Hi Dawn – At this point early on in the diet, we’d suggest sticking to the suggested foods and just eating more of them. WHen you get that figured out (at least somewhat!_ you can move on to the shakes Steve talks about in the article. Make sure he’s on enzymes, which will actually help him digest and absorb what he is eating.

Hi Marie – I can honestly say that we always go by how we feel and not by numbers. We’re personally found that if our HCL is in line, we can tolerate meat 2-3 times per day. Fat, on the other hand, can be hard to digest if you have an impaired gut so we recommend consuming it to tolerance.
If you have some time, listen to Steve and Jordan talk about losing weight on the diet and how to stop it in one of our old podcasts (around the 31 minute mark).

Here’s the link: https://healthygut.com/the-scd-lifestyle-solution-podcast-3-how-we-survived-the-intro-diet/

Also, here’s two articles Steve wrote about the SCD Diet, calories, and losing weight:

https://healthygut.com/5-easy-ways-to-add-calories-to-the-scd-diet/

https://healthygut.com/are-you-starving-yourself-on-the-specific-carbohydrate-diet/

Hi Tammy – thanks so much for reaching out to us.

You’re right that if you haven’t introduced some of these foods yet, you won’t want to add them in this way. If you’re just in Phase 2, these might not all work for you yet.

Weight loss on the SCD is really challenging, especially if you like to workout or are really active. However, at only Phase 2 of the diet, it might be better to scale way back on your exercise and focus instead on only gentle activity like walking, yoga, easy bike rides until you’ve expanded your diet more.

Our Meal Plans start at Phase 1 and tell you exactly what to eat and how much to get at least 2,000 calories per day, as well – you can check them out here: https://healthygut.com/meal-plans/

In the end though – we think your weight will balance out as you stick with the diet and add in more foods slowly. If you try and force weight gain by eating too much or too many foods too soon, you’ll only set yourself back further. Healing is a journey that requires patience. This might be your boy’s way of telling you it needs time to rest and heal.

Cost $33 for pack of 12 cans.

I am about to order a batch from amazon…

Coconuts are amazing..I wish I had time to crack them open every day…but I dont…so this brand will have to do…

Raw is always best…you cant beat nature…when you pasteurize…you are going against nature…and you pay for the compromise

Paul

@ Roxanne – I was referring to the book we wrote it’s a how-to book for SCD. Breaking it down to the fastest and simplest way to feel better. We tried to fill in all the blanks left out of BTVC. Here’s a link: http://www.scdlifestylebook.com

@ Roxanne – sounds like you probably should restart from the intro diet and use something like our book to help you navigate back to feeling amazing. That’s why we created it and I know it works! Figure out a plan that makes sense and work it. Don’t just jump from food to food as the ship is sinking.

Hi Anon – it seems like most of what your Naturopath recommended is fats and proteins also with a few starches.

If you’re struggling to digest fats I would highly recommend you try SCD legal digestive enzymes from GI Pro Health here: http://www.giprohealth.com/prozymes.aspx

It doesn’t take too much time to grab a couple tablespoons of Coconut Oil or an avocado. Or dip all your meat in Olive Oil. That will help the calories dramatically.

In good health,

Jordan

etc…
becoming obsessive drives me NUTS…i can’t do that…and at 60 lbs…if i don’t gain, my doctor will put me in hospital…
so i’m hoping to just eat normal as i can…i have to make myself eat…but for me to fully ban those yogurts, cheeses, fruits, etc etc…that would make me neurotic…
i live on my own and just don’t have the energy…
if they put me in the hospital, they’ll only stuff me with ensure and crap…so surely i can try to get up to a far safer weight first right??

Hi Karen ~ Sauerkraut can be really tough on people and cause gas and bloating, so respect it. I would say that if you are feeling good give it a shot around Phase 2 or so. But the key is to start with a very small amount (like a tsp) and work your way up. Just try to keep everything else the same so you know how it’s affecting your body. It’s especially good to try it if you can’t do dairy and haven’t been able to start the yogurt. But have respect for the probiotic effect and the impact it can have in increasing stomach acid (which most of us need anyway).

Jordan

I have a question about Sauerkraut. I understand that it is loaded with good bacteria. At what stage of the diet would you recommend trying it?

Hey Sal,

I would try and give it a shot in phase 1 or 2. It adds so much valuable calories and anti-microbial properties it’s unreal. Try a tablespoon a day for 2 days and see if there is any change in how you feel.

It’s pure fats, so the main thing is how you digest fats. If you are struggling to digest fats you probably need to get a digestive enzyme like the ones from giprohealth.com that have lipase, which is what breaks down fats. It’s common for people with inflammation and digestive disease to have insufficient pancreatic function at first, which = a lack of digestive enzyme’s to help you out.

Let us know how it goes!

In good health,
Jordan

My one caution with the Canned Tuna is be aware of mercury intake and also make sure that the brand you are eating does not add a broth to the Tuna and is just water plus low salt or no salt.

Adding coconut oil to it does sound amazing! Thanks for the tip… I will try it soon.

In good health,
Jordan

I love coconut oil. The brands I like most are Nutiva and Tropical Traditions.

I like your canned tuna as a snack tip in the book. I add coconut oil to my tuna (I warm the oil first to liquify it before stirring it in) and it tastes fantastic and it’s so filling.

It is always best to to “make” coconut milk using shredded coconut and water in a food processor. I have found a few brands that use a different preservative called sodium metabisulfite instead of guar gum. I only use it when I don’t have time to make my milk from scratch and from what I can tell it was never deemed legal or illegal by Elaine. However it is an added ingredient in making wine which is legal in small quantities. So therefore I’ve taken the approach that is legal in small quantities.

Chaokoh, Goya, and Aroy-D make coconut milks that I use, the only places I usually find them are small Asian markets or specialty stores. But they can be purchased off Amazon.

I would suggest you wait at least 3 months as I’m sure Elaine had some kind of data to make her recommendation on however, as far as I’m concerned coconut milk is one of the healthiest and best sources of calories available. Start with coconut oil and coconut water and work up to the milk.