Take a Pass on Gas

Avoiding the embarrassing side of healthy eating
By Jill Weisenberger, M.S., R.D., C.D.E., EatingWell.com

It's true. Beans, beans, are good for the heart. The rest of that silly childhood poem is unfortunately true too. And not just with beans, but also cabbage, onions, apples, and many other fruits and vegetables loaded with the vitamins, minerals, fibers and phytochemicals we're all urged to get more of. So what can we do to bypass the gas, short of giving up some of nature's most nourishing foods? A few cooking and lifestyle changes can go a long way, say experts.

According to Karen Collins, R.D., nutrition advisor for the American Institute for Cancer Research, many people suffer gas because their digestive tracts aren't used to a high-fiber diet—and avoiding fibrous foods like beans, broccoli and salads just worsens the problem. Rather than steering clear of the offending foods, advises Collins, gradually add them in, giving the body time to adapt. "It's important not to make the jump overnight. The body can't handle a dramatic makeover." Add one daily serving of high-fiber foods each week, she advises, aiming for a goal of 7 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily and several servings of beans weekly.

What causes the noxious vapors, anyway? It begins when carbohydrate is not completely digested by the army of enzymes in the small intestine. Once the undigested sugars, starches and fibers reach the large intestine, friendly bacteria break down and ferment them—giving off gas in the process.

Increasing your fiber intake not only helps your intestinal bacteria adapt, but it also moves food and waste through your intestines faster. The quicker the transit, the better, says Collins. "The longer food sits there, the longer the bacteria act on it," she explains—which translates to more gas production.

To help speed foods through your GI tract, stay regularly active and drink plenty of fluids, adds Collins. That's good advice to heed, no matter what's in the air.

Averting a Gas Crisis

Gradually phase in high-fiber foods, chewing them well to start digestion.

Drink plenty of fluids.

Get regular physical activity (like a daily "constitutional" walk).

If certain fruits or vegetables give you gas, try cooking and/or peeling them to help make them more digestible.

When cooking dried beans, soak them first, then discard the liquid to get rid of some of the difficult-to-digest carbohydrate. Likewise, drain and rinse canned beans before using.

Flavor your foods with seasonings used throughout the world to make problem foods less gassy, such as ginger, fennel seeds, turmeric and coriander. Scout ethnic groceries for epazote—an herb frequently paired with beans in Mexico and the Caribbean—and asafoetida, a spice common in East Indian cooking.

Lastly, consider an over-the-counter aid, such as Beano®, which supplies an enzyme to digest some of the gas-inducing carbohydrates.

From MSN Health