The Legal / Illegal list A
The
following is a list of foods that are allowed (legal)
and foods that are not allowed (illegal)
while following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet™, as outlined in the
book,
Breaking the Vicious Cycle by
Elaine Gottschall. The SCD™ is a progressive diet and the
introduction
of many of these foods should be delayed until healing has taken
place, please read the book "Breaking the Vicious Cycle" for
further information.
Some general guidelines are, no grains (i.e. rice, wheat, corn, oats, etc.),
no processed foods, no starchy vegetables (i.e. potatoes, yams, etc.), no canned
vegetables of any kind, no flour, no sugar, no sweeteners other than honey
and saccharin, and no milk products except for homemade yogurt fermented for
24 hours, prepared according to the instructions in the book.
This is the SCD Legal/Illegal List with the Most Foods and the Newest Information!
Click
on the letters below for other sections of the list.
Food |
Legal / Illegal |
Note |
Acacia |
Illegal |
This soluble fiber is gum acacia. Gums are
starches. Starches are not SCD legal. |
Açai |
See note |
See Açai |
Agar-agar |
Illegal |
|
Agave syrup |
Illegal |
|
Alfalfa |
Illegal |
Alfalfa is not legal. It contains starch. |
Algae |
Illegal |
We do not use algae (Spirulina)
because IBD involves the immune system and algae can aggravate an
already disturbed immune system. |
Allspice |
Legal |
As long as you're just
using Allspice as a cooking spice, it's legal. Don't use the oil,
see Allspice |
Almond butter |
Legal |
Almond butter with no
sugar added is allowed. |
Almond milk |
Legal |
May be tried after being
on the diet for 6 months. Almond milk is legal if you make your own. Commercial almond milk is not legal. |
Almond oil |
Legal |
|
Almonds |
Legal |
Nuts sold in mixtures
are not allowed, as most are roasted with a starch coating. Nuts should
only be used as nut flour, in recipes, until diarrhea has subsided. |
Aloe Vera |
Illegal |
It contains mucilaginous
polysaccharides as well as increasing the release of tumor necrosis
factor which is associated with IBD inflammation and increased immune
stimulation. |
Amaranth flour |
Illegal |
Amaranth is a grain substitute, contains starches and so is not allowed. |
Anchovies |
Legal |
|
Annatto |
Legal |
It is OK to use while on SCD, but some people choose to purchase dairy products without it. It might provoke an allergic reaction in some people. |
Apple Cider |
Legal |
It is brown and not clear
as apple juice is. It should be just straight pressed apples. It is
usually pasteurized in order to kill bacteria. Cider should be diluted
with water before drinking. |
Apple Cider Vinegar |
See Note |
Only legal WITHOUT "The Mother" in it, it must be filtered! "The Mother" looks like a "cob-web" like stringy structure with tentacles that either floats or settles at the bottom of the bottle. In general this is what turns alcohol into vinegar. Elaine did not want us consuming this as it can feed bad yeasts. The company Spectrum has a legal filtered one. IE. Braggs ACV is illegal as it contains "The Mother". It is possible to strain "The Mother" out yourself by using a very fine sieve.
|
Apple Juice |
Illegal |
Apple juice usually has
sugar added during processing. Apple cider is allowed. It should be
brown and not clear as apple juice is. Cider should be diluted with
water before drinking. |
Apples |
Legal |
|
Apricots |
Legal |
|
Arugula |
Legal |
|
Arrowroot |
Illegal |
It is a mucilaginous herb.
Mucilaginous herbs are loaded with starch. This starch is food for
the pathogens that the SCD™ is designed to starve out. |
Artichokes (French) |
Legal |
They are the green artichokes
that you steam, then dip the leaves in lemon butter and scrape off
with your teeth. They have edible hearts and an inedible choke. See a picture here. |
Artichokes (Jerusalem) |
Illegal |
They are actually a tuber,
and are not legal. See a picture here. |
Ascorbic acid |
Legal |
Should
be nothing but Vitamin C. |
Asiago cheese |
Legal |
May be used occasionally. |
Asparagus |
Legal |
Fresh or frozen is allowed.
Canned vegetables are not allowed. |
Aspartame |
Legal |
When symptom free, one
aspartame sweetened soft drink per week is allowed - Elaine. But see Aspartame |
Aspartic acid |
Legal |
|
Astragalus |
Illegal |
contains polysaccharides |
Avocadoes |
Legal |
|
Avocado oil |
Legal |
Good for mayonaise and salad dressings but might not withstand
heat very well |
Click
on the letters below for other sections of the list.
|