This recipe is adopted from one that came on the back of the cauliflower flour that I purchased. I modified it so that it is SCD safe. This is a solid choice for an SCD legal pizza crust. I also enjoy one made from shredded zucchini, especially when we had countless zucchinis from the garden this year!
Ingredients: 1/4 cup cauliflower flour 2/3 cup water 1/4 cup shredded parmesan 1/4 cup shredded provolone 2 eggs 1 tsp basil a pinch of salt Steps: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Rehydrate the cauliflower flour with the water. 3. Mix in the remaining ingredients. 4. Pour onto a parchment lined baking sheet. 5. Bake for 20 minutes. 6. Remove from the oven, spread/place your toppings on the crust, and broil for 10 minutes or until the cheese has completely melted and browned as much as you'd like and the other toppings have cooked and browned to the desired amount. I use Just About Foods brand flour. You can purchase it from Walmart and Amazon. I hope you enjoy this pizza crust! It doesn't get crispy like regular pizza, so you can't pick it up as easily, but it's flavorful!
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This is a delicious breadless version of the classic sandwich which is every bit as delicious while containing less calories, and carbs of course. It is an SCD-friendly version which can be enjoyed without having to take the time to make bread, so it's great when you don't have as much time to put a meal together. It also makes a delicious appetizer!
Ingredients: bacon (pork or turkey) tomato romaine lettuce avocado cheddar Steps: 1) Rinse the lettuce leaves. 2) Fry the bacon in a frying pan, or bake it on a sheet pan in the oven if you prefer. 3) Slice the cheddar cheese, avocado, and tomato. (You will want to slice the tomato slices in half so that they fit into the lettuce leaf better.) 4) Take all the ingredients - the bacon, cheddar, tomato, and avocado - and arrange them in the lettuce leaves to the proportions of your liking. 5) Enjoy! This is similar to the Eggplant Parmesan recipe, but it is distinct in some important ways. Most significantly, this dish has farmer's cheese, which if you use the spicy tomato sauce, you will need to help balance out the flavors, trust me. This recipe also includes mushrooms and leaves out the Kalamata olives and capers that are central to the flavor of the Parm. This dish pairs well with a garden salad.
Ingredients: 3 medium eggplants 4 large shallots 8 cloves garlic 5 portobello mushrooms 2 cups spinach 25 oz. tomato sauce (I used Mezzetta: some tomato and basil and some spicy marinara, but any flavor(s) or other SCD legal brands, or homemade is fine as well!) 1 lb. farmer's cheese (I use Friendship) 1/2 cup aged provolone 1/2 cup Mediteranean herb parmesan (either or both of these 2 cheeses may be substituted with similar hard, aged cheeses, whatever you have on hand or prefer) For roasting: salt pepper oregano olive oil Steps: 1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 2) Slice the eggplants into circles. The thickness can vary, depending upon how firm you want it to turn out, but try to keep it consistent so that they cook evenly. Also, you don't want them to be too thin, because then they will just stick to the sheet pan and you don't want them to be too thick either, because then they will not cook through all the way as quickly, or cut as easily when it is put all together and you want to slice it at the end. 3) Lay out eggplant slices on a sheet pan, one layer thick, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper, and dried oregano. 4) Roast the eggplant for 10 minutes, or until cooked through. 5) Repeat steps 3 & 4 until you have all the eggplant roasted. 6) In the meantime, slice the shallots and mushrooms, finely dice (or crush, if you prefer) the garlic, and sauté these in a pan with some olive oil, adding in the spinach when the rest of the ingredients are nearly done cooking. 7) Grate the aged provolone and Parmesan and in a medium-sized bowl, mix most of them together with the farmer's cheese until they are evenly combined. 8) Pour a thin layer of tomato sauce into a glass baking dish, just enough to cover the bottom. 9) Lay down a layer of eggplant slices, followed by a thin layer of the veggie mixture. (The shallots, spinach, mushrooms and garlic will not create a full layer. Sprinkle them onto the eggplant as if you were topping a pizza. This will likely use about a third of the mixture.) 10) Spoon in the cheese mixture. (This layer should be more solid, but again, you can think of it kind of like a pizza topping - it will not create a solid layer. You can squish down the cheese mixture with the spoon to help spread it out if you want. 11) Repeat steps 8-10 until you reach the top of the baking dish, or run out of ingredients. (I always end up with a little extra of the ingredients leftover, but that's fine because I then put them together to make delicious, flavor-filled bite-size amuse bouche.) Make sure that the top layer is eggplant. 12) Sprinkle on the rest of the aged provolone and Parmesan to create a nice top layer, 13) Pop the baking dish in the oven and bake until the cheese on the top is melted all the way and begins to brown, likely at least 40 minutes. 14) Take it out of the oven, let it cool a bit, and enjoy! Tip: To make for quicker preparation immediately before enjoying this meal, the eggplant can be roasted ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. The same is true of all the other components as well: They can be prepped ahead of time and refrigerated. You can even put the whole thing together ahead of time so all you have to do is heat it up the day of. This is one of my favorite dishes. It has all of the flavor of a traditional stuffing, with none of the grains. It's great around the holidays, or anytime of the year. Stuffing is always one of my favorite parts of a holiday meal, or any meal, and I have missed it the past few years that I've been on the SCD, so when I first tasted this grain-free alternative, I was ecstatic! I hope it brings you as much joy as it has brought me!
