Specific Carbohydrate Diet For Life

SCD Recipe: Chicken Shawarma Lettuce Wraps

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L) — Wed, 23 May 2012 05:11:00 +0000

If you saw The Avengers then you know why Shawarma recipes have been popping up on blogs everywhere. But you don't need to have seen the movie to enjoy this recipe. I'm not going to even try to say my recipe is authentic, but it is pretty tasty. I looked at several different recipes and came up with one that is SCD friendly.

Shawarma can be made with chicken, beef, or pork. I chose chicken, because I don't eat a lot of beef and pretty much no pork. I think you could also use lamb or veal, but I never eat those.

Shawarma Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs thinly sliced boneless, skinless chicken breast (or thighs will work too)
1 cup plain yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup white wine vinegar (or other type of vinegar that you like)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cardamom
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp ginger
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Sauce:

1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
1 - 2 tsp olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 tbsp lemon juice

Wraps:

Butter lettuce
Tomato
Cucumber

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for the Schawarma except chicken. Mix well. Place chicken breast in bowl and cover completely with the sauce. Marinate 6 - 8 hours or overnight.

Grill over medium heat (I used an electric grill) for 5 - 7 minutes per side, or until cooked through - cooking time will depend on thickness of chicken. Really thin chicken breast may only take 3 or 4 minutes per side.

Cut thin slices of the chicken breast.

For sauce:

Place sesame seeds and olive oil in food processor. Process until it forms a paste (add a little more oil if needed). Add the rest of the ingredients. Process until smooth. If sauce is too thick, add a little more lemon juice.

Place chicken, tomato, and cucumbers in lettuce leaves. Top with sauce and wrap.

SCD Recipe: White Peanut Butter Cups and Nut Clusters

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L) — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:33:00 +0000

My jumping off point for this recipe is the White "Chocolate" Candy recipe from Comfy Tummy. I also bought coconut butter in hopes of using it like cocoa butter (which I can't find and didn't want to special order). It works pretty well. It doesn't have a white chocolate taste, but it's own flavor is good (subtle coconut and whatever falvoring is added), and the texture is like chocolate.

When I started making it I realized I had poured a little too much honey into my pot, so I had to play around with the quantities a bit. I wanted to try making peanut butter cups, and then I thought nut clusters sounded pretty good too.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut butter
2 1/2 tbsp honey (this is kind of approximate, but I wouldn't use much more, maybe a little less would be okay depending on your taste)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp butter

For peanut butter cups:

4 - 5 tsp SCD peanut butter

For the nut clusters:

Combination of raw nuts (I used hazelnuts, macadamia, walnuts, and almonds)

For the peanut butter cups, spoon a small ball of peanut butter into the mini-baking cup.

For the nut cluster put several nuts (5 - 6 depending on size) in the bottom of the baking cups.

Combine all ingredients (except peanut butter and nuts) in a small saucepan. Stir constantly over medium heat until coconut butter and regular butter are melted. Stir until well combined. This only takes about five minutes.

Candy mixture - will be a little like pudding

For the peanut butter cups I lined a mini-muffin pan, and for the nut clusters I used regular size baking cups in my jumbo muffin pan (a regular muffin pan or other small dish would also work).

Spoon about a tsp or so of coconut butter mixture over the peanut butter.

Pour a little of the mixture over the nuts just so they are covered.

Put everything in the freezer for about 20 - 30 minutes.

Let them warm up a couple minutes before trying to peel the paper liner off, or it will stick.

Store candy in refrigerator. It melts quickly.

This made 6 peanut butter cups and 4 nut clusters.

This recipe being shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday

and on

Real Food Forager Fat Tuesday.

SCD Recipe: Peach Raspberry Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L) — Tue, 15 May 2012 04:46:00 +0000

2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup butter softened
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp lemon juice
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup chopped peaches
1/2 cup raspberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line muffin pan with baking cups.

Mix almond flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add butter, honey, lemon juice, and eggs. Mix until well combined.

Stir in peaches so they are evenly distributed through batter.

Carefully stir in raspberries so they stay whole.

Spoon batter into baking cups so they are almost to the top - about 3/4 full.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until they are golden brown on top and firm to the touch.

Allow to cool before trying to take off baking cup or they will fall apart!

This recipe being shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

Trying New Foods: Some Do's and Don'ts

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L) — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:04:00 +0000

Adding non-SCD foods back into your diet is one of the most asked about and confusing aspects of SCD. I've written about it before, but I it's something that can't be talked about too much.

Some people will stay on the diet forever, some will go back to what they were eating before, and some will seek a healthy expansion. This is what I do, but that wasn't my first direction.

I hate to admit sometimes, but I went off the diet completely for a short time. I didn't go completely insane with junk food, and I kept eating SCD meals a lot of the time, but I wasn't as careful as I should have been.

