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shall I avoid salads alltogether?!!

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Posted 10/30/2011 5:28 AM (GMT 0)
Hi guys,

My doctor has just said I should not eat any raw viggies and that means no salads? I have been diagnosed with moderate left-sided Uc its been 3 years and have been eating all kinds of salads without the least problem/ I mean symptom; after my last flare up, my doctor said salads are a big no no even if am in a total remission. I was wondering if its really a good idea to give it up even if it doesnt bother me.
shall we give up food that give us symptoms and those which dont? ...
Uc challenger...

----
Left sided moderate UC
diagnosed since 2008- currently on Pentasa- 2 pills/day and in total remission
Posted 10/30/2011 5:38 AM (GMT 0)
that seems really wierd to me. I know a lot of people put alot of emphasis on food but I haven't found that to be a big trigger except for things like rich restaurant foods and too much fatty foods. I'd be inclined to get a second opinion.
Posted 10/30/2011 5:45 AM (GMT 0)
What was his reason for you to avoid them? Were you complaining of any specific symptoms?

I eat salads pretty much daily. If I'm flaring, I might avoid them to a certain extent to having a smaller one or to having one without certain things in them..etc.

Salads do have various ingredients in them, there are some salads I wouldn't have and some ingredients I wouldn't have...based on personal taste and possible comfort.

If you have no problems, it doesn't seem it's a problem, unless the doc was thinking it's more of a comfort/digestive issue.

I don't see how another opinion would be needed for that one question, I would suggest you ask more questions to your doctor to clarify specifically about why he suggested it....specific, and keep asking more questions till you get an answer that makes sense..

q
Posted 10/30/2011 5:47 AM (GMT 0)
she also said I should avoid all citrus fruits, yogurt, whole bread...eating white bread only and cooked viggies is really wearin me out..

Frankly, docs are confusing. they never explain the "why" . What I believe is that raw food should be avoided during a flare and should be reintroduced later. The only reason that she has been given to me is that raw food " damages" your intestines!!!

Post Edited (UC challlllenger) : 10/29/2011 11:54:45 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 10/30/2011 5:49 AM (GMT 0)
Well, tell me if that sounds right to you?


so....how did this suggestion of hers come up in the first place? please clarify.

q
Posted 10/30/2011 5:59 AM (GMT 0)
well, I asked her what food should I eat and if there is anything I should avoid and she said everything raw will be exacerbating my UC and so should be eliminated along with whole breads and citrus fruits.


UC Challenger
Posted 10/30/2011 7:01 AM (GMT 0)
I was told not to eat raw fruits and vegetables when i was originally diagnosed with UC, but after I went into remission was allowed to eat whatever I wanted. I did great for about 9 years without a major flare eating whatever I wanted. Personally when i start feeling bad, I will cut out the raw veggies for a few days to give my colon a break. My Dr back then told me that raw fruit and veggies are harder to digest than cooked ones.
Posted 10/30/2011 11:55 AM (GMT 0)
I'm in remission and eat everything, including salads, wheat bread, and dairy, just as I did before. The only things I avoid are MSG and artificial sweetners, as they gave me problems pre-UC.
Posted 10/30/2011 12:34 PM (GMT 0)
My doctor also told me to avoid fresh fruit and veggies as they may make the symptoms worse. Now this was when I was flaring. I do seem to have some trouble with fresh veggies...more like cauliflower and broccoli so I either know that if I eat them I will have a problem the next day or I avoid them altogether. I still eat salad and fruit...I just don't go nuts with it but if I was flaring I would probably avoid altogether...why make it worse. I refuse to give up everything I like just because I may have to go a few more times the next day...even before I had UC that could happen.
Posted 10/30/2011 1:14 PM (GMT 0)
My doc just told me that if a certain food bothers you, don't consume it. So basically you just have to listen to your body. So if salads and raw fruits/veggies don't bother you, than don't worry about it. For some, fruits and veggies actually make things better.

When I am flaring, I avoid raw things as they tend to make me worse. However, I have an issue with the whole fruit/veggie avoidance...I was hardly ever in remission so I didn't eat any of those things. Years later from avoiding fiber, I now have diverticulosis (which is NO fun). So if they don't bother you...enjoy! Because you don't want to avoid those things forever and end up like me with diverticulosis.

*I edited out my comment about corn. I just realized that made NO sense! LOL Too early in the morning I think!*
Posted 10/30/2011 6:13 PM (GMT 0)

Red_34 said...
My doc just told me that if a certain food bothers you, don't consume it. So basically you just have to listen to your body. So if salads and raw fruits/veggies don't bother you, than don't worry about it. For some, fruits and veggies actually make things better.

