I honestly believe that Humira, prayers, and the specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) are what gave me my life back from my chronic disease.
What is SCD?
This was the first question I had when I read about the specific carbohydrate diet for the first time: what is it?
After doing a lot of my own research, I like to explain it as being less of a “diet”, but instead more of a lifestyle-based approach aimed towards reducing inflammation in people suffering with Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD). Two conditions fall within the IBD umbrella: ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
It is thought that both ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s are caused by an autoimmune disorder, in which the immune system is triggered by “bad” bacteria to start attacking the colon (Khatri 2019).
I can assure you, IBD is just about as bad as it sounds! As a research assistant in a human gut microbiome lab and as someone who is very passionate about everything related to gut health and nutrition, my ulcerative colitis diagnosis came as a complete shock.
Why SCD?
Now let’s get onto the “why”: honestly, it was out of desperation. Many of the treatments from my GI doctor offered me minimal relief from the pain, and my insurance company was putting delays on getting Humira (the medication that would actually help fix the root cause).
As I was going through my worst days, I stumbled across SCD- thanks to my mom, a family friend, and the internet. After reading so many positive testimonials from people going through the same thing I was, I decided to go ALL IN.
My favorite resource on all things SCD is the book Breaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall. This book combines a wide range of scientific research, testimonials, and easy-to-follow lists of “legal” and “illegal” foods.
The “legal” foods are those that contain easy-to-digest carbohydrates that are able to be absorbed by our bodies before the bacteria in our colon can ferment them. The foods mentioned in this list have been scientifically shown to decrease the population of the types of bacteria that are responsible for producing the byproducts that cause the immune response in people with IBD (Gottshall 2018).
My SCD Journey
I’ve been following SCD for about 2 months now, and I haven’t felt more like myself since I was diagnosed! I’ve even been able to add in a few minimally processed foods that aren’t traditionally allowed on the diet- such as chocolate and cassava- and my symptoms haven’t come back yet. Life is too short to go without chocolate, right?
I have also found a new love of creating SCD-compliant recipes that truly heal my body from the inside out! Check out some of my favorites by clicking here!
References
Gottschall, Elaine Gloria, and Elaine Gloria Gottschall. Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health through Diet. The Kirkton Press, 2018.
Khatri, Minesh. “Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Symptoms, Causes, Treatment.” WebMD, WebMD, 16 Sept. 2019, www.webmd.com/ibd-crohns-disease/inflammatory-bowel-syndrome#1.
