Re: Struggling - starting to seriously doubt we can do this

August 23, 2005

Summer

You are a breath of fresh air on a very cold, wet and windy night

here at the other side of the big puddle! Cian has just got over to

sleep so I'm going to turn in. Think I'll go intro again tomorrow

with soup soup and more soup.

Keep posting your inspiration, God knows I need it LOL

Aileen

>

> > I have been trying to transition my family to SCD (3

> > kids with

> > neurological problems & some minor digestive

> > problems - mainly

> > gassiness with occasional D) and so far the only

> > change that I have

> > been able to make completely is to get us casein

> > free. We have

> > almost eliminated soy completely, significantly

> > reduced our sugar,

> > wheat & gluten, increased our protein & fruit intake

> > as well.

> >

> > We are definitely seeing some good results (the

> > casein was a

> > biggie), but my dh is saying that we can't afford it

> > (particularly

> > the organic foods - meats, eggs, cheese & produce),

> > there isn't

> > enough variety, and he really does not want to give

> > up grains -

> > mainly because he likes to snack, hates yogurt &

> > most nuts & won't

> > snack on fruits/veggies type stuff. (I was thinking

> > of keeping a

> > stash of sourdough pretzels just for him since even

> > though the kids

> > eat them, they wouldn't see them as a source of

> > temptation)

> >

> > I am having trouble getting starches out because we

> > aren't big

> > veggie eaters and I don't know how to work them in

> > without upping our

> > protein which I am already concerned is getting too

> > high. (I found

> > a DAN! dr's site that recommends 30-40% protein of

> > total caloric

> > intake & I think we are getting close to the 40% and

> > don't want to

> > go higher)

> >

> > And unfortunately, starches are generally cheaper

> > than veggies. I

> > am also already overwhelmed for time and trying to

> > keep up with the

> > dishes and there's no way I can do the farm co-op

> > type

> > arrangements and probably wouldn't know what to do

> > with a lot of

> > what they had available anyway.

> >

> > I really need some tasty, inexpensive & not

> > particularly time

> > consuming ideas for veggie sides at meals, I guess.

> > Is that wishful

> > thinking?

> >

> > We already do baby carrots, frozen peas & carrots,

> > broccoli(w/cheese

> > sauce). Chopped green pepper, celery & onions for

> > seasoning various

> > dishes, but the kids usually pick them out. Only

> > about half of us

> > like to eat fresh tomatoes, but we all do tomato

> > sauces. We loved

> > canned spinach, but find fresh spinach a lot more

> > bitter & don't

> > like it much unless maybe there's a better way to

> > cook it. Green

> > beans have been the same - the family liked them

> > canned but not

> > fresh or frozen. I tried cooking yellow squash,

> > mashing it, and

> > adding honey & pumpkin spices and it didn't go over

> > very well

> > (seemed to have an odd kind of aftertaste or

> > something). Are other

> > kinds of squashes better tasting maybe?

> >

> > I have made some soups & have used things like leeks

> > & turnips in

> > the mix with pretty good reviews, but I need more

> > soup ideas. I'd

> > like to have enough variety to do a different veggie

> > side with

> > dinner each day of the week. Things like the

> > meatballs w/avocado

> > mixed in that I saw here sounds yummy, but what do

> > you serve along

> > with it?

> >

> > I am seriously considering just working on finding

> > ways for us to

> > keep eating healthier and give up on getting to SCD

> > at least for the

> > time being.

>

> If your intention is to stay on SCD, what can people do in the way

to help you?

>

> You have so many issues going on, I know it is not simple. The

first time we tried SCD, my hubby refused to go on board, and I only

committed partially. It did not work, but SCD started working for my

kids. The second time we did SCD, I demanded, as Matriarch of this

house, that all shall eat what I cook, when I cook, as I am THE cook

and THE mother. It was not easy, but sometimes what seems hardest

turns out to be easiest. The beginning, is the roughest. Once you

have your feet in, you are able to cook faster and more efficiently,

and much more cheaply.

