Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet

I just ordered and read the book several times. As a registered nurse in oncology I see bowel problems galore! I also have IBD (as one Gastroenterologist labeled it). I decided just to try some concepts without implementing the actual diet. All I did was elimitate dairy, and layed really low on breads and complex sugars for one week. OK, did have some issues with complex sugars. BUT, I did notice a drastic decrease in diarrhea. This morning I ate buttermilk pancakes made with oats, rice and wheat, with real maple syrup. Wasn't 15 minutes and explosive diarrhea. This is my own little proof that there is DEFINITELY something to the science in this book. PLEASE NOTE - I am not advocating improving your diet. I am advocating you follow the diet as outlined! I'm looking forward to diving in myself in the next week. I actually appreciated the length of this short book. It's not overly medical or scientific. Anybody with a basic reading comprehension level SHOULD be able to follow the theories and diet. This book doesn't go into all the myriad of bowel disorders, but treats them all the same and tackles them with diet only (not meds or surgery). If I were given a choice to have my colon cut out or change my diet, I'd choose the latter thanks. I feel the author was qualified as a microbiologist to write this especially since her family was helped by it's effects. Also, I feel that it was well researched. The first several chapters are devoted to the research of others, which were breakthroughs in their time, which guided the author to what is this diet program. If this book doesn't answer all your questions there are several great websites out there that will. The recipies are easy to follow. I do wish there was a calorie count and breakdown nutritionally. I could see how someone could get out of balance without them. I was floored by the gut-brain connection and can think of several psych hospitals that should pilot this diet! BTW these concepts are NOT covered in nursing school, and doubtless mecial either. Which makes me ask, "WHY NOT?" I've seen a small number of pretty bad reviews of this book and it sounds to me they did not follow protocol, or they are just mock readers (haters). From my perspective, this is a well balanced diet and there is a section on supplementation to those who need it. Of course, if you limit yourself by cutting out major parts of this diet (like meat) then you should expect problems (like iron and vitamin b12 issues leading to possibly severe anemia). I thought I have is that it is sad when people get into the thought pattern that unless we eat grain products or junk food we'll lose all sorts of weight. In one sense, calories are calories. But this is not a carb-free diet, or a vegan diet for that matter. Finally, I've read testimony after testimony of its benefits and healing properties. Also, since reading this book, I've noticed there are more people with bowel disorders than I once suspected! In one week alone I met several families that were completely wrecked with celiac or autism. I thought it my duty to recommended the book to these families. One dear woman gave me the biggest hug and thanked me in advance for her son. Hope this helps someone in need!

What a book! Breaking the vicious cycle explains all of the different problems involving the gut, Stomach, intestines, colon, etc. etc. etc. This book actually gives you foods to eat, diets to follow, with excellent results. We were looking for a book with advice on Crohn's disease, and incurable disease. This book has so much advice and is full of phenomenal information that will help anybody with stomach disorder problems , Relating from your gut to your colon. Your foods in the diets are on the bland side, however within the first two days I felt 95% better. I know this sounds miraculous, but it is True that you are what you eat, And what goes in, comes out. This book was a tremendous value to our family members that we ended up ordering another one so we can pass it around. We highly recommend this book, breaking the vicious cycle, is it is far more positive and fixing your problem then a medical doctor can do. it's all about diet, and if you can stick to it, I believe if you follow this book you can be cured. I know firsthand that this diet does work. People should reach out beyond medical doctors, when they give them no hope, And see what the world can offer naturally. You will be eating very healthy, and you will feel so much better. No more bathroom runs, or very very minimal. Please please please try this book, read it, and give it a try. You will not be disappointed if you follow the diets, you can only feel better. Please help your loved ones also, so they will have a future to look to that is not on the toilet all day long.

