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Specific Carbohydrate Diet

Guest AlabamaGirl

By Guest AlabamaGirl
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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Guest AlabamaGirl
Guest AlabamaGirl
Posted

In researching celiac disease, I came across several websites touting the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) as being superior for celiacs, seeming because it cuts out all processed, starchy foods -- supposedly the gut heals better when doing this. (You can go to this site to read a very opinionated article: Open Original Shared Link

Has anyone actually tried this? If so, what were your results? I'm very interested in opinions and experiences.

Gosh, I would just love to once again have excellent health. The diet sounds pretty restrictive, but if it works ...

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oceangirl Collaborator
oceangirl
Posted
In researching celiac disease, I came across several websites touting the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) as being superior for celiacs, seeming because it cuts out all processed, starchy foods -- supposedly the gut heals better when doing this. (You can go to this site to read a very opinionated article: Open Original Shared Link

Has anyone actually tried this? If so, what were your results? I'm very interested in opinions and experiences.

Gosh, I would just love to once again have excellent health. The diet sounds pretty restrictive, but if it works ...

There are several people on here who have tried it. I am on a modified one, actually more the Paleolithic diet (the way we ate as hunter-gatherers for millions of years) which goes a step beyond SCD, but I'm eating some rice. I don't use dairy and homemade yogurt is a big component of Elaine Gottschall's diet. Her book describing the diet is called "Breaking the Vicious Cycle" and is available in paperback. I will say that for me, as I seem to react to a LOT of foods or just eating in general, the Paleo diet has helped me. It has only been two months, however, and I'm still having ups and downs. Hopefully others will post regarding the SCD. I would say if you are symptomatic still it is worth a try. In her book she says to try it and be strict for one month; you will know then if you feel better and if so to continue for the full year. (her recommendation) After a year I believe she says you can begin putting foods back in. Good luck to you!

lisa

corinne Apprentice
corinne
Posted

I, too, am on the Paelo diet. I have collagenous colitis, not celiac, but collagenous colitis is also triggered by gluten (among other things). I started by going gluten free which helped some, but still had frequent D. I then tried the specific carb diet, but finally realized that dairy was causing problems. I finally cut out dairy too and things are more or less under control, just one imodium in the morning. The specific carb diet is worthwhile trying if gluten free doesn't work. There's several threads here from about 8 months ago.

JNBunnie1 Community Regular
JNBunnie1
Posted
Has anyone actually tried this? If so, what were your results? I'm very interested in opinions and experiences.

Gosh, I would just love to once again have excellent health. The diet sounds pretty restrictive, but if it works ...

Um, I never tried the specific carbohydrate diet, I just went crazy with protein and healthy fats at one point and felt way better. You know, all organic produce, organic beef and chicken (and lots of it!) Lots of avocado and coconut oil, eggs and raw olive oil, lots of raw milk and yogurt. I have to admit I healed faster than a lot of people, with less effects as time went by when I get glutened. I was only 'sick' for less than six months before I figured mine out, a lot of people have been sick for years and years, so it takes a lot longer to heal. I do know that most bodies function better without any processed grains or sugars, including white rice and corn and potatos. i would only add a little of these back in as you heal, there's a lot about grains on Mercola's website, he's one of the current 'health gurus', if you will. I think a lot of what he says makes sense. Hope this helps, sorry I don't know that particular diet.

Guest AlabamaGirl
Guest AlabamaGirl
Posted
Um, I never tried the specific carbohydrate diet, I just went crazy with protein and healthy fats at one point and felt way better ... I do know that most bodies function better without any processed grains or sugars, including white rice and corn and potatos. i would only add a little of these back in as you heal, there's a lot about grains on Mercola's website, he's one of the current 'health gurus', if you will.

Yea, we already do this. We began about a year ago getting rid of all processed foods, and we rely on raw milk, cheeses, etc. My childrens' allergy symptoms pretty much disappear when we are eating well, but return with a vengeance when they deviate from whole foods for more than a meal. Yes, it's that dramatic.

We are already pretty gluten-free (me 100%), but I am noticing that I tend to react to all grain-based carbs (corn, buckwheat, oats, rice, etc) just like they contain gluten. The main doctor who has promoted SCD addresses this in some articles. She says that there is some underlying damage that is causing me to do this -- which makes sense. I have read Mercola's opinions, and I'm thinking we're going to try the specific carb diet. I really want healing, and hope this will help.

Are there any celiacs out there who have tried this??? I'll look for some other posts.

Guest AlabamaGirl
Guest AlabamaGirl
Posted
I, too, am on the Paelo diet ...

What exactly is this? I went to the website, and it didn't tell much.

oceangirl Collaborator
oceangirl
Posted
What exactly is this? I went to the website, and it didn't tell much.

It's the Paleolithic diet- the way we ate for millions of years. No grains at all! No dairy, nothing that needs cooking in order to eat it. Hence, potatos which have a toxin in them and beans which need cooking are out. Most legumes are out. What we killed with sticks (meat, fish, chicken...) and picked off trees and ate from the ground- most veggies, most fruits allowed. Seeds, nuts are okay except for cashews which need to be cooked to get rid of a toxin. No sugars although I think honey is allowed. Grains were only introduced to the human diet about 10,000ish? years ago, therefore most of us are not yet adroit at digesting them as evolution has not yet caught up with this innovation. (Many researchers agree that no one digests the gluten molecule well- it is very large) And we didn't have dairy food then either.

lisa

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