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Here we go then. 'Jet bloating' is an actual scientific term for the ailment we know as flatulence. It's not a rare problem; it's simply that we (ladies) just don’t talk about it. Until now! We all pass a shocking quantity of gas every day. According to one estimate from research studies in the Netherlands, “the average person breaks wind 10 times every 24 hours, expelling about 1 liter of gas in an average day. The gases we expel are caused by food that has failed to be absorbed by our gut. The food settling in your gut is fermented by bacteria and that bacteria naturally produces nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen (often along with more odorous, sulphurous compounds) - especially if your digestive system is loaded with foods that are known to cause gas and bloating rather than foods that are known to prevent it.
You must be wondering why on earth would I be curious enough to research this topic? Well, I was asked by one of our new chefs why I steered away from cruciferous vegetables for aviation.
My immediate response was that (first) they stink out the aircraft when they're being reheated and (second) they give you gas. And on an aircraft, that's definitely an unwanted companion! Sure we have Ozium and air fresheners, and some commercial airlines have even added charcoal filters to their air-conditioning systems to prevent these odours being re-circulated throughout the cabin. But nonetheless, malodorous 'episodes' onboard can be a worry. Worry no longer. I can offer a bit of help for relieving this discomfort in flight. We'll skip the charcoal filters, charcoal lined seats & clothes and jump right into the food. Since your body doesn’t process the foods you eat in minutes - but rather in hours - the plan to reduce your risk of flatulence starts with thinking twice about what you eat before a flight. It's surprising that some foods that we all regard as healthy, can be gas culprits The first one that comes to mind are apples. That’s right apples. Apples are fibrous fruits and difficult to digest. Any food that is difficult to digest (high fiber) at altitude will stay in your gut and ferment, causing bloating and gas. "Beans, Beans, good for your heart, the more you eat . . . ." (you'll remember this childhood rhyme). Beans do cause gas, so save this healthy protein for late in the flight or when you’ll be on the ground for a bit after eating. These legumes, peas and beans contain a sugar that our bodies cannot digest as they pass through the digestive system, so have your catering source be sure to add a touch of ginger in the preparation to off set the unwanted side effects.
As you might have thought, high fat/ high sodium foods are also not very good food choices when you are about to fly. Things like pizza, hamburgers, French fries and most fast food items should all be held until after the flight. When you are flying at a high altitude your body has a more difficult task processing these foods resulting in bloating and gas. There are a few more things that cause gas when flying that may surprise you: Chewing gum. Continuous chewing makes you swallow air, adding to that extra air already in our bodies and which (as I mentioned earlier) expands by 30% and needs to escape. The same thing happens when drinking through a straw or drinking too fast. Carbonated drinks. These can cause heartburn and gas at altitude. Switch to water or herbal tea instead. Sugar free candies and hard candies. The synthetic sugars are the culprit here. This type of gas is most often expelled by burping as it has difficulty passing through the stomach. Avoid before flight for your comfort.
Do you love spicy foods? Hot peppers? Beware that these may cause stomach discomfort and a release of all that hot spicy food you consumed.
On the other side of the equation are foods that actually reduce the amount of gas in your body when flying Fish, rice, strained juices (low fiber, or replace them with coconut water or fresh lemonade), dairy products (especially if you are lactose intolerant), or a cup of warm water after a meal help keep your bodies gas down. Most easily remedied is to eat smaller portions and more often. The foods above will leave less waste in your system to ferment and cause that nasty gas. Below is a list of simple shelf stable items that can be on the aircraft for that unexpected time of need or have your catering source include some of the following ingredients into the preparation of food for your flight.
Black peppercorns are a carminative (an herb or substance that has the ability to help to stop the formation of gas in the intestinal tract) that is able to relieve colic pain, and neutralize the discomfort of a bloated stomach. It contains Piperine, a substance which stimulates the manufacturer of hydrochloric acid in the intestines for improved digestion. If you suffer from flatulence, try sprinkling all your meals with ground black pepper. (It’s great on strawberries too!). Carom seeds are something that is used in most Indian households to remedy upset stomachs and indigestion. These small seeds contain a substance known as Thymol, which plays an important part in stimulating gastric juice properties to speed up digestion. You can make your own gas remedy by boiling a few teaspoons of carom seeds in water. When the water is reduced by about half, pass through a sieve to strain and then drink the cooled liquid. Fennel seeds have a great aniseed taste, a taste similar to the French drinks Anise and Pernod, both of which are called “digestives” by the French, and are drunk after a meal to aid digestion. Chewing a few fennel seeds has a similar effect. Cardamom seeds are widely used in India as an ingredient in both curries and cakes. They contain a specific type of oil that provides effective relief from flatulence. Try adding it to vegetables when they’re cooking, or chew the seeds you will find inside the husk; alternatively drink cardamom flavored tea. Root ginger also contains a certain type of oil, with the power to break up and neutralize intestinal gas, thereby helping to relieve flatulence. It’s also a well known digestive and has the ability to minimize the amount of gas formed inside the stomach. Ginger can be chewed, (once it has been peeled and washed), or used to make ginger tea by steeping in boiled water. You can also add ginger root when cooking veggies like cauliflower that are known to cause gas.
As you plan your inflight meals, consider increasing low fiber food, but increase the carbs. Both will calm your digestions system and the gas. Years ago when the space agencies were attempting to come up with a safety system covering all potential risks, they actually addressed the release of body gas. Why? Their fear was that the release of all the gas - nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen - from the astronaut’s bodies might actually build up in the space ship and explode! Lucky I guess they were eating low gas producing foods or taking advantage of natural herbs and spices that help reduce flatulence. I hope this article made you smile today!
Let me introduce myself . . . My name is Paula Kraft and I am founder and President of Tastefully Yours Catering, an aviation specific caterer, located in Atlanta, Georgia for over 35 years.
Currently I am an active member of the NBAA Flight Attendant Committee Advisory Board and the NBAA International Flight Attendant Committee, Women in Corporate Aviation, Women in Aviation International, National Association of Catering Executives, International Flight Catering Association, the International Food Service Association and the International Caterer’s Association. I have coordinated training programs and clinics for NBAA, EBAA and BA-Meetup conference attendees for over 10 years, created mentoring programs for caterers and flight attendants to broaden their aviation culinary skills, and to assist them in adapting to the unique challenges and constraints found in catering for general aviation. I recognize the need for training and have worked closely with flight departments, flight crews, schedulers and customer service reps at the FBOs to ensure that catering specific training provides information and skills necessary to reduce risk while assisting them in their job duties that include safe food handling, catering security, accurate transmission of food orders, and safe food production, packaging and delivery. I fell into aviation catering quite by accident. I was the in-house caterer and bakery supplier for Macy’s department stores in Atlanta when catering was ordered for a Macy’s customer which was soon to change my life. After the client enjoyed the catering provided, I was summoned to the client’s corporate office to provide several of the items delivered through Macy’s to the executive dining room. Within a week, I was providing food for the flight department and my first order was for the President of a foreign country (as I was too be told soon after). So, here I am, some 35 years later, still loving every minute of every day in aviation catering.
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