I ended up with some mild inflammation as a result. Granted it took a couple of years, it wasn't immediate and it luckily wasn't severe, so I am grateful for that.

The hardest part about adding new foods is knowing what, how much, and how often. The other thing that is hard is that once you start eating non-SCD foods it's easy to go further and further away without realizing it. That's what happened to me.

One rule of thumb I now follow is to stick with single ingredients. Stay away from processed foods, and preservatives. Look at labels. If you see a long list of ingredients you don't recognize you probably won't want it.

For a while I tried eating bread. I didn't have any problems. I stuck with whole grain breads with basic ingredients like Dave's Killer Bread. I also tried some sprouted grain breads and basically sought out as healthy of bread as possible...for a while. Then I found myself ordering sandwiches and pizza at restaurants. This is a no-no. Pick up a prepared sandwich at your grocery deli department and take a look at the ingredients of just the bread (not to mention the meat and whatever else is on there). There are tons of ingredients in that kind of bread. Long story short, all bread is not created equal.

Now I have decided to go gluten-free for the time being so I probably won't be having even healthier breads any time soon. One thing that is important to remember is the all things are not created equal rule.

Maybe you've added some chocolate back into your diet. Does that mean grabbing a Hershey bar at the check stand? No it doesn't. What is means for mean is buying unsweetened chocolate and making something using SCD ingredients. That's how I can stick to the one non-SCD food rule.

Some other single ingredient foods I've added, that I eat fairly regularly are potatoes - sweet and white (with sweet being a little more often than white), plantains, and quinoa. The other foods I've tried or added are listed here. It's a list always in progress. Sometimes I change my mind about adding a new food, and sometimes I discover something new.

Plantains are my most regular non-SCD food. I eat about one a week. They make an excellent bread substitute for sandwiches and I even used one to make a pizza crust recently. Plantains have been shown to have some benefit in preventing Crohn's recurrence.

I didn't start adding new foods until about seven years in to the diet. That's a decision everyone has to make for themselves.

Some Do's for adding new foods:

Do it slowly - one new food at a time - try it out once and don't have it again for a week.

Only have a small serving to try it out.

Consider how much you want the new food - is the food healthy? Will it be a benefit to your diet or life?

Read labels!!!

Stick with single foods

Make sure you have been symptom free for a long time before trying something new.

The Do not's:

The biggest is Don't Go Overboard!

Don't throw caution to the wind and have whatever you want.

Basically don't take unnecessary chances.

Sandwich made with Plantains as "bread"

Road Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L) — Mon, 07 May 2012 23:42:00 +0000

So, I have not posted in a while because I was on vacation. We took a road trip down to Green River, Utah (from Seattle). Green River is about 50 miles from Moab, for those familiar with the area. We have stayed in Moab a few times, but this was our first time staying in Green River.

We spent some time hiking in the San Rafael Swell (well that one turned out to be more driving than hiking) and in some areas of Moab that we hadn't been before.

Green River was not the most SCD friendly town. There was one small grocery store, with a surprising amount of variety given its size, and only a few restaurants. My room had a microwave and refrigerator. We tried a restaurant called the Tamarisk, and it was pretty good. I was able to order a plain chicken breast and have the salad bar - I also had a baked potato, but that is not SCD (I always try to say when I go outside the diet). Otherwise I had some salad and tuna. Also when I travel I like to take Amy's Organic Split Pea Soup. It is a canned soup, but there are no SCD illegal ingredients. They even say on their website - "100% pure herbs and spices no hidden ingredients." I find it handy to have on hand, and I like Amy's brand. I only had this once on the trip.

Of course I brought my tuna, some raw trail mix, applesauce, and plenty of Lara Bars. I had no trouble the whole time. On the way we stopped at the Whole Foods in Salt Lake City for lunch, and to stock up on any snacks and drinks we knew we wouldn't be able to get past that point.

Though Green River wasn't all that SCD friendly I have to say Moab has expanded quite a bit since we were last there. There is a grocery store in town that always had a salad bar, but this store has added tons more food than last time I was there. The salad bar was bigger, and they had a lot of organic food. I was really happy to see that.

LOL - Wow! Luckily was able to avoid using this.

One thing about traveling with Crohn's (or UC) and on SCD is to be prepared. I had enough food so that I knew I wouldn't be hungry if I couldn't find anything else to eat. Maybe it wasn't always a meal, but it was something. I couldn't make yogurt on this trip, but I had my probiotic pills with me. I just kept it in the cooler when we were driving, and made sure we always had a room with a refrigerator.

I haven't had time to cook anything for a while, but I'm looking forward to getting back to it this week. I've found so many recipes I want to try.

SCD Recipe: Frozen Banana Peanut Butter Sandwich

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:14:00 +0000

So simple, but good!

