the below is an edited repost of an old post to veg-raw. I have re-formatted
it for submission to the SF-LiFE newsletter, and in so doing, have also added
some minor new info, as well as wording changes to make the meaning clearer in
some places. Some will, after reading this, ask why should one eat something
that may have side-effects (like gas) - why not eat something that has no side
effects, like, say, fruit? The answer is that all foods have side effects if
eaten in excess; for fruit it is diabetes-like symptoms, and, dried fruit is
well known for producing gas. Because of the high sugar levels of modern fruit,
and the higher sugar levels of dried fruit, the amount required to produce side
effects is fairly low. Also, the benefit of eating sprouts is that they are a
complete life form, unlike fruit.

I hope you find the below of interest. / Tom [log in to unmask]
*****BEGIN REPOST/SF-LiFE NEWSLETTER ARTICLE*****


ENHANCING THE DIGESTION OF SPROUTS
with supplementary information on increasing your digestive fire


Some sprouts, primarily legumes (pulses), can cause gas - flatulence.  The gas
is the result of incomplete digestion. Legumes or pulses are very high in
proteins, and can be difficult to digest. Legumes also contain a number of
enzyme inhibitors that further impede digestion.

* Why be concerned with flatulence, other than the embarassment issue?

Excess gas can cause abdominal bloating and discomfort. Also, the gas of
flatulence is mildly toxic and actually harmful to your system. Ayurveda
considers the gas to be an aggravation of the vata dosha - "air humor".
Aggravation of vata can lead to an imbalance in the system which can cause
disease, per the Ayurvedic view. Because legumes or pulses are known for their
flatulence generation, Gabriel Cousens recommends that consumption of legumes,
even if sprouted, be minimized.

* Are some legumes better than others?

Among legumes, mung beans are considered the best - easiest to digest, and
producing a minimum amount of gas. Mung beans have only 3 types of amino acids,
while soybeans have 17! Adzuki beans are almost as easy to digest as mung beans.
Lentils are much harder to digest; brown lentils often produce a lot of gas.

Many of the large beans, except for soy which is (theoretically) edible if
sprouted long enough, are difficult or unsafe to eat raw. Raw kidney beans are
toxic, and some people are allergic to raw fava beans. Most of the large beans -
lima, pinto, navy (white), black, and others, have a very strong, unpleasant
flavor when raw; the bad flavor is not improved by sprouting.  The large beans
also contain substantial quantities of enzyme inhibitors which make them
indigestible when raw, and the inhibitors are still present in the sprout.
Because of this, large beans, even if sprouted, should be cooked, hence are of
limited interest to the raw-fooder.

Alfalfa and clover, when grown into greens, become green vegetables and
their flatulence generating properties are reduced. Alfalfa sprouts also have
very high levels of alkaloids, but that is a different subject.

Listed below are a number of ways to reduce flatulence. The methods are
described for sprouts; however, with some modifications, some of the methods can
be used with other raw, gas producing foods (e.g., cabbage family vegetables).

1. Always rinse sprouts just before eating - to remove surface sugars
(oligosaccharides) that are a factor in generating flatulence.

2. Add (small amount of) turmeric or ginger to the sprouts. Turmeric and ginger
both assist in the digestion of protein; they are available dried, and in some
areas, in fresh form. (Note that turmeric is a type of ginger). Many people
enjoy the flavor of ginger; turmeric is slightly bitter but one quickly learns
to like it.

Ginger and turmeric are both well known for their medicinal properties; they are
very good for you. Ginger is considered to be a "universal medicine", and,
"ginger is Ayurveda's supreme toxin digester"; ref: Robert Svoboda, "Ayurveda:
Life, Health, and Longevity", pg.130. As for turmeric, "Turmeric is the best
medicine in Ayurveda. It cures the whole person.", ref: Vasant Lad and Usha Lad,
"Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing", pg. 216.

3. Fenugreek sprouts are considered to be an herbal digestive aid. You can add
fenugreek seeds to your sprouting mixtures. They grow quickly, and combine best
with fast growing legumes like mung beans or moth beans (moth beans are a small,
brown legume available in Indian stores).  Exposing fenugreek sprouts to
sunlight alters the taste substantially; try them both ways to see which you
prefer. Fenugreek sprouts are also good for the liver and nervous system.

4. If you are an advocate of food combining, pay attention to the other foods
you eat your sprouts with. My personal experience is that sprouts, when short,
are quite versatile and one does not have to be too worried about combining them
with one other type of food. Combining them with two other food types that are
incompatible to each other, generally doesn't work.  Long sprouts - greens, to
be precise, are leafy vegetables and subject to the food combination practices
for green vegetables.

