Vegetarian diet => Smelly Flatulence

[DoggyLady]

I'm now on relatively-more-vegetarian diet about 3-4 months. It's been good so far. i see results in my health.

But bad thing is, I now have smelly flatulence. Never had much of that problem when I was a carnivore.

is this a temporary phase as my body is still in process of developing more enzymes for my new diet?

Cos while I know some foods may cause flatulence I don't like the idea of cutting down on certain foods , as that limits what i can eat.

[Cochonette]

The only thing on the diet that's given me this problem is drinking a lot of soymilk. I seem to not have this problem anymore, or maybe it's because I mostly just consume soymilk with other things like in smoothies or cereal? I haven't had this problem in a long time, so maybe my body got used to it. I also noticed that drinking a particular kind of soymilk made a difference. The Eden brand of soymilk, whether I drank it straight or not, it not only had an unusually strong soy after taste (which I don't even notice anymore when I consume soy of other brands via cereal or whatever; again, probably just got used to it), but it gave me a LOT of gas.

And I don't eat that much of other beans, so I don't know, but that definitely produces gas. Soy is a bean after all.

[DoggyLady]

Originally Posted by Cochonette

The only thing on the diet that's given me this problem is drinking a lot of soymilk. I seem to not have this problem anymore, or maybe it's because I mostly just consume soymilk with other things like in smoothies or cereal? I haven't had this problem in a long time, so maybe my body got used to it. I also noticed that drinking a particular kind of soymilk made a difference. The Eden brand of soymilk, whether I drank it straight or not, it not only had an unusually strong soy after taste (which I don't even notice anymore when I consume soy of other brands via cereal or whatever; again, probably just got used to it), but it gave me a LOT of gas.

And I don't eat that much of other beans, so I don't know, but that definitely produces gas. Soy is a bean after all.

Oh, I drink soy milk, to replace cows milk.

Oh, now what do I have to replace soymilk, for breakfast?? I put oats in my soymilk. It's funny if I put oats in my carrot juice!!!

Seems like whatever I eat, it's a problem!!!

[Cochonette]

Hemp milk!!!!!!!!!

[DoggyLady]

never heard of hemp milk! but i think i can find almond milk in the stores here.

I just did a google on what the gas causing foods are

if i eliminate all of them, i have nothing left to eat!!! crazy.

[momo3bur]

Originally Posted by DoggyLady

never heard of hemp milk! but i think i can find almond milk in the stores here.

I just did a google on what the gas causing foods are

if i eliminate all of them, i have nothing left to eat!!! crazy.

Have you ever tried Almond milk?

I've only tried it twice. It has a nice flavor but it's REALLY thick and syrupy. Maybe I got a bad carton or something, I don't know. It ended up rotting in my fridge. LOL.

As far as the gas thing, my family and I have really tried to overhaul our diet for the last week or two with mainly fruits and veggies, whole grains, and very lean meats but MUCH less than before. Anyway...um...yeah. I know what you're talking about. I think it's the increase in fiber or something, I dunno. Doc assures this will get better with time. Let's hope so.

I don't really have a problem with it because I eat lots of veggies and fruits already. However, two other people in my household (who will remain nameles ) who I could NEVER get to eat anything even remotely healthy without threatening their lives, finally gave in and started eating so not to starve and have been passing gas like I've never smelled in my life. I was surprised that an increase in fruits and veggies could do this to someone. Also, my younger babes seem to be visiting the potty with #2 much more frequently. LOL.

My doctor did assure me that this will regulate itself eventually and it's almost like a cleaning out combined with new foods the body is reacting to because it is not used to digesting them.

I HOPE SO.

[firenexx]

Yes the flatulence etc. is generally due to a dramatic increase in fiber which your body has to adjust to. If you don't do it gradually it just won't be able to handle it.

If you cook dried legumes, make sure you rinse them well before hand. This helps with gas. Also, putting a big chunk o' kelp in the cooking water with them will help to soften and improve digestibility.

Beans make you fart, simple as that. Other things do too, like soy milk, which is made from beans.

Personally I tend to shy away from things used to "replace" less healthy things, and I don't eat that many legumes as fruits and veggies are much easier to digest. But if you need milk, almond, rice, hemp, and coconut are all good "replacements."

[Gabo]

Peas and lentils absolutely wreck me, lol. But they're so delicious and so healthy, so it's worth the smellyness!

[DoggyLady]

Originally Posted by firenexx

Yes the flatulence etc. is generally due to a dramatic increase in fiber which your body has to adjust to. If you don't do it gradually it just won't be able to handle it.

If you cook dried legumes, make sure you rinse them well before hand. This helps with gas. Also, putting a big chunk o' kelp in the cooking water with them will help to soften and improve digestibility.

Beans make you fart, simple as that. Other things do too, like soy milk, which is made from beans.

