New Vegetarian - Need help from experienced people.?!
Yesterday and today I have had gas so bad it looks like I'm a little pregnant.. my stomach is actually bloated and it's killing me.
Is it all the fruit and veggies causing this? Will it go away or is there something I can do about it?
Also, perhaps I need my system cleaned out. Does anyone suggest a colonic cleansing once you've cut out all meat?
Gross subject, I know. Thanks for your help.... again!
Answers: This is going to be TMI, so stop reading now if easily grossed out. I've cut out all meat and dairy products from my diet - it's been about a week and a half so far.
Yesterday and today I have had gas so bad it looks like I'm a little pregnant.. my stomach is actually bloated and it's killing me.
Is it all the fruit and veggies causing this? Will it go away or is there something I can do about it?
Also, perhaps I need my system cleaned out. Does anyone suggest a colonic cleansing once you've cut out all meat?
Gross subject, I know. Thanks for your help.... again!
I'm so sorry; gas can be so miserable. As others have said, it's most likely the fiber. Your body will need time to get used to it. If it doesn't go away soon, you might try transitioning away from meat in a more gradual way.
There are ways to deal with gas. Walking helps -- even though it's no fun to walk around when you feel gassy, it helps you pass the gas much more quickly (which might result in some unpleasant odors or burps, but will definitely reduce that awful bloated feeling). Also simethicone pills are pretty harmless and really do help; they're sold under various brand names (e.g. gas-x) in drugstores.
Your body is just going through a change. there is nothing wrong with you or your new diet!
Yes it is the extra veggies and fruits That have so much good fiber.
Give your body a few weeks to settle down, and the gas problem will go away due to your body getting used to this.
take beano. if you do not want to have gas.
Drink lots of water, that will settle your tummy too!
You've probably introduced a LOT of fiber into your diet.
It'll take a few weeks but it should go away on it's own.
Also, are you eating a lot of soy products or processed foods (like imitation chicken strips and other processed vegan meat substitutes)? Those tend to be harder on the stomach than making your own food.
I have never had a colonic, I don't think that's a vital part in being a vegetarian, it's more or less an alternative medicine thing that is believed to strengthen and cleanse the colon. If you feel like that's something you want and need, you might as well try it, but I can assure you that when I went vegetarian and then vegan I didn't need to have gallons of water pummeled through my colon to "fix" me after eating meat for many years... a part of me is very skeptical about the whole thing. A diet rich in natural, basic foods (lots of roughage) and very low in processed foods should be enough to keep your colon healthy and moving regularly.
P.S. Drink plenty of fresh water, many people think that it makes you MORE bloated to drink water but in fact it'll really alleviate the problem. 8 - 12 cups a day is great.
Drink lots of filtered water, and for one day eat nothing but carrots. (the baby ones are the easiest- you wont have to scrape or slice them) Carrots are like intestinal brooms, and gross- you'll know immediately when it starts working.
Cut back on processed foods and cook your veggies as little as possible, eat lots of fresh raw produce and you will never have this problem again!
If you've cut ALL animal products out of your diet (meats, eggs, dairy) you're a VEGAN. It's great that you're a vegan, and you should know that you can call yourself one. As to your question:
I've been a vegetarian for 2 weeks, and am properly educated in what veganism, and vegetarianism requires, although i don't have much experience in being a vegetarian. Your body is going through MAJOR changes, it will even out soon. There is nothing to worry about.
your bosy is just getting used to veg and fruit and not living off animal fat and fibre. if you have cooked meat before you will notice that the fat is congealed after a while. well imagine that in your body. you will feel better soon. GOOD LUCK. i became vegetarian when i was around 6/7 years old. ethical and moral reasons. my sister followed soon after. my dad did not consume meat from the time he was a kid for the same reasons but ate fish cos he reasoned that they were cold-blooded,
Why Become Vegetarian?
There are as many reasons for becoming vegetarian as there are vegetarians; it's a highly personal and individual decision to make. But in a survey conducted on behalf of The Vegetarian Society the majority of people said that they gave up meat and fish because they did not morally approve of killing animals, or because they objected to the ways in which animals are kept, treated and killed for food.
With the growing awareness of the importance of healthy food, many people are also becoming vegetarian because it matches the kind of low fat, high fibre diet recommended by dieticians and doctors. Concern about the environment is another factor as people become more aware of the effect raising animals for their meat is having on the environment. Or you may be concerned about wasting world food resources by using land to raise animals for meat instead of growing crops that can feed more people directly.
Although do make sure you have enough protein in you're diet which you can get from beans ( including soy beans ), nuts, seeds, peanuts, almonds, tofu ect...
read this;
http://www.flex.com/~jai/articles/101.ht...
& about going vegetarian go here;
http://www.vegsoc.org/info/goingveg.html
vegetarian recipes;
http://www.vegsoc.org/cordonvert/recipes...
please do visit them sites.
Well good luck on going vegetarianism, you have made a great descison.