Specific Carbohydrate Diet For People Without Gastroinestinal Issues Or D.

[Woolygimp]

As you can probably tell from my other post, I'm having problems with certain foods that I shouldn't be. The gluten-free diet has been very helpful, but there seem to be residual symptoms - especially severe fatigue. I was diagnosed Celiac, and I think it was the root catalyst but I think that it caused other problems.

So I suffer from brain fog and severe fatigue, and it seems to be directly correlated to what I eat but these are foods that I shouldn't have reactions to.

I want to try the Specific Carbohydrate Diet in full and give it a chance to work but my gastrointestinal symptoms have all been fully resolved following my gluten-free diet. I no longer suffer from D or loose bowels or anything and those specific symptoms only return when I'm glutened. I can't tolerate dairy, or several other things, but none of them cause gastroinestinal symptoms - they just cause severe brain fog and fatigue.

Everything I've read indicates that the SCD is for people with diarrhea and Crohns, and I have neither. Is there any literature or anything anywhere where the people behind the SC diet recommend it to people like me without those particular symptoms? Anything?

The food I am eating is causing problems for me. That I'm sure of, but the problem is that it's too hard to eliminate everything. Protein may be causing problems but if I eliminate that, I must consume carbs. If I eliminate carbs, I must consume meats. I am absolutely positive I'm not being glutened btw. I was glutened about 4-5 weeks ago and it's caused a flare up in these symptoms. It's almost like anything I eat now is just draining me of energy.

[chatycady]

  Woolygimp said:

As you can probably tell from my other post, I'm having problems with certain foods that I shouldn't be. The gluten-free diet has been very helpful, but there seem to be residual symptoms - especially severe fatigue. I was diagnosed Celiac, and I think it was the root catalyst but I think that it caused other problems.

So I suffer from brain fog and severe fatigue, and it seems to be directly correlated to what I eat but these are foods that I shouldn't have reactions to.

I want to try the Specific Carbohydrate Diet in full and give it a chance to work but my gastrointestinal symptoms have all been fully resolved following my gluten-free diet. I no longer suffer from D or loose bowels or anything and those specific symptoms only return when I'm glutened. I can't tolerate dairy, or several other things, but none of them cause gastroinestinal symptoms - they just cause severe brain fog and fatigue.

Everything I've read indicates that the SCD is for people with diarrhea and Crohns, and I have neither. Is there any literature or anything anywhere where the people behind the SC diet recommend it to people like me without those particular symptoms? Anything?

The food I am eating is causing problems for me. That I'm sure of, but the problem is that it's too hard to eliminate everything. Protein may be causing problems but if I eliminate that, I must consume carbs. If I eliminate carbs, I must consume meats. I am absolutely positive I'm not being glutened btw. I was glutened about 4-5 weeks ago and it's caused a flare up in these symptoms. It's almost like anything I eat now is just draining me of energy.

Not everyone with gluten intolerance has digestive issues. I get D and my younger sister has seizures, and my older sister has hallucinations! We also have different food problems, but our goal is the same, get rid of the bad bacteria and reestablish the good guys! Two of us are able to eat the SCD yogurt, which is like manna from heaven. One of us eats home made sauerkraut, she is also on antibiotics and a probiotic (prescribed) in hopes to cure candida. I'm going the natural route and follow SCD.

You will have to decide. Once the immune system is strong and a good probiotic works and the good guys take hold, I will all be healed. I'm about there.

[YoloGx]

I don't get D either generally unless I get glutened or am ill. The SCD has helped me in many ways, however I also have candida overgrowth so I can't tolerate most of the goodies the diet offers. thus no fruit or honey etc. Plus I don't tolerate almonds, used for the SCD bread. And I don't eat tomatoes or peppers very often without an allergic response. However I love the 24 hour yogurt and the yogurt cheese. I plan to start making the fermented cabbage very soon. Regular cheese, even the aged supposed safe kinds still do not agree with me unfortunately.

My diet is thus pretty darn simple. Its kind of like a combined paleo/hunter-gatherer diet and SCD. The theory is that eventually my gut will heal enough so I can expand my diet later on.

