Beans, beans, the magical fruit

missiontofitness
missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
in Food and Nutrition
If any jokes are made in this thread, they will be appreciated.

But serious question.


I love hummus.
I mean, I really love hummus.
I really, REALLY love hummus.
Don't even get me started on my homemade three bean southwest veggie soup either.

But we all know what happens when you consume a decent amount of legumes. The result is generally not pretty, and can sometimes clear a room.

Now, I enjoy my legumes. I think they're an awesome addition to my diet. But I could really do without the side effects. Does anyone have any good tips to reduce the unpleasantness that come with this delicious dietary addition?

Replies

  • suppakana
    suppakana Posts: 307 Member
    Bump! I would also appreciate suggestions in this area! ^_^
  • krawhitham
    krawhitham Posts: 831 Member
    I like this too, but have no solutions. Fortunately I live with a very forgiving boyfriend ;)

    I have tupperware with 5-bean salad, and hummus, in the fridge at all times.
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    I like this too, but have no solutions. Fortunately I live with a very forgiving boyfriend ;)

    I have tupperware with 5-bean salad, and hummus, in the fridge at all times.

    .....
    Why is that salad not in my fridge right now?!
  • tapirfrog
    tapirfrog Posts: 616 Member
    Beano.
  • Shuuma
    Shuuma Posts: 465 Member
    A dose of Ginger in the beans helps neutralize future methane leaks. Also, I understand that soaking overnight from dry, thoroughly rinsing, and cooking until very tender eliminates the need to toot.

    Happy beaning. :smokin:
  • LKuderna
    LKuderna Posts: 31 Member
    I have been pleasantly surprised that thorough rinsing after soaking, or using the quick-soak method, seems to be the secret. I would like to try the ginger suggestion as well. I have heard that if you gradually increase the amount you eat, it can also help (instead of just chowing down when you're not used to eating beans). Also, if you can get Anasazi beans, they seem to be less gas-forming than some of the other ones. Hope this helps!!
  • lindseyas1
    lindseyas1 Posts: 25 Member
    I eat obscene amounts of beans. I've found that if you eat them pretty regularly (or a lot of fiber in general) your system gets used to them and has less effects. I don't know, maybe just me. I live alone too, so maybe I just don't notice ;)
  • lindseyas1
    lindseyas1 Posts: 25 Member
    Oh, and what people above said-cooking your own instead of canned seems to be a bit less gassy (and cheaper!).
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    I have been pleasantly surprised that thorough rinsing after soaking, or using the quick-soak method, seems to be the secret. I would like to try the ginger suggestion as well. I have heard that if you gradually increase the amount you eat, it can also help (instead of just chowing down when you're not used to eating beans). Also, if you can get Anasazi beans, they seem to be less gas-forming than some of the other ones. Hope this helps!!

    Thanks a bunch! I was hoping to get some non-pill responses.

    I think I jumped back onto the hummus train a little too quickly, because my digestive tract is feeling pretty wonky tonight. Nothing happened as of yet...but I think it's warning me of impeding doom.

    Are Anasazi beans a specialty bean, or can you find them in any store? I actually was perusing the dried bean section tonight,, and didn't see those!
  • FitterBody
    FitterBody Posts: 367 Member
    I eat obscene amounts of beans. I've found that if you eat them pretty regularly (or a lot of fiber in general) your system gets used to them and has less effects. I don't know, maybe just me. I live alone too, so maybe I just don't notice ;)

    Not just you. Regularly? At least once and sometimes up to three times a day. I eat obscene amounts of beans too, often 250 g (raw weight) or more a day. I have a minimum of 44 g of fiber but often more than double that daily. Eat them regularly and build up slowly and your system gets used to them and you have no risk of injury if you happen to walk past a naked flame. :explode: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • Sunbrooke
    Sunbrooke Posts: 632 Member
    I eat obscene amounts of beans. I've found that if you eat them pretty regularly (or a lot of fiber in general) your system gets used to them and has less effects. I don't know, maybe just me. I live alone too, so maybe I just don't notice ;)

