Diet - Maker's Diet vs. SCD

Just wanted to share this great post breaking down the differences between the Makers Diet and the SCD Diet - both one's that Crohn's patients have had great success with.

Here is a copy of the post - to read the original and following comments, click here.

"i have taken the time to quickly dissect these two popular diets for crohn's disease in an effort to help people understand their origin and what they entail. there are some inherent differences, but they also agree on one major point, the danger of carbohydrates (grains and sugars), yet arrive at this from totally different starting points. i tried to make this as basic as possible by just highlighting some key points of each. which one is better or which one to do is solely up to you. imho, they both should work (but no promises). just be forewarned that one is not necessarily easier or better than the other, they are just different. and they are both intimidating so if you do choose to follow one or both of them please know that you will need a lot of self discipline to do so and i cannot stress enough the importance to follow the protocol of the one you choose and to do it exactly. otherwise you will not know if it works for you or how well you can possibly get on the diet. imho, the best way to make the decision of which diet to follow is to discuss with others on this board (and other places) who have tried them and their opinions of the diets and to also peruse the book yourself if you can to get a better understanding of the diet. unfortunately this exercise has caused me to leave out a bunch of stuff on both diets. a point of interest not included below is that both diets include an appendix of recipes, meal plans, and a step by step way of introducing the diet. best of luck!


The Specific Carbohydrate Diet

• Scientific investigation of the effects of various sugars on the digestive tract at the cellular level.
• Geared towards celiac disease, crohn’s disease, and other GI diseases/problems, and loosely to autism.
• Purports a connection with food in relation to the brain and behavior.
• Problems from certain foods and the byproducts produced from “harmless” foods create problems in the GI tract – not food allergies.
• The SCD has a holistic goal of re-establishing the healthy balance of intestinal flora. It corrects malabsorption allowing nutrients to enter the bloodstream and be available to cells thereby strengthening the immune system. This is accomplished by depriving the microbes in the gut of food (ie sugars and starches) so it cannot overpopulate the gut.
• Triggers are unknown. Possible sources are microbial overgrowth related to the malabsorption and faulty digestion of carbohydrates.
• The SCD promotes the cave man/hunter-gatherer diet: meat & salad and eliminates ALL sugars and grains (free of grains and milk).
• Strict control of sugars and starches; promotes gluten free diet.
• Sugars: only allowable sugars are simple single sugars (i.e. glucose, or monosaccharides). Examples include fruit, honey, yogurt, and vegetables.
• Disallowed: all grains, milk, rice, corn, potatoes, complex and refined sugars and carbohydrates.
• Beans are ok if they are soaked first for at 10-14 hours to remove indigestible sugars.
• The viscous cycle: impaired digestion of disaccharides – malabsorption of sugars cause bacterial overgrowth – excess mucus production in gut – injury to intestine – repeat.
• Excess mucus production of intestinal cells prevent digestion of disaccharides (double sugars – sucrose). The mucus layer prevents contact between disaccharides and digestive enzymes, hence sugars are not absorbed and processed which results in disease.




The Maker’s Diet

• The Maker’s Diet is based upon the dietary and nutritional laws found in the Old Testament of the Bible, specifically Dueteronomy 14 and Leviticus 11.
• Evidence to the benefits of this way of eating is provided by historical observation by medical professionals looking at primitive and ancient cultures and the effect the western diet has on them. They note that the overall health of man declined as we shifted from a hunter-gatherer diet to an agrarian based society. The modern diet produces physical degeneration and is to blame for today’s health problems, poor brain development, and associated social disorders.
• Geared to improve overall health; not specifically tailored for a specific disease or condition.
• Enteric nervous system, our “second brain”, is located in the GI tract. It is independent of the central nervous system, our other brain.
• The state of health is affected by the GI tract.
• Importance of faith.
• Strong emphasis on organic foods – produce, animal products, and processed foods.
• If it was not around in biblical times chances are it is not good for you and is actually harmful to you. Same goes with the preparation and production techniques.
• Grains, seeds, and nuts are allowed as long as they are sprouted.
• Beans are to be soaked for at least 8 hours to remove phytates (enzyme inhibitors on their surface).
• Pork and shellfish are not allowed as they are scavengers.
• Liberal use of refined and processed foods are strongly discouraged.
• Red meat and saturated fat are good for you.
• Raw foods are healthier. This includes not only fruits and vegetables but also dairy (ie milk and cheese).
• Disallowed foods include genetically modified/bioengineered foods and foods with added hormones, steroids, chemicals, additives, and synthetic ingredients.
• Fasting, detox, and GI cleansing is good for you.
• Emphasis on the importance of good and proper hygiene for good health.
• Sleep is important.
• Recommends supplements: probiotics with HSO, cod liver oil, etc.
• All water should be free of chlorine.
• Reduce/manage stress and negative emotions.
• Other environmental toxins: airborne toxins, body/skin care products."


