Eedicated to the lifestyle that has improved the quality of my life. Welcome to the portion of my site dedicated to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet Awareness. Back in 1999, I started noticing severe bowell and stomach problems. Most people get symtoms like this every now and then, and my family usually just made fun of me, joking about it being too much gas, but the doctors were starting to notice severe colon infections and bowell infections and urinary tract infections, just seemed to be no end to it all. I didn't know what was causing all this, so my family doctor referred me to a GastroInterologist, and he gave me a small intestine test, and colonoscopy, to see what the problem was. He found 3 small white soars along the inner lining of my colon. He had no idea what they were, so I was sent to a Surgeon where he told me I had Crohns Disease. I had no idea what Crohns Disease was, so I looked on the internet and found this.
Crohns Disease: is an inflammatory disorder involving the immune system.
Under normal conditions, your body's immune system serves as your natural
defense against "invaders" that threaten your health, such as viruses,
bacteria, or other foreign tissues. In certain cases, however, the
immune system cannot tell the difference between the body's own cells
and "invading substances." In Crohns Disease, the immune system inappropriately
attacks your body's own cells. This process is known as autoimmunity.
Medical Treatment for Crohns involves blocking the immune system's overproduction
of a protein called "tumor necrosis factor alpha" (TNF-alpha).
TNF-alpha is made by certain blood cells in the body that make up the immune system,
which they say is the leading cause of this disease. That and also
hereditary from parents or grandparents.
Crohn's usually starts in the lumen, the top-most mucosal layer of the colon, and then spreads anywhere from the mouth to the rectum, but it also effects the deep tissue of the digestive tract and causes changes to the deep cell structures - which is normally how it's diagnosed and differentiated from UC if there is Crohn's colitis at the time of diagnosis - they look at the biopsy they take during a scope and if the deep cell structures show 'granulation'. Crohn's complications can effect everything from a person's eyes to, their heart and lungs, to their kidneys and pancreas, as well as fistulize in the lower rectal area. So basically, I had a disease that can affect anything from the throat on down.. oh joy. I asked my doctor if there was anything I could do to heal this, he said "no" and gave me medicine to help. So I took the medicine for awhile, but then started noticing the condition getting worse over time. I kept having repeat exams, with this condition starting to spread to other areas of the body. specifically, my exterior rectum, so I showed my doctor thinking it was Hemaroids from the nasty bathrooms at work, and my doctor says "yeap, thats Crohn's Disease alright" so I asked him what I could do about it. The only thing he said was to keep taking medication, and he switched me to another medicine that would help more with Crohns he said. So I tried all these new medicines, again the condition kept spreading, to my liver, kidneys, gall bladder, and every time another ulcer would pop up I would get sicker and sicker. I started missing alot of work, lost alot of weight and wasn't sure what i was going to do really. My doctor then suggested a drug called Remicade, which blocks the protein TNF-alphas, but there is no guarantees and the drug is given thru an IV at the Cancer Center every 8 weeks and costs $12,000 per transfusion. quite an expensive way to go for something that may or may not work very well. I did end up on Remicade for a year, but it didn't do much good, so after that year was up, they took me off it and basically told me there is no cure, that it is something I'll just have to live with for the rest of my life. That part I was willing to accept, but I didn't want to quit my job and spend the rest of my life in and out of hospitals all the time either, especially how young I was. My doctor then suggested surgery, to remove the infected areas. I didn't consider this an option for me, as I was determined to fight this thing. There was no way I was going to go thru life with a bag around my stomach, or a cathetor in my private area for years on end, or without my colon or kidneys and God knows what else later on down the road. The doctors just didn't seem to understand, I was too young to retire at 30. I had things to do. I wanted to goto college, support my family, I didn't want to live like an old person so early in my life. The doctors seemed to think they could just take out a piece at a time, and keep it under control for awhile. Well when you have an immune system disorder, removing body parts isn't an option, especially when your 30 years young, a swimmer and bike rider, and I can't do those things very well with a colostomy bag around my stomach the rest of my life. I didn't know what to do, but i knew taking body parts out one by one wasn't the answer. I knew I had to make a complete lifestyle change somehow to fight this thing, as long as possible. At least until I'm ready to retire, and even then I want to see the world, not be chained to a hospital bed. Doctors kept telling me surgery with medication was the only option, with medication only being a temporary solution that would extend the life of my