Greens

[BBarb]

I have never likes greens.
Low carb diets seem to be for ever stressing that we should fill up on green vegs so I tried to eat as many as I could until I gagged at the mere thought of them. Soups, smoothies - you name it, I tried it. I even tried a spinach omelette - ugh.
I started getting violent stomach cramps and had to keep rushing to the loo, and eventually couldn't go out unless I knew I had swift access to toilet facilities, my life was h3ll. Then I realised it was the green vegetables I was forcing myself to eat, even though I absolutely loathe them - in fact I've always loathed them. And after I bought a nutribullet too.
I decided I was obviously not built to cope with the fibre or something, so I gave up and feel much better and can now 'go' just once a day. Phew!
Would supplements be a good idea?

 

[mikeyB]

Everybody is built the same. It's the gut bacteria that do the digesting that are different. All foods high in fibre are partially broken down on the small intestine, but no nutrition can be obtained until the food reaches the colon, where an army of bacteria break the stuff down to get at the nutrients.

If you suddenly start to eat a load of high fibre food, your gut bacteria can't cope, and you get the problems you mention. The way to train your gut bacteria is to start off gradually, then slowly build up. The Bacteria you want will build up accordingly. This is a fermenting process, so you will get some extra gas, but there's nothing unhealthy about that.

I know this is not what you want to hear, but it is the healthy way out. Supplements in the long term aren't the way forward.

You cant achieve this by eating probiotics, by the way, so save your money.

 

[Bubbsie]

Everybody is built the same. It's the gut bacteria that do the digesting that are different. All foods high in fibre are partially broken down on the small intestine, but no nutrition can be obtained until the food reaches the colon, where an army of bacteria break the stuff down to get at the nutrients.

If you suddenly start to eat a load of high fibre food, your gut bacteria can't cope, and you get the problems you mention. The way to train your gut bacteria is to start off gradually, then slowly build up. The Bacteria you want will build up accordingly. This is a fermenting process, so you will get some extra gas, but there's nothing unhealthy about that.

I know this is not what you want to hear, but it is the healthy way out. Supplements in the long term aren't the way forward.

You cant achieve this by eating probiotics, by the way, so save your money.

Absolutely hate greens...never eaten veggies...however now introducing some with the Nutribullet...slowly getting used to it...and blood sugars coming down bit by bit...

 

[Bubbsie]

I have never likes greens.
Low carb diets seem to be for ever stressing that we should fill up on green vegs so I tried to eat as many as I could until I gagged at the mere thought of them. Soups, smoothies - you name it, I tried it. I even tried a spinach omelette - ugh.
I started getting violent stomach cramps and had to keep rushing to the loo, and eventually couldn't go out unless I knew I had swift access to toilet facilities, my life was h3ll. Then I realised it was the green vegetables I was forcing myself to eat, even though I absolutely loathe them - in fact I've always loathed them. And after I bought a nutribullet too.
I decided I was obviously not built to cope with the fibre or something, so I gave up and feel much better and can now 'go' just once a day. Phew!
Would supplements be a good idea?

Hi Bbarb...pretty much the same as you...never eaten green veg...hate them too...couldn't bear the thought of actually 'eating' them...now using a nutribullet...blitzing them and putting in with other foods in small quantities... I figure that's better than none at all...although given up with the curly kale...whether blitzed or not...YUK...

 

[BBarb]

How different we are!
I can cope with kale in small amounts if its raw in a salad, the same with mushrooms although they make me feel sick when cooked. The point is though - surely life is too short to ruin my meals by making myself eat food I really don't like just because its 'good for' me.
Think of something you don't like (milk of magnesia, snails, tripe or liver?) and imagine making it into a smoothie and drinking it every day.
I really like yacult and actimel so I'll carry on drinking them (note to self better check to see how much sugar's in though).
Made some Hunters Chicken for tonight but will give the mushrooms to OH, with peas and carrots, and cabbage for himself (I'll swallow the odd leaf but I'm not going to spoil my meal by adding stuff I loathe).

 

[Matt Cycle]

You can make curly kale 'crisps' by baking it in the oven then a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Very nice and if you don't normally like the taste of it then doing it this way it doesn't taste 'green.'

