# anybody have issues with salad?



## faze action (Aug 6, 2009)

I eat a LOT of salad in my diet (spinach, greens, carrots, etc etc the usual salad foods). I've noticed a few times (not all the time) after I eat salad I tend to get bloated, gas, gurling in the ol' GI tract. I'm wondering if salad has caused problems for anyone else in relation to IBS? I know that if a person does not have enough cellulase then digestion of vegetables could be an issue, but I've never expereinced any "salad issues" prior to the last 3 months or so...


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Raw veggies seem to be a common trigger for IBSers.Doesn't seem to be any specific thing in the raw veggies (as much of that is still in cooked veggies) but the cooked ones (even lightly steamed) are often better tolerated.


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## Glenda (Aug 15, 2000)

I cannot eat packaged salad. It nauseates me and I thorw it right up.Way too many preservitives used for freshness.I can eat all raw vege's. Not a trigger food for me at all.The packaged stuff puts my head in the toilet within 10 minutes.


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## xgracex (May 1, 2006)

When I was pregnant I could not eat lettuce. It made my tummy so queasy. I have noticed, it has started bothering me again. And I'm not pregnant. My tummy just seems to tolerate things less as I get older.


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## PeaLea (Sep 16, 2009)

I find too much fruit or veg can send me do lally, and i thought it was the best option when i was having a bad time, i kept things simple, but that ultimatley made me feel worse sometimes lol!!! its because most salads are raw, raw things can triggure an attack or bloatedness


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## iloveshoes (Jan 1, 2010)

Garden salad is about the only veg I can tolerate, plus mushroom maybe. Carrots, broccili, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cabbage etc... will have me bloated for days.I had some lettuce, beetroot, avacado and spinach today and was fine. Have no idea what to eat tomorrow.


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## iloveshoes (Jan 1, 2010)

Garden salad is about the only veg I can tolerate, plus mushroom maybe. Carrots, broccili, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cabbage etc... will have me bloated for days.I had some lettuce, beetroot, avacado and spinach today and was fine. Have no idea what to eat tomorrow.


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## Waray (Dec 27, 2009)

The only salad green I can tolerate is red leafed lettuce. It's a softer less crispy lettuce. It has to be organic.


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## hope2090 (Jan 5, 2010)

Salads are one of my biggest triggers. I can not tolerate leafy lettuce or leafy spinach at ALL. Carrots seem to be ok as do small amounts of onions. I substitute by using ice berg lettuce instead...not as healthy but it doesn't make me sick. I also have to be careful about salad dressings because some contain dairy (if that's an issue for you).


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## akulauper (Dec 26, 2008)

I've never had a problem with salad. I guess what you can learn from all of this is that everybody's trigger foods are different. Foods that are totally "safe" for some people can be in the danger zone for others.I'd suggest an experiment: go a while without eating any salad at all, keeping the rest of your diet constant. If you feel better, you've got salad issues and you should look for a different vegetable. If you feel the same, salad is probably not an issue for you.


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## HenryD (Mar 18, 2010)

faze action said:


> I eat a LOT of salad in my diet (spinach, greens, carrots, etc etc the usual salad foods). I've noticed a few times (not all the time) after I eat salad I tend to get bloated, gas, gurling in the ol' GI tract. I'm wondering if salad has caused problems for anyone else in relation to IBS? I know that if a person does not have enough cellulase then digestion of vegetables could be an issue, but I've never expereinced any "salad issues" prior to the last 3 months or so...


Although raw vegetables are a good source of nutrition, unfortunately they were not designed by their respective plants to be eaten raw, and are therefore often hard for your stomach to break them down. BUT! If you stir fry your vegetables or lightly steam them then it should make them easier and better for your digestive system while ensuring that the vegetables still have their nutrients intact.So try stir frying your favourite veggies (its quick and easy) and eating them that way to see if you can enjoy them without any problems.


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## Whit22 (Mar 27, 2010)

I can't eat any raw vegitables...i don't know why but those are big no nos for me.


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## HenryD (Mar 18, 2010)

Whit22 said:


> I can't eat any raw vegitables...i don't know why but those are big no nos for me.


What about when you stir-fry them?


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## xyz123 (Apr 2, 2010)

Whit22 said:


> What about when you stir-fry them?


Yes, please try this and let us know how you get on!


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## HenryD (Mar 18, 2010)

HenryD said:


> What about when you stir-fry them?


Speaking of which, would love to hear some stir-fry recipes from users here!


