Guest guest Posted September 24, 2010 Report Share Posted September 24, 2010 Yes, Marilyn, thank you so much for developing the community. We may need help in the " gut " department, but we have wonderful hearts. PJ > > Dear Marilyn, > > Thank you for developing this amazing list. > It in itself is a healing. supportive and nurturing and generous. > Many thanks for sending your speech-- I hope this will become an > annual tradition. If we all lived closer, what an SCD/BTVC > Anniversary Party e could have! Music! Food! Dogs & Cats! > With appreciation, > > Ruth > > > > > > > Speech given by Marilyn L. Alm > to the Kiwanis Club of Algiers > 9 April 2003 in New Orleans, Louisiana > > Good evening. I've been told that the topic of my > speech tonight is supposed to be " A Holistic > Approach to Treating Some Gut Disorders " . > Actually, it's " A Dietary Approach. " Gut > disorders, including constipation, diarrhea, > Crohn's Disease, and Ulcerative Colitis affect on > the order of 60 to 70 million people worldwide. > They account for almost 200,000 deaths, 10 > million hospitalizations (13 percent of all > hospitalizations), and over 50 million office > visits to physicians, but they are, despite all > the advertisements on TV for Maalox, Ex-lax, > Imodium A-D and other OTC drugs, one of the least talked about. > > Gut disorders are essentially a taboo subject in > North American and Western European cultures. How > do we know this? Profanity is usually linked to > taboo subjects, and if you think about it, most > of the profanity we see scrawled as graffiti or > which assails our ears on the street is related > to religion, sex, and bodily functions. > > What exactly are some of these gut disorders? > Crohn's disease causes inflammation in the lower > part of the small intestine, although it can > affect any part of the digestive tract. > Ulcerative colitis causes inflammation and ulcers > in the large intestine. Irritable bowel syndrome > (IBS) is characterized by recurring abdominal > discomfort or pain, bloating, and altered bowel > function – such as constipation, diarrhea, or > alternating constipation and diarrhea. > > I've perused an awful lot of web sites and books > regarding these disorders over the last 27 years. > Almost all of them, including the Crohn's and > Colitis Foundation of America state that diet has > nothing to do with these diseases. In fact, the > Times-Picayune[1] ran an article a couple of > weeks ago which stated unequivocally that diet > could do nothing to help the nearly 3000 > Louisiana children who suffer from Crohn's > Disease. To my mind, the idea that the food we > eat has no effect on the very organs intended to > digest it for our use is pretty foolish. Dr. J.O. > Hunter, in an article in Lancet, the British > medical journal, confirms this fact, as does Dr. > Hoffman of New York City. Other Lancet > articles also state that persons with gut > disorders frequently have intolerances to corn, > wheat, milk, potatoes and rye. What these > substances have in common are complex > carbohydrates, not gluten. Yet the gluten-free > diet popularized in the last 40 or so years as > the gut diet, yields variable results, > perpetuating the myth that diet has nothing to do > with the management of gut disorders. > > Dr. Sidney Valentine Haas, coauthor with his son, > Dr. Merrill P. Haas, of Management of Celiac > Disease, which was published in 1951, might not > be surprised at his successors in the field of > gastroenterology, but he would probably be > saddened by the amount of pain and suffering > caused by failure to recognize a simple fact > stated by Dr. Gee: " We must never forget > that what the patient takes beyond his ability to > digest does harm. " The Haas' book, based on many > years of clinical experience, documented the > experience of these doctors in treating and > curing hundreds of cases of celiac disease. > > The Specific Carbohydrate Diet as delineated in > Elaine Gottschall's Breaking the Vicious Cycle > came about because in 1958, the Gottschalls took > their eight year old daughter Judy to see Dr. > Haas. Judy had ulcerative colitis. Years of > medication had done nothing. Her condition was > deteriorating. Surgical removal of her colon > seemed to be the only option. Dr. Haas, then in > his 90s, asked one simple question: " What has > this child been eating? " The result was that Judy > Gottschall was placed on the Specific > Carbohydrate Diet. Two years later, she was > symptom free. Nearly forty years later, she eats > about 85-90% SCD, and remains symptom free, with no medications. > > Mrs. Gottschall, though, wanted