SCD: The pains and triumphs of a clean food diet

My Problem
    Part of the reason that I embarked on the big move to Oregon was to improve my health.  For basically my entire life I've been plagued with annoying bouts of eczema, allergies, constipation and bloating.  Now at first some of these issues seem unrelated but I've come to understand how powerfully the gastrointestinal system can affect other parts of the body.  I have been frustrated with traditional medicine as anything I'd been given merely treated the symptoms temporarily.  I know many people are skeptical of naturopathic medicine and doctors but I felt like I had no other alternative.  A friend of my mother's recommended a doctor about thirty minutes outside of Portland in the town of Aurora.  On my first appointment, I looked akin to a red alligator/human hybrid.  My neck and face were covered in scaly, red rashes, my eyes were puffy and swollen, and I had patches of eczema all over my body.  This was more or less pretty typical for me and had been on and off for about seven years.  I discussed with the doctor about how all my stomach problems began occurring around the same time my eczema worsened.  I was given an at home breathing test which looks for signs of SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth).

The Cause 
    On my second visit the results were strongly indicative of SIBO which is where the SCD diet came in to play.  Basically my doctor's theory was that bad bacteria had somehow grown in my small intestine (probably around 7 years ago).  She couldn't say how this happened but often times this is a result of being on large doses of antibiotic and not getting enough probiotic to counterbalance and grow good bacteria which then prevents them from fighting off the villains of the bacteria world.  These nasty little guys were eating in to the wall of my stomach creating what is known as a "leaky gut."  When I would eat certain food, it would not digest properly as a result of the leaky gut. This was disguised as a food allergy because I would break out in rashes after eating certain foods like soy.  I would often find that my "food allergies" were constantly changing from year to year. SIBO also causes a range of symptoms in the stomach ranging from constipation and bloating to diarrhea.

The Possible Solution 
    My doctor created an action plan to hopefully get rid of the bad bacteria giving my gut a chance to heal so I could then, hopefully, begin eating all foods without experiencing breakouts of eczema.  Part of that plan involved the SCD diet which is used to help people with Celiac's disease, Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis.  The theory is that the bacteria in the small intestine thrive off of certain foods (like grains) so by eliminating them from my diet I would starve the bacteria into oblivion!  Here is the full list of foods that are "legal and illegal" on the SCD diet.  If you've taken a look at the list one thing you will notice is that all grains and starches (breads, rice, potatoes, oatmeal, etc.) are off limits as well as.....sugar!  Anyone who knows me even casually would be able to point out that I am a major sweet fiend.  As you begin reading about my struggles with going on this health food diet please enjoy Shirley Temple's On the Good Ship Lollipop.  I think it's a fitting song as I would often eat my way into a sugar coma by inhaling chocolate, cakes, and sweet breads before starting the SCD diet.

The Follow Through 
         I decided that if I really wanted to improve my health, I could not do the diet half-heartedly even though I very much resented giving up bread and conventional sweets.  Most SCD experts recommended going on an intro diet which I decided to do a few weeks in after I didn't feel any different.  The idea is that it helps clean out your system allowing for the healing process to begin faster.   Here are examples of the SCD intro diet and the GAPS intro diet which is similar to the SCD diet but seems to have more restrictions.  I picked the GAPS intro diet because it takes you through stages and allows for optimum "clean out" as I call it.  In retrospect I probably shouldn't have done the stricter intro diet unless I was bedridden with sickness because it was really hard to get enough calories in everyday.  At the time I was working at a call center and I'd often feel dizzy throughout the day.  I only spent about 6 days on it as opposed to the recommended 2 weeks for obvious reasons!  My constipation and bloating did lessen a bit and I appreciated all the foods I could eat on the SCD diet instead of being resentful ha! I would say it took a good three months to see vast improvements with my skin and my stomach.  It takes time for the body to adjust and heal!
      The food is actually very tasty on the diet but the challenge is that you have to make so much of the food yourself.  Most packaged easy-to-make meals and restaurant food is riddled with additives that are not approved on the diet.  It's also really hard to get away from starches, especially when eating out.  Something that was really helpful in keeping me motivated at the beginning (when positive results were scarce) was that my step-sister also went on the diet for her own, more severe stomach condition.  We shared frustrations, tips and recipes.  A friend of mine from London also decided to give it a try as well to see if it made a difference in her body.
    After being on the diet for awhile I've acquired some go-to, easy SCD recipes that are tasty (a very important requirement!).
     For breakfast I usually have eggs, bacon and fruit.  Sometimes I jazz it up with these recipes:

Bacon and Egg Cups with Spinach 

The recipe is here. I would recommend cooking the bacon in a pan to almost well-cooked before putting it in the oven.  Otherwise, the bacon doesn't cook all the way in the oven and it's not very pleasant. 