When I am flaring, I avoid raw things as they tend to make me worse. But in remission, they aggravate things...especially corn. However, I have an issue with the whole fruit/veggie avoidance...I was hardly ever in remission so I didn't eat any of those things. Years later from avoiding fiber, I now have diverticulosis (which is NO fun). So if they don't bother you...enjoy! Because you don't want to avoid those things forever and end up like me with diverticulosis.

Agree.

Common sense is the best medicine.
Posted 10/30/2011 6:50 PM (GMT 0)
I would change doctors. I have never heard of anyone recommending eating a low fiber diet in remission or avoiding fiber when it doesn't cause symptoms. A high fiber diet is very important to colon and cardiac health. There are some studies that support eating more fiber to maintain remission. This is what doctors told people to do 50 years ago for colon problems including colitis, diverticulios... It might have been dead wrong. It might be the reason that colon cancer rates are statistically higher in people with UC and diverticulous.

Low fiber did work for me in a flare to reduce symptoms.

Science supports the exact opposite of what the doctor is telling you to do. Doesn't surprise me as my last GI was completely ignorant of the basics of UC. I didn't go back. I would forgive a doctor that told me that diet does no good as they don't train in that area(nutrition) and there are few studies on diet and UC.
Posted 10/31/2011 1:04 AM (GMT 0)
I think the dr. is trying to help you based on what other patients have told him. Everyone is different. You're dr is right on in my case.

I can't eat salads or whole grains. If i do i will be in the bathroom within minutes. I keep trying now that I am in remission and the same thing happens. It doesn't matter if i am in a flare. He is probably thinking he is helping you, I know that is what food i stay away from. This is  from my own experience, my own dr. just said don't eat things that bother you. So if they don't bother you, eat away.

Posted 10/31/2011 3:37 AM (GMT 0)
i think if you feel fine eating it, then you should eat it. there is no basis for not eating salads so your doctor is obviously not very educated on nutrition. greens are so important for our diet as well as citrus fruits! i eat about 6 oranges a day along with 1 lb of greens and i'm not dead yet.
Posted 11/1/2011 12:15 PM (GMT 0)
thank you so much guys, really. your comments have been of great help to me.
I would try reintroducing salads to my diet gradually and tell you how it goes.

thanks,

UC challenger,
Posted 11/1/2011 4:12 PM (GMT 0)
It should be of no surprise that a doctor has little training on nutrition. They are not the one to ask nutritional advice from. Our curriculum had a heavy dose of nutrition in it, but nothing up to date that has been helpful with my UC.

My first experience with my GI's nutritionist was just about the same though. White bread, low residue diet.

I have found Ice berg lettuce is a big no no for me. Spinach I do fairly well with and even some green leaf lettuce.

High fiber has made a huge difference for me over the last several years. I picked up on the idea here :).
Posted 11/1/2011 8:12 PM (GMT 0)
If the salads aren't causing you any symptoms, then eat as many as you'd like. That's what my GI doctor told me. I eat salads almost daily with no negative effects.
Posted 11/2/2011 12:13 AM (GMT 0)
If you want to try to re-introduce salad back into your diet, try to avoid iceburg lettuce. A lot of Uc'ers tend to have an issue with iceburg. I found that Romaine with spinach doesn't bother me and in fact makes me feel a lot better. But if you try this, take it slow because even Romaine can be too harsh for some.
Posted 11/5/2011 11:18 PM (GMT 0)
thanks for telling me about this SHERRY
Posted 11/14/2011 4:54 AM (GMT 0)
I've been told to go on the low-fiber diet by a nutritionist, funny because a high-fiber diet is basically all I eat now. I think it is a bad decision to avoid fiber for long periods of time, because in the end it will catch up with you. A low-fiber diet is not healthy by any means, you may be avoiding UC, but you are just asking for problems down the road.

If whole grains and raw veggies are too harsh I would try to gradually work them in. Start by juicing them, just to get the added nutrients and vitamins. Then move on to boiling, then steaming, then raw.

Some people think that if they see undigested fragments of veggies in their feces means that it must be harsh on your colon. But plant material is full of cellulose, which we can only partially digest, but microbes in our colon can digest it more fully so sometimes the cellulose doesn't get broken down so much. White bread and other hard to digest food clog up in the colon and become difficult for you to move your bowels. Whole raw foods don't give you diarrhea (unless you have some allergy or intolerance of course), processed white food just make you constipated.
Posted 11/14/2011 4:20 PM (GMT 0)
If the food bothers you, put it on the "delete" list. Everyone is different with regard to what they can and cannot eat.
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