>

> I do allow my husband to have some snacks of his choice, which

remain locked up. While the diet did not please him in the beginning,

once you up end the sugar, carbohydrate, and flavor chemical

addictions, the food takes on a whole new taste of its own.

>

> Now, before SCD, all of us had our own special ways and foods we

were eating. Now we eat as one family. My children, of course, were

terrible eaters, but now, they eat and try more and more food.

>

> SCD and enzymes are our main medical interventions, used in stead

of ritalin, risperidol, and physical therapy. Even though we still

have a ways to go, the rate of learning and mastery of physical

skills are being aquired by great leaps and bounds.

>

> We have times, when things get a bit upended. Enter the whole free

range and organic food thing. Due to a higher rate of oxidative

stress that has been noted in autistic individuals, and having any

neurological problem at all, it seems that limiting the amount of

neurotoxins entering the body is a great bet.

>

> A couple months ago, my children and I had a yeasty reaction, and

were off the wall. Kept happening. It was june strawberry harvest

here in the northwest, and the problem was the eating of non-organic

strawberries. The eating of this brought back some spaciness, mega

hyperactivity, sleep problems, and picky food selection. A tested

this a few more times since, the exact same scenario. Does not happen

with the same strain of organic strawberries. The moral of my ramble

is, it is a long and perplexing process trying to find out what is

triggers problems in our kids, AND in ourselves.

>

> Compared to eating grains and processed food, SCD can be somewhat

more expensive a diet to maintain. Comparing SCD conventional foods,

and organic foods, there should not be too much price difference

between the two, if you shop wisely. The biggest part of this is to

learn to start planning. Even if everything doesn't happen all at

once, just starting SCD, and substituting those organic foods that

you can, is a great start.

>

> I guess, so many people are so emphatic about free range and

organic foods for neurological problems, because these foods have

been found to be an overall better choice for people suffering from

neurological problems, and overloaded detoxification mechanisms and

congested livers. Alot of children and adults are very sensitive to

these pesticides, and have improved greatly when completely removed

from the diet. Another example, the natural coloring added to cheese

and other food products, annatto. I found tto, although an all

natural coloring, also causes hyperactivity in my children. ly,

eating a chicken that has lived in a tiny cage its whole life, with

its beak and feet cut off, no matter the price tag at the store, how

could it be healthy. The stress, the sickness, the fat storage, no

exercise, no sunlight, cheap and noxious feed, etc. all these take

the same toll on a chicken they would on a human. After eating free

range for awhile, going back to conventional chicken,

> Farms, you name it, you notice and smell and taste the

difference. It is sickening.

>

> I do agree, alot of this is a whole lot to digest when just getting

started. These same issues may arise with any diet you choose,

though. What I would do, is plan to start the diet for real two weeks

from now. Understand the intro diet real well, and just go for it.

Just give a chance and go from there. This diet, while healthy, is

not just a diet, but a medical intervention as someone else

mentioned. Then, as you progress and get a hang of the shopping,

start working with your food budget, substituting better foods. I

would personally recommend starting with free range/organic eggs

before anything else.

>

> Since my children eat more variety now, and both eat the same foods

(as opposed to the old days), we have alot less waste now.

>

> I guess, hearing from you, on how we could help support you doing

this process, in juggling what you have to juggle.

>

> What is your monthly food budget? You said you spend about $800 on

food for 5 people now, what was it before and what are you buying?

Where does it need to be? Do you have a Trader Joe's near you?

>

> Here are a few scrumptious recipes for veggies. Of course, this is

not for the intro diet, please follow BTVC for that. The longer you

are on the diet, the more food possibilities may open up.

