Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD)

[mftnchn]

My doctor in OR.

Snacks?? Right now I am doing jello, yogurt, cheesecake, eggs, meat, chicken soup LOL. Right now, eating some peas sounds really good to me! Tomorrow maybe.

Since I was not very symptomatic when I started I thought I would move up quickly on the stages of the diet. But I have had interesting changes in stool...even passed some parasites, so I decided it was really helping with much more rapid shifts than going gluten-free did over a year ago. So I am going to go more slowly and will do the full 5 days on the intro.

We went gluten-free about the same time last year...so since you are doing so well on the SCD you are an encouragement to me.

I'd love to be able to eat rice again though.

[pele]

The first two weeks were really hard. I went through chocolate and sugar withdrawal. It was an amazing feeling when I stopped craving them. There is half a Dagoba chocolate bar sitting in the cupboard and I don't care. I still eat a lot of dried fruit and honey, but mostly because I am hungry, not craving sweets. It seemed really strange at first to not eat everything on a bed of rice or mixed with rice noodles, but I have gotten over that, too.

After several weeks on the diet, it dawned on me how influenced we are by advertising for food products which are designed to taste good and line someone's pocket, but are not natural or good for us.

Fruits, veggies, eggs, chicken, fish and turkey do not fill me up. I have to add in some split peas, red lentils or winter squash at dinner or I am rummaging through the kitchen looking for snacks as soon as the dishes are done.

I never really did the intro--just quit eating the stuff not on the diet. And I never bought a yogurt maker--you can read my earlier posts about that. Now that I am dairy free I'm glad I didn't spend the money.

When I "cheat" I have a bit of turkey bacon or a hot dog or some hot sauce with a small amount of sugar in it. Nothing worse. Tamari sauce was another thing I really missed at first, but no longer.

I am finding the diet very easy, in part because I am eating what I want, including the herbs and spices I was craving for years. My husband is also supportive. He cooks his own tasteless, glutony stuff and doesn't expect me to cook for him anymore.

You are probably in the hardest stage of this diet tranformation right now. Stick it out for a few more weeks. If the diet is right for you, you will know it. I think in the book it says do it for 3 months and if things are better, aim for a year.

If you are having trouble, post it on here. I will keep checking back and maybe some of the others will chip in a few comments, too.

[mftnchn]

Thanks, I appreciate it. I am having more loose stool then I ever usually do since starting the diet. I'm glad it seems to be addressing the remaining big C problems (greatly improved after gluten-free) but the gurgling and urges aren't great. Maybe it is just transitional.

I've been pretty careful to follow the intro and stuff. I know I have a problem because of the testing, and I want to make sure it has the best chance to heal.

Right now I hate not being able to eat the fresh seasonal berries.

[mftnchn]

Do you have undigested food coming through on the SCD? I am ramping up slowly according to the pecanbread site, and the green beans came through in whole chunks.

Did you have to puree stuff or whatever??

[pele]

Do you have undigested food coming through on the SCD? I am ramping up slowly according to the pecanbread site, and the green beans came through in whole chunks.

Did you have to puree stuff or whatever??

Yes, I would say it seemed at first that things were going through kinda the way they left my mouth after chewing. I wonder if this is in part due to the lack of gooey, gluey grain in the diet. But, it seems less so after 4 months. Hmm. Maybe my digestion is improving. Sometimes I chew more thoroughly, but not always. I tend to wolf down my dinner.

I am doing the seasonal fruit thing, and this is causing some gas and gurgling. I decided to stop worrying about it and just eat as many blueberries as I want. Pretty soon I'll have cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes and eggplant from the garden. That'll be interesting. As long as my digestive tract doesn't keep me awake in the wee hours I figure things are okay. I'll go back to carrots and bananas in the winter.

[mftnchn]

I think I won't push it for now with raw, stay with cooked. I did jump a little ahead and bought some raspberries and cooked them a bit. I am making the mousse, and will put some in my yogurt and maybe even try some ice cream (shake in a baggie kind).

[pele]

Hi Mftnchn

How do you pronounce that anyway?

I've had a bad week. Lots of stress and my digestive tract has been waking me up way too early in the morning. I'm not sure if it's something I ate (citric acid in dried fruit maybe) or emotional stress from having to deal with a couple of different issues. I don't think I was glutened, but CC in the kitchen is always a possibility. The stress is now dissipated and so has the digestive distress.

