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Spinach and Sunflower Seeds, Part 5

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 12/9/2008 7:54 PM (GMT 0)

Kiss520 said...
Yea!!  Great news, Rich!  I hope you continue to see improvement.  I am doing better now that I increased the sunbutter and watched other parts of my diet more closely.  I don't know why this works, but I'm so happy to be off of meds, that's really all I care about. 


that's great to hear katie. hopefully the trend continues for you and you continue to get better. i'm not sure at what point i should start tapering meds. you didn't wait too long did you?
Posted 12/9/2008 8:04 PM (GMT 0)
I waited until I was almost in remission. I don't know if I should have done that or not, but I was so anxious to get off meds I just went for it. If you can hold out, I'd wait until your symptoms are gone before getting off meds. You can't be too overly cautious.
Posted 12/9/2008 8:27 PM (GMT 0)
Hello there,
I have been reading with interest about this regime diet. I took spinach and beet tops in the summer ( I grow this in the garden ) just because I considered the other brassicas to be too " harsh " . Not because I knew of this diet. However I found that it was successful and provided much needed nutrients. I take a handful of sunflower seeds about twice a week on cereal ( must though really chew these or they pass through whole !!! )
I am in remission now and following a normal diet -- including the vegetable I froze whilst in flare !! I must admit I have never seen sunflower butter in the shops in UK, but I believe that some people find smooth peanut butter to be beneficial.
Happy healing.
Posted 12/9/2008 9:34 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, I have been reading about this spinach and sunflower seed diet but I don't see too much info about it. What foods to eat and what not to eat and how does spinach and sunflower seeds help? I have had UC left sided since 2003 at which point it was maintained with asacol 2 pills 2x aday.. I then had a flare in 2005 and was on prednisone and had another flare in April 2008 in which case prednisone did not work and am now on REMICADE.
Posted 12/10/2008 4:49 AM (GMT 0)

princess NY said...
Hi, I have been reading about this spinach and sunflower seed diet but I don't see too much info about it. What foods to eat and what not to eat and how does spinach and sunflower seeds help? I have had UC left sided since 2003 at which point it was maintained with asacol 2 pills 2x aday.. I then had a flare in 2005 and was on prednisone and had another flare in April 2008 in which case prednisone did not work and am now on REMICADE.

princess -- start here and let us know if you have any more questions:

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&m=1270244

good luck and keep us posted! -- rich

Posted 12/10/2008 5:02 AM (GMT 0)
I see Sunbutter comes in a special omega 3 w/ flax seed variety...anyone here tried it?
Posted 12/10/2008 5:15 AM (GMT 0)
i've been looking for that too but all they carry at whole foods is crunchy and smooth. i'm partial to the crunchy but know that doesn't go over well for some folks trying this.
Posted 12/10/2008 5:16 AM (GMT 0)

dudewhrsmybike said...

bokscarracer said...

geez 8 oz of seeds? that's a lot isn't it? i have probably 2 to 3 tbsp of sunbutter a day (although on some days i eat that stuff like it's sweet crack) and maybe 2 to 3 oz of seeds. i guess maybe the sunbutter is kinda concentrated though.

Call me crazy but thats what worked for me this summer.  2 weeks, I kid you not.  I felt so alive.  Now I figured a way to get spinach in my diet, EGGS.

yes i rely on the egg vehicle myself. i just take egg beaters, a half can of spinach, a small pat of butter, and fry it all up in the morning. top it with a little blue cheese and YUM!
Posted 12/11/2008 5:01 PM (GMT 0)
I know I said earlier that I thought the spinach/seed diet wasn't helping me, but I continued to add them into my routine. I put spinach in eggs as well, along with some cheddar, fake bacon, and corn tortillas.  Last week I was pretty sick, non-UC related, and my appetite was gone, so I skipped my eggs for a few days. Then I got the worst stabbing pains in my abdomen, along with gas, and few more bms than normal. The next day I did the eggs concoction...voila, the pain and gas disappeared. I will continue with the diet and see where it goes. At least I know it wasn't a placebo effect either, because I really didn't think it would help me. I've got nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

I've got a routine GI doc appt next week.  I'm trying to get off prednisone, but everytime I get under 5mg, things fall apart.  I'm going to see what his thoughts are on this diet. Regardless of whatever med changes he and I do, I'll stay with the spinach/seed diet. I wish I liked spinach though. It is hard to incorporate into one's diet regularly. Sometimes I look at my egg mixture and shudder, but that is the least objectionable method I've found to eat it. I've tried to mix it with other things I eat regularly.  In case anyone is wondering, spinach and Rice Crispies don't mix well.  Instead of Snap, Crackle, Pop! you get Snap, Crackle, ew that's gross! 

Posted 12/11/2008 7:52 PM (GMT 0)
Beartooth - Have you tried the recipe I posted for spinach quesadillas? I think its on the first page of the 4th thread of this topic. They are SO yummy and makes the spinach-eating way easier. At least its a change from the eggs. I would used flour tortillas instead of corn. Corn (even ground corn) can be very hard to digest.
Posted 12/11/2008 7:56 PM (GMT 0)
I keep thinking of that recipe, but whenever I'm at the store I space it off. I need a change every once in a while though. Maybe I'll make a list so I remember. I use corn torillas because I'm also trying out gluten-free, although I'm not real strict.
Posted 12/11/2008 9:11 PM (GMT 0)
Angievirsep93, it sounds like your doing everything right. With you having UC for 10 years your probably really depleted of the nutrients that makes this diet work. I would keep doing what your doing and give it more time. And if that don't work after a month or two try increasing the amounts of spinach and sunbutter. I would also research and find foods that are high in magnesium and try to incorporate more high magnesium foods into your diet. And I would try eating oatmeal every morning because it contains a fair amount of the same nutrients that sunflower seeds contain and I have found that oatmeal really helps to make stools formed and really improves digestion.
Posted 12/11/2008 10:12 PM (GMT 0)
I eat old fashioned oatmeal every morning with some sun/almond butter and organic honey and/or manuka honey (and cinnamonto kill the sugars from the honey).
Posted 12/11/2008 11:12 PM (GMT 0)

Cfromutah said...
And I would try eating oatmeal every morning because it contains a fair amount of the same nutrients that sunflower seeds contain and I have found that oatmeal really helps to make stools formed and really improves digestion.