to know why the > diet worked. Unfortunately, she could not consult > with Dr. Haas, as he had passed away. So, in her > late 40s, she decided to return to college and > get the knowledge she needed to find out why. And > she did, earning a bachelor's degree in biology, > magna cum laude from Montclair State College in > New Jersey. She also did work in graduate studies > in nutrition at Rutgers. After a move to Canada, > she obtained a Master of Science degree in from > the Department of Cell Biology at the University > of Western Ontario, where she spent four years > investigating the effects of various sugars on > the digestive tract. Not wanting to see others > suffer as her daughter had, she wrote and > published first Food and the Gut Reaction, and > then Breaking the Vicious Cycle, now in its tenth edition. > > But why does the Specific Carbohydrate Diet work? > Some gut diseases are the consequence of an > overgrowth and imbalance of intestinal microbial > flora. By altering our diet, we can bring our > system back into balance, healing our digestive > tracts and restoring proper absorption. > > The intestinal tract is an astoundingly rich > ecosystem, home to over 400 bacterial species. > Some are harmless, and others not. In a healthy > person's gut, these various communities of microbes balance each other. > > Yet this balance can easily be upset by what we > eat. Overgrowths can occur, triggered by overuse > of antacids, reduced stomach acidity due to > aging, weakening of the immune system through > malnutrition or poor diet, or antibiotic therapy. > > Carbohydrates, contrary to the gluten theory, > play an enormous role in our gut health. If > carbohydrates are not fully digested and > absorbed, they feed the bacteria we host, causing a population > explosion. > > Bacterial overgrowth inhibits absorption, which > leads to even more undigested carbs. Excessive > protective mucus is produced, which also inhibits > digestion and absorption. Eventually, though, the > mucus-making cells become exhausted, and the > intestinal surface is laid bare. It may be > ulcerated. As even more carbohydrates are left in > the gut, they cause water and nutrients to be > pulled from the body into the colon, resulting in > chronic diarrhea. Absorption is further hindered > as diarrhea increases the rate with which food > travels through the gut. Truly a vicious cycle. > > So the question then is, " How do we break the vicious cycle? " > > And the answer lies in Dr. Gee's > statement, " We must never forget that what the > patient takes beyond his ability to digest does > harm. " By changing one's diet to what one can > absorb, the gut can heal. The symptoms disappear, one by one. > > What, then, is the Specific Carbohydrate Diet? > > People with IBD can't fully break down complex > chains of carbohydrates. Thus, the Specific > Carbohydrate Diet excludes most complex > carbohydrates, such as processed sugars, grains, > potatoes and most legumes. Even the slightest bit > of these carbohydrates can cause symptoms to flare up. > > Yet grains are imbedded in our thought patterns > as food. Wheat is the staff of life. Who ever > heard of Creole or Cajun food that wasn't served > on a bed of rice? Grain even infuses our > patriotism, " O beautiful for spacious skies, for > amber waves of grain… " . It's almost un-American > not to eat grain – and if we are not eating grain > and potatoes, what are we to eat? That's easy. We eat: > * Fresh or frozen beef, lamb, poultry, pork, fish, eggs > * Vegetables-fresh or frozen, raw or cooked > (with no added sugar or starch) > * Homemade yogurt fermented at least 24 hours > * Natural cheeses with little or no lactose, > such as Cheddar, Colby, havarti, Swiss, dry curd cottage cheese > * Fruits-fresh or frozen, raw or cooked; (with no added sugar) > * Salad and cooking oils > * Honey, nuts and nut flours, spices > * Very dry wine, occasional gin, rye, Scotch, bourbon, vodka, etc. > What we DON'T eat includes: > * Grains, including bread, rice, pasta, cereal, and corn products > * Processed meats, like hot dogs, cold cuts, fast food > * Potatoes (or starchy roots) > * Milk, margarine, soy products > * Chocolate (alas!), starches, added sugar, > including corn syrup, cane sugar, molasses > * Beer, sherry, cordials, liqueurs or brandy > > SCD, though, is not a diet which you can follow > Sunday through Thursday, and then go out and eat > whatever you want on Friday and Saturday. Strict > adherence is critical since that one little bite > of pasta, a single Saltine cracker, even a little > bit of grain flour in gravy