Egg and Spinach Skillet 

The recipe for this is here. I would recommend not including the bacon like I did here since it's healthier that way.  Also next time I make this I'm going to add more spices. 

Banana Pancakes 

The recipe for this consists of simply 1 egg, two scoops of peanut butter, 1 banana and 1 Tablespoon of honey.  I heat the skillet to medium and then serve it with just butter.  These don't taste exactly like real pancakes but I enjoy them when I am craving the "real deal." 

Pumpkin Smoothie

The recipe is here.  I used coconut milk instead of almond milk because stores only sell almond milk with additives that are not SCD approved.  This was similar to eating the center of a pumpkin pie so I would probably only eat a small amount at one time or right after an intense workout (as was intended by the author). 

Grain-Free English Muffin

I can't believe this really works but this extremely easy recipe is great when you want something resembling regular bread.  The recipe is here.  Two flours I can have on the SCD diet are Almond and Coconut.  I use these flours all the time when I am craving baked goods. 

Grain-free Cinnamon Rolls

While these cinnamon rolls do not exactly taste like the "real thing" they are extremely delicious in their own right.  I will say it isn't the easiest SCD recipe and I may have used a few choice words trying to make sure they wouldn't fall apart.  For the more ambitious here is the recipe.

If I need to pack a lunch I'll bring apples, pure peanut or almond butter, pecans and raisins, green peppers or other easy to eat raw vegetables, bacon strips, lettuce wrapped chicken with cheese melted on the top or easy to store leftovers from dinner. 

There are two snacks that are my absolute favorite for this diet.  

The first is known as a Broccoli Popper

People who aren't on the SCD love these poppers!  They are a great appetizer for parties and very easy to store and freeze.  I've also found that doubling the recipe is a good idea since they keep well.  The recipe is here.  I  also included cauliflower and loads of garlic and onions for flavor.  

Bacon-wrapped Dates

This snack is a real treat and great for parties.  They keep well for a day or two but taste the best soon after popping out of the oven. My step-sister and I discovered this snack after eating at the local Portland food truck/stand The Cultured Caveman which caters to people on the Paleo diet.  

At dinner I usually have vegetable soup, fruit, broccoli poppers, grass-fed beef, free-range/hormone free meat, fresh seafood etc.  Other dinner foods include:

Cabbage or lettuce-wrapped burgers

Vegetable Stir-fry

Spaghetti Squash Casserole with Elk

The recipe for the casserole is here.  This is a delicious meal and even though it is very rich it's much healthier than most casseroles. The elk was shot and prepared by my step-dad's brother-in-law so I'm afraid I don't have any tips on how to acquire fresh elk meat. 

Desserts have always been my weakness.  I had a really hard time finding something that tasted remotely like a regular sweet baked good. Both almond and coconut flour have very distinct flavors but I've found that when I mix the two together, I get better results.  This is my favorite treat I've discovered so far:

Peanut Butter/Almond Blondie

Here is the recipe.  I preferred the almond butter but make sure to use pure crushed almonds which you can find at Whole Foods.  I brought some of these for my sister's bridal shower and several non-SCD eaters thought they were delicious! 

Before going back to North Carolina for Christmas, I made an SCD feast for my mom and step-family. The meal included Philly Cheese Steak Stuffed Peppers, broccoli poppers, bacon wrapped dates and raw vegetables with SCD ranch dressing. 

One of the biggest pieces to the SCD diet is the homemade yogurt.  I will include that recipe along with  one for mayonnaise in another post. 

As a result of continuing with the diet my eczema has improved immensely.     

These were my hands about two months after starting the diet.  This is a vast improvement from when    I first arrived in Oregon.

However, almost four months into the diet, my hands look almost normal except for a bit of redness. 

 

My face has also healed as well and I have experienced very little problems with my stomach recently. 

I may need to stay on the diet for two years to really heal the damage done to my gut but I think it is definitely worth it. I'm not saying that everyone should go on this diet but I do believe that all of us ought to be more aware of the awful things we put into our bodies everyday.  Clean eating has certainly done wonders for my own health.

Below I've included some links for information on the diet and lots of great SCD recipes.  

Breaking the Vicious Cycle

SCDfoodie (This is my favorite site for recipes!)

