• Welcome to Crohn's Forum, a support group for people with all forms of IBD. While this community is not a substitute for doctor's advice and we cannot treat or diagnose, we find being able to communicate with others who have IBD is invaluable as we navigate our struggles and celebrate our successes. We invite you to join us.

Specific carbohydrate diet

RHOV

RHOV

specific carbohydrate diet

I don't think Remicade is for me. I have only been able to go 5 1/2 weeks since my last infusion (which was a double dose!) before I started to flare again.

I'm in kind of a tight place right now. I'm trying to move my next Remicade infusion up, but I have an MRI on Thursday to see whether or not I'm having some sort of bad side effect (My arms and legs have been tingling). So I don't know if the infusion can be sooner or if I'm going to give up completely on Remicade.

I think I want to give the specific carbohydrate diet a try. It seems like everyone who managed to stay on it long enough had good results. Even though most of what it allows are "trigger" foods, a lot of people swear by it...

I know there are a few old threads about this, but can anyone give me some more recent opinions/experience/knowledge?

thanks!
 
RHOV

RHOV

I really hope that I'm not reacting to the Remicade. Each infusion basically puts me in remission for a month and a half. I'm hoping that my doctor will just put me on Remicade every 6 weeks instead of every 8 and see if that works. I guess we're still in the adjustment phase to find the right medication and dosage.

I have never experienced any of the scary side effects that you did! I thought I was doing pretty well with the Remicade, so hopefully the tingling is just a fluke!
 
RHOV

RHOV

Update on the diet:

I decided to do a modified version of the SCD. My mom and I don't really see the science behind it.

Here's what I do eat:
all unprocessed meat, except for water-packed canned fish and chicken;
all vegetables, even the ones in cans;
all fruits, and ones in cans with no added sugar;
all beans, even kidney and garbanzo beans;
eggs;
soy;
a selected few all-natural processed foods, like chicken broth, sauces, etc as long as they are gluten free and natural

Here's what I DON'T eat:
all forms of nuts;
all grains, including rice and corn;
potatoes (yams are okay);
all dairy products; including yogurt and cheeses;
sugar (but honey and stevia and a few artificial sweeteners are okay);
processed food

I started on Monday. I have no idea if this is due to dietary changes or not, but my BMs have changed drastically. (WARNING: may be graphic!)

On Monday I had diarrhea all day long. I went to the bathroom about 10 times.

Tuesday and today I had one bowel movement. And it was NORMAL. I could see undigested food and identify it (gross!), but other than that, it was normal stool.

So I am very confused. I highly doubt that the changes are due to the dietary changes, but I don't know what is going on! My doctor wanted to move my Remicade up, but now I'm not so sure if that's necessary, because other than being EXTREMELY tired, I don't have any other symptoms since the diarrhea has gone away!
 
F

frozenkefir

Guest
Alright, I've had Crohn's for 10 years and tried this diet almost 2 years ago. It did work very well and exceeded my expectations. I definitely learned a lot from it. I still am primarily on a diet centered around this book and doing very well, but I did add some supplements here and there. There is a website for this which was linked by the poster above me...that is the same one I used before I bought the book. It has an illegal/legal list that is convenient and tells you what foods are allowed. Check it out.

The book is so cheap I'd just recommend buying it if you are going to do it. I got mine from Amazon. This diet is pretty strict and you may have to give up your favorite foods, but the diet does recommend alternatives. For example, you can make many pastries and breads out of Almond flour if you miss the real thing. I noticed a reduction in symptoms quickly after starting the diet, but the book said it can take up to a month depending on your level of irritation. I basically started with the Almond flour recipes by making myself things like blueberry almond muffins, almond bread, baked wild salmon, cauliflower mashed potatoes, etc....you'll see what I mean when you see all the recipes.

Homemade yogurt also works quite well which is a big part of the diet. The yogurt requires a 24 fermentation and comes out quite sour but I could tell it was helping me. The book and website I linked you tells you how to make it. I used to make it for over half of a year and was pleased with the results. Kinda just got lazy and my yogurt maker broke so I just take a probiotic supplement anymore...not sure how well the supplement works but I am doing well and it gives me peace of mind.

Due to being a lazy guy (I stopped cooking as much as I used to) nowadays I eat mostly wild Alaskan salmon, hard boiled eggs, peanut butter and celery, bananas, apples, mangos, blueberries, dole pineapple juice, weak tea, some meats here and there i.e. bacon and I sweeten things with honey. No complex carbs or sugars other than pure honey is the key for me and I learned that from the diet. The supplements I feel that are most helpful are fish oil capsules, salmon oil capsules, lots of green tea, and a quality probiotic I found instead of making the yogurt.

