How do you clean your lettuce?

[JoyGal]

Every.single.time I buy lettuce here and eat it I end up with some sort of intestinal yuck 1-3 days after eating it. I had stopped buying it for a long time then bought some organic lettuce at a different store the other day. I rinsed it off in the sink lots and lots before eating. It tasted so good, but here I am with more intestinal blah. So I must not be cleaning it off good enough.

So, how do you clean your lettuce before eating?

[easygoinmomma]

I pull all the *leaves* off and let them soak in water, then rinse them off and put them in a spinner. Could it be maybe the lettuce itself is bothering you?

[JoyGal]

That's what I'm thinking actually. I've never heard of a reaction to lettuce per say, but I'm wondering if it is something on it or grown with it here. :think

[FamilyLove]

Although rare, apparently it is possible to be allergic to lettuce: http://www.livestrong.com/article/295348-lettuce-allergy/

[Lady TS]

I rinse it well under cold water and then use the salad spinner.

Do you have corn allergy? Has citric acid in stuff ever bothered you?(that is often what is put on lettuce to extend shelf life)

Could it be the extra fiber? Do you already regularly consume lots of raw veggies?(if so, that's probably not it...)

Or maybe it's actually something you're eating with/on the lettuce?

[JoyGal]

All very good ideas to think about, thank you!

I just came from years of eating fruit and veggies that do not have pesticides or anything on them aside from natural fertilizers. Granted, I've been here for close to a year now, I don't eat a lot of lettuce anymore (specifically for the reasons mentioned).

[Lady TS]

If I may ask(I haven't followed threads much lately), where are you located now?


If it helps you feel any better, a few months ago I started reacting to bananas....took them in and got muscle tested and it turns out it was the pesticides used on them! (I had gotten ones grown in Costa Rica, which I don't usually do...).

[curlymopmom]

Interesting... :think

I rip apart the head of lettuce a bit, then soak in vinegar (and sometimes add hydrogen peroxide) water. Rinse thoroughly. Spin.

[inesperada]

I use vegetable disinfectant. Vinegar is a good alternative, though.

[PrincessAnika]

does the same thing happen to you if you grow your own lettuce? i have ibs and lettuce sometimes triggers some symptoms, but not always....

[FaithHopeLove]

JoyGal -- have you by chance had a course of antibiotics recently? I lost the ability to digest lettuce for a time (specifically romaine). Quite some time later, I had some yeast problems and went on a heavy duty good bacteria repopulating quest. Amazingly, I can digest romaine and all other lettuces again! (Chewing the lettuce very well helps too.) I also find using lemon with my salads helps.

Could that be it?

And if I've not completely violated all the rules of keeping separate the consuming and um, excreting of food . . .

I clean my lettuce under running water and then put it through a salad spinner. I buy only organic lettuce.

[JoyGal]

Thanks FHL!

It's so funny, I was just thinking about this thread yesterday when salad was sounding really good ;)

It's so odd, if I eat salad from a national chain restaurant, I'm fine. If I eat it from the grocery store or a local restaurant, I'm ill for days. Somehow, its local lettuce that makes me sick. I can't even imagine why. Very disappointing, but at least I've narrowed it down. Hmmm, I wonder if other organics from this state would make me sick also :think

[FaithHopeLove]

That's so weird!

How are your probiotics?

Do the salad chains pre-treat their lettuce with something to keep it "fresh" looking? I wonder if that has something in it that helps you to digest it?

[Lady TS]

Maybe it's actually the salad dressing at home that's making you ill? :shrug3

Choice of salad dressing makes a big difference for me(at home I just use olive oil, salt and pepper)...

[1chick2sticks]

i soak all of my fruits and veggies in water with a few drops of grapefruit seed extract. the gse is a great for killing bacteria.