Wind/Kate - Silica ?
#212218 - 09/10/05 09:15 AM
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I ordered some Silica gel - it says a colloidal preparation of silica in a highly dispersed form -- by Nature's way - 420 mg - 1 tbsp per day.
I tried to take it and it was gross stuff. Thick and sort of sandy tasting. Is this the way yours is? Do you take it with something?
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Yes, I suppose it is gross! It looks like something you'd fix your house with. I just downed it, and then had a cup of really strong herbal tea WITH HONEY!!! You could mix a little honey in with it, I suppose. It mixes alright with applesauce, I found, as well, if you can't handle it straight up right away. (Another thing is to just hold your nose, i.e. like you're going to jump into water, close your eyes and open your mouth) Have a swig of juice afterwards to shake that "yuck" sensation.
It's amazing--or at least I'm living proof. Last year, I was basically bald. Now, I have a head of hair. My osteopenic bones are stronger, too.
Kate.
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hi kate- was wondering how long it took for you to notice hair growth after starting the silica?
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I noticed regrowth after 2 months. I also upped the intake of vegetable silica in my diet SIGNIFICANTLY and noticed a further acceleration of hair regrowth. So, it's not just the gel itself, but a diet EXCEPTIONALLY high in silica.
I think I keep Cost Co. in business eating their baby spinach like it's going out of style. It's just the most easily digestible form of silica compared to the 'wholegrain' sources of the trace mineral.
Kate. 
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How much do you take per day? I want my hair back.  But I don't want to mess up my tummy any more than it already is.
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Re: Beth
#212278 - 09/10/05 05:38 PM
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Wind
Reged: 04/02/05
Posts: 3178
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I started with 3 Tbsp./day, i.e. one @ breakfast, one @ lunch, and one @ supper. I now only take 1 Tbsp./day and EAT TONS of silica.
The interesting thing about silica is that it's in a lot of tummy medicines. If anything it helped soothe my guts, too.
Kate.
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I saw some in the HFS and it cost $17.00 for a bottle containing only 13 Tablespoons. This would only last 4 days if I started it at 3 T a day. 
Was yours cheaper...including the shipping cost?
Thanks
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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kate
#212298 - 09/10/05 08:07 PM
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Augie
Reged: 10/27/04
Posts: 5807
Loc: Illinois
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how long did you take it 3 times a day before going down to 1 Tablespoon?
Thanks! 
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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I buy my collidal silica gel from the HFS. The cost you mentioned sounds right to me.
I also eat A LOT of silica, now. When I say A LOT, I mean I eat Cost Co. 1kg bags of fresh spinach like it's going out of style. (It's nothing for me to go through 4-6/week) I also eat a lot of green beans. Oats, if you can tolerate them, are a really good source. I eat a lot of greens, including watercress, swiss chard. I just find the vegetable sources easier to tummy versus the grain sources.
The gel got me started and I still use it to supplement, but not at the level I started. It's more of a maintenance dose.
The silica stuff is in tons of skin lotions/hair products as well, incidentally.
Kate.
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Re: kate
#212311 - 09/10/05 11:03 PM
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Wind
Reged: 04/02/05
Posts: 3178
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About 4 or 5 months.
Kate.
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Or should I call you Popeye!
How do I cook raw spinach and watercress or swiss chard? I usually only buy frozen spinach, but they don't make frozen watercress or swiss chard! How much raw veggie does it take to make one serving?
Good to hear Green beans are a good source..my 2 favorite veggies are spinach and green beans!
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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iherb.com. It was Nature's Way brand. The one with 33 servings (1 TBSP per serv) was $19.77 and the one with 13 TBSP was $10.17. Orders over $20 are shipped free and you can also get an on-line discount by using the codes on the order page -- just look for them before you submit your order -- and make sure that it doesn't cost you your shipping amount. They ship quickly - if things are in stock -- and you can see that when you order.
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I tried it with cinnamon applesauce and I didn't taste it at all. 