intestines for just a small bit of time. I wasn't about to accept that. I mean who wants to accept the fact that they will eventually have to wear a cathetor around their private area the rest of their life, or wear a colostomy bag around my stomach the rest of my life and give up the one thing I have been doing since I was 6 months old, swimming, and be sick every single day for the rest of my life. I wasn't about to accept that, no way, even if there are worse things in life, I would rather die fighting, then to sit on my butt doing nothing about it just waiting to die. So again I began to look up Crohn's Disease on the internet. I learned more about what Crohn's Disease was, and what I could do to live with it. My doctor gave me a couple of websites, but most of them were saying the same things about temporary solutions but nothing real permanent. Then one day when my wife and I were surfing the net together on our computers, she stumbles upon this book called "Breaking the Vicious Cycle -- by Elaine Gottschall B.A. MSc" so I goto Amazon and check it out. The book talks about this diet specifically for people suffering from Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Irritable Bowell Syndrome, and a host of other "gut related diseases" that are also in the same category as Crohns According to this book, The Specific Carbohydrate Diet, is a dietary treatment for Inflammatory Bowel Disease. In spite of the fact that most doctors tell us that "food has nothing to do with these disorders," many of us have found that by following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, it is possible to reverse the symptoms of intestinal diseases such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, irritable bowel, spastic colon, celiac Crohns, and a host of other Immune System Disorders. According to this book In order to understand how the diet works, it is important to understand the disease process occurring in the gut or, WHY the diet works. "We must never forget that what the patient takes beyond his ability to digest does harm." Dr. Samuel Gee. The Specific Carbohydrate Diet™ is predicated on the understanding that Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn's Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and gluten therapy resistant Celiac are the consequence of an overgrowth and imbalance of intestinal microbial flora. By altering the nutrition we take in, we can effect the constitution of our intestinal flora, and bring it back into balance, healing our digestive tracts and restoring proper absorption. The intestinal tract forms a rich ecosystem, comprised of over 400 bacterial species. Some are harmless, and others not. In the gut of a healthy person, these various communities of microbes compete with each other for scarce nutritional resources. Consequently, they exist in a state of balance, and the stomach and small intestine harbour only a sparse population of microbial flora. In the large intestine, each type inhibits an overabundance of the others, and this prevents the waste products and toxins of a particular type of microbe from overwhelming the body. The stomach and upper intestine are also protected by high acidity, and the action of peristalsis. The Vicious Cycle When the balance in the gut is disturbed, an overgrowth of intestinal flora can result. Microbes migrate to the small intestine and stomach, inhibiting digestion and competing for nutrients. The gut then becomes overloaded with the byproducts of their digestion. This bacterial overgrowth can be triggered by overuse of antacids, reduced stomach acidity due to aging, weakening of the immune system through malnutrition or poor diet, and alteration of the microbial environment through antibiotic therapy. The components of our diet, particularly carbohydrates, play an enormous role in influencing the type and number of our intestinal flora. When carbohydrates are not fully digested and absorbed, they remain in our gut, and become nutrition for the microbes we host. The microbes themselves must digest these unused carbohydrates, and they do this through the process of fermentation. The waste products of fermentation are gases, such as methane, carbon dioxide & hydrogen, and both lactic & acetic acids, as well as toxins. All serve to irritate and damage the gut. There is evidence that increased acidity in the gut due to malabsorption and fermentation of carbohydrates, may lead common harmless intestinal bacteria to mutate into more harmful ones. Further, lactic acid produced during the fermentation process has been implicated in the abnormal brain function and behaviour sometimes associated with intestinal disorders. The overgrowth of bacteria into the small intestine triggers a worsening cycle of gas and acid production, which further inhibits absorption and leads to yet more harmful byproducts of fermentation. The enzymes on the surface of the small intestines are destroyed by the now present bacteria, and this further disrupts the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, leading to further bacterial overgrowth. As both the microbial flora and their byproducts damage the mucosal layer of the small intestine, it is provoked to produce excessive protective mucus, which further inhibits digestion and absorption. Damage to the mucosal layer involves injury to the microvilli of our absorptive cells. These microvilli act as the last barrier between the nutrition we take in and our bloodstream. As our