...confused, am I allergic to spaghetti?

Discussion in 'Health and Fitness' started by hummblebee, Apr 5, 2007.

  1. hummblebee

    hummblebee hipstertist.

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    A favorite meal around here is spaghetti. We usually eat a nice big serving of salad first, while I'm cooking the sauce. And for the sauce, I usually sauté some veggies (onion, garlic, bell pepper, zucchini, etc.) in olive oil for a bit, before adding a jar of regular vegan tomato-based pasta sauce. I like it that way, extra chunky, because it seems like I get more nutrition. Plus it fills out the meal a little bit and helps me to eat a little LESS whole wheat pasta in the bowl. :) I'll usually have a piece of whole grain garlic toast along with it.

    This meal hasn't really changed since I went vegan a few months ago, except that I don't put cheese on it at the end. But for some reason the last few times I've had it I seem to have digestive problems the next day. :( I thought at first the problem was that I was overeating, because we tend to have a meal like that on "lazy days" when I sit around and munch a lot anyway. But yesterday I didn't overeat... I didn't have too big a portion, or even eat it too close to bedtime. I felt fine last night when I went to bed, and this morning when I woke up I was all bloated and gassy. I've had the shits and bad gas all morning, and feel like utter hell.

    The obvious answer to the problem, obviously, is STOP EATING IT! But I'm still confused about what could possibly cause such a reaction. I can eat all of these things by themselves and feel fine, but for some reason when I mix it all up in a sauce somehow it makes me sick!? Can anyone shed some light on my problem?
     
  2. lai pantha

    lai pantha Hip Forums Supporter HipForums Supporter

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    It could be an allergic reaction. Food allergies cause many types of reactions. Try eating some pasta with only oil and maybe a small amount of rosemary to give flavor if needed. Wait a few days and eat the sauce over rice or over rice pasta. If it's the sauce you will have to work out which ingredient from there. Also try the salad by itself (has the dressing changed).

    Food allergies can be a pain to locate, but well worth the effort.
     
  3. Avocado Noni

    Avocado Noni Member

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    MOst people are allergic to wheat and gluten and jsut don't know it cuz their so used to feeling sick all the time anyway :p

    Whole wheat is kind of an illusion, and pasta is not really a nutritious health food. It's a seed processed into a rock-like structure that has to be cooked even furthur and lose even more vitality to render it edible. Not to mention it is impossible to chew it properly and actually asborb what little nutrition it might have to offer.
     
  4. yarrow_sun

    yarrow_sun Member

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    carbs cause the same problem for me. And I love pasta. So, I know if I'm going to eat pasta, even wheat pasta, that I'm going to have the symptoms you stated. The only thing I know to do is not eat it, which sucks. It's more of a sensitivity than an allergy.

    I found this: Hydrogen and carbon dioxide are produced by colon bacteria in the presence of poorly absorbed carbohydrates.

    Bacterial production — The normal colon provides a home for billions of harmless bacteria, some of which may actually promote the health of the bowel. The bacteria survive by consuming foods that are not digested in the upper portions of the intestine. Their preferred foods are carbohydrates (a general term that refers to sugar, starches, and fiber in foods). Carbohydrates are normally digested by the action of enzymes in the small intestine. However, certain carbohydrates are incompletely digested, leaving them available for the bacteria in the colon to digest. The by-products of bacterial digestion include carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and methane.

    Some carbohydrates, such as raffinose, are not well digested, and therefore produce increased amounts of gas. Raffinose is contained in a number of vegetables such as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, and some whole grains. As a result, these foods tend to cause increased amounts of gas and flatulence in most people.
     
  5. cricketlind

    cricketlind Member

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    I agree. It could be any one of a number of things. You just have to isolate the cause. It is a sensitivity not an allergy. An allergy usually causes hives, a rash or asthma, or some other immune system reaction. I do not digest dairy very well. So, I limit it and when I do I do not eat other gassy foods with it If I can help it. I can drink kefir and eat yogurt as they are pre-digested by the cultures. I can eat cheese. I cannot drink milk or eat it on cereal or I get very stinky gas and my butt will be sitting on a toilet for a extended period. Your system is just not digesting one of the ingredients very well. It could be any one of them. So play detective and find out. Your body could be just adjusting to the new diet regime. Try a cleansing fast of just juices and fruit. I know lots of folks who swear by them. It will cleanse your intestines and help the cilia and the enzymes and bacteria in there to work properly. If none of the suggestions work PM me and I will try to help you figure out the prob.

    Love and Peace, Cricket
     
  6. ImaMuffin

    ImaMuffin Member

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    try rice pasta. it sounds like a wheat gluten allergy to me. (rice pasta is really tasty anyway!)
     

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