# What types of vegetables do you eat?



## bryce54

Hi, I'm extremely confused in finding what vegetables to eat with this condition. I know that the crustaceous vegetables can cause problems (like califlower and cabbage), however I don't know what other veggies to eat.

So far it seems spinach is the best option, but what else? Please give me many because I will eat any vegetable, I just don't know what to get.


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## Astra

Hiya Bryce

In my opinion all veg is ok, it's when it's not softly cooked that causes the problems. Your veg should be cooked so that it's soft and mashes easy with a fork.
When veg is hard and crunchy it can cause problems.
We're told that if you cook veg to death it loses it's vitimins etc, but I believe that softly cooked veg provides nutrients and some fibre.
Broccolli is anti inflammatory, I have this with every meal, doesn't cause any problems, same with carrots.
Experiment and keep a food journal, it's a process of elimination
good luck
xxx


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## Grumbletum

Hiya 
Like Joan says, I think it's a case of experimenting and keeping a record of what does and doesn't trigger your symptoms. I thought I'd be OK with most veg if they were cooked down - I make soups a lot these days. But there are some that still set off the stomach pains even in a soup, those being: potato and cauliflower. I haven't even tried cabbage cos it used to give me gas even pre-Crohn's :stinks: And sweetcorn is a real no-no.
I seem to be be fine with broccoli, carrots, oninons, parsnips, aubergines, butternut squash and mushrooms. And tomato and avocado, although I think they are classed as fruits?


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## Beach

I tend to eat green leafy vegetables.  Spinach is a favorite.  Will also eat a sweat potato from time to time with out issues.


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## MADiMarc

Hi!  Like you, I have never met a veggie I didn't like, so I feel your pain.  For years, I shied away from them then one day I just started eating veggies again with little difficulty.  Several I don't eat cauliflower, Lima beans (okay, I don't like these anyway).  I love sweet potatos but only eat 1/2 because the high fiber can give me problems.  I like fresh veggies and I like mine to snap back at me.  I understand what Joan is saying about cooking them well but I can't eat them that way.  I just made my grocery list, here are the veggies listed.
Green beans, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, (romaine) lettuce, onions (green,red and white), squash (3 different kinds), broccoli, spinach, celery (careful with this one, can hurt), carrots, sweet peas, asparagus.  And what ever else looks good!
This has taken YEARS of experimenting and keeping a food diary.  Good luck!  My suggestion is to add one a week.  I sometimes can eat a small green salad & sometimes it kills me.  Just need to listen to your body.  
Good luck,
Michele


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## sunluvva

The only veg that causes me problems is sweetcorn - I can eat most other stuff raw and cooked but it has taken months of training my body to do it.

First I started juicing fruit and green leaves, that way you get all of the vitamins and minerals but no fibre - I've also found that if I'm having a bad time then a day of only consuming juice really helps.  

Once I could cope with veg/fruit juice mixes I moved onto making soups - really well blended with no chunks so much of the fibre was already broken down, then gradually started adding in more fresh or cooked fruit and veg.

I've seen http://www.colitis-crohns.com on here already but I'll add it again as I can't recommend it enough.  I don't follow it strictly enough to completely heal but following the general principles means I can eat any fruit and veg I like - just don't turn it into a curry!!!!


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## Miss Spencer

I consume every kind of fruit and vegetable you can think of..............by juicing them.

I can’t eat highly fibrous things like whole broccoli, as they give me wind and terrible pain. But I can easily drink the juice from a broccoli with no problems.

It is well-known that people with C & UC have problems with properly obtaining nutrients from their food. Even though I was overweight from the drugs, I was still pretty much malnourished from years of UC. And I found after using the drugs, my immune system was severely compromised and I got every cold, flu and virus going round. 

I started juicing because I was desperate to improve my immune system and regain some measure of health. Because there is no fibre in juice, it is quickly assimilated into your body and can get to work straight away giving much needed nutrition to your cells. And when you press it yourself at home using a slow cold-press juicer, the juice retains all of the nutrients. 

