Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD)

[glutengal]

Hi Ali,

Just wondering if you did the constipation protocol first or not. I am a little confused because it states to do the intro diet for 2 days and the introduce the muffins (not sure which ones) one per day along with cooked and peeled fruits and vegetables but I thought the peeled fruits and vegetables were not added until Stage 1 of the diet, and just legal juice and gelatin during the intro diet or is the constipation protocol completely different. Also how long would I stay on the constipation protocol? Would I then go back to the regular intro diet with the chicken soup etc. after completing the constipation protocol or just go on to Stage 1 of the diet. It is just a bit confusing to me and I would appreciate any help from anyone who may know.

Also with the homemade yoghurt is the dripped yoghurt the same as the drained yoghurt for the cream cheese to replace the dry curd cottage cheese?

Thanks and sorry for all the crazy questions.

[AliB]

Chicken broth has been used for centuries as not only food but for healing purposes. As has been mentioned you get collagen from the bones but also properties from the marrow, calcium and other minerals from the bones themselves.

Funnily enough I was reading about the benefits of chicken broth earlier today, but can't for the life of me remember where!

Whereas soup can be knocked up fairly quickly, broth is made through long slow cooking - top chefs will tell you the difference - they use broth as a base for a lot of their meals. The long cooking draws out all the minerals and nutrients in the bones, cartilage, flesh, etc.

My only concern with broth these days is from how the birds have been fed. If you want to make broth, personally I would feel that you may be better off using corn-fed birds rather than grain-fed, and organically reared free-range even better if you can get it/afford it. I do worry about the transfer of things like antibiotics etc.

[katie may]

Hi there

I was just wondering, a lot of the time with Leaky Gut, Celiac, and even in Breaking the Vicious Cycle, diarrhea is emphasized as a major problem, but seriously D would be sweet relief for me right now. Is there anyone else who has trouble with chronic C? I have been trying to do the SCD but have worse C than I've had in a while, though I don't notice any other signs. I've been trying my best to relieve it naturally like by drinking water and eating fiber (hard not to on the SCD!). Can anyone relate or offer suggestions for help? Because Elaine talks about D so often, I feel like some of what she says doesn't apply to me. Is that true, or is what's good for getting rid of D also good for getting rid of C? Does anyone know if there's different procedure for people with C? If you have suggestions or advice I'd love to hear it!

Oh and is decaf coffee at full strength considered "weak" since it hardly has caffiene?

Thank you all!

[AliB]

C has been more of a problem for me since dumping gluten and especially if I eat any dairy.

My IBS used to manifest as chronic D but I suspect that is because the reaction I had from gluten was stronger than the reaction from dairy and that didn't show up until I removed gluten.

You haven't said how long you have been following the SCD. Certainly during the first two or three months my bowels went through the whole gamut and back again and eventually settled down, but lately C has reared its ugly head.

Like I said I think it probably always was a bit of an issue, just masked by the gluten. Quite why I don't know. I take magnesium which helps, and if it is really bad sometimes milk of magnesia will help.

I was taking coconut oil for a while and that helped too, but I have run out and am trying to get hold of a decent supply at the moment.

My body is gradually healing on the diet and I do feel that the C is just part of the 'work in progress' that will sort itself out eventually.

Although plenty of fiber is often touted as a requirement for treating C I'm not too sure about that. The Inuit seem to manage perfectly well on their extremely low carb (and fiber) diet. Bodies that have been used to being bombarded with loads of carbs and gluten and processed stuff have to readapt to the different diet and that can take time.

As annoying as it is, it is only one of three or four health issues left out of a list of at least thirty that are still bothering me so I have plenty to be grateful to the diet for.

[glutengal]

Hi Katie May

Thanks for your reply yesterday about constipation. I definitely can sympathize with you. Just wondering if you read the Pecanbread website that has a protocol for constipation and if so did you try it. If you have any luck please let me know as I will do the same. I too have been drinking more than my share of water and eating lots of fiber to no avail. I am just not sure about the SCD as it seems that you are not having much luck with it and it is so restrictive. I am going to the doctor Thursday and will make my decision soon. Lots of luck to you and hope you feel better soon.

