Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD)

[lonewolf]

Bea - interesting sounding recipe! Makes me want to experiment too.

I made lasagna for dinner tonight with zucchini noodles. It was really good! I made the "noodles" a couple of days ago with my new mandolin (I just learned about this a couple of weeks ago) and dried them a bit in the oven before storing them in a ziploc bag in the fridge. They were still in great shape and they worked really well in the lasagne. I used sheep milk romano cheese as the only cheese, since I don't do well with cow dairy.

For dessert I made baked peaches - drizzled with honey and cinnamon.

I'm getting the hang of this and it's really yummy, but I think I'm gaining weight!

[pele]

Speaking of peaches, my friend made a salad with carmelized sweet onions, fresh peaches and spinach, with oil/vinegar dressing. I have been avoiding peaches in favor of the plums and blackberries and pears out my back door, but I may have to go buy some peaches now.

[pele]

So, Liz, can we talk about bacon? Or soaking nuts?

When I started the diet I was somewhat addicted to TJ's turkey bacon. I also liked Applegate Farms turkey bacon, but it costs a lot more. I would look at the package and convince myself that because it appears to contain less sugar than salt, it was probably okay. Eventually, my desire for it went away and I don't miss it. I quit eating because I would have two eggs, two slices of T bacon and still be starving. So now I have two eggs and a quarter pound of ground turkey or buffalo or sirloin and I'm not starving when I'm done.

I still think TJ's TB probably okay on the sugar issue because it is really a tiny amount. I ate it for several months into the diet and never once got struck by lightening. I'm a little more concerned that it is processed and not really a whole food. But that's just me. I think if Elaine said bacon once a week is okay, then TJ's turkey bacon once a week should be okay. Just keep reminding yourself this is not a religion.

[YoloGx]

Liz--I was inspired to do something with Zuchinni by you saying you use it to make noodles. How do you make them?? We have tons of zuchinni's.

Meanwhile we have been making kale, cucumber and zuchinni smoothies by just putting them into the blender with a little water. Its a great pick me up. Very vitalizing.

Very easy when you don't want to cook veggies. However it could probably be used as some kind of green base for something else...like some kind of green soup with cut tomatoes and onions or whatever. Maybe even as a kind of gaspacho like base...

Bea

[lonewolf]

So, Liz, can we talk about bacon? Or soaking nuts?

LOL! What I really want to talk about is coconut water! (I guess I'm not the only one posting on two different message boards!) I'll keep in mind that eating bacon once a week won't kill my son. But it would be nice to find one without sugar.

Bea - the zucchini noodles are easy to make. I used my mandolin to slice the zucchini into lasagna sized "noodles". Then I put them on a cookie sheet, covered with a kitchen towel into a 250 degree oven. Turned the oven off and left them there for about an hour. They weren't totally dry, but much less moist. I put them in a ziploc bag and kept them in the refrigerator until I used them. Another lady on another board dehydrates hers - I'll be asking how long and how she stores them. I also made spaghetti the same way - just used my chopper to make spaghetti sized pieces. They were so good...

[YoloGx]

Not to appear ignorant, but I thought a mandolin was a stringed instrument...rather than a cooking device. Where might I get such a thing?

[pele]

Bea--I'm heading over to Voldemort, oops, I mean Walmart, and I plan to look for a mandolin or any other handy noodle slicer for my baseball bat zucchinis. I'll let you know what I find.

Liz--You are braver than me. I only lurk over there. Those people are way to serious for me. I think they'd kick me out for expressing some of my opinions. Like, why, exactly is kohlrabi illegal??

[lonewolf]

Bea - my grandfather played the mandolin and that was the only type I'd ever heard of until a couple of weeks ago. This kind is a nifty vegetable slicer/chopper thing that makes slices and julienne strips. Perfect for this diet!

Pele - they are pretty serious over there. I like it in some ways though - my son really needs to get better and I need to know how to do it right. The GI has brought up surgery twice and he's only been diagnosed for a little over a month.