Bought a used copy. Found this book very informative, was a very interesting read. My favorite recipe so far is the Deanna’s (Midas Gold) pancake/waffles. A lot of the recipes I haven’t tried because you need to make the homemade yogurt which I have yet to take on, so it’s limited me in what I could make from the recipe section. Would highly recommend this book! I honestly don’t know where I would be at without it. It’s offered me a guideline of what to eat/ not eat instead of just winging it and hoping things will be okay. Learning and becoming more educated on this sort of thing has honestly given me more confidence and hope in this journey. It can be a stressful process, but find the positives! Let yourself get excited when you find a recipe you really like! Or when you learn a new piece of information! Trust the long term process, you may be suffering now but try to be kind to yourself and patient. Be disciplined and overtime let yourself get to a strong place!

We started this diet about 6 weeks ago for my 4 year old son with ASD. As many know bacteria overgrowth has been implicated in Autism. There have been a few studies already published & this continues an area of interest for research due to the impact of bacteria on our immune system. My son had a severe regression at 2.5 yrs. Just after he turned 3 he was diagnosed with autism. He has always eaten a pretty healthy diet; he eats a variety of vegetable, fruits, meat, fish, etc., but I noticed he seemed addicted to sugars & carbs like rice. He had constipation alternating w/ loose stools, distended belly & excessive gas. Since trying this diet I've seen his digestion improve (no constipation/more formed BMs, no distended belly & almost no gas), but most strikingly an increase in language! He is using more language and in ways he wasn't before the diet. Still, despite progress, "regressions" are also supposed to be part of the process & it can be hard to tell if the diet is working sometimes. At the moment my son is having diarrhea for ex. It could mean something in the diet is causing it, but it could also be considered a die-off phase of the healing process? I do know his belly is no longer distended and he doesn't have the gas he used to! We also did not start the diet out very strictly by adhering to the stages recommended at Pecanbread.com. It would have been too difficult for my son to adjust; as is he lost 3 pounds. I'd say that for most children this diet would be VERY difficult, but not impossible. Now that my son has adjusted and we have seen some improvement I am encouraged enough to try to adjust the diet to see if we can find any culprits causing the digestive issues and maintain progress (cut out "advanced" foods). These are the things that bug me about the diet-there are so many variables and then there is the constant issue of hidden starches: in supplements, or even in the calcium in orange juice! (How much would the small amt of starch in a supplement really effect you? It's hard to say..) I agree that SCD can be restrictive in that sense, and as many have noted if you cut out all processed foods, sugar, artificial anything, ...well your health will improve. But we have pulled out processed foods in the past, did GFCF, and did not see these results. My son is also allergic to eggs, which makes baking a challenge. Allergies can make this diet all the more difficult. I suspect my son is sensitive to a few more foods. All the vague "illegals" like quinoa for ex, etc. bother me a bit also. They are illegal because when written Elaine wasn't sure of the effect they might have. Despite this, you can STILL eat a variety of foods on this diet though! I don't feel deprived, and my son doesn't seem to either. I would like to modify it in future, but this diet is a good base to heal the digestive system initially. It seems it is not intended for life, except in extreme cases. SCD can be pretty expensive- baking with nut flours and eating mostly vegetables, fruits, & meats. If a recipe doesn't come out- you've thrown away a pretty penny. Thankfully Trader Joes has almond meal for $3.99! I agree that this is probably best suited for the most difficult cases. I personally have suffered from IBS for over a decade, even when eating very healthy. This diet has helped me a LOT! I am a believer. Grain and starch free is definitely beneficial. I would eventually like to transition to the paleo diet though. I give this 4 stars for the improvement I see in my son's language in just 6 weeks! That alone makes this diet worth a shot for any parent of a child with ASD in my opinion. I will update this.

