What Doctors Don't Tell YouA reader last time told us that she suffers from constant flatulence, which her doctor thinks may be associated with her vegetarian diet. One reader thinks dysbiosis, or the ‘wrong’ bacteria in the gut, could be the cause. Acidophilus and garlic may help, but it’s best to be treated by a herbalist, she suggests. It might also be caused by a sluggish gall bladder, which can be helped with bitters from a herbalist. Another reader sorted out his flatulence after studying Ayurvedic medicine. He discovered he was a vata, which, not surprisingly, is the air type. Vatas find it difficult to digest raw vegetables, and instead need warm food. Another reader reckons the culprit can be wheat, and especially bread. Replace this with rice cakes, oat cakes, and millet. If you’re eating too many gas-producing beans, switch to sprouting beans and seeds, and vary your organic vegetables and fruits. Find out the foods to which you’re intolerant, and take them out of the diet. A helpful aid is a food diary, where you record the food you’ve eaten and your body’s reaction to it. Drink plenty of water to help you digest your food.
Daniel Redwood DC
Tom Ferguson MD
