Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD)

[YoloGx]

It probably depends on the amount of or where the damage is, too as to how slow or fast a response one gets.

~~~

Bea, can I ask what form you take the olive leaf in? Is it drops, or powdered extract or some other form?

Hi Ali--you are so right about how regaining one's health often takes time. Some see effects soon but for others it is much later. In part depends on how much one was doing to heal beforehand.

Meanwhile I have both read and found that the olive leaf tea is just as effective as the extract. As is I would not recommend the extract since its usually done with alcohol--which for us with gluten difficulties is very suspect.

You can take the straight leaf in a tea or pulverize it into a powder in your blender--or buy it that way. Probably more likely pure if you do the parts themselves at least--as I did. If you make it into a powder its easier for its healing properties to get out without having to boil it. However if you do decide to boil it, it only takes 3 minutes!

At this point I plan to only take 1/2 tsp a day mixed in with other healing herbs for my kidneys, liver and sinuses. However its probably fine just by itself.

Graeme is getting great benefit from it by the way after as I said a rocky start for about 2 or 3 days. He's taking one scant tsp. a day of the powder.

As said, I am having to go more slow (i.e., take 1/2 tsp a day) since my kidneys got all inflamed from taking antibiotics that did not agree with me (clindamycin)--messed with my intestines too. I went to emergency since I obviously had an ear infection plus my eardrum bled. Fortunately the eardrum seems to be recovering. I think I needed something strong but part of me wishes I had started taking the olive leaf to begin with (i.e., a little earlier before it got so bad) since its a specific for that kind of thing.

You are supposed to drink lots of water during the day afterwards--at least 4 cups water during the day after drinking 1/2 of the watered down olive leaf tea. It is that strong... That's why things like dandelion root and yellow dock for instance could help you if your are having trouble dealing with the fungal, microbial and viral etc. die--off better than if you just took the straight olive leaf by itself -- esp. if you have any liver or intestinal issues (lol!).

Echinacea or cleavers can help with the lymphs (like that enlarged node under your armpit!!) to carry off the detritus... Your kidneys could get irritated like mine so thus again the dandelion helps and cleavers -- plus ("nasty" non-scd) marshmallow root which is esp. good against any irritation. My best suggestion is to take half the olive leaf tea in the AM and half towards evening.

Let me know how it works out if you decide to go for it!

Bea

[AliB]

I actually have a tiny olive tree in a pot in the garden and I went out to see what was on it. Apart from three or four tiny little branches with a few spindly leaves there isn't much there - and it is getting on for Winter here now so I don't expect to see any growth until the Spring!

It's too cold for fruit here, but if I could at least get some leaves that would be helpful! I did pick two miniscule ones and have a little nibble - yes they are very bitter - not surprised if the beasties don't like it very much!

I can buy loose dried leaves - is it worth me doing that and grinding or breaking them up for tea? In a way I would rather have the tea than put the powder in capsules because at least then I would be getting them down through my whole gullet. I need to start from the top and let it work down.

How do you take it as a powder? I wonder if I could mix it with coconut oil and take it that way?

[YoloGx]

I actually have a tiny olive tree in a pot in the garden and I went out to see what was on it. Apart from three or four tiny little branches with a few spindly leaves there isn't much there - and it is getting on for Winter here now so I don't expect to see any growth until the Spring!

It's too cold for fruit here, but if I could at least get some leaves that would be helpful! I did pick two miniscule ones and have a little nibble - yes they are very bitter - not surprised if the beasties don't like it very much!

I can buy loose dried leaves - is it worth me doing that and grinding or breaking them up for tea? In a way I would rather have the tea than put the powder in capsules because at least then I would be getting them down through my whole gullet. I need to start from the top and let it work down.

How do you take it as a powder? I wonder if I could mix it with coconut oil and take it that way?

Hi Ali,

Here's info from this one site on olive leaf:

Open Original Shared Link

You can make tea from the powder directly--or just brew up the leaves for 3 minutes or so--or put them in a slow cooker for 6 hours depending on how carried away you want to get. I find just making the tea from the powder that I grind up more than adequate--I make extra and thus most of it sits in the teapot a long time. When its cool I put it in the fridge. I pour half a cup at a time and then add 1/2 cup hot water.