or coating a veal > cutlet is a veritable smorgasbord to the bacteria in your gut. > > I recall, for instance, a year ago Christmas Eve. > The kitchen of the restaurant where we went > messed up my order, coating the meat in flour. > New to SCD, I figured a little bit of flour > wouldn't hurt. After weeks of no trouble, I > barely made it home before the diarrhea hit, and > I spent the next four hours in the bathroom. The > next time a restaurant did not do my order > correctly, I sent it back. I'm not generally > confrontational, but nothing is worth those hours of pain. > > In addition to strict adherence, SCD also > requires label reading, because our food is > becoming more and more processed and so, more > adulterated. Years ago, vanilla extract, which > adds a lovely flavor to SCD ice cream, smoothies > and baked goods (made from finely ground nuts, > not grain flour), was just vanilla bean and > alcohol. The new McCormick's vanilla, however, > has high-fructose corn syrup in it! Packaged > grated cheese from the market often has potato > starch as an anti-caking agent. Glance at a tuna > fish label in the market, and you'll see " packed > in spring water " . What could be a problem with > fish packed in water? Read the fine print. It's > water, vegetable broth and tuna. And that > vegetable broth almost always contains both soy > and MSG. Even worse, sometimes, labels lie. > Canned foods, even if they don't say so on the > label, often contain sugar and starch, to make the food taste better, > you know! > > The Specific Carbohydrate Diet can be > challenging, requiring a significant change in > lifestyle for the patient and his or her family. > No longer can you stop at Burger Thing or Taco > Whistle on your way home from work. You have to plan ahead and cook. > > Yet it can be done. And lest you think that > taking away grains and potatoes and convenience > foods means dull, boring meals, my parents, Ross > and Marge Lessentine, have been coming over for > an SCD dinner on Monday nights. > > How about starting with a tossed salad of green > leaf lettuce, vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes, and > crimini mushrooms topped with grated cheddar > cheese and your choice of homemade ranch > dressing, homemade honey-mustard dressing, or > homemade Italian dressing? Then move on to > grilled boneless chicken breast Florentine, > topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese and > thick, home-cooked tomato sauce. And then let's > wind up with something a little light – egg nog > ice cream topped with fresh Bing cherries. > > Or maybe we'll start with nice, ripe slices of > California avocadoes, interlaced with tomato > wedges and topped with old-fashioned creamy-style > French dressing, made with oil, vinegar, and > spices. Next, a piled high platter of flat-style > beef and bean burritos, with lettuce, tomato, and > sour dressing. And afterwards, a butter-pecan satin pudding. > > For a casual night, how about a Creole style pot > roast, simmered for hours with a bit of red wine > and spices, with sides of mushrooms and baby new > carrots? For dessert, fresh strawberries. > > This week, we started with grilled Portobello > mushrooms topped with a large mound of crab claw > meat and a creamy lemon-pepper sauce. Then we > went to lightly steamed new asparagus, and > thick-cut pork chops seasoned with homemade > blackened seasoning. For dessert, we finished up > the leftover eggnog ice cream, and added some blue berries for good > measure. > > A side benefit is that because I make everything, > it's easy to customize a dish, as for my mother, who is on a salt-free > diet. > There is one problem to mentioning all this yummy > food. Thankfully, everyone here has already > eaten, or I might have the lot of you following me home! > > Still, the question which comes to mind when > someone claims that it's possible to cure these > diseases which threaten not only our lives but > the quality of them is, " If there is a diet which > can put these scourges into remission, especially > a diet which allows such fabulous food, why > aren't the doctors shouting it from the rooftops? " > > Let's take a look at some figures, provided by > the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America: > * It is estimated that up to 1,000,000 people > in the United States suffer from inflammatory bowel disease. > * In 1990, the total annual medical costs for > IBD patients was estimated at 1- 2 billion dollars. > Reducing this cost in both money and suffering > would seem to be a priority. Yet the CCFA and > many gastroenterologists continue