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Newsletter>
The 'SCD' Diet - Made easy
August 15, 2006
The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD)
What is it, and why should I put my child on it?
We have been treating children (and adults) on the Autistic
Spectrum for the past 12 years. During this time we have
found, based on our own research and more importantly on
the research of many other key workers that almost 100
percent of all children on the Autistic Spectrum have some
form of dysbiosis.
Dysbiosis is a term used to describe abnormal colonies of
yeasts and bacteria which have lodged in our children’s
intestines.
These organisms cause two very significant problems – they
take nourishment away from the child and in return give
them toxic waste-products which literally ‘poison’ their
bodies. In addition these colonies of bacteria and yeasts
cause inflammation of the lining of the intestine, which in
turn prevents normal absorption of nutrients and allows
incompletely-digested proteins to get into the blood and
travel to various organs – the brain in particular.
What we don’t know is whether this dysbiosis was in some
way the cause for a child developing Autism or whether it
is the result of some other ‘insult’ such as a toxic
build-up of so-called ‘heavy metals’ – minerals such as
Mercury, Aluminium, Lead, Arsenic and so on.
Whichever it is – cause or effect – experts in many
countries have found that eliminating these abnormal
bacteria and yeasts and restoring the normal balance of
nature in the intestine can have a very dramatic effect
across the whole spectrum of symptoms of ASD.
So – how do we do this?
Your child is under the influence of a number of toxic
elements – from toxins produced by these organisms to the
heavy metals – and at the same time their bodies and brains
are starved of nutrients; little wonder then that they have
behaviour and development problems.
The whole purpose of the SCD diet is to starve the
organisms of nutrients they need and at the same time
ensure that the child’s body is adequately nourished.
Just as the plants in your garden need certain soil
conditions in which to grow and flourish, so too do these
organisms and the ‘trick’ is to find a diet that achieves
this. Fortunately such a diet has been around for a long
time but has received little attention – the Specific
Carbohydrate diet.
Before we look at the diet itself, a few words of caution
and encouragement:
Dietary intervention is probably the most important step
you will take on the road to recovery for your child.
The really good thing is that it is relatively cheap to
implement. The SCD is more about not allowing certain foods
which can harm your child and at the same time making sure
that they are eating a balanced, nourishing diet.
At the DAN! Conference ( www.autism.com/ari/dan )in October
2004, Dr Paul Hardy analysed the effect of certain
interventions on a large group of children. He studied over
300 children and found that over 80% of them improved with
dietary intervention and without any other form of
treatment.
But – and there’s always a ‘but’ –
The diet must be followed 100% - 99% is no good
If you commit to changing your child’s diet then it makes
sense to do this all the way. Even trace amounts of gluten,
casein or complex carbohydrates (starches & sugars) will
prevent your child from coming out of his/ her autistic
‘haze’.
Even after several weeks/ months of being on the SCD diet,
allowing a ‘treat’ of ‘forbidden’ foods will send your
child back to square one and the whole process of recovery
has to begin again.
On the other hand researchers have found that after full
recovery from dysbiosis many children can then tolerate
gluten, casein and sugars without going backwards – so the
diet may not be for life, but at the present time it is
vitally-important to follow it 100%.
Many parents feel bad that they are ‘denying’ their child
his / her favourite foods and many are worried that their
child is already a ‘picky’ eater. They are concerned that
by restricting their child’s diet, they may be neglecting
them and causing them harm. Nothing could be further from
the truth – we find that once established on the SCD diet
most if not all children become more adventurous with their
eating and start to enjoy their food more.
Another concern is that if there are other children in the
family they may suffer some consequences by being ‘put on
the diet’. First of all, many brothers and sisters of ASD
kids have developmental or behavioural problems of their
own. If so they can improve greatly by being put on the
same diet. Secondly, it is much easier to have the whole
family on the same diet – this avoids having to cook
separate meals and ensures that no ‘forbidden’ foods are in
the house. One thing is certain –
If there are ‘forbidden’ foods about – your ASD child will
find them and eat them!
The reason for saying this is that the very foods that your
child craves are almost always the foods that are feeding
the abnormal bacteria. This sets up a vicious cycle and
ensures that the bacteria and yeasts get what they want and
in return make toxins that make your child ‘high’. The
reality is that most children with ASD are in effect
addicted to the foods which feed their ‘habit’.
When you first put your child onto the SCD diet, they may
get a little worse before they get better
When the foods that the yeasts and bacteria need for their
survival are ‘cut off’ – the yeasts and bacteria begin to
‘die off’ – this causes two things to happen
The toxins making your child ‘high’ begin to dry up, and
The dying bacteria and yeasts release their stores of
toxins, which can temporarily cause worsening of behaviour.
These events are short-lived and are a good sign, since
they confirm that your child was ‘addicted’ to the now
forbidden foods and also that the bacteria and yeasts which
were churning out the toxins are on the way out of your
child’s body.
OK – the Specific Carbohydrate Diet ( www.scdiet.org )
First some general rules:
We are trying to starve the bacteria and yeasts out – so we
have to stop your child eating wheat, dairy and many sugars
and starches. This will allow their intestine to heal and
do its’ job properly.