>

> Creamy Green Beans and Mushrooms

>

> 6-8 ounce sliced mushrooms

>

> 1/2 cup finely chopped onion

>

> 1/4 cup butter (ghee, coconut butter, etc. use more if you really

want to indulge)

>

> 11/2 pounds freshly cut green beans

>

> 1 cup water

>

> salt and pepper

>

> 1/2 cup yogurt (cow, goat, nut, coconut will work)

>

> Saute mushrooms and onions in gently preheated hot butter. Add

green beans, water, salt and peper. Bring to a gentle boil; reduce

heat and cover. Simmer until tender. Add yogurt and heat through

without boiling. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

>

> This recipe is soooo delicious!

>

> Another one we like, is to slice blanched, red peppers in half,

remove seeds, and bake with cheese slices and a pinch of cumin and

salt, in the oven at 350 for about ten minutes, or until cheese is

melted. We have also stuffed our red peppers with the yogurt cheese,

mixed with other spices. You can also stuff them with sauteed

mushrooms, sauteed basil, salt and pepper and yogurt cheese. Easy,

quick, and a crowd pleaser.

>

> Cashew Cauliflower (Note, cashews are not for beginners)

>

> I like to roast cashew pieces in the oven, until lightly brown,

with a little extra virgen olive oil and salt. Set aside. (you can

also use slivered almonds, walnuts, hazlenuts, etc. I personally make

this dish with whatever is on hand, including toasted old nut bread

crumbs).

>

> Then, saute a whole head of chopped cauliflower, in a little extra

virgen olive oil, ghee, whatever you like to use. While sauteeing,

add a teaspoon or 2, according to taste of curry powder (recipe in

Ramen Prasad's SCD cookbook " Adventures In The Family Kitchen " page

139) or Garam (Hot) Masala (page 140, same cookbook). When

cauliflower is tender (not overly soft), remove from heat, toss with

cashew pieces and serve.

>

> This recipe makes an excellent cold dish for a lunch or potluck,

and is universally loved. This is one of the recipes I loved to cook

pre SCD.

>

> I love these 3 cookbooks, BTVC, Lucy's Specific Carbohydrate Diet

Cookbook, and Adventures In The Family Kitchen. I could not have

gotten through the beginning of SCD without them. Once you get a hang

of the diet, you can pick up tasty recipes from everywhere, other

cookbooks, the newspaper, cooking shows. You'll get a feeling how you

can adapt recipes for SCD and other individual sensitivities, and it

becomes really, really fun. My children are 4 and 6, and they have a

blast cooking in our own SCD kitchen. It is a great exercise in

learning to take care of oneself, follow directions, measuring,

fractions, addition, and most of all, the fun of creating.

>

> If there are other things you can think of, you need help with,

please ask!

>

> Summer

>

> __________________________________________________

>

August 23, 2005

I hope that you will add your recipe for creamy green beans to the website.

It simply sounds too good to take a chance on anyone not being able to use

it. I can't make it right now, but hopefully one day, and I'm hoping when

that day comes, that it will be in an easy-to-find place.

Re: Struggling - starting to seriously doubt we can do

this

>

> --- sola_gratia_77x7 quovadis@...> wrote:

>

> > I have been trying to transition my family to SCD (3

> > kids with

> > neurological problems & some minor digestive

> > problems - mainly

> > gassiness with occasional D) and so far the only

> > change that I have

> > been able to make completely is to get us casein

> > free. We have

> > almost eliminated soy completely, significantly

> > reduced our sugar,

> > wheat & gluten, increased our protein & fruit intake

> > as well.

> >

> > We are definitely seeing some good results (the

> > casein was a

> > biggie), but my dh is saying that we can't afford it

> > (particularly

> > the organic foods - meats, eggs, cheese & produce),

> > there isn't

> > enough variety, and he really does not want to give

> > up grains -

> > mainly because he likes to snack, hates yogurt &

> > most nuts & won't

> > snack on fruits/veggies type stuff. (I was thinking

> > of keeping a

> > stash of sourdough pretzels just for him since even

> > though the kids

> > eat them, they wouldn't see them as a source of

> > temptation)

> >

> > I am having trouble getting starches out because we

> > aren't big

> > veggie eaters and I don't know how to work them in

> > without upping our

> > protein which I am already concerned is getting too

> > high. (I found

> > a DAN! dr's site that recommends 30-40% protein of

> > total caloric

> > intake & I think we are getting close to the 40% and

> > don't want to

> > go higher)

> >

> > And unfortunately, starches are generally cheaper

> > than veggies. I

> > am also already overwhelmed for time and trying to

> > keep up with the

> > dishes and there's no way I can do the farm co-op

> > type

> > arrangements and probably wouldn't know what to do

> > with a lot of

> > what they had available anyway.

