Be Embarrassed No More!
Try These Natural Gas Remedies

Looking for natural gas remedies to ease the growing pains of going vegan? Not only are some of the most popular store-bought gas remedies not vegan, they often have scary side effects and tons of chemicals.

Here's the thing... if you suddenly start eating way more fiber than you used to eat, there's a good chance you're going to start getting gassy. Most of the time your gut flora will repopulate with friendly bacteria to eat up the fiber and process it in a less gassy way. There are a few tricks you can try to speed this up, and we'll cover those here. 

I'm just going to throw this out there... it is possible you might be leading a bit more of a noisy life than before. I just look at it as the down side to eating food that is going to make you feel better overall.

What causes the gas?

When you comsume a large amount of fiber, your body loves you for the health you're giving it, but it doesn't always express it in the nicest way. The other way we get gas is just by swallowing too much air.

As your body breaks down proteins from your food, it can release sulfur and give you a not so pleasant odor. Gas producing foods are things like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower, as well as beans, onions, corn, peaches, pears, oats, potatoes, some breads, carbonated drinks, and dairy products.

But, it can vary. Some people don't get gas from any of those foods, but they do get it from others.

If you are really trying to avoid gas, say you are in a workplace and can't release it without bothering other people, stick to foods that don't lead to gas; such as rice, peanut butter, bananas, grapes, and citrus fruits.

Lifestyle changes you can try

There are a few things you can do to keep yourself from creating so much gas:

• Using dry beans rather than canned can help remove some of the parts of the legume that are harder to digest. Soak them overnight, drain off the water and rinse, and then cook in fresh water. (Update: there is some debate as to whether the liquid in beans actually does produce gas. I personally eat it often (remember how much I love aquafaba?) and don't see this happening. 
• If you use canned beans, rinse them well first 
• Soy products are easier to digest than other beans
• Avoid carbonated beverages and drink plenty of water
• Fructose and sorbitol contribute to digestion problems, so avoid them
• Chew your food thoroughly and eat slowly to avoid allowing air into your digestive system. Air entering one end exits out the other!
• Avoid chewing gum as well as drinking with a straw
• Try taking a walk after meals, which stimulates the digestive system and moves everything through faster

My Top Natural Gas Remedies

• *Bean-zyme is a natural, vegan alternative to Beano that many people report helps process foods without being so gassy. Make sure you get the vegan one, because there is a version that's not.

• Get a high quality probiotic that will help your gut flora accept more fibrous foods. Probiotics are just bacteria strains, and there are many different kinds that target different issues in your body, so definitely search for one that works on digestion and gassiness.

There are several herbs that people have been eating across the world for thousands of years to aid in digestion. Some may work better for your body than others so I recommend trying them for a week or so to see if it works for you.

• Eat 1 tablespoon fennel seeds after eating
• Eat coriander seeds after eating, they relieve gas and gas pain
• Try two teaspoons of raw apple cider vinegar. Make sure to get the raw version with "the mother," the cloudy stuff at the bottom
• Find the ancient Mexican herb called epazote that has been used for thousands of years for gas. It gives food a smoky flavor.
• Chew peppermint after meals to sooth the abdominal muscles
• Chamomile tea soothes the stomach and aids in digestion
• Ginger also helps with digestion- you can eat it whole, run hot water on it, sprinkle the powder in a drink
• Hot water helps speed digestion, so drink it plain or add one of these few herbs after eating.
• Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kombucha, and water kefir are also powerful for helping combat gas

*Note: People have asked me about Beano. It's not vegan because it has gelatin (animal hooves and cartilage). Try the vegan version of Bean-zyme (there are two types of Beanzyme so make sure you're getting the vegan one) if the other natural gas remedies don't work.

Please leave a comment if you know of a fool-proof natural gas remedy that I didn't mention here. 

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