Specific Carbohydrate Diet Support

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David

David

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About
Please see our wiki entry on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet for full details as to what it is. But in short, it is a diet developed long ago by Elaine Gottschal that theorizes that certain carbohydrates (sugars and starches) should be avoided as they can lead to or greatly exacerbate digestive problems due to bacterial overgrowth. The SCD looks to starve those bacteria of their food sources (the carbohydrates) so the gut can begin to heal. Many with Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Celiac Disease, and other digestive disorders have had success with it. Others have not. This thread is dedicated to those of us on or interested in the diet.

Books
- Breaking the Vicious Cycle
- Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet
- Eat Well Feel Well - 150 SCD Recipes

Research

This study found 100% of the test subjects had improved symptoms and 9 of 11 were able to avoid biologic therapy on a diet derived from the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.

Recipes
Please share your favorite recipes and I'll add them here.

Safe and Unsafe Foods List
Please note that you should avoid anything you already know is a trigger for you. I personally avoid eggs and anything coconut despite them being on the legal list.

The Legal / Illegal list

Success Stories
Has the SCD helped you a lot? PLEASE share your story and I'll link to it here.

No matter how successful your experience and no matter how good you feel, please be sure to continue to receive regular checkups at your doctor.


This original post will be a work in progress. If you have additional information you feel should be in this first post, please let me know.
 
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I personally have a form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease called, "Lymphocytic Colitis". In short, I have a ton of lymphocytes hanging out in my gut and it sucks. I've made a lot of lifestyle changes, tried various diets, and I'm doing better but I want to be in remission. As I've learned more about IBD and the digestive/immune systems, I've begun to ponder my condition (there's very little info about it out there). Here's my very simple thinking: I have a bunch of lymphocytes (white blood cells that go after viruses and bacteria). So my gut must have a bunch of those buggers and my body is trying to get rid of them. So let's help it out by starving them (the bad bacteria) of their primary energy source: carbohydrates.

I'm an emotional eater. If I get emotional I eat crap. Fast food, sugar, you name it. Food is my cigarettes or alcohol. I feel that some of this is due to a bacterial overgrowth that, when it starts to get starved, does everything it can to get me to eat the crap that they need. No more. NO MORE!

I've been on the diet for about 10 days now. The last few days I've begun to get emotional and have motivational issues. This thread is, in part, an exercise in overcoming that. I'm not surprised by the last few days, in fact, I'm kind of excited as I feel it means that I'm pissing off the little jerks I'm trying to starve out. I'm having INTENSE cravings. There was quite a battle as I checked out at Home Depot (chips and candy) and when I was at Whole Foods today, but I won! Out of curiosity, those of you on the SCD, how many of you have gone through an emotional/cravings phase? And how long did it last?
 
All the best with the diet, David :) You know I'm a big sugar junkie too, but I have to say when I started the diet it was when I was at my worst so don't think I went through the emotional/Cravings, because I was getting relief from following the diet. It's now that I'm better and able to tolerate more that I am tempted to fall off the wagon.
I did feel pretty yuk for the first two weeks on it and, as a non D suffering Crohnie, was annoyed to have it badly. But like you describe, there is a 'die off' period and those bad bacteria sure fight to get their fix!
Being a Scot, it's quite hard to give up bread and potatoes. Like, we have no canteen at work and you have to be resourceful, organised and inventive when you can't just grab a sandwich for a packed lunch.
One thing I would add to your initial post, is not to forgo medical checkups etc.
I had a colonoscopy 6 months after sticking closely to the diet, but still had severe inflammation despite being on it and several meds.
I'm going to try to stay on it cos it did help and hope it will help me maintain my recent remission.
What are you doing about the yoghurt, curd cheese etc, cos aren't you lactose intolerant?
 
Thank you Helen! It's interesting that you mention that you don't normally have D as I'm the same way but boy howdy did that change yesterday! Heheheh. So the diet gave you D initially? Do you think that was the bacterial die off? Did you eat the homemade yogurt as I was wondering if that might have been the culprit and didn't think of the possibility of bacterial die off (though that makes sense).

How long into the diet did you start to experience symptom relief? And how long have you been on the diet? How much of your "feeling better" do you attribute to the diet?
 
Sorry, I posted too quick and went back and added a bit! Are you doing the initial, prep diet with the chicken soup etc? I only lasted a few days on that cos I don't like jelly and was having problems tolerating red meat. After about 2 weeks of D, I noticed a real difference, mainly the reduction in stomach pain and also in UTI symptoms caused by a fistula.
 
I am not doing the initial prep.

Grumbletum said:
Being a Scot, it's quite hard to give up bread and potatoes. Like, we have no canteen at work and you have to be resourceful, organised and inventive when you can't just grab a sandwich for a packed lunch.
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I'm 1/4 english and 1/4 scottish. I was RAISED on meat sandwiches. God do I love bread. That's by far the hardest part of this diet but hey, I get to have all the good meat I can eat so it's all good :)

Grumbletum said:
One thing I would add to your initial post, is not to forgo medical checkups etc.

I had a colonoscopy 6 months after sticking closely to the diet, but still had severe inflammation despite being on it and several meds.

I'm going to try to stay on it cos it did help and hope it will help me maintain my recent remission.
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Added, thank you!

Grumbletum said:
What are you doing about the yoghurt, curd cheese etc, cos aren't you lactose intolerant?
Click to expand...
I don't know that I'm lactose intolerant but I know dairy tends to give me mucus that contributes to problems breathing through my nose. I HAVE been making the homemade yogurt and eating a TON of cheddar cheese (it has been one of my quick go-to's when cravings hit) and so far, so good. I rather like the yogurt in fact :)

One of my big issues with the diet is I recently found that eggs (even from my girls in the yard) are a trigger for me. So that cuts out a lot of recipes :(
 
Yes, I like the yoghurt too. Took a wee bit of getting used to, but I'm sure it's cos our palates are attuned to the oversugared, additive riddled versions! Pity about the eggs: I have one or two every day. Still can't do red meat or pork ( except bacon! ) but eat a lot of chicken and seafood.
This book really helped on the 'what to cook' front when I first started. Written by a guy with severe UC.
'Recipes for the SCD' by Raman Prasad
 
I was on the SCD for several months several years ago, and it had some positive effects, but it never fully put my condition into remission. I always had some mucus as well as bleeding (even light) after being on the diet.

To go "off" the diet, I began by eating "simple" carbs, but not everything. I started with Rice and Potatoes, and quickly noticed an improvement as the bleeding stopped (though it has since restarted).

The other thing I've noticed is that I'm not sure if the Bifido-bacterium are nearly as bad as they are made out to be in the book. For the longest time I avoided any commercial yogurt, and did have problems with it but I discovered it was because of the Whey / Lactic Acid byproduct from the yoging process.

Also, if you have trouble with the yogurt, because it's too strong try straining it. Straining is how greek yogurt is made, which basically gets rid of much of the acidic part of it, and also gets rid of any potentially left-over lactose. You can strain it either for a couple hours, or overnight depending on the consistency you want. If you strain it overnight it will be like a very thick cream-cheese substance, which is something that you might also be craving. Straining can be done in cheese cloth in general, or the little bag that comes with the Yogourmet yogurt maker kit.

Not sure if this really helps any, but those were my experiences. I just wanted to let you know that the diet can be worth modifying if it doesn't work perfectly for you, rather than just throwing it out altogether. My rule of thumb is to stay away from any processed or pre-prepared foods that have more than 3 ingredients, as well as anything that has any form of added sugar or "natural"/Artificial flavors.
 
I have been on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet for about two weeks now. I am feeling SIGNIFICANTLY better. I am not symptom free, but it feels like I may be headed in that direction. Interestingly enough, my costochondritis is feeling even better as well. Days 3-10 or so I experienced massive cravings and my emotions got a little out of whack. I am still getting cravings (especially when my wife eats cookies in front of me!), but nowhere near as bad.
 
Glad to hear that you're feeling so well, David!

I felt significantly better after being on the SCD, but I could never seem to get full since starches like rice and potatoes are off the table. I think I'd have to up my portions to compensate.
 
I DEFINITELY have been eating a lot bigger portions and eating many more times during the day. That full feeling isn't something I'm feeling very often but that's a better feeling than that of swallowing crushed glass :)
 
I understand that this diet is designed with the idea of controlling symptoms, and I'm glad that you are feeling better David. But there is something about it that worries me. (I have only had a quick look over this, so please correct me or whatever).
I don't like the idea that you can't eat starchy carbohydrates, as this really should be where about 37% of your energy comes from (UK dietary reference values). If you are not eating these then presumably a high percentage of your energy is going to be coming from fats and proteins. I know a lot of weight loss diets would also support this, but this is not what would normally be considered a healthy diet, as it increases the risks of heart disease.
So is this diet designed to start up a relief in symptoms and then to re-introduce foods as you go along, or is it supposed to be long term?
 