absorption is inhibited, folic acid and vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to impaired development of microvilli, while an abnormally thick layer of mucus prevents contact between microvilli enzymes and the carbohydrates we ingest. The small intestine responds to this spiraling irritation by producing more goblet (mucus-making) cells, creating yet more mucus. Finally, as the goblet cells become exhausted, the intestinal surface is laid bare, and is further damaged, and possibly ulcerated. As more carbohydrates are left in the gut, they cause water and nutrients to be pulled from the body into the colon, resulting in chronic diarrhea. Absorption is further hindered as diarrhea increases the rate with which food travels through the gut. The Diet "The Specific Carbohydrate Diet™ is based on the principle that specifically selected carbohydrates, requiring minimal digestive processes, are well absorbed and leave virtually none to be used for furthering microbial overgrowth in the intestine. As the microbial population decreases due to lack of food, its harmful byproducts also decrease, freeing the intestinal surface of injurious substances. No longer needing protection, the mucus-producing cells stop producing excessive mucus, and carbohydrate digestion is improved. Malabsorption is replaced by absorption. As the individual absorbs energy and nutrients, all the cells in the body are properly nourished, including the cells of the immune system, which then can assist in overcoming the microbial invasion." The simpler the structure of the carbohydrate, the more easily the body digests and absorbs it. Monosaccharides (single molecules of glucose, fructose, or galactose) require no splitting by digestive enzymes in order to be absorbed by the body. These are the sugars we rely on in the diet. They include those found in fruits, honey, some vegetables, and in yoghurt. Double sugar molecules (disaccharides: lactose, sucrose, maltose and isomaltose) and starches (polysaccharides) are primarily avoided on the diet. Some starches have been shown to be tolerated, particularly those in the legume family (dried beans, lentils and split peas only). However, they must be soaked for 10-12 hours prior to cooking, and the water discarded since it will contain other sugars which are indigestible, but which are removed in the soaking process. Small amounts of legumes may only be added to the diet after about three months. The starches in all grains, corn, and potatoes must be strictly avoided. Corn syrup is also excluded since it contains a mixture of 'short-chain' starches. Yoghurt Finally, the SCD™iet relies on properly fermented yoghurt, and in some cases, acidophilus supplements, to help repopulate the gut with healthy intestinal flora. By increasing the population of 'good' bacteria in the gut, the overgrowth of harmful bacteria is put in check. As the competition for nutrition between the various strains of bacteria resumes, the variety of intestinal flora is brought back into balance. yoghurt must be properly prepared by fermenting it for 24 hours. This allows enough time for the bacteria in the yoghurt culture to break down the lactose (disaccharides) in milk, into galactose (a monosaccharide). All SCD™iet yoghurt is homemade, as commercially available yoghurts are not properly fermented. At first, I was pretty skeptical, but given the choice of having my Colon removed and wearing a cathetor the rest of my life or trying it, I thought to myself, there is no harm in trying it. Worst that could happen is the diet wouldn't work, and I would be back to the option of surgery and possible eventual death again. I also figured that a sensable diet couldn't hurt me. After all, if I had to wear a colostomy bag the rest of my life I would have to go on a liquid diet anyway, right? or something worse. So I bought the book, and read thru it. At first, the diet was pretty hard to stick to. I had to start with a liquid diet, using homemade ingredients, until the Diarrhea stopped. It was mostly puried carrots, celery, and chicken, pretty gross stuff at first. That part wasn't too bad. Then, after about 2-3 weeks when the diarrhea stopped, I couldn't eat anything with Flour, Sugar, Wheat, Yeast or Milk in it. Milk had to be "Fermented" before you could eat it, you know, the process they do to age cheese? One new item was added a week at a time, to see if the human body could tollerate allowed foods. Some foods, even legal ones, not everybody could tollerate, so a new food was added per week to determine if the body could tollerate that particular item. Most people who have these conditions can tell what they can and cannot tollerate, because we get pain in our gutt or diarrhea or constipation, if our body cannot tollerate a specific item, so that wasn't hard to do. After awhile I got on a schedule, knowing what I could eat and when, otherwise if I didn't follow that schedule I would get sick, almost like flu really bad for a few days. Nothing more then a typical flaire-up, but you could feel inside your tummy when you ate something that did not agree with you. So I knew the diet was working for that reason. because as long as I sticked to it, I didn't have any flaireups, diarrhea, constipation, or anything like that. Sure, I had Fistulas, but I could work, goto school, live for months, even years, without having to into ER. That alone, was the most wonderful feeling. If I ate anything off the diet, I would get sick again, plain