Ingredients: 4 cups onion 2 1/2 cups celery 1 1/2 cups apple 3/4 cup carrot 2 1/2 cups almond flour 1/2 tsp. Marjoram 1 T. Thyme 1 T. Rosemary 1 T. Sage Salt to taste Pepper to taste 2 T. butter 1/3 cup dates 3 eggs Steps: 1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 2) Dice the onions, celery, carrots, apples, and dates. 3) Sauté the onion, celery, carrots, and apples in a sauté pan with a couple tablespoons of butter over medium heat. After a couple of minutes, add in the herbs and mix them in. 4) After the veggies and apples are all softened, remove them from the heat. 5) Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk them. 6) Mix the flour and chopped dates in with the eggs. 7) Mix the cooked veggies mixture into the flour mixture. 8) Transfer the stuffing mixture into a baking safe dish, even out the top, and bake until cooked all the way through and golden brown on top. (Likely at least 1 1/2 hours.) 8) Remove from the oven, let cool a little bit, and enjoy with cranberry sauce and stuffed chicken breasts, other meat or veggie dishes you prefer, or by itself! Tip: You can serve this stuffing with some fresh orange zest on top for a refreshing garnish. This pork tenderloin recipe is simple, easy, and delicious. It is good hot and cold and can be sliced all at once so that it is ready ahead of time for future meals (or snacks). A small tenderloin makes several servings, so you can enjoy this delicious treat a number of times! The fond is especially delicious and is like a perfectly balanced sweet, salty, meaty candy.
Ingredients: 1 pork tenderloin a few T. honey a few T. brown mustard a few tsps. sage a few tsps. thyme a few tsps. rosemary (you can use these herbs or whichever fresh herbs you prefer and use them to taste) salt and pepper to taste a few T. olive oil Steps: 1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 2) Place pork tenderloin in glass baking dish (or on a metal sheet pan), lightly rub all sides with olive oil, salt, and pepper. 3) Place in oven and cook most of the way. 4) While the pork is in the oven, mix up the honey mustard. (This can be done ahead of time and kept in the fridge, I always have a bottle of honey mustard in my fridge. When the bottle of mustard gets low, I add honey to it and shake it up. It's good to always have some on hand.) 5) Chop up the herbs. 6) Take the pork tenderloin out of the oven, apply the honey mustard over the top of the entire piece of meat. (It's okay if some spills off the sides; it's really yummy when it caramelizes on the side.) 7) Sprinkle the herbs on top. 8) Place the baking dish back in the oven and cook the meat the rest of the way until it's heated all the way through (at least 145 degrees F in the center). Cooking times will vary depending upon the size of the piece of meat. 9) Let cool, slice, and enjoy with a seasonal veggie. This is an SCD-friendly cheesecake recipe that uses SCD-style yogurt and farmer's cheese. I finally made this cake after waiting a few years, and it was well worth the wait. It is of course not the same exact texture as a traditional cheesecake, but it comes very close and is a delicious SCD-legal version. I am thankful for it because cheesecake is one of my favorites and I have missed it these past couple years. Ingredients: Crust: 1 cup whole raw almonds 1/4 cup butter 1/3 cup honey 2 tsps. vanilla extract Filling: 3 eggs 1/3 cup honey 1/2 cup homemade yogurt 2 cups farmer's cheese (uncreamed dry curd cottage cheese) 2 tsps. vanilla extract 2 tsps. grated lemon rind Topping: About 1-2 cups in total of fruit: Strawberries Blueberries Blackberries Raspberries Black Raspberries Peach Honey Water (to prevent scorching and to help create a saucey consistency) Steps: Crust: 1. Use a blender or food processor to coarsely chop the nuts. It should only take a few seconds. You do not want to overdo it or you will get a flour-like texture, which is not what you want for this recipe. 2. Place the chopped almonds in a bowl and set them aside. 3. Put the butter, honey and vanilla in the blender or food processor, making sure that they are all at the bottom before you turn it on. 4. Process for about 30 seconds until the ingredients are whipped. 5. Transfer the mixture to the bowl containing the chopped nuts and blend it all thoroughly with a rubber spatula. 6. Spread across the bottom and up slightly onto the edges of a loaf pan. 7. Bake at 375 degrees F until golden brown. 8. Let it cool. Filling: 1. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Make sure to put the eggs in first so that the blades will turn freely. (This can also be done with an immersion blender.) 2. Blend until smooth, stopping, if necessary, occasionally to push the ingredients down, scraping the sides of the container with a rubber spatula. 3. Pour into the loaf pan. 4. Bake in oven at 350 degrees F for about 40 minutes or until the edges are brown. 5. Cool and refrigerate. Topping: 1. Chop all the strawberries and peaches and add these, along with the other berries into a small sauce pan with some water to prevent scorching and honey to taste. 2. Cook for several minutes until it has reached the desired consistency. 3. Spoon onto the top of each slice of cheesecake before it is served. Variations: Use different kinds of fruit for the topping, whatever is in season or is a personal favorite of yours or whoever you are making the cake for! Cooked apples with cinnamon would be a good fall flavor option for instance. This recipe can be made without the crust, just utilizing the filling recipe, if desired. Alternatively, the crust recipe can be used to just make cookie crisps. Time Sensitive
You can get much more out of veggies and fruits when they are fresh. The older your produce gets, the more nutrients they are losing, so the sooner you consume them, the more you are getting out of them. Cooked vs. Raw When you cook veggies, they lose many vitamins that they contain during the process, so if you want to get the most nutrients out of them that you possibly can, you should eat them when they are fresh and raw. Minerals do not get depleted through the cooking process, but many vitamins do, as well as water of course and these are vital resources that we cannot afford to be wasting. It is a delicate balance that has to be struck because it is easier to digest foods that have been cooked. They have a lower water content and the fiber that they contain has been transformed into a more easily digestible form. Cooked veggies are softer and require less work on your body's part in order to digest them, but money-wise as well as nutrient and resource (such as water) -wise, you want to get all you can out of the foods you are purchasing. When you get more water from the foods you are eating, you don't need to drink as much water, which is something that so many people don't do enough of anyway, so you want to make it as easy on yourself as possible. Easier on Digestion Another thing that