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sunflower and spinach question

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Posted 7/19/2009 1:06 AM (GMT 0)
for that sunflower seed and spinach diet, does one have to consume them at the same time???  what has best worked for everyone???
Posted 7/19/2009 4:05 AM (GMT 0)
a lot of the people that were being helped or in remission from the diet have seemed to disappear from the forum. You don't need to eat them together. I would try to eat a few handfuls of sunflower seeds nearly every day and eat spinach every few days and see how you do. I have been in remission for years doing this with no medications or supplements.
Posted 7/19/2009 4:40 AM (GMT 0)
wow, i hope that i get the same great results as you do!!!  i have been eating spinach, but just today added the sunflower butter.  thanks for the info!  i pray it works for me too.

Posted 7/20/2009 3:52 PM (GMT 0)
Hi there, I saw the old sunflower seed & spinach post a few days ago too and started it straight away. I noticed a difference in my BM's immediately, being more formed and less blood.

I understood it to be a few spoons of sunbutter everyday and a block of frozen spinach everyday, and it is the way they work in conjunction with each other, so I try to eat mine within a few hours of each other.

I make my own sunbutter in a blender adding flaxseed oil a little salt and manuka honey - it is divine!

I am having a little setback today so will use an asacol enema tonight but will stay on this diet for the long run, so keep me posted if you are doing it too...

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Posted 7/20/2009 7:47 PM (GMT 0)
Never heard of spinach and sunflower seeds . I have ulcerative proctitis and have been in a flare-up for 6 months. Have been on so many meds and just started 6MP. Tell me about this diet. Thanks.
Posted 7/20/2009 11:51 PM (GMT 0)
Jewelknit, here's a link to a previous discussion on it that should give you more info.

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&m=1380262
Posted 7/20/2009 11:58 PM (GMT 0)
I'm going to do it to.
Posted 7/21/2009 2:46 PM (GMT 0)

Cfromutah said...
a lot of the people that were being helped or in remission from the diet have seemed to disappear from the forum. You don't need to eat them together. I would try to eat a few handfuls of sunflower seeds nearly every day and eat spinach every few days and see how you do. I have been in remission for years doing this with no medications or supplements.

Cfromutah,

Is there anything else you do on your diet, as in do you avoid eating certain foods as well or take any supplements?
Posted 7/21/2009 7:08 PM (GMT 0)
i think the deal with the diet is to eat other things too, but just include spinach and sunflower seeds in your diet everyday.  i cannot do seeds, so i am using sunbutter.  if you are flaring, i would especially reccommend using the sunbutter instead of the seeds.  i had been eating spinach daily before trying this diet, but have noticed some improvement once i added the sunbutter to my diet.

Posted 7/24/2009 10:17 PM (GMT 0)
I have been doing the spinach/sunflower thing for quite awhile.  I've last track of time - I think just over a year.  It has been great.  Its been the only thing to get me in remission since having UC.  I haven't been around the boards in awhile because I've been busy living life again.  For me, I need the sunflower seeds more often than spinach.  I eat spinach about 2 times a week and sunflower seeds every other day or so.  Although in the beginning I needed both more often.  I am so happy to be symptom free thanls to finding this.
Posted 7/26/2009 1:47 PM (GMT 0)
Zippy123, I try to eat a fairly healthy balanced diet but I'm not on any kind of strict diet. I don't eat much sugar but not because of UC, Just because I feel better with other aspects physically and mentally when I avoid it. I don't drink soda. Usually always drink distilled water and drink a fair amount of apple and orange juice. I eat a lot of meats, nuts and fruits. I don't drink coffee or alcohol and don't do drugs or smoke although when I was younger I drank like a fish and smoked like a train and would do about any drug that was handed to me. For lunch on weekdays I do eat fast food nearly every day. Usually a hamburger or chicken sandwich or burritos or tacos and usually but not always avoid the fried foods. For breakfast I eat oatmeal with 2 percent milk every day. And of course I eat sunflower seeds nearly every day and spinach and carrots pretty often but not every day. I eat a few baby carrots every 3 days or so and only eat spinach once or twice a month now. But in the beginning of reaching remission I ate spinach much more often.