and simple, but as long as I sticked to the legal-illegal list, I didn't have to count points, or calories, or nothing like that. I could eat what I want, when I want, just so long as I sticked to that list, so at least for me, it has been pretty easy to stick to for that reason. I continued on with the diet for a year. My weight began to maintain, as the diarrhea and constipation went away. The extreme weight loss was caused from my intestines not healing themselves, it took almost a year to realize what foods I could tollerate and which I couldn't, not realizing all the times I went out to eat were making the problem worse. I began to have regular bowell movements for the first time in my life after following the diet correctly over time. It wasn't an overnight thing. It took years to notice solid results. The "ulcers" went away completely, from my rectum, colon, and the other areas it was spreading to. So I went against my doctors wishes and took myself off alot of the medicines he had me on for prevenative measures. My doctor doesn't realize, antibiotics he wanted me to take were preventing my body from healing itself, and all the times I was going out to eat with my wife were making me 'flaire up', so I had to start following the diet more closely. I could take antibiotics, in fact some antibiotics put me into a remission state, but I have to stick to the diet, along with taking the probiotic found in the yogurt, to go, and stay in, a remission state. After awhile, my stomach then began to stop hurting, all my symtoms completely went away. almost to the point where I thought I was completely healed. so I decided to go off the diet and resume a normal diet. After 2 months, not right away, I started noticing the "diarrhea" coming back, and then I went to the doctor and found an ulcer had formed on my gall bladder, so the doctor wanted me to have my gall bladder removed, but instead I decided to go back on the diet.. As quick as a week, I started noticing I was beginning to heal again, and after a couple months the gall bladder didn't cause me any more problems ever again. So I cancelled my appointment to have my gall bladder removed, and I've been feeling great ever since. So I found out, the diet not only worked for Crohns, but a bad gall bladder as well. As long as I stick to this lifestyle, all my symtoms reverse, so my body can heal and digest food normally so I can begin to maintain a healthy weight. Ever since I started this diet, I've gained from 129, back to 170, so it is working rather well I've been on SCD now for 5 years, and I have to say, I am in the best shape of my life now. Everything I had before, the seizures, diarrhea, constipation, soars in my tummy, soars on my arms and legs and rectum, all slowly went away over time, without any kind of medication. Even my blood pressure improved, and does stay at a normal range all the time now, but my doctor still wants me on it to maintain a healty blood pressure, and since that cannot hurt I do what he says on that. I stay well under 115/70 range, which is very much normal, but you know how doctors are, when things are normal or below normal they think its the medication making it better so they don't want you off of it no matter how good it gets Its like, even if I had low blood pressure he would still want me on high blood pressure medication just from my past history, its craziness, but thats how some doctors are I feel wonderful, I have more energy now, I stay active, I don't get sick anymoore, haven't even had the flu in probably 5 years, other then usual things like colds and sneezes that everybody gets, although I still get a cold every now and then I treat with a natural Herb supplement, but thats about it. The colds I do get aren't nearly as bad as I used to get, severe stuffy noses and soar throats and cold sores I don't get at all anymoore either, just an occasional stuffy nose every now and then everybody gets thru the winter. For those who want to try this diet, you can get a copy from: Amazon. Also check out: Lucys Kitchen Shop for legal vitamins, places to get the Almond Flour we are allowed to eat, Yoghurt makers, and other things related to this diet. There is a top 10 FAQ that is very informative at: pecanbread as well as information about other diseases this also fixes. I still don't understand the science behind this diet very well, but I do know, The Homemade Yogurt that we eat has something in it called Acidophilus, which is used with an antibiotic to restore the balance of bacteria to normal levels so the body can heal itself from infection. I'm not totally sure what Acidophilus is, some doctors use it to cure severe cases of acne in teenagers, I just know I can't take the Acidophilus pills from the store because they contain illegal additives. All I do know is this Acidophilus, along with a sugar and starch free diet, is the key to allow the body to heal itself. It was originally developed as a diet for kids suffering from Celiac Disease, and Autism, and it does work, I am living proof of that, and it has saved me from having surgery and has seemed to prolong my life in many ways. For those skeptics out there, believe me I was too, but I figured, worse case senerio, it wouldn't work and I'd still be back to where I was. It couldn't make me any worse then I already was, so I figured, "why not". this diet is completely safe for anybody to be on. Think of it this way, Eathing fresh fruits and vegetables, with fewer