makes digestion easier is when foods are broken down as much as possible before they are consumed so that there is less work to be done on the part of the body. A way that I make use of this fact is by making delicious juices with my Nutribullet. This allows you to still get all the fiber contained in the fruits and veggies and have an easier time digesting them. It is not a pure dose of sugar like traditional fruit juices can be, but instead a more complete, wholesome food. When you consume one of these juices, you get all the water, all the fiber, and all the flavor. They are seriously one of my favorite things to consume. They are also very satisfying and much more filling than many people might think because, unlike typical juices, they still have all the fiber and solid goodness of the original components, just broken down into a form that is easier on your body. They are not only the water and sugar, but all of the goodness contained within the fruits and veggies. Multiple Uses & Utilizing Every Part Another way to get the most out of your produce is to utilize them in different ways. There are many fruits and veggies that are very versatile and lend themselves to many cooked and raw uses. Also, there are many types of produce of which you can use nearly every piece. For instance, citrus fruits: you can zest them, use the pulp, and the juice, you can also preserve the rinds. Watermelon is another one that you can utilize every bit of by pickling the rind. You can harvest the seeds from a fruit and plant them, in the right conditions, to grow more from the ground up. You can also roast the seeds from certain plants, such as pumpkins, and enjoy those as well. Pickling, preserving, canning, and drying are all good ways of utilizing every bit of a food and not allowing any of it to go bad as well. This also provides variety even when consuming the same basic foods, so this is a good way to shake things up. Proper Treatment Another way to get the most out of your produce is to make sure that you are treating it properly. Certain fruits and veggies keep better in the fridge, while others are best when not refrigerated. It is worth it to do the research to find out how to properly store each produce item so that they can last as long as possible. For instance, tomatoes are best when they are left out of the refrigerator. This is true of pears as well, which when refrigerated, form those annoying, tough spherical crystals that make the pear not very enjoyable. The problem with keeping produce unrefrigerated though, especially in the summer months, is that it does not last as long and so you need to make sure to use it as quickly as possible. Something that helps in this endeavor is to not purchase too much at once so you can be sure to have it all when it is fresh and at its peak level of nutrition and flavor and to not allow any of it to go to waste, especially since food waste is such an epidemic problem in this society. Some people like to make the diet seem more complicated than it truly is. People make a big deal out of it and say that it is so hard to feed someone on this diet, that they don't know what to make for me, or what to possibly offer me. But, in reality, this diet is much less complicated than other ones. It is not hard at all to just not do something to the food. It is actually much simpler, much less complicated than other diets.
It frustrates me when people get all worked up and nervous and don't know what to make. It is very simple. If someone wants to make a low-stress SCD-safe dinner, all they need to do is cook some meat and vegetables with some fresh herbs and they have it! It is not complex at all, but for some reason, some people like to think it is. This annoys me because if they would just focus on the foods that they know are allowed on the diet and not on their fear of getting it wrong, they would have no trouble putting together a simple, safe meal. Nervous Energy This is the issue in many areas of life: letting fear and nerves get the best of you. This never helps, it only hurts you and prevents you from accomplishing what you could if you were instead focusing your energy on completing the task at hand. If you can harness the nervous energy and pour it all into performing better at whatever it is that you are trying to do, you will be much more successful and you won't regret it. Change I think another major reason that this occurs is people are so used to a certain structure to a meal and changing that up by leaving out a starch or grain somehow confuses them. Change is something that trips many people up. I think that since change is inevitable, it is important to learn how to handle it, how to be faced with it, learn to navigate it and adapt to it. So, in this case, that means that when presented with a new diet that shakes up the blueprint that you have in your mind for how to put together a meal, just incorporate the new information that you have about the diet into this already existing structure that you understand and blend them together. This way, you can create and then hold in your mind this new blueprint that you've made and not have to be anxious about not knowing what to do the next time because you already have this plan in your mind that you have created and can utilize in the future. I think that knowledge is power and having a firm grasp and a deep understanding of whatever it is that you are doing is always an invaluable tool to have in your arsenal. Teamwork I hope that people who know and love people who are on the SCD read this blog as well as those who are on it because these tips are ones that I believe would benefit these loved ones as well as those on the diet. I think that this knowledge can be doubly beneficial to those on the diet if it is attained by not only them individually, but also their loved ones who surround them and are supposed to be their support system to help them. If all these people have this knowledge, they will have a much better chance at thriving, especially if they see how much these people must care to have put the time and effort in to learn all they can to help and better the lives of their loved ones who need the assistance. So, please, for those you love, put in the effort, they will be forever grateful, I am sure of it. Trust me. I know I am when people spend the time and energy to help me. With digestive disorders, it is interesting because what works for one person will not necessarily work for another. What is good for one individual and helps them, could be what is bad for another person and what harms them. There are certain foods that I have heard from many people that I should not eat because they bother their relative or are not good for me for some reason or another. Many times, these foods are ones that I enjoy frequently without adverse effects. Conversely, there are some foods that bother me that I know that others enjoy freely, so it all depends on the individual.