1 ripe banana (you don't want it super ripe, just at the beginning of SCD banana with some brown spots)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 - 2 tsp honey (depending on taste)
2 tbsp SCD legal peanut butter

If you keep your peanut butter in the refrigerator take it out and let it get to room temperature, so it is soft.

Peel banana and cut in half.

Place one banana half on a piece of parchment paper on a flat surface. Place another piece of parchment paper over the top of the banana.

Use something flat, like a large frying pan, to press down on the banana. Press firmly and evenly. Don't make the banana too thin. You want it to be at least a 1/4 inch thick so you can still handle it.

Move banana to a plate and repeat with the other half. If the banana is really soft, put it in the freezer for thirty minutes or so before adding the peanut butter.

The easiest way to get it on the plate is to flip over the parchment paper onto the plate and then carefully peel off.

Sprinkle banana with cinnamon (do this before freezing).

Mix peanut butter and honey.

Carefully spread peanut butter on one half of banana, then top with the other half.

Freeze banana for 2 - 3 hours.

This recipe being shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

Giving Pinterest a Try

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:42:00 +0000

I did not make any new recipes this weekend. I usually try to make something new each week, but sometimes it doesn't happen (sometimes it's a failure, but we won't talk about that).

But I did do something this week....

I just started an SCD For Life Pinterest page. Actually I opened the page a while back, but I just started pinning this week. Once I got going I discovered it is pretty fun and a good way to connect with people.

I have boards on my own SCD recipes, other recipes and SCD food I find, products I like, and a few boards on my other interests. So if you ever wanted to know a little more about me, there it is.

I don't have a lot of pins yet, but I have at least one for every one of my boards.

If you are on Pinterest leave me a comment and I will follow you.

Hope to see you there!

Recipe Review: Relish SCD's Sweet & Sour Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:23:00 +0000

Last night I tried the SCD Sweet & Sour Chicken recipe from the Relish SCD blog. Which now is called Eat With Your Eyes.

I love sweet & sour chicken, but it's hard to find recipes that do have sugar and cornstarch, so I was happy to find this one.

This turned out really good. The sauce is not really a dipping sauce, but cooked with the chicken it works perfectly.

I did make a couple of changes:

I used my own chicken nuggets recipe, since I prefer almond flour to coconut flour for that. Oh, and I left them as strips instead of cutting the chicken into cubes, but that was just laziness.

Their recipe calls for garlic powder, which is generally not SCD legal (unless you can find it without anything added), so I used dried garlic.

The sauce was excellent! I highly recommend this recipe. I served mine with some stir-fried Napa cabbage, carrots and broccoli.

SCD Recipe: Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 05:08:00 +0000

Crust:

1/4 cup almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup softened butter
1 egg
1/4 cup honey

Banana Filling for Pie:

2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin
1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup honey
5 large egg yolks
2 very ripe bananas

Peanut Butter Layer:

1/2 cup SCD peanut butter
2 tbsp yogurt
1 tbsp butter
3 tbsp honey

For the crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well. Press into pie pan.

Bake for about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

For the custard:

Sprinkle gelatin over 2 tsp vanilla. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Whisk the egg yolks and honey in a glass bowl until smooth.

Heat yogurt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Allow yogurt to come to a simmer. You will see the yogurt separate a little. This is okay.

Pour yogurt into egg yolks whisking constantly.

Return to mixture to the saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Don't allow the mixture to come to a boil.

Remove from heat. Add the gelatin mixture. Stir until gelatin dissolves. Pour mixture into glass bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Stir it a couple times while it is cooling.

For Peanut Butter Layer:

In a small saucepan combine all the peanut butter layer ingredients. Bring to boil. Stir for a minute or two.

Pour peanut butter mixture into cooled pie crust.

Allow peanut butter mixture to cool. Slice bananas onto cooled peanut butter layer.

Pour custard over bananas and peanut butter.

Place pie in refrigerator for 3 - 4 hours until custard is set - cover pie to store it.

T

This recipe being shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

SCD Recipe: White Bean Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Scallops

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 17:48:00 +0000

I was a little afraid of how this recipe would turn out. I've never really made anything like it before, but it turned out pretty good. It's very mild, but you could add a little garlic or some extra spices to kick it up.

1 lb scallops (you can use the big or little ones
1 cooked spaghetti squash
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup fresh basil - stems removed
3 tbsp grated Parmesan
1 cup cooked white beans
1 tsp salt (more to taste)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup cooked broccoli florets

Place one cup of the chicken broth and the basil in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add beans and Parmesan and blend again until smooth.

Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add scallops. Cook on each side until golden brown - 2- 4 minutes per side depending on the size of the scallops. Remove scallops, and drain on paper towel. Remove oil from pan. Place pan back over heat and add the second cup of broth.

Add pesto mixture. Bring to a boil and cook a few minutes to reduce the sauce. The sauce will be very thin, but will thicken a little as it cools. Place spaghetti squash in bowls. Pour sauce over squash.
Top with broccoli and scallops. Garnish with Parmesan if desired.

