We don’t like to talk about it. We don’t even like to think about it. It can stress us out when we have a lot of it… and when there’s a lot of people around.
Yup, I’m talking about gas.
Sure, it’s funny when a kid in the elevator verbally points out the obvious when the rest of the adults act like nothing’s among us even though our noses tell us different.
It’s not an easy topic to talk about.
But, I’ll admit, I’m a gassy guy.
But that’s what happens when you have a diet that contains a lot of fruits, vegetables, protein, and other healthy foods. It’s kind of the downfall of eating healthy: it can lead to more gas.
A colleague of mine, Cassandra Forsythe blogged about gas some time ago and some things you can do to help reduce it. Her post goes through and talks a bit about FODMAP foods and how they contribute to an increase in gas and by substituting those foods out of your diet can help reduce the amount you have. She got such an interest in that post that she posted a follow up with some details on exactly what foods you can avoid and what you can substitute in helping you in reducing gas.
I had made some comments on her first blog post about this and her and I actually took the conversation off line and she gave me some more suggestions, specifically, she gave me some suggestions on supplements that you can take to help in reducing gas. So I put myself on a bit of an experiment and here’s what my verdict is on some of the products out there:
The failures:
Gas-X: I had always used this product in the past and quite frankly, it just doesn’t work for me.
Beano: This is another one that didn’t really work well and never has.
Those two have always seemed to be the big ones that you hear about all the time, commercially. Just not impressed (although the old Beano commercial with the Monks is pretty funny).
Jury is Still Out:
Gas-X Prevention: This stuff didn’t work bad. The problem is that supposedly to be most effective, you have to take it IMMEDIATELY before your first bite of the food that is giving you gas. One, you’ll always forget (I constantly did). Two, when you do remember, you’re probably at a table full of friends, who all of a sudden see you throw down a pill before you start eating and raises suspicion (and if someone calls you out on it, do you really want to have THAT conversation over dinner?). So it does seem to have some effectiveness but, it’s got some problems with the practical application.
Recommended:
Charco-Caps: I thought these worked really well. They’re also practical in that they can be taken before a meal OR at the first sign of discomfort. So you really don’t need to take them until you start getting that “on boy” feeling.
Charcoal Activated: Hands down the winner. Just simple Charcoal. Take two of them after eating or when you feel discomfort. When taking these I definitely feel less bloated, less stressed, and less uncomfortable. It doesn’t get rid of ALL of it but, definitely seems to work for me with reducing gas after about an hour after taking it. This stuff is not that expensive either and just your local store brand works just fine.
We don’t like to discuss it and don’t even want people to think we actually do it, but, we all do and we all have times where it hits us at the most inopportune moments. But give some of these products a try, change a few things with your diet with the information in the links from Cassandra, and let me know what works and what doesn’t for you. Or better yet, let your family, friends and co-workers tell me what they thinks works best for you…