Bea

[pele]

Hi Jesse

After I posted about digestive enzymes I saw your post on another thread saying that you already take them. Oh, well, can I try a stab at something else? You've probably listed somewhere what supplements you are taking... my friends and were joking about all of the bottles of supplemens we have bought and not used because they make us feel worse, not better. Is it possible you are reacting to a supplement? Even a vitamin pill? I have had the kinds of symptoms you describe from taking Vitamin C, magnesium, MSM, aspirin and ibuprofen (not all at the same time!) and also from eating food with citric acid.

Best wishes

[IChaseFrisbees]

Hi there, yeah I tried the naturopath plan (candida diet + endless supplements.) I felt normal crappy and hungry! The new doctor I'm seeing is a pretty interesting guy, he bases all of his work off of the books Nourishing Traditions and the GAPS. When I talked to him about digestive enzymes he said he doesn't use them unless it's totally apparent that they're necessary, because you'll begin to rely on them, so if you can accomplish your goals through diet alone it's best not to get used to a crutch like that.

Right now all I take is fermented cod liver oil, essential oils (omegas and all that), Mutaflor and Bio Kult (which are both probiotics.) I thought at first I might be reacting to one of them, but once I changed my diet from eating too much broth and meat fats I calmed back down to normal crappy after about 4 days.

I've finally reached a point where I think I can figure out what's making me feel crappy; the whole time until now it was just a big sea of reactions. Now it's pretty clear that I'm better when I eat 2-3 times as many veggies as meats every day, which is a little tough with my appetite (veggies aren't very filling and I'm a 19 year old guy who's into weightlifting) but I find if I just start my morning off with a couple of minimally processed, only-spices-added sausages or some other meat and then just boil a buttload of green beans or snow peas I feel pretty good. Then I'm ravenously hungry again in 2 hours, so just rinse and repeat.

I've also been eating apples which were fine cooked, but raw have been a little iffy so I'm not sure if I'll continue that. I think I just need to not challenge my digestive system with too much of anything that's difficult to digest, it feels like a matter of just being in a fragile state.

[IChaseFrisbees]

Hi all, I'm having a rough time digesting fats and meat broths have been too much for me. I'm wondering if the often mentioned bone broth might be okay? I'm thinking that if it's just boiling bones (not whole slabs of meat or entire chickens) and drinking that with the marrow in it it wouldn't have all the fat content of the broths I previously made from entire pieces of meat. Is that right, or are bone broths made from bones that still have meat on them like ribs and such?

Any help is much appreciated, thanks,

-Jesse

[chatycady]

Hi all, I'm having a rough time digesting fats and meat broths have been too much for me. I'm wondering if the often mentioned bone broth might be okay? I'm thinking that if it's just boiling bones (not whole slabs of meat or entire chickens) and drinking that with the marrow in it it wouldn't have all the fat content of the broths I previously made from entire pieces of meat. Is that right, or are bone broths made from bones that still have meat on them like ribs and such?

Any help is much appreciated, thanks,

-Jesse

Yu can buy them either way. I like a little meat on the bones, but if fat is a problem buy just the bones, add your veggies and enjoy. Beef bones make the best tasting bones IMHO!

[YoloGx]

I am experiencing D again. Perhaps from working too hard SAt. through Monday doing some much needed roofing before the rains came. Got it done in the nick of time but the last 2 days I have been running to the bathroom altogether too much. I started combining olive leaf tea with dandelion and yellow dock to counteract the effects of working with all that tar for the roll roofing -- and now realize that was a mistake. I seem to tolerate the olive leaf extract capsules by Now but not the olive leaf tea esp. with the dandelion and yellow dock that has been my standby for years since I tend to be more C than D. So all this D is Very odd, eh? The olive leaf is a strong antifungal, antiviral, anti microbial and anti bacterial, so maybe I should just use that by itself my body seems to be saying. I keep having to learn things the hard way. I plan to go back to the olive leaf caps since they seem to be safer for me.

So meanwhile today I feel all washed out and not inclined to eat much except drink lots of water and eat some 24 hour yogurt...and maybe later some chicken soup.