> >

> > I really need some tasty, inexpensive & not

> > particularly time

> > consuming ideas for veggie sides at meals, I guess.

> > Is that wishful

> > thinking?

> >

> > We already do baby carrots, frozen peas & carrots,

> > broccoli(w/cheese

> > sauce). Chopped green pepper, celery & onions for

> > seasoning various

> > dishes, but the kids usually pick them out. Only

> > about half of us

> > like to eat fresh tomatoes, but we all do tomato

> > sauces. We loved

> > canned spinach, but find fresh spinach a lot more

> > bitter & don't

> > like it much unless maybe there's a better way to

> > cook it. Green

> > beans have been the same - the family liked them

> > canned but not

> > fresh or frozen. I tried cooking yellow squash,

> > mashing it, and

> > adding honey & pumpkin spices and it didn't go over

> > very well

> > (seemed to have an odd kind of aftertaste or

> > something). Are other

> > kinds of squashes better tasting maybe?

> >

> > I have made some soups & have used things like leeks

> > & turnips in

> > the mix with pretty good reviews, but I need more

> > soup ideas. I'd

> > like to have enough variety to do a different veggie

> > side with

> > dinner each day of the week. Things like the

> > meatballs w/avocado

> > mixed in that I saw here sounds yummy, but what do

> > you serve along

> > with it?

> >

> > I am seriously considering just working on finding

> > ways for us to

> > keep eating healthier and give up on getting to SCD

> > at least for the

> > time being.

>

> If your intention is to stay on SCD, what can people do in the way to help

> you?

>

> You have so many issues going on, I know it is not simple. The first time

> we tried SCD, my hubby refused to go on board, and I only committed

> partially. It did not work, but SCD started working for my kids. The

> second time we did SCD, I demanded, as Matriarch of this house, that all

> shall eat what I cook, when I cook, as I am THE cook and THE mother. It

> was not easy, but sometimes what seems hardest turns out to be easiest.

> The beginning, is the roughest. Once you have your feet in, you are able

> to cook faster and more efficiently, and much more cheaply.

>

> I do allow my husband to have some snacks of his choice, which remain

> locked up. While the diet did not please him in the beginning, once you up

> end the sugar, carbohydrate, and flavor chemical addictions, the food

> takes on a whole new taste of its own.

>

> Now, before SCD, all of us had our own special ways and foods we were

> eating. Now we eat as one family. My children, of course, were terrible

> eaters, but now, they eat and try more and more food.

>

> SCD and enzymes are our main medical interventions, used in stead of

> ritalin, risperidol, and physical therapy. Even though we still have a

> ways to go, the rate of learning and mastery of physical skills are being

> aquired by great leaps and bounds.

>

> We have times, when things get a bit upended. Enter the whole free range

> and organic food thing. Due to a higher rate of oxidative stress that has

> been noted in autistic individuals, and having any neurological problem at

> all, it seems that limiting the amount of neurotoxins entering the body is

> a great bet.

>

> A couple months ago, my children and I had a yeasty reaction, and were off

> the wall. Kept happening. It was june strawberry harvest here in the

> northwest, and the problem was the eating of non-organic strawberries. The

> eating of this brought back some spaciness, mega hyperactivity, sleep

> problems, and picky food selection. A tested this a few more times since,

> the exact same scenario. Does not happen with the same strain of organic

> strawberries. The moral of my ramble is, it is a long and perplexing

> process trying to find out what is triggers problems in our kids, AND in

> ourselves.

