gas or wind - a question / discussion point

[MysticTree]

when we are asked about where we get our protein from and we chant in unison like a massed vegan choir, "the same place the cows get it from; vegetation" and when we are asked where we get our calcium from, whilst we might throw a key change into our choral response, we still say "where the cows get it from; vegetation". When it comes to gas or wind we don't seem to want to be like cows at all. We want to be fart-free. We say wind or gas is a symptom of poor digestion. We suggest better food combining and other remedies as a cure. Why? Apart from the social implecations which are obvious, why is it that whilst cows fart like troopers we should not?

[Living Food]

when we are asked about where we get our protein from and we chant in unison like a massed vegan choir, "the same place the cows get it from; vegetation" and when we are asked where we get our calcium from, whilst we might throw a key change into our choral response, we still say "where the cows get it from; vegetation". When it comes to gas or wind we don't seem to want to be like cows at all. We want to be fart-free. We say wind or gas is a symptom of poor digestion. We suggest better food combining and other remedies as a cure. Why? Apart from the social implecations which are obvious, why is it that whilst cows fart like troopers we should not?

Gas is a symptom of poor digestion and fermentation inside the digestion tract, which is bad for health. Cows eating grass and their natural food don't fart - cows eating corn and soybeans fart like crazy, and also tend to be extremely unhealthy. In short, cows shouldn't "fart like troopers", neither should us humans.

[MysticTree]

Grass fed cows also fart. If you google this you will find some research shows grass fed cows produce more gas than corn fed. I want to know why we conclude that gas is an indicator of poor digestion. Is it really because it actually is or is it because farting is not socially acceptable? Vegan farts are certainly less offensive on the olfactory receptors.

[Revvell]

I fart and revel in it. :woot:

[MysticTree]

Lol revv. I fart some but not all that much I think. I don't revel in it particularly. I don't suppose the cows give it much thought either ;)

[green goddess]

Interesting points, MysticTree!
I'll comment that I think some farting is fine, as in simply letting out excess air from the digestive tract. (Hmm, but why excess air in the digestive tract?) There are different degrees of toots, as well - some are simple releases of air, and have no odour (or even sound). Some are burbly and stinky, and I think these kinds are indicative of digestive problems. But raw vegan farts more commonly occur as the former type, and if we experience the latter, I think it tells us something is wrong, perhaps with poor food combining or bad food eaten.

SAD eaters have notoriously stinkier (and noisier) parps than us rawbies, which would indicate to me more digestive issues, which makes sense. And yes, it's rather socially unacceptable (unless you're a giggly 10-year-old boy), as people generally don't like having to leave the room gasping for fresh air (*ahem*, bf!).

So, in a nutshell:
-loud, stinky flatulence = digestive troubles
-quiet, odourless passing of wind = no digestive troubles

[MysticTree]

I think I agree generally with that with the exception of the noise. I think that is a matter of attitude a lot of the time. It's easy enough to make them quiet if you want to or loud if you are competing with Revv in the revelling stakes ;)

[delmar]

If I understand correctly, more fiber = more gas. It would seem to me that if you are having a lot of trouble with bad gas, juicing a higher % of the vegetation that you eat should reduce those symptoms somewhat.

[MysticTree]

I don't have much at all. I just fell to thinking about it this afternoon. No idea why.

[delmar]

I didn't mean to say "you" in particular, but for those who have that trouble, I believe less fiber would be helpful.

[green goddess]

I think I agree generally with that with the exception of the noise. I think that is a matter of attitude a lot of the time. It's easy enough to make them quiet if you want to or loud if you are competing with Revv in the revelling stakes ;)

I agree, actually, with the noise thing - one can control the release of the wind to give it silent exit, rather than pushing it out as a parp (for some reason, 'parp' makes me giggly!), something I've been trying, without success, to impart to my boyfriend...!

[MysticTree]

I'm not sure Delmar. Legumes and brassicas seem to have a particularly bad rep but do they have significantly more fibre than bananas for example? I think most people adapt to more fruit and veg after a short time.

[janinebond]

Please don't wish that we humans should be fart-free. Why? Because when my dad survived colon cancer, the lesson that I've learned is that fart is an important sign that you don't have problem with your colon.

[Aleesha Sattva]

when i'm fasting i seldom, if ever, fart.

no fibre no farting? perhaps...

[SunshineMN]

We recently decided to cut out lentils from our diet. Neither of us particularly like them but they also always give us lots of gas! I may try sprouting them as microgreens instead of just sprouts, that may help.