    I also noticed that after eating them regularly for awhile, your system gets used to them.
  • knutsk
    knutsk Posts: 12 Member
    I second the person who said gradual introduction minimizes the digestive issues from beans. You need to have a certain type of bacteria in your intestines to properly digest beans. If you don't eat beans regularly, there aren't enough of the bacteria, and that causes the unpleasantness. So, if your body is slowly conditioned to beans, you will slowly increase the number of bacteria that break down beans, which will make for a more pleasant bean-eating experience!
    My husband and I eat beans fairly frequently and never have trouble with them...
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    I second the person who said gradual introduction minimizes the digestive issues from beans. You need to have a certain type of bacteria in your intestines to properly digest beans. If you don't eat beans regularly, there aren't enough of the bacteria, and that causes the unpleasantness. So, if your body is slowly conditioned to beans, you will slowly increase the number of bacteria that break down beans, which will make for a more pleasant bean-eating experience!
    My husband and I eat beans fairly frequently and never have trouble with them...

    Wellll, I guess I can slow down my hummus intake...but only a little! ;D
  • knutsk
    knutsk Posts: 12 Member
    Of course, one can't be expected to limit hummus TOO much! :)
  • missbehave79
    missbehave79 Posts: 15 Member
    Doesn't do that to me. Now cabbage..........
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    Doesn't do that to me. Now cabbage..........

    Man.
    Cabbage is the best. Especially in boiled dinner!
  • mrsBrown1989
    mrsBrown1989 Posts: 81
    soak them for 12 hours before you prepare them.
    this has allll kinds of benefits.
  • Tracie524
    Tracie524 Posts: 65 Member
    I was told ginger and fennel can help.
  • UncleMac
    UncleMac Posts: 13,681 Member
    I kinda like the special effects… as long as I can get away before I get caught…
  • buckanoo
    buckanoo Posts: 7 Member
    The herb epazote helps
  • Losing_Sarah
    Losing_Sarah Posts: 279 Member
    Rinsing helps. I soak and cook from dried beans and eat them from a can.

    After soaking dried beans I drain and rinse well. Then after I cook them I also rinse them before adding them to whatever recipe I'm using them for.

    If I use a canned beans I rinse them in a colander really well before I use them.

    It seems to have greatly reduced the amount of gas in my household. Thankfully, even my extra tooty husband!
  • heatblair
    heatblair Posts: 13 Member
    My Mom's trick when making southern pinto beans and corn bread was to boil the pintos, drain the water, and then re-boil or however you cook them. Her trick was dumping the first water, as this contained most of the methane inducing enzymes. Her trick to cornbread was bacon grease and another tip on the pintos is add ham. She can afford to do this as she weighs about 80 lbs. I cannot eat her yummy pintos & corn bread for a loooooong time! Sigh.

    I love hummus too. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert! But I don't know if the boil & dump method works for hummus.
  • heatblair
    heatblair Posts: 13 Member
    Also, does this mean going vegetarian can be stinky?! Haha!
  • monkeywizard
    monkeywizard Posts: 222 Member
    Don't want to try a pill, but love your food?

    Get a dog.. better yet, get two or three. Pugs are great. They have a reputation for being gassy and always around so you'll always have someone to blame it on..

    Of course sometimes it will be the dog.. so there's that. At least I don't think dogs love Hummus though..
  • KellyBurton1
    KellyBurton1 Posts: 529 Member
    I kinda like the special effects… as long as I can get away before I get caught…



    You sound like my husband when we go out shopping!
  • phatguerilla
    phatguerilla Posts: 188 Member
    Asafoetida (Hing) is used in indian cooking for this purpose, a lot of cooking styles that incorporate beans regularly have some form of digestive herb or spice they add to the beans, like the ginger mentioned earlier.

    Asafoetida smells pretty manky but it doesn't seem to flavour the final recipe.
  • freemystery
    freemystery Posts: 184 Member
    My mother often preps gas-inducing foods with the same few ingredients so I wonder if they're beneficial. So any dhal, lentils, beans. beany soups, chickpeas etc always seem to come with:

    Plenty of ginger
    Fennel or fennel seed
    Ajwain seed (aka Bishop's weed or carom seed)
    Mint leaves

    I've had a sensitive stomach since I was a baby and my mother swears that her food doesn't upset my stomach because of the way it's prepared. Not sure how much truth there is to it but I rarely have bloating after I eat at my parents'!
  • UncleMac
    UncleMac Posts: 13,681 Member
    I kinda like the special effects… as long as I can get away before I get caught…



    You sound like my husband when we go out shopping!
    My brother from another mother... :)

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