Hi Domsmom,
With all diets that change a whole heap of things it is hard to know which changes are the ones that made the difference. That's why in (real) science experiments are done changing one variable at a time.
SCD doesn't suit everyone (i couldn't handle the SCD yougurt and improved once i stopped eating it.)
Paleo makes more sense to others (no peanuts, no vegetable oils etc) and tends to indicate that mild carb intake might be OK but only paleo carbs such as tubers.
With all of the 'healing' diets the exclusion of processed foods is critical. For a good (and terrifying) introduction to the difference between industrial food and real food , 'The Omnivores Dilemma' by Michael Pollan[1] is well worth reading
One of the main tenants of the SCD diet is starving out the bad bacteria by excluding carbs so a period of low-carb is recommended, but then you might find that a low to meduim carb intake (of safe paleo carbs) will be an easier diet to follow.
I have settled on "the Perfect Health Diet"[2] .
This diet is paleo based but acknowledges the importance of carbs and allows all paleo carbs and white rice (which opens the door for rice noodles instead of pasta and rice crackes instead of bread). This makes it a much easier and cheaper diet to follow.
My feeling (and it agrees with my own experiences) that if you need to 'cheat' then what you cheat with is vital.
If are on SCD and 'cheat' with paleo carbs (plantain,tubers etc) then you will probably find it is less troublesome than white bread and soda.
NOT Icecream, processed foods and grains (except white rice), NOT takaways, not freezer/microwave meals, not candy, not soda etc.
[1] America's Food Crisis:
THE OMNIVORE'S DILEMMA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T_EAoYE5aw
[2] Bowel Disorders, Part I: About Gut Disease (series of 4 blogs, relates very well to the SCD philosophy)
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2010/07/ulcerative-colitis-a-devastating-gut-disease/