I saw a dietician after going on this diet and she was pretty dubious. But she had me keep a diary for a week which she then analysed and said that actually, it was well balanced.
The diet's founder designed a starting programme and then reintroduction of allowed foods. It was useful for me in identifying what my trigger foods were.
 
xX_LittleMissValentine_Xx said:
I understand that this diet is designed with the idea of controlling symptoms, and I'm glad that you are feeling better David. But there is something about it that worries me. (I have only had a quick look over this, so please correct me or whatever).
I don't like the idea that you can't eat starchy carbohydrates, as this really should be where about 37% of your energy comes from (UK dietary reference values). If you are not eating these then presumably a high percentage of your energy is going to be coming from fats and proteins. I know a lot of weight loss diets would also support this, but this is not what would normally be considered a healthy diet, as it increases the risks of heart disease.
So is this diet designed to start up a relief in symptoms and then to re-introduce foods as you go along, or is it supposed to be long term?
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Thanks LMV, I appreciate you chiming in :)

That UK dietary reference is for healthy individuals, people with perfectly functioning hepatopancreatobiliary, endocrine and metabolic systems, people with intact microvilli in their intestines that are able to break down and digest starches, people who don't have to take cipro and flagyl to kill bacteria that is potentially being fed by those very undigested and now fermented starches. Just as people with Celiac Disease need to maintain a strict altered diet, I feel there will one day be strict guidelines that people with inflammatory bowel disease should follow. Not to cure the disease, but to, in conjunction with other lifestyle and treatment options, reduce symptoms substantially and subsequently induce and maintain remission.

I don't feel that the Specific Carbohydrate Diet is perfect for people with IBD but I feel that it and the Paleo Diet are the best systemized diets to date. There's room for improvement but I think they're on the right track. And as Grumbletum said, as you begin to heal you can very conservatively reintroduce some foods in moderation. But only after you've made significant progress.
 
http://www.consumerhealth.org/articles/display.cfm?ID=19990303154953

I found this link online just now and it talks about a mother with her young daughter suffering from U.C. and they're findings with the SCD diet. It's really quite interesting and I hope somebody has time do read it.


Personal question though for those who are on this diet. Do you find this diet to be more expensive then it would cost if you weren't?
 
KWalker said:
Personal question though for those who are on this diet. Do you find this diet to be more expensive then it would cost if you weren't?
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I think that would depend on your normal eating habits but for me, it is more expensive.

Your link is actually written by the author of the book for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet so, while informative (thank you for sharing it!), it would be a biased source :)
 
Ah, damn. I didn't even realize. Although it would be considered biased, its still pretty interesting to think that it helped her daughter. It would be the same as someone on here sharing their experience. I'd love to see how you guys make out with it.

What do you think this diet would do for someone without crohns? My fiancee and I eat pretty healthy (especially her) but were always looking for ways to improve. Would this diet be something that would cause weight gain/loss, provide a healthy person with the proper nutrients (like L.M.V.) Said, etc. I'm really sorry for my ignorance. I should do some of my own research. We try to budget no more than $300 a month for just the two of us, so I know that's nothing compared to your $600+ grocery bill, but do you think that would be achievable? I guess its common sense that a lot of the stuff with carbs are the cheaper stuff (pasta, potatos, etc)
 
haha.. Here I am participating in this chain.. Good times.. :)

Not to sound like a smart-a$$, since we are all on this boat with various forms of this disease.. If your gonna practise the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, you have to do it religiously or don't attempt it at all. The whole theory is to starve off pathogenic bacteria and this will not be accomplished if your gonna do the odd cheat meal, here and there. Everyone must read and become educated on the differences between polysaccharides, from disaccharides to monosaccharides.. The whole point of the diet is eliminating the polys and di's because they are the most complex to break down - eliminating the source of the undigested molecules which is the source of food for the pathogenic bacteria.

The diet taught me how to cook, eat natural foods and it also kept me in remission for 3 years. It also taught me how to be disciplined when my friends would feed their faces with booze, processed foods - those ba$tards! haha :) I had went off the diet because I thought I was cured after 1 year on it religously. After enjoying all foods, booze, and fully formed stool for 2 glorious years (med-free and all since diagnosis).. My symptoms are returning - so hence back on the diet I am. Everyone will know if the diet will work with them in the first 3 -4 weeks. The initial program MUST be followed and the diet must be adhered to 100%. If symptoms reside, I promise they only get better the longer you stay on the diet.

In my own opinion, I honestly feel this disease is all about an imbalance of natural flora within our guts. Correct the balance, correct the issue. Our bodies are fantastic things, they will heal, it just takes time. :)
 
Welcome to the forum Gstar and thank you for sharing your experiences and knowledge :) We're sponges - any information you want to share is greatly appreciated.

You mentioned that the diet taught you to be disciplined when others were eating junk. Care to share those tips?
 
I am slowly working up the *courage?* to attempt this diet. My Crohn's isn't giving me problems right now, but my short bowel and lack of ileo-cecal valve have gifted me with SIBO. 2 weeks of terrible antibiotics helped, but I have to do something to keep it away permanently. I was so distended I looked identical to my sister, who is 5 months pregnant.

The hardest thing for me is that I have a husband and two children to feed as well. Poor hubby and I are so mismatched, he loves Chinese food and Mexican, anything with corn, black beans and spicy, spicy, spicy. He puts tabasco sauce on everything. If I ate like him, my guts would probably spontaneously combust.

I get fatigued and don't want to spend a lot of time standing in the kitchen, so I often grab something quick that I know isn't the best thing for me.

What to you guys eat on this diet?? I looked at the list of legal and illegal foods....good grief! I want to believe that I can do it, but it looks very daunting. :sign0085:

I desperately want to feel better though. It doesn't matter if I don't have active inflammation, I'm still on the toilet 15+ times a day. That's no way to live. :yfrown:
 
SarahAnne,

I eat tons of meat, salad, and fruit. My "go to snacks" are sugar free beef jerkey, pemmican, liverwurst slices, and fruit. The two things I miss are chocolate and bread, that's it.

I cook for my wife and I. She's not on the diet but she enjoys many of the recipes. And to keep her happy, I make her sandwiches, nachos, and other things that would be illegal for me but are easy to make.

If you have a confirmed SIBO, I think it would definitely be worthwhile giving this diet a shot.
 
Hi everyone,

First and foremost, everybody needs to understand where they are with their disease. The SCD diet is not a miracle changer overnight and it takes alot of commitment but the rewards are there to control symptoms without meds.

Great strides will be made for individuals whom have been recently diagnosed but I feel it will be challenging for folks who have been battling the disease for quite sometime where a lot of scarring and deep ulceration are present but it will definitely help in reducing symptoms. At the end of the day, anything is worth a shot when it comes to your health. :)

This diet can be complimented with meds at first and when improvements are seen, weening off the meds can occur. In my short time with this disease and attending many forums (CCFA & CCFC) its unbelieavable how our medical professionals can prescribe drug compounds without fully understanding why the work. Prime example - prescriptions of Flagyl and Cipro are often prescribed to control Chrohn flares but the medical folks don't know why they work... Pretty straight forward to me, there's an imbalance of pathogenic to friendlies.

I could run with this for ages where I have even questioned 'Speciailists' of Gastroenterology why cultures aren't performed on our ulcer sites when biopsies are taken during colonoscopies, etc. I suggest wouldn't it be useful if we could learn what pathogenic bacteria is always present at our ulcer sites eating away our healthy cells?? Pretty straight forward to me again but questioning a 'Specialist' - whom am I to question someone who has attended the school of medicine for 8 years and doesn't have the disease themself??! haha Yeah... I get stares like if I have spikes coming out of it.. I personally believe if we can determine the genus which is the majority of times creating our ulcer issues, it is possibile in today's world to develop an anti-biotic which specifically targets that genus only! Instead of killing everything in site! This would definitely speed up our healing process to get our systems under control where we can further understand what is the true root cause of our disease.

The SCD diet is a great first step. It is a commitment and I completely understand if you live with a family, it generally has to become a family commitment. I don't not want this to sound like a simple decision because its not. But again.. Would you rather spend the time making healthy meals for all instead of spending your time in the bathroom and feeling like crap?? The SCD diet has been around since the cavemen days, unfortunately, they didn't follow the copyright laws (j/k) :)

Its about balance when eating the 'legal' foods within the diet. Switch up your meals and foods so you don't get bored of them. Do not go overboard with the dry curds and yogurt at the beginning since alot of people struggle with diary (it will get better over time!) Proteins are essential!! They should always be a part of every meal.

The probiotic homemade yogurt is KEY!! Flourish the friendlies in the small bowel to help ensure food is getting absorbed. Bacteria counts have been completed on 1 cup of homemade SCD yogurt and the counts are 750billion!! The strongest probiotics today are 50 billion??

Breaking the Vicious Cycle is a great read to understand the diet and its purpose. The author does have merit. A child of hers was diagnosed with UC at an early age where she could not been weened off meds. The mother (author) felt there had to be another way and began her search. Meeting specialists from other auto-immune dieases where they were trialing this diet on kids with autism (to control their erractic behaviour). Since the author was also a medical professional, she also spent a decade of her life specifically researching the effects of proteins, carbohydrates and fats in regards to intestinal absorption. To me, this person had the passion and the interest - God bless her soul! :)

Sorry for the novel. I am an educated person myself and it blows me away that our medical professionals are prescribing prescriptions that were initially intended for organ transplants.. Like.. wtf!? Prednisone has been around since the 1950s but hence its still the go to choice even though the side effects vary immensely from person to person. Don't you guys question - what the medical research field is doing for IBD?? The GEMS project in Canada started in 2008 and 4 yrs later.. Still no results to share with public even though millions of dollars are being pumped into it by sponsors such as M&M Meat shops, etc.. It seems you have to be your own advocate in today's age and I just want to say to you all - a honest shot at the SCD, everybody will pull out at least i improvement in your daily lives.

Take care everyone.
 
