Passing gas is normal.  You would be amazed at the number of times every
single human being passes gas each 24 hours.  However, passing it in social
situations, or passing it at any time it is smelly is not a good thing. So
doctors are often asked by their patients what to do about this problem.  It
is not a medically serious problem, but can be a lifestyle problem that is
serious for the person who has it.  I'm going to give you a lot of
information here about intestinal gas so you may know what to do about it.

Gas is either swallowed or formed by fermentation in the intestine. The gas
that is swallowed is usually burped up - embarrassing, but not as bad or as
uncontrollable as flatulence.  It's the fermentation of products our body is
unable to digest that causes the gas problem.  Overeating, eating late in
the day, and eating the wrong foods are all causes.  Two of your statements
in your question indicate that you probably already know the answer to your
question: certain foods and overeating cause this to happen.  Avoidance of
those foods and eating smaller and more sensible meals would probably solve
the whole problem for both of you.

The most well-known source of intestinal gas is certain foods, such as
beans. Beans cause gas because the body cannot digest the complex sugars
(carbohydrates or starches known as disaccharides) they contain. These
starches pass into the intestine, where bacteria normally found there can
use them as a food source. When bacteria use them as food, they produce gas
as a by-product. In addition to beans, such foods as broccoli, cabbage,
brussel sprouts and cauliflower cause uncomfortable excess gas.  The fact
that Beano helped somewhat makes me think that your problem is at least
partially due to carbohydrate malabsorption, because that is how Beano
helps: by aiding digestion of carbs.

Carbonated drinks are also a major cause of gaseousness. These drinks
contain a great deal of gas, indicated by the large number of bubbles that
form at the top of the drink when it is poured. Some gas is also created as
the drink enters the mouth. This gas is usually swallowed. More is liberated
in the stomach, which may become painfully swollen even before the gas
passes into the intestines, where it later causes more gas. In order to
avoid gaseousness, people should eliminate carbonated beverages from their
diets. If this is not an option, you may leave drinks open at room
temperature for several hours and stir them frequently to allow the
carbonation to escape into the atmosphere.

Beer also contains gas, as noted by its frothy head. To control excess gas,
beer intake should also be reduced or eliminated.

A major source of gas is ingestion of complex carbohydrates (e.g.,
raffinose, stachyose, verbascose) that cannot be broken down into component
sugars for absorption. These undigestible carbohydrates then serve as
substrates for bacterial fermentation, yielding gas as a by-product.
Sugar-free foods often contain sorbitol , manitol, or fructose, which are
both poorly absorbed in the small intestine. This poor absorption leads to
gas. Reducing intake of sugar-free foods may help prevent gaseousness.

Milk products contain lactose.  When a person lacks intestinal lactase,
undigested lactose passes into the colon, where bacterial fermentation
occurs. Several troubling symptoms result, one of which is excess
flatulence. Lactase deficiency might be suspected when flatulence is
accompanied by diarrhea, stomach rumbling, abdominal pain, and abdominal
bloating, all occurring within several hours after lactose ingestion.

If you would like to know more, or would like to see a dietary plan to help
with this problem, please check out the website linked here - it is
excellent and can give you more tips to work with:

Gas & Flatulence Prevention Diet

Good luck to you both,

Dr. Kerr