Sometimes I think they go overboard though on worrying about every little molecule of possible sugar or starch; and Elaine worship. Don't get me wrong, I admire her and am thankful for all the hard work she did for years. She was obviously brilliant. But there are some serious inconsistencies in the diet. Why is it okay to have bacon, which has sugar listed on the label, but not canned pumpkin, when Libby's says there's no sugar or starch added? If you're going to worry about what might be in a product, even though the company says there's nothing else in there, why do you eat what you know has sugar in it? I don't get it. But Elaine said it was okay, so it's okay.

That being said, I appreciate most of the feedback I get there. I'm doing the diet just for moral support for my son, so I'm not too worried for me, but I do want to do it right for him.

Tonight we had honey-dijon chicken with broccoli and zucchini noodles. Delicious! The sauce was fantastic over the "noodles". At least the food is good!

[pele]

Lliz , It sounds like you are getting good info with the right attitude. I agree with you completely about the inconsistencies. Most of my favorites are somewhere in these many pages. Like, peanut butter, good, peanuts, bad. Gosh, MY peanut butter is made out of peanuts!! I do think Elaine got a few things mixed up and I think one of the big reasons why the diet works is it eliminates processed food, a concept that got lost somewhere along the way. I'm glad your son is doing this now and not trying it after decades of failed treatment like some people have gone through. He is lucky to have such a supportive family.

BTW, no mandolin or anything similar at Walmart. Did you go to a kitchen specialty store?

And I know nothing about coconut water, but I confess to occasionally eating bananas without spots. Once again, no lightening strikes.

[AliB]

How about, should I say it, eBay? I found quite a few on there here in the UK so you might find some over there. It's worth a look. I have a triangular grater that has blades on one side and find that useful but a mandolin would probably do the job quicker (and without the inclusion of fingernails!). Might get one myself.

In my stir fries I often add carrot 'ribbons'. I've tried making those with a potato peeler but that is very time consuming, and the grater makes the slices a bit too thick. I wonder if you can get mandolins with an adjustable blade height?

[lonewolf]

BTW, no mandolin or anything similar at Walmart. Did you go to a kitchen specialty store?

And I know nothing about coconut water, but I confess to occasionally eating bananas without spots. Once again, no lightening strikes.

My mom got the mandolin for me at Macy's. Probably in north Seattle. She had some super coupon and hit it on a sale day and then got a senior citizen discount and ended up getting it for pretty cheap, apparently. She gave it to me for my birthday, so wouldn't tell me how much it cost.

Apparently there was some huge discussion about coconut water on the other board and people got really upset and argued and had hurt feelings. I can't imagine getting that passionate about coconut. Elaine said it was illegal because she didn't have time to actually analyze it and it wasn't as popular 4-5 years ago when she died. So there are some people who think it should be legal, but because Elaine didn't say it, it can't be. Somehow, there has to be a way to figure out if things are legal or not without Elaine.

Ali - my mandolin makes julienne strips and slices (tomatoes, etc.) in different thickness and makes french fries (chips?) too. It also has a blade to make crinkle cuts in whatever thickness you want. A good one will have several different blades and an adjustment for thin to thick.

[YoloGx]

Am going to do another zucchini casserole--this time with chicken! I think fresh chopped basil is part of the secret. Last time I also added a bunch of chopped celery tops.

I will look for that mandolin food processor here in San Jose, CA--and try ebay too! I'll let you know if I find one...

Bea

PS--I am starting to swab my ears with water that has a several drops of grapefruit seed extract in it to kill off the fungus -- one of the reasons I decided to go off the fruit and honey is that it got bad again. Acch! Anyone else here had that problem? Thus I am sticking with main dishes rather than "desserts"! Just wish I didn't have to of course... Has anyone here had success with getting past persistent fungus/candida overgrowth issue using the scd -- and then been able to eat fruits etc. again?

[AliB]

Yes.

It's been a fairly slow process but at least a gradual one. I wasn't perhaps as disciplined as i ought to have been and that may have sped things up a bit had I done so, but even so, when I think of the walking fungus-factory I was 18 months ago, slathering on the Canesten, etc., at every available moment to how i am now, I can see the progress.

The Canesten has been relegated to the back of the drawer, and all my external signs have radically diminished, which gives me confidence that the internal ones are too.