My daughter was diagnosed with mild-to-moderate Crohn's disease nearly four months ago, via endoscopy/biopsy. No treatments worked. As of three weeks ago, she was a steroid - dependent (prednisone - dependent) Crohn's case. The sole option that our pediatrician was offering us was to start chemotherapy (6MP) to try to reduce the prednisone dosing. If you're a parent, and you've been here, you know exactly the despair we felt. The SCD was like flipping the off switch on her disease. The day after starting the SCD, her fever disappeared. After four days, essentially all symptoms were resolved (other than those that are plausibly side-effects of the steroids). Two weeks later, bloodwork showed zero markers for inflammation. Three weeks, still fine. I'm a scientist, I work in health services research, I understand the potential for mistaking spontaneous remission for the effect of a treatment. But this change was so abrupt and so clear, against an extended history of no definite effect of any treatment, that I'm convinced. This diet worked, for my daughter, full stop. That said, I'll offer some advice. We looked at and dismissed the SCD early on in my daughter's disease. And it's largely because parts of this book are confusing and unclear -- until you understand enough of the underlying science. And parts are unclear because the legal/illegal list in the book does not clearly distinguish foods that you can try, once the gut has healed (e.g., beans, which are in fact a starchy food). And these apparent inconsistencies are highlighted by critics in mainstream health care. A few things make this diet a lot easier. Gwaltney sugar-free bacon. And pure dextrose (glucose) provides an easy-to-use substitute for granulated cane sugar, available on Amazon, of course: http://www.amazon.com/Now-Foods-Dextrose-Powder-10-Pound/dp/B002JNM8YM If you want some understanding of the science behind this, you should Google up this article: "The Link between Ankylosing Spondylitis, Crohn's Disease, Klebsiella, and Starch Consumption". The gist is "molecular mimicry". That bacterium (Klebsiella) has antigens that are so close in structure to some human proteins that, in some people, when your body produces antibodies to kill Klebsiella, those antibodies cross-react with normal human tissue, resulting in autoimmune disease. A low-starch diet results in a 40-fold reduction in Klebsiella in the gut. Fewer bacteria --> fewer antibodies --> reduced autoimmune symptoms. Simple as that. Medicine is beginning to take this seriously. There are now a handful of small-scale studies of the SCD in the medical literature, and they all suggest that about 75% of people who try it go fully into remission. Exactly what this book says. There is now a clinical trial registered at NIH using this diet to maintain remission in pediatric patients. So at least some physicians must think this has some merit. Finally, the patent runs out on Remicade (the top-line drug for Crohn's) next year. Johnson and Johnson (the maker of Remicade) has bought one company, and partnered with another company, both of which are looking at ways to treat Crohn's by -- surprise -- manipulating the bacteria in the gut. Just what the SCD does. So if you still hesitate to try this, just consider that addressing Crohn's via the gut biome could very well be the wave of the future. If you find yourself in the situation we were in, I can only urge you to try the SCD sooner rather than later. In my opinion, mainstream health care critics of the diet simply misunderstand some of the more ambiguously written parts of the book. The science behind this is good, and while it won't help everybody, it helps some, and it definitely helped us. Edit: 7/17/2014. So far, so good. We are now three and a half months on the diet. My daughter is taking no medications, just vitamin D and zinc (to promote healing of the intestinal wall). She has no symptoms, and her bloodwork just came back completely normal. We all follow the SCD. No exceptions. And when I think of where we'd be, without this diet, all I can say, for us it is well worth it. I cannot express enough thanks to Elaine Gottschall and to the people who have kept this alive over the years. Update as of 9/23/2014: This will be my last update, because I really have nothing to add after this. We've now been on the diet for more than six months. My daughter feels fine and just got a clean bill of health from the gastroenterologist. We were instructed to check back in three months. If this continues, the gastroenterologist may or may not want an MRI or endoscopy at two years, just to be safe. The only change we are making is to add a couple of generally-recognized-as-safe supplements that have anti-fibrotic properties. Even in patients who appear healthy, Crohn's can lead to slowly developing fibrosis (scarring), resulting in a narrowing of the intestine that eventually requires surgery. The obvious solution would be for the doc to prescribe some anti-fibrotic as a preventative, but gastroenterologists just don't do that. So, we've added about a gram a day each of resveratrol and curcumin, based largely on Canadian research in reversing liver fibrosis in Hep C. That seems safe, and is about as much as we can do to slow down or stop any fibrosis that may (or may not) be occurring. When I think of my kid going from a frail, anemic steroid-refractory Crohn's case, to this, all I have to say is, thank you, Elaine Gottschall. And thank all the people who have kept the SCD going.

