Oh dear, I am so "gassy"

I always like to understand the cause and effect of food as this helps me design my daily diet based on whole foods.  When we eat, along with our food we also take in gases like oxygen and carbon dioxide along with whatever other gases within "reach".  When our body digests our food, among the by-products are gases.  Tiny amounts of hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane combine with hydrogen sulphide and ammonia in the large intestine to give gas its smell resulting in flatulence or commonly know as fart.  Certain foods like beans and cabbages releases more gas when it is digested.  If you have a lot of gas after eating dairy products such as ice cream, yogurt and milk, it is an indication that the body has trouble digesting lactose or more commonly known as lactose-intolerant.  For some, it also causes diarrhoea as well as stomach cramps.  

Certain foods worsens flatulence:

1. vegetables such as artichokes, broccoli, leeks, cauliflower, cabbage, garlic, onions, beans, Brussels sprouts, and turnips.
2. cereals, such as wheat or oats.
3. pulses, including beans and lentils.
4. dairy produce.
5. yeast in baked products, such as bread.
6. cashews.

In Malaysia, sometimes these types of food are deemed as "sejuk" or cold - not because of the temperature but because it causes gas.  Within our local diets, the some of the widely consumed vegetables are long beans, cabbage, bean sprouts (tauge) and onions.

We "pass wind" many times a day and most of the time, we don't even notice it as it also doesn't have any smell an indication healthy digestion gas.  When within the digestion process it produces gases that contain sulphur and ammonia, this is where it starts to smell.  If food is not properly digested, it starts decomposing releasing sulphur hence the smelly flatulence.  If you have excessive flatulence, it is also an indication of abnormal digestion.  If the gas is not released through the mouth like burping or through "farting", it can build-up in the body causing heartburn, body aches and pains, headaches etc. depending on the individual.

Understanding the behind-the-scenes, I realise that enzymes play an important role in digestion.  Lack of certain enzymes, that are normally produced by our body, can result in the inability of our body to digest certain foods we consume resulting in conditions like lactose-intolerance, gluten-intolerance and others.  As we age, certain organs in our body that produce these enzymes may not be functioning optimally either due to health condition or deterioration.  Improper digestion can cause decomposition of food producing an unhealthy environment in our digestive system that promotes pathogens and supports cancer cells.  It can also create build-up of acids causing our stomach lining to get inflamed and promoting ulcers as well as weakening it causing toxins to permeate through it into our blood system.  To me, maintaining a healthy digestive system as well as promotion good digestion helps prevent many other illnesses.

Hence I began a journey of discovery of enzymes from whole foods - naturally and not chemically processed as the idea was to provide the ability to consume it as normal food and allowing our bodies to function normally.  Almost all the enzymes I am studying and researching are plant-based versus animal-based, something that I find very interesting.  
Our local fruits that are rich in enzymes that assist the digestion process include papaya (betik), pineapple (nenas), calamansi (limau kasturi), lime (limau nipis) and Roselle (asam belanda) although technically it is known as calyx and not fruit.  All these are planted at the farm - following totally organic practices - and something that I incorporate into my normal diet.  These plants are what I hope others will plant in their homes, if not all, some, as they are local hence well-suited to our weather and relatively easy to grow.
I further challenged myself to experiment different ways of consuming it as well as combinations to further make it easier to consume as natural food.  The outcome: the dehydrated form, the fermented enzyme form and the vinegar form resulting in many ways of including it into my normal daily diet preventing boredom.  

Note:   This is more as information and not to be taken as medical advise.  For medical advise, please consult your doctor or health practitioner.