Being Diabetic I really have to keep my carb intake low and I am sure that has helped a lot. Before, if I wanted to eat anything carby I would just up my insulin - the way that Diabetics are encouraged to 'manage' their diabetes.

In reality of course, upping the insulin just contributes to weight gain and other issues, so low-carb is undoubtedly the best thing - and, as I have learned, is undoubtedly the best thing for everyone, whether Diabetic or not.

Man lived perfectly healthily on a good, pure food, un-meddled with diet for millennia. Along came the Scientists and their 'knowledge', and suddenly we are deluged with a plethora of awful health issues. Hmmm. I wonder why that is?

I do eat a bit of fruit - not a lot. I have an apple for breakfast most days, and I do eat some berries sometimes, and very occasionally I will have a banana.

[YoloGx]

Hi Ali,

Its good to hear that you have improved such that you can have an apple a day etc.

Without the fruit etc. I have improved quite a lot overall, candida/fungus wise. this ear thing has been persistent however. Am not sure if it was brought on by using a cell phone or two courses of heavy duty antibiotics to get rid of the effects of a tick bite--or some combination thereof.

Anyway, here I am. At least its not an allergy like I thought.

And the scd is certainly helping overall...

Bea

[glutengal]

Hi All,

I have a few questions and hope maybe someone can give some insight. I have been having problems with constipation since I went on the gluten free diet (did not have this before). I have been on the diet for a month now. I have increased my fiber, tried prunes and prune juice, ground flaxseed, magnesium, sweet potatoes and lots of water and stick to only fresh meat (chicken and turkey), fruit, vegetables, salad, nuts, brown rice and quinoa and during the first 3 weeks or so had a few pellet sized bm's about every 3-4 days then went 8 days with no bm and then for the last day or so a few pellets again, but this morning kind of feel like a bladder infection may be coming or just frequent urination. Don't know why I would have a bladder infection with all the water I drink let alone still have constipation.

My question is Do you think the SCD can help the constipation? I have been reading some of the thread and the Elaine Gottschall website "Breaking The Vicious Cycle". It just seems so restricted I just don't know. Also a question about the Yoghurt. Can I use regular milk and would using cream also make it better? What kind of pot can I use to make it without having a yoghurt maker. I was also wondering about using a heating pad. I also have looked for dry curd cottage cheese and cannot find any. What is the difference if I use the cream cheese recipe instead of the dry curd cottage cheese?

By the way am was not diagnosed with celiac or gluten intolerance but thought I would try the diet to due my daughters postive response (she had testing by Blood and Biopsy and both were negative). Her headaches, stomach pains, indigestion/gastritis symptoms etc. have gone (she had been on the diet 3 1/2 months). I have hypothyroidism that was diagnosed last year and asthma diagnosed 10 years ago. Family history of asthma and hypothyroid, as well as mother has hypoglycemia. Father was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma last year and has take B-12 injections for years. Thought the diet may help my thyroid and asthma but seems to have caused this constipation problem and am not sure whether to continue with it or not. By the way, I am not having any abdominal pain from the constipation and really have no urge to have a bm. Not sure if something more serious is going on or not and may be just a coincidence that it started when I went gluten free. I am so frustrated I don't know where to turn.

Any suggestions would be greatly accepted and appreciated.

[AliB]

Hiya. I have a similar problem. Dairy seems to exacerbate mine a bit but I am not sure why either. I didn't have any dairy at all apart from the SCD yogurt for about a year or more but now 18 months on I do have a little here and there, which may not be helping things.

I do find magnesium helps a bit and when I am really bunged up Milk of Magnesia is a great help but it doesn't solve the problem.

I have benefitted so much in many other ways by going gluten-free and following the SCD but that is not one of them and I don't know why.

I do think that this has been a problem for me for some years, but was masked by the constant D from the gluten-related IBS (that cleared up after dumping the gluten).

I get a background 'thumping' like a very obvious heartbeat as the 'pressure' rises and which recedes a lot when the 'pressure' is released! Sometimes it is that bad that it feels as though my heart and liver, etc., are being squashed. My blood pressure usually goes up too so there is obviously a link there somewhere.