Foods which are NOT ALLOWED
Sugars No sugars at all molasses, sucrose, fructose or any
processed sugar. Watch for sugars in ‘packet’ foods – many
contain sugar even if they don’s say so on the label, also
canned and bottled drinks. Artificial sweeteners such as
aspartame and saccharin are extremely harmful.
Veggies No canned veggies at all – see list of allowed
foods – fresh veggies only. Also not allowed are – chick
peas, bean sprouts, soybeans, mungbeans, faba beans or
garbanzo beans – these are full of starch (there are many
that can be eaten – see allowed list)
Grains No grains are permitted – so no corn, wheat, wheat
germ, barley, oats, rye, rice, buckwheat, soy and so on –
they are all broken down into sugars which feed bacteria
and yeasts.
Meats No canned meats or processed meats (but a few are OK
– see allowed list). Many contain corn, corn products,
starch and sugars – even if they don’t say so on the label.
Dairy No milk or milk substitutes at all – this includes
whole, skim, 1% milk, 2% milk, almost all chocolate drinks
and milk shakes. Many parents worry about calcium – don’t
– there are other sources on the allowed list and we will
be recommending calcium supplements anyway.
Many cheeses are not allowed because they contain lactose –
ricotta, mozzarella, cottage cheese, cream cheese and feta
cheese for example; also all cheese spreads are NOT
allowed.
Commercial yoghurts are NOT allowed as they contain lactose
– but there is a very easy way to make your own (see
recipes)
Heavy cream, buttermilk and sour cream are NOT allowed.
Other foods NOT allowed are bread, pasta, other starchy
foods, canola oil, commercial mayonnaise (you can easily
make your own – see recipes) ice cream, candy, chocolate,
carob, whey powder, margarine, commercial ketchup (make
your own – see recipes) baking powder, commercial nut
mixes, balsamic vinegar and any products containing FOS –
that’s Fructo – Oligo – Saccharides.
Well – that’s the bad news – the good news is that there’s
plenty of things which are allowed !
ALLOWED foods
Sugars Honey is allowed, in fact it’s the only sugar which
is allowed – use it for all sweetening in place of sugar
Veggies Most vegetables are allowed – fresh or frozen, raw
or cooked – these include: asparagus, broccoli,
cauliflower, artichokes, beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage,
carrots, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, zucchini, summer
squash, rhubarb, peppers, garlic, lettuce, spinach,
mushrooms, onions, turnips and watercress.
Legumes dried navy beans, lentils, peas, split peas,
unroasted cashews, peanuts in their shell, all natural
peanut butter (easy to make – see recipes) lima beans and
string beans.
Meats all unprocessed meats are allowed: beef, pork,
chicken, turkey, quail, ostrich, fish, shellfish, lamb,
venison, rabbit.
Eggs are allowed
Dairy allowed are – all natural cheeses except those
listed in the ‘not allowed’ section – the OK ones are:
cheddar, Colby, swiss, havarti, dry curd cottage cheese.
Yoghurt is OK if you make it yourself – beware any prepared
yoghurts even those that have ‘Natural’ on the label.
Fruits Only ever give fruit that is ripe – bananas for
example should have beginnings of brown spots on the skin
before they are given to your child.
OK fruits are: avocado, apples, tomatoes, olives, apricots,
bananas, coconuts, dates, berries, cherries, citrus fruits,
peaches, pears, tropical fruits and grapes.
Nuts OK nuts are: almonds, brazils, walnuts, chestnuts,
filberts and pecans.
Also peanuts in shells and fresh cashews are OK.
Other olive oil (but don’t cook with it – heating
denatures the oil – use coconut oil instead) coconut oil,
soybean oil, corn oil – the oils are OK even if the beans
and corn are not!
Weak tea, weak coffee (but fresh, not instant) mustard,
vinegar and all juices with no additives are all OK –
consider buying a juicer, ir’s always best to make food
fresh yourself.