If juicing does not appeal, you could try steaming your vegetables to mush and then blending them up to make a sort of baby food.  Unfortunately, many of the vital nutrients are destroyed when you heat vegetables to high temperatures, but you will still get some benefit. And some is better than none.

You could also try a vegetable potassium broth. It involves cooking vegetables slowly in water for a few hours to infuse the water with the nutrients from the veggies, and then draining the clear liquid. You discard the vegetables and drink the broth. These vegetable broths are often used as part of a fasting program and they are very good for ill, malnourished and elderly people. I use them a lot if I have flu.  I have several good recipes and happy to type one up here if you are interested.


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## Miss Spencer

I can also tolerate well blended smoothies.

Red ripe papaya or ripe paw paw are both exceptionally excellent for C & UC because of the natural digestive enzymes. 

When you eat it whole, it virtually turns to mush in your mouth anyway. I like to blend it up with water or water obtained from a Thai drinking coconut. 

From there I can either add spinach to the blender or even better, juice the spinach first and add the juice to the blender. 

The sweetness of the fruit disguises the taste of the spinach or whatever vegetable you are using. 

Plus it is well blended in the blender, so all the roughage fibre is broken down pre-digestion.


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## sunluvva

Miss Spencer - it sounds like we're on a similar track diet wise - where do you get your thai coconuts from, they're pretty hard to source in T.Wells?


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## aubreyl88

Ive been questioning what fruits and vegetables to eat. I read in books that what you eat is a trial and error but to stay away from corn. (I love corn on the cob but sadly ill be okay). But in the summer time I love fresh salads, cucumbers, onion, bell peppers.. But I like them crunchy. Does it matter? Or do I have to avoid those things? Im new to this I dont know when something affects me or that I shouldnt eat. Please give advice. I hate missing the foods i love.


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## sunluvva

Hi aubrey
It really is a case of trial and error, I can eat everthing you mentioned but I know that raw onion or pepper may sometimes upset my stomach - whichever veggies you eat my opinion is that fresh and crunchy is better than cooked - you might sometimes find that raw veggies are ok but coooked provokes a reaction.  If you spend some time 'training; your tum then you may be able to eat corn on the cob occasionally - I do but I know if I do it too often it wont be good!


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## archie

I love all veg and I steam it so it becomes nice and soft without losing all the nutrients and colour and therefore doesn't seem to cause any probs.  Can't touch a chilli though it seems to have some explosive qualities!!! Still trial and error though somethings effect me sometimes and then again sometimes not!!!! who knows, whoever invented crohn's was having a laugh...NOT


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## Miss Spencer

sunluvva said:


> Miss Spencer - it sounds like we're on a similar track diet wise - where do you get your thai coconuts from, they're pretty hard to source in T.Wells?


Asian shops or ethnic markets are your best bet. 

Maybe even Tesco or Waitrose.

The Globe Trading Co Pty Ltd is based in the UK:

*http://www.theglobetrading.co.uk/?page=2&cat=14&brand=10&pid=Sweet+Young+Coconuts*

Perhaps they can ship you a carton?

The only problem with the imported coconuts is the rumour that they are soaked in formaldehyde as a fumigation measure. It is a risk I will have to take, as I have found the coconuts are very beneficial for UC. I am hoping the tough husk protects the water from being affected by these fumigation methods.

My sister lives in Australia and I often spend time with her there. Having fresh non-sprayed Queensland coconuts directly off the tree is like eating pure paradise. So much better than the Thai coconuts. I had young green fresh coconuts in the USA too, the water and flesh is utterly stunning.   

I have also discovered that coconut water – like celery juice – is fantastic for hydration and hangovers.


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## sunluvva

Thanks for that Miss Sp, the only ones I've found locally were in Tesco last year for about 2 weeks - even my local asian shop dosen't have them :-(  They make such a difference to a normal smoothie -  and I might need a hangover cure tomorrow  as I've been celebrating with friends today = when will I learn  :-0


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## Miss Spencer

sunluvva said:


> the only ones I've found locally were in Tesco last year for about 2 weeks - even my local asian shop dosen't have them


Maybe speak to the manager or write to the head office. It is all about demand and supply. If you agree to buy them on a regular basis, the shop should get them in for you. I do this all the time. 