I had a colonic some months back and that helped for a while. The lady did say that I would probably need to have 3 or 4 sessions to 'get it to go back down' as she put it, but lack of funds has thwarted that at the moment. I just so wish they would offer these things on the NHS here in the UK, but the idea of preventative treatment isn't very high on the agenda. I have a feeling that there may be a bit of a blockage or something in the 'bend' between the transverse and descending colon. She did say that the 'bends' can be problematic for some people

Sometimes it feels better than others but it's not so good at the moment. I've been taking coconut oil and that seemed to help a bit, but I ran out a week or two back (bought some more but it isn't very nice) and am just awaiting another delivery through the mail (different supplier so I hope it is ok).

I too wish I knew what was going on. I hate going through the Medical Profession but am awaiting an appointment for an Ultrasound. Three months, and still waiting...........

I do think that, well, certainly with me, it was only my body's desperate need to get rid of the gluten as quickly as possible that was keeping it all going. It obviously wasn't working properly for a long time (I've had digestive issues most of my adult life and IBS for over 10 years) so it is likely that it will take some time to sort itself out.

I have felt so much better in many other ways, but this is one that doesn't (yet) seem to be responding and I haven't yet figured out why.

[YoloGx]

Hi All,

I have a few questions and hope maybe someone can give some insight. I have been having problems with constipation since I went on the gluten free diet (did not have this before). I have been on the diet for a month now. I have increased my fiber, tried prunes and prune juice, ground flaxseed, magnesium, sweet potatoes and lots of water and stick to only fresh meat (chicken and turkey), fruit, vegetables, salad, nuts, brown rice and quinoa and during the first 3 weeks or so had a few pellet sized bm's about every 3-4 days then went 8 days with no bm and then for the last day or so a few pellets again, but this morning kind of feel like a bladder infection may be coming or just frequent urination. Don't know why I would have a bladder infection with all the water I drink let alone still have constipation.

My question is Do you think the SCD can help the constipation? I have been reading some of the thread and the Elaine Gottschall website "Breaking The Vicious Cycle". It just seems so restricted I just don't know. Also a question about the Yoghurt. Can I use regular milk and would using cream also make it better? What kind of pot can I use to make it without having a yoghurt maker. I was also wondering about using a heating pad. I also have looked for dry curd cottage cheese and cannot find any. What is the difference if I use the cream cheese recipe instead of the dry curd cottage cheese?

By the way am was not diagnosed with celiac or gluten intolerance but thought I would try the diet to due my daughters postive response (she had testing by Blood and Biopsy and both were negative). Her headaches, stomach pains, indigestion/gastritis symptoms etc. have gone (she had been on the diet 3 1/2 months). I have hypothyroidism that was diagnosed last year and asthma diagnosed 10 years ago. Family history of asthma and hypothyroid, as well as mother has hypoglycemia. Father was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma last year and has take B-12 injections for years. Thought the diet may help my thyroid and asthma but seems to have caused this constipation problem and am not sure whether to continue with it or not. By the way, I am not having any abdominal pain from the constipation and really have no urge to have a bm. Not sure if something more serious is going on or not and may be just a coincidence that it started when I went gluten free. I am so frustrated I don't know where to turn.

Any suggestions would be greatly accepted and appreciated.

Hi Gluten Gal,

Being all constipated can put pressure on your bladder, not to speak of your liver and the intestines themselves.

I think its possible the scd could help you against the constipation. It has with me. I don't seem to need to take as much magnesium citrate as I used to. For the diet, you are supposed to go off things like potatoes, yams and sweet potatoes and all grains since their sugars are too complex. The idea is stick with monosaccharides. Squashes and most roots are OK however... Its very possible you are reacting to the grains... Fruit and honey are generally just fine since they are both monosaccharides --and they are good for you assuming if you don't have candida or fungal overgrowth (or eat too much sweets if you have diabetes or are pre-diabetic).

Its also suggested you stay away from things that are mucilaginous (sticky and adhering) like flax seed, kelp, marshmallow root, slippery elm, okra etc. Even pectin is a culprit. The idea is that it bungs up the surface of your intestines and causes more dysbiosis. A revolutionary concept. Seems to help many people here, so it might be worth a try, eh?