Beyond SCD Recipe: Sweet Potato Puffs

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 05:03:00 +0000

Every once in a while I like to post a recipe of something that I've added back into my diet. As you can see from this recipe there is only one non-SCD ingredient. I think squash could also be used to make it completely SCD, but I haven't tried that yet.

2 medium sweet potatoes (I only ever get the yellow sweet potatoes)
1 egg
2 tbsp grated Parmesan
1 cup dry curd cottage cheese
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbsp almond flour
olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Peel and boil sweet potatoes for 20 - 30 minutes until soft. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Scoop potato mixture by tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes until puffs are firm and golden.

Allow to cool before removing from sheet.

Makes 25 - 30 puffs.

This recipe being shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

Overseas Trip Wrap Up

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 20:45:00 +0000

Heidelberg

Overall my trip to Germany went well. I felt fine the whole time, which was the most important thing to me. I didn't always have satisfying meals, but it was only a few days, so it was fine.

My little kitchen in my hotel room

I went to one more restaurant on my last day there. I went with a few people to Heidelberg, a city about a half hour away from Darmstadt, where we were staying. Everyone in my group new I had special diet considerations, so we were able to look at menus before sitting down. I told them I wasn't too worried because I could make a salad back in my room anyway.

We found a German restaurant with a fairly extensive menu. I was able to order a large mixed greens salad with grilled chicken. They didn't seem to have different kinds of salad dressings, so I just told the waiter to leave it on the side - not so easy when I don't speak the language (something I felt a little guilty about). But it all turned out. Someone else wanted their dressing that way too, so he figured it what we were asking.

Heidelberg

One thing I had forgotten from my previous visit to Germany, twenty years ago, was that public restrooms often require payment to get in. This was true of the one in the train station we were at. It's not very Crohn's friendly for sure. It cost .50 Euro and they would only take a .50 cent piece. One of my group tried to put in two .20's and a .10 and they were refused by the restroom attendant! He was actually turned away!

So if you are traveling there, it is a good idea to have the correct change handy at all times.

In the train station I did find a Chiquita stand that sold 100% smoothies. I could actually see the fresh fruit, so I had no question about whether there was sugar or not. I had one of those for lunch along with a Lara bar.

For the plane ride home I had requested a gluten-free meal in hopes that it would have more to eat than the regular. In the past I have been able to order a fruit and cheese plate, but this airline did not have that available. I was served two meals. It turns out the GF meal was also the low lactose, no sugar meal. No sugar was good, but I was disappointed there was no cheese.

Heidelberg

I did get a plain piece of baked cod that was nice. There was also a salad and a container of 100% applesauce. The second meal was not as good. It was scrambled eggs (not sure what was in them), with some overcooked zucchini and mushrooms (I don't like mushrooms). There was some fruit, but I didn't get much out of it. Both meals had a container of vanilla Soya pudding, so no good there.

Overall I can't complain though. I achieved my goal of feeling fine the whole time and that's what counts.

SCD Recipe: Hamburger Patties in Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 02:08:00 +0000

1 lb ground beef or turkey (I used ground turkey)

1/3 cup chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp butter
1 cup tomato juice
1/3 cup vinegar
2 tbsp mustard
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp salt

Saute onion and garlic in butter until onion is soft. Combine tomato juice, vinegar, mustard, honey, and salt. Pour into pan. Simmer for ten minutes. Form ground meat into patties. Place patties in sauce. Cover and simmer for about an hour (can be simmered for up to 90 minutes). Flip patties about half way through cooking.

This recipe being shared on on Slightly indulgent Tuesday.

Update from abroad

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19:02:00 +0000

Hello everyone. I've been in Germany for four days. The food situation is going ok. I did not have a refrigerator in my room at the hotel, which was disappointing. The next day I was complaining to one of my co-workers that my drinks are always warm - there is no ice-machine here. They asked why I didn't put them in the refrigerator.

???

So, it turns out some of the rooms have refrigerators, with a two burner stove top, and a sink. I asked the front desk if I could switch rooms, and they said they would have one available the next day. So I now have a refrigerator.

There is a supermarket within walking distance, so I was able to buy a salad in bag to keep in the fridge. I also bought some cheese, and some oil and vinegar.

The restaurant I have eaten at is a Mongolian grill - well it was really a Chinese restaurant that had a Mongolian grill. I had the salad bar and then plain grilled meat and vegetables. That all worked out well.

The German restaurant menus I have looked at and tried to decipher don't seem to have anything I can eat. So I have been sticking with my salad with tuna for dinner, since the restaurant meal.

The hotel does have a nice breakfast buffet. There is cheese, fruit, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and tea that I can have.