Against All Grain (I found a great pumpkin pie recipe for Thanksgiving here)

comfy belly

GlutenfreeSCDandVeggie (My friend P from London loves this site)

SCD Recipes

For all you pinterest lovers:

Pinterest SCD recipes

Pinterest SCD desserts

     

Shelley and Christopher's Oregon Trail Adventure Part 4: The End of the Beginning

Many times while recapping this road trip I felt transported back to the memorable moments I experienced.  I thoroughly enjoyed writing about this journey.  For my last post about the road trip, I've selected The Winner Is from one of my favorite movies, Little Miss Sunshine.  Yes it's a little bit cliche, but it's the perfect song to end a traveling saga.

On the seventh day of the trip we awoke in the late morning to a beautiful Montana day.  We almost missed breakfast, but arrived in the nick of time to make our own waffles and enjoy an almost empty eating area.  We finished breakfast and headed out on the road again. Driving through Montana, we saw expansive ranches that reminded me a little of the Playmobil ranch that Kristi used to have when we were kids.  If I ever get the opportunity, I would love to spend a few days just in Montana.  As we crossed into Idaho the strangest thing happened, it began snowing!

         We only went through a small portion of Idaho before entering into Washington State.

Knowing that we would be exhausted from the past two days, we purposefully planned out a shorter drive and arrived at our destination in a few hours.  We stayed in Spokane, WA at the Spokane Club Inn a lovely, historic looking building.  Some of the surrounding brick structures were really beautiful as well. 

With plenty of time on our side, we decided to have an early dinner before enjoying a leisurely walk around Spokane. Using Siri, I found a decently priced Italian restaurant outside of the downtown area called Tomato Street.  It sort of reminded me of a more casual Macaroni Grill with better food.  As we waited for a table, the restaurant had a giant chalk board for guests to use. 

This was also the place that I drew an absolutely brilliant portrait of Christopher on our table cloth.

After dinner we parked downtown and walked around.  We could tell that earlier in the day the heat had been sweltering which made for a perfect summer night.  The grass under our feet in the park was so spongy and soft I was tempted to walk in my bare feet.  The town was hosting a carnival and a movie in the park, so we watched little kids run around with pillows, blankets, cotton candy, etc. It was a magical evening as the twinkle of stars and city lights littered the sky over all the activity.  Hand in hand with Christopher in that lovely town, I felt relaxed and at peace. 

As the sky began to darken, we opted to explore the mall.  It was several stories high with a giant map of Washington inside the entrance.  None of the stores were particularly unique, but we enjoyed walking around.

The next morning we arose in time for brunch and opted to eat at a cute little bakery and cafe called Madeleine's. The place was inspired by the owner's trip to Paris.  I had some delicious french toast with creme and berries whereas Christopher chose a dish with hash brown-like potatoes and eggs. On our way back from the cafe, I noticed this funny set of "runners."

From the cafe, we started off on our last day. About halfway through, we found a cool patch of desert.

From there, our initial plans were to drive through Seattle and maybe stop for a bite to eat. 

Unfortunately, the traffic really stressed Christopher out so we did not stay too long.  We also made the poor choice of taking a bathroom break at a gas station downtown which turned out to be grungy.  The staff was fairly disgruntled as well.  When we walked out, a man asked for some money and we gave him a few dollars. In exchange he gave Christopher a talking mustache.  He seemed like a very nice albeit strange fellow but we discarded the mustache later as we didn't have any idea where it had been.  I did manage to get a picture of the Space Needle on our way out of the city. 

(This picture does not accurately respresent the traffic.)

We ran into several bouts of rush hour so we didn't arrive in Portland until around 10pm. 

When we arrived, Mom, Mike, and Gracie were excitedly waiting on the front porch.  We exchanged long hugs and proceeded to get our basic luggage out of the car.  Mom had prepared a delicious snack of fresh basil, mozzarella, and grape tomatoes on a stick.  We munched on our food and told them a little bit about our trip.  I was so excited to roll into a non-hotel bed that night! 

Christopher stayed for about a week before heading back to California.  We were able to visit some of my favorite parts of Oregon while he was here.  

While driving through Astoria on our way to the beach, Christopher discovered that the house from the Goonies was here. 

We stopped in Cannon Beach because Christopher had never seen the Monoliths towering over the water.

Most of the day was spent at one of our favorite "best kept secrets" on the Oregon coastline, Short Sand Beach. 

Another day we drove up to Mt. Hood to hike and explore Timberline Lodge. 