5. Stimulate digestive fire with a gentle herb, fennel seed. This can be taken
as 1 teaspoon of powder 15-30 minutes before a meal, taken with warm water, or
by chewing fennel seeds at the end of the meal. The seeds/powder should be raw.
You can use soaked fennel seed (can sprout it but it takes a long time) instead,
but soaking makes the fennel bitter, while the powder form is convenient, fast
acting, and has a pleasant flavor.

6. Use gentle anti-gas spices. Three of the most effective are cumin seed,
dill seed, and coriander seed. You can add these whole seeds to your sprout
mixtures, soak, and let them sprout with your seeds (tested for 1-1.5 days
sprout time; should work fine for longer sprouting periods but haven't tested
it under those conditions). These seeds generally do not develop a root shoot
in 1.5 days.

7. Use other spices that are digestive aids: mustard seed (strong! use in small
quantities), cardamom seeds, caraway seeds, cinnamon. Cardamom and caraway seeds
can be used, but should be added just before eating, in dry form (powder) or
whole seeds that are soaked separately, as they can overpower the flavor of
everything else.  Cinnamon is a gentle spice; add just before eating.

8. Try to counteract the gas (vata) by eating oily foods (anti-vata) with the
sprouts: avocado, oily salad dressing (tahini), sunflower seed sprouts (not
greens), nuts (soaked or unsoaked).

9. Use an enzyme supplement product specifically for carbohydrates, e.g.
"Beano", or other, general digestive enzyme supplement(s). The attitudes of raw
fooders vary on supplements; some take them, others consider them inappropriate
as they are processed.

10. Some strong spices, with an anti-gas effect, are available; use with
caution: rajasic (stimulating) spices: cloves, black pepper, hot peppers
         tamasic (depressing) spices: garlic.
Note that I do not recommend use of the above strong spices; am including this
information for those that choose to use them. The above spices, used in
excess, can over-stimulate digestion and cause problems.

Remark re: using herbs and spices. Most sprouts have mild flavors, and their
flavor is easily overshadowed by the spices. So use very small amounts to begin
with, adjusting the amount as appropriate for you.  The spices that are seeds
can be added dry if appropriate; however there is real benefit in soaking them
and allowing them to sprout with your seeds - the spice seeds "wake up" as their
sprouting process begins, and their flavor is increased, allowing you to use
less. Additionally, unlike cooked spices, it is my experience that raw spices
quickly give the "stop" signal (taste change) that instinctive eaters talk
about, and interpret as a signal from the body to stop eating.


Besides the methods above, a number of practices are indirectly useful in
promoting good digestion, and increasing digestive fire:

* eat slowly, moderately, and chew thoroughly. Make mealtimes peaceful and non-
stressful, and sit quietly after a meal for a few minutes to allow digestion to
begin unimpeded. Hatha yoga suggests sitting in vajrasana, a simple/easy
meditative pose, for a few minutes after eating - vajrasana reportedly increases
digestive fire.

* The following is relatively obscure, but will mention it to be complete.
Swara yoga, an obscure type of tantric yoga that is concerned with breathing,
suggests eating when the right nostril is dominant in your breathing pattern,
as your digestive fire is higher then. You can force right nostril dominance by
laying on your left side for a few minutes before a meal. (Difficult to find
time for, in our high stress society.)

* exercise: abdominal exercises. Possibly the best abdominal exercise is nauli
kriya of hatha yoga - it gives a complete massage to the abdomen and all the
organs therein. Some exercises actually strengthen the stomach and intestinal
areas, not just muscles in that area.  Certain types of abdominal and diaphragm
breathing exercises (yoga: pranayama) tone the abdominal organs as well.

Finally, it should be mentioned that although many raw fooders have sluggish
or weak digestion, many have the opposite problem: hyperactive digestive system.
If you have a hyperactive system, you should be cautious about using spices,
and in doing exercises that might increase digestive fire.

I encourage you to experiment with the above ideas to see which work for you.
Good luck in your experiments!

References:

(Ayurveda)
Vasant Lad, "Ayurveda - the Science of Self-Healing"
Vasant Lad and Usha Lad, "Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing"
Vasant Lad and David Frawley, "The Yoga of Herbs"
Robert Svoboda, "Ayurveda: Life, Health, and Longevity"
David Frawley, "Ayurvedic Healing"

(Raw Foods)
Ann Wigmore, "Rebuild Your Health"
Gabriel Cousens, "Conscious Eating"

(Hatha Yoga)
Swami Satchidananda, "Integral Yoga Hatha"
Swami Shankardevananda Saraswati, "Practices of Yoga for the Digestive System"*

(Swara Yoga)
Harish Johari, "Breath, Mind, and Consciousness"
Swami Muktibodhananda Saraswati, "Swara Yoga"*

Note: the two books marked * are hard to find in the U.S.

Tom Billings