Specific Carbohydrate Diet
The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), developed by Dr. Haas for Elaine Gottschall’s daughter, has been used successfully by many people to treat the following: Crohn’s disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Celiac disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Chronic Diarrhea, and candidiasis. The premise of the diet is that damaged intestinal walls and bacterial overgrowth are a part of a vicious cycle that wreaks havoc with the body’s health and immunity. The diet restricts the type of carbohydrates that feed these bacteria, thereby restoring the body’s inner ecology. We recommend that you read Elaine Gottschall’s book, Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health through Diet, for more in depth coverage, tips, and recipes about successfully using SCD to treat illnesses.
Specifics
SCD combats bacterial and yeast overgrowth by restricting the energy they require to live while keeping the host (us) well fed. This requires eating foods with little or no carbohydrates, or eating foods that contain monosaccharides which are quickly absorbed by the body. A list of allowed and disallowed foods follows. If you are unsure about a particular food, DO NOT EAT IT. Strict adherence is necessary to obtain relief from symptoms.
Disallowed Foods
Sugars: Do not eat sugar, molasses, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, fructose, or any processed sugar.
Veggies: All canned vegetables are not permitted.
Grains: All grains are not permitted such as: corn, wheat, wheat germ, barley, oats, rye, rice, buckwheat, soy, spelt, amaranth, and others. Some legumes are not allowed: chick peas, bean sprouts, soybeans, mungbeans, fava beans, and garbanzo beans. Starchy foods are not permitted, such as potatoes, yams, and parsnips. Seaweed and seaweed byproducts, such as agar and carrageenan, are not allowed.
Meats: All canned meats are forbidden. Most processed meats are not permitted. Make sure processed meat doesn’t contain any harmful additive such as corn, corn products, starch, and sugars.
Dairy: All variations of milk are not allowed: whole, skim, 1%, 2%, chocolate, etc. Some cheeses contain a high lactose content and are restricted: ricotta, mozzarella, cottage cheese, cream cheese, feta, and processed cheeses and cheese spreads. Commercial yogurt contains a high amount of lactose and is not allowed. Heavy cream, buttermilk, and sour cream are not allowed.
Misc.: Other foods that are not permitted include: bread, pasta, other starchy foods, canola oil, commercial mayonnaise (because of additives), ice cream, candy, chocolate, carob, whey powder, margarine, commercial ketchup, stevia, baking powder, commercial nut mixes, balsamic vinegar, and FOS (fructooligosaccharides) products.
Allowed Foods-Quantities are not restricted if you eat a balanced diet
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, Brussels 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.
