Digesting Vegetables... (may Be Gross)

[RiceGuy]

I've heard of people becoming sick when they move to a new country, and go off their native diet. They didn't feel well until they start eating what they used to. Genetics probably does play some role, though over the centuries, I suspect the gene pool has gotten a bit more blended up. I heard someplace, that we all have genes of every race on the planet, though obviously in relatively small amounts, and usually recessive.

I've been trying out some betaine HCL, and the only things I've noticed so far, is that I'm hungrier a little sooner, and I have a couple burps after eating.

[Jestgar]

I've been trying out some betaine HCL, and the only things I've noticed so far, is that I'm hungrier a little sooner, and I have a couple burps after eating.

:lol:

I'm curious if anyone has tried just lemon juice or vinegar - two old, non-pill methods of dinking with your stomach acids.

[BRUMI1968]

To the original question --

I suggest looking up insoluble fiber vs. soluble fiber. Insoluble fiber is indigestible - it is going to come out of us largely unchanged, though I suppose in some folks it might be more obvious than others. IBS sufferers (and probably everyone to a lesser degree) have trouble with insoluble fiber.

Insoluble fiber is fiber that is not soluble by water. Apple peel is a good example. I cannot eat apples much as they cause some pretty biazzarro pooping issues. Bananas are soluble.

Anyway, the reason that blending these veggies helps in digestion is because it breaks down the cellulose wall (imagine a cow chewing it's cud - only we dont do that - so the unchewed cud of these tough veggies ends up in our tummies, etc. Ouch.)

Just a thought.

[coldnight]

That's a possibility, but I do eat other stuff fine. I guess my main concern was why it was making me sick, i.e. causing diarrhea. If that was not the case, it wouldn't be a problem. I take insoluble fiber, and eat other insoluble fibrous foods that don't cause the same problem. But it seems like it might make sense if there is some reason these certain foods cause me to be ill.

[AliB]

I couldn't digest fruits and veg very well at all for a long time - gradually I had to avoid the different fruits until I was pretty much down to bananas and nothing else - raw veg was also very problematic although cooked was ok.

Finally my digestion collapsed completely and I could hardly eat anything without getting some kind of reaction. I had gone gluten-free and dairy-free and although it helped with the immediate stomach pain and D, I still couldn't digest even the gluten-free carbs (carb digestion has always been a bit of a problem for me anyway).

After being told about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) by another poster on here I have been following it for 10 months and can now tolerate a lot more foods including quite a few fruits and most veg, cooked and raw. Quite often I make a large jug of fruit and veg smoothie which I drink through the day and my digestion is more than happy with that (and my blood sugar is pretty ok with it too - I am diabetic). I do need to make sure I drink plenty of water or the fiber bungs me up, but then I have never really drunk enough anyway so that is no bad thing.

I didn't know why I was reacting to so many things and was very puzzled as to what was causing it - was it salicylates, was it tannins, was it nightshades? I am now pretty much convinced it was just because my gut was so damaged and different food particles were getting into places they shouldn't be. As it has now been finally able to heal the intolerances have gradually been receding.

[Mtndog]

That's a possibility, but I do eat other stuff fine. I guess my main concern was why it was making me sick, i.e. causing diarrhea. If that was not the case, it wouldn't be a problem. I take insoluble fiber, and eat other insoluble fibrous foods that don't cause the same problem. But it seems like it might make sense if there is some reason these certain foods cause me to be ill.

Also, how long have you been gluten-free? Your system may be damaged and sensitive right now but as you heal, you may be able to eat these.

Nightshades are definitely a problem for a lot of people here.

[coldnight]

A couple months, besides the times I have messed up and ate something wrong. I think it's slim odds that I have celiac disease given the genes, but flour and wheat definitely hurt in only small amounts. I'm leaning to nightshades, the common ones I avoid because they make me sick, didn't know bell peppers were one. =)