Ingredients with a Bad Reputation I have heard from many different people for instance that members of the nightshade family are very harmful to the digestive systems of those with Crohn's, but I love tomatoes and eat them most days. One woman told me that her sister couldn't eat any of the plants from this family: tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, etc. and she was shocked when I told her that I ate those foods and that they were not what gave me any issues. It is important to keep an open mind and try to not tell people what will help them and push it and try to sell it too hard just because it is what helped you. You can share your knowledge and tell them "this is what worked for me, you are welcome to try it out and see if it works for you as well and to let me know how it goes, but there are no guarantees", but don't say, "this will help you for sure", because you cannot know that. Another family of vegetables that has an overinflated reputation for being bad for digestion, somewhat undeservedly in my opinion, is the cabbage family. So many people warn me not to eat cabbage, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, etc., and I find that I do not have nearly as much of an issue with these veggies as people would lead me to believe that I would. Conversely, many people say that they cannot eat cheese in any significant amount without it causing them problems, but I can eat about as much cheese (lactose-free, SCD legal of course!) as I want and be just fine. So, it is really an individual thing. Same Condition I also find it interesting that two people with the same condition may have different things that help and hurt them, while two people with different conditions may have similar needs and similar things that hold them back. All this means that there is no one-size-fits-all treatment that can be prescribed to even people with the same condition, because everybody's body is different. Feeling Grateful I love hearing other people's stories of discovering what does and does not work for them and what they can and can't have. It is always interesting to learn about all the individuality of it and to see the differences between people. It is also inspiring to see people overcoming the obstacles that they are facing and gaining joy from that. Through viewing other people's journeys it can also provide hope that things can get better, and that there are different things that they can try that may work. In the opposite situation, when hearing a story of someone who is having a hard time and needs encouragement, you can be the one to provide the hope and they can be what makes you feel grateful and blessed for the fortune that you have in comparison, even if you otherwise wouldn't have felt this way. It can give you the source of appreciation for what you have that is hard to have when you don't have that perspective and I think this is an invaluable thing to have that, once you gain, changes your life for the better. There have been times that I have trusted something that someone else has given me when they said that it was safe and later regretted it because I found out that it was not safe for me to consume after all. I found that you have to be sure you can trust a person before you trust them with your food. There are some people that mean well, but certain aspects of the diet just do not stick with them and so they are not reliable when it comes to something as serious as your health and the strictness of this diet. I have found a couple people that I know understand the diet and whom I can trust to make me food and find me food that will be safe for me to consume.
Don't be afraid to let people know that you can't eat something. Don't be afraid that you will hurt people's feelings, because that is not as important as keeping yourself safe. This can mean when someone buys you something that they think is safe for you to have and then you read the label and tell them that you can't as well as when they make a dish for you or offer you something that they have made. If they love you and care about your health and respect your diet, then they won't be too offended and will understand anyway. Related to this is when you go to a restaurant and there is something on the menu that you can have only if they leave off certain components likely and you have to order a special request to do this, don't be afraid to speak up and tell them exactly what you can eat and that you need it prepared this way because you have dietary restrictions and that it is for health reasons so that you can be sure that they will take it seriously. Remember that they are there to serve you and they want your business and good reviews. The customer is always right and if they provide you with poor service, you not only will not recommend them to friends, you will talk poorly of them and let people know that they are an unaccommodating place and that people should not frequent it, and this is the last thing that the establishment wants. So, you know that if you make a request, they best be accommodating it and if anyone gives you a hard time, talk to someone higher up in the chain of command because they won't let it slide if they know what's good for them and their business! I know it can be hard to advocate for yourself at times and speak up to others, but it is a necessary skill for you to gain. Each time you do this, it will get easier and eventually become second nature. I truly believe that this is one of the most important things that someone can learn, especially someone who has a restrictive diet such as the SCD. I believe in you and know that you can do it! If you have any stories about standing up for yourself in this capacity, I would love to hear about them, so please do share! Also, if you have any specific questions about this topic or would like some further advice in this area, please reach out and let me know! That is what I am here for after all! You've got this! Even though a product may not include certain ingredients on the ingredient list, that does not mean that they are not in the product. They may be hidden in the process of manufacturing for instance. Or, they may have gotten in there through contamination from being processed in the same facility and in some cases, even on the same equipment. If a product says something like "packaged in a facility that also processes..." or "processed on shared equipment that also processes..." and has an illegal ingredient, that means that that product is not SCD-safe if you are really trying to adhere to the diet with the highest of standards. In this case, you should not consume this product. If the product is not certified gluten free for instance, or does not at least say gluten free on it, it is not the highest level of safety that it could be and you may be better off choosing another similar product instead, one that does come with this level of assurance, unless you have strong faith in the source and believe it to be a reliable and compliant product.
There have been many occasions when I think that a product is safe based upon the ingredient list and the larger print, but then upon a closer reading of the small print on the packaging, discover that the product is not necessarily safe because it is a gamble. There have been times that I purchase a product and then discover when I get it home that I cannot have it on the diet. There have also been times that others have purchased products for me, thinking that they are safe, only to find out that they are not by examining the fine print. In these cases, others can still eat the food, but as far as the time, effort, and money put in in an attempt to make sure there is food that is safe for me, it was a waste. I want to do all I can to prevent others from making this same mistake. It is likely to happen at some point, even to the most careful of label inspectors, but you can reduce the frequency with which this occurs if you have this knowledge. This mistake is especially likely if you do not have the knowledge that certain ingredients can be hidden in the process, such as corn starch when calcium is bound to the molecules in orange juice for instance. Another issue can be when the ingredient "natural flavors" is on the list. This could mean anything, from a perfectly legal ingredient to one that is not allowed, and for this reason, without contacting the company and finding out what these "natural flavors" consist of, you cannot safely consume these products on the SCD. A similar issue comes up with the inclusion of ingredients that are "from concentrate". These ingredients could be perfectly safe, but you cannot know for sure because some companies add in sugar in this process. Because of this, unfortunately, it means you cannot eat these products. I hope this information is helpful to you and stops you from making mistakes that could sabotage your diet and waste your money! On this blog, I am going to discuss nutrition related topics and issues pertaining to related diets as well as SCD-related topics. I will also discuss relevant environmental and societal issues when they come up.