>

> Compared to eating grains and processed food, SCD can be somewhat more

> expensive a diet to maintain. Comparing SCD conventional foods, and

> organic foods, there should not be too much price difference between the

> two, if you shop wisely. The biggest part of this is to learn to start

> planning. Even if everything doesn't happen all at once, just starting

> SCD, and substituting those organic foods that you can, is a great start.

>

> I guess, so many people are so emphatic about free range and organic foods

> for neurological problems, because these foods have been found to be an

> overall better choice for people suffering from neurological problems, and

> overloaded detoxification mechanisms and congested livers. Alot of

> children and adults are very sensitive to these pesticides, and have

> improved greatly when completely removed from the diet. Another example,

> the natural coloring added to cheese and other food products, annatto. I

> found tto, although an all natural coloring, also causes hyperactivity

> in my children. ly, eating a chicken that has lived in a tiny cage

> its whole life, with its beak and feet cut off, no matter the price tag at

> the store, how could it be healthy. The stress, the sickness, the fat

> storage, no exercise, no sunlight, cheap and noxious feed, etc. all these

> take the same toll on a chicken they would on a human. After eating free

> range for awhile, going back to conventional chicken,

> Farms, you name it, you notice and smell and taste the difference.

> It is sickening.

>

> I do agree, alot of this is a whole lot to digest when just getting

> started. These same issues may arise with any diet you choose, though.

> What I would do, is plan to start the diet for real two weeks from now.

> Understand the intro diet real well, and just go for it. Just give a

> chance and go from there. This diet, while healthy, is not just a diet,

> but a medical intervention as someone else mentioned. Then, as you

> progress and get a hang of the shopping, start working with your food

> budget, substituting better foods. I would personally recommend starting

> with free range/organic eggs before anything else.

>

> Since my children eat more variety now, and both eat the same foods (as

> opposed to the old days), we have alot less waste now.

>

> I guess, hearing from you, on how we could help support you doing this

> process, in juggling what you have to juggle.

>

> What is your monthly food budget? You said you spend about $800 on food

> for 5 people now, what was it before and what are you buying? Where does

> it need to be? Do you have a Trader Joe's near you?

>

> Here are a few scrumptious recipes for veggies. Of course, this is not for

> the intro diet, please follow BTVC for that. The longer you are on the

> diet, the more food possibilities may open up.

>

> Creamy Green Beans and Mushrooms

>

> 6-8 ounce sliced mushrooms

>

> 1/2 cup finely chopped onion

>

> 1/4 cup butter (ghee, coconut butter, etc. use more if you really want to

> indulge)

>

> 11/2 pounds freshly cut green beans

>

> 1 cup water

>

> salt and pepper

>

> 1/2 cup yogurt (cow, goat, nut, coconut will work)

>

> Saute mushrooms and onions in gently preheated hot butter. Add green

> beans, water, salt and peper. Bring to a gentle boil; reduce heat and

> cover. Simmer until tender. Add yogurt and heat through without boiling.

> Add more salt and pepper to taste.

>

> This recipe is soooo delicious!

>

> Another one we like, is to slice blanched, red peppers in half, remove

> seeds, and bake with cheese slices and a pinch of cumin and salt, in the

> oven at 350 for about ten minutes, or until cheese is melted. We have also

> stuffed our red peppers with the yogurt cheese, mixed with other spices.

> You can also stuff them with sauteed mushrooms, sauteed basil, salt and

> pepper and yogurt cheese. Easy, quick, and a crowd pleaser.

>

> Cashew Cauliflower (Note, cashews are not for beginners)

>

> I like to roast cashew pieces in the oven, until lightly brown, with a

> little extra virgen olive oil and salt. Set aside. (you can also use

> slivered almonds, walnuts, hazlenuts, etc. I personally make this dish

> with whatever is on hand, including toasted old nut bread crumbs).