Lunch is the hardest meal of the day. Since I am working a trade show and can't go anywhere, I pretty much rely on my Lara bars, the Trader Joe's raw trail mix, and bananas. It's not too bad, it just doesn't feel like a real meal.

So that's how it is for now. I have two more full days, here before my long flight home.

SCD Recipe: Four Berry Frozen Yogurt

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 20:49:00 +0000

I had a lot of yogurt left, and since I will be gone for a week, I wanted to get it used up. So I decided to strain it and make some frozen yogurt. So, I was able to use it all, and I have something good when I come back!

I was going to make strawberry, but a freak snow (not unseasonable warm around here) storm kept me from getting out to the store.I found a bad of mixed berries in my freezer that I had forgotten about. They needed to be used too, so I decided to go with mixed berries.

5 - 6 cups yogurt (yields about 3 cups strained)
2 cups berries (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries)
1/2 cup honey (you don't need a lot, the berries will make it sweet
1 tsp vanilla

Strain yogurt for 24 hours.

Thaw berries, if using frozen.

Puree berries in blender. Add honey, vanilla, and yogurt. Blend for several minutes until well mixed.

Pour mixture into ice-cream maker and make according to manufacturer's directions.

Store in air tight container in freezer.

Allow yogurt to thaw a few minutes before serving. I used 2% yogurt for this recipe, so that makes it freeze a little harder.

This recipe being shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

Preparing for Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 21:48:00 +0000

Stocking Up

Tomorrow I am leaving for a week long business trip to Germany.

I not sure exactly where I will be eating while I am there. I know the hotel I am staying in has a restaurant, but they do not have a menu posted online. I know there are grocery stores near the convention center I will be working at.

I know I won't be able to eat much, if any, of the catered lunch we will be having everyday.

I know that we will be having a team dinner at a Mongolian grill during the week. This made me happy. I have eaten Mongolian grill many times. I just have to make sure they do not add sauce!

I stocked up on snacks. Lara bars, Trader Joe's raw trail mix, squeezable apple sauce, dried pineapple and mango with no sugar added, and low sodium tuna. I discovered that the low sodium tuna usually doesn't have soy added.

I also threw some paper plates, and plastic cutlery in my suitcase.

I figure I should be able to get by for the week.

I hope to do some updates while I'm there, but I don't know how my internet connection will be at the hotel.

SCD Recipe: Baked Parmesan Fish Sticks

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:57:00 +0000

2 cod fillets
3/4 almond flour
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 eggs
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray with olive oil.

Slice cod into half inch strips. Beat eggs in a small. bowl. Combine flour, cheese, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Dip fish into egg and then dredge in the flour mixture.

Place fish evenly in single layer on baking sheet.

Spray fish with a little olive oil.

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until fish is golden brown.

This recipe being shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

More on WebMD's Review of Specific Carbohydrate Diet

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 00:24:00 +0000

Yesterday I posted my thoughts on a review of SCD from the WebMD website.

Today I received a message from a reader that was so good I had to share it. I was going to post it in the comments, but then decided it warranted it's own blog post (and it's too long for the comments section anyway).

So this breakdown is from Stevie (Thanks!):

Kathleen Zelman, the reviewer, is a registered and licensed dietician, but she is NOT a medical physician. She also has extremely weak arguments, which I will attempt to address in this reply.

First of all, Ms. Zelman was incorrect when she said that SCD bans all dairy products. If she had done her homework more thoroughly before attempting this review she would have known, as do those of us who follow SCD, that yogurt (homemade) and most cheeses are included.

Ms. Zelman also quotes someone by the name of Dee Sandquist, who was a registered (not licensed) dietician and medical STUDENT (not a physician) at the time of this review. Interestingly, both Ms. Zelman and Ms. Sandquist are spokeswomen for the American Dietetic Association which receives a percentage (approximately 10%)^] of its funding from food companies, including Abbott Nutrition, CoroWise, General Mills, Kellogg's, Mars, McNeil Nutritionals, Pepsico, SOYJOY, Truvia and Unilever. In addition, the ADA lists Aramark, The CocaCola Company, The National Dairy Council and the Hershey Center for Health and Nutrition as partners. SO....it's not surprising that promoting grains and dairy will likely benefit the financial interests of the ADA. You be the judge..

Ms. Zelman states, "When you eliminate whole food groups like dairy and grains, you significantly reduce the nutritional quality of the diet, which may result in nutritional deficiencies."

She then quotes her fellow ADA spokeswoman, Ms. Sandquist , as saying, “When you don’t eat grains you miss out on B vitamins, fiber, and iron. Eliminating dairy pulls out the best source of calcium and vitamin D along with potassium."