I don't worry too much about gas as I am pretty much stay at home and I have never had lots of gas problems even on SAD. It's so true about the stink too, we noticed we're not near as smelly in the bathroom when we're on raw. Ugh... our cats sure are though. I wish we could feed them a good raw diet! (Yes, I know we can but we just can't afford to yet.)

[MysticTree]

It makes a huge difference to our composting toilet now we are both eating raw.

[Dark-Union]

Idealy when food is passed throught digestive tract, it should happend very quickly hence gasses shouldn't have enought time to form. Well, they do but not enought to form proper fart 8-P
Excessive gas or bloating is a byproduct of bacterial fermentation in your stomach and it normally happends when food is passing too slow or micro flora is not adequate.

P.S

By the way, cows feed on bacteria, not on grass. They ferment plant matter several times in their multi chambered digestive tract and let it ferment and act as flourishing ground for different micro flora, then consume it for themselves. That is primary source of vitamins of B12 category for example.

[streetsurfer]

- one can control the release of the wind to give it silent exit

I read this is not possible in normal situations in the standard fashion, if one has the region around their tailpipes exhaust tip depilliated.

[streetsurfer]

The body releases large volumes of gas daily as non farts. Quarts or gallons of air are expelled through the rectum that you don't notice it. Some of the digestive gas produced needs to be there to signal your body of the progress of the process of digestion. For instance the lower esophogeal sphincter is closed tightly by gas signal produced during proper digestion. I believe since that is so, there are other areas where the gas is used to signal other process to either continue or halt, based on the amount or type gas produced.

Recently read a thread on old laws in Florida. There was one that stated it would be illegal to fart in public after 6:00 PM, LOL

[MysticTree]

I have never suffered with slow transit of foods. I remember being told at a hospital when I had my wisdom teeth out that the question about number of BMs a day wasn't meant to be answered acurately. it was just that they wanted to know if I went every day or less often. They seemed surprised that i had filled in the form saying about 3 times depending on how many meals i eat.

[fastfreedom]

LOL. Fun thread. It's funny how there's a societal stigma against certain things, especially against bodily functions which everyone does and are natural. I can't help but laugh though when I hear someone fart. LOL I just find it funny. Even when my horse farts or my dog farts. I laugh. Actually this is reminding me of how the other day I farted while on my horse and he popped his head up real quick cus he could feel it reverberating through the saddle. LOL It was pretty funny.

..............oh wait............erm......I don't fart........LOL

Thought I've noticed that when I mono eat I have no gas. The only time I seem to get gas now is when I eat fruit shortly after eating something that's slow to digest.


I fart and revel in it. :woot:

Don't you mean you "Revvell" in it. LOL

[Revvell]

Don't you mean you "Revvell" in it. LOL

Well, yeah but I figgered you'd figure it out. Didn't want to be too obvious. *grin*

[The Sproutarian (Mr Raw)]

When l went raw again and started blending l had terrible wind. Now l don't seem to have any at all unless l incombine a meal by not leaving enough time between certain foods. lt's really great when l eat and feel satisfied but feel no food or digestion effort at all...almost like l am living on nothing but feeling satisfied.


Idealy when food is passed throught digestive tract, it should happend very quickly hence gasses shouldn't have enought time to form. Well, they do but not enought to form proper fart 8-P
Excessive gas or bloating is a byproduct of bacterial fermentation in your stomach and it normally happends when food is passing too slow or micro flora is not adequate.
Yep, get that food out of you as quick as possible with minimal digestive effort. Eg, break your concentrated proteins into amino acids, starches into carbs and fats into fatty acids and have nice soft fiber that doesn't irritate the body and juice or mash most of your food = out of body quick = why l eat sprouts = satisfying meals without having to overeat and overload the body and suffer fermentation like fruitarian folks.

Small perfectly combined highly nutritious meals in mainly liquid form without needing to eat again all day. Doesn't get much better than that.

[MysticTree]

Yep, get that food out of you as quick as possible with minimal digestive effort. Eg, break your concentrated proteins into amino acids, starches into carbs and fats into fatty acids and have nice soft fiber that doesn't irritate the body and juice or mash most of your food = out of body quick = why l eat sprouts = satisfying meals without having to overeat and overload the body and suffer fermentation like fruitarian folks.

Small perfectly combined highly nutritious meals in mainly liquid form without needing to eat again all day. Doesn't get much better than that.