>

> Then, saute a whole head of chopped cauliflower, in a little extra virgen

> olive oil, ghee, whatever you like to use. While sauteeing, add a teaspoon

> or 2, according to taste of curry powder (recipe in Ramen Prasad's SCD

> cookbook " Adventures In The Family Kitchen " page 139) or Garam (Hot)

> Masala (page 140, same cookbook). When cauliflower is tender (not overly

> soft), remove from heat, toss with cashew pieces and serve.

>

> This recipe makes an excellent cold dish for a lunch or potluck, and is

> universally loved. This is one of the recipes I loved to cook pre SCD.

>

> I love these 3 cookbooks, BTVC, Lucy's Specific Carbohydrate Diet

> Cookbook, and Adventures In The Family Kitchen. I could not have gotten

> through the beginning of SCD without them. Once you get a hang of the

> diet, you can pick up tasty recipes from everywhere, other cookbooks, the

> newspaper, cooking shows. You'll get a feeling how you can adapt recipes

> for SCD and other individual sensitivities, and it becomes really, really

> fun. My children are 4 and 6, and they have a blast cooking in our own SCD

> kitchen. It is a great exercise in learning to take care of oneself,

> follow directions, measuring, fractions, addition, and most of all, the

> fun of creating.

>

> If there are other things you can think of, you need help with, please

> ask!

>

> Summer

>

> __________________________________________________

>

August 24, 2005

Hi Summer

I know organics are not affordable/necessary for everyone but if you want to

go organic with anything it should be strawberries. I don't know if the same

chemicals are used throughout the world but here I have heard they can put a

concoction of 21 chemicals on them - one of which can cause miscarriages.

All the best,

Vicki

on 24/8/05 10:23 AM, Gertrude Snicklegrove at hunterdrake2001@...

wrote:

--- sola_gratia_77x7 quovadis@...> wrote:

> I have been trying to transition my family to SCD (3

> kids with

> neurological problems & some minor digestive

> problems - mainly

> gassiness with occasional D) and so far the only

> change that I have

> been able to make completely is to get us casein

> free. We have

> almost eliminated soy completely, significantly

> reduced our sugar,

> wheat & gluten, increased our protein & fruit intake

> as well.

>

> We are definitely seeing some good results (the

> casein was a

> biggie), but my dh is saying that we can't afford it

> (particularly

> the organic foods - meats, eggs, cheese & produce),

> there isn't

> enough variety, and he really does not want to give

> up grains -

> mainly because he likes to snack, hates yogurt &

> most nuts & won't

> snack on fruits/veggies type stuff. (I was thinking

> of keeping a

> stash of sourdough pretzels just for him since even

> though the kids

> eat them, they wouldn't see them as a source of

> temptation)

>

> I am having trouble getting starches out because we

> aren't big

> veggie eaters and I don't know how to work them in

> without upping our

> protein which I am already concerned is getting too

> high. (I found

> a DAN! dr's site that recommends 30-40% protein of

> total caloric

> intake & I think we are getting close to the 40% and

> don't want to

> go higher)

>

> And unfortunately, starches are generally cheaper

> than veggies. I

> am also already overwhelmed for time and trying to

> keep up with the

> dishes and there's no way I can do the farm co-op

> type

> arrangements and probably wouldn't know what to do

> with a lot of

> what they had available anyway.

>

> I really need some tasty, inexpensive & not

> particularly time

> consuming ideas for veggie sides at meals, I guess.

> Is that wishful

> thinking?

>

> We already do baby carrots, frozen peas & carrots,

> broccoli(w/cheese

> sauce). Chopped green pepper, celery & onions for

> seasoning various

> dishes, but the kids usually pick them out. Only

> about half of us

> like to eat fresh tomatoes, but we all do tomato

> sauces. We loved

> canned spinach, but find fresh spinach a lot more

> bitter & don't

> like it much unless maybe there's a better way to

> cook it. Green

> beans have been the same - the family liked them

> canned but not

> fresh or frozen. I tried cooking yellow squash,

> mashing it, and

> adding honey & pumpkin spices and it didn't go over

> very well

> (seemed to have an odd kind of aftertaste or

> something). Are other

> kinds of squashes better tasting maybe?