Post Edited (Cfromutah) : 7/26/2009 12:33:40 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/26/2009 3:58 PM (GMT 0)
I started eating the shelled sunflower seeds after reading this post about a weeks ago. I am amazed at the positive affects. I was scared to eat the seeds originally (last year when these posts first came out) so I tried sunflower butter and I didnt' notice a diifference then. Maybe I wasn't eating enough? I just was scared to eat the seeds. But the seeds seem to be pretty soft, and better results with the seeds. I haven't done spinach yet.
Posted 7/26/2009 6:26 PM (GMT 0)
     Could you tell  me where you purchase the sunflower butter?  I cannot do the seeds as in addition to the ulcerative proctitis I also have diverticulosis.
Posted 7/26/2009 8:18 PM (GMT 0)
Christine, I get the sunbutter from Whole Foods or from Trader Joes.
Posted 7/26/2009 9:34 PM (GMT 0)

Christine1946 said...
Could you tell me where you purchase the sunflower butter? I cannot do the seeds as in addition to the ulcerative proctitis I also have diverticulosis.

http://www.swansonvitamins.com sells sunflower butter, but it is unsweetened, so you need to eat it with honey or something to make it taste ok.

Also http://www.sunbutter.com/ sells different variations of sunflower butter.
Posted 7/31/2009 4:59 PM (GMT 0)
I have been doing this diet for a couple of weeks now, although have been using a nightly foam enema too just to keep everything under control. I do think it is working as I don't have D and it is always formed and there is much less blood and mucus.

I make my own sunbutter by roasting the sunflowers in a hot pan till brown, putting them in a blender then putting them into a bowl and adding flaxseed oil some seasalt and manuka honey, then mix and make your paste and put in a jar for your pleasure. When it is warm from the roasting when first made it is delicious! Enjoy! 

Also with the spinach, I place the frozen chunks into a container to defrost overnight then add garlic, seasalt & black pepper, microwave and grate a little fresh parmisan on, darn I sound posh! Yum!

Not bad food to be eating whether sick or not.

Wishing health and happiness on all.

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Posted 7/31/2009 5:33 PM (GMT 0)
     Is it ok to use canned spinach?  I just bought a few cans of Popeye's.  I haven't gotten out to Trader Joes'....kinda far from me...to purchase the sunflower butter.
Posted 7/31/2009 5:35 PM (GMT 0)
I thought eating canned spinich was ok too, does it work?
Posted 7/31/2009 5:49 PM (GMT 0)

Hi All,

Just stopping in to say hi and report on my progress with the sunflower seed/spinach diet.  I was diagnosed at the beginning of '08 and had a year of pure hell (10-15 rounds of D each day, two hospital stays and related secondary health problems).  I started this diet around October of '08 and was off meds by January '09.  Since then I have taken no medication and only followed this diet.  I am in remission and only have occasional issues from my IBS.  This diet has absolutely been a cure for me.  I know the word "cure" is taboo in this forum, but I have actually thrown away all my old medications.  (What a joyous day that was!)

I strongly urge anyone interested in this diet to give it a try.  Imagine your life without doctor visits, hospital stays, medications and their awful side effects.  That is me now, and I never thought it could be.  Sometimes I (gasp!) actually forget I have UC. 

I know it seems like a pain to eat all this stuff every day, but you only have to do that until you're well.  Then you can start spacing it out more and more.  You'll always have to eat it with some regularity, but not nearly as often as you do in the beginning.  It's SO WORTH IT!!!

Good luck to you all.  Best wishes for recovery!

Posted 7/31/2009 5:56 PM (GMT 0)
So far no flares this year, first time in years (and no maintenance drugs) that I haven't flared in the spring, wahoo, I love this diet!!!

I eat fresh baby spinach in my salads and sunflower seeds.
Posted 7/31/2009 6:35 PM (GMT 0)
I should mention that because of my IBS, I don't eat much spinach anymore. I get my magnesium from the sunflower seeds - which I eat often - and the beta carotene from carrots. Does the trick!
Posted 8/2/2009 4:28 PM (GMT 0)
yes canned spinach works. Thats usually the only kind i eat.
Posted 8/2/2009 8:05 PM (GMT 0)
I try to eat a variety of foods as well as getting a lot of spinach and sunbutter (sunflower seed butter) with bananas in my diet as well as adding turmeric to many of my foods. My colon has been very happy.
Posted 8/2/2009 8:38 PM (GMT 0)
So glad I read about this spinach and sunflower thing!  I have been on it for a week and have seen some improvement.  No, its not remission yet, but it feels like a step in the right direction. 

I have been doing 1/4 C. sunflower seeds (or the sunbutter on a banana, since my potassium is low!) and a turkey and spinach sandwich for lunch.  So easy to do! :)

I also started adding coconut oil to my diet as of yesterday and am staying optimistic! 

Posted 8/10/2009 4:48 PM (GMT 0)
Things are looking good for me too, I guess it has been about a month now on the diet, I went away last week and coped way better than I expected, less urgency fewer BM no D maybe a little blood but it is lessening and I'm feeling fighting fit! I'll report back in a month or so.....

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