Before anyone buys this books do take note of the following. Of the 205 pages of this book: * 80 pages of it is just a cookbook - consisting of recipes that any anyone can write and for a diet that is highly difficult to maintain * there are also 14 pages of extended References (bibliography) at the end of it that the average user would not bother Only 111 pages of the books have something worthy to share. This is the theory part. At the heart of it is a SCD (specific carbohydrate diet). This however is basically a rehash of the findings of other people - namely physicians like Drs. Sidney V. and Merrill P. Hass which the author admitted - in treating Celiac disease. In fact the book on SCD by the latter authors is also available on Amazon. Nevertheless I do not think the author has recommended a breakthrough remedy for intestinal health. The strict unusual diet - Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) - that she recommends is only a way to starve out the main culprit - harmful intestinal bacteria. There is a theory that these are small intestinal bacteria hence the acronym SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth). I would rather name the problem as HIBO - Harmful Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth - because in many cases the harmful bacteria locate themselves in the large intestine, particularly the colon. For this reason I am changing SIBO to HIBO in this update on March 24 2014. The SCD just causes these bacteria to go into hibernation and the moment normal carbohydrate diet is restored they spring back into action. For this reason the author suggests cautiously returning to normal diet like eating a slice of bread only after say 1 year of practising the SCD. That only shows that the the SCD is far from being a true remedy but an uncertain way to keep things under control with difficulty. What really is needed is to kill off the harmful HIBO in a big way and for this historically people from various cultures have used herbs like raw garlic and other safe kitchen spices. Some cultures also make it a regular affair to eat yogurt of various types. Commercial yogurts however sometimes come with preservatives which can aggravate intestinal issues. Furthermore some yogurts are considered cold foods; they tend to loosen bowels, so be careful with the quality. Actually yogurt is recommended in the book, so are bananas and honey and quite liberally in the recipe section. This is a little alarming because these foods have laxative, loosening effects on the intestines. There is also something toxic in raw bananas that if you are having a flue the last thing you want to eat is bananas. Honey can also seriously aggravate bleeding symptoms. So if your IBS is diarrhea type they are not really suitable to eat on a regular basis. They would weaken the bowel even more. Anyway, once the HIBO is greatly rid off through the proven means known by various cultures then the next step of intestinal cleansing should begin. This can be done with powerful yet safe juices like Aloe inner fillet juice (with diarrhea-causing Aloin removed which is the case in commercial Aloe juices) and Apple juice. Both juices should preferably be without preservatives but pasteurized types. I also find these two juices to be strengthening rather than weakening stuff for the intestinal functions. In fact I read that PECTIN in apples is able to radically remove radioactive materials from the body and is now being recommended for Fukushima nuclear disaster victims. Now unless the harmful intestinal bacteria are rid off, even drinking Apple juice might invite a flare-up of intestinal illness because the harmful intestinal bacteria feeds on sucrose and fructose and these are found naturally in apple juice. (In fact the good intestinal flora also feed on these sugars which is why when you prepare yogurt for fermentation it is helpful to add sugar into the milk. So the idea that these sugars are evil is a true yet false theory. The harm comes when the bad bacteria are proliferating too much in the gut - HIBO that is. Nature would not create sugars so ubiquitously in fruits if it is so evil. Of course an excess intake of anything is never good.) This may explain the paradox that some people can drink all kinds of sugary drink - like fruit smoothies on daily basis - and not get into trouble while another having a sugary drink might experience serious bloating or worse. The reason is HIBO! Anyway once HIBO is rid off, the cleansing part using safe fruit juices becomes more trouble-free. As for the first part of killing off HIBO, the most powerful herb is raw garlic chopped into tiny pieces and mixed with food like rice and eaten on the same day so that the germ-killing Allicin produced will not be lost. This should be eaten at least 2 to 3 times daily during the first month. Unfortunately some sufferers have problems with raw garlic not just because of its pungent taste but also because of its odour especially when one has to interact with people in their work and social life. I read however there is an antibiotic called Rifaximin which is said to be effective for IBS. I am not sure at all about this because I do not have experience with this drug. I am mentioning it just in case some might be looking for an alternative. In conclusion, I think the subject book is over-hyped. I purchased it out of desperation years back and after trying out the diet I experience a some control over my IBS/IBD but never felt properly treated. I knew it was not the true answer. In the end I experimented with the aforesaid remedies and have recovered so completely including subsiding of chronic inflammation especially after implementing the second part - the cleansing with Aloe Vera inner fillet juice and Apple juice - that I am posting this in the hope that others will find it useful. I do not write this review lightly; I struggled with my IBS/IBD for more than 15 years and done thorough research for at least 10 years. At one time I even seriously considered having a colostomy, an unthinkable consideration I even think then but I was losing control over my gut. Today I feel so fit and well that I think I need to spread this message. I hope Amazon editor would allow this lengthy review with these alternative suggestions. Please read the comments to this posting for more information.