Mitzi

[Mtndog]

Just wanted to let you all know that I experienced technical difficulties when merging the posts from "Chronic C and the SCD" posts into this thread. We are working on resolving the issue which changed the title of this thread. Thanks, Beverly

[AliB]

Hi Mitzi and Katie. I think that this is sending out negative vibes. Whilst you Katie, and I, and one or two others have had this problem, it is not necessarily usual to the diet. There are many others who have reversed their C through following the diet.

Personally, I just think it all boils down to what your individual gut damage is, and where it is. While the vast majority of us have benefitted in many different ways, we don't all benefit in the same way, because we are all different and have different issues.

Whilst it is not pleasant at the moment, and is always sensible to get it checked out to be on the safe side, some things just take longer to sort themselves out than others, and it is sometimes just a case of hanging in there.

I hope that once I get a good source of coconut oil and get back to taking it again that will help. It comes back to the point thought that what helps one person doesn't necessarily help another, and it is often just a case of experimenting with different things until you find a protocol that works.

I had a Colonic done a few months back and that helped quite a bit. Really I should have had two or three more sessions but I couldn't afford it unfortunately. Some have tried Colon cleansing herbs, psyllium, and things like that. I find that the magnesium and a few figs are helpful, as is restricting the dairy.

I hope that you both are able to find a way to ease things.

[glutengal]

Hi Mitzi and Katie. I think that this is sending out negative vibes. Whilst you Katie, and I, and one or two others have had this problem, it is not necessarily usual to the diet. There are many others who have reversed their C through following the diet.

Personally, I just think it all boils down to what your individual gut damage is, and where it is. While the vast majority of us have benefitted in many different ways, we don't all benefit in the same way, because we are all different and have different issues.

Whilst it is not pleasant at the moment, and is always sensible to get it checked out to be on the safe side, some things just take longer to sort themselves out than others, and it is sometimes just a case of hanging in there.

I hope that once I get a good source of coconut oil and get back to taking it again that will help. It comes back to the point thought that what helps one person doesn't necessarily help another, and it is often just a case of experimenting with different things until you find a protocol that works.

I had a Colonic done a few months back and that helped quite a bit. Really I should have had two or three more sessions but I couldn't afford it unfortunately. Some have tried Colon cleansing herbs, psyllium, and things like that. I find that the magnesium and a few figs are helpful, as is restricting the dairy.

I hope that you both are able to find a way to ease things.

Ali, Sorry I wasn't intending any of my problems to send negative vibes about the SCD as I haven't even tried the diet yet. I was just wondering if anyone else had any luck with their constipation by doing the SCD. Please don't anyone take this as a way of discouraging you from giving the SCD a try as I may do so myself to see if it can be of any help to me. Hope this clarifies any misunderstanding as to the whether the diet can be helpful to others. Apologies.

Mitzi

[AliB]

Hi Mitzi. I wasn't particularly pointing any finger at you, just making an observation. And yes, some have found that the SCd has helped their C........or D.

Why not join in to the main SCD thread and chat with us there. The Moderators prefer us to keep all things SCD on that thread if possible (otherwise it might threaten to overrun the forum!).

Those who are following the diet and have been for some time 'congregate' on there and will be more than happy to answer any questions or give any tips or experience needed. Just jump in at the last current page (you're welcome to read the whole thread if you fancy a challenge but it's now at 150-odd pages and still rising........!)

[lonewolf]

Hi everyone. Just wanted to pop in and say hi and see how everyone is doing. I'm on overload trying to get all this cooking done for 6 people and work 4 days a week. It's actually easier to cook SCD for everyone (not that it's easy), rather than try to cook SCD for 3, gluten-free for one and "regular" for 2. We all eat the same thing for breakfast and dinner and the non SCD'ers pack their own lunches. I'm still busy baking muffins and almond butter brownies and planning and cooking everything. I'm trying to get some weight back on my son. He eats at least 3 times what I do and he's not gaining, but I am. Life is so not fair...

As for the question about SCD and "C". I say try it out. I'd be totally amazed if anyone could stay constipated on this diet, unless they stopped drinking water or something.

[katie may]

Hi Mitzi and Katie. I think that this is sending out negative vibes. Whilst you Katie, and I, and one or two others have had this problem, it is not necessarily usual to the diet. There are many others who have reversed their C through following the diet.

Personally, I just think it all boils down to what your individual gut damage is, and where it is. While the vast majority of us have benefitted in many different ways, we don't all benefit in the same way, because we are all different and have different issues.

