Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) for Autism

Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) for Autism – The Autism Exchange

Introduction

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) helps children with Autism who may be experiencing difficulty with digestion or malabsorption in the intestines resulting in GI issues. SCD starts to heal and restore balance in the intestines by eliminating complex carbohydrates that the body has difficulty breaking down, which causes an overgrowth of bacteria. The bacteria in the intestines feed off the complex carbohydrates creating more bacteria, which SCD refers to as the vicious cycle. To help stop the vicious cycle the Specific Carbohydrate Diet recommends eating foods that are high in protein, fat, and simple carbohydrates like honey, nuts, oils, fruits, and vegetables. Please refer to the following sites for a more scientific explanation of the SCD, SCD recipes, and SCD legal and illegal foods.

Related Sites

SCD Site for Crohns Disease
Description: Erin’s journey to perfect health through the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. She shares her story, the diet, recipe and menu ideas, and encouragement.

PecanBread.com
Description: This website goes into detail about the benefits of using SCD with children on the Autism Spectrum and provides acceptable foods.

Books

Lucy's Specific Carbohydrate Diet Cookbook by Lucy Rosset
Description: This cookbook showcases SCD recipes that complement the book, Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet, by Elaine Gottschall.

Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet by Elaine Gloria Gottschall
Description: Written by Elaine Gottschall, this book is valuable for making diet modifications for those suffering from digestive diseases. In addition to providing helpful solutions, several of the common digestive disorders are also discussed.

Tools

Eat Well, Feel Well: More Than 150 Delicious Specific Carbohydrate Diet(TM)-Compliant Recipes by Kendall Conrad
Description: First creating SCD recipes for her sick daughter and then modifying meals for her entire family, the author provides the reader with over 150 SCD recipes to try.

Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet: The Grain-Free, Lactose-Free, Sugar-Free Solution to IBD, Celiac Disease, Autism, Cystic Fibrosis, and Other Health Conditions (Healthy Living Cookbooks) by Raman Prasad
Description: Containing several SCD as well as some dairy free ideas, this recipe book will be a helpful aid for complying with the SCD diet. Also included in this book are color photos and short personal stories.

Parent Forums/Blogs

Some forums require you to sign in to Yahoo or Facebook to locate forum names.

Forum/Blog Name: BVTC: The Specific Carbohydrate Diet
Description: Follow and join discussions from people using the SCD.

Forum/Blog Name: BTVC-SCD-Plus
Description: This is a discussion group for people following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) as delineated in Elaine Gottschall's book, Breaking the Vicious Cycle. If you are new to the diet, please join the group BTVC-SCD at http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/BTVC-SCD/. Because there are many side discussions that come up during the course of making SCD a part of our daily lives, BTVC-SCD-Plus is a group to discuss things which aren't necessarily part of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, but are of interest to SCDers who have a special slant on such things.

Consumer Corner

Lucy's Kitchen Shop
Description: Lucy’s Kitchen Shop supplies products that are used by those on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.

SCD Bakery
Description: All products are gluten free, casein/dairy free, sugar free and grain free … designed for people following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. All products are made using the strict guidelines in the book, Breaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall and are not only a healthy alternative to eating but absolutely delicious!

Community Library

Digestion-gut-autism connection: the Specific Carbohydrate Diet
Description: Elaine Gottschall, BA, MSc, discusses the connection between gut dysfunction and symptoms of autism. The specific carbohydrate diet is outlined along with a list of legal and illegal foods on the diet.

What Is the Specific Carbohydrate Diet?
Description: A detailed article describing how the specific carbohydrate diet began, what the science is behind it, as well as good versus bad foods in this diet plan.

(coming soon)