Specific ‘allowed’ and ‘not allowed’ foods
(in alphabetical order)
ALLOWED
Almonds including almond butter and oil
Apples ripe
Apricots fresh or dried
Artichoke French
Asiago cheese
Asparagus
Aubergine (eggplant)
Avocado including avocado oil – great on salads
Bananas ripe
Beans dried white(navy) beans, string beans, lima beans
Beef fresh or frozen
Berries all kinds
Black pepper, also white and red
Black radish
Blue cheese
Bok choy
Brazil nuts
Brick cheese
Brie cheese
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Butter
Cabbage
Camembert cheese
Canned fish in oil or water only
Capers
Carrots
Cashew nuts fresh only, not roasted
Cauliflower
Cayenne pepper
Celery
Celeriac
Cellulose in supplements
Cheddar cheese
Cherimoya custard apple
Cherries
Chestnuts
Chicken fresh or frozen
Cinnamon
Citric acid
Coconut fresh or dried, but without additives
Coconut milk
Coconut oil excellent for cooking, contains lauric acid
which helps the gut to heal
Coffee weak, freshly made – not instant
Collard greens
Colby cheese
Cottage cheese uncreamed, dry curd
Courgette
Coriander fresh or dried
Cucumber
Dates fresh or dried – no additives – not soaked in syrup
Dill
Duck fresh or frozen
Edam cheese
Eggplant aubergine
Eggs fresh
Filberts
Fish fresh or frozen
Game fresh or frozen
Garlic helps kill yeast
Ghee home made
Ginger root fresh
Goose fresh or frozen
Gorgonzola cheese
Gouda cheese
Grapefruit
Grapes
Havarti cheese
Hazelnuts
Herbal teas
Herbs fresh or dried – without additives
Honey natural
Juices freshly made, from ‘allowed’ list
Kale
Kiwi fruit
Kumquats
Lamb fresh or frozen
Lemons
Lentils
Lettuce
Lima beans
Limburger cheese
Limes
Mangoes
Melons
Meats fresh or frozen
Monterey (Jack) cheese
Muenster cheese
Mushrooms
Mustard seeds
Nectarines
Nut flour and ground nuts
Nutmeg
Nuts all kinds, freshly shelled – not roasted, salted or
coated
Olive oil cold-pressed, virgin only
Olives fresh, not preserved
Onions
Oranges
Papaya
Parmesan cheese
Parsley
Peaches
Peanut butter without additives
Peanuts fresh or roasted in their shells
Pears
Peas dries, split and fresh green
Pecans
Peppers all colours
Pheasant fresh or frozen
Pickles without sugar or any other not allowed ingredients
Pineapples fresh
Pork fresh or frozen
Port salut cheese
Poultry fresh or frozen
Prunes dried without additives or in their own juice – not
in syrup
Pumpkin
Raisins
Rhubarb
Roquefort cheese
Romano cheese
Satsumas
Shellfish fresh or frozen
Spices pure ground, no additives
Spinach
Squash summer and winter
Stilton cheese
String beans
Swiss cheese
Tangerines
Tea weak, freshly made – not instant
Tomato puree pure, no additives except salt
Tomato juice again, no additives except salt
Tomatoes
Turkey fresh or frozen
Turnips
Ugly fruit
Vinegar
Walnuts
Watercress
Wine – dry – red or white
Yoghurt but only if made by you
Zucchini
Foods NOT allowed
Acesulphame an artificial sweetener
Acidophilus milk
Agar-agar
Agave syrup
Algae
Amaranth
Apple juice except if made fresh by you – no added sugar
(can add honey)
Arrowroot
Aspartame artificial sweetener
Astragalus
Baked beans except if made by you from allowed types of
bean
Baker’s yeast
Baking powder and raising agents of any kind
Balsamic vinegar
Barley
Bean sprouts and bean flour
Bee pollen
Beer !
Bhindi also called okra
Bicarbonate of soda
Bitter gourd
Black eye beans
Bologna
Bouillon cubes or granules
Buckwheat
Bulgur
Burdock root
Butter beans
Buttermilk
Canellini beans
Canned vegetables or fruit – of ANY kind
Carob
Carrageen
Cellulose gum
Cereals including ALL breakfast cereals
Cheeses processed and cheese spreads
Chestnut flour
Chevre cheese
Chewing gum
Chick peas
Chicory root
Chocolate
Cocoa powder
Coffee instant – even if decaf – make fresh in a cafetiere
Cooking oils except coconut oil
Cordials
Corn
Cornstarch
Corn syrup
Cottage cheese
Cottonseed
Cous-cous
Cream
Cream of tartar
Cream cheese
Dextrose and any drinks containing dextrose, sucrose,
maltose etc
Drinks, soft
Faba beans
Feta cheese
Fish preserved, smoked, salted, breaded or canned in sauces
Flour made from grains
FOS fructooligosaccharides
Frustose
Fruit canned or preserved
Garbanzo beans
Grains all types
Gruyere cheese
Ham
Hot dogs
Ice cream unless made by you
Jams
Jellies
Jerusalem artichoke
Ketchup unless made by you
Lactose
Margarines and all types of butter replacements – butter is
OK
Meats processed, preserved, smoked or salted
Millet
Milk from any animal, soy, rice or canned coconut milk
Milk dried
Molasses
Mozzarella cheese
Mung beans
Neufchatel cheese
Nutra-sweet
Nuts salted, roasted or coated – fresh only
Oats
Okra
Parsnips
Pasta any kind
Pectin
Postum
Potatoes of any kind
Potato sweet
Primost cheese
Quinoa
Rice
Ricotta cheese
Rye
Saccharin
Sago
Sausages commercial – ask butcher to make for you without
additives
Seaweed
Semolina
Soft drinks only freshly-made juices
Sour cream
Soy
Spelt
Starch
Sugar of ANY kind
Tapioca
Tea instant
Triticale
Turkey loaf
Vegetables if canned or preserved
Wheat
Wheat germ
Whey powder or liquid
Yams
Yoghurt except if made by you
If you are not sure – please ask – and in the meantime
assume it is FORBIDDEN !
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