Here are some helpful links and files for living on the diet or deciding to start the SCD.
A Decision Tool:
From this post, the decision tool is useful for comparing the different courses of action for someone with Crohn’s. It helped me further solidify my position on the SCD. Here’s the PDF.
Measuring progress with the Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (CDAI):
From this post, referring to this tool. The CDAI is a tool that allows you to more objectively measure the severity of your disease and track it over time. It’s an excellent exercise and can really help you see what the SCD is doing for you.
The Bristol Stool Scale:
I find that charts are a great way to easily track and understand progress on the SCD. Of course you need to quantify your data as numbers in order to easily chart them. So how would you do this for your eliminations you ask? That’s a great question and here’s the answer: The Bristol Stool Scale a.k.a. the Meyers Scale.
Standard of Care:
From this post. What might you doctor see as the big picture? How do they conceive your treatment plan? The “Standard of Care” is probably a good starting point to gain insight into their process.
Cheat Sheets:
I compiled a master list of legal and illegal foods from the following sources: the book Breaking the Vicious Cycle, the official website for the book, the UCLBS website, Wikipedia and directly from some food manufacturers. However, these cheat sheets should not be used in place of reading the BTVC book. They are meant as a convenience for people who have already read the book and are aware of the bigger picture.
Legal and illegal list in several formats:
Legals only list:
- Download a legals only shopping list in Microsoft Word (.doc).
Cooking Files and Links:
Smoke points of various oils and fats:
Can’t remember how many tsp in one Tbs or cups in a quart? Here are handy unit conversions:
How do I know my meat is done?
- Link to PDF: Minimum internal temperatures as recommended by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.
General resources and reference:
- The Cook’s Thesaurus is a cooking encyclopedia that covers thousands of ingredients and kitchen tools. Entries include pictures, descriptions, synonyms, pronunciations, and suggested substitutions. Not an SCD specific site, but has lots of great information.
- Rouxbe cooking school. Some great free how-to videos plus paid lessons in cooking techniques. Not SCD specific.
The Web:
Breaking the Vicious Cycle The official website for the book Breaking the Vicious Cycle.
Pecanbread.com An excellent resource focused on children using the SCD and children on the ASD in particular.
Pecanbread discussion group on Yahoo. A free membership gets you access to others like yourself and is moderated by great and knowledgeable peoples. Ask questions and get answers. Many of your questions have already been answered, so before you post a question, try using the search function to look through the group’s archive. This group focuses on children using the SCD and in particular, children on the ASD.
BTVC-SCD discussion group on Yahoo. Just like the Pecanbread discussion group, but without the pediatric focus.
SCDLifestyle.com Jordan and Steven produce a great blog, podcast and books to help get started and succeed on the SCD.
Ryan Jordan on Facebook. Ryan is a great source for news on Crohn’s and IBD.
SCDrecipe An excellent site featuring SCD recipes, news, a blog and great info.
Gut Harmony blog. Tali is doing some amazing work with GIs at the Seattle Children’s Hospital. Check it out.
The Gottschall Autism Center “Early Treatment & Adult Employment for People with Autism” Simply wonderful.
GI ProHealth A resource for vitamins, enzymes, pill probiotics and more. If you cannot tolerate dairy, check this site out.
SCD Bakery When you don’t have time to bake your own.
Wellbee’s (formerly Digestive Wellness) “Home of the finest SCD legal foods!” Readymade foods, supplies, equipment, etc.
Back on Tract SCD legal baked goods and other SCD legal foods.
Duke’s Bakery A retail location for SCD legal baked goods by the people behind Back on Tract. Note that they also sell non-legal items. Located in Fall River, MA.
Nutty Bakery A mostly online SCD bakery located in New Castle, IN.
Caleb’s Cooking Company An SCD ready-made foods store from Washington, D.C.
Natural Digestive Healing “Engaging the World with Natural Treatments for IBD” Matt Robinson writes comprehensive articles regarding natural treatments including the SCD. He offers a coaching service and is also unique as a resource for athletes on the SCD.
Lucy’s Kitchen Shop An excellent resource for products for those on the SCD.
The Food Rx Project is a “501(c)(3) non-profit, volunteer-driven organization committed to educating patients, healthcare providers, and the general public about the benefits of using diet, nutrition, Integrative Medicine, and a healthy lifestyle to treat chronic disease.” An excellent resource with some unique services. Be sure to check them out.
ihaveUC.com Adam is a vibrant, energetic dude who has built an impressive community for UC suffers. Be sure to check it out.
