So say you have that big date coming, or perhaps a client meeting soon. Meetings and gatherings that occur later in the day often have many factors that we may not think of at first glance.
A friend of mine asked me the other day, “Okay, so you’ve been explaining how to say hello and make a great first impression and all that. Tell me this: when I meet people later in the day, I’m sometimes bloated and gassy from the meals I’ve already consumed, which makes my meetings not so great sometimes. What kind of things can we do to prevent any embarrassing gaseous events from occurring?”
My pal was talking about burps and farts, yes, farts. Gas isn’t the greatest thing to have, especially during an important business meeting or romantic encounter. Don’t feel too bad if you do have a lot of gas during the day. According to VitalStatistics.info, the average human passes gas about 14 times per day.
If gas is an issue for your love life or career, there are many resources online and off that can help reduce bloating, before it results in something not so appealing. An article from Howstuffworks.com explains a few remedies for excess gas. One that I thought applies to many people, especially the busy and on-the-go is:
“Don’t stuff yourself. The more food in the gut, the more gas buildup. Eat light meals. And eat more slowly– you’ll swallow less air.”
In other words, take your time! Calming down and enjoying your meal will also reduce your stress level and the chances of having an upset stomach before your next big meeting.
A common cause of excess gas is lactose intolerance. I peeked on Wiki and read that for those of us who are lactose intolerant (represent!,) it means we cannot metabolize lactose properly. Since lactose is not absorbed into the bloodstream, it moves on to our large intestine, where other enteral bacteria chow down, creating copious amounts of gas via fermentation.
A small diet change can rid your body of excess gas, bloating and possible embarrassing situations. The Everything Lactose-Free cookbook by Jan McCracken explains many lactose-free or low-lactose alternative recipes for many favorite dishes. By adjusting a few ingredients, you can still enjoy many of your favorite foods without the excess gas.
Even if gas is an everyday part of life, there are a few things we can do to reduce the possibility of an embarrassing situation. Especially when that situation is job-related. Also, you feel a lot better about yourself, especially during a situation where you’re going to meet someone new if you’re in tip-top shape and not bloated.
Tags: belching, business, etiquette, lactose intolerance, meeting people, Passing gas, relationships, Ways to Say Hello
February 13, 2008 at 12:44 am
I found your site on google blog search and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. Just added your RSS feed to my feed reader. Look forward to reading more from you.
- Randy Nichols.
February 13, 2008 at 12:52 am
Never ever fart during romantic date! Don’t fart in front of your girlfriend. That’s so rude. But my roommate asked me, “Can you fart when you are with your boyfriend?” I said, “Why? What kind of question is that?” She replied, “Because I think if you can, your relationship with him has built. There’s trust there.” Ugh… it’s rude and nothing else…