Whilst it is not pleasant at the moment, and is always sensible to get it checked out to be on the safe side, some things just take longer to sort themselves out than others, and it is sometimes just a case of hanging in there.

Hello everybody!

I just want to say that even though I am going through a rough patch with C, when first starting the diet (it hasn't been 2 months) I started having BMs like I hadnt since before all the troubles began, several years ago now. I believe I'm just going through either a relapse or I've encountered something that's upset my system. My almost over-busy schedule doesn't help either. One reason I can still be dedicated to the SCD after this is because of that Joy(!) I had when things started moving in a better direction (if you catch my drift). I still encourage anyone still struggling w/ C - the grains aren't worth it! All my other symptoms are mostly and most of the time GONE, something I should have mentioned sooner. I may be full of poo but I don't feel like poo anymore! (sorry if that was too gross but I mean it). Hanging in there sounds like just the thing to do!

[YoloGx]

I had a very bad reaction to cheddar cheese. My old injuries in my sacrum and L-5 acted up, are all inflamed with puffy lumps. Seems I still am allergic to all cheese, except for the yogurt cheese. Am crossing my fingers that it will be OK to cook with it. Aargh!

This is so frustrating. So much pain. It will pass however. Am basically having to revert to my old diet with no cheese or fruit (except lemons), honey or nuts; though I am staying on the scd by using the 24 hour yogurt and staying off mucilaginous items as well as complex saccharides --therefore no sweet potatoes or yams or potatoes. At some point I will try eggs again. But right now I fear doing anything out of my normal parameters food wise...

I just have to learn patience all over again. Pain is all too great a teacher!

Bea

[IChaseFrisbees]

Hey everybody, this thread is intimidating! I'm supposed to be starting the GAPS diet (which is basically the SCD) and I have a few questions about yogurt and fermented veggies. I'm a college student going back to school on monday and I don't feel confident in my ability to handle this stuff! Are there any commercial brands of yogurt or sourkrout that are okay? I'm not sure I'll be up to making everything myself in addition to all the cooking I'll have to do...

Thanks,

-Jesse

[katie may]

Hey everybody, this thread is intimidating! I'm supposed to be starting the GAPS diet (which is basically the SCD) and I have a few questions about yogurt and fermented veggies. I'm a college student going back to school on monday and I don't feel confident in my ability to handle this stuff! Are there any commercial brands of yogurt or sourkrout that are okay? I'm not sure I'll be up to making everything myself in addition to all the cooking I'll have to do...

Thanks,

-Jesse

Hey Jesse,

I'm a student at Western Carolina University in NC and live in a dorm (without a kitchen!). One thing I have to say, you can do it! I don't know how restricted your diet already, or how much of a change this will be for you, but no worries. I want to encourage you to buy a yogurt maker (I use a EuroCuisine electric) with single serving jars as far as that goes - it's not so hard to make, I promise. I've found a way to do it here in my room. I don't even boil the milk and like the yogurt from that better than with it boiled. Hang in there, friend, and do your best to find (legal) shortcuts. Yeah, it's a busy life but so worth it!

Best wishes!

[Rhoger1]

Hi everyone....need some advice. I'm on SCD for 4 months and starting a Candida treatment of Coconut oil, no honey, fruits etc. I;m adding Garlic and see K yolic is a recommended option, but was wondering if hits SCD legal or if anyone is taking it and which type. Thanks

[IChaseFrisbees]

Hey Jesse,

I'm a student at Western Carolina University in NC and live in a dorm (without a kitchen!). One thing I have to say, you can do it! I don't know how restricted your diet already, or how much of a change this will be for you, but no worries. I want to encourage you to buy a yogurt maker (I use a EuroCuisine electric) with single serving jars as far as that goes - it's not so hard to make, I promise. I've found a way to do it here in my room. I don't even boil the milk and like the yogurt from that better than with it boiled. Hang in there, friend, and do your best to find (legal) shortcuts. Yeah, it's a busy life but so worth it!

Best wishes!

Hi, thanks for responding! I guess I'll have to look into it...it seems very daunting, all the yogurt making and fermenting (though right now I'm eating buckwheat/quinoa and the soaking of everything in advance is making me want to pull my hair out.) I feel like I'm going to be making bone broth soups every day, just for the ease factor (I'm not much of a cook.) A question about that, I'm supposed to get meat for the broth with the bones sliced to get at the marrow, do you just ask the butcher to do that for you/is it a strange request, and if so how do I make that transaction go smoothly? I already feel like kind of a weirdo you know?

