Kickas.org Forums Treatments, Drugs and Alternatives NSD and diet-related; Surprising Things that Tested Positive for Starch!

So, I have been iodine testing everything, and here are some things that turned starchy, and surprised me:

Certain canned coconut milk (even if the ingredients are just coconut milk, water)

Cucumbers - I want a cucumber so bad! But the seeds turned black. Are there seedless varieties and/or do I need to poke all the seeds out?

Flax seeds....I bought a bag of flax seeds, and cut a seed in half. The inside of the seed turned black. How do other people say they are fine with flax seed, eg flax seed bread, flax seed "oatmeal", etc, etc If the inside is starchy?

Cherry tomato - When I cut one in half, the edge of the skin on the tomato was blackish. Wasn't sure if it was just the color mixture of the iodine and the red of the skin, so maybe it was just a combination of the two colors, or are they really starchy?

Spaghetti Squash - Really? I wanted to make spaghetti with spaghetti squash, but it turned straight black.

Three different varieties of LOCAL apples tested positive. Man, that made me mad. Bought a whole bag from a local apple orchard, SURE that since they were local, they were picked ripe. NOPE, black. Be careful, those of you on the apple fast. Living proof that you really should test with iodine!

Preshredded cabbage in a bag....the sides where they were sliced were dark brown/black, but not the long flat part.

I'm sure there have been others. I will post when I remember or if a new one pops up. Any advice on the things above???

Thanks!!

That is surprising about the flax. It always seemed like an individual thing in terms of how folks responded to it. It does not seem to cause me any problems, but still I can't help be curious. I tested mine after I ground it up. Negative. Perhaps there are some oils that are released when ground that aren't apparent when cut open. I am going to have to try this (if the damn thing doesn't go flying when I try to cut it) and see what kind of result I obtain.

Many here have mentioned the seeded area of cucumbers being starchy. I guess you would have to remove them or try to find the seedless variety. I don't eat them.

The tomato doesn't surprise me. I've never tried that variety of squash so I can't comment. I don't consume the coconut milk but it makes you wonder if they aren't hiding something. You mention "certain". Can't you just avoid those and consume the varieties that are not starchy?

Yes, careful when cutting the flaxseed! haha! I forgot to mention I bought the GOLDEN colored flaxseed. Maybe that has something to do with it. I will purchase the dark colored and see if that makes a difference.

As far as the coconut, I only mentioned that as a warning to other people, so they don't whine that the diet didn't work for them because they weren't iodine testing (sorry, no offense peeps!)

I heard that if you cook fruit, the starches will turn to sugar. Maybe I'll make some fried apples or bake them so as not to waste them (of course after testing them).

Also, carrots tested positive. ARGH!

I tested the gold flax myself. I rarely consume the brown although I don't believe there is much, if any, difference between the two varieties. It was hard to discern if it was getting darker due to pulp (I can't think of the correct term at the moment) absorbing the iodine or if was reacting. I need some sort of magnification to be certain myself. I couldn't find any citations, then or now, supporting that flax is starchy. Therefore, since I don't seem to react to it, I'll continue to eat it. You will need to individually decide what to do.

Regarding the apples, I'm not 100% sure. It does seem that starch turns to sugar but I don't think it is when the fruit is cooked. It is when it ripens.

Carrots. Yes, they are starchy. Bummer, huh?

I know it's frustrating isn't it!

We often have trouble with cucumbers so cut off the skin and cut out the seeds...not left with much haha!

Have never tried flax seeds as I was suspicious of them...good thing it turns out! I'm also highly suspicious of sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.

Raw tomatoes usually test starchy for me and cooked ones are even worse. Jon can get away with them raw in salads in small amounts in summer when his AS is less sensitive.

All squash and pumpkin type veges have tested positive for me incl zucchini/courgette, butternut squash etc. Have never been able to find spaghetti squash here in NZ. Always thought Jon was missing out as I've heard others mention they eat it. Now I don't feel so bad

Cabbage is hit and miss. At the moment in NZ it's testing OK but certain times of the year goes black black black.

Cannot find un-starchy apples here in NZ anymore. The first year on the diet they were fine and Jon ate them by the bucket load but from the next year they were starchy and have been ever since. Cooking will not get rid of the starch, only natural ripening as Jay mentioned.

Yup, carrots like all root veges are starchy.

So what do you all do with all those vegetables which are starchy? I certainly can't afford binning/giving away half of what I buy. Are there any vegetables that are considered 100% safe?

I must admit that I find it strange that Sinclair's book is considered the NSD bible, when she generously deems almost every fruit and veg fine for the diet. Browsing this forum, it's obvious that very few things are actually safe. We're all different and all that, but it just seems that almost nothing is really safe, and it bums me out Sorry to be a negative Nancy, but.. argggh

Try baby carrots. They never tested positive for me

raw carrots have always seemed ok for me.

I juiced some carrots and that tested fine with the iodine too. But pretty naturally sweet, which is bad for "me."

I also tested V-8 juice for kicks, and it tested fine, but I am flaring. Too much nightshade tomatoe-y stuff perhaps??

Only vegetables I eat are raw spinach, broccoli, and romaine lettuce. Only fruit I eat are pineapple, raspberries, and kiwi fruit. None of them have ever come up starchy.

I'd like to add more but I don't really know what else is totally safe. I know green grapes give me major diarrhea.