Crohnology “is a project with one ultimate goal: to build a patient-centered information sharing network for people with chronic medical conditions.” It is social site for connecting and sharing experiences and information. The founder Sean Ahrens, is using the SCD, but the site is not limited to non-Western medical treatments.
Penzeys Spices A spice retailer. I find their spices to be much better than what I can get at my local grocer, and at a better price.
Hughson Nut This is where I get my almond flour, directly from the grower. They have good prices and excellent customer service. I’ve found single pound bags of almond flour in my local supermarkets, but it’s very expensive compared to buying in bulk. Use that Google!
Books
Breaking the Vicious Circle. Intestinal Health Through Diet The book that changed my life. A must read for anyone who wishes to follow the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.
Eat Well Feel Well An excellent gourmet cookbook made for the SCD. Also a good story about a mother treating her daughter.
SCDLifestyle Surviving to Thriving Feeling intimidated by the thought of starting the SCD or maybe not getting the results you had hoped for? This may be the book you need. I reviewed it here.
Recipes for the Specifc Carbohydrate Diet Raman Prasad has hit a delicious sweet spot. He manages to combine simple to prepare dishes with cuisines as diverse as Italian and Indian. With plenty of mouth watering pictures and recipes no longer than a page, this cookbook should expand just about anyone’s palate. You just may forget you’re on a “diet.”
The Best Recipe By the editors of COOK’S ILLUSTRATED Magazine I find this to be one of the best all around reference cook books. It explains how they arrived at their best recipes and includes tons of helpful information about cookware, cuts of meat, etc., etc. This book is not an SCD cookbook.
herbs & spices the cook’s reference This is a beautiful, thorough, and informative book. It covers a wide range of spices from common to exotic. A good read. Not SCD-specific.
What’s Cooking Indian Though not an SCD cookbook, it features wonderful Indian cuisine that can be adapted. See my version of chicken khorma, for instance. Includes photos of finished dishes and dishes in progress.
What’s Cooking Thai Though not an SCD cookbook, it features wonderful Thai cuisine that can be adapted. Includes photos of finished dishes and dishes in progress.
Ball Blue Book of Preserving A concise, well illustrated, easy to follow primer for preserving foods through hot water bath and pressure canning. It also contains recipes that can be converted for the diet. Note that for canning fruits with a light syrup, a ratio of 7 parts water to 1 part honey works well. Not SCD-specific.
Eating SCD 
Paul,
Thanks for sharing your story. I found your site through your posting on the scdinfo site. I read it every day and I learn so much.
I’m so sorry you suffered so long before finding SCD. The SCD gives me great hope also. My 10 yr daughter is celebrating her one year anniversary on SCD and her blood work came back normal again last week. We have been tapering off of Pentasa VERY slowly. She is taking one pill every other day until 9/7/08 — her anniversary! I pray she stays well like you!
Thanks for your wonderful site. I will be reading it all!
Stay well,
Kimberly
Kimberly,
You’re welcome. I’m happy that you and your daughter have discovered the SCD and found some relief.
Here’s to the last ever dose to Pentasa!
-Paul
Hi Paul can you email me as I would like to talk to you personally about something I feel to be important
you can call me at 204-999-8881 or I would love to call you and chat. just 15 min of your time
Jay
Hi Paul
Love your site! Thanks for all the amazing info.
i’ve had crohn’s for about 9 years now. been on Asacol / Lialda for all of that time. keeps things under control pretty well. but then i started the SCD in january, and have been feeling much better!
anyway, i’m a web developer, and wanted to “give back” to the SCD community. so i thought i’d set up a site that is a complete directory of SCD links – no such thing exists i don’t think. i just launched it a couple weeks ago. It’s called The SCD Database – http://scddatabase.com I have your site listed as a favorite on the homepage!
i wanted to reach out to you and ask you if you’d consider putting a link to my site on this Resources page and/or in your blogroll. the idea is to get the word out about my site – so that people use it and add to it (i have a form on there where people can submit a link for me to add to the directory), for the benefit of everyone. i figure you have a lot of fans/followers, etc. and that if you put a link on your site, it would go a long way to helping everyone. there’s a link on the main nav of my site for “Link to the SCD DB” which has HTML code and a graphic to use if you want it.
so, please check out the site and let me know what you think.
Thanks Paul! Be well.
-Scott
Scott,
Thanks for helping us all out. I certainly understand your desire to give back.
