Further, I scrape out most of the seeds from fruits and gourds where there are a lot of them and when it isn’t too much trouble. I avoid figs (which are little seed-bags) and I generally eat only canned, crushed tomatoes, which seem to have the seeds filtered out.
I remove most of the seeds from bell peppers, for instance; and I avoid hot peppers because they consist mostly of seeds. (I suspect that "spicy" seeds are the worst offenders, but I haven't tested that idea yet.) I cut cucumbers length-wise and use a spoon to trowel out the seeds.
I avoid flavorings made from seeds: pepper, cumin, coriander, and so forth. I do not know if that step is necessary. It is merely a precaution. Someday I will test seed-based flavorings. In the meantime, I will err on the side of caution. For similar reasons, I now avoid all hot sauces. Recently I do seem to have had a flare-up from using hot sauce regularly. The amount of seeds involved is very small, so I wonder if some other factor is present. Perhaps some seeds, especially the "hot" ones, are stronger, that is, more acid-producing. I do not know.
Burgess Laughlin
Author of The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith, www.reasonversusmysticism.com/
3 comments:
Here are questions from someone who ignored Comment Etiquette:
What about the seeds in strawberries, bananas and zucchini?
I have not specifically tested strawberries, bananas, or zucchini--using the standard elimination diet and re-introduction test outlined in Addendum C, I recall.
I have absolutely no reason to suspect zucchini or bananas. I eat a lot of bananas (at least one/day) and I don't see any reaction. I do eat small quantities of zucchini or summer squash (yellow) as part of bags of mixed frozen vegetables. But I have no reason to suspect them.
However, I have come to suspect berries: black-, straw-, and so forth. Temporarily I have stopped eating any berries except a very small quantity of dried cranberries mixed with a large amount of other dried fruit (cherries, raisons).
I did recently test fresh cranberries by eating about 1/2C (simmered with sugar and water) per meal, six meals in a row, which is the standard test. I did get a slight reaction in my skin. I no longer eat them. Cranberries in particular are like figs: They are little bags of seeds. So, I avoid them now. But I am not sure about other berries which have more flesh and fewer seeds in relation to the total volume. If you have doubts, test them.
If you are concerned about seeds in zucchini, test the zucchini. Or simply remove the seeds. Perhaps slice length wise and scoop out with a spoon? That is what I do with cucumbers and toms sometimes.
Do you have any websites to refer to where you learned about seeds causing inflammation?
I learned about seeds from experimenting with food tests for three years. The pattern was clear--with exceptions as noted (for example, hazelnuts. The PRAL chart, reproduced on Berardi's website, as explained in earlier posts, also shows a clear, but not invariable pattern: Seeds in general are a problem. But of course that does not mean you need to pick out the seeds from bananas--as I have already explained in one of the posts.
Have you ever heard of Raynaud's? Would following a low-acid diet help this condition?
I don't know the condition, so I can't say whether it would help or not. Try the Elimination Diet for a diagnosis.
Best wishes for solving your inflammation problems!
Hi Burgess,
On berries, instead of eating the seeds, perhaps a person could use a juicer to extract the seeds.
Also there is a Fruit and Berry press for Bosch and Electrolux mixers that acts like a Victorio Strainer. All of these can get rid of the seeds.
Stay well, Mike
About the juicers and presses -- that is valuable information. I will look into them. Thanks!
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