Meat protein

Question
Evelyn
I keep giving up foods to get relief from  bloating and abdominal distension (not related to onbsity), but I find it returns and I have to give another food up.
BTW I have not been diagnosed with IBS, but have always had trouble with meat, carbs are not a problem.
I have felt better going without red meat but lately the problem has returned.
Will I HAVE to go vegetarian? Is there a way to get real meat without the bloating?

Answer
Dear Barrymore,

Digestive problems are integral problems and must be considered in terms of process. There is seldom much more achieved than temporary relief in cutting out one or two foodstuffs, unless a genuine allegy is concerned. If you have IBS then you will need to follow a very strict diet according to the guidelines. But there is a tendency to over diagnose towards this disorder, without making some sensible observations and alterations first.

I am assuming that you mean by bloating, a gaseous problem (and not one of edema, or other water retention problems. Water retention problems tend to point to metabolic organic issues: liver or kidney imbalances and require a proper examination accordingly.)

I am afraid I cannot make out your sex from your charming but unsual first name, which is only familiar to me as a surname, and by such association I am assuming female; but then it would be useful to know if you have any menstrual disorders at all. This in turn would need to be coupled to your age and whether you are a blond or dark haired type. You can always supplement me with this information if necessary, but in any case, male or female, I can inform you that problems that lead to gaseous distentions have to do with a failure to "get a proper grip" on your digestion. In Anthroposophic terms we would say: you lack astral/ego-organisation in your metabolic pole. I will also assume you are not overly familiar with such terminology and break it down for you as follows.

You are lacking the dynamic force it takes to properly break down your foodstuffs into nutrients the blood can absorb easily to sustain health  (i.e. a natural balance). A lot of putrefaction is going on for a sluggishness going on, which amounts to too much gas. Eating meat will, indeed, not improve the situation. But maybe not for quite the same reasons you might readily assume.

It is not so much an issue whether to eat meat or not in any one diet, for the average healthy person with a choice. From an Anthroposophical point of view it must be purely a spiritual (often intuitive) choice to become vegetarian, if no clear health indications point you in that direction, otherwise. If you have a (modest) desire for meat, then you are probably wise to eat a small portion, if preferably not daily, and observing much variation including fowl and fish. Also, the quality of the meat is very important, which an increasing number of justified scares should be alerting you to. Go certified organic wherever you can: there is simply less rubbish in it and more dynamic force, which all aids proper digestion.

First, however, you need to get your digestive system back into a more robust form, or meat will only tax you. You indicate already yourself, you fare better without it. Listen to your body, and try to understand why, then maybe you can correct the underlying problem, which is maybe not meat directly. Man is an omnivore, after all, and with a healthy mind and body, he should be able to manage meat just fine. However, too much animal protein DOES cause other health issues, and it all boils down to how the meat is then only partially divested of its "foreign" quality by a half-hearted metabolism. The full story on this is complex but as with all imbalances, try to strip back to where it all started to go wrong and then build up from scratch.

So, you need to make sure you have a healthy gut, bursting with flora rearing to get their teeth into your yummy supplies. This misleading flowery name actually alludes to teeny critters, called lacto bacteria found also in soul milk products, notably, whey, yoghurt, buttermilk, and curd. Also, of course, in acidophilus milk and brand name lacto-drinks found in all supermarkets nowadays. I would not necessarily recommend the latter: they are expensive and you need to get into the routine of taking a sour milk produt DAILY. Plus lack that natural dynamic I believe you are fundamentally running short on.

Next you need to accustom your bowels to doing some proper work, which makes me point to grains, grains and more grains. This is the best way of introducing light into the fog. Their mineral and vitamin content reflect their goodness; also, their rooting potential gives us hope that the body will become less "airy". Their dynamics  can tell us so much more to get excited about, but may it suffice here, to note that there are so many good things to eat made of wholewheat grains.I hope it is entirely superflous to say that these things should contain absolutely no white sugar, artificial fats, colourings, additives, preservatives and other chemical enhancers; but also not be over processed.

The way something is milled has an effect on the way it is digested. A subtle fact, but it can make the world of difference overall. Slow milling retains the goodness of the germ and really ends up nourishing you. Proper flour and old-fashioned bakeries, not least of all bio-dynamic millers and bakers, make for proper bread, pasta and other processed products. But try to eat whole grains mainly: even if broken into grits. Vary and include pseudo grains like quinoa and buckwheat, amaranth (try them in pasta or crackers for example) and use millet, barley, oats, rye, rice (corn occasionaly), not just wheat.