I’ve added you to my links above.
-Paul
I just purchased this book through amazon.com. The recipes that I have tried have been simple and really tastey. I have just started the diet so the soft souffle bread has been very helpful!
Thanks,
Lindsay
Sorry, the book is Cooking for Celiac, Crohns and Colitis. Here’s teh website:
http://cookingforceliacscolitiscrohnsandibs.com/
The website also has sample diet ideas and the author will email you some of the recipes to try before you purchase the book.
Thanks,
Lindsay
Lindsay,
Thanks for the feedback.
-Paul
HI Paul,
I just took my son (17,dx CD Aug. 09) to his follow-up GI appointment and was told that the 6MP isn’t working and he’ll need to go on Remicade. This, after I told them that he just started the diet this past Sunday and was having some success with his symptoms reducing, etc. They didn’t even have a response to that other than to say that “people get on the web and give their testimony about how well the diet worked for them and then they relapse but you don’t hear about that.” So, I read you testimony, you are still here promoting the diet, so I assume it continues to work for you. Would that be correct?
Also, they continued to say things in front of my son to imply that the diet was just too hard to maintain and that he needs to have a better quality of life. After I left there I thought, “What life can this kid have on Remicade?!” Now, my son would rather be on the drug than work his way through the diet-he says he just can’t do it. He feels too much like everything is being taken from him. I kept telling him how good and healthy the food is and he says that I don’t understand what he means. I do. He’s just not willing to sacrifice for his health…well, I guess what he will be doing IS sacrificing his health if he insists on going on this drug!
I would appreciate any thoughts you might have.
Thanks,
Sherry
Sherry,
Sorry to hear your son is dealing with this.
Yes, I continue with the diet. If I go off it, I pay for it with more trips to the restroom.
I dont’ think the “it’s too hard and is poor quality of life” attitude is uncommon among doctors or even your peers. I just happen to think it’s wrong. Drugs have their place, but they are not without serious risks. Not to mention that quality of life is highly subjective.
When I imagine myself in your position, my heart aches for you. My children are still young so I don’t have any teenager experience, but I’m guessing that it would be impossible to get your son on strict SCD unless he was properly motivated and totally on board as if it were his idea. Unless you can totally lock him down and watch him every minute of every day, I don’t imagine that you could make him do this. And that doesn’t consider the resentment lockdown would engender.
I’m sure your son is mad too. As you can appreciate, this is tough thing for a well adjusted adult so it must be doubly hard for a teenager. Not to mention all of this is embarrassing to talk about. I suppose he feels like a victim and all of his options are distasteful to him.
If you can’t get your son to feel the same way you do about the SCD, perhaps you can persuade your doctor to giving low dose naltrexone (LDN) a try. I don’t know what the success rate it, but many are doing very well on it and it seems to be a less serious drug. See this site for a primer: http://www.lowdosenaltrexone.org. You can also see the comment / reply by Rob K on my FAQ page: https://eatingscd.com/faq/
Come to think of it, if it’s possible for you to find a more open-minded doctor I’d encourage you to do so. Perhaps if you rephrase the SCD as a way to give him a better quality of life versus calling it a treatment, you’d get better cooperation from a doctor.
Also take a look at the conversations I’ve had with other mom’s about their kids and SCD on this page: https://eatingscd.com/faq/ . Look for Julie and Carol.
Cheers,
Paul
Hi Paul
I would classify my problem as IBD/candida control problem. I am trying the diet and have also been using supplements, etc. for several years and everything helps. My question is, have you ever tried or do you have any knowledge of HCL (Hydrochloric Acid) to swing gut flora/help digestion? How would it affect probiotic supplementation?
thanks, Elaine
Elaine,
I’m sorry, but I am unfamiliar with it’s use.
-Paul
These lists are fabulous! I am so glad you have shared them. I have had a few friends want to try the diet and it seems overwhelming to them in the beginning, these lists will make it much easier.
Thanks again,
Karen
Karen,
You’re welcome. I made them for myself and figured other peoples might like them as well.
