One of our list-members, Mark, sent me this letter privately and gave me permission to put it up on the site. I'm a big fan of Mark's letters to the list, because he always just cuts right to the chase (and because I've yet to disagree with him.. ;-).

This is Mark's take on our policy of keeping the Long Island SCD listserv about 'how', not 'why':

I guess for me just starting the SCD, my approach is to eat the way that Elaine has stated in the book. At this point I'm not concerning my self with why I can or can't have a certain food. I feel right now I am a green horn and I just need to do as book states. I'm not one to be lead blindly just because, but I feel that after reading the number of posts stating how the SCD has helped so many others, it will work and is working for me. If someone who has been on the diet for some time tells me not to use something or the book requires me to prep something a certain way then that's the way I'll do it. If I was so smart as to know what I should or should not eat, I would not have suffered so many years with CD.

So right now I don't care why I can't. I just know that I am getting amazing results from following the diet to the last letter. I don't feel like I am depriving myself if I can't have something, but I am depriving myself if I think I can have an 'illegal' item once in a while and it won't hurt me. It's not my place to debate with the long-timers on the list. As I said, if I were that smart I wouldn't need the book or the list. I have enough right now dealing with the healing process and cooking totally 'legal' food. Im new to the SCD and if I ask if something is allowed, all I expect to get in response is "yes" or "no" or "maybe you should wait" (and maybe a kind word). I don't need anyone to justify why I can't or why I should. My heath is my responsibility and it's up to me to continue to read and be informed. Right now I don't want to know about other diets or how to make them work with SCD. SCD is working fine for me when I follow JUST SCD and am not getting it mixed up with some other diet.

Thank to everyone on the list for sharing your experience and recipes. To those who are involved in the web sites my sincere gratitude for without them I may have never learned about SVD. And to Elaine, thank you doesn't begin to express my deep gratitude for giving me the tools that I need to change my life.

Mark
CD 1984
SCD 7/15/ 02

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