I have discovered something that I think will help you too. PART 1

Hmm - actaully I've been told the opposite by my GI- eat canned or frozen well cooked not fresh.  Just goes to show how little Drs really know about food and how it effects IBD.  Theres so much conflicting info.  So I just go with the theory - I'll try something how I want it and if it has a negative effect then I dont eat it, but if it is o.k. on the old colon then I eat it again.

I made a spinach quiche last night - It was delicious and very easy to make.  Even my 4 year ate some.  I added extra spinach than what the recipe called for though.  Heres the site if anyone else wants to try it

http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1816,133188-247195,00.html

Danthaman, I was in an extreme flare for two years non stop and had lots of blood and mucus and gas and extreme urgency. Many times I would use the bathroom and nothing would come out but blood and mucus, I was in bad shape and was using the bathroom 10 to 20 times a day. The first time I got in remission I was eating spinach and sunflower seeds at the time but was also taking lots of supplements and stuff and wasn't sure that it was the spinach and sunflower seeds that was helping till later so I cant really say if it was a gradual thing or not (but I believe I was eating them for about a month before I went into remission when I was in bad shape like this). And from reading my food journals and such I later figured out that it was the spinach and sunflower seeds that was helping and after I figured that out, if I have a flare start I can bring it under control in just a matter of a couple days or so, so i have not been in a bad flare since discovering it so i cant really say how gradual it is if your in bad shape. Maybe I told you guys wrong and you don't need to eat a can every day because now I only eat a can or two every week and eat lots of sunflower seeds and stay in remission, I eat handfuls of sunflower seeds almost daily and sunflower seeds are by far the food with the highest amount of pantothenic acid in them and it is possible that the pantothenic acid is helping along with the magnesium and beta carotene in these foods, all I know for sure is something in these two foods definitely holds a key. I would be sure to eat lots of sunflower seeds  if I was you because between sunflower seeds and spinach I stay in remission, and if I go time without eating the two my UC symptom come back, and then when I add them to my diet again I always go into remission, it never fails me.

Post Edited (Cfromutah) : 6/4/2008 7:42:38 PM (GMT-6)

This really make sense....

Based from my experience... my UC started when i took 800 IU of Vitamin E.. / day.... and based from an article i read...:

Possible Side Effects of Vitamin E

When the results of many vitamin E studies were combined and analyzed, researchers found that people who took doses of more than 400 IU per day had an increased risk of death (from all causes combined). At this time, it is not known why or how high-dose vitamin E could increase the risk of death. It has been suggested that high-dose vitamin E supplementation could interfere with the balance of antioxidants in the body, having negative effects. More research is needed to confirm such findings. This is still a very controversial issue.

High doses of vitamin E have also been reported to cause (or may theoretically cause) the following side effects:


* Nausea
* Diarrhea
* Intestinal cramping <<<<<<<<<<<<
* Fatigue and weakness
* Headaches
* Blurred vision
* Any unusual bruising or bleeding (vitamin E can increase the risk of bleeding)
* Black, tarry stools; bright-red blood in the stool; or vomiting of blood (signs of gastrointestinal bleeding)
* Signs of a hemorrhagic stroke (bleeding in the brain), such as vision or speech changes, weakness or numbness in an arm or leg, or a severe headache.

==============================

Vitamin K deficiency

Vitamin K deficiency is very rare and occurs when there is an inability to absorb the vitamin from the intestinal tract. Vitamin K deficiency can also occur after prolonged treatment with oral antibiotics. Vitamin K deficiency is often the result of impaired absorption rather than not getting enough in the diet. Prolonged use of antibiotics can also cause a low level of this vitamin because they destroy some of the bacteria in the gut that help to produce vitamin K. Newborns are at risk for vitamin K deficiency. This is because their digestive tracts contain no vitamin K-producing bacteria. Vitamin K deficiency in adults is rare. When it occurs, it is found in people with diseases that prevent the absorption of fat. These diseases include cystic fibrosis, celiac disease, and cholestasis. Symptoms of vitamin K deficiency include easy bruisability, epistaxis, gastrointestinal bleeding, menorrhagia and hematuria.