-Paul
Hi Paul,
I have a 17 year old daughter with Crohn’s Disease and I suspect my husband has a milder case of it too. My daughter was diagnosed at 11 and did well on medication for several years. The last 2-3 years have been difficult with flare ups and prednisone. She and I both hate what the prednisone does to her. Her pediatric gastroenterologist had been suggesting this diet for a couple of years but we were reluctant to try it because of the major lifestyle change. After the last flare up which occurred last fall, I made my mind up and committed myself to the SCD. We began the diet in January of this year. I will admit that it is difficult at times with all the food preparation, but how empowered we feel to finally be able to do something and take control of the disease instead of the disease controlling our lives. She has had her days when she is angry and hates the diet but admits that she feels so much better and has more energy than ever. When she has a bad day, craving all the wrong things, I stay positive and remind her of how awful she felt on the prednisone. I tell her it is ultimately her choice, and that she can choose a life of illness and prednisone, and possible surgery, or she can choose a life of healthy eating and feeling good and doing what ever she chooses in life. She always chooses SCD in the end. Thank you for your website. It is a very useful and valuable tool when new to this diet. It is so nice to know there are lots of people out there living happily and healthy on the SCD. People like yourself make it so much easier.
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
First of all let me say that I’m sorry that your family is dealing with this difficult disease. A child should never have to grow up so fast and it’s not so easy for an adult either.
Thank you for taking the time to send me such kind words. It is quite a dramatic shift to move from the victim of your body to the director of it. As you say, it’s not without its challenges, but the liberation can have quite an impact.
I hope your daughter and husband continue to do well and enjoy life to the fullest.
Cheers,
Paul
I watched some of your videos on youtube tonight wanted to say thanks for sharing your story. I have UC and have been doing SCD for 3 years with a few other experiments along the way. GAPS intro protocol several times, body ecology, guts and glory program. I have not been able to obtain remission and I keep being hospitalized. I have been on prednisone now for 6 months and I have finally decided to go on immuran. I am not ok with this but I have to get off the steroids. I am considering doing a DIY fecal transplant from a healthy donor. Everything I have read seems promising for re-establishing microbial balance. Thanks again for sharing so honestly.
Adina,
I’m sorry you are having such a difficult time.
In the few instances I’ve read about people’s experiences with fecal transplant, it’s been a mixed bag. Some have great responses, others are disappointed. I hope it works like crazy for you.
-Paul
Superb resources section paul thank you!
Dinesh,
Thanks! I appreciate it.
-Paul
Hi Paul,
Im from india and we have a lot of dairy consumption on regular basis one in particular being paneer. It seems u are familiar with the indian cuisine. I wanted to know if Paneer is SCD Legal or not.
Thnx in advance.
Regards,
Dinesh.
Hi Dinesh,
Paneer is not SCD legal as it is a fresh cheese lacking cultures and curing time, versus an aged SCD legal cheese like cheddar. See this link for more: http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/legal/detail/cheese/
Cheers,
Paul
Hey paul,could you please send my your meal plan for SCD ? I am really cluseless about following this in India and on top of that i Am vegetarian.please email me : krish.sharma533@gmail.com
Thanks
Krish,
Sorry for the late reply. I took a break from the internet for a couple of weeks.
I never developed a meal plan, so I do not have that to share with you.
A quick google of “scd vegetarian” gives many results, the best looking to me in a brief scan was glutenfreescdandveggie.blogspot.com.
-Paul
thnx for ur prompt reply paul. U r really helpful.
– Dinesh
Dinesh,
You’re welcome.
Paul
What is the difference between paneer and dry yogurt cottage cheese? Keen to know the answer as one scd illegal while the other is scd legal.
S. Patil,
The difference that makes all the difference is that dry curd cottage cheese (DCCC) is made with a culture whereas paneer does not use a culture. Much like SCD yoghurt, the culture in DCCC consumes the lactose in the milk, but the paneer still contains that lactose therefore it is not allowed on the SCD.
-Paul
Being a vegetarian i become clueless to begin SCD. I have been suffering from Ulcerative colittis but i am not able to find proper diet for me in india. please help. Regarding breakfast,lunch and dinner. Thanks
I am trying to find a substitute for dry curd in the Netherlands, where my daughter is now living. Any idea of what can take the place of this miracle food for UC? She definitely feels the difference without it. Thanks
Elise,
I couldn’t find it around me in Illinois and didn’t pursue it further. In one of the recipes in the BTVC book, it talks about using drained homemade yoghurt if you are unable to find the dry curd. I know it’s not the same, but that’s the best I can do. The recipe is for “cream cheese”, page 160.
-Paul
Paul, Thanks so much for your reply.. I’ve learned that Farmer cheese, which is more readily available, is comparable to the dry curd. Wishing you good health. Elise
Elise,
You’re welcome.
Excellent point. I’m sorry I didn’t think of that.
-Paul