Some managers may try to fob you off with the excuse that “there is no demand for them”, because some managers are worried about getting stuck with stock they can’t shift. But you just promise to buy the stock on a regular basis to put their minds at rest.

Sometimes you have to be cheeky to get what you want. My local supermarket kept refusing to get a certain tea in for me. So I told them that I would get the tea from their nearest big supermarket competitor and do the rest of my shopping there at the same time. And so they got it in for me, as they didn’t want to lose me as a customer.

Some Thai coconuts are better than others. My favourite is from a company called Co-Cool-nut, as it has a sweeter tasting water and flesh. Even though my local store already sells coconuts from another company, I am trying to negotiate that they get the Co-Cool-nut in too for me.


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## Phartologist

None!


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## sunluvva

What sort of quantity do they supply for you MissSpencer - I could quite easily get through one box but not sure how many boxes I could consume!  Also are they seasonal or can they be found all year round from different areas?  Sorry to keep picking your brains!


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## Miss Spencer

sunluvva said:


> What sort of quantity do they supply for you MissSpencer - I could quite easily get through one box but not sure how many boxes I could consume!  Also are they seasonal or can they be found all year round from different areas?  Sorry to keep picking your brains!



The supermarket buys a case in per week. There are 12 in a case and I buy 8.That is 1 for every day of the week and 1 spare in case I get a bad one. Often my partner has the 8th one anyway, as he really likes them too. 

The other 4 are always brought by other people, so I am not the only one drinking them. I would be happy to buy the extra 4 but I don’t have enough space. Coconuts need to be kept in the fridge or in a cool spot. I keep some of them in the regular fridge and I brought an extra small bar fridge for the rest. Or in winter I store them in our cold spare room. 

That is from the regular supermarket. Sometimes the local raw vegan potluck group buy en masse from the wholesalers market. They are a bit like a community co-op in that sense. They buy about 100 at a time and get these really cheap, as they are buying in bulk from a wholesaler. If so, they send me an email and I take a share. 100 coconuts sounds like a lot, but several people there are consuming 3 – 5 a day, plus using the meat in all their raw desserts for their pot luck parties. 

So maybe you have a friend or colleague or even a local pot luck group, who would be willing to split with you to get discounts on greater bulk. Again, supermarkets act on supply and demand principles, so the more people who want it the better. 

I drink the liquid straight away. Sometimes I eat the meat. There is never that much meat there anyway, so it never overwhelms. Otherwise I scrape it out and use it in cakes, or freeze it for later use as homemade coconut milk in curries. Sometimes I add a bit to our dogs and cats food, as they like it occasionally.

I am pretty sure they are available all year round from different regions. I have been buying them every week for almost a year now and never had any sort of availability difficulties.


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## Miss Spencer

Miss Spencer said:


> The Globe Trading Co Pty Ltd is based in the UK: *http://www.theglobetrading.co.uk/?page=2&cat=14&brand=10&pid=Sweet+Young+Coconuts* Perhaps they can ship you a carton?.


I have never brought from these guys, but it looks like they sell 12 in a carton. They are not that far from you as the crow flies, so shipping would be fairly cheap. You usually get about a month’s use-by-date on coconuts, so you don’t even need to drink them that quickly. 

_Take it easy in the beginning. I only started eating the flesh after 6 months of drinking the fluid, as I was worried it would upset me. _

I started seeing a new naturopath six months ago and she was thrilled when she heard I was already drinking them. She said they were exceptionally good for people with our condition and to drink as much as I could. Many people become dehydrated because of the bowel movements, plus we don’t absorb nutrients properly, and the coconut liquid helps to rectify both problems.

The pre-bottled/canned coconut water is NOT good, as it does not have the same nutritional benefits, not matter what the marketing says. I tried a bottled water to see what it was like, and basically had to spit it out as it was foul, and tasted so far removed from the fresh stuff.