I think your body just can't cope with lots of fruit. Your body is weak to fruit. Many of us eat high fruit just fine. Some people obviously have weak digestive systems and others don't.

[SunshineMN]

When l went raw again and started blending l had terrible wind. Now l don't seem to have any at all unless l incombine a meal by not leaving enough time between certain foods.

I've seen you use the word incombine several times now. I've also seen people wonder what the heck you meant by using the word, so I finally went and looked it up.

In`com*bine"\, v. i. To be incapable of combining; to disagree; to differ. [Obs.] --Milton.

Now I do understand what you are saying but I don't think it's the best word for you to be using, beyond the fact that the word is obsolete. You may want to change your phrase to reduce confusion.

Sorry to be nit picky but as I said, I've seen people scratching their head in confusion when you use the word. Unless I misunderstand the definition it doesn't fit with what you are saying. Or is it an Aussie thing?

[MysticTree]

I've seen you use the word incombine several times now. I've also seen people wonder what the heck you meant by using the word, so I finally went and looked it up.

In`com*bine"\, v. i. To be incapable of combining; to disagree; to differ. [Obs.] --Milton.

Now I do understand what you are saying but I don't think it's the best word for you to be using, beyond the fact that the word is obsolete. You may want to change your phrase to reduce confusion.

Sorry to be nit picky but as I said, I've seen people scratching their head in confusion when you use the word. Unless I misunderstand the definition it doesn't fit with what you are saying. Or is it an Aussie thing?

I know what he means by it and never had a problem knowing what he meant ... I don't fully agree with the food combining "rules" though; I think we are all different and different things work well for different people.

[SunshineMN]

I agree MT. I got the meaning from the context. But newbies that know nothing about even the existence of food combining wouldn't have a clue. *shrug* I just thought he could pick a better word or words to convey his real meaning than using an obsolete word in the wrong way.

I don't really pay attention to the food combining thing myself, I go with how I feel for now. I don't really mix fruit with veggies much anyhow because I prefer my veggies savory and my fruit sweet. Though once in a while I do throw pineapple or oranges in my salad.

[MysticTree]

I think it's better to use a word that encourages people to think rather than to say, for example, poorly combined foods or incompatible foods. People are still going to ask what this means if they haven't come across it before.

[Crystal2870]

I am very suprised to hardly have any wind on the raw, but when I have soya mince ....boy its a different story !

[MysticTree]

I can't remember when I last had soy mince. Quorn though, yes I remember that. It makes me violently sick!

[The Sproutarian (Mr Raw)]

I think your body just can't cope with lots of fruit. Your body is weak to fruit. Many of us eat high fruit just fine. Some people obviously have weak digestive systems and others don't.
Yes, my constitution is quite delicate. lf l lived like most people l would be fallen apart or even be six foot under by now. My digestive system, lymphatic system, liver and other things are delicate, but l will be seeing a fellow soon so l can try and fix some issues up with special herbs and pro-biotics. l have recovered my health amazingly on my sprout diet but l need to take things alot further and start doing herbs, twice daily wheatgrass inplants, fortnightly enemas and mainly live on green juices if l can, + start doing more exercise. l am 90% there, but need to do the full program to really get my health really robust.

lt is said that people with small earlobes have weak constitutions. Most really old people have huge earlobes.

[The Sproutarian (Mr Raw)]

I've seen you use the word incombine several times now. I've also seen people wonder what the heck you meant by using the word, so I finally went and looked it up.

In`com*bine"\, v. i. To be incapable of combining; to disagree; to differ. [Obs.] --Milton.

Now I do understand what you are saying but I don't think it's the best word for you to be using, beyond the fact that the word is obsolete. You may want to change your phrase to reduce confusion.

Sorry to be nit picky but as I said, I've seen people scratching their head in confusion when you use the word. Unless I misunderstand the definition it doesn't fit with what you are saying. Or is it an Aussie thing?

That's a good point. l will have to try and find a better word. Always haved used that word.



I don't really pay attention to the food combining thing myself, I go with how I feel .

Whoa. l wouldn't dare have poor food combinations, and it amazes me how many folks do eat poor food combinations...it's the first thing l notice. l don't even mix most fruit togeather; only stone fruits with stones fruits, citrus with citrus etc...but l do break a rule with a banana and an apple, but always have the apple before the banana, and maybe l could have a pair with an apple but l am unwilling to try it yet. Anyway, l don't need to be eating many foods at the one sitting, that just doesn't seem right.

