Gas and Burping

[chezjulie]

Hi there,

 

The past few days I've been having a lot of gas in my stomach, which I experience in the form of frequent burping and also bloating. I do have acid reflux, for which burping is a symptom. But it's particularly bad right now. I think that having a meal and a snack that included hot sauce and then lying down yesterday kicked off some bad reflux. 

 

I am taking a digestive enzyme, which I've increased the dosage of to two with every meal, and I've had a kombucha each day. I broke down and had a non-compliant Gas-X on Day 21 because I was so uncomfortable. I also tried a TBS of apple cider vinegar yesterday. 

 

Here are my meals from the previous two days. The gas has been particularly bad in the evening and in the morning when I wake up.

 

W3D21S1   Larabar, 1 tbs. cashew butter

W3D21M1  4 turkey sausage patties, grilled mushrooms, roast potatoes, strawberries, raspberries, & Amaya Roasting Company Temporado coffee with coconut milk

W3D21S2      Synergy Kombucha Gingerberry

W3D21M2     boiled shrimp with mayonnaise, sweet potato with ghee, ginger, & cinnamon, 2/3 avocado, sauerkraut curtido

W3D21M3     grass-fed hamburger with guacamole, salad w/EVOO & balsamic vinegar, spinach w/EVOO

 

W3D22S1    Synergy Kombucha Gingerberry

W3D22M1   tuna fish, Earthbound Farm rainbow chard w/EVOO, red delicious apple w/cashew butter, coffee w/coconut milk

W3D22M2   3 chicken sausages (kale & balsamic), green beans w/EVOO, 2 cooked beets

W3D22S2    smoked oysters, 1/2 avocado, hot sauce

W3D22M3   chocolate chili, russet potato, strawberries

 

Thanks for any feedback. Also... that was the last Larabar in the house and I haven't bought any more.

[Tom Denham]

The concerning things you have eaten include the Larabar, cashew butter, fruit, and raw salad - maybe in that order. I would try cutting anything related to nuts, which are often implicated in digestion problems. Some people have problems digesting fruit. That is rare enough I hesitate to mention it, but it is something to consider in the absence of more obvious trouble-makers. Any time you have a digestive complaint, it can be useful to focus on cooked veggies and not raw ones as raw veggies are harder to digest. 

 

I suppose kombucha or sauerkraut could be involved, but they would be among the last things I would try removing. 

[chezjulie]

Thanks, Tom. Are there any nuts or nut butters that DON'T cause digestive issues? I enjoy them (and peanut butter, which I know is a legume).

[GFChris]

Thanks, Tom. Are there any nuts or nut butters that DON'T cause digestive issues? I enjoy them (and peanut butter, which I know is a legume).

 

On a Whole30, we recommend limiting nuts and nut butters as a fat option, so for that reason, I'd advise against looking for reasons to keep them around, especially considering you're having digestive issues.

 

A gentle reminder that Larabars are emergency food only on a Whole30.  For best results, follow the recommended meal template of protein, veg and fat at every meal.

[chezjulie]

Hi GHChris, I understand that it is recommended to limit nuts and nut butters. But one day I won't be doing Whole30 any more, so I would appreciate knowing if there are nuts that would be gentler that I might add back in.

 

I know about the Larabars, too, sigh. There have just been a few occasions where I had a Larabar freakout.  That was the last one in the house and will remain so for the duration.

 

And thanks, Tom, too, for telling me what I suspected but didn't want to know!

[GFChris]

Hi GHChris, I understand that it is recommended to limit nuts and nut butters. But one day I won't be doing Whole30 any more, so I would appreciate knowing if there are nuts that would be gentler that I might add back in.

 

I don't know whether any one nut is better, digestive-wise, than another nut.

 

This is something that you may have to discover for yourself during re-introduction.

[jmcbn]

All nuts are hard to digest due the high levels of enzyme inhibitors. The best way to solve this is to soak them overnight (or about 6hrs max for cashews) in salted water in the same way that many people soak grains & seeds to reduce the phytic acid. Spread your nuts out in say an oven tray and use enough water to cover them all with about one TBSP of salt dissolved in the water, then next day drain & rehydrate in your oven slow & at a low (100-150F) temp until dry & crisp (anything from 12-24hrs). You can add salt or spices for the dehydrating stage.

The soaking encourages the development of beneficial enzymes making them easier to digest.

I guess once you've rehydrated your nuts you could make your own nut butter (it's a fairly simple process) unless of course the craving has passed by this stage...!!