Thank you so much Gstar :)

When you say, "Don't go overboard with yogurt" how much would you suggest someone consume? My problem with dairy is excess mucus production to the point that it gets hard to breathe.
 
Good Morning Dave - You cook for your wife huh.. Whats with the ladies today and not cooking?? haha j/k I swear I haven't dated one yet who hasn't even offered to cook a dinner for a change.. But.. They are very well up to speed on designer labels.. haha!

I read your question and the first things that pops up in head is if you have had any scratch test or allergy test to determine if you truly have a 'dairy' allergy. These are very rare, since it creates an anaphylactic reaction. (Shortness of breath, swelling, etc.) You will notice this reaction immediately and its very serious (and you would experience this reaction on no matter the type of dairy). My strong recommendation is first to get this checked out. Your gastro specialist should be able to provide you with a referral.

Now.. If its a case if you are just sensitive.. There are many forms of 'dairy' other than cow's milk. Goat and sheep milk are the closest resemblance to the structure of human milk, so my recommendation would be trial these types of milk next.

To achieve the high bacterial counts in the SCD probiotic yogurt method it is key that the fermenting has to be done in a 'type of milk'. The starter will consume the remaining lactose sugars in order to populate - this is why 24hrs of fermentation is required and why the yogurt is lactose free at the end. I do say, I tried both sheep and goat milk in the probiotic yougurt process and its like soup at the end, a very minimal skin forms over the top since the goat and sheep milk do not contain much fat. Fat adds to how solid the yogurt will be. Hence.. Higher the fight content, the more solid the yogurt will be in the end.

Last question I have for you is regarding excess mucus production? Is this in your stool, nose?? If its in your stool, it seems you are in an 'active' state and the mucus is aiding in transportation. If your seeing blood also, you have open sores also. If so.. You need to get on a low residue food schedule until your ulcers can heal their tops. Low residue means anything that will not aggrevate your open ulcers. Examples: seeds, nuts, celery, hard rigid skins from veggies. Don't get me wrong, veggies can still be eaten, but you must cook them (steam them) until they are tender and then puree them. Puree them I mean by placing all the cook vegetables in a blender and add the water from the boling cooking process (where all the vitamins are). Your end result will be a substance that looks like baby food but I tell you brother, it is VERY HIGH in all nutrients and easy to absorb without straining your digestive tract. You may have to do this for a month or 2 but again, come on.. Its like 8 weeks of your life.. Get your girl involved and she can be the blending queen! haha :) j/k

I know I go into depth with these answers but I hope everybody else reads them and can pick up bits and pieces. The SCD diet is definitely the way to go.

As Socrates said back in the day... 'Let food be thy medicine'!
 
Hey Gstar! Thank you for such a wonderful reply. We're now friends whether you like it or not.

Yeah, I cook for the wife. But she brings home the bacon so fair is fair :)

I have indeed had an allergy test, the LEAP test. Cow's milk is in the yellow range for me. Of course, spinach is in the red range but I get no negative affects from it as far as I can tell so I've really thrown this stupid test out the window.

Your "allergy" versus "sensitivity" is interesting to me. Do you have a reputable source where I can read about the difference? I understand what anaphylactic shock is, but I always thought that you could be allergic to something and have reactions that weren't necessarily anaphylactic in nature.

For the record, I have severe inflammation in my nose so my airway is constricted. If I eat or drink dairy, I observe that it causes mucus production that clogs what little airway my nose has and I can't breathe. I've never had stool mucus that I'm aware of. I also don't have ulcers (I have lymphocytic colitis which is microscopic in nature and can only be detected via colonoscopy biopsy).

I think I'm going to try a different kind of milk with the yogurt. I don't mind if it's a little runny :) Thank you so much for that suggestion!
 
Haha.. No worry bro. ;) As long as she's bringing home the bacon! Haha. :) You could be a freind and forward some sunny warm weather north of the border. Its been 'doom' and 'gloom' here for the past few weeks.. Cold, wet, damp, cloudy.. Pretty depressing actually but the sun is to re-appear next week in time for spring.

I would read up between the differences of IgG and IgA reactions. IgG are the delayed reactions and like you noted before, it seems like you found some that are a problem but really aren't. For myself, I'm on the fence. I feel the costs involved with these test, that the labs should cover at minimum twice, to see if the results are repeatable.

Unfortunately, I think alot resolves around the 'test method' and state of the blood 'specimens'. Inconsistencies I see on a daily basis in my own lab and honestly.. To me relatively fresh blood specimens should be used to see if anti-bodies form. I know the lab I sent mine off, I believe they didn't perform the actual test until like 2 weeks after the blood was taken.

Its a pain in the ass but truly.. Begin with a baseline that you know foods work for you 100% with no problem. Add a new food to the regime for a couple days and evaluate. If our research scientists could of studied this protocol, we would of had a validated elimination food model to start of with for everybody.. But.. They always say, food doesn't matter. Haha.
 
SCD One month and counting...

I have just completed 30 days on the SCD combined with low FODMAPS and am a new member to the forum. I am not on maintenance meds, (due to sulfa allergy) for my Crohn's and more recently developed SIBO flareups twice in the past year. SCD/LFM has made me feel so much better, even in the first few days, and diminished my SIBO in a radical way. When my SIBO is in full bloom, I crave sugars like CRAZY!!!! And I really appreciated the posts here in regard to the fortitude it takes to stick with the SCD in the first weeks. I was so hungry it was ridiculous. I just received my Yogourmet which was something akin to the excitement of picking out a puppy! :) Trader Joe's Frozen French Cut String Beans, and Dole Pineapple cups in their own juice, or a banana, are now my Go-To for a snack, and I am making legal pesto to throw on just about everything. I love slivered almonds and almond butter, but they tend to become concrete in my digestive system, as did chocolate, and I suppose that means they aggravate my "vowels," so I have to watch the nuts...Bummer! I am feeling pretty good and take some Prune juice each morning to keep regular. Does that sound crazy or what?? Anyone, hmmmm, struggle, with constipation with Crohn's or SIBO? I'm also new to forums...probably obvious!
 
Good to hear Irishtarheel! I promise the results will only get better too! :) Discipline is key, especially when your young still and you got to cook all the time and pack your food wherever you go! Especially when your friends are mowin' down on pizza and drinkin' booze.. Bastards! Haha Oooh yeeah.. Discipline is key - after a while they get it and are happy for ya. It shouldn't be all about what other people think anyhow. Its all about you and how you feel! Feelin' good, brings positive thoughts all around. :)
There will be speed bumps in the road, 3 months in, 6 months in.. Nobody knows why.. You don't loose faith, just start back with intro diet to get you through the stretch before things settle down again, and they will.

Note - For other other folks who are gonna through the Legal list and finding that a particular food causes issues, no worries.. Skip it at the beginning and re-try further down the road when further healing has occurred.

Crazy about homemade yogurt huh? 4 yrs agao, I didn't even know that $hit existed! Haha
 
xX_LittleMissValentine_Xx said:
But there is something about it that worries me. (I have only had a quick look over this, so please correct me or whatever).
I don't like the idea that you can't eat starchy carbohydrates, as this really should be where about 37% of your energy comes from (UK dietary reference values). If you are not eating these then presumably a high percentage of your energy is going to be coming from fats and proteins. I know a lot of weight loss diets would also support this, but this is not what would normally be considered a healthy diet, as it increases the risks of heart disease.
Click to expand...

Don't believe everything they tell you at school,
we never evolved to eat grains, they are a recent addition (approx 10,000 years)
For most of our evolutionary timeline we got approximately 0% of our energy from grain (trace amounts only)
Many people have problems with them (and the big evil- sugar)
There are hundreds of peer review papers linking grains to 'leaky gut' and almost ever chronic disease - especially the autoimmune diseases.
There are thousands who have benefited from giving them up (me included).

I love this photo, i'd kill (animals) to have a body like that.......
http://www.zazzle.com.au/paleo_they_didnt_call_it_a_fad_diet_tshirt-235150715370556886
 
Going to start the SCD diet this week!

Hi! I'm new to the forum but was diagnosed with Crohn's in 2000. The veryfirst thing I asked my doctor when I was told I had Crohn's was what I could eat/not eat to make myself better. He laughed at me! Since then I've been on 6mp, Asacol, Colazal, Effexor and prednisone. Currently I'm on Colazal and prednisone for a flare I've been fighting for close to a year.

Yesterday I had an appointment with my gastroenterologist. He gave me the choice of going on 6mp again or starting Humira. Before I take that leap (which I consider a pretty significant change in medications) I'm going to try the SCD diet. Like others have said, I am a bit overwhelmed by the process but I'm committed to giving it a full go before I take the next step of medications.

I've ordered the book along with Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet by Raman Prasad. I'm going shopping right after work for yogurt making supplies and menu items for the introductory phase. Luckily my husband is completely supportive in this trial. I hope to have some positive news to report back in the near future.
 
Good for you Caldotis! Please keep us updated through the good, the bad, and the unchanged. And we're here to support you through it all :)
 
Best of luck Caldotis!

I have posted links above regarding the SCD - Breaking The Vicious Cycle website and where I order my lactic starter for the yogurt..

My recommendation.. Go easy with the dairy at the beginning. Try only a 1/2 cup of the yogurt per day at the start. If ok, then slowly add in the dry curd cottage cheese to see how you respond to that.