[MysticTree]

Yes, my constitution is quite delicate. lf l lived like most people l would be fallen apart or even be six foot under by now. My digestive system, lymphatic system, liver and other things are delicate, but l will be seeing a fellow soon so l can try and fix some issues up with special herbs and pro-biotics. l have recovered my health amazingly on my sprout diet but l need to take things alot further and start doing herbs, twice daily wheatgrass inplants, fortnightly enemas and mainly live on green juices if l can, + start doing more exercise. l am 90% there, but need to do the full program to really get my health really robust.

lt is said that people with small earlobes have weak constitutions. Most really old people have huge earlobes.

Ear lobes are said to keep growing throughout your life - that might be part of why old people have large ear lobes. Mine are large and I only hope they don't grow much more!

[The Sproutarian (Mr Raw)]

Ear lobes are said to keep growing throughout your life - that might be part of why old people have large ear lobes. Mine are large and I only hope they don't grow much more!

That's true and certainly a factor, but many of these people still had large earlobes when they were young too. l predict that with all the GM foods etc that in a few generations the earlobe will almost disappear; l could well be wrong, but l will be keeping a look out for it.

[MysticTree]

mine won't I don't think. They are easily the size of my thumb print and I'm only 41!

[SunshineMN]

Maybe they pull on them too much? Hehe... I guess I never noticed.

I seem to have an iron stomach and I also seem to have a very good constitution. I should have been dead several times now. Septicemia - ran 105 degree temp for 3 days at home before I got to the hospital, all my organs started shutting down by the time they sent me to a level 1 trauma center. Spent 5 weeks in a drug induced coma then 2 1/2 months in a rehab hospital. Ruptured appendix that landed me in the icu for a good 10 days. Heart failure. I've had pneumonia 4 times, 3 of them required hospitalization. But I'm still kicking around somehow. Definitely want the last part of my life here on earth to be better than the first part has been!

[MysticTree]

Maybe they pull on them too much? Hehe... I guess I never noticed.

I seem to have an iron stomach and I also seem to have a very good constitution. I should have been dead several times now. Septicemia - ran 105 degree temp for 3 days at home before I got to the hospital, all my organs started shutting down by the time they sent me to a level 1 trauma center. Spent 5 weeks in a drug induced coma then 2 1/2 months in a rehab hospital. Ruptured appendix that landed me in the icu for a good 10 days. Heart failure. I've had pneumonia 4 times, 3 of them required hospitalization. But I'm still kicking around somehow. Definitely want the last part of my life here on earth to be better than the first part has been!

Great news but we are all dying to know how big your earlobes are ;)

[SunshineMN]

LOL Sideways thumbprint? Um, perfect for my face! ;)

[MysticTree]

nice to know there is at least one person here with earlobes similar to mine. My sister has much smaller earlobes and has a weaker constitution ... my father had large earlobes but died at 59 - he was severely over weight and with huge stress in his life though.

[SunshineMN]

Sounds like me... severely over weight with a lot of stress. Though I'm learning to release the stress and I'm drastically changing my diet now so I don't die at 54 like my mom. She was very diabetic for 14 years and didn't understand nutrition very well... and she was a registered nurse. She went to college when I was 20 and I helped her with some of her classes. I think she took a semester of nutrition but dang that information sucked. Wish I would have known about raw a lot earlier, she should have lived a lot longer. Her two older sisters made it to 80, one is still alive, the other just passed. But I feel very strongly I'm doing the right thing to make sure I live longer now that I know better. Btw, I'm 45. And my mom's earlobes were like mine. I just got better genes from my dad's side I guess. :) Every time I go to the doctor (once a year or he won't renew my diuretic) he insists I'm diabetic but the tests keep showing I'm not. Gah... not every fat person is diabetic!

[MysticTree]

Doctors don't like it when you don't conform. I wish my father had known about raw. He would have loved it.

[SunshineMN]

LOL Story of my life. I was born not conforming. In high school if something was popular I avoided it because I didn't want to be like everyone else!

[The Sproutarian (Mr Raw)]

mine won't I don't think. They are easily the size of my thumb print and I'm only 41!

l mean in future born generations the lobes will disappear. The people with the really big ear lobes are the type of folks who are supposed to be able to smoke cigarettes until they are 90 and still go strong; they have stronger hearts, wider arteries (harder to clog up), better immune systems etc. That is what the ancient knowledge is supposed to be.

lt would be interesting to do a study of sterile people, disease and small earlobes. l wonder if there is a strong link?

[MysticTree]

Why not ask BC? Would take the twinkling of an eye to record.