Thanks,

-Jesse

[AliB]

Hi Rhodger. I went into the website and had a look at the 100 and the 100 vegetarian - couldn't see anything that would be problematic. Whey found in the 100 prep is a constituent of yogurt anyway (the veggie one doesn't have that).

They seem ok to me. Whatever garlic you do take don't bother with the odorless stuff - the main active ingredients are in the smell! Eating fresh garlic would be even better, but if you can eat raw garlic, you're a better man than I would ever be (and I'd never be one of those!). I have tried and it nearly blew my head off!

Maybe it depends on the type of garlic though. Apparently there are lots of different types. Maybe some are milder than others. And I just thought garlic was garlic!

[Lynayah]

Thank you for all the posts here!

[Ms Jan]

Hi, thanks for responding! I guess I'll have to look into it...it seems very daunting, all the yogurt making and fermenting (though right now I'm eating buckwheat/quinoa and the soaking of everything in advance is making me want to pull my hair out.) I feel like I'm going to be making bone broth soups every day, just for the ease factor (I'm not much of a cook.) A question about that, I'm supposed to get meat for the broth with the bones sliced to get at the marrow, do you just ask the butcher to do that for you/is it a strange request, and if so how do I make that transaction go smoothly? I already feel like kind of a weirdo you know?

Thanks,

-Jesse

Hi Jesse,

Just take it one step at a time. It seems daunting at first, but soon it becomes a habit and second nature just like brushing your teeth and contact lenses etc ...

I've done the SCD for 7.5 months now with very good results without the yogurt or any other fermented foods. Instead I take probiotics daily. Since I don't do well with the SCD baked stuff, nor anything cooked with many ingredients, and due to other intolerances, my diet is really basic: vegetables, non-sugary fruit, chicken, canned tuna and raw whole nuts. But in many ways it just makes the SCD easier to deal with, as it simplifies the cooking a lot. Most of the time I have sauteed vegetables or a salad, and add in either chicken or tuna. Such basic meals could be made on a 'camp-cooker' with a single electric burner in your room. And if you have no problems with meat/fish in general, this of course can be varied endlessly. If you stock up on nuts, you also have something to keep you full throughout the lectures.

We all go through a period of adjusting to the diet, also as to which foods agree with us or not. So don't worry if you make mistakes - just accept that there'll probably be a bit of trial and error for you in the beginning.

As to the soup, I've only ever made the chicken broth, for which I just buy the chicken whole and cut it up myself, or buy pre-cut pieces. As to other meats, I'm sure someone else here knows ...

Good luck!

Jan

[lonewolf]

Does anyone have a favorite dairy free SCD bread recipe that is fairly easy to make? My son would like a sandwich and I would too! It would make packing lunches a little easier and give him some more calories. Right now he usually takes 2 beef or turkey burgers with ketchup and mustard in a sandwich bag.

Thanks!

[YoloGx]

Does anyone have a favorite dairy free SCD bread recipe that is fairly easy to make? My son would like a sandwich and I would too! It would make packing lunches a little easier and give him some more calories. Right now he usually takes 2 beef or turkey burgers with ketchup and mustard in a sandwich bag.

Thanks!

I think there is a recipe or two for bread suitable for sandwiches in Elaine's Breaking the Vicious Cycle book. Haven't tried them myself however since I am allergic to nuts.

Bea

[lonewolf]

I'm hoping to find a "tried and true" recipe. After years of experimenting with gluten-free breads, I just want something that someone else has had success with. All the good looking recipes call for yogurt or cheese.

[pele]

Hi Liz

I don't have a bread recipe but I was thinking about the canned pumpkin issue. According to the book, BTVC, frozen vegetables are legal as long as they don't have sugar or starch added. So, frozen winter squash is pretty much the same thing as canned pumpkin. Both may actually be Hubbard squash or butternut. So why not use frozen winter squash?

And for canned coconut milk, Natural Value non-organic has no listed additives and is most definitely lumpy and doesn't look emulsified.

I think we all need to be grown ups and make our own decisions on whether to use these products. IMO it is silly to use products like a certain brand of bottled grape juice just becasue Elaine said it's okay despite overwhelming evidence that the product has changed for the worse.