My 11-year-old son was diagnosed with moderate Crohn's about a year ago. Fortunately, he was diagnosed at Stanford Lucille Packard Children's Hospital, where they're doing a research study on the effects of the SCD diet, so we were able to join the study and try diet changes alone without having to try medications. You'll hear this again and again, but: the results were nothing short of miraculous. After years of no weight gain and chronic diarrhea, on Day 1 of the diet, the diarrhea just stopped. Just stopped. He grew healthier and stronger each day. All of his blood, etc. tests started to normalize at about 3 months, and now one year later are 100% NORMAL. I can't tell you what a relief it was to finally figure out what was going on with his health and then to see rapid health improvements through diet changes alone. He grew 4 inches in height and gained 22 pounds and is happy, healthy, and thriving. The Stanford study is still underway (google 'stanford scd diet study' and you'll find the description). I think it's telling that an institution of this caliber is studying the diet. So folks with a new diagnosis: Know that your GI either will not have heard of the diet (unbelievably) or will likely not want to discuss it with you, just because there isn't data to support the diet. But don't give up. Trust your gut: look at the comments about this book; talk to people on the SCD diet facebook group, or any of the other support groups out there: this diet is a game-changer. Even if you're taking medications, how can it hurt to try changing your diet? You'll be eating the freshest, tastiest, most wholesome foods possible. I don't think that can ever be considered wrong. And isn't it strange that if you have heart disease or high blood pressure, your doc will talk to you about diet because it's understood that diet affects overall health, but diet changes are completely written off when it comes to digestive disorders. It makes no sense. One of the myths about the diet is that you can't gain weight on it or keep weight on because it's so limited. My son is living proof that this is incorrect. The diet is a lot of work at first, no doubt about that. Depending on how you're currently eating, you'll need to change your kitchen/cabinets/life to try this diet. It can seem overwhelming and impossible at first. It's hard not to be able to freely go to parties or out to restaurants, but you'll get the hang of it, and you'll be able to do those things again. My advice is to decide to try the diet for x months; try not to think about it as a 'forever' thing. It might be for you, but emotionally it can help to just think of it as something you're trying. Over time, as you feel better and stronger, it will get easier, and your tastes will also change. If you eat something not on the diet you'll be able to quickly ascertain what doesn't agree with you. After one year on the diet, we've been able to add back a few foods like cocoa powder and rice. We're able to eat at restaurants and I'm able to quickly prepare food to take to a potluck. My son can have a non-SCD meal once per week and that helps him feel more like part of humanity again. :-) I wish you the best of luck in your quest for better health. There are a lot of people on this diet, and there's a lot of support for newcomers. Also some excellent cookbooks. You aren't alone!