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I don't have any specific recipes but have a standard way to do this.Prep, cut everything up first into bite sized pieces1. Spray wok/stirfry pan with Cooking spray or brush with peanut oil if I want a little more fat.2. Toss in cut up onion (any kind) and garlic if I want it. I sometimes grate some ginger in but I do that later.3. Toss in carrots or celery if I am adding them.4. Toss in protein (I sometimes will take left over chicken or beef and slice it and freeze it for stir fries and I usually keep some cooked frozen bagged shrimp on hand and I also like the fake crab flakes quite a bit). Stir that around to either thaw or cook for a minute or two5. Toss in the more tender veggies that don't need as much cooking time. Anything from broccoli, bok choy, greens of any kind like spinach or mustard--usually want smaller leaves of a lot of greens--to zucchini or asparagus. You can use any veggie, stir for a couple of minutes6. Toss in a bit of water, usually mixed with soy sauce (or other oriental bottled sauces depending on mood) and a bit of corn starch. Sometimes I put in just a few drops of water and go sauceless. This is where I usually add grated ginger, sesame oil or other spices I'm in the mood for. You can use just about any spice. If I want a curry I add curry powder or the spices that make it up into the water/cornstarch mix.7. Let it steam for a couple of minutes to finish off thickening the sauce and then server. I often put a lid on for the short steam


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## HenryD (Mar 18, 2010)

Kathleen M. said:


> I don't have any specific recipes but have a standard way to do this.Prep, cut everything up first into bite sized pieces1. Spray wok/stirfry pan with Cooking spray or brush with peanut oil if I want a little more fat.2. Toss in cut up onion (any kind) and garlic if I want it. I sometimes grate some ginger in but I do that later.3. Toss in carrots or celery if I am adding them.4. Toss in protein (I sometimes will take left over chicken or beef and slice it and freeze it for stir fries and I usually keep some cooked frozen bagged shrimp on hand and I also like the fake crab flakes quite a bit). Stir that around to either thaw or cook for a minute or two5. Toss in the more tender veggies that don't need as much cooking time. Anything from broccoli, bok choy, greens of any kind like spinach or mustard--usually want smaller leaves of a lot of greens--to zucchini or asparagus. You can use any veggie, stir for a couple of minutes6. Toss in a bit of water, usually mixed with soy sauce (or other oriental bottled sauces depending on mood) and a bit of corn starch. Sometimes I put in just a few drops of water and go sauceless. This is where I usually add grated ginger, sesame oil or other spices I'm in the mood for. You can use just about any spice. If I want a curry I add curry powder or the spices that make it up into the water/cornstarch mix.7. Let it steam for a couple of minutes to finish off thickening the sauce and then server. I often put a lid on for the short steam


Sounds very nice, and quite exotic too! I am so gonna love this. Where did you get this recipe from? Or is this your personal twist on an established recipe?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

One of the grocery stores where I grew up had a cooking school. I took a chinese cooking class and this is adapted from what we did in class.I stirfry stuff quiet a bit. It is quick (often the chopping things up takes more time than the cooking as each step is a minute or two) and I like my veggies on the crisp side so this works. I like that it is adaptable as I can cook up whatever is in season, or what happens to be ready in the garden that day.If you have access to an oriental grocery or have a good selection you can add more exotic ingredients like bamboo shoots or water chestnuts or various Asian veggies but it works just fine with whatever you can get locally, or even a frozen veggie stirfry mix if it is winter and you the fresh stuff isn't good (although the frozen veggies usually aren't as crisp)


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## HenryD (Mar 18, 2010)

Great stuff!Freezing veggies and then cooking and eating them later is so convenient! But I sometimes find defrosted veggies to be lacking a little bit of something in taste compared to when they're fresh and new. Um, wonder if it's just me...


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

I can't always afford fresh veggies and have no choice but to buy frozen ones. But I am sure there _is_ a taste difference. However my taste buds have to deal with my wallet...just like the rest of me. And I have gotten used to using frozen but I do try to get fresh when they are on sale. I do buy salad stuff though.. lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber,celery & carrots fresh.ETA:Here a wealth of stir fry recipes:http://chinesefood.about.com/library/blstirfryrecipes.htm


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## HenryD (Mar 18, 2010)

Yes I completely understand what you mean. Quality fresh veg is more expensive than the frozen packs. it seems that the difference in price between fresh and frozen reflects the difference in quality and taste...I suppose.


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## Porcelina (Apr 14, 2010)

I can tolerate baby spinach or spring mix salads, but iceberg or romaine come out of me in 20 mins. And I have to eat the salad at the end of my meal.


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## HenryD (Mar 18, 2010)

Porcelina said:


> I can tolerate baby spinach or spring mix salads, but iceberg or romaine come out of me in 20 mins. And I have to eat the salad at the end of my meal.


So why is it that you can tolerate baby spinach and spring mix salads, but not iceberg or romaine? I know that each one of us has a different, unique IBS problem but WHY? This is SO confusing!!!


