Spinach and Sunflower Seeds, Part 6

That is what we are all trying to find - the diet that works for us individually.

Good advice would be to begin spinach and sunflower seeds and read about the SCD. From there you have many other choices, Raw diet, antifungal diet.

What is clear is that vegetarian is no cure.

i advice you to use honey with caution and in small quantities. it has a strong inflammatory effect on our boddies, as all sugars do.

take a look here:
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/sweets/5568/2

Yes cooked canned spinach works surprisingly well even though it has a ton of salt.

Wow this is so interesting. I battle with leg cramps and since my stay in the hospital for a UC flare I have not been able to sleep more than 20 min before my legs and feet cramp up. I read on a blog it might magnesium. I looked up what foods are high in mag and saw I wasn't eating any of them. On my way home I stopped and bought a huge thing of spinach and pumpkin seeds. I had also been craving peanut butter like crazy (I gave away my peanut butter because I thought it was bad). When I got home I was doing some google searching to find research about my flaring with my menstrual cycle. (None of the GI docs I have seen believe me but it is definitely cause and effect) and I came across the spinach and sunflower seed diet. I could have picked sunflower seeds pumpkin just had a bit more mag. (Also read that magnesium levels are there lowest during menstruation so maybe that is the connection) I have been eating spinach and sunflower seeds now for a few days. I have had a lot of bleeding and mucus and incredible urgency and lack of control. However my leg cramps have disappeared. My period should start soon so I know that is part of the problem. I think I have read all the posts on this diet and I hope it'll work for me because the prednisone isn't completely controlling it also on 4.8 g lialda. Thanks for everyone sharing!

beatUC said...
Spinach is one of the foods that will just kill me, I'm not sure it's a good idea for anyone with UC, but I guess we are all different.

Adi, I've had really nasty cramps as well, I eat bananas for them -it seems to work, all the potassium and Gatorade for electrolytes.
Raw pumpkin seeds are absolutely great, and I can tolerate them. I think we are all losing so much it's a challenge to intake enough to make it up.

Are you eating it raw?

I can assure you it is a good idea for someone with UC. Only the canned or steamed though for me. I would personally not go raw with it in a bad flare. It's my go to as soon as things start to look south.

beatUC it could be the spinach I am having trouble with it is not advised to eat (conventional medicine) but there are a lot of people it has helped so I am willing to try for a while. I have tried so many things to deal with my leg cramps every mineral, electrolyte, apple cider vinegar, bananas, a new mattress, chiropractic adjustments this is the most relief I have had and the spinach is the only thing I feel I can attribute this to. Before I had this last full blown flare I was eating lots of nuts and seeds though it could be the combo of sunflower seeds and spinach.

Dr-A have you managed to get control of your UC? If so for how long?

I desperately want to be well and regardless of what anyone says the body has an amazing ability to heal it's self if given what it needs. I will keep trying till I figure out what it needs. Thanks again for feed back.

beatUC and Adi - When I started the spinach/sunflower diet, I got worse for about two weeks (more bleeding, etc.); but then things started to slowly improve over the course of a couple months.  That was two years ago.  I've been in remission ever since.  No meds at all.  I hope you continue with the diet and tell everyone your results.  I haven't been back on this forum for a while, and coming back today and seeing that many of the same people are still suffering makes me so sad.  I hope you have success and, if you do, that you share your story. 

Good luck!

Katie