Wind

The short-term consequence of eating food that we have difficulty digesting is pain or discomfort in the form of wind. Depending on your position and upbringing, wind is a fascinating mystery, an unspeakable embarrassment, a joke or something to be expected, like rain at Wimbledon. It is something that seems to happen spontaneously and, if we are unfortunate and especially coy about this universally shared phenomenon, all too often publicly. The first thing that needs to be said about wind is that we are responsible for its creation and cannot with a clear conscience blame it on what we have eaten. Some foods are undoubtedly more wind forming than others, but this should be taken into account when they are eaten, by ensuring that they are chewed very thoroughly. If the digestion is in a particularly explosive and gassy state, then they should be avoided until the system has calmed down enough to cope with them; there is little point in distressing the body unnecessarily. It is wise to learn which foods your body objects to and respect its wishes until you have learnt how to cope. Tips

Foods to avoid

Lettuce, raw vegetables badly chewed, fine carbohydrates (i.e. biscuits, bread, sweets)

Friendly

Fennel seeds, dill, tarragon & aniseed, cumin. I find that to thoroughly chew a small amount of nay or a mix of the above before each meal really helps to combat wind. Another seed, which you can get in good Asian shops, is Ajwain (seed from a member of the dill family).

The Golden Rule which I repeat over and over is to chew your food and never eat more than you can fit in your cupped hands at any meal.

It is worth mentioning that root vegetables can be tricky if they are overcooked and not chewed.

Stress is another factor to consider. If you are tense while you eat, it is as bad as eating the wrong foods.

A good trick to relax the digestive system is to put hot water bottles on your tummy and back while eating. Steady breathing also helps.

Breakfast

Oatbran Porridge

Grate and wash, unpeeled green apple and set aside. Mix oatbran with water in a small saucepan. Cook the mixture until it is the right consistency for you. Mix in the apple. Remove from the heat. Serve in a bowl topped with a little Yoghurt.

Miso Soup
or
Soaked sunflower seeds mixed with goat's yoghurt.

Lunch

Chicken Soup
or
Rice noodles with herbs and cooked vegetables
or
Steamed fish - very well cooked celery/fennel and dill, little lemon and mint ( dill is the best friend to combat wind)

Supper

Persian Rice

Serves 4

250 g (9 oz) white basmati rice
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp olive oil

Soak the rice for 2 hours in water, then drain and rinse. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add the salt and rice and boil uncovered for 3-4 minutes until the grains of rice are slightly tender but still opaque. Drain and rinse the rice in cold running water to remove the excess starch. Shake off the excess water and place back in the saucepan. Make indents into the rice using the end of a wooden spoon and drizzle in the olive oil. Stand the saucepan over a very low heat; cover the pan with a clean tea towel and then a tight-fitting lid. Cook undisturbed, for 30 minutes until the rice is tender and fluffy, and the grains on the bottom of the saucepan are crisp. Fork through and serve.  

Variation
You can layer the rice in the saucepan with chopped herbs of your choice.

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