I am 52, 108 lbs, 5 foot 4". I am a dietician on the side with a professional IT day job. Seborrhea overtook my life 2 years ago. Doctors told me diet has nothing to do with this problem, nor intestinal issues. I was perscribed medications and soaps and sent home to figure it out myself. I read a blog post on someone's answer to seborrehea dermatitis (SD) by doing the SCD Diet, which I never heard of. Believing that psoriasis and SD are closely the same, I followed a diet by Dr.Pagano for psoriasis, which was moderately effective. But I still had a degree of skin battles I could not fully over-come. I am greatful to that SD blog post, since I have been a dedicated SCD'r for 8 months now. My consistant presentable skin is proof enough to me that the SCD Diet is my life long answer to this embarassing skin disorder. The book does not address psoriasis or Seborrhea, but it's objective is to clean and heal the intestinal track (the root of leaky gut issues that contribute to psoriasis and seborrhea). I am not medication free, since I still use Protopic and Derma-smooth on my face as needed (I only need it when I have snuck in a piece of candy or a slice of cake that day...causes itchy breakouts for me). I use Xolegel on arms or legs on those very rare breakouts. But the control on the skin problem is what SCD gives me. On the weekends I was a voluntary "shut-in", with crusty unsightly patches on my face and arms. My husband did shopping and went to church alone because I hated children pointing to me or staring at my leaky facial lessions. Though I worked in an office during the week, I hid away to keep people from staring at my condition. The SCD diet turned that around. It took 4 weeks to clear out the yeast, but Elaine's diet rules brings back fruits in my diet that Dr.Pagano's does not. His diet allows breads and grains, but I have found that a bad idea for me. He allows millet and oatmeal, which promoted yeast growth. Her diet does not allow grains of any kind (no rice, flour or cereals) for 2 years, in order to heal the intestinal track. She offers creative recipes with homemade almond flour for cakes or muffins. The diet is not vegetarian, so I liked that too, but it forced me to introduce vegetables in my diet, I would have otherwise neglected. Foods I eat now are: Breakfast - sauteed spinach/onions/bacon bits/ and organic sliced beef with a scoop of homemade SCD yogurt. Snack: a small premade snack of non-roasted almond butter, cooked apples topped with SCD yogurt mixed with Sweet n low. Lunch - premade - zuchini lasagna (recipe is in her book) Afternoon Snack - handful- raw almonds Dinner - scrambled eggs/bacon bits and sautied veggies with cheese (selected from the SCD allowable cheeses) Night snack - SCD gelatin dessert mixed with strawberries (can use defrosted frozen fruit). Once you know her rules and select from her recipes you are on your way to healing. I'm back in circulation again and greatful for this fantastic book, the dedcated community who follow this diet, and those around me who prayed and supported me through this challenging journey.

If you have any of the diseases listed on the book, this is the book to read. It will remove all confusion and explain whats going on inside your body. You can relate to the symptoms and understand what needs to be done

Estuve buscando este libro en mexico y por fin lo encontré aquí. Mi vida es un antes y después de esta forma de alimentarse. Lo recomiendo ampliamente

The book was good. I brought preused one. The pages were good and legible

Easy to read and understand. It was the best thing ever done (the SCD diet thanks to the book) after having dealt with ulcerative colitis for 15+ years. I only wish I had read it sooner.

Si vous savez lire l'anglais et, avant tout, êtes concernés par des problèmes de santé qui vous ont amené à explorer la piste des intestins et la gestion des sucres ( saccharides ), ce livre est une perle. Grâce à ce livre, je retrouve petit à petit, avec l'éviction des di- et polysaccharides, ma santé physique et mentale. Cela peut être contraignant à suivre car cela demande bcp de travail sur soi mais le jeu en vaut la chandelle. Comme le dit l'auteur, essayez de suivre le RGS pendant un mois, si vous sentez que cela fonctionne, persévérez, sinon le RGS n'est pas fait pour vous, passez à autre chose !