At 11:29 AM 7/19/97 -0700, Serena Starkey wrote:
>Ever since I became a vegan (I think that is when it all started) I have
>had terrible gas almost every day. Maybe this comes from the beans, but it
>seems to happen even when I am not eating beans. Anyway, I wouldn't want
>to stop eating beans because I do not eat dairy and it is where I get most
>of my protein. I am wondering if others have this problem and what they do
>to get rid of it. I have tried some over the counter anti-gas medicine but
>it doesn't seem to help much.
>
Ah, the vegetarian's curse. No you are not alone, most of the vegetarians
that I know have gone through the same thing. The best I can figure out is
that the foods we eat tend to cause a lot of gas. It helps if you soak you
beans over night and change the cooking water after they first come to a
boil. This helps break down the stuff (I can't remember the name for it)
that causes the gas. Of course you wouldn't season the beans until after
you change the water. Also, make sure that you chew every bite
*thoroughly*. The key seems to be to do as much of the digestion as
possible before it hits your stomach.
On the bright side, it does lessen with time. Unfortunately, most of the
vegetarians that I know still have more gas than people on the SAD.
I hope that helps.
Monica L. Tittle hstrynut@xxxxxxxxx
http://www.geocities.com/athens/6715
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