I'm doing great as far as Crohn's is concerned but my diet is very restricted as you can see. It is a tradeoff but I feel it is worth it because I've been through a lot with this disease. Goodluck with it, I know how tough it can be when you are starting out.
 
Last edited:
F

frozenkefir

Guest
RHOV, I just read the modified diet you are trying and think it may cause you some problems because of the beans, yams, the soy, canned vegetables and the sauces. Those foods would definitely be illegal on the diet. The beans and soy especially are difficult to digest and the book recommends not even eating soy, on the other hand beans can be attempted when diarrhea-free only if prepared properly by soaking overnight...I'd just hold off on them for now. The tricky thing about the SCD diet is that it requires more than gluten free. Your food really cant have any sort of starch, sugar or complex carb added to it. Usually they do...unfortunately. For example, if your sauces have maltodextrin/rice flour/syrup etc. then they are illegal. It is really tricky when buying things like that and generally the book recommends making them yourself.

You should try the book and give the almond flour recipes a try. It is called the "basic bread and muffin recipe" in the book and if you add frozen blueberries and sweeten with honey they come out really good...I used to make them in muffin pans and they really gave me a lot of energy. I know whole nuts are one of the toughest things to eat but when they are blanched and ground into fine flour it is a different story.

BTW some of the things you are eating seem very good, like the eggs, canned fish/chicken, honey....I never had a problem with those myself. Maybe add some bananas, DOLE pineapple juice (book recommends this drink) and baked wild salmon/cod/haddock for the calories for now. I'd avoid the beans/soy/canned vegetables such as peas if you are going to attempt the SCD diet those foods can cause a lot of problems even when I'm feeling well.
 
Last edited:
D

dad_01

I've been researching three diets that are roughly in the same category: "Breaking the Viscious Cycle," by Elaine Gottshall, "The Body Ecology Diet," by Donna Gates, and "The Maker's Diet," by Jordan Rubin. (I've also consulted with an osteopath who uses alternative methods, such as nutritition and supplements, along with a licensed nutritionist.)

As I understand it, the SCD focuses on something called dissacharides which, again, as I understand it, has to do with the chemistry of the sugar molecules that the particular sugar is made up of. The approach is to eliminate foods that have double sugar molecules in them while allowing single sugar molecules.

The approach of the other two books (again, based on my unscientific and certainly unexpert understanding) is a broader one than the SCD.

Rather than focusing just on foods with a double sugar molecule, the other diets also focus on foods with single sugar molecules. The practical effect, again as I understand it (I'm still trying to figure out these diets and unsnaggle the differences between them) is that these other two diets (not the SCD) restrict a broader category of sugars that you can have.

Basically, we're looking to follow a diet that has no gluten-containing grains (eliminating all grains is actually better, at least initially, but I don't know if we will be able to do that), no diary (not even soy initially), and no added sugars. We're also looking to include a practice called Food Combining, which has to do with what kinds of foods can be eaten with what other foods.

It sounds pretty difficult but, I think if we get organized about it, it won't be as bad as it sounds.
 
Mazen

Mazen

Well, it seems that the SCd is the most used diet for Crohn's, with some good results for a number of people. so if I'm going to try a dietary approach it would be SCd, along with supplements like multivitamines and fish oil. I'm unable to do it now, but maybe soon....

I have posted in some other posts 2 alternative MD's who have used SCD with good results. Maybe you can check the links below for their findings:

http://mdheal.org/crohn's.htm
http://www.drhoffman.com/page.cfm/171


NUTRITIONAL THERAPY FOR CROHN'S DISEASE
A paper presented at the Fourth Annual Sympoium on Alternative Therapies
at the New York Marriott World Trade Center

March 28, 1999

BY LEO GALLAND, M.D.

STUDY PURPOSE: To determine whether dietary modification and nutritional supplementation for adult patients with Crohn's disease can relieve symptoms, induce clinical remission, and decrease the use of anti-inflammatory and immune suppressive drugs.

RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS: Individualized dietary therapy combined with nutritional supplementation will be disease modifying for patients with Crohn's disease. Individual patients will respond differently to different dietary interventions.

METHODS: Initial evaluation included recording of all Crohn's disease relevant symptoms (diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, fatigue, blood or mucus in stool, weight loss) and the following laboratory tests: complete blood count, sedimentation rate, serum albumen, excretion of lactulose and mannitol after an oral challenge. Changes in symptoms were evaluated at each office visit using a digital analog scale. Laboratory parameters were re-tested at three-month intervals. The dietary treatment was administered in a tiered fashion. The initial diet was a grain free, low disaccharide diet (the specific carbohydrate diet, SCD); this was followed for 30 days.

