[shimma]

I feel kind of silly now - I guess I need to go back and look more closely at BTVC. I thought you did the intro diet for a few days and then launched into the full thing. It's a good thing you guys set me straight....

cynicaltomorrow - what are you eating right now?

[cynicaltomorrow]

Right now I'm eating meat, cheese, nut butter, yogurt, butter, and cooked, peeled, de-seeded fruits and veggies. When you sum it up like that it really doesn't seem like a lot! Haha. I think I'll probably try peeled, raw fruits next. But, I decided to give myself a couple weeks now that I'm eating the nut butter and all the cooked fruits and veggies. I felt a little bloated at first... but I think it was just my body's way of dealing with all the fiber and protein.

[shimma]

I really need help with the meat part. I wasn't a big meat eater before this diet, and when I go to the supermarket, I stare at the meat aisle and just draw a blank. What do I DO with all those different kinds of beef? I don't know which ones to buy, or how to prepare them - it's overwhelming! So far I've been sticking to chicken, turkey, and salmon, mostly.

I need some variety though - when/if you eat red meat, what do you buy and how do you prepare it?

[cynicaltomorrow]

Be careful with strawberries though. I screwed up one run of the diet because I started eating strawberries... when I should have been avoiding seeds still. But, I agree about the George Foreman grill. I made a ton of burgers my first few weeks on the diet. I started mixing the ground beef up with some steamed carrots... just for some variety. I eat steaks every once in a while and I also like to cook boneless beef ribs in a smoker. What kind of chicken and turkey are you eating? Have you checked the ingredients? Chicken's pretty versatile. Also, you could try eating canned tuna. There's only one kind I've found that's okay to eat and that's Starkist tuna fillet. Hope this helps.

[shimma]

Not a huge canned fish fan, but I love fresh tuna! Haven't had it in forever.

I've been having just plain chicken and turkey breasts (a 6 pounder...meat for weeks!) If there's anything added, it's not on the label. Can you add something to plain cuts of meat? I'm sure they brine them to make them juicier, but as far as I know, it's just salt water. I've been avoiding store-bought ground chicken and turkey because of potential additives, although I really miss my turkey burgers. The ground turkey I used to get is kosher, so it's supposed to be as minimally processed as possible.

I've been eating cooked strawberries (bought fresh and then simmered on the stove), although I'm dying to eat some fresh ones. They haven't bothered me at all. I feel good - have been going to the bathroom less (sometimes even skipping a day! That's a new one!) I know I should still take it slowly, but it's hard because I love fruits and veggies so much. I'm worried that eating so many eggs and cheese will clog my arteries and up my cholesterol.

I tried the banana pancakes from BTVC this morning (just a mashed banana beaten with an egg). They were really tasty, but extremely hard to cook. Has anyone had luck with these? I couldn't flip it, it was more like shoving it around the pan. I'm dying for something "bready".

[cynicaltomorrow]

You could try adding more eggs to the banana pancake recipe. Also, you could try just baking it in the oven. This is a lot easier than doing the whole pancake thing. Just be careful, because I ate strawberries for a couple weeks before I got seriously sick. I think I may try an orange tomorrow! I'm excited. That seems so silly, but it's true.

[shimma]

Enjoy your orange! I think I'm allergic to them. I mean, I tested positive for a bunch of food allergies last year, but I think it was a leaky gut problem. But oranges have always made my stomach hurt (could be the acidity, I guess).

I have a wedding to attend in three weeks which will involve travelling. I don't know how I'm going to maintain this diet while away from home! It seems very daunting. It was hard enough doing the gluten-free thing while on the road, but I could at least have McDonald's french fries and Fruit and Yogurt. I wonder if a plain beef patty would be safe? Not very filling though.

My in-laws (with whom we're staying) are very considerate about what I'm eating and always work hard to accomodate me. My main concern is that my m-i-l will insist on preparing all my food (as she usually does) and it'll be a big issue. I guess I'll try to prepare as much food as I can and bring it with me.

Have you guys taken any trips while on SCD?

[shimma]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm sure everything will work out, considering that I've managed to start and maintain this diet even while having the craziest couple of weeks....

Do you have any recipes to swap? I made a pretty interesting casserole this week. I was really craving some comfort food, and had a lot of extra turkey around. I was thinking longingly of the turkey tetrazzini my mom used to make when I was a kid. So, I cooked up some spaghetti squash for noodles, mixed them with my cooked turkey, cooked peas (the only veggie I had handy), some of the leftover gravy, and a little yogurt (sounds strange, I know). I topped it with cheese and baked it. It actually turned out really well! And as a bonus, I've had lunch leftovers all week.

Does anyone know the purpose of the tea/coffee restriction for this diet? I used to drink green tea heavily, but I've cut back. Now when I miss my tea, I have plain hot water. I used to think that was a gross concept, but I find it really soothing for some reason.

[shimma]

I was intimidated by the spaghetti squash, but it was actually pretty easy. I just baked it for about an hour and then opened it up. The hard part is separating the seeds from the strands. It all tends to stick together.

Gravy was a cinch because I cooked the turkey in a crock pot with some onions and celery. By the time the turkey was cooked, there was tons of turkey-infused liquid, so I pureed that with the cooked onions and celery. It was pretty thick and not smooth like "real" gravy, but extremely tasty.

My problem is I can't stand plain meat, so I spend quite a bit of time figuring out how to jazz it up. My diet pre-SCD was lots of pasta, stir-fry, etc - one dish meals with the meat incorporated. Those are harder to do now with no starch to sit everything on top of (and I would have no idea how to do an SCD stir-fry sauce, for instance).

I made some peanut butter brownies yesterday. They are delicious! I'm not sure if it's too soon for PB, but I was craving something sweet and snackable.

I'm with you on the fruit! I love it, mostly raw though. Still holding off on that.....

[cynicaltomorrow]

The diet's not just about avoiding carbs and sugar. Fruits and veggies have carbs in them. It's about avoiding sugar (except honey, sweet n low, and those that occur naturally like in fruits and veggies), soy, starch, gluten, grains, and anything artificial. Pop isn't okay because of the corn syrup. That's fine if you're just interested in the diet, but if you're actually trying to heal anything, you have to quit drinking the pop, otherwise the diet is pointless. Also, I would be extremely wary about going out to eat anywhere. There's no telling what they put in stuff, even in seemingly plain things like hamburgers. If you're looking for more recipes, there are a few sites out there like www.pecanbread.com and www.scdrecipe.com.

[shimma]

Just curious -

If you wouldn't mind, can you summarize where you were (health-wise) before beginning the diet, and how you're feeling now? How did you come to hear of SCD? It seems like most celiacs have never heard of it.

[cynicaltomorrow]

I was eating gluten-free and lactose-free before starting the SCD. I was actually doing really well before I started the diet. I just started the diet for the healing aspects of it, in hopes that maybe one day I'll be able to regain a semi-normal diet. I heard quite a few people on this board mention Breaking the Vicious Cycle, so I decided to check it out. Right now I still feel about the same as before I started.