Alternative therapies such as art and music therapy are also just as valid as dietary solutions and so I will spend time addressing these forms of therapy as well. There are lifestyles that are more helpful and healthful for those with digestive disorders or dietary problems, but that are also beneficial to anyone who wants to change their lives and improve their health. Conversely, there are many lifestyles that are harmful to not only those who have specific struggles with their health, but everybody, and I want to help you to avoid those. I hope to share my knowledge and things that I have learned with you all so that this information can help you and transform your lives as it has mine. Opening Minds, Hearts, and Mouths Especially in America today, there are these ideals for what food is and what constitutes a meal that often revolve around grains. The Specific Carbohydrate Diet, along with other similar diets, turn those ideals on their heads and shake up how people think about food and balanced, healthful, satisfying diets. For me, this diet has changed how I think as well as how I eat, and I am forever grateful for that. It has opened up my thinking to change the way I view food and what a satisfying snack or meal can be and is. It has also transformed my overall health and wellbeing. Some people have a hard time shifting their mindset and accepting changes in their diets. People become so attached to particular foods, types of foods, dishes, and ways of eating and do not want to even consider a new way of eating. This is harmful when people are so attached that they continue to eat foods that harm them and refuse to try a simple, natural fix in changing their diet because they think that they need these foods in their lives even though they are hurting them. I think that is only harmful to these individuals and I hope to open hearts to these different ways of eating. I want to show people that they can still eat delicious satisfying foods that are better for their minds and bodies. You can take dishes that you love and remake them so that they conform to a healthier lifestyle but are still packed with flavor and all the things you originally loved them for. These foods are more delicious, nutritious and packed with flavor than many foods that people are used to. I just hope that people will give them a chance and realize what they are missing out on, instead of just brushing it off as not worth it, not yummy, and assuming that those following these types of diets and lifestyles are the ones who are missing out, which simply is not true. Beginning this diet has lead me to try and to enjoy much more varied meals and ingredients than I previously had, contrary to what many people might intuitively think with it being a "restrictive elimination diet". These foods are delicious and should make people want to eat them. I hope that people try these recipes and enjoy them! I hope they change your lives as they have mine. Portions and Timing There is more than just the type of food that is being eaten that is important. The amount of food that one eats at a time and the time of day that one eats is equally as important. It is better to eat many small meals and snacks throughout the day for instance than to eat only a few larger meals. Additionally, most of the calories that a person consumes should be earlier in the day, when these calories can have time to be burned off and when people still need much energy for the day. Eating just a few larger meals, with the largest one being in the evening, as is common in the United States today, is a bad habit to be in for one's digestion and overall health and wellbeing. Knowledge like this can help to change people's lives permanently for the better and that is what I hope to do by sharing it. I hope you read these posts, spread the word, share the information you learn, and grow and help others to better themselves as well along the way and in the process of it all. If I have helped one person by doing this, changed one life for the better, I will have reached my goal and feel that it was worth all the hard work, time, and effort. So, please let me know when you have used the knowledge and recipes I have shared and utilized them for the betterment of your life and your loved ones' lives. I would really love to hear about it and will always appreciate when you share a positive story! Good luck on this journey and I hope this helps! Myth
Some people mistakenly think that just because highly processed artificial foods are not allowed on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet that that means that it is a bland and boring diet devoid of flavor or fun. That is not at all the case. It couldn't be farther from the truth! Busted The SCD is a diet that allows you to be creative, reinventing old favorite recipes and finding ways to enjoy new ingredients that you hadn't previously incorporated into your diet. It is replete with flavor and is the farthest thing from bland out there! The fact that bland grains that are devoid of flavor and nutrients are illegal on the diet by no means translates to the fact that the diet is flavorless. The foods that are illegal are not the ones that bring the flavor to dishes anyway. I, personally, have never enjoyed myself, or met anyone else who has enjoyed for that matter, any type of grains that were unseasoned. I would never have pasta without salt and butter, tomato sauce, pesto, or Alfredo sauce. I would never eat oatmeal without adding copious brown sugar and cinnamon. I wouldn't consider eating a slice of untoasted processed bread. I could never enjoy rice without ample butter, salt, and some pepper mixed in and meat, vegetables and sauce on top. There is not one grain that I can think of that is enjoyable without smothering it in fat, salt, and/or sugar. This is not at all the case for SCD legal foods however, such as fruits and vegetables. I frequently enjoy simple steamed veggies with nothing on them, or raw vegetables without dip. These natural foods are so delicious and have so much depth of flavor that they need nothing else. I believe that the true beauty of their complexities cannot be appreciated until one removes all the processed junk from one's diet that cloud the palate and lead to unnatural flavor expectations. Revelation I found that I am much more sensitive to salt now, since I rarely use it, I can detect much more subtle amounts of it in food; this means that I eat a much healthier amount of sodium and tend to enjoy foods more how they are in their natural state. I also discovered that when I started this diet, I almost instantly gained a much greater appreciation for the depth of flavors and the taste of the sweetness of the natural sugars in fruits and vegetables than I previously did because I no longer had an overly sickeningly sweet standard to compare them too. I was not comparing them to an unrealistic, basic, sweet flavor. I noticed the layers and complexities in these natural gems much more. I craved them much more and was extremely more likely to actually take the effort to peel an orange or cut up a piece of fruit and enjoy it. I became much more motivated to take the two seconds of effort to get to the deliciousness and this also instantaneously improved my health and eating habits. Abundance of Flavor All the foods that are legal on SCD are not only extremely nutritious, but they are also wildly delicious and have many versatile uses as well. They can be enjoyed in many ways, including cooked, raw, plain, and seasoned. (All of these approaches I explore in my recipes.) All the spices and herbs that provide the flavor and spice to dishes are