Specific Carbohydrate Diet – SCD

I hope everyone in our house is ready for a serious lifestyle change. I’m about to blow a hurricane through our refrigerator and pantry. I want to be clear that this is about Connor. He has a father that has trouble spending the weekend with him because of chronic digestive problems and disease. And despite this Connor had donut holes and vanilla pudding for breakfast before going to daycare.

Enough is enough. We are treating our bodies like garbage cans. Our daily meals consist of fast food, junk filled with high-fructose corn syrup, and soda by the two liter. Well guess what Amy, the laws being laid down and we’re ALL sticking to it. No more soda for Connor. He isn’t going to want it because it won’t be around that often. The garbage pre-processed foods we eat are being thrown away. This includes fast crock pot stuff from a plastic bag. Our food’s going to be prepared the slow, old fashioned way and it’s going to be free of gallons of sugar.

Obviously this is going to be huge. I’m going home tonight and throwing out all of the crap. We will probably be left with a bag of carrots when I’m done. Then we’re going to start spending two times the money on groceries as we currently do. And it’s going to be spent at the organic level (i.e. – Whole Foods). I don’t care what it costs because our current household diet is killing me, literally. In just a few years surgery will be required for my Crohn’s if I don’t do something right now. And it’s becoming a proven fact that people with the genetics to have Crohn’s ultimately develop the disease because of THREE TIMES the normal sugar intake of other people. So I’m also fighting to make sure Connor doesn’t have this problem in the future. Lollipops should be a rare treat, not a daily pacifier. They’re getting thrown away tonight.

We will adjust to this new lifestyle and we will exercise. To do otherwise is completely irresponsible. I will gain back the weight I lost during my recent remission and go for an additional 20 pounds as well. This is war and the reward for victory is health and happiness (thanks to lower medical bills).

Specific Carbohydrate Diets detail exactly what you can and can’t eat in the form of carbs. It’s not a “low-carb” or Atkins diet. It’s a diet specifically designed to remove carbs from your diet that the body does not easily deal with or absorb. The only sugar allowed is honey. Nothing else – period. Amy might keep some around for coffee but it’s not going to be in our food. Almost every starch is forbidden as well. And milk is off the radar for me. Obviously Connor can’t be on such a restricted diet but he won’t be stuffing himself with Coke and cookies anymore.

This all sounds kind of hard to achieve but it won’t be as bad as it seems because I’m essentially ripping of the band-aid. So it will only hurt for a second. And I’m also sending notice to all grandparents: extreme deviation will not be tolerated. I’m going to have to go to my mom’s house and hide everything visible in the kitchen.

SCD Allowed Foods for Crohn’s Disease

Quantities are not restricted.

Sugars

Honey is the only allowed sugar product. Not everyone can tolerate it, so use with caution.

Veggies

Most vegetables, fresh or frozen and raw or cooked, are allowed including: asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, artichokes, beets, Brussell sprouts, cabbage, carrots celery, cucumbers, eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, rhubarb, peppers, garlic, lettuce, spinach, mushrooms (unless you have candidiasis), onions, turnips, and watercress. Be careful of raw vegetables when diarrhea is present.

Legumes

Dried navy beans, lentils, peas, split peas, unroasted cashews, peanuts in a shell, all natural peanut butter, lima beans, and string beans.

Meats

All unprocessed meats such as: beef, pork, chicken, turkey, quail, ostrich, fish, shellfish, lamb, venison, rabbit, and eggs.
Some processed meats are allowed, but many require writing letters to manufacturers to verify the absence of restricted foods. Many processed meats contain sugar, starch, corn products, and other disallowed foods

Dairy

All natural cheeses except those listed above are allowed: cheddar, colby, swiss, havarti, dry curd cottage cheese, etc..
Homemade yogurt that has been fermented for a minimum of 24 hours is allowed and encouraged.

Fruits

Most fruits are allowed such as: avocadoes, apples, tomatoes, olives, apricots, ripened bananas, coconuts, dates, berries, cherries, citrus fruits, peaches, pears, tropical fruits, and grapes.

Nuts

Almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts, chestnuts, filberts, and pecans.

Misc:

The following foods are allowed: olive oil, coconut oil, soybean oil, corn oil, weak tea, weak coffee, unflavored gelatin, mustard, vinegar, saccharin, and juices with no additives.