carbohydrates, never hurts anyone. We still get plenty of Carbohydrates, more then the traditional atkins people take. We don't have to eat Wheat to get our recommended daily fiber because the fresh veggies give us plenty of that, and the fruit gives us plenty of natural sugar that the body needs everyday. Its alot like the Makers Diet, I think, like converting back to a diet Man once ate back in the Bible days, before agriculture and additives and preservatives, except easier to follow. Excluding flour and complex sugars from the diet never hurts anyone. In fact, my wifes Dentist told her to be on a diet very similar to this, for her teeth health. I eat as much fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, that I want without limitation. I have recipes for just about everything; pizza, pasta substitutes, brownies, just about anything you can think of, except for maybe Chocolate, but believe you me, these brownies put the richness of "hot fudge poured over chocolate cake" to shame. hehe I eat as many Carbohydrates as I want, in the Almound Flour. I didn't think I could go without chocolate or pasta either at first, but after awhile, you don't miss it. In fact, I can't even stand the smell of chocolate or pasta anymoore, so I don't feel I have to fight cravings to stay on this diet. At first the cravings are bad, but after about 2-3 months or so, you notice you don't miss sweets or pasta at all. The bad smell of that stuff alone makes me not miss it in any way. I think after you stop eating sugar for awhile, its kind of like quitting smoking, at first you miss it, but after awhile you can't stand the smell of it around you. Yeah seriously, after not eating fast food for 2-3 months, I guarantee you that it will start to even smell bad to you, trust me. Like quitting smoking, yeah its hard at first, but after awhile you can't stand to be in the same room with a smoker, well same principle in this case. I know it sounds too good to be true, but it really does work, trust me This is taken directly from Elaines website: and explains this a bit better then I can, as I do not understand the "science" of this diet very well, as I am not experienced in the medical or Dietary field, but here is what she says: "The allowed carbohydrates are monosaccharides and have a single molecule structure that allow them to be easily absorbed by the intestine wall. Complex carbohydrates which are disaccharides (double molecules) and polysaccharides (chain molecules) are not allowed. Complex carbohydrates that are not easily digested feed harmful bacteria in our intestines causing them to overgrow producing by products and inflaming the intestine wall. The diet works by starving out these bacteria and restoring the balance of bacteria in our gut. The Specific Carbohydrate Diet is biologically correct because it is species appropriate. The allowed foods are mainly those that early man ate before agriculture began. The diet we evolved to eat over millions of years was predominantly one of meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, nuts, low-sugar fruits. Our modern diet including starches, grains, pasta, legumes, and breads has only been consumed for a mere 10,000 years. In the last hundred years the increase in complex sugars and chemical additives in the diet has led to a huge increase in health problems ranging from severe bowel disorders to obesity and brain function disorders. We have not adapted to eat this modern diet as there has not been enough time for natural selection to operate. It therefore makes sense to eat the diet we evolved with. The Specific Carbohydrate Diet was clinically tested for over 50 years by Dr Haas and biochemist Elaine Gottschall with convincing results. From feedback from the various lists and other information at least 75% of those who adhere rigidly to the diet gain significant improvement." SCD has been clinically proven to be highly successful for people who suffer from various bowell disorders, as well as many related problems which actually stem from inbalances in the intestinal tract. This diet is not intended for weight loss, but it can help to maintain a healthy weight by excluding complex carbohydrates, and sugars, and yet does not make you eat alot of Protein which has been proven to be bad for the liver and kidneys. Most Foods high in protein are allowed, but is not recommended to eat large amounts for this reason. We have many vegetarians on this diet too, so we don't even have to eat meat if we don't want to. The majority of this diet anyway is fresh fruits and vegetables, grilled chicken, fish, and we cook with either spray or olive oil for the most part. The main thing is we have to keep away from spices and preservatives, bread, chocolate and any "processed" or man-made sugar, which never hurts anyone. This diet is completely safe, because whatever we do without is all processed or man-made, just about anything "natural" grown from the ground or natual meat from an animal, is legal for the most part. Only real danger is when we go out to eat when chefs want to use Tenderizers in their meats and pultry, which I think is disgusting anyway, but we can't have any of those spices or tenderizers of any kind. All it is, is converting back to food man once ate when time first began. can't get any safer then that For more information, please visit Healing Crow or The Official "Breaking the Vicious Cycle" homepage: here Any questions or comments can be sent to me as well Take care |
