Gassy near the end of class

[gerlonda]

Sometimes during the last 20 minutes or so of class I start feeling really "bloated" and gassy and my stomach actually pooches out. I try to eat one hour, to an hour and a half, before class. I usually eat something light like a fruit salad and some milk, or a fruit salad and some wheat toast. The gassiness does not always happen, but when it does it is frustrating because I'm trying to "straighten" and "hold in the abdominals" as my teacher likes to tell us, but geez, it's so hard to hold in my stomach when it feels like it's a gallon of air holding me back!

I then go home eat a big meal, and ofcourse, the gas comes out and I can once again "flatten" my stomach.

Does anyone else have this problem? Is this a sign of aging ? Do you all think the solution is to dance on a completely empty stomach or what?

[SeaMonkey]

Maybe its the milk?

[Mel Johnson]

Well, the ancient Greeks had a saying, "Avoid beans as you would matricide!"

[SeaMonkey]

lol, actually I found out that I can't eat anything with corn, and I'm vegan, so I eat beans and brown rice for lunch every day and I am gas free

[Mel Johnson]

But that's it! Beans and rice are mutually complementary and form complete proteins. The body isn't stressed into making things to fill the void in the incoming legumes.

[spingirl]

I've had trouble with that, and it almost certainly can be traced to your diet. Someone mentioned milk, which can be a culprit. But I have trouble with oranges, and I just don't digest wheat well at all. Which makes things tough, because it seems like absolutely everything has wheat in it or on it! In fact, I'll suffer tomorrow after tonight's dinner of breaded clams.

 

Another problem could be caused by gum or minty things such as Altoids. That's a double whammy for some people, because the action of chewing or sucking candy makes you swallow air, and some of the artificial sweeteners can cause bloating. I remember when I was a teenager (waaaay back when) and we would go roller skating every Sunday night. I could never figure out why I was hugely bloated at the end of the evening every single time. Then I finally realized it was because I was going through a whole package of Velamints (just in case someone wanted to skate with me--I lived in terror of having bad breath!) Whatever the sweetener was in those things just about killed me.

 

The same could be true of soda--bubbles, fake sweetener--who knows?

 

Actually, I've found that my bloating problems are much better since I've started drinking lots of water every day. It must just help the whole alimentary thingy work right!

 

I hope you figure it out. It's miserable, I know. Alas, sometimes it's not as obvious as beans or cabbage. I mean, who would think oranges would give someone gas--but, boy do they do it to me!!

 

Lisa (Sorry, more personal info than anyone needed, right? )

[shulie]

Then I finally realized it was because I was going through a whole package of Velamints (just in case someone wanted to skate with me--I lived in terror of having bad breath!)  Whatever the sweetener was in those things just about killed me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That is really tricky- having the choice between having bad breath but a clear stomach or fart attacks and clean breath

 

I would definately see a doctor to get a test for food allergies and lactose intolerance to be on the safe side.

[Blanche]

Do you all think the solution is to dance on a completely empty stomach or what?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

It sounds like you almost are...maybe you need a few crackers or something similar closer to class. I'm in agreement that it's probably dietary, and I definitely find that there are some foods that affect how I feel in class and how long before class I have a snack or meal does have an effect. Maybe try different combinations of food at different times before class to find what works best.

[TemptressToo]

Don't know how old you are, I'm a month and a half short of 28...I usually have my lunch break for work around 1 p.m. Ballet class for me starts at 7 p.m. and I simply don't eat beforehand. I DO however take a potassium suppliment with water before dancing (with the colder weather, it helps with the cramps).

 

Usually once I start going, endorphines and adrenaline kick in and I no longer feel hungry (if I did before class, and that isn't always the case). After class, I'll usually have a meal that is heavy on protein.

 

Hope things work out on you and your concerns are just a bunch of hot air.

[gerlonda]

Thanks all for your advise.

I think I will try to omit various things from my diet and see how my stomach responds. Like many of you alluded to, it may be a trial and error thing. I do not; however, believe that I am lactose intolerance because I can drink milk (all sorts of flavors) and eat cheese until the cows come home and I have never had a problem. I'm also suspecting it may be the fruit I eat (like one of my favorite combos is an apple/bannana salad, and we all know that bannanas can do some crazy things in the digestive tract )

In the next coming weeks I will see what works and what doesn't.

[psavola]

gerlonda,

 

To make things even more complex, your stomach problems may also not be related to spesific foodstuffs but to the additives that are put into them. I seem to get stomach cramps and gas from aspartame, a very common artificial sweetener.

 

Päivi

[cassy]

gerlonda

Im the same as Temptress Too, i usually have lunch at work, then nothing till after class. Ive never had that problem though so am prob not qualified to advise?

[spingirl]

I'm also suspecting it may be the fruit I eat (like one of my favorite combos is an apple/bannana salad, and we all know that bannanas can do some crazy things in the digestive tract  )

In the next coming weeks I will see what works and what doesn't.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I was going to mention apples in my previous post, but thought I had written enough already I didn't think bananas cause digestive problems for most people, but in my family, apples do! So I would suspect the apples before the bananas.

 

Again, everyone has different tolerances. Since you don't seem to be lactose intolerant, maybe a daily serving of yogurt (without artificial sweetener, but with active cultures) might help.

 

One suggestion I read was that if you crave something, it may indicate an intolerance. That sounds really contradictory, I know, but the explanation (which is too long for this forum) makes sense. If I recall, the discussion was in a book called "Foods That Fight Pain" or something like that. It was a breakthrough for me, because it was what made me realize I have a wheat intolerance. I had been in agony most of the time with gassiness and bloating, but it was because I was living on Raisin Bran and bagels. I used to eat Raisin Bran a couple of times a day, even for supper. Writing about it now makes me crave it, but I don't dare let it pass my lips!! In fact, I don't even go down the cereal aisle anymore! Too much temptation.

 

Hope you figure it out. It's one of those things that no one can understand the misery of unless they go through it.

 

Lisa

[Guest BalletBrat]

My suggestion has nothing to do with what you eat, but how you are breathing during class, especially during those allegro combinations when we all tend to get a little winded. Be sure you are not "swallowing air" when you are catching your breath or during especially difficult combinations, try to breath laterally and continuosly, this is something you can work on outside of class and then try to focus on during class. A little extra air in the belly has to come out somehow!

[ballet_anna]

Again all I could add is what everyone else has offered, but this reminded me of a story my previous ballet teacher used to tell us:

As a professional dancer, many years previously she had drunk a fizzy drink before going on stage. Once on stage, she did a serious of turns and lifts, before turning to face her partner and burping in his face! That story always reminds me not to drink fizzy drinks before class!