...also it was mentioned in another thread to also consider water retention.

[veggie]

I've experienced this too, but can't quite figure out why other than all the fiber. I'll be interested to see others' comments

[just_jo]

Well, hmmmm.. ya, I have been combining my fruits with my veggies at times.

I had been watching my food combining but kinda got lazy :rolleyes:

I was also going to try a cup of senna tea at night or thru out the day too, but the bm's are still regular, several a day, so I didn't think it was a "blockage" problem.

I know cauliflower and cabbage are pretty gassy foods, maybe I'll cut back on them also.

I am really wondering about the fruit.. do you go so far as to watch your fruit combinations as well.

I was told half and hour is good enough to wait inbetween fruit and fruit or fruit and veggies, what do you ususally do??

[Revvell]

Try a series of about 7-8 enemas ~ same day, same time ~ until the water runs fairly clear. Possibly going through a REALLY good bowel cleanse. This'll help move it along. If that's NOT the problem, ah well! Good clean bowels don't ever hurt! :)

Revvell

[swingbolder]

I experienced this when I first went raw. Didn't matter what I ate or how little, I'd be uncomfortably bloated for a few hours afterwards.

After the second month or so it went away on its own.

[AubreyG]

Okay, I dunno if you are familiar with yoga or practice it or anything, but there is a yoga technique that works absolute WONDERS for this. It fixes my belly problems in no time, and if you feel as though you have anything sticking to your insides, these two moves are EASY and will really help immensely.

Stand with your feet together and your back straight, your hands to your sides (Mountain Pose). Slowly hinge at the hips by pushing the backs of your thighs toward the wall behind you, but keep your back straight. Put both of your hands on your thighs (r hand on r thigh, vs a vs), and keep your back, neck and head all in one straight line. Don't curve or bend your spine at all. Stay long. Take a big slow inhale, and then exhale completely. Pull your belly button in as far as possible, imagining your belly button touching your spine (though this won't actually happen!) Don't inhale. Quickly pump your stomach in and out 5-10 times, even though your are still trying to hold your belly button in. I know this sounds weird, but once you do it a couple times, its easy. Relax. Then take another big slow inhale and repeat. This may be a little painful, but that's because you're expelling all that stuff stuck inside of you and massaging it out.

The other technique is similar. Stand in the same position, hands on thighs, flat stright, long spine, neck, and head. Take a deep slow inhale, and then exhale completely. Again, pull in your belly button (without rounding your back) and this time, use your knees to gently move your hips from side to side as you pill in. Remember not to breathe while you do this in order to get a deep pull. Relax. Repeat as often and as many times as necessary.

Other poses that greatly aid digestion and ridding the intestines of waste: Cobra, Sphinx, Upward Facing Dog. Also when you lay on your belly, and clasp your hands behind your back. Press your legs into the floor, and on an inhale, gently lift your clasped hands up and back, pulling your shoulders away from your neck and down and out away from your body. This will lift your chest off of the ground, and be sure to keep your legs pressed down. Breathe deeply and hold for as long as is comfortable. Gently let yourself down on an exhale, rest for a moment, and repeat as long as it feels good.

To counter pose all these techniques, just take a moment to lay with your back flat on the ground, and hug your knees to your chest, and rock gently from side to side. This will neutralize your spine, and give you a soothing sense of well being. I hope these help you! They are excellent to do first thing in the morning, as is verified by Rainbeau Mars' newest Practice DVDs Yoga for Beauty Dusk and Dawn. I learned these techniques about 2 years ago after being diagnosed with IBS, and they do work very well. Its nice to see them incorporated into an actual cleansing AM routine in Rainbeau's videos. (www.rainbeaumars.com)

For more poses and a pose picture guide, check out www.yogajournal.com

If you are into herbal supplements, Angelica Root works wonders on digestive troubles. I buy the root dried, and boil it into a tea with a little honey and lemon. You can buy herbs at www.blossomfarm.com or find them at your nearest whole foods store that sells bulk dried herbs.

Hope all this helps!
Aubrey

[JustMe]

I've heard that eating a chunk of ginger root or some "bitters" before or after a meal aids indigestion. I personally have never tried it because I usually don't have problems with bloating.

[Sweet lips]

I am sory for writing this comment - no no sorry, but I am amused - pass gas will really relieve that problem - just do panty burps! :rolleyes:

Actually, drinking ginger tea, or chewing on a little ginger root will assist you greatly and then panty burp!

[VeganVixen]

Sweetlips, Thanks for the BEAUTIFUL image! ;)

[just_jo]

Sweet lips.. you crack me up lady!!!

Trust me hon, if I could BURP, I WOULD!!!!!!

Aubrey, those excercises were AMAZING!!
I did a couple and could feel a difference right away.... will try to do them thru out the day too...

Revvel, as soon as the kids are in bed, I have a date with "Mr Enema"
whoopie!!! :D

Been thinking about what Rawkinlocs said about water retention... my rings are unusually tight also....

Any good stratagies to fix the water problem??

Thanks soooooo much for the fabulous response

jo

[Revvell]

Revvel, as soon as the kids are in bed, I have a date with "Mr Enema"
whoopie!!! :D

Any good stratagies to fix the water problem??

jo


Curious how everything came out. No! Really!

Water retention? Eating much in the way of salt? Braggs? Nama Shoyu? Dried stuff with sulfites maybe?

Revvell

[fruits'n'berries]

Nothing helps better against water retention than... water. Seriously - drinking loads of it helps to bring it out!

[AubreyG]

So glad the exercises helped! YEA!

Yep, everyone is right...your body retains water when you aren't getting enough of it. When you get enough water, your body says, "its okay to let the water go and pass through because I am hydrated and know that more water is coming." But when you don't get enough, your body says, "Crap! We have tyo save this and store this because we aren't getting enough!" The more your body "stores" the more toxic the body becomes. It doesn't just have to be water, though. You can drink decaf herbal teas, juices, and homemade tonics if you want to mix it up, and watermelons, especially this time of year, will help, too!

Aubrey

[Sharon in Colorado]

The first thing I thought of was salt. What's your salt/spice intake like?

[just_jo]

wow.. thanks for the water lession.. that makes sense..

I have been trying to get my 12 glasses min./ day in but I like water so I guess I can up that quite easily.

Didn't really think my salt intake was that bad either. I don't use it preparing anything however I am still using commercial salad dressings and salsas (llllaaazzzzzyyy jo)

I also intake some coffee (a couple cups a week) and some curry...
would that contribute?

Ummmm..... yup.... as far as the enema, I only got 4 in before I had to go to work.

Wow, I am so surprised at what I passed! And at what I don't DIGEST!!!!
I saw almost all my meals all over again! :eek: (sorry for the visual)
No wonder its recommended to chew your food to a liquid.
How in the world does your body get any nutrition AT ALL!!!

Regardless, that and the yoga helped alot.
Thanks a million

Do you find this is an on going situation when you are raw?
Remember. I saw ALOT of fiber in that enema water!!
Or will I adjust better.
Like I said, I have been 75-80% raw now for a while.

Thank you all sooo much for all the wisdom

jo