Now lets examine this intelligently. We'll start with the B vitamins. The B vitamins are: thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, biotin, and pantothenic acid. Let's look at other (often better) sources of these B vitamins that we are supposed to be "not getting" on the SCD diet:

Thiamin - Some of the best sources are pork, ham, dark green leafy vegetables, fortified whole-grain cereals and baked goods, wheat germ, enriched rice, green pea, lentils and nuts such as almonds and pecans. Notice that the grains and baked goods are fortified, meaning that nutrients were added to a food that weren’t originally present. Also the rice is enriched (nutrients were added back after being lost or diminished during food processing). Now, aside from the ham, grains, baked goods, wheat germ and rice, we on SCD can still turn to pork, dark leafy green vegetables, green peas, lentils and nuts. No thiamin deficiency here!

Riboflavin - Milk and milk products such as yogurt and cheese are rich in riboflavin. Asparagus, spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables, chicken, fish, eggs and fortified cereals also supply significant amounts of riboflavin to the diet. SCD folks get plenty of riboflavin from homemade yogurt and a most cheeses, not to mention the dark leafy veggies, fish, chicken and eggs. Don't need the cereal and milk!

Niacin - Chicken, turkey, salmon and other fish including canned tuna packed in water are all excellent natural sources of niacin. Fortified cereals, legumes, peanuts, pasta and whole wheat also supply varying amounts. Are you getting the picture? We don't NEED the fortified cereals, pastas, wheat, etc.

Folate - Found in leafy greens such as spinach, kale and turnip greens. Other fresh fruits and vegetables are all excellent sources of folate. All grain products such as breads, pastas and rice are fortified with folate. There's that word fortified again, applying to breads, pastas and rice. We don't need to fortify the leafy greens, fresh fruits and veggies!

Vitamin B6 - Some of the best sources of vitamin B6 are poultry, seafood, bananas, leafy green vegetables such as spinach, potatoes and fortified cereals. SCD provides plenty of this without the potatoes and fortified cereals!

Vitamin B12 -Animal foods are the only natural source of vitamin B12, and are found in shellfish, such as clams, mussels and crab, fin fish and beef. Many products, including soy products and cereals, have to be fortified with B12. I'll stick to the natural sources, thanks!

Biotin - Liver and egg yolks are the richest dietary sources of biotin. Salmon, pork and avocado are also good sources. Most fruits and vegetables contain a little biotin, as do cheeses and grain foods. Grains are not helpful here much at all. We SCD followers get plenty of biotin, though, through our egg consumption!

Pantothenic Acid - Yogurt and avocado are both excellent sources of pantothenic acid, but it is also available in a wide variety of foods such as legumes including lentils and split peas, sweet potatoes, mushrooms and broccoli. Who needs sweet potatoes? We've got all the other sources available to us!

Now, let's talk about the fiber we're supposedly missing out on. According the Mayo Clinic:

Fiber is commonly classified into two categories: those that don't dissolve in water (insoluble fiber) and those that do (soluble fiber).

Insoluble fiber. This type of fiber promotes the movement of material through your digestive system and increases stool bulk, so it can be of benefit to those who struggle with constipation or irregular stools. Whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts and many vegetables are good sources of insoluble fiber.

Soluble fiber. This type of fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like material. It can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Soluble fiber is found in oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley and psyllium.

SCD followers can easily get their fiber from nuts, vegetables, allowed legumes, apples, citrus fruits, and carrots.

Finally, we'll look at the issue that we're allegedly missing out on iron.

Meat - Mayo Clinic doctors report that meat sources of iron are more easily absorbed in the body than other sources. Iron-rich meats include beef, poultry, pork and seafood. Beef and chicken livers are the highest source of iron in meat products. Lean beef that comes from round, flank or chuck steaks are the best sources of iron after liver. The dark red meat of chicken and turkey contains higher levels of iron than white meat. Pork loin chops are a better source of iron that lean ham, which does contain small amounts of iron. Oysters, salmon and tuna are the best seafood sources of iron-rich nutrients. Egg yolks also are high in iron.

Fruits and Vegetables - The National Institutes of Health reports that some fruits and vegetables contain higher amounts of iron than others. Those rich in iron include dried fruits like prunes, raisins and apricots. Dark green vegetables such as broccoli, kale, spinach and asparagus are the best sources of iron in vegetables.

Grains - Some grains, such as wheat, oats, millet and brown rice are iron-rich food sources. Many grain sources, however, are fortified, including cereals, breads, pasta and white rice, all of which provide only small amounts of iron.

Seeds, Nuts, Legumes - Some seeds and nuts are particularly high in iron as well and include Brazil nuts and almonds. Various legumes also can be a good source of iron. Kidney beans, dried peas, soybeans and lima beans all are iron-rich sources of food..

Vitamin C - When iron-rich foods are combined with foods high in vitamin C, the iron can be absorbed more efficiently. Drinking a glass of orange juice when eating meat, legumes or eggs helps to increase the dietary iron's efficiency. Other good sources of vitamin C that can be combined with iron-rich foods include strawberries, mangoes, tomatoes, broccoli and cabbage.