What to do instead? I find an easy solution to getting lots of fiber is to use your blender--and blend some summer squash, cucumber and leafy greens with a little water added and whatever other greens you might want. Lots of fiber. Drink one or two tall glasses of that and honestly it will help immensely. The blended drink is also a big green energy boost.

You also might also want to help boost your lazy colon with bitters like dandelion root and either Oregon grape root or yellow dock (the real herbs in a brew or powder in caps but not tinctures if you are gluten sensitive). Herbs like these will help your body release more bile and thus stimulate peristalsis. Best taken half an hour before you eat, but anytime is better than no time...

And then of course there is the daily walk and/or other more vigorous steady exercise. It will help get your colon going. We are not made to be sedentary after all...

As far as the yogurt goes--I make a lot all at once. I put it in one of those big stainless steal soup pots. It holds one and a half gallons. I put it in a bath of water in a very large stainless steel bowl, held up by a stainless steel colander. the bottom of the pot is larger than the bottom of the colander so it lifts it up a little. Thus the heated water on the top of the stove is less likely to burn the milk. Its not necessary to do if you stir it every once in a while while its heating however. Yes whole milk is nicer than skim etc. I often add a little cream, but that's not necessary.

Making this much yogurt at once makes it easy to make your own yogurt cheese which tastes just like cream cheese without the ill effect. (And yes yogurt cheese can replace the dry curd cottage cheese in cooking.) You just strain it through a colander using a small white towel or whatever for roughly 6 or 7 hours. The liquid strained out is whey--and quite delicious. Very nice to add to juice or other drinks; also good in cooking.

Meanwhile, if you have a pilot light in your oven you can use your oven as an incubator for the yogurt. You could also just put in a drop light or some other small light into the oven. Let sit for at least 24 hours. the heating pad trick also works: others here are more expert in its use.

It is also possible that you are one of those people who simply doesn't tolerate yogurt etc. Instead the scd suggests making your own 3 day soured (chopped up) cabbage--started with acidophilus or yogurt. FOS supposedly is counterproductive since it feeds the bad organisms in the gut as well as the good...

Hope this helps!

Bea

[AliB]

I hadn't thought about pectin as being a possible culprit Bea - perhaps my apple a day to keep the Doctor away is not such a good idea after all???

I have some Dandelion, but haven't taken it that much so maybe that might help - certainly its a good liver tonic and that can't be a bad thing.

I have tended to veer more now towards foods and herbs as healing support rather than supplements. I still pop a magnesium tablet here and there but certainly my coccyx is a lot less sore since I stopped the vitamins. I do wonder if they do more harm than good sometimes, especially when they are synthetic (and how do you know???).

We just don't really have any testing procedures over here in the UK for ascertaining nutrient levels, well certainly not comprehensively, and in any case I suspect that what 'they' say is optimum could vary from person to person anyway. It's only if a nutrient is especially low or high that a problem becomes apparent.

Multivitamins are all well and good, but if an individual is low in one thing and high in others, whilst it may help the deficiency, it could be making the high levels worse.

I feel though that when we get our nutrients from food, which is, of course, the way we were intended to get them, the body has ways of balancing out the levels as long as we eat the right mix of foods to supply those nutrients. As Michael Pollan points out, there are almost certainly complex chemical processes going on between the nutrients in the food that we know nothing about, and which would be lacking when the nutrients are broken down into (some of) their component parts. Raw foods also contain complex enzymal processes that are not considered to be of any importance.

Hippocrates said 'let food be thy medicine'. Although much of our food is meddled with it still has to be the optimum way to get nutrition, as long as everything we eat has a good level of nutrition.

Although 18 months sounds like a long time, considering the fact that my health has been compromised most of my life then it is just a drop in the ocean. My body is still trying to sort itself out and it is likely that the C may just be a 'left-over' issue that is still part of 'the work in progress'.

We are so impatient and for obvious reasons want everything done yesterday, but healing takes time. I just sometimes wish there was something I could do to hurry it along a bit though........