 

[HOBIE]

Pea pods are one of my favorites. No carbs & fresher the better. Good luck 🙂

 

[Radders]

It is possible to train your tastebuds. I hated raw tomatoes all my life, but as they are such a superfood I decided to try and get to like them. At first I could only eat them in small bites along with something salty, such as cheese. Gradually I found I could tolerate cherry tomatoes in salad, and now I positively enjoy them!

 

[BBarb]

Lol - its happened again!
Thank you all for your suggestions, I do appreciate how everyone has been so helpful and has made such efforts to persuade me to eat greens.

 

[Bubbsie]

You can make curly kale 'crisps' by baking it in the oven then a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Very nice and if you don't normally like the taste of it then doing it this way it doesn't taste 'green.'

Okay...will give that a try...but may come back to you on it...

 

[Marsbartoastie]

Crispy fried parsley is delicious. I also enjoy crispy fried cabbage (this is called 'seaweed' in a Chinese restaurant).

 

[Radders]

Broccoli is the only green that I could say I enjoy. I tolerate others, mainly by covering them in gravy or sauce!

 

[mikeyB]

In case anyone is worried they are missing out, there's no such thing as a superfood - except, perhaps, their expense

 

[Diabeticliberty]

A friend of mine went to see his doctor and told him that he found a wonderful new diet. Every single meal consisted of snooker balls. His doctor was fairly shocked and asked him what he ate for breakfast? My friend responded by telling his doctor that he ate 4 reds and a blue. The doctor asked what he ate for lunch? My friend told him a pink, 4 reds and a brown. The doctor asked him what he ate for dinner? My friend responded again 2 reds, a yellow followed by another red. His doctor then suggested that he wasn't eating enough greens

 

[Owen]

A friend of mine went to see his doctor and told him that he found a wonderful new diet. Every single meal consisted of snooker balls. His doctor was fairly shocked and asked him what he ate for breakfast? My friend responded by telling his doctor that he ate 4 reds and a blue. The doctor asked what he ate for lunch? My friend told him a pink, 4 reds and a brown. The doctor asked him what he ate for dinner? My friend responded again 2 reds, a yellow followed by another red. His doctor then suggested that he wasn't eating enough greens

Groan

 

[BBarb]

Love it 🙄

 

[KookyCat]

There's nothing particularly special about greens, all veggies are nutritious in their own way. I love a good green myself but you'd have to put a gun to my head to make me eat kale vile stuff. As long as you have a varied intake of veg I see no reason to make yourself miserable eating stuff you dislike. You'd actually have to shoot me in the knee to get me to drink a smoothie, I love vegetables, really love them but as a juice....yuk 😱

 

[loader]

'Juiced' veg passes through me in a flash (very uncomfortable). Whilst I don't 'enjoy' veg - eating it as raw as possible (often light stir fry) reduces the impact on the flushing facilities, robs the local wind mill of free energy and keeps me fuller for longer.

I did have to learn to 'like' veg, much in the same way as I had to learn to like cigs and beer as a teenager. I started eating veg with strong sauces. Two years ago I would have wretched trying to eat a raw carrot, now its my intermeal snack.

It perfectly normal (for many of us) to still prefer a large kebab, a triple cheese burger or grease soacked pizza with a skin full of alcohol, 20 B&H and perhaps something more. We all make our own descisions and that's fine - just monitor and understand the effects.

 

[mikeyB]

Juiced veg and smoothies are just for folk with no teeth, and an abomination to everybody else with teeth and an undamaged sense of taste..

That's just my opinion, mind. Stick to making orange juice with your Nutribullets, but peel them first otherwise you'll be taking the pith.

 

[Diabeticliberty]

There's nothing particularly special about greens, all veggies are nutritious in their own way. I love a good green myself but you'd have to put a gun to my head to make me eat kale vile stuff. As long as you have a varied intake of veg I see no reason to make yourself miserable eating stuff you dislike. You'd actually have to shoot me in the knee to get me to drink a smoothie, I love vegetables, really love them but as a juice....yuk 😱

If you ever got shot in the knee I think you might immediately change your mind. My mate shot me in the knee once with an air rifle and it would not rank high on my bucket list of things to have done. Mind you he regretted it afterwards cos I beat the c**p out of him. Mind you if faced with drink a smoothie or being shot in the foot then I think my left one might be the one that you could take pot shots at 🙂