Ms. Sandquist also claims that we who follow the SCD, by eliminating dairy (of course we are NOT eliminating dairy---we still eat homemade yogurt and most cheeses, right?), are not getting the best source of calcium, vitamin D and potassium. So, let's take a look at the facts, shall we?

We all know that to be healthy, we need calcium, but the Harvard School of Public Health (this is from a 2012 article) says that “milk isn’t the only, or even best, source.” Their website The Nutrition Source details some of the better ways to get calcium. For individuals who are unable to digest—or who dislike—dairy products, other options are available. Calcium can also be found in dark green, leafy vegetables, such as kale and collard greens, as well as in dried beans and legumes.

Be sure to get your Vitamin D, too, (about 15 min. per day from sunshine is best) for maximum calcium absorption.

Potassium is so widely available in the SCD that it is laughable to suggest we might suffer a dietary deficiency of it by cutting out dairy products (which we don't anyway---we STILL consume HOMEMADE YOGURT and MOST CHEESES!). In any case, fruits are the best sources of potassium (bananas, strawberries, cantaloupes, papaya, melon, oranges and other citrus fruits are on the top of the list), with vegetables next in line (baked potatoes, beets and beet greens, spinach, canned tomato products such as tomato paste and tomato sauce, sweet potatoes, lettuce, cabbage, mushrooms, rutabagas, parsnips, broccoli, winter squash and canned pumpkin); but, potassium can also be found in significant amounts in dairy products (including yogurt and most cheeses that SCD allows), fish, meats and some nuts and seeds (including sunflower seeds and almonds. It can also be found in smaller amounts in grain foods such as cereals and breads. So you see, if you take out the grains, potatoes, milk and a few cheeses, SCD still has a bountiful supply of potassium-rich sources!

In summary, I find Ms. Zelman's research and reporting INCORRECT, and her promotion of grains and dairy suspicious, when viewed in light of her association's financial ties to the food industries which support it.

SCD Review from WebMD

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:44:00 +0000

I'm not sure how old this review is, but I just came across it recently. It's a review of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet from WebMD.

Periodically I like to search what the medical community thinks of SCD. We all know there is not a lot of support from doctors about the diet. I know they can't really use it as a treatment. That would be too much of a liability for them. I just wish they wouldn't be so dismissive about food causing inflammation.

This review from WebMD is somewhat mixed. They do say that it can't be ignored how many people are helped by the diet. I would like to address some of the criticisms they have of the diet:

They say the diet eliminates too many foods so we can't pinpoint what foods actually cause problems.

I think what we have learned from SCD and what is talked about in Breaking the Vicious Cycle is that all these eliminated foods are detrimental to IBD. It is also stated that someone needs to follow the diet as outlined for a long time (different for different people) and then new foods can slowly be added back in. There is no need to specifically pinpoint problem foods until symptoms are gone and someone is trying to add foods back into their diet. SCD is not about finding problem foods. It's about controlling bacteria and inflammation of the digestive track.

They say the diet is too hard to follow and that people will lose too much weight from consuming too few calories because they won't know what to eat.

I found this argument to be kind of strange. Yes, the diet can be hard to follow at the beginning. In the nearly twelve years I have been following this diet, and talking with others who do, I have never heard of anyone losing too much weight. Some people do lose weight. I did when I first started it, but it was weight I needed to lose anyway. Some people gain weight though, and it's weight they need to gain. There are plenty of people who start this diet after they have hardly been able to eat at all. The diet actually puts more calories into their system, not less. There is really no basis to make the claim that people won't be able to eat enough to sustain themselves. I also don't think something being "too hard" (and I don't actually think it is too hard) is a reason not to try something.

They say the diet will be deficient in vitamins and minerals because of the elimination of grains and dairy.

The first thing I would say is that dairy is not eliminated from the diet. Yogurt is a big part of the diet, and cheese is also allowed. I think if someone is diligent they can get all the vitamins missing from grains. I have personally been concerned about eliminating whole grains from my diet for life, which is why I eat quinoa and millet every once in a while. That's the thing, not everyone will have to eliminate these foods from their diet for the rest of their life. Some people will be able to add these foods back in. Some won't, but if the foods make them sick, they won't be helpful anyway.

They say the diet is completely inappropriate for children.

They basically say the diet is too overwhelming physically and emotionally for children. I don't have any personal experience with this, but I do know people have helped their children be successful with the diet. Of course Breaking the Vicious Cycle is about how Gottschall successfully treated her young daughter's UC with the diet. I also know a lot of people use the diet for kids with autism.

So that's basically the points in this review I wanted to address. They consulted some doctors for their opinions about the diet, but no one with any actual experience with it. It would have been nice to get another viewpoint from someone who has worked with the diet.

What does everyone think of this review?