to insist that > diet has nothing to with gut diseases. Why? > > The answer, sadly, may be that medicines for gut > diseases are highly profitable. So is cheap food. > * Proctor and Gamble's Asacol, one of the > primary drugs for these diseases, made $300 million in 2002. > * Also in 2002, revenue from Remicade, > another IBD drug, increased 80 percent, to $379 million. > * Many CCFA corporate donors include the > manufacturers of these and similar drugs. As a > consequence, former CCFA members who have > regained their health through SCD are inclined to > wonder if those donations are why the > organization continues to maintain that > unprofitable diet has nothing to do with gut disease. > According to Schlosser's Fast Food Nation, > Americans spent $110 billion in 2000 on fast > food, more than on higher education, personal > computers, software or new cars. America's > service economy creates 90 percent of all new > jobs, and most of those are in the fast food > realm. The golden arches are better known around > the world now than the Christian cross, according > to Schlosser. And every product made by this > industry is illegal on the Specific Carbohydrate > Diet. Is it possible that there is a link between > the rise of fast food, and the proliferation of > gut diseases? Surely not – the experts assure us > that diet has nothing to do with disease! > > Doctors also say, " But there are no studies! " and > conveniently forget Dr. Haas' Management of > Celiac Disease, based on decades of observation > and evaluation of more than 600 cases. Then > again, most medical research is funded by > pharmaceutical firms who have everything to gain > from patentable drugs and nothing to gain from > assisting people to eat a biologically appropriate diet. > > So the bottom line would seem to be money. > Physicians and surgeons, pharmaceutical firms, > the CCFA, and all the fast food companies in the > world stand to lose significant revenue if people > do something as radical as changing their diets > to healthy food which they can digest. > > There's another problem with managing gut > diseases by diet. In our modern world, we want > things now, fast, yesterday, even. We don't like > taking time. Very few people wish to acknowledge > that it has taken many years for them to become > ill, and that it may take months or years to > heal. As a consequence, entirely too many people > would rather pop a dozen pills than give up French fries and wheat > bread. > > Yet many will do anything to live a normal life. > There are over a thousand members of an Internet > community dedicated to the implementation of the > Specific Carbohydrate Diet. A thousand active > members, that is, with an average span on the > list of about a year. People come, learn how to > implement SCD, regain their health, and then go > on about their lives. Some of us stay to teach. > > True, SCD is not an easy diet. Still, > approximately 90% of the people with Crohn's > Disease who follow it regain their health. > Approximately 75% of the people with Ulcerative > Colitis also heal. That's a far better percentage > than any of the drugs currently on the market. > > How did I find SCD? Backwards, actually. My > husband Harry and I have had dachshunds and cats > for most of our married life. Most people find a > healthy diet for themselves, then look for one > for their pets. We did the reverse. In 1998, we > became mom and dad to a pair of gorgeous > long-haired red dachshunds, Shadow and Sunny. We > were determined they would get the best food > money could buy – our vet and the breeder > recommended several kinds of kibble. But despite > really small servings of this premium, and mostly > grain kibble, Shadow and Sunny both ended up very > overweight, with soft, mushy stools. I was > frustrated, because this was the same situation I > was in – eating very small amounts, continuously > hungry, and still gaining weight. > > Through research, I learned about > species-appropriate diets, that is diets made of > the kinds of foods an animal evolved to eat. > > My dachshunds lost weight on a biologically appropriate grain-free diet. > > So, I began a search for a grain-free diet for humans. > > I found it in the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. > > When I first read Breaking the Vicious Cycle, I > didn't think I had IBD, so it was a shock to > discover the urgency and soft, mushy stools I had > suffered with for 25 years was not " normal " as I > had been told by various physicians. Nor was my > overweight because I " refused to get a little > exercise by pushing myself away