I was so hungry this week I seriously considered going off the SCD. But foods not on the diet really don't appeal to me at all. Crackers? Rice? Sugar? Yuck. I have lost 3 pounds in the last 6 weeks. I am hungry often and just don't know what to eat. How many eggs can one skinny woman eat for breakfast?? How many cans of sardines for lunch? How much sliced turkey? I have a ton of vegetables coming out of the garden but they do not fill me up. So I nibble on dried fruit, peanut butter and blueberries. What can I eat that is high in fat?

[AliB]

Hi all. Glad this thread has picked up again.

I fell off the wagon for a while - not drastically but enough to know that I was going backwards instead of forwards!

Since I last posted I have been doing a lot of further research and have realised that gut dysbiosis is behind virtually everything. Exacerbated by things like anti-biotics and fuelled by the 'Western' high-carb, high-sugar diets, our guts get so out of balance that the digestive process is extremely disrupted and copious amounts of toxins are produced by bacteria that either shouldn't be there, or have opportunistically filled the holes left by the destruction of the 'good' bacteria.

The good stuff is there to support the digestion and the immune system - if we lose that, we lose our ability to digest and process food properly. I am convinced that is why so many don't get better after dropping gluten. Those who do perhaps have only been dealing with one 'rogue' bacteria that has then been brought under control by the loss of gluten as its food source.

Certain bacteria absorb and feed on particular vitamins and minerals within the body so setting up deficiencies. Unfortunately taking extra supplements often only serves to strengthen the bacteria! I was reading a thread on something called pyroluria. Quite a few were saying that they were very deficient in B6 and Zinc. They found that although they were taking quite high doses which helped, the effects wouldn't last and they would go back downhill and then need to keep increasing the doses. What seems to be happening is that the bugs, within a few days have grown to absorb the extra nutrients which then are no longer benefitting the body.

The SCD is good from that point of view in that it addresses the gut imbalance. If we can get the gut right then everything else will follow. I have just ordered Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Natasha McBride. Although aimed more about the imbalance and it's effect on the brain it covers health issues in general and how they are linked to bacterial activity. I am looking forward to receiving that and absorbing it.

This has all been hovering around in the back of my brain for years - I have books on Candida that I bought over 20 years ago, but I either didn't think about the importance of it, or have just gone about my daily 'grind' trying to ignore it! I think more is known about now too, and even the Medical Profession is begining to twig in certain areas. I wish I lived in Germany - the MP there are far more clued-up about it.

So I am getting back on the wagon - it will be a little complicated this week as our daughter is moving from 150 miles away, to just down the road from us and the grandkids are coming up with their uncle, our son, until Tuesday to give their Mum a chance to get the last of her packing done without distraction. We will have the little distractions up here - bless them!

Our son is doing gluten-free at the moment and has been going to a naturopath who has been setting him on the 're-balancing' route (at cost - I was trying to tell him about for free! Still, it does back up my viewpoint!). When Jane and the boys have moved I am going to try and get them all into SCD - Ashley, the youngest will be the most difficult as he is extremely picky - the other day he told his Mum he wants to eat biscuits 'all de time' ! Connor has gut issues even at just 7 and he is doing a gluten challenge at the moment. I am sure though, that if we can get their dysbiosis sorted and them eating a much healthier diet, gluten would eventually, once the balance is right, not be a problem as long as it is not overconsumed again. After all, the SCD has helped to reverse Celiac amongst other health issues. I suspect that Celiac is just yet one more manifestation of gut dysbiosis.

[mftnchn]

Pele, LOL, I don't try to pronounce it! I took the vowels out.

Do you do nuts and dairy, I forget what you said above. For calories, I'd do cheese and bake more with almond flour. I made the muffins the other day and they are very good; I'm just doing one a day at this point. Trying to follow the constipation protocol on pecanbread.com. Make the yogurt with whole milk. Nut butter cookies, etc.

Ali, thanks for popping back in.

[feelingbetter]

Just popped back on and happy to see this thread going. I have been gluten-free/cf since March 1/08 and went on the SCD beginning of May. I was so sick last winter that I rarely left the house and slept about 14 hours per day. I was 2 mos gluten and dairy and not feeling any better. I really started to heal once on the SCD. I attended a workshop given by an MD who has celiac herself. She told us that very few who go gluten free actually heal properly. She said that the clients who went on the SCD were the ones who really became well. She herself is on the SCD.

I had chonic fatigue/ fibro, chronic constipation, anemia, high liver stress, adrenal fatigue, depression, headaches and migraines. Every symptom has gone away. I do not need to nap in the afternoon. I just got a part time job and walk about 4 km per day. I finally have energy for the first time in my life. Each month I feel better and better. I doubt that I will ever go back to eating rice products and processed food.