It seems so far I am having a difficult Fall season despite overall having much improved health (at least up until now) and stamina due to the paleo/scd and staying off all sugars including fruit. That ear infection and concomitant nasty irritating antibiotics I took seem to have really sensitized me far more than usual... Anyone else here had this kind of problem?

Bea

[AliB]

I don't know what is going on with me either. The diet has sorted out such a lot of things, but I just can't get to the bottom of this issue I have with everything swelling up inside. I am sure it is somehow connected to my intestines somewhere as, if I take some milk of magnesia or something that gives me a clear-out, the pressure goes down for a while.

I am getting pretty fed up now. I have been waiting for four months for an ultrasound - and that's just for the appointment. I guess I will have to get on to the Doctor again tomorrow. If the fact that the one I was supposed to have when my digestion collapsed 18 months ago never materialised is anything to go by I don't hold out much hope of ever getting one.

I was so pleased with the progress I was making but the last 6 months have had me struggling with this, and the Medical Profession is just useless. I just wish that the NHS would provide a decent stool analysis service so that I could get a better idea of what is going on down there!

You may be right about the combination of the herbs Bea, they can be very potent and the different chemical processes could perhaps conflict in some way.

The other possibility is though that perhaps your body is trying to get rid of some of the crud that the herbs are dealing with?

[YoloGx]

"You may be right about the combination of the herbs Bea, they can be very potent and the different chemical processes could perhaps conflict in some way.

The other possibility is though that perhaps your body is trying to get rid of some of the crud that the herbs are dealing with?" AliB

Hi Ali. I think you are right on both counts -- too powerful altogether esp. after getting irritated (weakened really) from the antibiotics. Plus just clearing out--shooting out actually--ughh!! Tomorrow I will buy more caps and see if I tolerate them again. So far previously they were fine by themselves. It probably is right my body is clearing itself of all kinds of fungi etc. But this radical detoxing is a bit too much. I want to have a life after all...

So Ali, what is going on?? Wish I lived close by and could be of some aid to help determine what is what. The enlarged lymphs etc. seems worrisome. This is why I suggested the olive leaf. Now I would say take that or the dandelion. Dandelion is very good if you have any heart problems by the way--since its a diahretic which also resupplies you with potassium. Given my example, I wouldn't combine olive leaf with much of anything.

I am finally starting to feel better this early evening--am avoiding all herbs today--and am nibbling on a bit of food now and then. Just drank some hot cinnamon tea with coconut milk and it went down just fine and nothing weird the other end.

Bea

[AliB]

Hi Bea. I went back to the Doc this morning and she is going to chase up the ultrasound. I do think that somehow this is connected to my intestines somewhere. Maybe I have a blockage or something. I could do with a sink plunger to clear it all out!

Purging only seems to knock it back temporarily. The ultrasound is supposed to be abdominal so whether it will pick up anything amiss remains to be seen if I ever get it...........

As I said, it's so frustrating, especially when I have been doing so well in other areas. The lymph thing is of concern but again I suspect that something is preventing it from clearing properly - when I purge, it seems easier for a while, then builds up again. It's only my left side under my armpit. Can't feel any obvious lumps anywhere but the area is just pretty uncomfortable.

I think it has been going on a while. I reckon I first noticed it a couple of years ago - my padded jacket felt uncomfortable under that arm occasionally.

It's not my heart that's the problem although it does get a bit stressed by the end of the day when the days' food is working it's way through down there. That's another reason why I am convinced that it is related to my gut somewhere because by the morning it has all settled down again.

Actually it's not four months I've been waiting ont he ultrasound but six! 8th May the Doc put the request in. I've been back twice to prod about it again, but still nothing. Hopeless. I tell you - the amount of time you have to wait for anything, by the time you get it you're either better, or dead..........

[YoloGx]

Just thought I'd add that my yogurt experiment didn't work. Seems it needs to be heated up beforehand after all. The heat from the pilot light just wasn't enough to make it work given that the milk was so cold and there was so much of it (nearly 2 gallons!). So I heated it up this morning to just before boiling and am now cooling it off. No shortcuts here I guess. And yes I do use store bought Greek yogurt as starter--but these days am buying a larger container of it (a pint) rather than just a cup since it is cheaper that way... Seems to work just fine overall though of course I will find out with this batch once its done. Like I say, we go through it pretty fast.