from the table. " > It, too, was a symptom of undiagnosed malabsorption. > > I have now been following SCD for 17 months. > Without limiting what I eat, I have, by healing > my gut, lost 120 pounds. For the first time in > many years, I'm confident that I will re-achieve > a healthy weight. I no longer have the problems > which made it necessary to carry spare > underclothes in my purse, and a plastic bag to > put the soiled ones in. I don't enter a building > and immediately look to see where the restrooms > are and I'm no longer acquainted with every rest > stop between here and wherever. > > The Specific Carbohydrate Diet has truly given me > my life back. The time I spend cooking is minimal > compared to the amount of time I used to spend in > restrooms, doing extra laundry, or generally > feeling too ill to accomplish anything. > > Will the SCD ever become the first standard > treatment of gut diseases, rather than the last > resort of desperate people whom conventional > medicine has failed? I don't know. It's a dream. > > In a write up on SCD in the Wall Street Journal > last autumn, the Journal noted, " The failure of > the IBD diet to gain widespread acceptance within > the medical community is a lesson in the grim > financial reality of medical research. Doctors > don't accept treatments that aren't validated by > controlled studies, and drug companies, which > fund most medical research, pay to study pills, not diets. " > > And yet, this method of treatment does not, as > its detractors hope, die. Dr. Sidney Valentine > Haas passed the torch to Elaine Gottschall. Now > 82, Mrs. Gottschall regularly updates Breaking > the Vicious Cycle, and participates in areas > which support treatment of gut disease by diet. > She has trained several assistants to carry the > torch into the future. And it is to be hoped that > one day, when a patient first goes to his or her > health care professional with a gut problem, that > after carefully noting symptoms and doing > whatever tests seem indicated, the physician of > the future will ask, " And what have you been eating? " > > ---------- > > BTVC-SCD is now more than 1800 strong, averaging > 2000 messages a month. You, the members, from > Australia to the US to Canada to the UK, to India > and beyond have made this group what it is: > dedicated to the support of the Specific > Carbohydrate Diet as it was written by Elaine > Gottschall, who passed on to us what she learned > from Dr. Sidney Valentine Haas. > > Thank you, to all of the people who come here for help and who end up > helping. > > Thank you to all of the longer-term and dedicated > members who spend so many hours each week > answering questions and helping others. > > Thank you for making this group a healing place. > > I like to think of both Dr. Haas and Elaine > looking down and smiling as their healing legacy moves forward into > the future. > > Happy Third Birthday to BTVC-SCD!! > > — Marilyn > New Orleans, Louisiana, USA > Undiagnosed IBS since 1976, SCD since 2001 > Darn Good SCD Cook > No Human Children > Shadow & Sunny Longhair Dachshund > Babette the Foundling Beagle > > > > > Ruth J. Hirsch, MA, LMFT > Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist > • > 44 Main Street > Kingston, NY 12401 > partner-in-healing@... > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 29, 2010 Report Share Posted September 29, 2010 At 07:10 AM 9/24/2010, you wrote: Yes, Marilyn, thank you so much for developing the community. We may need help in the " gut " department, but we have wonderful hearts. PJ, Amen to that! Heart is where healing begins! — Marilyn New Orleans, Louisiana, USA Undiagnosed IBS since 1976, SCD since 2001 Darn Good SCD Cook No Human Children Shadow & Sunny Longhair Dachshund Babette the Foundling Beagle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 29, 2010 Report Share Posted September 29, 2010 Thank you for developing this amazing list. It in itself is a healing. supportive and nurturing and generous. Many thanks for sending your speech-- I hope this will become an > annual tradition. If we all lived closer, what an SCD/BTVC Anniversary Party e could have! Music! Food! Dogs & Cats! LOL, indeed! Oh, can you imagine what it would be like to have a whole bunch of us booked on the same Rocky Mountaineer train, driving their chefs crazy? — Marilyn New Orleans, Louisiana, USA Undiagnosed IBS since 1976, SCD since 2001 Darn Good SCD Cook No Human Children Shadow & Sunny Longhair Dachshund Babette the Foundling Beagle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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