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## sunluvva

My nearest raw vegan group is in Brighton which is about an hour away - are you north or south London, I'm from Eltham originally and visit my family there regularly but most london 'raw communities' I've seen are north London.

Are you eating totally raw?  I'd like to but find it difficult living with my meat and 2 veg type husband, although he is very supportive.  I tend to be more 80/10/10 these days - well daytime anyway & cooked for a main meal.  I've never prepared a gourmet type recipe, but I do love green juices and smoothies!


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## Miss Spencer

sunluvva said:


> but most london 'raw communities' I've seen are north London. Are you eating totally raw?  I tend to be more 80/10/10 these days. I've never prepared a gourmet type recipe, but I do love green juices and smoothies!


Yes, North London does now seem to be fairly alternative health orientated. Strange. 

It does not need to be a raw vegan group. Perhaps you have some food co-op groups in your local community. Any food or health group will do really, as they have the power of numbers to buy in bulk. I only do this occasionally anyway; I mainly rely on the supermarket. 

No, I am not eating totally raw because I cannot eat many of the raw items involved in the lifestyle (i.e.) raw whole broccoli, nuts, dehydrated foods and gourmet type recipes. But I have embraced the raw concepts of coconut water, chia seed gel, wheatgrass, green juices, vegetable juices and smoothies, because they have proved to be most beneficial for Crohns and my health in general. 

I read the book 80 10 10, but its not for me, as I find Dr Doug too hardcore and radical in his approach. I just go with the flow and eat what suits me.


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## Madcat

Astra101 said:


> Hiya Bryce
> 
> In my opinion all veg is ok, it's when it's not softly cooked that causes the problems. Your veg should be cooked so that it's soft and mashes easy with a fork.
> When veg is hard and crunchy it can cause problems.
> We're told that if you cook veg to death it loses it's vitimins etc, but I believe that softly cooked veg provides nutrients and some fibre.
> Broccolli is anti inflammatory, I have this with every meal, doesn't cause any problems, same with carrots.
> Experiment and keep a food journal, it's a process of elimination
> good luck
> xxx


I so agree with you. My days of eating raw veggies is over!! I used to love a salad with bits of veg on top, now they have to be cooked or I will suffer.

I still can not tolerate corn. That's one veggie that will drive my system into overload. GRRRRRR


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## Miss Spencer

WOW. What an amazing coincidence!!! My friend is using the same moniker. Great minds must think alike! I will have to tell her. She will be most annoyed though, as she thought the name madcat was totally unique. I will suggest she change her name to copycat instead. The cat theme seems very popular for monikers, the name cat-a-tonic on here is most clever.


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## Madcat

That's too funny!! Obviously she doesn't post on this forum as i wouldn't have been able to log in with the same name. I love the name cat-a-tonic. I actually came up with the name while I was sitting on the toliet and one of my cats was on the top of the toliet and the other one was sniffing around my backside!!

Madcats!!


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## newsun

bryce54 said:


> Hi, I'm extremely confused in finding what vegetables to eat with this condition. I know that the crustaceous vegetables can cause problems (like califlower and cabbage), however I don't know what other veggies to eat.
> 
> So far it seems spinach is the best option, but what else? Please give me many because I will eat any vegetable, I just don't know what to get.


broccoli , spinach etc.


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## quirkysoul

Hi all.  I am still undiagnosed, but it is suspected.  I am trying to reintroduce veggies.  I miss them so.  I haven't been able to handle spinach for some time.  Cooked or raw.  I did have raw salad turnips the other day.  Yay!  Broccoli and cauliflower do a number on me.  I can do corn, cooked.  Zucchini steamed is fine.  I use the steamer bags and season it up.  Yummo!


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## quirkysoul

Madcat said:


> That's too funny!! Obviously she doesn't post on this forum as i wouldn't have been able to log in with the same name. I love the name cat-a-tonic. I actually came up with the name while I was sitting on the toliet and one of my cats was on the top of the toliet and the other one was sniffing around my backside!!
> 
> Madcats!!



Cat-a-tonic is mainly on the undiagnosed club thread.  She's awesome!


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