While we were there, a group of antique car owners was staying at the lodge.  A few of the cars looked like something Jay Gatsby would have owned. 

We also took a day to explore downtown Portland.  There was a summer dance festival going on and I finagled Christopher into watch one of the dance classes.  Little kids were running around in the water in front of the dance workshop.

Christopher engaged in a very short game of chess with himself.

Even though we had spent hours upon hours together in the car, neither of us wanted our grand trip to be over.  We were blessed with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore the wide and lonely roads of the Mid-West, finding little gems along the way.  Our horizons were broadened and our knowledge of the world around us deepened a bit. I cannot wait to see what life has in store next. 

Shelley and Christopher's Oregon Trail Adventure Part 3: Into the Wild West

In my last post I mentioned how Christopher and I disagreed over what music to play as we drove. When we ran out of CD's for the book, we often just listened to the local classical music station as a compromise.  I cannot remember anything specific about this music so I chose instead to include Epic Western Music which is more appropriate for this next part.

Although the car still smelled slightly of mink paste, our spirits were high as we made our way towards Mount Rushmore.  The land around us remained fairly similar but there were a few sections of water scattered along the drive.

We knew we were heading in the right direction when we saw a giant sculpture of Abraham Lincoln just casually sitting by the side of the road. 

Everything was going smoothly until Christopher decided it would be a good idea to take the "scenic route" the rest of the way on National Park roads.  I suggested we stay on the path we were going but eventually agreed for the sake of being adventurous.  The road initially looked typical but with a little less paving.  However, as we began to drive down further, it turned into narrow gravel pathways that were more suitable for walking.  The drive was bumpy and rocks constantly hit the sides of the car as they flew out from under the wheels.  I was going about 10-15 mph, slowly rolling past secluded private property with nothing but narrow roads ahead of us. We came across one or two other cars going the opposite direction, so I had to pull over into a field to avoid a fender bender.  My irritation began to mount as I realized it would take us hours to get to Mount Rushmore using this route.  I grumbled something like "well THIS was a bad idea" and MAY have sworn a few times.  Christopher kept apologizing and looking over at me with a mixture of fear and amusement asking "are you really mad? I'm really sorry. Seriously are you really mad at me?"  There was nothing to do but turn around.  We sat in silence as I battled between feeling amused and angry.  I knew the condition of the roads was not his fault but I was annoyed that we had wasted gas, fuel, and time.  Once we were on the main road we laughed about it a bit and I told him it was alright, though the car was looking a little "worse for the wear" after that incident. 

As we neared Mount Rushmore, colorful signs and various tourist attractions began to crowd around us. 

Storm clouds billowed in the sky and a fairly steady rain began to fall.  Both of us had brought along rain coats (I used my "free" Defenders of WildLife jacket) so we weren't deterred by the weather.  

Then, the rain lifted just five or so minutes after we arrived inside the park! 

It felt so strange to be looking up at a structure I'd seen so many times before in history books and travel magazines.  Both of us were a little bit surprised that it wasn't bigger for some reason.  Portraying the scale of the monument is difficult with pictures, so it's easy to understand why we thought it was larger.   Even though the size wasn't as grand as expected it was still an amazing opportunity. 

We walked around taking pictures of it from different angles.  Both of us were getting pretty hungry but  we didn't want to pay for the overpriced food around the monument park.  As we were heading back down, a staff member outside the gift shop informed us that the last surviving man to work on Mount Rushmore was inside. Curiosity trumped our growling stomachs (which is very unusual). The man, Donald Clifford, was signing books.  Christopher decided to buy one and get it signed since he reasoned this was probably his only chance to meet the guy.  Donald was in his 90's and seemed very tired. His wife was really the one answering questions; Christopher had the opportunity to speak with her while he waited in line. We hoped Donald would get to leave soon and take a nap!

At Christopher's request we had planned on visiting Deadwood, SD if there was time.  This worked out perfectly as our visit to Mount Rushmore only lasted about 45 minutes to an hour.  Deadwood is one of the coolest little tourist traps.  I felt as though I'd stepped back into an old western film.  Some people may remember the HBO Series that was supposed to take place in this same town. 

Both of us were getting a little grouchy from hunger, so we walked around looking for a place to eat.  Most places were fairly crowded but one restaurant we saw was in what looked to be a converted garage and had an older man singing country tunes.  We figured the wait would be more pleasant with so many interesting things to keep our minds off our stomachs.  The buffalo burger I ordered certainly did the trick and we both left stuffed and satisfied.  Our next hotel was a few hours away in Wyoming.  We thought it was best to hit the road again instead of exploring Deadwood further.  We crossed the border around sunset. 