I eat plenty of protein like salmon, organic beef, chicken, eggs and nuts. I eat most of my veggies raw and I enjoy most fruits. If I start feeling hungry it is because I have not had enough good fats and protein.

I feel so blessed to eat this way. I have no desire for sugar or chocolate and I have lost 10 lbs. People keep telling me how great my skin looks and how great I look. I am 46 and feel like I am 26.

So persevere with this diet. Experiment with different recipes. I cook with lots of olive oil, garlic, sea salt, herbs, lemon and ginger. I use alot more spice now. This diet has saved my life. I also work with an alternative MD who really encourages SCD.

Brenda

[AliB]

Just popped back on and happy to see this thread going. I have been gluten-free/cf since March 1/08 and went on the SCD beginning of May. I was so sick last winter that I rarely left the house and slept about 14 hours per day. I was 2 mos gluten and dairy and not feeling any better. I really started to heal once on the SCD. I attended a workshop given by an MD who has celiac herself. She told us that very few who go gluten free actually heal properly. She said that the clients who went on the SCD were the ones who really became well. She herself is on the SCD.

Brenda

Brenda, your post has given me renewed hope to really get this going properly. It's so good to hear from those who are getting the benefit.

Do you take anything apart from eating the right foods and having the yogurt, etc?

I haven't been going overboard with the foods I can cope with but that are considered illegal, like rice cakes etc., but obviously enough to restrict the diet from working properly. I do get hungry though. What do you have typically for your meals? I think I find breakfast the most difficult.

Suggestions would be very helpful. Although I'm ok with the SCD yogurt I can't cope with any other dairy and can't find the dry curd cheese over here in the UK (well, not yet - I used to use it a lot some years ago, but can't find it now - mind you I like soft herring roe and have a problem getting hold of those, too - why can't we find the things that are good for us???)

[feelingbetter]

Ali- I just eat whatever for breakfast. It took some getting used to . I often have fruit salad especially with all of the inseason fruit. Sometimes will boil a couple of eggs and shred them on a mixed salad. The last 2 months my hubby and I got into juicing veggies with a lemon a couple of apples and some ginger. I might just have 2 glasses of juice followed by an early lunch. I also love the scd banana bread recipe so maybe a big chunk of that with some carrots. Sometimes left over supper. Just make sure you are getting a healthy chunk of protein. I tested positive for casein so I don't touch dairy.

Lunch is whatever. Maybe some leftover meat with raw vegs. Big sald time with all kinds of stuff.

Snack- I usually eat fruit alone at 3pm for my aft snack. It carries me through to supper time. Sometimes I will have a handful of almonds along with 2 dates.

Supper- This is often grilled fish or meat with vegs or stirfry. We only eat olive oil and coconut oil for baking.

After about a month you will not even think about grains, bread or potatoes. I can honestly say that I do not miss the way I used to eat. If you can commit to one month you will never want to go back. I am fortunate that my hubby and son are also gluten and dairy free. I plan on eating like this for the rest of my days. I have cheated a few times and always felt tired afterwards.

Maybe I am so hooked because I was sooooo sick for so many years. Lost my real estate career 6 years ago. On a disability. But not for much longer I hope.

Good Luck

Brenda

[AliB]

Having got used to being gluten and dairy free I don't miss bread at all usually as my husband and I don't normally have anything gluten in the house, except today I did my grandsons who are visiting with us, some gluten toast and one of them left his - boy was I tempted to finish it for him!!! They also had some little rice krispie cakes at tea which were sitting there calling out to me. I am really hoping once they have moved up here I can persuade my daughter to put herself and the boys on the SCD, then we won't have to have any gluten in the house at all!

I can manage without potatoes and am quite happy to just have the meat and veggies on their own. It's the snacky things I find the most difficult. I have to watch my sugar level with the diabetes. I tend to go for a couple rice cakes with ham or egg.

With yeast/Candida being a problem I need to restrict the honey and fruit for a while and I am sure there are other rogue bacteria that are also causing problems. I started with some Goldenseal and Echinacea capsules on Thursday and I hope they will deal with any 'nasties'. Did you take anything to help rid the rogue bacteria/yeasts or have you relied solely on the SCD?

I need to spend some time sitting down and collating some recipes and really get my head around this so that it becomes second nature. I have managed it with the gluten and dairy so it really didn't ought to be that difficult. I think it may come back to the 'feeling deprived' thing. I have felt deprived because of the diabetes, I have felt deprived because of the Celiac/GI, to restrict my diet even more just exacerbates the 'feeling deprived' problem.