>

> I have made some soups & have used things like leeks

> & turnips in

> the mix with pretty good reviews, but I need more

> soup ideas. I'd

> like to have enough variety to do a different veggie

> side with

> dinner each day of the week. Things like the

> meatballs w/avocado

> mixed in that I saw here sounds yummy, but what do

> you serve along

> with it?

>

> I am seriously considering just working on finding

> ways for us to

> keep eating healthier and give up on getting to SCD

> at least for the

> time being.

If your intention is to stay on SCD, what can people do in the way to help

you?

You have so many issues going on, I know it is not simple. The first time we

tried SCD, my hubby refused to go on board, and I only committed partially.

It did not work, but SCD started working for my kids. The second time we did

SCD, I demanded, as Matriarch of this house, that all shall eat what I cook,

when I cook, as I am THE cook and THE mother. It was not easy, but sometimes

what seems hardest turns out to be easiest. The beginning, is the roughest.

Once you have your feet in, you are able to cook faster and more

efficiently, and much more cheaply.

I do allow my husband to have some snacks of his choice, which remain locked

up. While the diet did not please him in the beginning, once you up end the

sugar, carbohydrate, and flavor chemical addictions, the food takes on a

whole new taste of its own.

Now, before SCD, all of us had our own special ways and foods we were

eating. Now we eat as one family. My children, of course, were terrible

eaters, but now, they eat and try more and more food.

SCD and enzymes are our main medical interventions, used in stead of

ritalin, risperidol, and physical therapy. Even though we still have a ways

to go, the rate of learning and mastery of physical skills are being aquired

by great leaps and bounds.

We have times, when things get a bit upended. Enter the whole free range and

organic food thing. Due to a higher rate of oxidative stress that has been

noted in autistic individuals, and having any neurological problem at all,

it seems that limiting the amount of neurotoxins entering the body is a

great bet.

A couple months ago, my children and I had a yeasty reaction, and were off

the wall. Kept happening. It was june strawberry harvest here in the

northwest, and the problem was the eating of non-organic strawberries. The

eating of this brought back some spaciness, mega hyperactivity, sleep

problems, and picky food selection. A tested this a few more times since,

the exact same scenario. Does not happen with the same strain of organic

strawberries. The moral of my ramble is, it is a long and perplexing process

trying to find out what is triggers problems in our kids, AND in ourselves.

Compared to eating grains and processed food, SCD can be somewhat more

expensive a diet to maintain. Comparing SCD conventional foods, and organic

foods, there should not be too much price difference between the two, if you

shop wisely. The biggest part of this is to learn to start planning. Even if

everything doesn't happen all at once, just starting SCD, and substituting

those organic foods that you can, is a great start.

I guess, so many people are so emphatic about free range and organic foods

for neurological problems, because these foods have been found to be an

overall better choice for people suffering from neurological problems, and

overloaded detoxification mechanisms and congested livers. Alot of children

and adults are very sensitive to these pesticides, and have improved greatly

when completely removed from the diet. Another example, the natural coloring

added to cheese and other food products, annatto. I found tto, although

an all natural coloring, also causes hyperactivity in my children. ly,

eating a chicken that has lived in a tiny cage its whole life, with its beak

and feet cut off, no matter the price tag at the store, how could it be

healthy. The stress, the sickness, the fat storage, no exercise, no

sunlight, cheap and noxious feed, etc. all these take the same toll on a

chicken they would on a human. After eating free range for awhile, going

back to conventional chicken,

Farms, you name it, you notice and smell and taste the difference. It

is sickening.

I do agree, alot of this is a whole lot to digest when just getting started.

These same issues may arise with any diet you choose, though. What I would

do, is plan to start the diet for real two weeks from now. Understand the

intro diet real well, and just go for it. Just give a chance and go from

there. This diet, while healthy, is not just a diet, but a medical

intervention as someone else mentioned. Then, as you progress and get a hang

of the shopping, start working with your food budget, substituting better

foods. I would personally recommend starting with free range/organic eggs

before anything else.