allowed on the SCD. Spices in their pure forms, not those mixed in with other spices and fillers in premade mixes, are all allowed on the diet. These are what bring the true flavor and depth to dishes. You can use them freely and amply to your heart's desire! So, when people say that people on this diet are confined to bland foods that are unexciting, they are simply mistaken. Confusion People don't realize the variety that is included under the umbrella of fruits and vegetables, meats, natural cheeses, seeds, and nuts. I have talked to people that think that that means that I can't eat basically anything. They ask, "what about pizza, pasta, cereal, bread, chips", on and on and on. I think it's laughable when they go on one of these confused rants because what they are not realizing is that all the foods they are thinking of as varied and diverse, providing the "variety" in their diet, are all essentially the same thing! They are all made up of the same few ingredients and consequently only provide certain vitamins and minerals. The diet that I enjoy is diverse, flavorful, and very delicious, providing a wide array of nutrients and ensuring that I receive all the vitamins and minerals that I need and in the amounts that my body needs them. So, as you can see, the myth of the bland and boring diet is just that, and really, the opposite is often the truth. Turning the tables on those who don't believe in the flavorfulness of this diet can serve to show them the truth about what they're really eating. If you're interested in the process of nutrient removal and then attempted replacement thereof with synthetic, less naturally absorbable versions, in processed grains in this day and age, check out my next blog post, which will be on this very topic. If you are interested in the very real concept of culinary racism and how that is linked with the very bland, processed, white, nutrient-devoid diet that is pushed on us today, check out my post on this same topic. I hope you find this information and my story helpful! Stick with it! It may seem hard at the beginning, but trust me, it is well worth it to stay with it! Rely on your willpower and the knowledge that things will get better! You will be able to expand the variety in your diet and your health will improve and you will feel so much healthier and energized! If this diet works for you, it will revolutionize the way you eat and change your life for the better in so many ways that you could never have imagined and you will never want to go back! I know you can do it! I believe in you! And remember that I am here for support and if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out and ask! And, as always, thank you for reading! This recipe is another one that I created so that I could still enjoy a dish that I loved, even on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. These tacos have all the flavors found in average tacos as well as all the textures because the lettuce provides that crunchy exterior.
Ingredients: romaine lettuce tomato cheddar cheese ground beef or turkey onion cumin paprika chili powder salt pepper scallions yogurt Steps: 1. Wash the lettuce leaves and dry them off. Make sure you choose leaves that are sturdy and will hold up throughout the meal. 2. Shred the cheddar. 3. Chop the tomatoes and dice the onion. 4. Set aside the cheese and tomato. These will be used as toppings later. 5. Cook the ground meat and onion. 6. Drain the fat from the pan. 7. Add salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika, and cumin to taste. 8. Add a little bit of water so that the mixture gets a saucey consistency. 9. Fill the lettuce leaves with the desired amount of meat. 10. Top with the cheese so that it can begin to melt. Then add the tomatoes. 11. Place a dollop of SCD-legal homemade yogurt on top in the place of sour cream. 12. Slice the scallions and top with these for some added color and flavor. Not only do they add a pleasant mild onion flavor, but they are also very aesthetically pleasing. Serve and enjoy immediately! I do not provide the amounts here because that will vary depending on how many people you are preparing the meal for and how hungry they are. I typically eat three tacos for one meal. Variation: Top with fresh salsa, olives, or whatever taco toppings you prefer. Avocado always heightens any dish, so you couldn't go wrong by adding a few slices! I prefer avocado, but for some reason I forgot to add it when I made these a couple of nights ago, which is why they are not pictured. It is hard enough to find quality SCD-friendly products in some locations, especially when you are also trying to accommodate other diets simultaneously, for example, if you are also vegetarian or vegan. It is my advice that once you find a reliable product or brand, that you do your research as to where you can get the best deal on the specific item. Doing so will decrease the unnecessary spending that you do, which is always helpful, especially on a diet as expensive as SCD.
It is also wise to not just assume that since one product, brand, or specific product from a brand is cheaper at one location, that similar products, brands, or even products from the same brand will also be more affordable in that same location. I often find that this is in fact not the case and it is necessary to shop at multiple locations in order to get the best deals. For instance, I get my peanut butter, dried fruits and hot dogs at one store, but much of my produce, cheese and chicken sausages at another store. Another area that is counterintuitive is the fact that it is not always cheaper to buy certain items in bulk. I find that sometimes buying a smaller quantity is actually the better deal in certain cases! If you figure out the per item price, it can be cheaper to buy a smaller box! This is the case with Larabars, which came much to my surprise. Similarly, certain flavors of the same product can cost more or less money. This is often the case with Larabars for example. So, if you find one flavor that you like, don't just assume that another flavor will cost you the same amount, it may in fact be more or less. Cashew Cookie is typically the cheapest flavor for some reason, likely because the ingredients are cheaper so this flavor is cheaper to make. (Thankfully for me, this is one of my favorite flavors!) At least this is the case with the five count boxes at Walmart; however, the 16 count box on Amazon is not the cheapest, it is about average in price. The 16 count box of Pecan Pie is the cheapest by a decent amount on Amazon. Another couple that are relatively cheaper than the rest are Apple Pie and Banana Bread. At Walmart, the 5 count box of Apple Pie is the same price as Cashew Cookie. On Amazon, the Apple Pie is the second cheapest flavor in the 16 count box and the Banana Bread is the third cheapest flavor. Conversely, the Peanut Butter & Jelly is much more expensive, even than the average, by several dollars for some reason. Though it is one of the flavors that there currently is a $3 coupon for, which brings the price much closer to the price of the other flavors! Consequently, it is often well worth the time and effort put in to do the research as to where a specific product can be found at the best price. This is especially important to consider when you are buying a product that you use often, and that savings or wasted money on will quickly add up to quite a bit of cash! I hope this advice helps you in your purchasing endeavors and is another tool you can use to aid you in your journey! I make this to accompany pulled pork or any other summer dish really. If you love vinegar, you will love this dish!