I know that it is not really horrendously depriving, especially considering that I am already halfway there, but if I can figure out a few things that will replace or substitute a few of the 'yummies' that help to buffer the 'deprivation' then I am sure I will get there ok.

[feelingbetter]

I never took anything for candida or parasites. After I started the diet I noticed a huge die-off reaction that lasted a few weeks. Then my energy levels increased. I no longer have any candida symptoms. I used to always have a white discharge but this has completely resolved itself. The diet seems to starve the candida. I now believe that candida can only be permanently cured by a radical and permanent change in diet. The fruit and even a little honey should not upset things too much as these are easily digested and eliminated. Grains and processed foods will hang around a long time before being eliminated. They are very acidic foods. These are what really feed candida and parasites.

My new rule of thumb is that I will not eat anything that has been processed. If it can sit on a grocery shelf for a year or more do I really want to eat it. Will it nourish my body. I'm sure you have heard about foods that heal.

It is a shift in eating. But the pay off is how great you will feel. Getting back to fruit I don't usually eat more than 2 servings per day. Most days only one.

The other benefit is this diet will really detox the entire body. Each week I feel better and better. I was told by my doc that it takes a good year for the gut to heal if celiac. I can't wait to see how I will feel in 7 months.

One other thing I forgot to mention is that the depression and mood swings are almost all gone. I have a bipolar 2 diagnoses and have not been on meds for 9 months. This is miraculous as I was on meds for over 14 years. Yes we can heal ourselves with the right diet!!

[pele]

Hi everyone

Boy am I happy to see so many new posts. I have been feeling very alone out here.

Ali, welcome back. I missed you! You always have something good to tell us about the research you have been doing.

And Brenda, thank you for the words of encouragement.

I feel, in general, like the diet is working for me, but since the begining of summer fruit season, I have been experiencing increased gas and gurgling. I hate to give up melon and mango, darn it. Blueberries don't seem to be a problem. I suspect I have been eating too much dried fruit all along. On the BTVC website, Elaine cautions against too much dried fruit. It's so easy to eat, but maybe I should start munching on green beans and carrots instead.

Since I am dairy free, a lot of the SCD recipes are off limits. I would love to be able to slather butter and whole milk yogurt on everything. I never missed gluten but I still miss cheese.

I am very active and prior to going gluten-free I consumed at least 2400 calories a day, sometimes 3000. Now I have trouble finding 1800-2000 calories per day. I feel like 4 ounces of turkey at one meal is a lot. Is it? Do I need to 6-8 ounces? It seems like everyone is on a low fat diet so the stores sell the lowest fat cuts of fish, chicken and turkey. If I buy whole drumsticks instead of boneless, skinless chicken breast, will I get more fat? I know almost nothing about beef, pork and lamb since they have not been part of my diet since I was a teenager. Are they higher in fat than fish and fowl?

I cook everything in olive oil. I eat some ground almonds, peanut butter and cashews every day. Like Ali, snacks are a problem. I don't know what to eat and I want to eat non stop. When I am busy away from food for a few hours, I get really hungry.

Are those of you on the diet eating greatly increased quantities of meat and vegetables to make up for the lack of grain?

And how the heck am I going to get through salsa season without corn chips??

[ShayFL]

You need a good SCD cookbook. I bought three of them. Some great recipes. For GREAT calories, make some SCD legal muffins. They are made with almond flour and are quite yummy. My whole family loves them.

Yes, red meat typically has more fat. But try to buy organic, free range and grass fed if you can.

Choose fatty fish like salmon.

[feelingbetter]

Pele- I guess I am eating more meat than before SCD. I don't really worry about the amounts I eat. Usually the protein at each meal is the size and thickness of a deck of cards. I wonder if you are hungry all the time because you are not getting enough good fat. I supplement my diet with 4 grams of fish oil and 2 grams of evening primrose oil. I also get extra fat in my beef and salmon.

I was really hungry when I first went on the diet. After the 2 weeks of die-off it went away. So did all of my sugar cravings. I feel I have a normal appetite now. I eat as many vegs that I want. I definately eat less now. I just need less. I think when the body is getting everything it wants and needs then it won't be crying out for food all the time.

[AliB]

My Dad used to say that his granddad, who was an avid gardener always maintained that caterpillars would only eat enough to give them the nutrients they need for metamorphosis. The lower the vegetables are in nutrition, the more they will eat.

