[provocativa]

My 2 month old really, really hates it when I eat green beans. But I get them free! And they are so good! Cabbage bothered her somewhat, too. I was hoping that extra enzymes, perhaps cellulase, or lactofermentation, might help. I can't see making it very long without the brassica family. And it would help our budget if I could find a way to eat green and / or dried beans. But I'm afraid to try them again, she was pretty miserable

. Thoughts?

 

[saratc]

Fermentation should help. Both beans and cabbage contain raffinose, which is a complex sugar. It is found in large amounts in beans and small amounts in other veggies such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage. It sounds like your DD is having trouble digesting this sugar and it should get eaten up by the fermentation process.

You can also try giving her digestive enzymes or lacto-fermented foods with them. Even if the raffinose containing food itself isn't lacto-fermented, eating some lacto-fermented foods with it should help with the digestion.

 

[provocativa]

Okay, she's two months old, so I'm not feeding her anything but breastmilk, and trying to avoid whatever gassiness is in it- so I guess I'm not digesting the raffinose? Are enzymes on the nipple a bad idea? I'll take some when I'm up to trying again- I'd have to be well rested to wear her in the sling all day the day after, if they didn't help.

 

[JaneS]

I wouldn't give a babe less than 6 mos old anything but probiotics (bifidus). So if she's gassy I would absolutely try this on your nipple 3x day to restore her flora.

Humans don't digest raffinose, that is why all beans should be soaked with the soaking water thrown away before cooking.

Enzymes with alpha-galactosidase (Beano, or a more broad spectrum enzyme product) will help you however.

 

[JaneS]

Wait... green beans don't contain that sugar I think. Maybe you are having trouble with the fiber in them, so cellulases are the enzymes you want for those.

 

[provocativa]

nak. . . see, that's what I was thinking. Her flora should be fine, her poop emulsified rather early (I was so proud!) But seriously, I give her Jarrow 'babydophilus' which is a bifidus-dominant formula and I drink kefir. I never remember to give it to her every day. I have some Candex I take a bit of to help keep the thrush at bay, it's a high cellulase (plus hemicellulase etc) formula that's cheaper than Enzymedica's but still too expensive. . . . I took it with the cabbage and that episode was much easier on her than the green beans. Anyone heard of a less expensive broad spectrum high-cellulase enzyme formula?

 

[gardenmommy]

I cannot digest beans, no matter how they are prepared. Soaked, fermented, whatever. The brassicas don't usually bother me, though, so maybe it is a cellulose issue.

It's possible that just letting her system mature a bit will allow you to eat a more diverse diet.

 

[JaneS]

Houston's No Fenol is very good: www.houstonni.com