Bea

[katie may]

Hello everybody,

I have a question about my GI Pro Health yogurt starter. I was going home from college on a break and had the probiotics in the car 5 hours with two frozen "ice"-like bags inside a container. When I got home, though, the bags were room temp. I immediately put the starter in the refrigerator and have made a batch of yogurt. The first batch turned out a little different than what I am used to, like it almost had no taste except for that it was bitter and a more tangy than usual. When I transported the bacteria back, I made sure it was cold and the bottle was even still cool to the touch when I took it out. I made a batch that came off yesterday and it was so bizarre! It was like eating sour cream, thicker than ever before and of a strange consistancy. It also did not taste like the usual yogurt but was indeed more like sour cream. My gut is definitely not happy with me today and I'm a bit concerned.

Have I killed my good bac, or some of it? If the latter's the case, can I just use more starter in future batches and be okay? Has anyone else had a problem like this? Gosh, trying to keep up with these probiotics is like taking care of sea monkeys!

Thank you for the advice!

[AliB]

What was your starter Katie? Are you sure it was ok when you started your journey? Did you use some from your original batch or did you buy some fresh starter yogurt? Elaine always suggested using new fresh yogurt or probiotic culture each time in case of contamination issues.

Whilst we might not want to eat the commercial yogurt it is made under pretty strict conditions and is ok as a starter.

[AliB]

Hi Bea, I have had a moan at my local surgery today. In fact I got pretty narky with them. I rang the Hospital to find out how long the waiting should be for the ultrasound to be told 'four to five weeks'!!! The lady checked and there was no record of the referral from the surgery!

Arrrggghh! Three times now i have been to the surgery to gee them up and the last two times was told it would be chased up, but they obviously didn't do anything. No wonder I have such little faith in the NHS!

I don't know if the fault was from the Doctor or the surgery, or the Hospital but I am pretty gutted. I have been struggling with this for the last 6 months. I have been up and down with it, but it is getting to the point now where the things I have been doing before aren't working so well so I need it to be checked out now.

I am worried that the build-up of toxins in my body is going to lead to something more sinister if it isn't dealt with, but I am in between the 'devil and the deep blue sea' here. I can't deal with this on my own, but I am concerned about the dangers of letting the 'bungling' NHS loose on me too!

They only have two recourses - drugs or surgery and I really don't want either! At least if I could figure out what is going on I might have more idea of which course to take.

I was reading that over-acidity in the body can restrict the lymph pathways so have had some sodium bicarb - just about half a teaspoon in some water. I'll have to see if that helps in any way.

I wouldn't say that I am constipated particularly, but any build-up does seem to impact. I am wondering if part of my intestine is out of place for some reason - well, that's what it feels like anyway. When gas etc., builds up everything seems to get squashed 'oop top'.

[YoloGx]

Hi Bea, I have had a moan at my local surgery today. In fact I got pretty narky with them. I rang the Hospital to find out how long the waiting should be for the ultrasound to be told 'four to five weeks'!!! The lady checked and there was no record of the referral from the surgery!

Arrrggghh! Three times now i have been to the surgery to gee them up and the last two times was told it would be chased up, but they obviously didn't do anything. No wonder I have such little faith in the NHS!

I don't know if the fault was from the Doctor or the surgery, or the Hospital but I am pretty gutted. I have been struggling with this for the last 6 months. I have been up and down with it, but it is getting to the point now where the things I have been doing before aren't working so well so I need it to be checked out now.

I am worried that the build-up of toxins in my body is going to lead to something more sinister if it isn't dealt with, but I am in between the 'devil and the deep blue sea' here. I can't deal with this on my own, but I am concerned about the dangers of letting the 'bungling' NHS loose on me too!

They only have two recourses - drugs or surgery and I really don't want either! At least if I could figure out what is going on I might have more idea of which course to take.

I was reading that over-acidity in the body can restrict the lymph pathways so have had some sodium bicarb - just about half a teaspoon in some water. I'll have to see if that helps in any way.

