Letters from the Specific Carbohydrate Diet support group (10)


The Diet

Stephen asks about the diet while his book is in the mail -
Here's my diet-

  • Breakfast:
    Small OJ
    French toast made with nut bread soaked in one beaten egg. Variant is
    two scrambled eggs with a banana.

  • Midmorning snack:
    Nut muffins.

  • Lunch:
    Tuna salad made with 'safe' mayonnaise, or sandwich made of the nut
    bread, or yogurt.
    Fruit.
    Nut flour cookies.

  • Midafternoon snack:
    Celery hearts with natural peanut butter.
    Fruit.

  • Supper:
    Thin sliced boneless chicken breast fried in butter.
    Home made spaghetti or chili.
    Other broiled or fried meat like pork tenderloin.
    At least one vegetable.

  • Late night snack:
    Yoghurt w/fruit or the ice cream from the book or nut cookies.

    ------------------
    There are a whole lot of alternatives to the above, believe me.
    ------------------

    Bart Hansen
    hansenb@frb.gov


    digestive enzymes
    Mon, 6 Jan 1997 18:52:21 GMT

    >Anna...why can't one take extra lactase enzymes to pre-digest lactose? The
    >vegetable based enzyme supplements work in the upper stomach as well as the
    >duodenum and small intestine. Cellulose, the walls of plant cells, can be
    >pre-digested either by chewing fresh fruits and veggies 100 times (to
    >physically break down the cell walls) or by cooking. Again, vegetable based
    >enzyme cellulase can break down the cellulose. This according to Howard
    >Loomis, DC, a digestive enzyme researcher. I just interviewed him.
    >
    > * * * * * c 1996 Carol Wright * * * * * *


    Carol,
    I know that in theory it seems that digestive enzymes of different types should be able to allow us to eat different foods that are not allowed on the SCD. However, in practice, I don't think they work. The problem is, there are millions of different types of enzymes for different foods. Maybe us IBDers don't have all the right ones working for us, and it is impossible to predict which pills to eat with which foods. I was just reading a book by Andrew Weil yesterday, and he said digestive enzymes are worthless. Not that I believe absolutely everything he says, because I don't, but he had a good argument. I can't recall the exact words right now, but I will get the book and tell you what it said tomorrow.

    I tried a few different types of enzymes. Some were over-the-counter that I picked up myself, and one time my Naturopathic Doctor gave me some Disacharidase Enzymes. He told me they were experimental and wanted me to test them out. They did nothing, as far as I could tell, even though I was optimistic about them. He was also a "researcher in the field" in a way, because he actually had these pills specially made up by a company, which did not manufacture the product. He told me that one woman with UC reported being "cured" after taking an over the counter enzyme. After this, he decided to try different ones. He figured that she must have lucked out and got the right enzyme that she was lacking.
    Anyway, Elaine says in the book not to rely on enzymes, although she does tell people they can use a little Lactaid milk in coffee or add Lactaid drops to cottage cheese which is questionable.
    Anna


    Re: farmer's cheese
    Mon, 6 Jan 1997 23:30:38 GMT

    >X400-MTS-identifier: [;4605351006011997/A03087/VANHQ1]
    >Hop-count: 0
    >
    >>You might suggest to people when comparing farmer cheese to dry curd to
    >>look at the ingredient label, if it has any calories from carbohydrates it
    >>does contain lactose as that is the only one dairy has. Carbohydrates is
    >>the general term for all starches/polysaccharides (poly = many & saccharide
    >>= sweet), long, complicated chains of simple sugars, disaccharides (2
    >>simple sugars linked together i.e. lactose) and the simple sugars ( 1 sugar
    >>molecule by itself) glucose, fructose etc. Some farmer cheeses do contain
    >>carbohydrate/lactose?.
    >>Dave
    >>
    >
    >I am not really familiar with "farmer's cheese", as I have never tried it, but
    >mentioned it to people because it said so in Elaine's book. This is a good tip
    >you have mentioned though.
    >Anna


    All cheeses have some lactose. The ones on the diet all contain lactose in quantities less than 1% butter contains much less and is virtually all fat. whereas cheese is really low lactose rather than lactose-free.

    Regards Michael


    Re: fillers in drugs
    Tue, 7 Jan 1997 14:19:57 GMT

    >X400-MTS-identifier: [;9120191706011997/A07763/VANHQ1]
    >Hop-count: 0
    >
    >>Hi Anna,
    >>
    >>I would suggest that cellulose should not be a cause for concern. All
    >>vegetables and fruits contain it in their cell walls and these are allowed
    >>on the diet. Any other additional opinions?
    >>
    >>Good health
    >>
    >>Amanda
    >
    >Does this mean that all fruits and vegies have polysaccharides and starch? I
    >am confused? Has anyone who is on drug therapy for IBD and is on the SCD found
    >drug products that have no disallowed fillers? It seems they all have
    >something illegal (to the diet) added?? I find it much easier to find
    >vitamins, and herbal supplement products which are allowable.
    >Anna


    Anna,

    This is the *Specific* carbohydrate diet not the "NO Carbohydrate Diet"
    otherwise it would be called the Atkins Diet and it would be life
    threateningly dangerous to be on. You really need starches and
    polysaccharides in your diet, it's just a matter of which ones. Elaine has
    analysed all the foods on the diet and no others and certifies that they
    are not conducive to pathogenic microbes.