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Cooking fresh raw spinach/greens is just too fast and easy! I simply steam or cook it in a minimal amount of sea salted water (i.e. steam fry/wilt) for less than 3 minutes, then drain and whirl through my food processor. I put herbs in with it--dill and basil (fresh) are my favourite. I suppose one bunch of fresh spinach is a serving. Honestly, I couldn't tell you, but a kilo yields about 3-4 cups pureed.
Lately, I've been making some wild salads and incorporating raw baby spinach with cooked/pureed/herbed baby spinach as a sauce/dressing! I also mix it with the mesculn/spring mix. It's so awesome.
One of my favourite things to do with spinach and green beans is to combine them into one food processed creation. I adapted the idea from www.fatfree.com It's just spinach and green beans cooked together and then food processed/pureed. TOTALLY TUMMY FRIENDLY and highly IBS-safe.
You can consume these things as they are or incorporated into other dishes. Note: generally a fork or spoon can stand up in these things.
Can you eat things like beets? Carrots? Zucchini skins?
Celery? The silica is in the casing of the plant. I know, it's quite hard for IBS'ers to handle the tough/rough stuff unless well blended!!!
I guess I just really like spinach! I know that it will agree with me. I'm trying to eat more protein and I had the most awesome egg white/spinach&herb omelette this morning that actually stayed down and digested pleasantly and palatabley! Wow.
If you need more tips, I'll try and do my best to help, based on my experience.
Good luck Beth--it's so painful to be hairless. I felt so exposed and vulnerable and just crushed and worthless and defeated.
Kate.
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Have a blessed day!...Rachel
stable and sooooooo thankful!
I have IBS but it doesn't have me!
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I thought all IFs helped us go.  This diet just gets more and more confusing. Nothing makes sense.
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Thanks
#212450 - 09/11/05 06:46 PM
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Augie
Reged: 10/27/04
Posts: 5807
Loc: Illinois
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Did you have to pay shipping since the product is 23 cents below $20?
Quote:
-- and make sure that it doesn't cost you your shipping amount
What did you mean by this in regards to using the discounts? Were you eligible for any other discounts besides the "buying on line" one?
You ordered yours just in time because they are out of stock now with no date given for when they will have it again.
Good luck with it! Are you going to take it 3 times a day for 4 or 5 months like Kate did? This could get expensive.
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Kate, have you ever tried or seen this one Jarrrow? I saw it in a HFS today and it is more cost effective. I just don't know if it's as good. Any opinions?
--------------------
~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Perhaps, it is the iron content of spinach that may cause some constipation? Maybe it isn't chewed/broken down effectively enough by the individual? Everyone, I know has 'their hit and miss' list. Maybe the individual isn't consuming enough fluid? Spinach, actually is quite 'acid' in nature and hard to digest.
Kate.
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I wasn't sure if the Orthosilicic Acid (too acidic?) or the vegetable glycerine would be safe. I think vegetable glycerine is oil. but maybe not enough to be a problem since it's only 6 drops worth?
Do you think the Sica Gel would be better for the hair production and/or the tummy?
Thanks, sorry I keep bugging you.
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Cyndy - the fundamental basis of Heather's diet is to avoid foods/food combinations/meals etc. that over-stimulate the colon, and to eat foods that soothe and regulate its movements. IF can, if not eaten carefully enough, over-stimulate the colon and cause spasms - which, depending on the person can cause D or C. (Alternatively, SF soothes the colon). IF is *definitely* important for the function of the gut overall though, but for those of us with IBS, the colon and whole GI system is just a bit more sensitive to being over-stimulated. So it's kind of a balancing act - finding the right combination of IF and SF (amounts etc.). Make sense?
(I am not C - mostly A/D - but that is almost a direct quote from Heather's EFI.)
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I'm not an expert. I've only used the gel and had no problem with it, personally. I don't know re: glycerin. When you say glycerin, I think suppositories. I'd go with the gel as that's what worked so well for me and continues to work effectively combined with diet.
Kate.