RESULTS: All 20 patients demonstrated a decrease in symptoms and reduction in medication use. Six patients have entered complete clinical remission, discontinued all medication, and maintained remission for five to 80 months
 
Last edited:
L

ls1krab

Guest
I just started the SC diet, and boy is it tough to get started on it at first. Trying to find dry curd cottage cheese is like trying to find the holy grail! Anyways, how long were you guys on the diet before your diarrhea and/or bleeding stopped?
 
L

ls1krab

Guest
Anyone know where to purchase dry curd cottage cheese locally???
 
D

dad_01

RHOV said:
Update on the diet:

I decided to do a modified version of the SCD. My mom and I don't really see the science behind it.

Here's what I do eat:
all unprocessed meat, except for water-packed canned fish and chicken;
all vegetables, even the ones in cans;
all fruits, and ones in cans with no added sugar;
all beans, even kidney and garbanzo beans;
eggs;
soy;
a selected few all-natural processed foods, like chicken broth, sauces, etc as long as they are gluten free and natural

Here's what I DON'T eat:
all forms of nuts;
all grains, including rice and corn;
potatoes (yams are okay);
all dairy products; including yogurt and cheeses;
sugar (but honey and stevia and a few artificial sweeteners are okay);
processed food

I started on Monday. I have no idea if this is due to dietary changes or not, but my BMs have changed drastically. (WARNING: may be graphic!)

On Monday I had diarrhea all day long. I went to the bathroom about 10 times.

Tuesday and today I had one bowel movement. And it was NORMAL. I could see undigested food and identify it (gross!), but other than that, it was normal stool.

So I am very confused. I highly doubt that the changes are due to the dietary changes, but I don't know what is going on! My doctor wanted to move my Remicade up, but now I'm not so sure if that's necessary, because other than being EXTREMELY tired, I don't have any other symptoms since the diarrhea has gone away!
Click to expand...
Just wondering - have you stayed with the diet and, if so, how are things?
 
Crohns08

Crohns08

Is1Krab, try your Walmart, or a Publix. I'm sure if you couldn't find it in a Publix you could order it online.
 
kello82

kello82

ive been on the scd for about 2 months now. it is really hard to follow, my downfall is always cookies. the almond flour is a little rough on my belly so ive been having a hard time finding good cookie substitutes. it just might be saving me from surgery right now, so it is absolutely worth it.

Is1krab- the dry curd cottage cheese is also called farmers cheese. i live in ct and can find it at shoprite and stop&shop.
 
Crohns08

Crohns08

kello82 have you tried the peanut butter brownies? You don't need the flour, and they are so delicious! They are even better refridgerated. (Okay, I said that about the cookies too... Maybe all of the SCD treats are yummy cold?)

Oh, and these peanut butter caramels... They are so yummy! The things you can do with peanut butter and honey... My sweet tooth is coming back! I have found my replacement for chocolate, but I will still cheat on holidays.
 
Mazen

Mazen

Hi Crohns08. Can you provide us with the recipe for the peanut butter brownies? Thanks

I also cannot find the dry curd cheese in my country, so any idea on what I can use instead?
 
Miss

Miss

You can make homemade yoghurt and drip it overnight through a cheesecloth to make similar to ddcc.

Miss
 
T

ttyon

I'm thinking about starting the SCD, but I'm still having a lot of weight loss... I was a bit fat before, so I'm still at around 190 lbs (male), so it's not like I'm in serious danger or anything, but the weight loss just doesn't seem to be slowing down. It seems like if I put big restrictions on what I eat I might lose even more weight.
 
Crohns08

Crohns08

Think about it this way. Really, no matter what diet you eat, you will be losing a lot of weight because the calories are going to the inflammation, not bodily functions.
 
kello82

kello82

im also worried about my weight loss, ive always been thin but 107 lbs and bony is too far!
but what Crohns08 said makes sense to me.
there are a lot of high calorie foods that you can still eat on the diet. i try to pack in as much of foods like cheese and butter that i can.
 
Crohns08

Crohns08

That's true, but what I think is that, no matter what diet you are on, whether it was the diet before, the SCD, Maker's Diet, etc..

You will lose a lot of weight until the inflammation starts going down. I was 125 in march, and I went down to 105 lbs on my 5'2" frame. I'm now about 110 lbs. I'm still skinny and in a healthy range, and I was never bony, but 105 lbs is a bit uncomfortable.

Just pick a diet that works for you in combinations with whatever treatment plan your physician has set up along with a good multivitamin, and possibly an iron supplement if you are deficient in iron, and once you start healing, you should be packing on the pounds!

Even in just my mild case, I have been dealing with this since March, and I am just now close to remission.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top