Traveling Overseas

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 19:52:00 +0000

Happy leap day everyone!

So, next month I will be traveling to Germany. This will be the first time I have traveled outside the U.S. or Canada since starting SCD.

I am traveling for work, so I will not be in charge of where I am staying, my own transportation, or much of my own time. Just by chance, my friends at SCD Lifestyle just put up some travel advice, and it is very good advice, though I won't be able to follow all of it.. My situation is a bit unique because I won't be able to go out and find grocery stores or doing any real cooking of my own. I don't know at this point if my hotel even has a refrigerator. Not sure how standard those are where I am staying.

I will be there for one week. I'm planning to bring as much portable food as I can, so I should be able to get by as long as I can get some basics like plain salad and fruit. I'm hoping to be able to order meals at restaurants.

I don't speak German, so if anyone has any tips on ordering, or has been to Frankfurt and the surrounding areas please let me know! I have been to Germany before (many, many years ago), so I know the food is not completely unfamiliar, and I should be able to get what I need. When I visited before I didn't have to give what I ate a second thought, so this will be a new experience.

SCD Recipe: Blueberry Silver Dollar Pancakes

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 18:21:00 +0000

1 cup almond flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp butter (melted)
3 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup blueberries

Mix all ingredients, except blueberries, in a large bow. Stir in blueberries.

Heat large pan over medium heat.

Melt a little butter into the pan.

Pour a little over a tablespoon of batter into the pan - I was able to do three or four at a time depending on big they ended up being. Cook for about three minutes. You will see the edges bubble just like regular pancakes, but you should check the bottoms to see how brown they are after a couple minutes.

Carefully flip pancakes and cook the other side for a minute or two (check the bottom to see how brown it is). These pancakes are hard to flip because the batter stays pretty wet. Usually I have to reshape them a little, but mine didn't turn out to be circles!

These also tend to brown very quickly (as you will see in the picture). Usually I will have to turn the heat down a little after the first batch.

Keep pancakes warm in a 300 degree oven while you cook the rest of the batter.

I made 11 little pancakes. It probably could have been 12 or 13, but a couple of them were a little bigger.

I topped mine with fresh strawberries and mango.

This recipe being shard on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

SCD Recipe: Apricot Chicken with Brie

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 03:54:00 +0000

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup apricot halves (fresh or frozen)
2 slices uncured turkey bacon
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp honey
1/4 cup water
4 slices brie
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place apricots in a saucepan with water, garlic, honey, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Cook for about ten minutes until apricots break apart and liquid reduces. It should form a chunky sauce. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Cook turkey bacon until crispy.

Slice chicken breasts in thickest part to form a two inch pocket about an inch deep.

Place two slices of brie and one slice of bacon into the pockets.

Place chicken in baking dish. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

Spread apricot sauce over chicken breasts.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until chicken is done.

This recipe shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

SCD Recipe: Spiced Cashew Butter Blondie Bites

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 20:56:00 +0000

No nut flour needed!

1 cup cashew butter (make sure it is SCD safe - no sugar!)
1 egg
1 very ripe medium banana
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a mini-muffin pan with mini-baking cups (or two pans if you have them!).

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

Blend at low speed until all ingredients are blended together and bananas are incorporated throughout.

Drop by teaspoons into muffin liners - should be just over half full.

Bake for 12 - 15 minutes, until bites feel firm on top.

Remove from pan and allow to cool. I made 30 bites - baking in batches since I only have one mini-muffin pan.

If you don't have a mini-muffin pan - you can use a regular muffin pan or an 8 x 8 baking dish. Increase baking time to 20 - 30 minutes.

This recipe being shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

SCD Recipe: Turkey Meatloaf Cups

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:55:00 +0000

1 lb. ground turkey
1 egg
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried garlic
1 tbsp SCD legal yellow or Dijon mustard
Cheese for topping (cheddar, jack, Parmesan)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients except topping cheese in a large bowl. Mix well.

I used a jumbo muffin pan for these, but you could use regular size.

Fill each muffin cup to the top with the meatloaf mixture.

Top each cup with grated or sliced cheese of your choice. I used a mixture of cheddar, jack, and Parmesan)

Bake for 35 - 45 minutes until internal meat temperature is at least 165 degrees. Cooking time for smaller cups will probably be around 25 - 35 minutes.

Turkey Meatloaf Cup with Roasted Spaghetti Squash and Sauteed Green Beans

SCD Recipe: Mango Tea Cooler

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:19:00 +0000

I feel kind of weird calling this a recipe, but I made it the other day and wanted to share it. It's pretty simple. I like to experiment with different flavors to add some variety to the diet.

1 1/2 cups black tea
1/2 cup frozen mango
1 tsp honey

Place all in a blender and blend until smooth.

My picture came out yellow, not sure why. Sorry I don't have a better one.