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(Email sent to my doctors.)

Update on recent improvements in my health due to a special diet recommended to me. Had CD since 2004.

·         3 months ago you prescribed entocort and said I might need surgery for a mass at terminal ileum.

·         4 weeks ago I began the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) recommended by consultant.She said that every IBD patient strictly doing this diet had experienced ~90% reduction in symptoms after only 3-4 weeks .so, I tried it.

·         The SCD involves eliminating lactose, starches & mucous-producing foods, & sweeteners (except pasteurized honey).

·         My entire diet was only 6-8 vegetables, 2 grains, eggs + lot of supplements.

·         Within 3 days of starting diet, symptoms significantly decreased. Within 10 days, I could barely locate mass in abdomen.

·         I started “legal” new foods and found that I could tolerate them.

·         After 3 weeks symptoms were ~ 90% gone.

·         I've stopped entocort, reduced pentasa (2 per day), with no recurrence of symptoms.

·         Now eating several cheeses, nuts, special yogurt, more vegetables, dry beans, & fruit, which I never thought possible.

·         Feel great. Less fatigue, no more sweets cravings, no more nail-biting.

·         As former NASA engineer & medical librarian I appreciate the value of evidence-based medicine. My request is that you review the literature on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet* and consider conducting a rigorous clinical evaluation of the benefits of SCD. 

*Ref.:

                 http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info

                Book: Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health through Diet by Elaine Gottschall. In 13^th printing, in 7 languages, 1 million copies.

                Articles:

Specific carbohydrate diet in treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

Nieves R Tenn Med. 2004 Sep;97(9):407.

The treatment of celiac disease with the specific carbohydrate diet; report on 191 additional cases.

HAAS SV Am J Gastroenterol. 1955 Apr;23(4):344-60.

 Reply posted for patman75.

I 100% agree, but then that would be taking money from doctors and medication companies. They can't have that, can they? Of course not!

 Reply posted for mckinndn.

You could start the SCD tomorrow. I suggest you inform your doctor, and dont change your meds without MD approval. I cant give medical advice, but the SCD can work very quickly. You have to be strict about the diet, pay careful attention to the"Legal/illegal" foods list on http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info and try to find the book by Elaine Gottschall. It may be in your local library, or you can buy it on Amazon, etc.. This is a learning process, and it has been 100% worth it to me.

You have to become a detailed label reader, to be sure you avoid things like gums, soy oil, rice flour, wheat, starches, sugar, etc., in supplements. The book will direct you to one supplement supplier on Long Island which produces supplements that are SCD compatible. Also, be sure to see the links on the SCD website that connect you with others,good recipes, and helpful ideas.

Best of luck!

 Reply posted for cshaw.

I have enjoyed reading your post and am about to start the SCD diet. Do you take any vitamins or other meds while doing the diet? Right now I am on 6mp but its not working and my doc wants me to start Remicade because my labs are awful my inflammation markers are 90 and should be below 20! Anyway I want to try a different route just wondering if there was any advice you could give me?

 Reply posted for dmac.

Thanks for your tips dmac.

I am now wondering if there is a connection between candida yeast overgrowth and Crohn's. Perhaps the candida overgrowth is a pre-cursor to IBD. Anybody got any solid information on this?

See http://eastwest-mn.home.comcast.net/~eastwest-mn/pdf/Combating_Candida
.pdf

and http://www.naturalnews.com/022241.html.

 Reply posted for cshaw.

HI - Thanks for the ideas.  Back when I wrote this email I bit the bullet and bought the Breaking Vicious Cycle book and began the starter diet. Because I was not flaring I only did the starter diet for 2 days as the book says okay if not flaring. The science behind really made sense to me - as I think I must have had a large amount of the bad bacteria there because ever since I started the SCD I have had NO bloating at all.  After 2 days I went to diet similar to what you describe - basically no or very low carbs and prep veg as described.  I also found and LOVE the farmer cheese - surprised bcus it looks not too tasty.  Tip on this; mix it w/ fav herb (i mix w/ basil or parsley) and then I can spread it on smoked salmon or Almond Bread.  Yes I used the Almond flour to make  Almond Bread and it was great. I made the Almond Cheese Bread recipe from the book. It is a bit dense but very filling.  I also eat much eggs w/ no issues.  

 Reply posted for cshaw.