Which leads me to a question: If you use unapproved canned tomatoes, does that mean you are not on the SCD, even if you are drinking Welch's grape juice from concentrate and it makes you sick????

[AliB]

I agree with Pells - at the end of the day what works for one doesn't work for another. I mean, to start with many have problems with even SCD 'legal' foods and although that may improve over time, they may still have issues with one or two foods.

It has to be a 'rule of thumb' to a certain extent. There are certain principles involved here.

What is particularly obvious to me and has become more so is the 'low-carb' element of the diet. Yes, it includes some carbs, but they are at the natural and lower end of the scale. As it is the high-carb consumption that is driving a lot of our health issues that makes a whole heap of sense, but even with the SCD we still have to be sensible.

If all we ate was the carb element of the diet then we may find that we are still having problems.

Whilst low-carb works well for me as a Diabetic, you don't have to be Diabetic to have insulin issues. Insulin issues and sugar imbalance can be responsible for a whole heap of problems. Like a lot of these diseases Diabetes is just the extreme end of an underlying long-term problem.

I had problems with carbs and my digestion years before I ever was finally diagnosed Diabetic. It really surfaced in my teens when I became a chubby adolescent and along with that went years of hypos. But even skinny people can have insulin problems. Those who gain weight easily have too much insulin floating around, those who can't gain very well may well have too little. Whichever one it is it is driven by carbs.

As far as fats are concerned, I know that some have issues with fats. I can't help wondering if that may be because perhaps they have followed the low-carb ethic in the past and their gall-bladders have not had the 'work-out' that they should. Like muscles that are under-used, the gall-bladder can atrophy.

After all, we have been provided with a gall-bladder exactly for that purpose. If we weren't designed to eat fats then we wouldn't need one. Gall-stones probably form because the gall-bladder is not 'swept clean' often enough by fat consumption to expel the debris - but then if it was perhaps there wouldn't be any debris to start with!

[lonewolf]

Pele - Thanks for the comments. I admit it, I'm lazy when it comes to pumpkin. I actually used to grow my own and cook them and make truly homemade pies. But it wasn't as good as Libby's! As for the coconut milk, I'll look into Natural Value. I think it's pretty clear when something like that doesn't have emulsifiers. Since coconut milk is not supposed to be sweet, it doesn't make sense that there would be undeclared sugars in there either.

I'm sure you've been following the debate over on the other forum. I'm afraid I started some of it by asking so many questions about why certain things weren't legal. Others obviously feel the same way about products that Elaine said were legal - some of the info is outdated. When I look on a company's website and see that they make a point to say that there is nothing added to their tomatoes I wonder why I shouldn't believe them. But then I wonder why companies like Muir Glen will only say that their whole tomatoes are safe. I bought some Eden Organics whole Roma tomatoes and haven't been brave enough to try them yet, even though their website looks good. I found large cans for 59 cents at a grocery outlet by my house. But then again, the whole point seems moot when Elaine said you can have bacon that has sugar on the label if it's only once a week. Why can't I have canned tomatoes that might have sugar once a week instead?

I think your earlier comment about the SCD getting away from the original intent - to avoid processed foods - was right on. In a perfect world I would grow all my own fruits and vegetables and can them myself and make every ingredient from scratch. But for most of us, that's not possible. My reality is that I work, have a husband and 4 hungry kids and need to use a few convenience items when I can. There's a difference between buying a can of organic tomatoes to make sauce and buying Ragu.

I think you should find grapes from a farmer, stomp on them yourself and make your own grape juice . That way you would KNOW that you are truly on the SCD.

Hi Liz

I don't have a bread recipe but I was thinking about the canned pumpkin issue. According to the book, BTVC, frozen vegetables are legal as long as they don't have sugar or starch added. So, frozen winter squash is pretty much the same thing as canned pumpkin. Both may actually be Hubbard squash or butternut. So why not use frozen winter squash?

And for canned coconut milk, Natural Value non-organic has no listed additives and is most definitely lumpy and doesn't look emulsified.

I think we all need to be grown ups and make our own decisions on whether to use these products. IMO it is silly to use products like a certain brand of bottled grape juice just becasue Elaine said it's okay despite overwhelming evidence that the product has changed for the worse.

Which leads me to a question: If you use unapproved canned tomatoes, does that mean you are not on the SCD, even if you are drinking Welch's grape juice from concentrate and it makes you sick????