High amounts of vitamin A and/or vitamin E can also block vitamin K. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<


*************************************************************************
I Believe that i was overdosed of vitamin E that causes Vitamin K deficiency

*************************************************************************


And SPINACH is rich in Vitamin K:

Sources of vitamin K
Rich sources of vitamin K include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, spinach and soybeans. Cooked dark green vegetables, such as spinach, kale and broccoli, can provide more than one RDA in a single serving. Cow milk is also a good source of the vitamin. Asian soy foods also are excellent vitamin K sources. Hydrogenation of vegetable oils may decrease the absorption and biological effect of dietary vitamin K. Phylloquinone (vitamin K1) is the major dietary form of vitamin K. Bacteria that normally colonize the large intestine synthesize menaquinones (vitamin K2), which are an active form of vitamin K.

THIS IS MY OBSERVATION... hope this make sense

To all,

I called a colonic center to confirm my appoint for last Saturday and they put me on hold; while waiting there was a recording of someone talking about the colon and guess what he was talking about?

Spinach!

He said, don't boil it or cook it...it's best out of the ground the way nature made it and he said its very effective in helping the colon to heal itself and it helps with the proper bms. He also said it helps the liver and with the absorbtion of minerals.

I wonder if spinach contains the same nutrients as chrophyll (sp)

NBT

wow, I am going shopping today and just added a lot of spinach to my list. I am so excited! I will try that for a while, then add cooked carrots, and then try sunflower seeds. Even though I have no symptoms now, I love the idea....I've loved spinach since I was a kid, but don't eat it much.....until today. Thanks! Bellski

Never really tried spinach before reading about the good it can do for us with U/C but have been eating fresh cooked spinach almost daily maybe not the amounts that are in canned but at least half a big packet and have noticed bms are better,as for carrots eat alot of them anyway but will try sunflower seeds

For those who don't like spinach, my son gags at even the thought of it, I whipped up this dip, modified from a creamed spinach recipe. It only takes a few minutes to prepare. I served about 1/4 cup of it to him with tortilla chips and he ate it right up.

Spinach Dip
4 Tbsp butter or margarine
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/3 cup half and half
1 10 oz. pkgs. Frozen or 1 can - spinach – finely chopped
Grated Parmesan cheese

Enjoy with tortilla chips, makes a great nutritious snack.

In a 2-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 3 Tbls. butter; stir in flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg; slowly whisk in half-n-half,
mixture should be creamy, like pancake batter, remove from heat and fold in spinach and parmesian Serve warm.

I'm just curious. have any of you stuck with giving this a try and is it working for any of you?

a teaspoon of vinegar in any canned vegetable will make it taste fresher, less metalic.

also, doesn't canning essentially cook out a lot of the nutrients? maybe this has already been covered in this thread...

which type of sunflower seeds are best?  I bought some, but when I got home I realized I accidentally bought the roasted kind.  I know they add extra salt and other stuff to those - should I stick with just the plain ones or are these o.k.?  I really prefer the roasted ones because they have more flavor.

I have seen quite a bit of improvement since starting this spinach thing, but it hasnt put me in remission yet.  I have to admit though that I am only eating it about every 2-3 days.  Also I'm eating lots of peanut butter and the sunflower seeds.  So I want to increase all these and see if it helps.

sore_guts, I usually eat the roasted and salted sunflower seeds too but sometimes buy the roasted unsalted ones, I dont like the unroasted ones. And I think eating the spinach every two or three days is ok as long as you eat the sunflower seeds  daily because as the spinach, they also contain lots of magnesium and other nutrients. I think you will achieve remission and be able to stay in remission if you stick with it and continue the diet. It works for me so I dont see why it wont work for others 

Any updates on the spinach experiment?

thx

NBT