Since my children eat more variety now, and both eat the same foods (as

opposed to the old days), we have alot less waste now.

I guess, hearing from you, on how we could help support you doing this

process, in juggling what you have to juggle.

What is your monthly food budget? You said you spend about $800 on food for

5 people now, what was it before and what are you buying? Where does it need

to be? Do you have a Trader Joe's near you?

Here are a few scrumptious recipes for veggies. Of course, this is not for

the intro diet, please follow BTVC for that. The longer you are on the diet,

the more food possibilities may open up.

Creamy Green Beans and Mushrooms

6-8 ounce sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup butter (ghee, coconut butter, etc. use more if you really want to

indulge)

11/2 pounds freshly cut green beans

1 cup water

salt and pepper

1/2 cup yogurt (cow, goat, nut, coconut will work)

Saute mushrooms and onions in gently preheated hot butter. Add green beans,

water, salt and peper. Bring to a gentle boil; reduce heat and cover. Simmer

until tender. Add yogurt and heat through without boiling. Add more salt and

pepper to taste.

This recipe is soooo delicious!

Another one we like, is to slice blanched, red peppers in half, remove

seeds, and bake with cheese slices and a pinch of cumin and salt, in the

oven at 350 for about ten minutes, or until cheese is melted. We have also

stuffed our red peppers with the yogurt cheese, mixed with other spices. You

can also stuff them with sauteed mushrooms, sauteed basil, salt and pepper

and yogurt cheese. Easy, quick, and a crowd pleaser.

Cashew Cauliflower (Note, cashews are not for beginners)

I like to roast cashew pieces in the oven, until lightly brown, with a

little extra virgen olive oil and salt. Set aside. (you can also use

slivered almonds, walnuts, hazlenuts, etc. I personally make this dish with

whatever is on hand, including toasted old nut bread crumbs).

Then, saute a whole head of chopped cauliflower, in a little extra virgen

olive oil, ghee, whatever you like to use. While sauteeing, add a teaspoon

or 2, according to taste of curry powder (recipe in Ramen Prasad's SCD

cookbook " Adventures In The Family Kitchen " page 139) or Garam (Hot) Masala

(page 140, same cookbook). When cauliflower is tender (not overly soft),

remove from heat, toss with cashew pieces and serve.

This recipe makes an excellent cold dish for a lunch or potluck, and is

universally loved. This is one of the recipes I loved to cook pre SCD.

I love these 3 cookbooks, BTVC, Lucy's Specific Carbohydrate Diet Cookbook,

and Adventures In The Family Kitchen. I could not have gotten through the

beginning of SCD without them. Once you get a hang of the diet, you can pick

up tasty recipes from everywhere, other cookbooks, the newspaper, cooking

shows. You'll get a feeling how you can adapt recipes for SCD and other

individual sensitivities, and it becomes really, really fun. My children are

4 and 6, and they have a blast cooking in our own SCD kitchen. It is a great

exercise in learning to take care of oneself, follow directions, measuring,

fractions, addition, and most of all, the fun of creating.

If there are other things you can think of, you need help with, please ask!

Summer

__________________________________________________

August 24, 2005

Vicki,

We have to go organic with everything! Everytime I take a chance, and try

something conventional, certain yeasty/autistic behavoirs COME back. I did not

know that strawberries had that many chemicals, 21 on them. However, I just am

not surprised by it either, not anymore. The last time we ate a conventional

strawberry, was during harvest time, this past june. We paid for it dearly. I

had thought it was a yeast reaction at first, but it was not. Eating SCD

organic, there is no way to fudge around this, for eliminating some very

specific behavoirs.

21 chemicals, and is it any wonder so many people can't process out toxins

anymore?

Thank you Vicki, that is an interesting piece of info.

Summer

Vicki Harding vharding@...> wrote: