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Posted 7/18/2008 3:42 PM (GMT 0)
I peeked my head in here 2 months ago or so and I ran across a thread about a guy who said that eating spinach and sunflower seeds helped him tremendously.

Well, I gave it a try.  The spinach, hell no, I tried it a few times but just can't eat it.  The sunflower seeds, I been eating the heck out of them.

I don't remember when I started eating them but since July 7th I have been feeling better.  BM once a day and SOLID!  OMG!  Haven't had that happen in a WHILE!  If its helping me, I think you should give it a try.

I been eating about 7oz. a day.  DO IT!

BTW I have had UC since Oct 06 and I think I finally found my way out cool

Posted 7/18/2008 3:43 PM (GMT 0)
Only addition problem I face is the smelly farts. But I can live with that because I feel GREEEEAT!
Posted 7/18/2008 4:09 PM (GMT 0)

dudewhrsmybike said...
I peeked my head in here 2 months ago or so and I ran across a thread about a guy who said that eating spinach and sunflower seeds helped him tremendously.

Well, I gave it a try.  The spinach, hell no, I tried it a few times but just can't eat it.  The sunflower seeds, I been eating the heck out of them.

I don't remember when I started eating them but since July 7th I have been feeling better.  BM once a day and SOLID!  OMG!  Haven't had that happen in a WHILE!  If its helping me, I think you should give it a try.

I been eating about 7oz. a day.  DO IT!

BTW I have had UC since Oct 06 and I think I finally found my way out cool

That sounds great. I am scared of nuts in general and avoid then because of their "scratchy" nature.


Are you eating the shelled ones are spitting the shell out?

PF

Posted 7/18/2008 4:33 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry forgot to add that. I am eating the ones already out of shell. Chew them up REAL good. I have had no problems with the scratchyness
Posted 7/18/2008 5:14 PM (GMT 0)
That's great! Hope your remission continues!
Posted 7/19/2008 5:52 AM (GMT 0)
Kinda wierd that you're doing well eating the sunflower seeds, alot of people I know that don't even have bowel issues will get D from eating alot of sunflower seeds...might be coincidence though.

:)
Posted 7/19/2008 12:27 PM (GMT 0)
pb4...it might depend on whether or not people eat the salted sunflower seeds, or the raw ones. Eating a lot of salted ones could give you the runs. I have always found that a lot of salt does it to me. It rings out the liver. Disodium phosphate is designed to do that. So, why wouldn't a lot of salt in general do the same thing? I dunno, just a guess. And how the hell are you anyway? LOL!
Posted 7/20/2008 7:55 PM (GMT 0)
pb4, its really not that weird that the sunflower seeds are working for him because sunflower seeds are high in a lot of the same nutrients that spinach has such as magnesium. if these foods put me into remission why wouldnt it work for others? I do believe you need enough beta carotene also for this to work though and the sunflower seeds are missing that and maybe for the few days that he did try the spinach boosted his beta carotene enough to work or maybe he gets enough beta carotene from other vegtables and such.


Post Edited (Cfromutah) : 7/20/2008 1:59:50 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/20/2008 9:43 PM (GMT 0)

Dude and Cfromutah - How long have you guys been eating sunflower seeds?  And how long were you eating them before you saw a change in your BMs/overall health?  Do you eat them all at once or spread them out through the day?  This is so interesting and I really appreciate your feedback!

Katie

Posted 7/21/2008 9:25 AM (GMT 0)
I decided i would try sunflower seeds and it has just given me diarrhea, maybe i took to many to start off with? should i keep taking them for a week or 2 or just give up now? oh yeah ive only taken them for 2 days so far.
Posted 7/22/2008 12:48 AM (GMT 0)

finick08, keep eating them, it may take a month or two or it may take a week or two depending on how depleted your  body is of nutrients that they contain and how bad of shape your colon is in. Also I would eat spinach a few times a week if you can. I eat the combination of the two to achieve remission. once in remission I eat a few handfuls of sunflower seeds a day and spinach, carrots and broccoli periodically and this keeps me in remission, If I stop eating the seeds and foods high in beta carotene such as vegetables or spinach the symptoms start to reappear and when I add them back to my diet I  obtain  full remission again and so far can stay in remission indefinitely as long as I am eating those foods.

Posted 7/22/2008 1:31 AM (GMT 0)

Kiss520,

I have been eating sunflower seeds for  apx. 2 and a half years. I sometimes eat them at lunch and dinner  but usually just eat a few handfuls throughout the evening but the more often you can eat them I am sure the better it will work for you. Since discovering what keeps me in remission( sunflower seeds and foods high in beta carotene such as spinach, carrots, broccoli) I have not had a flare except for a few self induced ones by avoiding these foods to prove to myself that it is this diet that is healing me and when I add them back to my diet am in full remission again in just a few days. But for someone who may be  flaring for a while and who's colon is in bad shape and is low in the nutrients that these foods provide I think it may take a month or two. Stick with eating sunflower seeds and foods high in beta carotene often and it will help you.

Post Edited (Cfromutah) : 7/21/2008 7:37:31 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/22/2008 11:01 AM (GMT 0)
ok thanks Cfromutah, il keep doing it for a month or so and see what happens and il eat that other stuff you said, my UC is not that bad im just on asacol and azathioprine, but every 2-3 months i have a flare up and pisses me off cuz i have to go back on preds for 2-4weeks most times, and im gym freak so preds dont help me there, but if it keeps me in remission for over a yr its all good, i can handle a flare up once a year no prob. il let you know what hapz. cheers.
Posted 7/22/2008 12:03 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the reply, Cfromutah! I will definitely stick with this. Like finick08, I had diarrhea these first couple days although that's nothing unusual, but it seems to be letting up (I hope! Fingers crossed!). I'm eating three ounces a day (1 1oz package with each meal), and I will add in spinach, carrots, and broccoli as you suggest. I love all those veggies anyway. :-) I SO hope this works, because this is most agreeable diet change I've tried. I really like the sunflower seeds! I will definitely keep everyone posted on the results. Thanks again for your help, and enjoy your well-deserved remission!

Oh!  Forgot to ask one last question - when you're in remission, can you eat whatever you want as long you eat the seeds/spinach?  Even foods you couldn't eat in a flare?  Just curious...

Posted 7/23/2008 1:54 AM (GMT 0)
kiss520, yes I can eat what i want. I can actually eat more things than the guys at work can without causing me problems. my bowels are completely normal.

Posted 7/23/2008 12:25 PM (GMT 0)
This is so encouraging for me, because I LOVE food and cooking. I hate to say it (for fear of jinxing it), but things seem to be improving already! In fact, last night I felt so good that I did over an hour of yoga and took my dog for a long walk.  I'll keep you posted on my progress!
Posted 7/24/2008 1:40 AM (GMT 0)
Yes, please keep us posted and its great you are seeing improvement!


Post Edited (Cfromutah) : 7/23/2008 7:44:14 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/1/2008 7:51 PM (GMT 0)
Well, I wish I could say that the seeds have helped me, but I don't think they're doing anything. I think the improvement I saw at the very beginning was a fluke. :-( I was so hoping this would help me, but I've given up hope after about 11 days. So, I've gone back to doing the only thing that ever showed me real improvement - cutting out sugars (fructose, sorbitol, mannitol, and lactose) and wheat bran fiber. This diet is from a book I read, and I the last time I did it I gave up on it, because I hated not having sugar. But now I've had such painful cramps and D that I'm willing to go back on it.

I guess everyone has to find their own "cure" if there is such a thing. I'm glad the seeds worked for Cfromutah and dudewhrsmybike. I still plan to eat the seeds for their nutritional value, but wish me luck with my no-sugar diet. ;-)
Posted 8/3/2008 12:16 AM (GMT 0)
kiss520, did you try eating spinach also? In the past when I would flare I would eat a few 13.5 ounce cans of spinach a week and sunflower seeds daily and it put me in remission every time. I think you need beta carotene or something that is in the spinach along with the high magnesium foods such as sunflower seeds. Have you read my post " I have dicovered something that I think will help you too"? if you eat a few 13.5 ounce cans of spinach a week along with a alot of sunflower seeds I think it will put you in remission because it does me everytime. I think the spinach is very important. Also I eat the allens brand of spinach that i buy from walmart because in my opinion it tastes the best. And it may take a month of eating these foods to get the levels of nutrients up to where it will help you.


