Frequently Asked Questions:
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Q: Where can I get more information about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet?
A: There are many resources to help you learn more about the SCD. The primary way, of course, is to read the book "Breaking the Vicious Cycle" by Elaine Gottschall. Also see the official SCD website, http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info which contains a lot of great information such as a legal/illegal list of foods, a list of SCD-friendly doctors, and a search function to find additional information on subjects about which you're interested in learning more. (This site is temporarily down, sorry.) We at NoMoreCrohns have created a course that will take you gently by the hand and lead you through the maze of information! It's called "Fast-Track to SCD Success" and is available here. Our website also contains so much info about being on the Diet and living with it, day in and day out, so browse through every page! In addition, I have provided links to several of my favorite SCD-related websites. Q: Is it hard to do this diet? A: The first few months of starting this diet is the hardest time, because you will need to change your thinking about the type of food you eat and preparation time, as well as stock up on items you will need for making and storing the food. It is truly a life-changing event to start the SCD, both in the positive effects it has on your body AND in the lifestyle changes you need to make. Once you have devoted yourself for a few months to feeding yourself on 100% SCD foods, you will find that the diet becomes a lot easier and you will find new ways of making the diet less work. Now, the diet is completely routine and normal to me. I have favorite easy meals and snacks in mind when I get hungry, and it's very simple to quickly make them. Go to my Instagram page to see what I'm eating, day in and day out! Q: What items should I invest in when I first start the diet? A: I would buy a yogurt maker right away so you can make the SCD version of yogurt. Find a link to my favorite yogurt maker below. I actually now have two yogurt makers so I can make two half-gallons of yogurt at a time. I eat about a cup or more per day, which means I only have to make yogurt about twice a month. Next I would buy some blanched almond flour to make the baked goods. You can price sources online, and also check out our Amazon store or our Amazon picks below. www.freedavitamins.com makes an SCD multi-vitamin that Elaine Gottschall worked to specially produce through them for the specific needs of those on the diet. She recommended two of these tablets a day to help augment our health, and you'll find a link to buy these vitamins below. Other SCD vitamins they sell are: SCD B Complex, and SCD Calcium Complete. A food processor is also a great investment. Q: Is there a problem with the fact that the temperature fluctuates a bit during the 24 hour incubation period with the Yogourmet Yogurt Maker ? A: No, the yogurt is still perfectly legal and healthy. A note from the manufacturer gives further light on this situation: " Important Notice to Users Following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet" "Please note the Yogourmet Multi yogurt maker has been designed to maintain an incubation temperature of 108-112 degrees F (42-44 C) in a room where the temperature is around 68-72 degrees F (20-22 C)." "If the room temperature where the yogurt maker is used is higher than 72 degrees F (22 C), then the incubation temperature of the yogurt maker will also be higher in proportion." "It is important especially in summer to use the yogurt maker in an air conditioned room, basement or a room which is not as warm as the kitchen in summer. If this is not possible, try to operate the yogurt maker without the outer lid. This could help lower the incubation temperature." Q: Will I have to eat a lot of weird things on the diet? A: I actually eat better-quality, more delicious food than most people do! There are many recipes that can be easily adapted to fit the diet, and my husband enjoys eating the same food I do (I usually add some bread, tortillas, rice or potatoes on the side for him but he's perfectly happy even if he doesn't get these extras with every meal.) The main food that is different is the baked goods made with nut flours. But did you know that gourmet chefs use nut flours to make pastries and sweets? While they are different than regular baked goods, they really do taste good and it's important to experiment with recipes so they taste the way you like them. Q: How soon will I feel better? A: The healing process is different for everyone. Some people feel better immediately, and some take several months to feel significantly better. The amount of time you have been suffering with the disease may have an impact on your healing time, since there may be more for your body to repair. For me, I was feeling a lot better within a couple of weeks. Q: What if my doctor isn't supportive of the diet? A: It's important to be aware that the medical community is not generally going to stick their necks out to recommend this diet. Why? Because, as a diet, the SCD is only beginning to have the scientific studies to prove that it works. That's what doctors need, to protect themselves from negative feedback from other doctors and possible malpractice suits. Pharmaceutical companies on the other hand are able to fund these kinds of studies because they expect to make that money back on the medicines they sell. Since this diet helps you get OFF meds, no wonder the SCD hasn't gained more popularity in the medical community. (Things are changing, though, as you'll see on our Recent Research page!) |
There are some doctors, however, who do encourage patients to give it a try, especially if they have a patient who is willing to follow a strict diet in an effort to stay off strong meds.