Ingredients: Cabbage Carrots Salt Pepper Apple Cider Vinegar (Organic, Raw, Unfiltered) Honey (optional) Olive Oil (optional) Cumin Celery salt Steps: 1. Shred the cabbage and carrots (a third of a decent-sized head of cabbage and 2 medium carrots makes ample amounts of this salad). 2. Add in enough vinegar to cover about half of the depth of the shredded cabbage and carrots. 3. Add in some salt and pepper to taste and toss it all around with a fork. 4. This salad is very strong, so you can add a bit of honey and/or olive oil to help balance it out if you wish. This salad pairs perfectly with a well-spiced pulled pork. Like many salads of this type, it is better as you let it sit and marinate in the refrigerator. These are some of my favorite all natural peanut butters:
Woodstock - Smooth & Crunchy (also comes in salted varieties & they make other nut butters and products such as shredded coconut as well) This was my original favorite peanut butter when I started eating all natural peanut butter. It is slightly more expensive and harder to find, but it is so delicious and smooth that it is worth the cost and effort! Teddie - Smooth & Super Chunky (also comes in salted) This is an all-around good peanut butter. It has good flavor and is very smooth. It is slightly thicker than some of the other brands. Crazy Richard's - Creamy & Crunchy This is my current favorite. It is exceptionally creamy and smooth with an amazing flavor. I have also discovered recently that it is actually cheaper than other similar brands at the store I purchase it at, which is a plus! You can find all of the above on Amazon (and at other stores as well such as Walmart, Hannaford, and ShopRite)! Adams Fairacre Farms Storemade Peanut Butter Homemade peanut butter - sometimes I buy a large several pound bad of roasted peanuts in the shell, shell them, and make my own peanut butter in the food processor. It is much more time consuming, but it comes out delicious and is much cheaper (especially when you eat as much of it as I do!) Follow this link for the kind that I buy: roasted unsalted in-the-shell peanuts. Although I prefer smooth, it is nice to mix things up sometimes and enjoy some chunky peanut butter! Make sure you are getting the kind that is just peanuts with no oil or salt added! If you are looking for a variety that does contain salt, Smucker's Natural Creamy is also a good option, but if you have a low tolerance for sodium, this, along with the other salted varieties is going to be too overwhelmingly salty. These are one of my favorite peanut butter treats! They are a great nut-flourless option!
Ingredients: 1 cup peanut butter 1/2 cup honey 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 egg Steps: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Combine all ingredients. 3. Pour into a well-buttered 8-in. square glass baking dish. 4. Bake for 25-30 mins until browned and a toothpick, when inserted, comes out clean. Make sure not to over-bake them! Variation: Alternatively, you can make Almond Butter Brownies by replacing the peanut butter with almond butter! These cookies are addictive! Make sure to limit yourself to two a day because having more can lead to adverse effects due to the nut flour.
Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter 1 cup peanut butter 1/2 cup honey 1 cup almond flour 2 eggs 1/4 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. vanilla Steps: 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 2. Cream butter until soft. 3. Add peanut butter and mix thoroughly. 4. Add the rest of the ingredients and combine. 5. Drop onto a greased cookie sheet and press down with a buttered fork. 6. Bake for 10 mins. or until cooked through and a light golden brown color with a darker brown bottom apparent upon checking by lifting the cookie up with a spatula. These cookies will still be very soft when they are done, so make sure not to overcook them! They firm up as they cool but are still softer than a traditional peanut butter cookie. This is a different kind of delicious light snack.
Ingredients: 1/2 cup farmer's cheese 1 egg white 1 tsp. honey 2 tsp. almond flour Steps: 1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 2. Mix the ingredients together. 3. Drop on a greased cookie sheet. 4. Bake until golden brown. They will get lightly crispy and browner on the edges. Tip: Eat these cookies within a couple days and keep them refrigerated. They are best when eaten right away, otherwise, they get too soft. This is a delicious chunky, homestyle applesauce (more of a cooked apple consistency, but you could get it to be more of the texture of traditional applesauce by cooking it down for longer and/or blending it in a blender or food processor).
Ingredients: apples water cinnamon (optional) honey (if needed) Steps: 1. Chop up the apples. (Use as many as you need for the desired amount that you want to make. It depends if you are making it for just yourself, or others as well, and if you want leftovers or not.) You can also peel the apples if you prefer them this way. Personally, I leave the skin on. 2. Get them heating at a high temperature with some water in a saucepan on the stovetop. 3. Once they are cooking for a few minutes, lower the temperature. 4. Keep stirring throughout and adding water as needed to ensure that they do not stick to the bottom and that they cook evenly. 5. When they are cooked to the desired softness, you can taste them and if they are not sweet enough (mine always are) you can add a little bit of honey. You can also add cinnamon at this point if you wish. It is good without it, but the cinnamon elevates it to a whole new level! I enjoy this recipe both hot and cold. It is good on its own and as a topping for yogurt! This is a recipe I came up with so I didn't have to miss out during the holidays on one of my favorite dishes.
Ingredients: Cranberries Honey Cinnamon Water Orange zest Freshly squeezed orange juice and pulp Steps: 1. Rinse the cranberries and get them heating in a saucepan with water on high heat on the stovetop. (Use a whole bag if you want a decent amount of sauce. If you want less, use only half a bag of cranberries.) 2. After they have been cooking for a bit, turn the heat down. 3. Make sure to be stirring the sauce frequently to prevent scorching and add more water as needed. 4. Add in some fresh orange zest, juice, and pulp (it really brightens up this sauce and adds another layer of depth to it). 5. When all the cranberries have burst and the sauce is cooked down enough and reached the desired consistency, you can add honey and cinnamon to taste. Depending on how tart you like your cranberry sauce, you will need more or less honey. These cookies are a delicious treat with a good combination of flavors.