I wouldn't say that I am constipated particularly, but any build-up does seem to impact. I am wondering if part of my intestine is out of place for some reason - well, that's what it feels like anyway. When gas etc., builds up everything seems to get squashed 'oop top'.

Wow Ali--they really goofed didn't they! If I were you I would do the irate patient thing to get them moving. Talk to your doctor about it, tell her how upset you are and let her exert more pressure on them.

I agree--if you can avoid surgery or drugs its always best. Nevertheless its a good idea to get checked out to see what is happening.

Meanwhile I have read more about the dandelion root. It not only is an effective diuretic and a gentle but effective and non addictive laxative (since it helps the body release bile to promote intestinal peristalsis), but it also is helpful for regulating the blood sugar for both hypoglycemia and diabetes plus it improves the body's ability to digest and regulate fats.

Hope you get some action with your doctors soon!

Bea

[AliB]

Thank Bea, yes, if I don't start getting results I will start stamping my feet! I have let it go too long - I suppose because I had manage to deal with it to a certain extent I just let it slide, but it's got ridiculous now.

it just shows - if you are good and patient, nothing ever gets done. I suspect that those that do are the ones who can shout the loudest!

Every day there is yet another report of some bungling by the NHS.

Interestingly I picked up this report from another forum -

[YoloGx]

The poster ended up by saying that he is a professionally-trained lawyer. His advice to us is to cash in all our bonds and savings and send it all to him. As he points out, if we wouldn't do that, then why would we entrust our precious health to the care of a stranger - professionally-trained or otherwise whose abilities we have no knowledge of or trust in?

Our health is our responsibility. We need to be very careful who we let loose on it!

[pele]

Hi all, I'm having a rough time digesting fats and meat broths have been too much for me. I'm wondering if the often mentioned bone broth might be okay? I'm thinking that if it's just boiling bones (not whole slabs of meat or entire chickens) and drinking that with the marrow in it it wouldn't have all the fat content of the broths I previously made from entire pieces of meat. Is that right, or are bone broths made from bones that still have meat on them like ribs and such?

Any help is much appreciated, thanks,

-Jesse

Jesse

If you put the broth in the fridge any fat will float to the top and harden, unless you are buying commercial broth with an emulsifier.

[AliB]

I think there is definitely something in this acid/alkaline thing. I have been revisiting Robert Young's pH Miracle books.

I followed the diet for a few weeks about 3 years ago and it seemed pretty good. all my Candida symptoms went away, the IBS cleared up and my blood sugars were virtually normal.

Unfortunately though by the fourth week I had developed a very uncomfortable stomach and by the fifth week had to knock the diet on the head. Now I am wondering if either perhaps I had overdone the alkalizing too much too soon, or I suppose it might have even been the bugs complaining. Who knows? If I had been able to persevere with it though I might have come out the other side a lot better off.

The acid thing does make a lot of sense. The body will do everything it can to keep the blood pH at an optimum level - even to the point of leaching calcium out of the bones. It hives excess acids off into the fat cells to deal with at a 'later date' which never comes because we are still eating more acid-producing foods. If the acids settle in places like the Pancreas - which can't produce insulin if the fluid surrounding the islets is too acid then Diabetes occurs.

Acidity encourages pathogenic bacterial activity, and yeasts and even cancers. Pathogenic bacteria, yeasts and cancer cells thrive on sugars, and what does sugar produce? Acid. It seems that even placid microbes and yeasts can become pathogenic in an acid environment.

I am cross now that the stomach issue put me off continuing with the diet. I should have done more investigation at the time and perhaps adjusted it.

I wonder now if the awful stomach pain and raging IBS I was getting when I was taking the Byetta was because the drug was forcing my body to lose weight and it couldn't cope with the subsequent fall-out acid release! Then the cycle was continued because the collapse of my digestion meant I could hardly eat anything and lost even more weight.

When I had the set-back in April I had been taking quite a lot of different herbal stuff - anti-parasitic/Candida etc., and maybe the resulting die-off, and perhaps even some of the herbs themselves triggered even more acid release!