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Sweet, Sweet Sleep

It's been 3 nights is a row now that I've gotten 6-8 hours of sleep. And, wow - is it sweet!

Previously, and for the last 4 or 5 weeks, since taking Prednisone, I had only been getting about 4 hours of sleep. And I didn't feel too bad. In fact, quite the opposite. I've had a sort of manic drive to get things done - particularly at night, say between the hours of 11pm and 2am, when a sane person would be fast asleep.

Try as I might - Sleepy time tea, calming lavender scented lotion, high protein bedtime snack, even warm milk - I remained WIDE AWAKE late into the night.

At the hospital, the doctor had given me a prescription for Ambien. It didn't work for me there, or at home. I even tried doubling the dose. Nothing. Not even the slightest drowsiness. Hmmfff....

My mom-in-law recommended I try Melatonin, which I did, at only a small dose of 0.75 mg. It worked great! I was so happy! Until...

It occurred to me that it may be prudent to check if there are any drug interaction warnings for melatonin. (Yes, you should always do this before taking something - oops, brain freeze I guess!)within about 2 seconds of looking it up on Google, I found out you should not take melatonin while taking prednisone, as they counteract each other. Oops, again - so no more melatonin (though I will keep it in mind for later).

That was a few weeks ago. And now, finally, it seems things may be improving. I am tapering down the Prednisone dosage (right now at 25mg per day, tomorrow I go down to 20mg), so maybe its reached a low enough level to allow me to sleep - and of course, will only get better as the dosage gets lower.

I dare to hope that 3 nights in a row establishes a pattern, not merely a coincidence, and that the sleep is here to stay.

Again, this is all a new experience for me. Likely there are many of you out there who have been there, done that - perhaps several times. Does anyone have any gems of advice on battling prednisone sleep deprivation? If so, please share...

Pizza Face! Prednisone and Acne - Argh!

It's as bad as it sounds. I'm glowing with the classic complexion of a hormone ravaged math nerd from the latest teen movie. Literally, hundreds of tiny pimples all over my face, neck, and chest - help!

It's another lovely side-effect of the Prednisone, which I am currently taking at a dose of 25mg per day. I'm weaning off, so the dosage is being reduced weekly, but it seems the break-out is only getting worse.

It started several weeks ago, but I was so thrilled to finally not be sick, that a little dermatitis seemed hardly consequential. However, the giddiness is starting to wear off, replaced by a growing horror each time I look in the mirror.

Make-up actually helps quite a bit for my face (it's nice to be female - sorry, guys!) I use Cover Girl Simply Powder Foundation in a compact. I don't like a lot of goop on my face (especially when its 90 degrees outside), and this is really light and natural looking and works quite well at covering the redness.

At this point, I'll take a moment to triumphantly brag that everyone comments on how great I look. I'd like to believe that this is true, that the make-up works fabulously, and that they honestly don't notice anything amiss. Though I have a sneaky suspicion that their generous comments spring from one of two sources:

1. Compared to the near-death pallor and gauntness of my countenance in previous weeks, I look much better, as in: "You're standing upright and your eyes are open? You look great!"

or,

2. They notice - they indeed notice - and in a fluster of shock and sympathy say the exact opposite of what comes to mind: "You look great!"