[glutengal]

Hi Again

Bea thanks for your reply. I do eat a lot of apples so I am guessing maybe I should cut them out? Again as far as the milk for the yoghurt can I just use regular milk from the store or does it have to be milk without the illegal stuff?

[YoloGx]

Hi Ali and Gluten Gal,

I think apples are supposed to be OK as long as you don't get too carried away with them. But who knows?? I suppose you could try going off them and see if it helps. Berries are supposed to be safer according to some.

I am just glad I now can eat tomatoes in moderation...

As far as vitamins go, I realize they can be tricky. However with celiac most of us suffer from some kind of malabsorpton or other. So we often need supplements. I use the ones from NOW for the most part since they are usually gluten etc. free.

I seem to need the (co-enzyme) B vitamins (from country life) since my nerves and heart get out of whack if I don't. I also definitely take Vit. C and E. I used to need vitamin D more than I do now. Took cod liver oil... Probably should get back to it--though not take as much.

I also often use evening primrose oil for the essential fatty acids. I seem to be low on them still. Tis common for us with celiac to have difficulty absorbing fatty based vitamins and EFA's. And without fruit, I don't get a lot of C from my food.

Plus I still take minerals--of which I sorely need. I take magnesium citrate powder--no additives there--though as I said I take less now than I used to. I used to need 1 teaspoon a day but now only require 1/2 teaspoon a day or I get too mushy (lol!).

I also use E-zorb, a special calcium that is far more absorpable than most. I won't take the kind made from cow's bones even though it works -- due to possible mad cow disease. Call me foolish if you like, but I figure I have got enough to overcome as it is.

I also use liquid trace sea minerals. Difficulty with mineral absorption is also common with celiac, and I have had that in spades. I used to peel my fingernails for pete's sake! Plus my hair was always thin and straight and falling out. Having naturally wavy hair now is such a trip! Am also very glad I can now exercise without hurting myself. The minerals (esp. E-zorb) directly help. If I don't take them I feel my tendons getting weak again... It may be that with all the yogurt I am now eating however I may be able to reduce how much calcium (via E-zorb) I take...

Bea

[YoloGx]

Hi Again

Bea thanks for your reply. I do eat a lot of apples so I am guessing maybe I should cut them out? Again as far as the milk for the yoghurt can I just use regular milk from the store or does it have to be milk without the illegal stuff?

Any milk is fine--though whole milk is better...since its less likely to get scorched.

[glutengal]

Just wondering if you have to use bones for broth in recipes or if you can just boil meats (chicken etc.) and use that broth instead?

[fig girl]

Thanks for posting the link to the prepared food list. I took a look and I see that Elaine approved canned Dole Pineapple. Funny thing is my sweet husband brought some home for me a few weeks ago and it now contains both "clarified pineapple juice concentrate'" and citric acid. Would Elaine still approve, I wonder?

Hmm, that's a good question Pele. I wonder too. I haven't tried any canned pineapple juice since i tried the Welch's grape juice in the beginning of the diet and it didn't seem to agree. I think I'm so sensitive and from having the stomach lining inflammation, preservatives and additives don't agree with me. After finishing the carafate medication my Dr. has prescribed i want to try fresh pineapple.... i hope trying some new SCD foods will agree!

Michelle

[fig girl]

Awhile back we were having a discussion about table salt, even sea salt, containing dextrose, an ingredient that is illegal on the SCD.

I have since switched to using Celtic Sea Salt, which has no addititives and tastes really good. It is supposed to be full of beneficial trace minerals. It costs more but I have decided it is so far superior to refined salt that it is worth it.

Pele - I'm glad you mentioned this and i remember a discussion about it a while back. I meant to call the company of the sea salt i've been using to make sure. It says no additives and the ingredients say just sea salt but i'd like to make sure. It doesn't seem to bother me but when i run out i may look for the Celtic sea salt to try.

[Jestgar]

Just wondering if you have to use bones for broth in recipes or if you can just boil meats (chicken etc.) and use that broth instead?

Boiling the bones releases collagen which adds some flavor and thickens the broth. Using just the meat is fine. If you brown it first in a skillet before boiling you'll get a richer flavor.