We were making good time and everything was going relatively well.  As the sky began to darken we noticed flashes of lightening ahead.  The flashes began to shoot like fire across the sky illuminating the area around us.  We watched in awe at this amazing light show; one moment the sky was in darkness and the next in a huge ball of yellow and white.  The road curved in and out misleading us to think we were driving away from the storm.  As we drove further it dawned on us that we were going directly into the storm.  The rain began falling heavily on top of the car.  We found ourselves on a two-lane highway with a large truck.  I turned off the music as the rain rushed down in droves and the road was no longer visible.  Christopher was glued to the steering wheel desperately trying to make out the white lines.  The truck was behind us, so there was nothing else to guide Christopher.  I remembering sitting up straight, nervous that we would slide off the road any minute.  It was hard to tell exactly where the side of the road was or how far behind us the truck was driving.  In this instance pulling over would have been more dangerous than continuing to drive.  I think this stretch lasted for only 10-15 minutes but it felt like an hour.  I was just grateful I wasn't the one driving.  Once the rain began to let up, we both let out a sigh of relief.  We were surrounded by the vast darkness again until we reached the small town of Casper.  Both of us were more than ready to exit the car for the night.  When we got inside to check in, I overhead the man in front of us telling the hotel manager that his car had caught on fire; it definitely could have been worse for us! 

We enjoyed a short but pleasant stay at our hotel.  The free breakfast was an improvement from the place in Belle Fourche.  They offered a variety of fruits, bagels, muffins, and cereal.  The dairy products weren't expired either! Our plan this day was to explore the Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks on our way up to Montana.  Around lunchtime, we drove through a neat little town and ate at a place called the Cowboy Cafe.  The food was pretty mediocre but we met a nice couple sitting beside us who had just come from Yellowstone on a small vacation.  I managed to only glance at the delicious display of pies.  I knew we didn't really have time to order desert and I'd regret it later when I was stuffed and miserable. 

After lunch, we drove for awhile listening to our book.  At some point during this time we stopped to pay and enter the Yellowstone National Park.  We began noticing some majestic looking mountains on our drive.

We decided to pull over along the road to get some closer pictures.

The Grand Tetons were evading capture on my camera but eventually I got a decent shot.

One unexpected delight was further down the road.  Cars began to back up so we knew that something interesting was happening.  As the road cleared we noticed people on the side of the road taking pictures of buffalo.  They were only a few feet away from us, just grazing slowly around.  A baby buffalo was sweetly attached to its mother.  I was feeling a little guilty about the delicious buffalo burger I had consumed the day before. 

I felt so peaceful watching these large, quiet creatures.

We moved on and passed the signs for the Grand Tetons.  I thought it would fun to take a few pictures and Christopher complied. 

We drove another long stretch before coming to the famous Old Faithful Geyser.  As we were walking through the parking lot, we noticed that the crows were unusually large.  It was a little unnerving to have such giant birds flying around.  We had some fun theorizing about how they grew so creepily enormous.  I made sure, however, to compliment them and smile because crows are smarter than you'd think.  Just as we arrived the geyser began going off.  

The eruption lasted for about 2-3 minutes; everyone was mostly silent as we watched in awed excitement.  While walking out and back to the car, we noticed this hilarious warning sign.  I have a deep fear of turning into a boy scout from the 1950's so this sign definitely worked for me. 

We passed by more geysers, but I suddenly had a pounding headache.  I didn't feel like getting out and exploring at that moment. 

On the other side of Yellowstone, we came across a beautiful lake with a dam.  

The water was so beautiful and translucent.  I felt refreshed just by sticking my hands into the water. 

My headache had subsided a little, but I was definitely ready to get back on the road towards our destination.  Wyoming turned out to be one of the most beautiful states we traveled through; it had everything from rolling green hills to patches of desert. 

Night time was coming on fast as we crossed the border in to Montana. 

I noticed the trees were taller than anything we'd seen before.  It's hard to explain but the trees, the land, the buildings, and the occasional ranch we passed all seemed to be quintessentially Montana. 

We reached our hotel as darkness fell over the town.  Our accommodations were really pleasant and the lady who checked us in was very welcoming.  A McDonald's was right next to the hotel and we decided to use the last of the gift cards on a late night snack.  Both of us fell right to sleep after such a long day, feeling blessed about taking in so many amazing sights.