Has anyone tried the Specific Carbohydrate Diet?

[MollyHuaCha]

Anyone tried this? I'm thinking of giving it a go.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Not heard of it OP. What’s it for?

[MollyHuaCha]

It's a diet designed in the 1950s, and aims to treat/cure Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis.

The principle is a diet that is grain-free, sugar-free, starch-free, lactose-free and unprocessed.

The Crohn's and Colitis UK website mentions it, but implies it's not popular because it's difficult to adhere to.

I have Crohn's and my diet is already gluten-free and dairy-free. I'm thinking about cutting out starches too to see if it helps me.

Anyone tried it and can say whether it has helped them or not?

[MollyHuaCha]

Sorry about the random bold text, I copied and pasted from the internet.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Sorry I can’t be of much help, I’m dairy free which is why I hang around here sometimes.

It does sound a bit like Paleo. Is it anything like that?

[MollyHuaCha]

I think it's similar, but was quietly thought up a few decades ago before lifestyle diets became fashionable.

[purlandvick]

I've been on it , it's just nuts , fish , meat chicken. Also certain fruit n veg. It takes a bit of time to organise all the stuff u need. It is very limited so u have to prepare everything. There is no dairy or sugar. I did 5 months on it , felt exhausted all the time. I slowly added food in, it has helped with my damaged gut. My skin glows now . You need to do this with medical guidance as it really difficult . I am still dealing with food intolerance and allergies but know what makes me ill now.

[MollyHuaCha]

@purlandvick Glowing skin sounds amazing! Thanks for replying.

[JellySlice]

It sounds very similar to low carb eating.

I'm currently being investigated for Coeliac, no experience of Crohns or Colitis, but I do know from experience that everything (quite literally everything) in my life is better when I ear low carb.

My mood is stable.
I have more energy.
My skin is calm, no itchiness or flaking.
My elbows and knees are soft, not cheese-gratery and cracking.
My guts are placid, no bloating, wind or cramping.
My reflux is almost non-existent.

And I can consume unlimited quantities of dairy foods, which I cannot tolerate when I eat a carb-rich diet.

So IME the diet you describe has been very helpful for gut-related problems, and other things, too.

[MollyHuaCha]

That's really interesting JellySlice. I haven't started this yet... still thinking...

[JellySlice]

I don't find it limiting BTW. Once I've got into the swing of this way of eating it's really easy to maintain. You need to approach it with a mindset centred around what you can eat, rather than what you cannot. There's also a hugely supportive community of low-carbers, both here on Mumsnet and elswhere online. Head over to the Low Carb boards (under Big/slim/whatever weightloss club) to find out more.

[Marjie3]

I put my DH on it when he reached an all time low. He has been doing it now 90% of the time for the past 5 years and has never looked back. Why GP's don't suggest it I don't know - they would save thousands on meds. Best of luck as I know how debilitating this illness is.

[MollyHuaCha]

Interesting. Thanks for responding.