For any reason, could eating oatmeal EVERY morning be a bad thing though?

And yes, I will agree that oatmeal helps make stools more formed.  I witnessed it a few hours ago.

Posted 12/12/2008 12:24 AM (GMT 0)

It wasn't a bad thing for me. I ate it every morning while flaring and have still been eating it every morning for the last two and a half years that I have been in remission.

Posted 12/12/2008 12:39 AM (GMT 0)
Ok, I've been reading with interest about this spinach, seeds and the sunflower butter. No way could I get my son to eat spinach, but he does like to spread butter on things so I could get that. But where do you buy it? Trader Joe's?? I notice the spinach works for some then some relapse while on it ...so that is confusing. My son just started Remicade last Friday, doctor took him off Asacol but will keep him on 6MP for awhile. Doctor told him not to worry about taking any extra vitamins or probionics but to just eat a healthy balanced diet.
But, hey the sunflower butter couldn't hurt could it? So, I'd like to get some, but where? Your help is greatly appreciated. The mom.
Posted 12/12/2008 10:52 PM (GMT 0)
Spinach has always been a big help for me with keeping my UC under control. But, it doesn't work alone. I eat one handful of fresh spinach per day, AND don't eat any of my known trigger foods EVER, even when in complete remission. Why? Because if I do I get D and other symptoms. A year or so ago, all was well, no D, no symptoms, ate my spinach and then got cocky and started eating things on my trigger foods list, espeically products made with whole wheat (I'm not gluten intolerant but whole wheat is a D trigger for me), within a week I was back to cramps, eczema, low-grade fever and D, had to actually start taking Asacol again to get things under control.

My point? If you get into remission don't think you can go hog-wild and eat your trigger foods. I just don't do it anymore, but keep eating what I know helps and life goes along swimmingly.

Good luck to all,
Elizaabeth
Posted 12/12/2008 11:16 PM (GMT 0)

since being in remission I can eat anything without any problems. Everything is the same as it was before I got UC. but I don't eat just spinach to stay in remission. I eat several different high magnesium and beta carotene foods. once in remission I can stay in remission without any spinach, I stay in remission with baby carrots, salads and occasionally broccoli for beta carotene and nuts, seeds, oatmeal and occasionally beans for magnesium. But I don't recommend to anyone to not eat spinach till they reach remission.

But then again I am a fairly healthy eater to begin with and if I was eating nothing but junk food while in remission maybe I would have to watch what I eat after some time. I do eat fast food nearly every day for lunch while i am at work though with no problems

Posted 12/12/2008 11:21 PM (GMT 0)
And I don't think one handful of fresh spinach a day would be enough to help me because its not enough beta carotene or magnesium. Maybe that's why you have problems, not enough spinach
Posted 12/12/2008 11:26 PM (GMT 0)
I didn't say I was having problems. I said. . . If I eat my known trigger foods that causes problems.

And, eating a handful of spinach a day DOES help me stay well. I never eat junk food, processed foods, or preservatives. Only whole foods.
Posted 12/12/2008 11:36 PM (GMT 0)

obviously one handful is not helping you enough because you cant eat trigger foods. And I wasn't implying that you eat junk food. I'm just saying if I did continuously maybe I would have problems and have to start watching what I eat, but then again maybe not. But your advise is good to tell people to watch what they eat. I just don't want them to think when they get in remission that they cant have foods they enjoy because I do have foods I enjoy with no problems.

Posted 12/13/2008 5:09 PM (GMT 0)

Cra43,

I always buy the sunflower seed butter at Whole Foods. Its called SUNBUTTER. I always get the creamy kind, or the natural, never crunchy (too hard on the gut). It has lots of protein, and other nutrients besides magnesium, and tastes really good. Also, my doctor told me that I didnt need to take any vitamins, and that diet has nothing to do with this disease, but I have realized through many trials and errors, that that is NOT true.  I take a wonderful multivitamin called Forvia, formulated especially for people with UC/Crohn's. You can get it on their website, and i believe they have kids versions too. I also take glutamine, biotin, calcium , and folic acid. Just recently started the sunflower seed/spinach diet. (Soooo much easier to eat the frozen chopped spinach instead of the canned!!!!!!!!!!! for taste reasons).

Posted 12/16/2008 3:36 PM (GMT 0)
Since I started this diet the bleeding has almost stopped and at first my stools were becoming more formed. Now my stool is like water. I am on a low residue diet, along with sunflower seeds and spinach. Has anyone else had this problem while on this diet?
Posted 12/16/2008 4:06 PM (GMT 0)
Yep, I'm the same way right now.  I haven't been good about eating enough sunbutter, and my diet sucks because of all the holiday foods. 

Posted 12/16/2008 5:14 PM (GMT 0)
Look for the sunbutter in the peanut butter section of your local supermarket. Publix in Florida has it, but Wal-Mart in Florida does not. I have also looked for it in Winn Dixie with no luck.

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