    Regards

    Michael

    Re: Need help
    Wed, 15 Jan 1997 22:10:15 GMT


    >I need your help,
    >
    >I have been on the diet since November (OK I cheated a little over
    >Christmas and
    >New Year's). It started off really well, but now I'm not doing so well. I can't
    >get rid of the D. I've been sticking to the diet since January 3rd, and since
    >last Saturday I've only been eating the bland diet that Elaine suggests for
    >people who are just starting out. (Broiled beef patty, chicken broth, cheese
    >cake, etc). I'm also eating Lang's bread. The problem is that it's still not
    >working.
    >I know that the book says that the D might come back after a couple of months
    >and to stick to the diet. But how long is the D supposed to last? And what
    >should I be eating? I'm restricting myslef to Lang's bread, broiled patties,
    >chicken broth, yoghurt, cheese cake and Welch's grape juice.
    >Is it possible that this diet won't work for me?
    >Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
    >
    >Mike


    I would not be on the Lang's bread if you have diarrhea. the almond meal
    being quite gritty can actually be quite abrassive to the gut lining when
    it's that far gone.and can actually promote diarrhea The diet is not a
    substitute for aggresive medical treatment. you may need:

    Anti-diarreah medication
    complete gut-rest on a drip
    Antibiotics
    Cortisone
    and Rehydration therapy

    It usually only takes less than a week for doctors to get a bowel into
    remission in this case if the basic diet doesn't do it alone, use the
    doctors or both. You could add some fresh squeezed vege juices (avoid
    fresh fruit juice as it can promote diarrhea) stewed apples only and or a
    VERY ripe bannana and when the diarrhea settles, plenty of steamed veges
    (include pumpkin, squash and swede for enough calories to heal) and fish
    and chicken (safer for a leaky gut) don't add the nut flour until you BM's
    are normal (no bleeding or diarrhea) you may find that RAW TIEN CHI and
    XIANG LIAN WAN are two herbs taken 3 times a day that may help greatly
    (chinese herbal treatments) and Slippery Elm also helps with the low grade
    fevers that come from a toxic gut.

    Regards

    Michael

    PS keep your fridge, kitchen and bathroom sparkling clean and disinfected -
    its easy to pick up a pathogen from these areas.


    Fascinating homeopathic case!!
    Tue, 21 Jan 1997 8:21:28 GMT

    The below url contains a fascinating case presentation by a classical
    homeopath about a woman with chronic constipation/diarrhea. If you are
    thinking of going to a homeopath to treat your IBD, you might read this
    first to see how they think...discussion among other homeopaths to discuss
    remedy...case followed for a year. A classical, constitutional homeopath
    will take your entire case...tons of symptoms (not just digestive) and will
    give you ONE REMEDY. In this case, the doctor chose wrong (but some of the
    others did not) and she explains what she missed and how she got back on track.

    http://www.healthy.net/pan/pa/homeopathic/ifh/publications/alllist/1992list/JACOBS.HTM

    Carol Wright, cwright@rockisland.com,Internet


    Re: /New to the group
    Thu, 23 Jan 1997 14:55:36 GMT

    >Michael, how long have you been on the diet you seem very knowlegable? This
    >is my second week, so far I haven't had any results. I'm not giving up but I
    >do wonder how long before I can see some results? Thanks and keep up the
    >Good Work-
    >Renay


    Hi Renay,

    Welcome! I've been on the diet in earnest since last september and was
    doing well until mid october. and only this month January am I getting back
    on top of it. If you have UC you can expect to see less dramatic results
    than with Crohnes, You must address the issues of Stress; Sleep and rest;
    Oxygen and Fresh air; and getting enough Carbohydrates that you feel warm
    and energized after meals. One month should see some improvements. If your
    problem is more Yeast based, get one clove of garlic into you twice a day
    and chew on one of them. Not very tastey but it will help to kill the
    yeast. You will also feel worse to start with if thats the case, then you
    will pick up.

    Regards Michael



    Re(2): GENERAL DIET QUESTIONS
    Wed, 22 Jan 1997 2:59:47 GMT

    ><----- shodanrt@liii.com (Rachel Turet) wrote: ----->
    >
    >
    >Dear Ryan,
    >The chocolate issue seems to be the most frequently asked question. It
    >seems to be disallowed simply because it's chocolate. When I asked Elaine
    >about it, she indicated that it's not allowed in any way, shape or form.
    >Sorry, but it's the one thing I miss most too.
    >Sincerely, Rachel
    >
    >I don't understand messages like this.... I'm 16, and I'm on the diet. It's
    >not the chocolates that are the worst, or even the cokes. To me, it is the
    >fact that every time I want to go eat somewhere with my friends, I simply
    >cannot. Or if I do, I have to take a thermos of chicken soup... resturaunts
    >aren't crazy about that. It's the grains and sugars that are the main part of
    >this, and they are what's the hardest for me. -Mike Nestrud

    Dear Mike,
    I sympathize deeply with your prediciment. I also applaud you for being
    able, at 16, to have the discipline to go to restaurant carrying chicken
    soup. However if not being on the diet means to you what it did to me,
    which included pain,bloat and having to run to the bathroom every 2
    seconds, then the thermos of soup ain't so bad. Maybe the day will
    eventually come when you can allow yourself the occasional treat. Maybe
    your folks would consider allowing your friends to visit your home where
    you have better control over the menu (maybe some of them would even like
    some of your soup). In any case as we all know, life is about choices. It
    can't hurt to invest in your future by taking the best possible care of
    your body now. In any case, good luck.
    Sincerely, Rachel




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