Gas

[shb]

I have alot of gas throughout the day. I am having some vegetables. I am also eating all throughout the day and alot.

[Roy Collins]

Back off on legumes, soy milk, and flour products. Chew all food 75-100 times before swallowing. Use 1 teaspoon of miso in soup stock made from onion, wakame and daikon or shiitake mushroom, but eat in the am before anything else (every other day) A little baked mochi can be added to the soup. Enzymes in the intestines are deficient and villi (tiny hairs that absorb nutrients) are depleted. Enzymes in miso will help them grow back, along with pressed salad with a small amount of sea salt or ume vinegar.

You may also want to do deep breathing exercises while you are
bending over with hands on knees. After all your breath has been exhaled you have to undulate the abdomen about 10 times
then breath slowly back in. Do this three times per day.

You will get over it soon...

In peace, Roy

[shb]

The exercise head to knees, am I standing or sitting? I dont think I can give up flour products. I can do more miso soups. What is pressed salads? I had dried burdock tea this morning and noticed less gas.

[Roy Collins]

You should be standing with knees slightly bent for this type of abdominal breathing exercise.

Don't use any more than one taspoon of miso per day (older people should not use miso every day unless for a specific illness).

Pressed salads are made by putting raw veggies and salty condiment in a Japanese Salad Press (heavy glass type) which has a spring-loaded post/plunger that you push down and then set aside until the water (yin) in the veggies comes out. You then pour this off through the little hole in the cap. You can ask
for more information about this process and what veggies to use, etc. on the cyberrmacro cooking forum. You can press wild greens this time of year as well, especially dandelion.

In peace, Roy

[shb]

Is that the same as fermented food?

[Roy Collins]

I would stay away from fermented foods until the gas problems go away. Some of the fermented foods have beneficial enzymes,
such as sauerkraut and tempeh but tend to be gas producers in themselves as one contains cabbage and the other beans. When there is too much fermentation going on in the intestines
and villi are weak then malabsorption occurs and intestines bloat.

The only bean product you need now should come from a small amount of aged and salted miso, which should be used sparingly every other day. You can add more fermented foods, beans, and cultured soy products later on but it you want to bet the gas you need to avoid the food products (and yeasted foods) I mentioned for a while.

In peace, Roy

[shb]

Well I thought fermented food helps with enzymes. I havent used any fermented food except sourdough bread and miso before and still some bloat and gas. I am off the macrobiotics plan to read more information on how to heal myself cause I cannot start this type of plan getting too warm for the summer and bloating. I am gonna go off night shades for awhile to see how that works.

[Roy Collins]

Good idea! You need to have a lot more knowledge under your belt before diving into the ocean of macrobiotic philosophy and its lifestyle. Good luck.

In peace, Roy