The doctor is not suffering with our disease; we are. No one cares as much about our health as we do! And when you get well on the SCD, go back and tell your doctor about it! They need that positive feedback. Something interesting to ponder is that we are ALL on a diet! No matter what we eat, we are choosing certain foods to put in our mouth. The SCD is an extremely safe, well-rounded, whole food diet packed with nutrients and fresh, healthy food. Since 2012 we have been hearing of more and more doctors who are directing their patients to the SCD! Studies completed in 2017 by doctors at Seattle Children's Hospital have proven that the SCD works. We believe this will be the beginning of widespread acceptance of the SCD by the medical community. Change is happening! Q: What if my family isn't supportive of the diet? A: I have to share the same advice as above - no one cares as much about your health as you do, and you must choose to take your health into your own hands. Showing your family members this website will help them understand the ideas behind the diet. It will help them see why the diet is giving you hope, and will provide them with recipes they can use when cooking for you. They will see that there is a large community of people who are following the SCD with wonderful results and it will give them hope too. Q: How do I handle social situations? I don't like to have everyone looking at what I'm eating! A: It's becoming so common to be on some kind of special diet nowadays that people may not even see it as something unique. But it is important to remember that you set the tone for how comfortable people will be around you when you are on the diet. People may be naturally interested in the diet, so when they notice you're eating something different you can give a short answer like "Oh, I'm just on a special diet for my health." That usually satisfies most people. If they are interested in the diet and what it's for, though, just cheerfully answer their questions in a succinct manner so the whole conversation doesn't get steered in your direction. Occasionally, people will feel bad they are eating something you can't eat. All you have to do is respond in a non-judgemental way that shows you're perfectly happy eating the way you are because you're experiencing such improvement in your health. I've been amazed to find out how many people know someone else who has an IBD! Maybe your openness about the diet will be the help someone needs. Q: Can I go out to eat in restaurants? A: You must be very selective when going out to eat, but that doesn't mean you can't go at all! Whenever I try a new place, I look at the menu to find something like plain chicken or beef (not marinated) with some steamed vegetables and/or fruit on the side. This is usually pretty easy to find, and often even if you don't see it on the menu, you can explain to the waiter that you "have allergies" so you want to find out if they can do a special order for you. Be prepared with food in a bag, pocket, or purse, however, if they can't accommodate your order! I ask what it is cooked in and request for them to use only oil to cook it. For the steamed vegetables I ask for them to be cooked in only water, with nothing added. If you can get them to bring separate wrapped squares of real butter (not margarine!) you can add it to your hot veggies, and even to the top of the chicken or other meat. For the fruit, I ask for fresh fruit with no added sweeteners to ensure they don't use any from a can. Q: Will my friends want to eat this food? A: For the most part, your friends will be pleasantly surprised with how delicious and normal your food is! The food you eat is actually very gourmet, and if you adapt recipes from magazines or use any of the great recipes in our magazines, on our recipe pages, or in my mom's cookbooks, it will be hard to tell the difference. Many people taste my food and say, "I don't feel sorry for you!" I eat better than most people do! One thing I like to do is add bread, rice, potatoes, or tortillas to the side of meals I make for family or friends. This ensures that they have the type of food they are used to, and then we can all easily sit down to the same meal without it being a big deal. Again, if you're comfortable with what you're eating, they will be too! They just want to make sure you're happy! Q: I've heard that some people do the SCD in "stages" but I didn't read about that in "Breaking the Vicious Cycle." Are stages necessary? A: Following stages has been necessary for a fairly small number of people, especially for autistic children on the diet. To learn about stages visit www.pecanbread.com. I personally got completely well and stayed well without following stages, as have many thousands of people who follow the diet as it is presented in the book. In a later version of "Breaking the Vicious Cycle," Elaine Gottschall mentions that it is not necessary to follow "stages" to get well. 
We really like the Luvele yogurt maker!
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Items mentioned in the FAQ and answers.
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Dairy Free SCD
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SCD cookbooks by my mom, available on Amazon.
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