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It's kind of hard to explain the discounts -- but once you get it all in your cart and are checking out -- there is a place where you can get more discounts. On the left hand side -- below where you choose your payment type and all that. There is a standard on-line discount - and you just put S in the box (that's the one I get - if I use one at all) and then there is one for bulk -- and some others for professionals or something. If my order doesn't qualify for free shipping - then I take the standard on-line discount for sure. If I just barely qualify for free shipping, then I leave it alone because shipping is usually more than the discount. Still -- their prices are very good - even without the additional discount.
As far as the dose -- since my hair is only thinning and falling out - and I don't actually have bald spots -- I am just going with the dose on the bottle. I will also try and up the amount in the foods I eat. If I don't notice any improvement in a couple months (she said it took 2), then I might try upping the amount for a while -- but I think it's expensive to do at that high of a dose. Specially with all the other "stuff" I have to do for IBS.
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The ingredient list includes: Silicon 6mg (as Stabilized Orthosilicic Acid, Choline chloride 47% (as stabilizing agent), glycerine (vegetable) 33%, distilled water 18 %
I'm not sure if this would be bad for my tummy.
Anyone have any thoughts?
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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As Laurel said, in IBS people, SF soothes the colon and IF stimulates the colon. If you take in too much IF at a time, it will OVERSTIMULATE the colon. For IBS-D folks, this means diarrhea. For IBS-C folks, the overstimulation occurs and then the colon takes it one step further and shuts down - resulting in constipation.
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Formerly HanSolo. IBS, OCD, Bipolar, PTSD times 3.
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I agree, with all the other stuff we need for IBS (probiotics, digestive enzymes, magnesium, SFS, fennel tea)...this is obnoxiously expensive.
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Alicia and Laurel are quite correct. Perhaps that explains why laxatives are addictive and one must use an increasingly higher dose, i.e. to hyper-stimulate the gastrocolic reflex, with time. The body naturally wants to resist large amounts or triggers.
It's odd, though...for me spinach is one of my most g.i. soothing sources of IF.
Kate.
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I just took the discount on this one -- since I wasn't buying anything else. I think it ended up being just under a dollar.
I would probably buy it with my other things from now on though -- since I buy my probiotic & enzymes from them too.
(I live in a small town -- don't really have a health food store close -- and the one that is 45 min away has a small selection & high prices.) Then I would get the free shipping & discount -- on all of it!
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Kate, further down you said that spinach was acidic...but you find that it is soothing to your GI system?
I would think that acidic foods would be trouble for us?
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Do people with IBS do better with one vs the other? Is it okay to eat both types of foods on this diet? Just not sure if this is food factor I should focus on. Maybe eat only the alkaline foods...I think they are suppose to be easier to handle?
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does anyone experience indigestion/burping after taking silica?
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Cyndy - there is a difference between what naturopaths, holistic doctors (et al) call acid-forming and alkaline-forming foods and acidic foods. Acid forming foods include meat, fish, poultry, most dairy, white breads and other grains, most nuts and legumes and soy... while alkalizing foods are those such as most vegetables, totally whole grains (i.e. rolled oats, quinoa etc.), most fruits etc.
Most naturopaths argue that as a (Western) society we eat a diet that is too acidifying, relying so much on dairy, meat and refined grains, etc. But that doesn't mean that acidifying or alkalizing foods are healthy or not healthy - you just have to have a balance. Both groups contain lots of healthy foods.
All this is largely inconsequential to the IBS diet, though, because it doesn't have much to do with digestion and is not consistent with fiber - i.e. you get IF and SF on both sides. What matters to most IBSers is whether a food is ACIDIC on it's own, not the chemical processes it causes in your body (the acid/alkaline thing is not really about the gut, but rather about chemical processes in all the body's systems). So, that includes citrus fruits/juices, cooked tomatoes, vinegars etc. But then, this is a pretty individualized trigger. Some people are ok with acidic stuff while others are not.
Hope that clears things up a bit 
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...furthermore, what is acidifying for one person can actually alkalize and vice versa.
We need a balance of acid/alkaline foods. They recommend 25% acid foods, incidentally, and the rest alkalizing.
Thanks for explaining it effectively, Laurel.
Kate.
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