Hello
i have a gasy problem. It kind of comes and goes but sometimes it is really bad and quite embarrassing.



I live of a mainly vegan diet, so I eat a lot of fruit and veg, different types of grains and a bit of seaweed and nuts. I know that my system can't tolerate onions and dried fruit at all - I get really bad stomach cramps and diarrhoea - so I stay away from them. Too much wholegrain and and too many legumes and nuts don't seem to ge down too well either, so I eat them in moderation only. There are days however - mostly when I am nearing my periods - where just about anything I eat causes flatulence even if I am being careful.



I try to use herbs and spices that are supposed to aid the digestive system like cardamon, mint, ginger, anis, fennel etc. - and the one dairy that I do eat quite a lot of is natural life yoghurt to strengthen my intestinal flora but that only seems to help me pass wind more easily. It doesn't inhibit the gas formation though and it doesn't take the smell away either.



An odd thing that I found out by accident is that diet coke seems to alleviate my troubles for some reason, although caffein and sparkling drinks are meant to actually cause flatulence - but maybe that was just because I never usually drink that stuff and it went right through me and and made me do no.2 and flushed away whatever was causing the gas?



What do you think is causing this problem - could this be irritable bowel syndrom? What do you reckon would be the best thing to do about it?
I think I should probably try an exclusion diet to find out what exactly is causing how much grief. - maybe food combining might help as well. Colonic irrigation? I heard that aloe vera as a drink is very effective in cleaning out the bowels, but it is pretty expensive so I would be grateful for any comments of someone who has tried it before I buy the stuff. Or does anyone know any other intestinal cleansers that work well?
I think I have tried food combining once before - but I can't really remember if it worked - I seem to remember having been hungry an awful lot because I always had to wait so long before eating an other type of food.
I would really appreciate some suggestions. Is there anyone out there who has similar problems and wants to share their thoughts on them with me?



Thanx in advance and bye for now
oligo