Funny you mentioned about Dandelion, because that is one of the herbs mentioned in the book as being good at helping to remove acids from the body. There are quite a few, but I picked up on that one specifically.

Having taken the bicarb last night it does feel a bit easier this morning. An over-acid system would encourage lots of fermentation activity. I did burp quite a bit after and release a load of gas and that eased it, so it was worth it just for that!

It seems, and makes sense that the balanced mix of the bicarbs - magnesium, calcium, potassium and sodium would be better, but the soda has to be better than nothing at all.

That may be another area that the SCD fits in pretty well with - alkalizing. Perhaps it helps because it reduces the acidity level in the body - certainly removing grains, starches, sugar and dairy would radically reduce the acid-load to the body. Perhaps Elaine was on the right track but didn't actually realise what the real underlying reason was for its success. Yes, if you take out those foods it does help get the 'beasties' under control, but it also helps the body to rebalance its pH level and perhaps that is the key.

Who knows, maybe the gluten intolerance is also linked in to the acidity too? The gluten is found in an acid-producing food. It is interesting that when people develop other intolerances they are often to other carb foods - also acid-forming, and perhaps other foods that threaten the balance too.

So I am going to go with the Alkalizing for a while - it isn't that different from the SCD after all. It certainly does answer a few questions and may just be the piece of the puzzle that is missing - well, certainly as far as the lymph/swelling thing is concerned, because I am convinced that it is something to do with my digestive tract somewhere. If I can alkalize my body back to where it should be then hopefully I can be shot of the 'beasties' completely.

[YoloGx]

Hi Ali,

I agree eating more vegetables is always good. Is that what you mean by a more alkalyzing diet? Or are you also going to go the vegetarian route and avoid meat for a while? Hope you can eat beans and nuts...

Bea

[Lynayah]

A couple quick questions about yogurt making. I'm sure the answers must already be in this thread somewhere, but it will take me weeks to get through all of them . . . I'm looking forward to it, though. Thank you for this thread!

What is the best yogurt maker? I have a Salton with a cracked lid and am looking into buying a new one. I've seen some recommend Yogourmet -- is this the best, do you think?

Is using Fage plain, all natural a good starter to use? Is it as good as using a packaged starter? Is Yogourmet the best packaged starter?

All opinions appreciated. It has been a while since I've made homemade yogurt, and I'm looking forward to getting back into it. I want to to it the very best, most healing way possible.

Thank you!

[AliB]

The pH Miracle Diet does run along similar lines to the SDC, except that it focuses heavily on raw fresh green veg and fish as pretty much the only animal protein. It doesn't include the yogurt or any dairy, no probiotics, no grains, starches or sugars except perhaps once you have been following it a while and your pH is more balanced, a little agave or raw honey.

Some acid-forming foods might be ok in small amounts if eaten with plenty of alkaline ones to balance it, but our Western diet high in protein, carbs, sugar and dairy is very high in mostly acid-forming foods which is understandably unbalancing our body chemistry.

When people talk about the pH value, they are generally addressing the blood pH. The body will do whatever it can to keep the blood pH at the right level. That might mean robbing other areas of the body of essential minerals in order to do that.

Of course, many of those with gluten intolerance have gut damage and that may impact on the body's ability to digest and absorb those essential nutrients. It is even more imperative that these ones get the very best nutritious value from their food.

It becomes a vicious cycle - the more damage, the less nutrition, the more damage, etc.

Obviously different areas of the body need to be more acidic or alkaline depending on what their function is, it is the areas that are out of balance that are the worrying ones.

For a while I got stuck on the 'pathogenic microbes' thing, and yes, I do feel that they do exist, however I now believe that the pathogens are a result, not a cause. If these 'pathogens' are taken out of the environment they are in and placed in a different one, generally they will die. If we have extremely acidic and toxic bodies due to bad food choices then the microbes will move in and do what they are designed to do - break it down.

If our teeth are rotting it's not the bacteria that cause it, although they will be found on decay, but over-acidity in the mouth. Robert Young actually saw microbes change in fresh blood, or 'pleomorph' into a different form. That made him realise that many of these microbial forms have the ability to change into whatever form they are needed for whatever purpose.