Eating low fat proteins (like chicken and extra lean beef, wild salmon fillets) and the puree of various veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, butternut squah, carrots, onions, peppers) every meal has always been a safety blanket for even flaring folks.. I will post my almond recipe muffin recipe to aid in additional calories. **Only do the almond flour when no bleeding and the 'D' are minimal.. Its essential protein MUST be a part of every meal, even for breakfast!! :)

The key is balance, switch up your foods! Everything in moderation..

Almond muffin recipe (makes 12 muffins at 200 cals each)

2.5 cups almond flour (I bought a good quality coffee grinder to chop'em up fine)
3 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp cinnamon powder (for a nice taste)

Process:

1. Mix the eggs, baking soda, honey, and applesauce until consistent.
2. Add 2 cups of the almond flour with cinnamon. Blend
3. Finish blending and adding the rest of the flour.
4. Bake at 375F for 15min. (Stoves vary, so watch for the tops of the muffin when they rise. If they pass the toothpick test. Perfect!

Enjoy the recipe all.. I created this recipe years ago with my Mom! God bless her too for teaching me how to cook! Haha :)
 
I've had a little setback. After doing fantastic for awhile there the last few days I've been having more pain in my abdomen and my right eye is giving me issues again (which is does when my abdomen goes off). I'm not sure why as I haven't strayed that I know of. Ups and downs I guess and I plan to stick with SCD for a lot longer. I think I'll cut back on the honey a little as I was getting a little crazy with it. OH GOD I MISS SWEETS.
 
Hey Dave!

You will always go through times when you wonder 'why is this an issue now'.. All I can say is this disease has a lot to do with our metabolism and the viruses we pick up through colds, flus, bad food, etc..

At the beginning, it was tough for me to give a lot of the processed foods. In comparison to your sweet fixes.. But don't you think your sweet fixes / cravings are related to the bugs in your body craving for it for food cause they are dying off?

K.. Dr. Phil signing off for the day.. J/k :)

Take care everybody
 
So glad you joined the group, Caldotis! I wish you the best of luck with your SCD journey. It can seem daunting at first, but before you know it, you'll figure out all your favorite snacks, etc., and be in a routine. Yesterday, I made my first SCD/LFM Banana Bread and it looked and tasted really delicious--nice texture and everything! I'm looking forward to trying your recipe Gstar. It looks great! I started a reference index card file (does anyone even do that anymore, haha) for recipes, medical websites & blogs, where I've found some helpful food info.

I just made my first batch of SCD yogurt with the Yogourmet. It goes in the fridge on Friday at 10am for 8 hours. I'm looking forward to seeing the result. It wasn't a big deal to make, considering I always have a lot to do in the kitchen anyway, and even more so these days with cooking fresh and preparing snacks in advance for "on-the-go" occasions. It is definitely worth the effort, and,thankfully, my family loves the additional creativity that now goes into my cooking as I'm always hunting for fresh, tasty new meals!!
 
The Yogourmet is great, that's what I use too :)

Where are you all getting your "dry curd" cottage cheese? I can't find the stuff.
 
Hope you start feeling better soon, Dave. Sorry for the setback. This may be totally irrelevant, but is there any chance that you may have some SIBO goin' on? I know you are very adept and knowledgeable with all of this and I'm sure have considered everything. The only reason I ask is that in hindsight I can tell you that my appetite for sweets grew tremendously, in conjunction with the increase in my SIBO flare-up, when it finally just felt out of control. Since I've been on SCD/LFM now for 5 weeks, I went from sugar-crazed, to ambivalent, to now not caring if I sit next to someone enjoying an oozing chocolate lava cake! I do tend to believe that those buggers are craving that sugar and just sending up the requests, "FEED ME!!! I've read about similar experiences... They are like those little Who's in Whoville: "We are here, We are heeeeeere!" Persistent little guys...

I know how conscientious you are about everything and that must make this frustrating. Hang in there! I have some eye issues that coincide with my Crohn's and I'm hoping that over time it may improve if my body gets to settle down for a while on the LFM regime. Best wishes,
 
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and the support! :)

They have no idea what causes my disease (Lymphocytic Colitis) but what they do know is there's a bunch of lymphocytes hanging out and having a party in my intestines. Lymphocytes like to hunt down and kill pathogens. So it makes sense to me that maybe I do have SIBO and my lymphocytes are trying to deal with that? Just a theory of course :) But that's why I decided to give the SCD a shot.
 
You can drip your yoghurt, David, and you get a sort of cream cheese. And on the SCD thread in the Diet subforum, someone posted a recipe for making homemade cheese which involves just milk and lemon.
My SCD activities are curtailed for the moment, til I get a bit more mobile with the damned crutches :-(
 
I think it played its part, David. Although I needed the course of Remi, my symptoms definitely got a lot worse if I strayed off the diet once I was on it. With the Psoriasis I've developed too, it seems to flare with certain foods, sugar and wheat seeming to be the main culprits.
 
Just a note of support for everyone who is working their way through the SCD plan. As some of you have mentioned in the past (so right on, Gstar), many good docs say "food doesn't matter." And that is fine, as internists and specialists have virtually no background in nutrition, and how it relates to disease. Interns and docs that are honest have come right out and told me their training is deficient in this area. That is, unless they had a personal interest. So, keep the faith on this one, as all nutritionists understand the connection of food with autoimmune responses/inflammatory conditions. The area I live in is saturated with docs, and also is a big hub of alternative and holistic medicine docs as well. One of the bakers at my Whole Foods is a Celiac and once a week he cleans the kitchen and bakes gluten-free all night to put up products for sale at WF the next day. He's an amazing help as well.

My aunt has her masters in nutrition and her son has had UC since adolescence. She firmly believes in the healing abilities of food and proper moderate supplementation/vitamins. She gave me Gottschall's book years ago, and also another great book for overall health: Prescription for Nutritional Health, by Phyllis Balch and her husband. The Balchs are married MD's and she's also a nutritionist. It's my go-to reference guide. It's just another helpful resource and that fills in some blanks with food & nutrition info., and I pick and choose what advice I am comfortable following.

I don't blame medical docs for their limitations, as they all have concentrations to study. But, there is definitely a role for the nutritionist in all of this. I'm not saying it will be a "cure" for anyone/everyone. I just figure it makes sense when our immune systems are going haywire to assess possible irritants and remove them if possible. It may sound drastic to some, but I have gone sugar-, grain-, dairy-, & bean-free on the Low FODMAP diet and it has helped tremendously in just 5 weeks. I'm sticking to fresh fish varieties, poultry, and many choices of fruits and veggies, as well as the SCD yogurt, hard cheeses, sometimes eggs, and a growing list of yummy breads with almond flour, (which I understand not all can tolerate & would need an alternative) and dressings with pesto (sans garlic) and pureed carrots/anything. I have made muffins with just pureed carrots, egg/whites, and cinnamon. It was better than ya think, haha! I just keep tweaking my list depending on my needs and tolerance issues and when I have time am cooking and freezing snacks. It's such a personal journey and no doubt, filled with frustrations at times.

I hope that whatever food plan anyone picks and runs with, they feel inspired by and try to stick with it, in spite of flare-ups. I figure eating really healthy tailored for each person's circumstances can only keep one in his/her best "relative" health, if not much improved. If there's any chance of consulting with a nutritionist who specializes in IBS/IBD,(like my aunt) I hope you will have the opportunity. Take a look at that Balch book if you get a chance. I think it's in its umpteenth print at this point. Take care everybody and keep strong in your journey.

I'll jump off my soapbox now! :)
 
It's been 48 hours on the SCD Diet...

Just wanted to check in and let you know how it's been going. It's been 48 hours on the SCD diet. I've made a HUGE batch of the SCD yogurt and have been slowly been having some. I just had breakfast (dry curd cottage cheese with 1/4 cup of the yogurt).

I've followed the introductory diet so far, although I have added in a bit of fresh fruit (pears and a very ripe banana). I even managed to eat out yesterday when my sister-in-law surprised us with a visit. Thankfully we went out to a diner that served all day breakfast so I was able to have a poached egg with a couple of slices of fresh avocado on top and some fresh pear slices on the side. I have to admit that it's been easier than I thought.

There is still a bit of stomach 'gurgling' and my stomach hasn't settled down completely. But I am encouraged that it hasn't been too hard...yet ;)
 
I have some issues arising from looking at the S.C. Diet.


1. Honey is a powerful bifidogenic. That is, it stimulates growth of Bifidobacteria. It seems odd that it is recommended, given that the diet purports to starve Bifidobacteria.

2. Soluble fiber is a super-food for Bifidobacteria. There is a great deal of soluble fiber in fruit and vegetables. Again, this seems incongruous in the diet.

3. Legumes contain complex carbohydrates and yet are permitted (including peanut butter.)

4. Bifidobacteria species are many and varied. They are generally considered vital to the health of the large bowel, yet all are targeted by the diet.

5. There are only three introduced probiotics. Two are Lactobacillus varieties, and the third is S. Thermophilus. These predominantly inhabit only the small bowel. There is no introduced probiotic for the large bowel.

6. The exclusion of starchy vegetables and grains eliminates dietary sources of short-chain fatty acids, the preferred fuel for colon cells. Colonic cells function poorly without this fuel.

7. Liquid polymeric diets (containing intact proteins and complex carbohydrates) have been shown to be equally as effective as elemental diets in achieving remission. These include Ensure, with it's many so-called 'illegal' ingredients.


Although there is anecdotal evidence that this diet helps people there are many incongruities, for my mind.
I should add that as a vegetarian, it is not a viable diet for me to test.

I don't want to discourage use of the diet. Any comments appreciated.
 