That kind of figures with us too. I often think of those enormous people who eat and eat and eat. I can't help wondering if it isn't simply because their bodies just can't get enough nutrition - it's laying down as fat but nothing much else as probably rogue bacteria is devouring all the nutrition before their bodies ever get a look in!

Which books did you buy Shay?

I know I can work this out myself - I am quite capable but it helps to have some sort of inspiration sometimes!

Pele, I find I need to have purine based protein in order to feel fuller, like muscle meats rather than breast, so I always veer towards the chicken and turkey legs and oily fish like salmon and mackerel. I try to have a goodly portion - I never stint on the protein although I don't go overboard like Atkins. I do need to eat more veg though. It just hasn't been hot enough here this Summer to enjoy much in the way of salad, which is pretty annoying. It's August and the weather is just miserable. We hardly had a Summer last year either.

[ShayFL]

This one is good:

Open Original Shared Link

But you can get some great FREE recipes here: I use a lot of these:

Open Original Shared Link

[pele]

Hey, if we keep this up. we're going to overpower the omigod thread.

Ali- Here's a breakfast suggestion-I have been making my own breakfast sausage. I'm using ground turkey thigh, but any ground meat will do, then season to taste with sage, savory, thyme. marjoram, cloves, ginger, black and red pepper, salt. I make them into 2 ounce patties and freeze them on wax paper.

Thank you everyone for the tips on fat. I am going to get some coconut oil this week (50 miles rounnd trip to the nearest store that carries it). I do eat salmon occasionally but haven't ventured into the realm of beef yet. I ate a stack of raw green beans for lunch today instead of the usual figs, dates and raisins, and actually felt less hungry.

Shay--I'll check the recipes again.

Brenda- same here on the 2 week sugar craving. it's long gone, along with the long lost chocolate cravings.

And Ali again-- a naturopath (sp?) said recently that some people believe celiac is the result of bacteria or protozoa infection in the gut. I don't know if I believe this, but obviously something is really wrong with many, many people, so I'm glad there are people out there thinking about it.

Anybody have any info on Kombucha? Pro or con?

[ShayFL]

Kombucha....it tastes nasty. I couldnt get past the taste.....

[pele]

Kombucha....it tastes nasty. I couldnt get past the taste.....

It is a little strange if you are expecting soda pop. I think of it as unsweetened fruity fizzy yogurt. Just wondering how it fits in with the SCD and celiac.

[mftnchn]

I attended a workshop given by an MD who has celiac herself. She told us that very few who go gluten free actually heal properly. She said that the clients who went on the SCD were the ones who really became well. She herself is on the SCD.

I had chonic fatigue/ fibro, chronic constipation, anemia, high liver stress, adrenal fatigue, depression, headaches and migraines. Every symptom has gone away. I do not need to nap in the afternoon. I just got a part time job and walk about 4 km per day. I finally have energy for the first time in my life. Each month I feel better and better. I doubt that I will ever go back to eating rice products and processed food.

Brenda, that was such an encouraging post. I'm planning to stick with this at least for awhile because it is clear from my lab tests that I can't handle carbs. I have been gluten-free for over a year, soy free for just a year now, and was milk free for 10 months before the testing I had showed I could tolerate small amounts of cow dairy and goat dairy is okay. I am sure hoping that the SCD will make a difference. Your first three symptoms are what I have had, the big C is better though since gluten-free.

Sherry

[mftnchn]

I never took anything for candida or parasites. After I started the diet I noticed a huge die-off reaction that lasted a few weeks. Then my energy levels increased.

One other thing I forgot to mention is that the depression and mood swings are almost all gone. I have a bipolar 2 diagnoses and have not been on meds for 9 months. This is miraculous as I was on meds for over 14 years. Yes we can heal ourselves with the right diet!!

This is great great news, and I hope more people with bipolar give this a try.

I passed worms second day on the SCD, and again a few days later. One thing I learned on the OMG thread is that parasites absorb mercury, and then the immune system cannot get at them because the mercury is so toxic. When they die, the mercury is released.

So I am thinking that it would be good to include some "binders" in the mix for many of us when we start SCD. I take chlorella, modified citrus pectin, and activated charcoal when I need it. I also do epsom salts baths when I get the muscle pain. All of this helps.

[mftnchn]

I made the SCD muffins today and tossed in blueberries; baked part of it in a pie plate because I didn't have enough muffin cups. It was excellent! I think I'll do the muffins in a square pan after this and just try cutting them in squares.