I do sometimes need to use herbs that are specifically not SCD approved, like marshmallow root which I need sometimes for my kidneys if they get inflamed. I think not having crohns' etc. makes the needs for this diet a little different for the likes of me. I think often with celiac we get leaky gut and thus having some of these agents like marshmallow root for us are a godsend whereas for someone with crohns it appears to be the reverse. I am actually considering going back to grinding fresh flax seeds daily since if anything I can get C rather than D! However flax seed is a no no for the strict SCD diet since it is "too mucilaginous." My feeling is that what works for me is what is best, if you get my drift, rather than some doctrinaire proscription created after all for folks with a slightly different situation than what I have. Overall the philosophy seems good, but like you noticed, not fully right on for everything. Same goes in my opinion for the Paeo diet too however. Adding the fermented foods from the SCD is powerfully helplful.

Simply really going off all trace gluten from even the oddest places helped me get more clear headed. However I will also admit that this diet I am on now has helped clear my mind even more. I have more stamina usually etc. Going low carb. seems to thus be helping although I can't go as low as some and do eat my share of squash. Like you I don't tolerate that much fish, beef, lamb etc. Chicken seems to be my protein of choice besides yogurt and sunflower seeds.

My clearness and stamina now is increasing even more now that I am trying out the olive leaf extract. Its early days yet however I already am noticing a difference. I have high hopes that it will help me get rid of the fungal/candida problems which then will make eating more like other SCDers (or even Paleos) more possible...since then I think I finally will be able to eat some fruit regularly again.

And yes by the way, candida and/or fungal overgrowth will give you brain fog etc. big time. So can a variety of low grade viral or bacterial infections--all of which the olive leaf theoretically combats very effectively, unlike most antibiotics etc. The good thing about it compared to many other herbs is that it is not an immune stimulant.

The olive leaf seems to be making my muscles and joints more resilient, which is also something it tends to be good at...good against fibromyalgia, various arthrituses etc.

Bea

[AliB]

The SCD was initially set up by Elaine Gottschall to help people with Ulcerative Colitis (and other gut conditions) like her daughter, but along the way it was discovered to be beneficial for other health issues too.

The intro part of the diet is only there for the benefit of those with such bad gut damage that they can't cope with much else, but the diet in general is fine for all sorts of issues.

Whilst dumping the gluten has obviously addressed the immediate issues, the underlying damage and malabsorption problems are still there.

As it predominantly is designed to help the body heal and rebalance the gut flora that is its strength. If you know that Candida or yeasts etc are an issue for you, you could adapt your diet more to a 'Candida' regime like that followed by many on Bee Wilder's website (Healing by Bee), but otherwise I think you would find that the SCD will help a lot towards helping your body heal from the damage.

You are welcome to jump in to the SCD thread if you have any more questions - there are plenty of us who are, and have been following the diet for some time who can help if you need it.

Ali.

[jerseyangel]

Since I follow a diet very close to the SCD, I've been doing a lot of reading on the subject of carbs as they relate to Celiac and leaky gut. The SCD diet was originally used for celiac Disease as well as other digestive ailments. The idea at the time was that healing from Celiac was impeded by all starches. It was later, in the 50's that a small study led doctors to state that it was the gluten in wheat and rye especially that was the issue for Celiacs. Since that time, there have been many other studies, but who is to say that the original premise does not still hold through--at least in some people with extenuating circumstances like Autism, extensive intestinal damage, or leaky gut?

I find this very interesting, and my own response to first, the gluten-free diet--and then my version of the SCD diet bears out this theory for me. (I have to add the "for me" since I realize this is not the case for every Celiac--many, many get better using the gluten-free diet alone) I initally felt better on the gluten-free diet, but quickly reverted back to my old symptoms--actually worse. It took several years to come to the conclusion (trial and error--allergist recommendations) that I feel completely normal on a diet of veggies, non sweet fruit, meats, nuts, unsweetened Greek yogurt, a bit of cheese, tea, olive oil and spring water. I did not set out to follow the SCD--or any "diet", but to my surprise, the way I eat is very much in keeping with the SCD idea. I think the only big difference is that I don't make my own yogurt.

I stay completely away from legumes, coconut (unfortunately, I'm intolerant), soy, milk, sugar, and all grains and starches. My digestion is better--but beyond that my blood pressure has dropped to completely optimal levels (my doctor has already taken me off of 3/4 of my meds for that), I'm clear headed for a change, I'm finally losing weight (needed), my skin is softer and clearer, floaters in my eyes are about gone--I just feel like I'm generally normalizing. I would think it's worth a try even if you don't have GI issues right now.