Handle,

Have you even read what the SCD is all about? It is called 'Specific Carbohydrate' because it revolves around the three types of carbohydrates; monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides.. Essentially, single (mono), double (di), polysaccharides (starch).. These are the basis of the molecular chains for carbs.. The SCD focuses on the singular chains and the amylose type of the starches because they are the easiest for the small intestine to break down (in regards to carbs).. Hence, this is why the diet focuses on these types along with proteins and fats.. This is why the majority of vegetables are permitted, it has nothing to do with the 'soluble fiber' that is derived from them which feeds any particular type of bacteria. Soluble fiber feeds ANY genus of bacteria, and there are 100s of them. Your colon is the sewer system per say of your gut. All healthy individuals have pathogens present even in their colon, the key is balance from 'good' to 'bad'.. The bifidus marketing hype is all BS.. An overbundant balance of the 'bad' in the colon would devour any introduction of the 'bifidus' genus.. Period.. Again.. This is why the SCD focuses on strengthening your small bowel - in hopes to starve out the pathogens in the colon by eliminating ANY non-digestible molecule that passes from the small bowel..

Crohn's, UC diseases all have ulcers present. Around these types of ulcers, what type of bacteria is present? I can tell you, it certainly isn't of the friendly type.

Your question # 5 is incorrect.. S. Thermophilus resides in your mouth. It is the first stage of digestion, coupling with L. Bulgaris to focus / aid in the digestion of the sugar molecules in dairy. SCD promotes these because the diet feels the yogurt is needed to help populate the small bowel with L. Acidulfius (sp?).. Anyways.. That is their sole purpose, that's it.. It is believed a strong small bowel with have a strong presence of L. Acidulfius..

Saying the above, doesn't mean anybody whom practices SCD will be able to devour the dry curd cottage cheese and yogurt like no tomorrow.. Its ALL about where you are with YOUR disease. If you have ulcers present that are bleeding, mucus generation in the stool, an overgrowth of the bad in your small bowel.. I don't care what anybody says, you are gonna struggle with dairy! It is best to leave out the dairy and focus on the proteins, fats and allowable carbs from the SCD listing UNTIL further healing has occured. Our diseases didn't just happen overnight, these imbalances take a great time to overcome. Thousands of folk continue with the SCD just to stay even and keep symptoms minimal. I personally believe a lot of environmental factors contribute to this disease, the primary one being altering our natural food chains.. Antibiotics / growth hormone to our livestock, the use of pesticides and soil fumigants to our crops.. We are the lucky ones to fall victim to these comprimises.. Mass production over quality..

I apologize for writing a book and please DON'T feel I answered you like a jerk. It was not my intention at all. I just don't want people to give up hope on diet because it really does matter with this disease.
 
Yes I have read what the S.C. Diet is about Gstar! That is clearly what prompted my queries. And I am aware of the different types of carbohydrates.

I don't see where you actually responded to any of my queries so perhaps I wasn't clear enough. Allow me to try again with only one or two of those issues.

The premise of the diet is that starving the so-called 'bad bacteria' is beneficial to gut health and vital to taming inflammation. (The alleged 'bad bacteria' are never identified, which is of concern.)

The Bifidobacteria group is broadly mentioned, in the yoghurt section of the diet. It is alleged that all strains of Bifidus should be avoided as "they have been found to cause bacterial overgrowth." (?) The Bifidus group of bacteria are the predominant probiotic strains in the large bowel, and are generally considered highly beneficial.

My queries surrounding what actually feeds the alleged 'bad bacteria' are critical to the stated aims of the diet.
My queries relate to the incongruity of the diet's main aim. That is, the starving out of so-called 'bad bacteria' - though they are never identified. There seems to be plenty of food for them in the diet even though complex carbohydrates are removed (other than in the legumes and certain vegetables!)

I am not trying to put people off the diet! I want to understand the incongruity of the stated aims.
 
Thank you both for your discussion and keeping it civil :)

Handle, as I read the SCD for the first time I was a bit surprised by honey being legal as well. As some of my pain came back it was the first thing I cut down on and recently virtually eliminated it. I of course don't know if it was causing issue or not.

I don't know how beneficial it is for any of us to argue about the various bacteria in the small and large intestines and what feeds what. I say this because they estimate that over 50% of the bacteria in the gut can't even be cultured at this point and we're having to utilize painstaking DNA footprints to identify new species. In so many cases we have no idea what we're dealing with. And then taking it one step further, recent studies have shown that gut bacteria divide people into three groups so we're all not created alike and god knows what else they'll be finding in the coming years. Who knows what we're feeding and what we're starving. In addition, I've read studies where they feel that "good" bacteria may actually turn "bad" under certain circumstances and vice versa. It's absurdly complex and hurts my brain.

What I DO know is there's a hell of a lot of really smart members like the two of you here who are doing exciting research on their own and no doubt making inroads.

Is the Specific Carbohydrate Diet the solution? Maybe for some people it is and I think it's great when people give it a quality shot. No doubt for others it is not. What I'd love for us to do is avoid arguing about variables that won't help us and focus on what will. Collectively, I've got to believe that we can find answers and maybe improve upon the SCD or even develop the next generation of diet for people with IBD as there is ALWAYS room for improvement. The question is, how do we do that? And would anyone be interested in doing so?
 
Haha.. :) AMEN brother! :)

As I stated before, the only reason I joined this site is to spread the word of SCD. I did not come on this site, to 'argue' or 'debate' with members.. Its a frigg'n forum relating to a disease for crying out loud. Like wtf.. Haha :)

SCD is NOT an exact science.. It is a beginning block that has to be 'tailored' to what works for you. That means, you have to know where YOU are with the disease! A person who has disease ONLY in the colon, this diet will work wonders for you! BUT.. It must be tailored. If your disease is in the small bowel, I feel you have the toughest challenge of us all BUT it doesn't mean you give up hope on diet either.

Absolutely correct.. There are hundreds of various types of bacteriums in our gut and who the hell knows them all!? The medical world has NO interest because there is NO money to be had there! How many folks on this site had their gastro specialist request a culture from them?? Haha. They don't even culture biopsies taken from endoscopic procedures to confirm diagnosis.. Oh sorry.. One.. Stomach ulcers.. Because the research scientist who discovered H.Pylori caused stomach ulcers was the same guy who purposely ingested high concentrations of H.Pylori to prove that point..

It is time for me to say 'Bon soir'.. All I politely ask is keep your fight against the disease, not each other.. If you are going to make strong statements, have actual clinical proof.. And it also helps to show how you are..
 
Day 7 of the SCD diet--- today's a tough one :(

Just another check-in on my first week following the SCD diet. It's been a tough day so far, and it's only 8:45am! I followed the introduction diet for 2 1/2 days with no problems. So I gradually added in more foods (following SCD recipes) and SCD yogurt. Amazingly (well, maybe not so amazing to those who've had success on this diet) I had my first 'normal' bowel movement in over a year after just 4 days.

However this morning I've had cramping, blood & mucus and feel generally wimpy all over. I suspect it might be from eating too much SCD yogurt yesterday...but I can't be sure. I'm trying really hard to stay positive (usually the more I worry, the worse I make my body feel) but I would be lying if I said that I wasn't disappointed.

Also- and this is sort of funny- I had this really weird dream two nights ago that I just ate a huge chocolate chip cookie and was then mortified because I'd sabotaged the SCD diet! I'm sure it's because I've been almost militant in what I'm ingesting. I've been going through my fridge and pantry, reading all labels and sorting out the 'illegals'. I've even been a bit worried that my some of my toothpaste will accidentally get ingested (because I'm pretty sure it's not SCD)! HA!

Well there's a quick glipse into my current reality...thanks for the support and for listening!
 
Congrats Caldotis! :)

Isn't crazy how we judge 'how good we are doing' by having a formed bowel movement!? Haha. It feels *uck'n great though! Haha :) For you.. It sounds like its been a long time and I know how great you felt because I was once there myself! :)

Blood, mucus.. Could be a few things..

Verify if blood is actually from open ulcers or possibly just a hemmie.. Usually the greater amount of blood in the bowel always suggests open ulcers.. Blood on side of a formed stool, usually an internal hemmie..

Now.. The mucus is suggesting you have narrowing from one area of your large bowel to the next. This is nothing to get freaked out about because over time, you will correct this with STRICT adherence to the diet.. Mucus is a lube per say and that's why your body generates it to excrete material. Some non- believers will say its because of 'scarring' but time will tell brother.

Something I may include referring back to the blood.. If you see 'pus' also, I would strongly suggest taking Flagyl and Ciproflaxin (obviously you need to see your Dr for this) but you could possibly have an 'infected' ulcer(s).. These antibiotics can be used at the same time with the diet and help out tremendously. Simply discontinue the yogurt and dairy at time of taking the antibiotics and begin immediately after completion. Start only with the yogurt first at small amounts because probiotics even can cause our system to go a little wonky here and again.

I have always found allowed veggies, low fat proteins, seedless fruits, and nuts (ground almond flour) consistently give the best results day in and day out.

DISCLOSURE:

I am NOT a Doctor, General Practioner, nor a Gastro Specialist.. I have provided the above feedback because it was spread onto me from various others who have practised SCD for countless years.. I am grateful to them for passing this info onto me as I know pass it onto others that read here.

May all have success!
 