Personally I tend to shy away from things used to "replace" less healthy things, and I don't eat that many legumes as fruits and veggies are much easier to digest. But if you need milk, almond, rice, hemp, and coconut are all good "replacements."

it's been 3-4 mths since i have improved my diet... so it's strange if my body is still trying to adjust....

anyway, i'll avoid soy milk now. if that does not work, then it's gotta be the onions.

[momo3bur]

Originally Posted by DoggyLady

it's been 3-4 mths since i have improved my diet... so it's strange if my body is still trying to adjust....

anyway, i'll avoid soy milk now. if that does not work, then it's gotta be the onions.

I can't give you answers because I'm not educated on the subject, but I've seen other people talk about the way you combine foods to aid in digestion helping things like this.

For example, I saw one lady saying that mixing your leafy veggie meals with a good whole grain would help with digestion.

I don't know if it will help any or if you already try to combine your foods to aid in digestion, but I figured I mention it so maybe you could Google it and try to find some help.

Otherwise, I know people who take GasX and swear by it! LOL!

And I don't think it's just the veggie diet that causes gas either. I've known a few people who do Atkins and they have the same issues with gas. I've also noticed that Atkins dieters tend to have HORRID breath. Maybe it's just the few I know, though. Perhaps our bodies need to have our meals portioned just right in order to work and digest properly. I dunno.

[firenexx]

Sorry, I didn't notice that you'd been doing it for 3-4 months. I've heard many instances of vegetarians having gas problems, and I've generally noted that it's been due to too many legumes in the diet. But, it could be many things.

[pyrogen]

You might be eating more wheat than before. Many people have trouble digesting this, even if they don't technically or officially have a gluten intolerance.

[featherstory]

One of the main reasons for this is food combining. If you're combining things that digest fast, fruit, sugar, carbs with things that digest slow, such as beans, nuts/seeds, cruciferous veggies, etc.

Or if you chase these foods with a sugary drink like soymilk, gas will occur.

I have a good file on food combo's but I don't know how to post it here. I could email it, though.

[bluestar]

(OP)....It might be a thing about how long you eat this diet. For instance, I ate raw vegetables and was on a semi-vegetarian diet now for over 20 years. I have eaten plenty of beans too in all that time, and still do, and love different dishes made with lentils etc.
And as for farts....(too much information??haha)....my farts are not the sort you could set light to, if you know what I mean! And not often either!
I think the body gets used to the extra fiber. It probably takes a while. Most people eat WAY too little fiber, so when they go veggie, they are suddenly getting a lot more, and I think that's maybe what causes the flatulence.
When the body gets accustomed to that level of fiber, things settle down usually

[Wehey]

Cut all grains from your diet and your wind will be mostly eliminated

[DoggyLady]

Originally Posted by Wehey

Cut all grains from your diet and your wind will be mostly eliminated

grains like oatmeal??

i eat that for breadfast everyday.

[Wehey]

Originally Posted by DoggyLady

grains like oatmeal??

i eat that for breadfast everyday.

Yep....every grain. Guaranteed thats your problem

[Wehey]

This makes a good read, especially the 2nd half The Definitive Guide to Grains | Mark's Daily Apple

[momo3bur]

Originally Posted by Wehey

Yep....every grain. Guaranteed thats your problem

I can see why grains would cause flatulence, but isn't it unhealthy to eliminate whole grains from the diet? Wouldn't such a drastic change in her diet cause issues?

I know from personal experience that when I remove all sources of whole grains from my diet I get kinda grumpy, really tired, and occasionally...errr...plugged up.

[momo3bur]

Originally Posted by Wehey

This makes a good read, especially the 2nd half The Definitive Guide to Grains | Mark's Daily Apple

Okay, I see. This was a really good article and makes a lot of sense, actually. Hmmmm...

Gears turning.

[sirkinm]

As a vegetarian, I had problems with too much flatulence. As another poster mentioned, wheat can do this big time, so lay off whole wheat (it's not good for you any way).

Once I eliminated wheat and changed to a diet rich in animal products, my gas went away. It actually surprised me how much it went away -- I actually miss cutting a really good fart I think it's a great sign about my digestion -- I'm very regular, and have very low amounts of (non-smelly) flatulence.

[momo3bur]

Originally Posted by sirkinm

-- I actually miss cutting a really good fart

Just had to say...this is my favorite quote of all time. I had to giggle just a teencie weencie bit.

[dream]

I'm not a vegetarian but I love veggies, if that makes sense...

I made this deliscious meal as I forgot about my crock pot sitting in the cabinet. I rediscovered it and made a multi-bean, lentil, potato soup contraption with fresh herbs like thyme and scallions and rosemary. I ran out of bay leaves. I ate it over rice and I tell you it was fabulous. I ate it for three days.

I didn't know why my flatulence was so bad, until my six year old son started singing the song, "beans, beans, good for your heart......"

[smilingaway]

The more carbs I eat, the worse the smell is! But, sometimes veggies like brocolli will just do that to you.

Yes, grains are bad! Do not go near them!