Ingredients: 5 cups almond flour 1 cup raisins 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut 1 cup chopped walnuts 1 cup honey 1/2 cup melted butter 1/8 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking soda 2 eggs, beaten Steps: 1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 2. Mix all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. 3. Drop the cookies by the spoonful onto a greased cookie sheet. (At least by the tablespoonful, but you can make them larger if you want.) 4. Press the cookies flat with a buttered fork. 5. Bake them for 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown. Yield: This recipe makes several dozen cookies, varying depending upon how large you make them, but they are delicious, so they won't last too long! It is not always easy to find SCD-friendly products in the stores. More and more companies are making products that are legal on the SCD and other similar diets. There are plenty of products made with simple ingredients and produced in a safe way such as being certified gluten free, non-GMO, organic, soy free, vegetarian, vegan, dairy free, lactose free, casein free, egg free, and not being produced on equipment or in facilities that also process SCD illegal ingredients.
Many of these products are also paleo-friendly and friendly to many other similar diets such as gluten free, dairy free, lactose free, casein free, egg free, and soy free. Mezzetta brand products - Tomato Sauces: Caramelized Onion and Butter, Marinara, Italian Plum Tomato Delicate Marinara, Tomato and Sweet Basil Olives: Pitted Kalamata Olives Capers: Imported Gourmet Non-Pareil Capers Larabar brand products - Original Larabars: Peanut Butter Cookie, Cashew Cookie, Apple Pie, Blueberry Muffin, Coconut Cream Pie, Carrot Cake, Pecan Pie, Cinnamon Roll, Cherry Pie, Banana Bread, Peanut Butter & Jelly, and Peanut Butter Banana. Seasonally available flavors: Gingerbread, Pumpkin Pie, and Snickerdoodle! Fruit and Greens: Mango Spinach Cashew, Strawberry Spinach Cashew, Pineapple Kale Cashew, and Blueberry Spinach Cashew Organic with Superfoods: Turmeric, Ginger & Beet KIND bar products - PRESSED by KIND: Pineapple Banana Kale Spinach & Apricot Pear Carrot Beet Friendship brand products - Farmer's cheese (otherwise known as Dry Curd Cottage Cheese) Cabot brand cheeses - Cheddars: Seriously Sharp Cheddar, Extra Sharp Cheddar, New York Extra Sharp Cheddar All of their varieties have 0g of lactose per serving! R. W. Knudsen Juices - Concord Grape Grapefruit Tropicana Orange Juice - Remember to avoid the kind with added calcium because it is bound with cornstarch and is therefore illegal on the SCD. Florida's Natural Orange Juice - The same goes for avoiding the kind with the added calcium! All Natural Peanut Butters - Woodstock: Smooth & Crunchy (also comes in salted varieties & they make other nut butters as well) This brand is extremely creamy and delicious! Teddie: Smooth & Super Chunky (also comes in salted) This brand is also very good! It is also much easier to find in more stores and is cheaper too! Crazy Richard's: Creamy & Crunchy This brand is very smooth and creamy with a delicious roasted peanut flavor. The smooth one has recently become my new favorite! The crunchy one is also very good! Brad's Organics: Smooth & Crunchy This Canadian brand has a very strong, distinct roasted peanut flavor and a lighter color. SCD Yogurt Starters - These yogurts can be used as starters for making SCD-style yogurt. They are not lactose free and therefore are not safe to consume as is on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet! Maple Hill: This is a thinner, more American style yogurt with cream on top. Sigi's: This is an extremely thick and rich Icelandic Skyr. Coconut Flour - Bob's Red Mill: USDA organic, gluten free, Kosher - I have a high level of trust in this brand's dedication to keeping its products safe. Better Body Foods: gluten free, Kosher, USDA certified organic, and non-GMO project verified Almond Flour - Bob's Red Mill: gluten free, non-GMO, Kosher Nuts - Peanuts: Hampton Farms (Really a legume, but still) Unsweetened Shredded Coconut: Bob's Red Mill (Really a fruit, but still) Unsweetened Flaked Coconut: Bob's Red Mill Pecans: Fisher Hazelnuts: Fisher Raw Whole Natural Almonds: Blue Diamond Walnuts: Blue Diamond Rao's Homemade - Tomato Sauce: Marinara Sauce Applegate - Uncured Hot Dogs - beef, turkey (they also have organic varieties - beef, turkey) Bacon - pork, turkey Aidell's - Smoked Chicken Sausage - Roasted Garlic and Gruyere Honey - Nature Nate's 100% Raw & Unfiltered Honey This bread is a good basic all-around-use bread with a lightly sweet taste.
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups sifted coconut flour 12 eggs 4 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 1 cup melted butter or coconut oil 4 T. honey Steps: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Grease a loaf pan. 3. Sift coconut flour into a bowl and mix by hand to combine it with the other dry ingredients. 4. In a larger mixing bowl, crack the eggs, and add in all the other wet ingredients and mix by hand to combine. 5. Add in the dry ingredients and combine, making sure there are no lumps. 6. Place into the loaf pan and bake for about 40 mins. or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Yield: One decent-sized loaf of bread. It will not be as tall as an average loaf of bread. You can cut this recipe in half if you want to make a smaller loaf. Make sure you use a proportional loaf pan so that it is more similar in height to a normal-sized slice of bread and more usable for sandwiches because it will not rise very much. Refrigerate to prolong freshness. |
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