STRICT adherence always means the best results one can expect. If you have a cheat meal, you may pay for it BUT by no means will it send you in a flare. HOWEVER.. The more cheat meals you have the less potency, if any, the SCD will have. As always, the choice is always with the person.
 
Thanks for the advice GStar. I've been completely strict in following the CSD diet...just dreaming otherwise ;)

Not too get too graphic (I've found with IBD'ers one can never be too graphic! lol!) but there's no pus in my BM. Just gas with mucus and bright red blood or some blood & mucus at the very end of a bowel movement. I'm pretty sure it's an internal hemorrhoid...
 
No worries.. I was graphic myself but the education really helps the 'newly' diagnosed.. I also take this stand that I will no longer be graphic because the above is only what I can speak too.. And essentially sums up the differences..
 
Getting my yogurt maker and bread maker today. I have to give my DD bread. She will never do this diet without it. Just started reading the book last night. almond flour huh... Whole food is probably the only place I can find almond flour huh.
 
Hi Myreinhard,

Very cute girl! :) I cannot relate to your situation but I can only imagine how difficult and frustrating it can be at times. Having a child diagnosed with IBD, you must be really strong yourself as well as your child. Peer pressure alone even when your normal at young age is brutal and I can imagine trying to instill a new diet on your lil' one.. My strongest best wishes go out to the both of you.. And I know you both can do it! Good luck! :)

I strongly recommend checking out the website:
http://www.pecanbread.com/

It is strictly related for young ones utilizing the SCD diet and perhaps through the forums there you can connect with similar parents in similar situations. + I'm sure they must have recipes geared towards the lil' ones even though I haven't checked it out in great detail.

When you purchase the yogurt maker, definitely get one with individual glass bottles. Easier for sterilization. I have also posted some of my own recipes through various threads here (almond muffins, puree of various veggies - its like 'baby food' in the end that I feel would help your child out greatly without buying a breadmaker. Protein is KEY for healing so TRY your best for your child to consume in every meal.

I wish you both all the best!
 
I was checking out the almond flour. I am really going to have to be tricky. The whole foods won't be hard. The protein will be moderate and the bread pasta situation will be impossible. I know the diet doesn't work if your not all in. I have to start slowly. Starting with the yogurt I think will be key. Packing up the $1000 of dollars worth of other diet plans is going to be hard. Idk if I can even get her to eat the yogurt. I just got her to finally like the Nutren Jrs. I still have to give her them bc she is so sick. Sicker than you can imagine. Suffering from rectal prolapse, diarrhea from miralax to keep the prolapse from worsening. I am a bit overwhelmed and wish I had cash to hire a cook to make all this food. I also have a 2 year old, in a nut shell so I am a crazy person. Her next step is maybe LDN if I can beg her GI to do it, or colectomy. :(

Gotta try the diet.

Thanks for the support.
 
Hi Myreinhard!

Yes, you can get the almond meal/flour at Whole Foods, but there are two other options: The easiest thing would be to buy plain almonds wherever you want and grind them in a food processor until it's a course flour (if you grind too far it becomes almond butter--which isn't a waste, it's really yummy!), or you can also get the meal/flour at Trader Joe's (has very economical, healthy food). I made a quick check and it looks like there's one in Ann Arbor, which might be worth the trip to call ahead and have them put aside 6 (?) bags for you. If you like Trader Joe's, you will probably do a bunch of shopping while you're there that would make the trip worthwhile. You may have better luck finding one that's closer. Best wishes. You and your daughter are beautiful together!
 
Yes the whole foods store is on our way to UofM where Rowans GI is out of. Remicade infusions take time so i could go during the infusion so long as someone goes with me. Bummer there is not one closer. I might order online for now... It will cost me gas so might as well pay to have it shipped for I drive a lincoln town car and it really is a gas guzzler.

I am still reading the book but want to get started ASAP. Any suggestions as to things I will need to buy... Almond flour, spices, things I might forget that I have to have to make the yogurt and baked goods. Don't want to go all that way and forget something ya know. Thanks
 
About the milk sensitivity

Hi David, I saw your above post about milk and sinus reaction and just wanted to let you know that you are on the right track to associate changes that you see repeatedly in yourself with exposure to a food as something to be addressed, perhaps eliminated for a time, or permanently. I was told by a holistic doc and also a nutritionist that a sensitivity will become a full-blown allergy over time and that decades of "abuse" due to eating those foods, regardless, can lead to Celiac or Crohns and just overall, more serious types of intolerances and auto-immune responses. Our daughter always got sinus allergy symptoms when she had either milk or wheat: really stuffy nose and repeat sinus infections as a young child. That also took us to the whole grass-fed cows & milk thing, etc., and her grass allergies. Well, she felt much better after we eliminated them both. Just mild seasonal grass/spring allergy now, that doesn't require any intervention and no more sinus infections over the years. All 3 of our kids did not take well to milk when they started at 9-12 months old and I think since I worry that one day any of them may get IBD (my husband has Diverticulitis), I just teach them to listen to their bodies and not to eat things that don't leave them consistently feeling good. Two are away in college and are healthy and one is home in high school and doing well. I don't expect them to eat like saints, haha, but they are all on the right track, thank goodness. Best wishes.
 
The legal/illegal list is pretty intimidating. Being I am functioning on no sleep and have a 4 and 2 year old fighting all the time. Ugh... Makes it hard to find time to read. Frustrated already and I haven't even started.
 
My Reinhard food shopping list

This will become a very personalized list for your daughter's needs and food sensitivities over time, and it will change now and then. I just want to tell you that you are doing a really great job!!! And your TLC with all of this will help in many ways.

To start easy, the SCD yogurt, avocados, bananas, cooked well or pureed veggies & chicken/turkey (you may want to add some parmesan or chedder cheese to those for better taste to a child if she likes it), scrambled eggs w/ cheese. If she can tolerate pineapple, the Dole cups in their own juice are good and taste nice with chicken, too. When I can tolerate it, I use skinny french green beans as my "pasta." I cook it nice and soft, chop it up, and add to it anything I used to eat with penne. Unsweetened Vanilla Almond milk is great, made by SILK, and others. As GStar said, the pecanbread website is absolutely awesome for IBD kids' health, tasty ideas and SCD diet. I go there a lot because it's so thorough.

I actually ripped out pages 53-60, Chapter 9, of the SCD book and take it with me everywhere in my handbag, so I always have the SCD list handy.

If the almond meal bothers your daughter in bread recipes at first, and she can handle eggs and pureed carrots alright, then I make quick mini muffins with one cup pureed carrot, one egg, tsp. of each cinnamon and honey. They are a cross between a souffle and a bread but they are a nice treat with a pat of butter when other things are not working out and one is craving a breadlike substance :) I will be trying to expand that mini recipe into a loaf pan. FYI, cinnamon is considered an anti-inflammatory, so if it doesn't bother her, it can even help!

So, figure that for kids, the honey, cinnamon, and pure applesauce, pineapple, carrots, and pumpkin are handy for recipes and pleasant flavor. Baking soda vs. baking powder, hard cheeses like parmesan, cheddar...and wild canned salmon in water is good mixed with parmesan or the pineapple.

Here is a nice almond bread that's yummy when she's ready: mix 4 1/2 cups almond meal, 1 tsp. sea salt, 1 tsp. baking soda; separately mix 2 eggs + 3 egg whites, 3 TB. honey, 1 tsp. cider vinegar and 2-4 really ripe bananas (it works great with 2 if that's all you have), then mix dry ingred. w/ wet. 9X5 greased loaf pan, 350 degrees, 20-30 min. Make sure the center is springy, and cover the top with foil if it is drying out too much at any point.

Will be thinking of you...Hope this helps. Have to rush out the door :)
 
Thanks but it is the specific things I can only order online or have to get from trader joes or whole foods that I cannot find at my local store I am worried about for the moment anyway. She loves waffles every morning. Lunch is usually pb sandwiches. Dinners are protein and veggies and noodles. Bummer on the noodles huh. Snacks are nutrition shakes, string cheese, I usually can only get eggs in her if they are disguised like cracked over hot noodles with pesto and veggies. ;(. This is gonna be a challenge.

Regarless if she can tolerate these things she is eating pizza and all crap food now so I am sure it will help. She cannot go on bland diet for she is malnurished and unfortunaltly I am going to have to keep feeding her the Nutren Jrs bc of all the muscle loss she has had. But am hoping after a month of this we can go 100% SCD.
 
Myreinhard,

By no means are all above postings suggesting a 'bland diet'. They are the basis of great nutrition which the body can absorb! These whole foods which you are referring too do not cost thousands.. They are produce. It takes a GREAT deal of prep time but this is how people ate even at the turn of the century. Decisions always will be made to buy 'organic' vs grocery store bulk. Grocery store bulk is where the deals are at but you see this in lost quality. Saying this.. SCD DOES NOT state you must buy organic produce or livestock, you can get by on them just as well. Its a shame the western world forgets the fact - we use to prepare our foods each and every meal.

It sounds like you are at crossroads and you will decide the journey. I do say the journey looks like a mountain at first BUT when you see the results within the first 4 weeks.. The results will keep you motivated! I guarantee this!! :)

As before, I wish you all the best and there is no right or no wrong here. It is people helping each other who share a common similarity.. Your girl sounds pretty sick and really, what do you have to loose. God bless and good luck! :)
 
Oh I know it is not a bland diet but she needs more than any diet can give her. This is what i meant. In the beginning I am doubting I will be able to do all the parts of the diet that is where I worry about getting the nutrition in. Cooking her fruit is going to be a struggle. She wants it all raw.