Actually, the brutal attack to my neck and chest bothers me much more. Lots of people struggle with facial acne, so I think it seems more normal. But on my chest - whoo! - it looks like I have small pox, or scarlet fever, or something equally alarming, and I don't want to frighten anyone. This led to my discovery that nearly every article of clothing I own is v-neck and offers no coverage what-so-ever.

I played around with some cute little scarves - but alas, I do not look cute, chic, or fashionably French - I just look like a dork trying too hard to dress up.

Anyway...I guess I'm just stuck for now. I finally when to target last night and picked up some Neutrogena acne cream. I'll see if it helps.

Fabulous Organic Skin Care!

In my newly revived efforts to foster a healthy home and healthy bodies for myself and my family, I've taken the plunge and switched to all natural/organic skin care. And I have been so amazingly pleased with the line of products from Aubrey Organics that I just had to let everyone know about them.

While I was in the hospital, a friend brought me a lovely goody bag which included the Evening Primrose Body Lotion from Aubrey Organics and the Neroli hydrosol from Simplers Botanicals. They are both scents used for calming and relaxing, and they sure cheered me up!

But I have absolutely fallen in love with this lotion! I have dry skin, and now it is softer than it has ever been. And the lotion is a kind of lighter formula; it's smooth and a breeze to apply all-over after a shower, not thick and greasy. I love the earthy, natural scent - it makes me feel happy!

I was so impressed, I wanted to try more products from the company. And wow! They are all amazing. Here's what I tried:

Natural Deodorant: Wow! It really works! I have always used an anti-perspirant/deodorant, and was sure a natural product would not measure up. However, I couldn't be more pleased - it smells great all day (not that sickly perfumy smell of store-brands) and no goopey white stuff - just clean, natural ingredients. I still sweat a little, but no more than when I was using an anti-perspirant. Keep in mind that it is HOT here - 90-100 degrees lately - so I'm testing this when it really counts.

Lumessence Eye Cream: I have dark circles and thin skin under my eyes. I've used various eye creams and products over the years, and have never noticed any difference. This one I've been using for 5 days so far and actually notice a visible difference (is that crazy or what?). My skin looks healthier, smoother, and I can tell the darkness is a little lighter. I can physically feel that it is softer and firmer.

So impressed I am by their products that I'm going to gradually try more of their items as I need to purchase them, (i.e. sunblock, soap, etc.).

The Neroli hydrosol is fabulous too. I spray it on my face throughout the day, and it just makes me feel happy. A little mid-day pampering! I'll be buying more soon, and trying their other scents.

I know I must sound like an advertisement or spokesman, but I just had to share. I'm always hesitant to try new products, especially when they cost a little more, for fear of disappointment. So I love reading reviews from real people.

As a reward for making it through this post, here's some eye-candy:

Absolutely gorgeous hydrangeas that my dear friend Alana brought me while in the hospital. Thank you Alana, they brighten my every day!

Supplements for Crohn's

I just wanted to take a moment to share a list of supplements I am currently taking. The majority are ones that have repeatedly been recommended through my thus-far research in the natural treatments of Crohn's Disease.

Florastor 250mg 2x/daily (probiotic)

Bio-K Plus (50 billion live active L. acidophilus & L. casei)

Fish Oil 1000mg 3x/daily (anti-inflammatory)

Ferrous Gluconate 324mg 3x/daily (for anemia)

Organic Life Vitamins 1oz. 2x/daily

Oil of Oregano 3 drops 1-2x/daily (anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, etc.)

GI Revive (powder supplement from my ND) 1 scoop/per day, contains:
L. Glutamine 5000mg
Arabinogalactans 1000mg
Licorice Root 500mg
Aloe Vera Extract 250mg
Glucosamine 250mg
Slippery Elm 200mg
Zinc Carnosine 100mg
Marshmallow Root 100mg

As I can, I'll try to post some of the specific research I've found regarding the above supplements and Crohn's.