Post Edited (Cfromutah) : 8/3/2008 1:44:42 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/3/2008 5:39 AM (GMT 0)

Kiss520 said...
Well, I wish I could say that the seeds have helped me, but I don't think they're doing anything. I think the improvement I saw at the very beginning was a fluke. :-( I was so hoping this would help me, but I've given up hope after about 11 days. So, I've gone back to doing the only thing that ever showed me real improvement - cutting out sugars (fructose, sorbitol, mannitol, and lactose) and wheat bran fiber. This diet is from a book I read, and I the last time I did it I gave up on it, because I hated not having sugar. But now I've had such painful cramps and D that I'm willing to go back on it.

I guess everyone has to find their own "cure" if there is such a thing. I'm glad the seeds worked for Cfromutah and dudewhrsmybike. I still plan to eat the seeds for their nutritional value, but wish me luck with my no-sugar diet. ;-)

Suagrs and my IBD are like oil and water...Is this the diet you were referrinto?: http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/legal/legal_illegal_a-c.htm 
Posted 8/3/2008 1:40 PM (GMT 0)
Cfromutah - Haven't tried the spinach but was eating other foods high in beta carotene (probably not as much as you suggested). I will continue to do so but I'm also cutting out the sugars, because I know it works for me.

bbc - Its not the SCD that I'm doing. The book I read was called "The Self-Help Way to Treat Colitis and Other IBS Conditions," by DeLamar Gibbons. The last time I did it (a few weeks ago), it was during the second week that I started to see some real improvement. I stopped only because I hated not having sugar and decided to keep that diet in my "back pocket." I started having fruits and lactose and other sugars and immediately developed gas again and had lots of diarrhea, cramping, and blood. So, I'm back on it. I think this is my third or fourth day and the improvement is very noticeable already. If you decide to do it, just remember that even when you start feeling better, DON'T eat foods that you know are trigger foods (for me, that's fried food, alcohol or just plain overeating). Doing so will override your efforts and give you trouble.
Posted 8/3/2008 3:34 PM (GMT 0)

dudewhrsmybike said...
Only addition problem I face is the smelly farts. But I can live with that because I feel GREEEEAT!

tongue

Yeah, eating those seeds will cause you to have "killer" farts that linger! Not sure how you manage it...I've been eating Ravita crakers, which contain sesame seeds and boy, talk about smelly farts...wow!

Can you imagine if all UC sufferers worldwide, started to eat sunflower seeds? It could be the end of the world as we know it.

:-)

NBT

Posted 8/3/2008 4:45 PM (GMT 0)

Kiss520 said...
Cfromutah - Haven't tried the spinach but was eating other foods high in beta carotene (probably not as much as you suggested). I will continue to do so but I'm also cutting out the sugars, because I know it works for me.

bbc - Its not the SCD that I'm doing. The book I read was called "The Self-Help Way to Treat Colitis and Other IBS Conditions," by DeLamar Gibbons. The last time I did it (a few weeks ago), it was during the second week that I started to see some real improvement. I stopped only because I hated not having sugar and decided to keep that diet in my "back pocket." I started having fruits and lactose and other sugars and immediately developed gas again and had lots of diarrhea, cramping, and blood. So, I'm back on it. I think this is my third or fourth day and the improvement is very noticeable already. If you decide to do it, just remember that even when you start feeling better, DON'T eat foods that you know are trigger foods (for me, that's fried food, alcohol or just plain overeating). Doing so will override your efforts and give you trouble.

The SCD is also all about eliminating sugar; I have resigned myself to the fact that suger is my #1 enemy.  Glad to hear the sugar elimination is working for you!! :-)
Posted 8/3/2008 6:19 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, bbc! If the SCD is difficult for you to follow (as I hear it is for many people due its strictness), you might want to look into the book I mentioned. You can still eat bread, just not wheat bran fiber. Cutting out all those sugars is difficult and annoying, but it still seems easier than the SCD. Once you identify sugar as a problem, isn't it amazing how many foods have sugar in them that you never would have suspected?! Its no wonder our whole country is fat.
Posted 8/3/2008 6:31 PM (GMT 0)
People are overweight because they eat too much and don't exercise. Habits of eating fast and available foods that give the quickest return of satisfaction die hard. Sugar isn't really the culprit. Artificial sweeteners actually have played a far major part in the process of causing obesity. The free-flowing insulin causes hunger actually...there's also an addicton to the artificial sweeteners over and above sugar.

quincy
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