I am going to her PCP today hoping to get a referral to an allergist. Even though she has never shown an intolerance to anything particular, I want to eliminate things at the gate if need be. I am finding lots of links between ldnscience and this diet. Candida being an issue... The Brain scenario... Kinda interesting... I even found links between toxoplasma Gondii which ws my first second opinion through a homeopathic counselor using electrodermal screening. The schizophrenia link... her rectal prolapse issues. My brain is on overdrive, sorry haven't been sleeping and I digress often. Lol. To say it short, it has been a long journey.

My biggest hurdle is going to be patience. I have none. This is going to be a slow wean onto the diet. It will defiantly take me longer than one month to probably see results.

Thanks I will be back to ask questions here.
 
Meal plan so far... Items I know she will eat.

Bananas
Salmon
Halibut
Chicken if covered in a sauce
Turkey meatballs
Frozen yogurt
Eggs if cooked in foods not visible (salad)
Almond bread (maybe)
Almond bread waffles ( maybe) need a topping

Still working on meal plans
 
Hi everyone!

I started the diet in the beginning of December 2011. My CRP was 21 and I was pushed by doctors to start immunosuppression medication what I did not want to because of the side effects. After 3 weeks my CRP was <5 and still the same. It was a nice surprise!
Unfortunately I still could not tolerate any milk products except butter. I tried even 48 hours fermenting of goat milk yogurt but unfortunately it did not work also. So I have to make yogurt from the nut milk at the moment what I do myself from the grounded nuts. I do not want to eat much nut yogurt, just a table spoon of “soft cheese” made from this yogurt, as I bake bread from grounded nuts and eat nuts as a snack. I do not have diarrhoea most of the time. I am very much impressed as I had it for 14 years. I do still have it rare but probably because I not aware of the ingredients. For example I cannot eat sundried California raisins even it says that nothing is added so I believe it has something what I could not tolerate. I was dark chocolate addicted and surprisingly I do not miss chocolate so much but bread. All gluten-free bread has starch in it so it is not suitable for us. I cook “jam” from the apples, berries and honey to have something sweet. I did bake cookies from the nut flour in the beginning but now I only bake bread. I buy my nut flour from this company http://www.naturalchoice.co.uk/
 
Quick update- day 13 of the SCD diet

Hey everyone- just wanted to check back in and let you know how I'm doing on day 13 with the SCD diet. I decided to try some almond flour and make some carrot 'cake' to eat at breakfast. It's not really cake, more like a carrot souffle (eggs, honey, almond flour and pureed carrots). But it really filled me up and satisfied my 'bread craving' in the mornings.

I'm still having some bleeding with my morning BM (which still seems to be a bit 'urgent' some days). But it's only been 13 days...so I'm not terribly worried.

I'm very proud of myself for strictly sticking to the diet...despite the fresh hot chocolate chip cookies a co-worker brought to a meeting yesterday. It actually wasn't that hard to resist. I kind of look at food like that as 'junk' now...as strange as that sounds.

One weird thing I have noticed- and maybe someone else has had a similar experience?- has anyone else following the SCD diet noticed that their sense of smell has become really heightened?? For example, the co-worker that brought the cookies to the meeting, I could tell what was in the box when she walked into the room. I could literally smell the sugar. It was as strong smelling to me as coffee or cigarette smoke! And it's not just sugar! I can smell everything much more than before.
 
I believe the experiences you are seeing are common with folks on SCD.. The longer you are on the diet, its surreal what you see regarding sensory abilities (taste, smell).. I personally saw the biggest change in concentration. I was less agitated overall even in the most dire strait situations.. Hence.. That's why SCD is for life with me now, going back to processed foods on an normal basis is not even part of my gameplan for the rest of my days. Sure.. I indulge but its always in moderation.

On a separate note.. A big kudos for some local research scientists at the University of Calgary a few days back.. Finally understanding the breakdown of the gut cells in the IBD disease.. New treatments are heading our way folks that will no longer focus on 'controlling inflammation response' BUT picking away at the root cause - why the nervous system is attacking its own cells!! 200,000 folk in Canada now with diagnosed IBD, that's up from the 100K or so when I was diagnosed in 2008!! Geebus..
 
Gave Rowan SDC pancakes with the almond flour. We cannot do the intro diet. Or should I say she won't do it and she is low on albumin right now so I am doing everything I can to get more protein in her.

Does the almond flour bother any of you?
 
Hi!
I bake the bread from the mix of the pecan, almonds and hazelnuts flour. When I bake only from pecan it reminds me rye bread. When only from almond flour it looks more like cake not a bread.
 
"Does the almond flour bother any of you?"

It doesn't really bother me but it is really filling. It has loads of protein and fiber, so be cautious about portion size. If you ate 2 or 3 flour pancakes DON'T ASSUME that you should eat 2 or 3 almond flour pancakes! I made that mistake and completely stuffed myself!
 
Hi!

I have purchased from Lucy’s Kitchen Shop 12 boxes of the SCD yogurt starter. The yogurt starter expiry date is June 2013 and I can see now that there is no way I can use all of these boxes. I paid for these 12 boxes £48.58 plus 13.80 customs fee. Is anybody interested to buy some of the boxes, please?

Thank you in advance!
 
Another quick update- the dreaded business lunch

:eek2:

I was invited to a business lunch today last minute. Being only 14 days into the SCD diet I was a bit worried. Thankfully we went to a buffet style lunch at a higher-class hotel restaurant (it had little signs indicating vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free choices). I was able to make a salad of fresh greens, carrots, peeled cucumber and use olive oil & red wine vinegar for dressing. They had a baked salmon (labeled gluten free) that I added to the salad. Yes, it could have had an illegal oil on it but it really didn't seem that it did. For dessert I had a big plate of fresh cut fruit (labeled gluten free- lol!) and a slice of havarti cheese.

The best part was that no one looked at my plate strangely and I didn't feel out of place eating what I wanted. The only noticeable difference was the lack of cake on my plate for dessert but besides the few "that's how you stay so thin" comments from some women it wasn't an issue.

Triumph!?!
 
Way to go, Caldotis!!

That is so great! I am so happy for you. You are off and running...

That was a total success. It's always nice when eating healthy, delicious food does not make one feel like an outcast, haha. Have a terrific weekend! Best wishes.
 
Gstar said:
Myreinhard,

By no means are all above postings suggesting a 'bland diet'. They are the basis of great nutrition which the body can absorb! These whole foods which you are referring too do not cost thousands.. They are produce. It takes a GREAT deal of prep time but this is how people ate even at the turn of the century. Decisions always will be made to buy 'organic' vs grocery store bulk. Grocery store bulk is where the deals are at but you see this in lost quality. Saying this.. SCD DOES NOT state you must buy organic produce or livestock, you can get by on them just as well. Its a shame the western world forgets the fact - we use to prepare our foods each and every meal.

It sounds like you are at crossroads and you will decide the journey. I do say the journey looks like a mountain at first BUT when you see the results within the first 4 weeks.. The results will keep you motivated! I guarantee this!! :)

As before, I wish you all the best and there is no right or no wrong here. It is people helping each other who share a common similarity.. Your girl sounds pretty sick and really, what do you have to loose. God bless and good luck! :)
Click to expand...

Whole foods is a store that sells organic foods. It is about a 45 minute drive. I just didn't want to miss anything vital in ingredients.
 
Great start, Myreinhard

You definitely have your work cut out for you, trying to navigate this terrain with a young child while raising two young children on the usual "momsheimer's" sleep deprivation! I can totally sympathize and my hat's off to you for getting so organized and doing the best you can under these circumstances (trying to plan out your trip to TJ's or WF and make it very worthwhile). Since I'm on a combo of the SCD and low FODMAPS, tailored to my own tolerances, I think that Gstar is probably the resident expert here with SCD-specific shopping list from those stores. I thought that mainly pure honey, pure fruits packed in their own juices, nut flours, baking soda, nut milks, & SCD legal vanilla (which you may have to buy online from Lucy's Kitchen Shop), and pure canned tomatoes/fruits (in their own juices) were pretty much the stipulation. Here is a short link with good tips for baking for kids: http://pecanbread.com/p/how/foodprep.html

Since you will be understandably weaning into this diet to keep it moving in a positive direction, you may find that you have to ease into it by initially using rice pastas from WF and TJ's, and slowly cutting back from pasta by decreasing portions over time. One has to make allowances like this for small children given the difficulty of the realities with kids and food. At least that's a step in the right direction, as it's going to be less irritating than wheat products. Annie's Organic products has lots of friendly-shaped rice pasta choices on that front.

Good luck, and hang in there!
 
This sounds really promising. I want to be excited about it but I'm skeptical.... I've had Crohn's for 13 yrs now and am missing quite a bit of bowel, lol, so I'm sure that is part of my problem!

One thing I noticed is that a lot of the legal foods are foods I cannot eat. I can't eat any raw fruits or vegetables without being in intense pain. The same goes for nuts. Most of my go to foods that I know will never make me sick and I use as "safe" foods during active problems are on the illegal list. Is this because of the cycle? I noticed that David said he eats lots of meat, salads, and fruits..... I would be surviving on only meat, lol.

I'm also very busy. I know that sounds trivial when your health is on the line....but I'm a single mom with two boys in soccer and t-ball, a full time college student, and work 40 hrs a week. It is really hard for me to implement a diet that consists of cooking EVERYTHING. That being said, I am desperate to make a change. I want to get off humira immediately (I can't handle the side effects) and would love to get better control of the disease with diet instead of scary meds. I guess I'm trying to see if this would be a do-able option.....not trying to shoot it down.....how much time does it really take for the prep?
 