This is a good article to kind of get the feeling about how this type of diet came about--

https://www.celiac.com/articles/21506/1/The...tion/Page1.html

[alisaT]

I've been reading your comments on the SCD. I have been gluten-free for two years and was slowly but steadily improving, then traveled to Mexico and had a MAJOR GI issue, whether it was Swine Flu or Montezuma's revenge, or gluten reaction, I'm not sure. I'm trying desperately to calm my guts back down but have always battled constipation with my disease. Things get too calm, they don't move. My upper left side has been hurting. I can't get comfortable in any position lying down and the bloating is off the chart! My Dr. told me to try ALIGN, but says it takes 6 weeks to become effective. If anyone has any feedback or suggestions, I'm open. There is no suport group in my area.

[YoloGx]

  alisaT said:

I've been reading your comments on the SCD. I have been gluten-free for two years and was slowly but steadily improving, then traveled to Mexico and had a MAJOR GI issue, whether it was Swine Flu or Montezuma's revenge, or gluten reaction, I'm not sure. I'm trying desperately to calm my guts back down but have always battled constipation with my disease. Things get too calm, they don't move. My upper left side has been hurting. I can't get comfortable in any position lying down and the bloating is off the chart! My Dr. told me to try ALIGN, but says it takes 6 weeks to become effective. If anyone has any feedback or suggestions, I'm open. There is no suport group in my area.

Sorry you are going through this!

Magnesium citrate usually works like a champ against C--sart with 500 mg. and slowly increase to bowel tolerance. If its too soft, dial back a little. Yellow Dock and Dandelion Root are also helpful. Additioally eating lots of cooked greens is very helpful. The 24 hour yogurt and/or fermented cabbage might also help restore the proper intestinal balance... And olive leaf extract can help clean up the virus or microbes or whatever...Just start slow due to probably Herxheimer effect initially.

Bea

[AliB]

  alisaT said:

I've been reading your comments on the SCD. I have been gluten-free for two years and was slowly but steadily improving, then traveled to Mexico and had a MAJOR GI issue, whether it was Swine Flu or Montezuma's revenge, or gluten reaction, I'm not sure. I'm trying desperately to calm my guts back down but have always battled constipation with my disease. Things get too calm, they don't move. My upper left side has been hurting. I can't get comfortable in any position lying down and the bloating is off the chart! My Dr. told me to try ALIGN, but says it takes 6 weeks to become effective. If anyone has any feedback or suggestions, I'm open. There is no suport group in my area.

Hi Alisa. I have some issues with my upper left side too. Not sure what it is either. Soreness under and below my left armpit too - possibly to do with my lymph, but does seem much worse when I am 'bunged up'.

I have been following the SCD for the last 18 months and have benefitted from it considerably, but I am still battling the 'beasties' at the moment. I have adjusted the diet to a more Candida diet regime and eat low-carb - beasties love carbs. I have been taking coconut oil and oregano oil and suspect that at least part of the issue is due to my body struggling to detox from their demise.

I do take magnesium sometimes and find that helps. Currently I am taking several grams a day of vitamin C to support the detox and that is helping too, but certainly the coconut oil has been a great support in that and other digestive areas.

I do wonder if the low-fat ethic that has been continuously touted over the last 40 years hasn't contributed in many ways to the problems many have with constipation. After all, you wouldn't expect your car (auto) to keep going without enough oil in it! Fats aren't the real issue, well not good fats - butter, ghee, coconut oil, and lard (yes, saturated fat. Our ancestors have lived perfectly well on saturated fats for millennia). Fats don't make you fat, carbs do, and neither do they affect cholesterol levels. Apart from olive oil, I tend to avoid the vegetable oils though, especially in cooking, as, unlike saturated fats, their properties change when heated - and not for the better!

The bloating you are experiencing would suggest that there is bacterial/yeast activity going on down there and that is probably exacerbated by the slow transit which means it is sitting around fermenting a lot longer than it should be.

The 'Montezuma's revenge' could possibly have upset your gut flora too, so taking some good probiotics or the SCD yogurt or other fermented culture might help. Some find that taking probiotics/yogurt helps with the 'transit' too.