More---

My favorite veggies, which I steam or cook in soups usually: green beans, carrots, kale (good fiber, etc.), zuccini, yellow squash, snow peas. Winter squashes are harder for me to handle.

Nuts that work for me: cashews, pistachio... in moderation.

I have found some local honey that is filtered, but not pasteurized.. I can't eat a lot, but some is so satisfying. The SCD book suggests only using pasteurized honey (bee pollen in raw honey is not good). But pasteurized honey, when heated over 160 degrees, kills all good enzymes, etc., and even creates mild toxic product--so I never buy things cooked with honey, and never put honey in tea until it cools a little.

 Reply posted for dmac.

I understand your challenges. I have seen several suggestions that members of the nightshade family aren't so good for IBD. This includes tomatoes, eggplant, colored peppers, and I think potatoes.

Fruits that work for me: very ripe bananas, dates (good in shakes, good for gaining weight), apple sauce. Most mornings I make a smoothie with my own homemade organic farmer's cheese (same as dry curd cottage cheese or paneer), a little organic flax oil, org. ripe banana, a few org deglet dates, 1 org medjool date, some organic, blanched almond flour, and water. It's delicious, has quite a bit of fiber, and keeps me satisfied for several hours.
(Organic food is expensive, but I feel much better eating it.)

Probiotics have never worked for me, but the special SCD yogurt, made from commercial culture WITHOUT bifudus, and yoged for 24 hours to "digest" all the lactose, is wonderful. Good to have as lassi, that is, mixed with a fair amount of water, and enjoyed at end of lunch. Before finding this yogurt in the SCD book, I couldn't tolerate even a few drops of yogurt in water.

Used to be total vegetarian, but started eggs when had no choice for proteins that work. I was told that sulfur in eggs somehow makes them digest ok. I sometimes make eggs with thin zuccini slices in ghee, spices, and a little water. The crunch of the zuccini gives more substance to the food, and makes up for not eating grains somehow. In fact, the SCD book has recipe that uses zuccini in a pie crust. I haven't tried a lot of things with almond flour yet. Red lentils, soaked and drained, are good cooked in vegetable soup. You have to soak the dry beans overnight to get starches out, and then throw out the water--again in the SCD book and on website.

I hope these things are helpful.

 Reply posted for tuxedobird.

I'm definitely NOT being paid by SCD people. I was amazed that I could tolerate nuts... of course I found that I have to be moderate. It's also best to eat things like nuts with lunch, when digestion is strongest.

Comparing problems with macrobiotic diet to SCD doesn't make sense, since recommended foods are not the same.

If I sound like an advocate, it's because I am so amazed and grateful that this diet exists, and works so well. Everyone has different tolerances, so you still have to pay attention to what works for your own body.

One thing I've found is that it depends on how much, when, how frequently, and sometimes along with what other foods, etc., certain foods are handled. It's been quite a quest to try to figure things out, and the SCD is remarkably simple, and quite complete. I even had to get supplements that don't contain things like starches, gums, soy, etc.

 Reply posted for cshaw.

They should pass out a copy of Breaking the Vicious Cycle when people are diagnosed with IBD.  It is a great foundation for anyone with IBD.

 Reply posted for cshaw.

I'm sorry but I don't buy any of this. I went on a macro biotic diet years ago and head terrible results. Nuts? You must be kidding...You're not being paid by these people, are you?

 Reply posted for cshaw.

I have followed the SCD for several years.  I have the cookbook and the bood, Breaking the Viscious Cycle.   I recommend both.   During most of the time on SCD I have been drug free.

 Reply posted for cshaw.

hi - i read your post and have some questions please as i am struggling w/ following scd better.  i having hard time cutting out carbs entirely.  any suggestions? i am italian and grew up on pasta and bread.  i have cut back severely and have noticed much improvement - i am only on asacol 3x daily.  my flares are few and far between  (once about every 6 weeks when i *** up and eat something bad usually unknowingly since i travel for work...).  anyhow so i also think i need to add more veg or fruit or something - i think i need more fiber if you know what i mean. the only veg i can handle now are squash (sauteed well in olive oil), spinach (same prep) and tomato sauce.  any veg suggestions?  the only fruits i can handle are ripe bananas, cantelope, blueberries and applesauce and avocados.  I eat more protein like fish (grilled or baked), turkey or chicken or eggs. No beef ever.