Hi Lacibug34,

Geebus.. These usernames that we all use make me smile.. Haha

In previous posts, I suggested 'steaming the allowed veggies' and then puree'ing them in a blender using a lil' of the same water from steaming process.. Your right, if you can't eat veggies, what can you do with this diet. I also posted earlier, a great almond muffin recipe which I grind down from raw almonds in a coffee grinder to come up with the 'flour'. These items are staples in every meal of mine (even for breakfast) where I switchup the proteins from red meat, chicken, fish, eggs, etc..

Give the diet a honest shot with my recommendations from above - I bet you will see a difference! Depending what areas of the large or small bowel you had removed, google food absorption to understand what sections of the small bowel absorb proteins, fats, and carbs.. Then plan out your food by what small bowel you do have for optimization.

I know the above response is intense BUT what do you got to lose? Its definitely worth a shot! Good Luck!
 
Hi Lacibug34! I had this disease since 1997 and was diagnosed only in 2006 when part of my thin intestines was removed so I have only 195sm of it now. Of course it is time-consuming. It takes time to make nut milk, to make yogurt from the milk even longer, to bake bread and ect. I was quite spoiled for the last 3 years as we have free canteen at work with quite good cuisine but since I started the diet I bring my own lunch. I am not a big fun of cooked vegetables, so I have fresh salad and I put the chicken leg in the oven in the morning and it’s ready by the time I have to leave. I was cooking oatmeal porridge every morning before that but now I have scrambled eggs every morning instead ( I can not have fresh fruits in the morning). I have got used to them. I salt salmon myself to put on the sandwich with the nut bread. I cook “jam” from apples, berries and honey or bake apples to have something sweet.
But from my point of view it is worth it. My blood test is normal now and I do not hear funny noises from my belly every time when the food passes narrow places. And I have normal stool most of the time now comparing with 14 years of constant watery D.
To be honest I am surprised that no one doctor ever suggested me any diet. I could not blame our Lithuanian doctors as they do not so much familiar with these diseases but here?! It is a crime, honestly. Since I started the diet my blood test changed to normal in 3 (!) weeks.
I do understand you. Even 1 year ago I could not imagine myself voluntarily refusing dark chocolate, my lovely oatmeal, bread…But when you on a crossroad to use immunosuppressant medication or to have a try of this diet you have to choose. Maybe you are not ready yet but please do not wait until it’s too late.

Best of luck!
 
David said:
I personally have a form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease called, "Lymphocytic Colitis". In short, I have a ton of lymphocytes hanging out in my gut and it sucks. I've made a lot of lifestyle changes, tried various diets, and I'm doing better but I want to be in remission. As I've learned more about IBD and the digestive/immune systems, I've begun to ponder my condition (there's very little info about it out there). Here's my very simple thinking: I have a bunch of lymphocytes (white blood cells that go after viruses and bacteria). So my gut must have a bunch of those buggers and my body is trying to get rid of them. So let's help it out by starving them (the bad bacteria) of their primary energy source: carbohydrates.

I'm an emotional eater. If I get emotional I eat crap. Fast food, sugar, you name it. Food is my cigarettes or alcohol. I feel that some of this is due to a bacterial overgrowth that, when it starts to get starved, does everything it can to get me to eat the crap that they need. No more. NO MORE!

I've been on the diet for about 10 days now. The last few days I've begun to get emotional and have motivational issues. This thread is, in part, an exercise in overcoming that. I'm not surprised by the last few days, in fact, I'm kind of excited as I feel it means that I'm pissing off the little jerks I'm trying to starve out. I'm having INTENSE cravings. There was quite a battle as I checked out at Home Depot (chips and candy) and when I was at Whole Foods today, but I won! Out of curiosity, those of you on the SCD, how many of you have gone through an emotional/cravings phase? And how long did it last?
Click to expand...

Hi, I have only been on the diet for a couple of months but I do still find it hard with the junk craving, expecially when my two young boys get one. However is getting better because I know that if I eat it I am going to be in alot of pain and end up on the toilet for the day. I also find it easier to bring with me some of my sweets with me and I snack on them. The candies nuts are very good and the monster cookies. I found both of these on the S.C.D. website. Hope it gets easier for you and good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Rowan is scheduled for a colectomy on April 11thish. Going to try to do what i can to implement this diet ASAP. Don't know if it will stop the bleeding and get her to in remission before her appointment but we shall see.
 
Another quick update- Day 20 on the SCD diet

Just a quick check-in 20 days into the SCD diet. Not to be too explicit but I'm back in solid poo territory!! HURRAY!!! ;)

I've found some receipes online that are SCD legal but vegetarian so it's been wonderful to include one or two dinners per week without meat. After almost 10 years of eating very little meat and no dairy one of the hardest adjustments was all the meat eating with each meal.

I've also become a lot more efficient with my meal preparation, often making tomorrow's lunch while I'm making tonight's dinner. It's really saved time. I'm slowly begun lowering down my prednisone dosage, and I just hope that I don't flare.

My birthday is 3 days after my "30 day strict trial" that I vowed to give the SCD diet but yesterday I printed out a few SCD legal birthday cake recipes. I'm really hoping things continue to go well.
 
Congratulations, Caldotis!

Very happy about your results and that you are so optimistic! Well done!
I usually cook lunch for two days as it also saves time because I do not really eat in the evening. My biggest meals of the day are breakfast and lunch.
 
Promise! If such great benefits are already being noticed, they will continue:) Congrats btw.. There will be rough patches, when fighting colds, etc.. But naturally, everybody battles through those.. Staying strict to the diet always ensures the fastest healing.

As for the prednisone.. Don't go to crazy with dropping the dosages in such a short time. Like everything else, its about balance. Allow your body time to compensate for the loss of dosage being consumed, so your body can adjust and kick in your own production. Keep up the great work! Its all about meal prepping and prepping for tomorrow's meals (to save time).. Cook in batches.. :)
 
Hi Tantija,

I have seen you have been doing great work yourself on these threads regarding SCD, Kudos to you! Obviously you enjoy helping people, great work and mentoring! :)

All I was trying to reference with the cold reference, is that it is normal for anybody to fight and type of bug or virus that may be picked up. People with IBD, it seems their immune systems kick into high gear per say when they fight the same bug and this is what usually mimics a 'flare'.. Not a case that all your symptoms are beginning to regress from some unknown reason. There is usually a reason. At the beginning of the diet this is very true, as time progressess.. Bumps in the road generally mimic the same time as 1 day flu's etc..

Have a good day and keep up the great work!
 
Hi Gstar!

Thank for the reply. I have lost quite a lot of weight when I started the diet but managed to get it back. I am not on any medication so my immune system is quite alright. You are right the reasons of flares could be very diferent. After 14 years I know that my is more emotional if I am stressed or upset very much about something my intastines got cramped and food stuck with a lot of pain. I am sure you know how it is :)

Have a nice day!
 
I tried this diet twice. must say that i have fructose intolerance (severe migraine and psoriasis). did plenty for my mood, as it did with my sisters M.E and mood. but the food went through in green bile. was on it a minimum of 3 months each time. I also had huge issues with the dairy. Yes, bloating, mucus and a thumping hangover feeling after it. On a positive note i will also say that i don't collapse so much physically. i didn't notice myself becoming healthier, cos i just had the same old stomach cramps and longer loo visits, but i did feel as though the fatigue left me a bit.

Must say, my liquid feed is virtually all carbs! not sure its doing me any good though, still run to loo. still have stomach cramps and colonoscopy of two weeks ago still revealed stricture with ulcerations and bleeding, omg, what does help crohns?

Hows that diet going David?
 
David not every allergic responce leads to anaphlactic shock. Things like bee stings, nut allergies, sea food allergies and antibiotics (prob more stuff that I cant think of or know about)
can get worse. Like every bee sting you get can be worse than the last one. Same with PCN.


Other than that I am totally overwhelmed with all I read on this thread!! And I didnt even try the diet!

Ya know a 30 day program (like rehab for IBD) we can get intense informatioin and tips on how to live with thses lovely things. Private rooms and bathrooms must!! Sounds good to me!
 
i had started the specfic car diet in january, and loved it!!!!!the only problem was that i am too weak to eat the veg part of the diet, so i am restricted to mostly meat, bananas and a few other things like swiss cheese. i am at the point where my doctors are very very pushy with humira and remacade, which i DO NOT want to go on. when i was taking 6mp i had an adverse reaction-- my white blood cells count dropped to a 1 (normal range is 4.5-13). medicines had really no positive affects on my disease. currently i still take colestid(because of a bowel resection) and prevacid. i had to stop the diet about 3 weeks ago because i was nervous about how much weight i continued to lose. (im 5'8 and was 122 lbs when before my flare last summer, i weighed 185 lbs). since stopping the diet i feel TERRIBLE!!!!! i tried eating things that my doctor had suggested, his list of go-to foods included sugary cereals and even cinnabuns!-which i avioded, i tried things like soft pretzels and toast and even that KILLED me. cheese is the worst, a slice of pizza sent me into convulsions while i was on the toilet--terrible!! i JUST went back on the diet, i weigh 127 lbs and have decided so long as i can stay above 115 i am sticking to the diet. is anyone else so frustrated that doctors do not recognize diet as part of the issue?
 

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