Are there any supplements you would recommend? Please leave a comment...

P.S. - just ran spell check, and am wondering just how long I will have to blog about Crohn's before I learn to spell inflammatory. :-)

"Get In My Belly!" I Just Ate 2 Dinners!

Seriously. Apparently, my husband ate too many cookies before dinner (so yes, you can spoil your appetite kids).

And I'm looking at my empty plate, and then over to his full plate (less two or three bites) and well, the end result was two squeaky clean plates.

How much was that? Here's what I used to cook dinner: 2 pork chops, 4 smallish sweet potatoes (yams), 2 zucchini and 1 yellow crooked-neck squash. And they're all gone, in my tummy.

So, this has been one of the side effects of being on Prednisone. I eat every 1-2 hours and have not felt full once. I spend a lot of time checking the clock to see if it would seem quite glutenous to eat again, and quite so soon.

I have been teased my whole life for my lack of appetite, so this is quite a new experience. And absolutely fantastic compared to the previous 2 months of being able to eat nothing. I can't wait to get off the Prednisone, but for now I'll gladly take advantage of this ravenous oddity and try to pack on the pounds before I start the 6MP.

Again, this is all a new experience for me, so I don't have any past experience to prepare from. But "they" all say to eat, eat, eat when you're feeling good.

SO...what is there to snack on?...

1st Folow Up Appt - Great Doc! - Good News, Bad News

So I had my first follow up appointment since being diagnosed and getting out of the hospital. I had been anxious about discussing my desire for natural treatment with my doctor, since he is basically a new doctor to me, my condition is new to me, and I had no idea what his response would be.

The Good News:
I am very pleased with my GI doc, so far. He explained the medication(s) he would like to use and wanted me to do my own research on them so I was fully aware of how they work and side effects, etc. Very impressive to me - In the past, I have only had doctors tell me what do to, without much explanation or options.

I told him I had already been doing research and was very interested in pursuing a drug-free, controlled diet treatment, and - ahem - what did he think?

I was ready to be pounced on for being unrealistic, or reckless with my health, or a difficult patient...but...

He wasn't shocked at all and said he'd definately be willing to work with me towards that goal. He said he personnally only has one patient that is using diet only to control their Crohn's, and therefore wasn't the best informed on the diet aspect. SO - he's setting up a consultation for me with the Inflammatory Disease Specialists at Cedar Sinai in LA. He said they are the ones to go to - they can guide me and set up a plan, and then we'll all work together on what I want to do.

The Bad News:
I didn't realize just how bad my crohn's attack had been. In the hospital, I was so out of it when the doctor talked to me, that I didn't ask questions and get a full explanation of all the test results. Once on the Prednisone, my symptoms went away so quickly and completely, that I've been kind of thinking that the Crohn's flare had been more moderate and that the combination of the C. Diff infection is what had made me so sick.

BUT - at my appt, I found out that it was really bad. He said my colon was so inflammed and damaged that he only saw the lower part of my colon, he was afraid to go higher and risk causing further damage. He also said I am the only patient he has even seen since he's been practicing (21 years) that had esophagial crohn's - he's only read about it!

Yikes! The news gave me a bit of a reality check I think.

So, although I would like to try a diet only treatment, because of the severity of my attack and the damage caused, my doctor said he would be very nervous about going straight from the Prednisone to nothing at all. He recommended that I try the drug 6MP for 3-6 months. If everything is under control and no relapses during that time, then I can wean off the 6MP and transition into my controlled diet treatment. It sounded like a reasonable suggestion, so I'm going to give it a try.

I have a month to go that I'll be weaning off the Prednisone, then I'll start the 6MP. I'm nervous about the side effects, but hopefully I will only be on it for the intended 3-6 months and not any longer.

I have already changed my diet and am taking a ton of supplements. Hopefully, these changes will or have already been helping the healing process, restoring a healthy balance to my body especially while taking drugs, and hopefully help counter-act some of those side-effects, particularly the scary low-immunity.

Next post, I'll list all the supplements I'm taking so far...