Jeff...Day 13 Uncontrollable Gas & Stench

[wendysmiling]

Hi Jeff,

I'm on day 13 of the diet and have been thrilled by my blood sugar lowering vastly and the energy boost. However, I have completely uncontrollable gas and it smells like I'm rotting inside. With no other way to put it... I have the "walking farts". I poot down the hall at work and leave a cloud. I poot in my office when my boss is leaning over my shoulder. It comes out loud and almost wet sounding and I can not control it. It comes every few minutes and does not stop even when I sleep. This has been going on for over a week.

My typical day is brown rice, various beans, spinach, mushrooms, corn tortillas. potatoes & salsa. I use no supplements or vitamins. I average around 1000-2000 cals a day at 30-60g fiber, less than 10% fat, less than 15% protein. I stopped oatmeal (plain) as is gives me heartburn for some reason.

I had a couple of slight cheat days where I ate a little cheese sauce over New Years, but I've had this before the cheat, during, and after.

I do have gastropresis (impaired gut motility from the stomach to the colon). This is from uncontrolled thyroid disease for many years (controlled now). This is why I don't eat as much as some. I get fuller quicker and food takes longer to leave the stomach.

I have been able to get off my motility med because I can now have almost daily BMs where before w/o meds I might go 10 days. The diet is helping.

Any thoughts? I just started drinking more water today. I know the food sits longer in my gut and I am used to dealing with severe bloating from eating a solid diet... is there something I can do? I really would rather not go back to a liquid diet. My gastro doc doesn't know what to do with me anymore. He'll just put me on low dose daily erythromicin which doesn't work that great anyhow.

Crossing my fingers... this is VERY embarrasing.

[JeffN]

Greetings,

Congratulations on your success so far.

Any thoughts? I just started drinking more water today. I know the food sits longer in my gut and I am used to dealing with severe bloating from eating a solid diet... is there something I can do?

Gas or flatulence is a normal body function. It occurs in all mammals and is the result of the production of a mixture of gases in the digestive tract that are byproducts of the digestion process.

A healthy diet will not cause "smelly" gas. However, foods/diets that are higher in protein and/or fat will. So will many of the processed and refined foods that many people consume along with all the other things they choose to consume.

Your body is adjusting and there are a few things you can do to minimize the resulting gas as your body adjusts.

.. there are several foods that are known to be the most likely culprits contributing to this issue: they are raw vegetables, cruciferous vegetables (cabbage family -broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, etc), and beans. If someone is experiencing any gas or bloating, there are a few steps they can take to make the transition easier.

1) Reduce, but do not eliminate, the amount of the foods that may cause the most bloating and gas. Once things have settled down you can increase their amounts gradually.

2) Thoroughly cook these foods as cooking helps to soften and break down the fiber, making it easier to digest. This is especially helpful in regard to raw vegetables and cruciferous vegetables.

3) Limit beans to 1 cup a day. Sprouting and/or soaking beans, discarding the soak water and also rinsing and draining them a few times before cooking them may help to reduce the indigestible sugars in bean.

4) you can try taking a supplement, for a limited time, that contains the enzyme that will help with the issue. Two such products I recommend (and we use at the 10-Day) are

"Say Yes To Beans Enzyme Complex" by Nature's Plus
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00028N2YG/re ... 8DbVJ91VTN

“BeanAssist”
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FAVAUH2/re ... 8DbH9N0DMG

You may have to try both as they work differently

In Health
Jeff