It is absolutely fascinating and throws the whole idea of germ theory completely on its head. It does answer many questions such as why one person will 'catch' a disease and another won't. After all, the plant is only as good as the soil it is grown in.

I actually had a bad night. I took the Bicarb just before bed. Bad idea. Lots of gurgling, gas, belching and leg thrashing! Still, it does sound as if the bicarb was doing what it is supposed to do - counteract the acid.

I was only thinking too, if organs like my Pancreas can stop working properly, perhaps due to the years of damaging food and over-acidity, what if its' generation of bicarb that is supposed to occur in the duodenum area as the food is going down is also impaired? That in itself could result in a digestive tract that is far more acid than it should be. Maybe it, like the insulin production has worn itself out trying to neutralize all that highly acidic food I have been scoffing for the last 50 years!

The more acidic environment would encourage things like Candida - which if the above 'theory' is true will only prosper in that wrong environment. Soil - water - food - plant. A never ending cycle. Give the soil bad food and suffer the result.............

[roxnhead]

Ali,

How does one know if they are too acidic or alkaline? What testing is done if it is not blood? As always its encouraging to hear your thoughts. You are always asking why? This is just like myself, I do not accept the status quo. There must be some reason, deficiency, problem with the way our digestive system is working/not working that leads to gut dysbiosis/SIBO and the many food intolerances that more people seem to be having each day. How does our environment have such an effect on so many peoples digestive difficulties? Surely the 60's - 80's didn't see as much G.I. issues and their diets were just as bad. It can't all be diet? I believe there is a genetic component, environment and ??? your thoughts. I thought that an acidic environment is needed to keep the beasties at bay? That having low acid gives the beasties an ideal environmnet? Donna

[YoloGx]

A couple quick questions about yogurt making. I'm sure the answers must already be in this thread somewhere, but it will take me weeks to get through all of them . . . I'm looking forward to it, though. Thank you for this thread!

What is the best yogurt maker? I have a Salton with a cracked lid and am looking into buying a new one. I've seen some recommend Yogourmet -- is this the best, do you think?

Is using Fage plain, all natural a good starter to use? Is it as good as using a packaged starter? Is Yogourmet the best packaged starter?

All opinions appreciated. It has been a while since I've made homemade yogurt, and I'm looking forward to getting back into it. I want to to it the very best, most healing way possible.

Thank you!

Hi--and welcome Lynayah!

I don't know if it matters what kind of yogurt maker you use except that you want to make it so it stays on for at least 24 hours.

The idea in general for making yogurt is that you first heat the milk to almost boiling (roughly 175 degrees--or where the milk is starting to froth and about to boil) in a double boiler with water in the lower pot or (as I do) in a large pot placed in an even larger perhaps more open pot or stainless steel bowl with water in it. I use a large colander under the pot with the yogurt in it. Others just put the milk in large jars... Then let it cool sufficiently so that the milk no longer is so hot it will kill the yogurt (roughly 100 degrees or so).

I just put my large stainless steel pot into my old fashioned oven which always has the pilot light on. Alternatively one could put a drop light in (turned on) --or as many do put a heating pad on the lowest setting under the pot or jar of yogurt with a towel wrapped around the jar.

I have found (as others have here too) that using a small 1 cup package of Greek yogurt is best (plain and without additives of course) as the starter. From it use 2 or 3 tablespoons of yogurt, mix in with some of the warmed milk til runny and then stir into the milk with a wire whisk. Put the milk in the oven or yogurt maker or whatever and wait. You can let the milk sit even longer for even better results. The yogurt won't be as firm as store bought since no pectin, gelatin or added milk solids are put in there. However it is much better for you since all the lactose will have been digested out from the yogurt by the acidophilus etc.

I recently bought 2 cups of Greek yogurt to use as a starter. However after a while it lost its usual integrity9began to separate with whey rising to the top), and made less than perfect yogurt--so from now on I'm just getting the one cup at a time to use as starter.

You can make yogurt cheese too afterward, by dripping the yogurt over a colander lined with a while cloth for about 5 or 6 hours. It makes a delicious cream cheese. The resultant whey is good to keep by the way--useful in drinks to add to juice or in cooking. Has lots of acidophilus in it.

Bea