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Different plants have different things in them. They are not all the same, so they don't all have the same reaction, even if they kinda look similar they can be very different chemically.Some lettuces and greens have less fructose and others more. That is one thing that can make spinach OK and Iceberg lettuce not for some people.I think a lot of the price difference between fresh and frozen is more about transportation that quality. Freezing does effect things a bit (no matter what food it is). Fresh food has to be quickly transported and I suspect you lose a lot more along the way during the handling than you do with frozen. Sometimes nutrition-wise frozen can be better than fresh, especially if you look at things that have to be transported a long distance. Food is usually frozen immediately after it is picked at a plant near the farm. Things lose nutrition during storage and transport so a freshly frozen something or other may have more nutrients in it than the same thing that sat around for a week or two before you buy it. Also frozen sometimes is better than picked really green and artificially ripened as a lot of produce cannot be shipped ripe. Frozen food is usually ripened on the vine and then processed near the farm. That is why in the winter I often used canned tomatoes in recipes rather than fresh. Green tomatoes shipped a long way than forced to ripen are just not the same as the ones that ripen on the vine.Locally grown fresh produce usually is the best in quality, taste and nutrition. If you have to transport it several thousand miles, a lot of times the frozen is better than the not quite so fresh anymore from the same location.


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## HenryD (Mar 18, 2010)

Kathleen M. said:


> Different plants have different things in them. They are not all the same, so they don't all have the same reaction, even if they kinda look similar they can be very different chemically.Some lettuces and greens have less fructose and others more. That is one thing that can make spinach OK and Iceberg lettuce not for some people.I think a lot of the price difference between fresh and frozen is more about transportation that quality. Freezing does effect things a bit (no matter what food it is). Fresh food has to be quickly transported and I suspect you lose a lot more along the way during the handling than you do with frozen. Sometimes nutrition-wise frozen can be better than fresh, especially if you look at things that have to be transported a long distance. Food is usually frozen immediately after it is picked at a plant near the farm. Things lose nutrition during storage and transport so a freshly frozen something or other may have more nutrients in it than the same thing that sat around for a week or two before you buy it. Also frozen sometimes is better than picked really green and artificially ripened as a lot of produce cannot be shipped ripe. Frozen food is usually ripened on the vine and then processed near the farm. That is why in the winter I often used canned tomatoes in recipes rather than fresh. Green tomatoes shipped a long way than forced to ripen are just not the same as the ones that ripen on the vine.Locally grown fresh produce usually is the best in quality, taste and nutrition. If you have to transport it several thousand miles, a lot of times the frozen is better than the not quite so fresh anymore from the same location.


Wow. Thanks Kathleen! Your explanation has jus given me a completely fresh perspective on the 'frozen vs. fresh veg' debate! You're right (as usual), some frozen stuff really can be better than the fresh depending on where the fresh ones came from and for how long they've been on the shelve (plus how long it took to get them to be delivered from source...but how would you work that that one out?...). Now when shopping, we really have to look at each veg and find out where it came from and how long its been on the shelve for before deciding between 'fresh' of 'frozen', rather than always trying to go for the fresh ones. That's the best approach.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

It is getting easier as I notice more and more they have the country of origin on the produce sticker, or other indications of origin.We also have a "Goodness Grows" campaign in my state to support/promote the local farmers so the stuff produced here usually has a sign on it so I know what is local. I also frequent a couple of farmers markets where stuff is more likely to be picked ripe. Some of it is greenhouse grown, but still the tomatoes were vine ripened rather than picked green and hard in South Florida.Some stuff will always have to travel a long way as it only grows in the tropics but knowing what is in season in your area (or at least the closest place it grows) and looking for stuff that was picked closer to where you live can help you find much better quality produce. I'm a bit picky about produce so while there are some things I'll buy from far away, I've usually found that for as much as it costs it just isn't good enough and I'd rather, for example, in the winter get frozen peaches and cook with them (or thaw and stir into plain yogurt or make a smoothie) than pay top dollar for a mealy peach picked green in Chili in and force ripened once it got to the US.


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## HenryD (Mar 18, 2010)

Kathleen M. said:


> It is getting easier as I notice more and more they have the country of origin on the produce sticker, or other indications of origin.We also have a "Goodness Grows" campaign in my state to support/promote the local farmers so the stuff produced here usually has a sign on it so I know what is local. I also frequent a couple of farmers markets where stuff is more likely to be picked ripe. Some of it is greenhouse grown, but still the tomatoes were vine ripened rather than picked green and hard in South Florida.Some stuff will always have to travel a long way as it only grows in the tropics but knowing what is in season in your area (or at least the closest place it grows) and looking for stuff that was picked closer to where you live can help you find much better quality produce. I'm a bit picky about produce so while there are some things I'll buy from far away, I've usually found that for as much as it costs it just isn't good enough and I'd rather, for example, in the winter get frozen peaches and cook with them (or thaw and stir into plain yogurt or make a smoothie) than pay top dollar for a mealy peach picked green in Chili in and force ripened once it got to the US.


That's a very good strategy. though it obviously helps to have a good choice of places where you can buy genuinely fresh veg (e.g. farmers markets) and a campaign that supports growth and consumption of nice local produce.


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