Releasing gas is a common thing in most workplaces – it’s commonly a source of embarassment to the perpetrator, and a source of nose-wrinkling for those around. But why does it happen? Here’s the 3 main causes and their cures.
Too much fat
Fat produces foul smelling gas. In The 80/10/10 Diet Dr. Doug Graham recommends consuming 10% of calories or less from fat. On a 2000 calorie diet that would mean your fat intake is limited to 1/2 of a large avocado or a 1/2 small coconut, 1/4 c nuts or seeds, or 2 Tbsp nut or seed butter. [1]
It is best to eat fat in the evening with your last meal. Fat digests very slowly – so its best to eat it last. That way it can digest much better and reduce any flatulence experienced due to fat.
Too much protein
It’s estimated that the average person passes gas about 14 times a day. If you’re cutting the cheese way more than that, then take a look at your protein intake. Depending on the source, protein can be harder on your body to digest. In other cases, it might be what accompanies the protein or the size of the meal that is at issue, and both situations are easily remedied. [2]
Lactalbumin
If you are using whey or casein protein, you might be experiencing a reaction to lactalbumin, a protein found in milk.
Soy
If you get gas pains after eating soy or using a soy protein supplement, you are not alone. Soybeans are legumes, and they contain very complex sugars that your body cannot break down completely.
Shake Mixes
If the problem only occurs after drinking a protein shake and not after eating, say, a soy beans, the problem could be either the mixer or the mixing method.
Volume
If you get gas every time you eat protein of any form, the problem could be sheer volume. Protein digests more slowly than carbohydrates, so it hangs around in your stomach longer.
Eating the wrong veggies
Broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower – when eaten in excess – will definitely cause gas and bloating. These vegetables are hard for humans to digest and can cause excessive gas when consumed in large quantities. I usually eat these veggies only occasionally and not in large amounts when I do. [3]
Don’t eat randomly. Follow the recipe.
However, poor food-combining can also be a problem – the most common cause is eating improperly combined meals. There are many different food combining rules and in my experience several of them can be disregarded. One rule to keep in mind – do not combine fat and sugar. On a raw food diet, your main source of carbohydrates will be fruit and your main sources of fat include oily fruits like coconut/avocado, nuts, and seeds. This basically means that you should not combine fruit with any of those sources of fat.
This is because fruit digests much faster than fat. The fruit ferments as it waits for the fat digest – this causes gas, too! Even though this is the most important rule it too can be broken occasionally. If you are experiencing bloating I recommend that you follow all of the food combining rules and break one at a time to see which combinations do and don’t work for you. All of that being said, if you are eating a standard american diet (SAD) and incorporating more fruits into your diet it is best to eat them alone first thing in the morning before eating any other foods. Also, do no eat any fruits after eating other foods to ensure optimum digestion.
So you see – there’s always a fix to flatulence or gas if you follow the correct Raw Diet regimen. Starting it is really easy; but we want you to stick with it! Opt for our daily reminder programme here.
Credits: Images from google images tagged for reuse.