Then, I can only hope you are enjoying your "five a day" no problem at all. Because fresh veg and fruit are key to a great smooth turn over in the digestive system. They also lend you handfuls of solar energy for the deep, dark, dungeon the belly tends to become on our Western consumerist diets. Don't eat too many cooling raw vegetables, like tomatoes and peppers, but lettuce leaves of all sorts are excellent. For fruit: especially apples and red fruit (cherries, berries, strawberries, raspberries, in winter elder, dune, sloeberry: juices) would be good for your condition. Plenty of berries. The sour tinge of these fruits will give you a clue that they are going to swish their sparkly whips around to stir the miserable soup down there. Citrus can also help "wake up" the system: a glass of OJ in the morning is not for nothing a simple, natural trick many of us grab for semi-consciously. Don't grab for smoothies too readily though, they "spoil" the digestive system "rotten". Give your intestines a work out, with something to grind. But chew thoroughly first! This stimulates the liver and you need all the bile you can get to help you process.

One cannot just think of foods in groups of protein and carbohydrates. Grains contain plenty of protein building blocks too, and you won't go short of nutrients on a vegetarian diet. Pulses are very heavy in protein too, and sometimes harder to digest than meat.  Another very important clue to great digestion is "pre-digestion" this includes preparation, but also production methods. Artificial fertilizers FUEL the plant, causing rapid and increased growth, but this sprinting/burning process does not stew and mature like crops on a lazy summer field. A harvest should be a seasonal affair, this is how goodness is retained, and goodness feeds, not bits and bobs. So choose slow food, slow grown, slow cooking  (root veg is excellent: carrots, beets), slow ripened. Think of ripening as the first pre-digestion, once you know your belly is the final big cooking pot: so chose your produce carefully.

Local stuff will tend to be riper, and taste better, and have more dynamic force.  Freezing and microwaving ruins the dynamic beyond repair. All this makes the food you eat more of a "dead" weight and stresses your metabolic system more. Think to keep it light (colourful) and lively (fresh, tasty, varied).  Use vegetable oils. Stir frying veg is a good way to bring out the vitamins and minerals (some only fat soluable). Use vinagrette on salads not creamy dressings. But for spreading on bread and baking: choose butter over margarine (a fake tub of nonsense).

As integral to the preparation are the combinations you make: keep it "alkaline", although this is not the same as avoiding all acid foodstuffs (I am not an advocate of a pure acid-alkaline diet). It means to be sensible and balance carb:prot:fat in relatively decreasing proportions, making veg and fruit a large portion of the carbs. Use grain syrups or honey for sweetner, but try not to use salt and natural sweetner (honey/grain/agave/maple syrup) outside the absolutely essential - Note, sugar is a processed substance like salt, in effect making it mineral, adding "deadness" and taxing your pancreas which may be energetically weak in cases of bloating.

But an actual remedial effect can be found in seasoning your meals well. Preventative and curative for gas-formation and aiding digestion are the warming herbs: marjoram, thyme, roesmary, basil, savory, sage and for teas: mint, lavender, lemonbalm - have a glass with each meal. And especially to regulate the air within your system: the seeds of cumin, fennel, aniseed, dill, and plenty of chopped parsley, chevril, and lovage. Make teas with the seeds, especially in the evening they will have a very calming effect. Or infuse warm milk  with aniseed for a really warming drink - but see how you react to milk since it can make for a "foul"bowel. Use non-homogenised milk if you have a healthfood store near you to reap the most benefits from milk (no more than one glass a day and do not combine with other foods).  These seeds are also good in helping to resolve mucous issues, often a problem with gas formation, too.

Horseradish and mustard, garlic and onion relishes can help improve the digestion of meat significantly. Try grilling, braising or stewing meat.

If you do have a full-fledged IBS, then you can still follow these guidelines, but make sure not to eat the rougest grains, choose more processed products, meaning milled or porridge grains and not whole kernels with chaff and all. Rye will be tougher on the system than barley, and cous cous easier than wholewheat bread. Try kamut and spelt as alternatives for wheat if this turns out to be an irritant. Often a life-long over-use of wheat can suddenly cause an (mild) intolerance towards wheat, which spelt will not give at all.

I hope to have given you an insight into how to become more intuitive about what is right for your diet.
Enjoy whatever becomes you with delight!
Love Evelyn.

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