Many people with digestive issues have turned to the SCD and GAPS diets to heal the lining of their intestines. Studies indicate that starches, complex carbohydrates and sugars that are difficult to digest, feed fungi and bacteria in the gut. The Specific Carbohydrate and GAPS diets eliminate the foods that feed these microorganisms, starving the pathogens so that they leave the body. The removal of these things, while also adding probiotics, corrects dysbiosis and is followed by a decrease in intestinal inflammation so the gastrointestinal tract can heal. While the diets seem strict and limiting compared to the standard american diet (SAD) we’re used to, the cycle of malabsorption, maldigestion, inflammation, and food allergies can be corrected using these dietary approaches.
A lot of parents with autistic children have tried the GFCFSF (Gluten free, Casein free, Soy free) diet with little/no results, thus they give up. A strict diet is hard to maintain in a world where processed food is so much more convenient. Especially for families that are already stressed, financially strapped and low on time.
But, the latest research supports SCD as one of the best diets for Autism. Pamela Ferro, a Nurse in Private Practice, and a parent of an autistic child states: “Children with Autism who are implementing SCD are demonstrating remarkable improvements in bowel function, language, eye contact, self-stimulatory behavior, anxiety, and mood.” She has treated well over 300 children with ASD utilizing biomedical approaches in her clinic.
Many autistic children have yeast overgrowth in their gut, which feeds on sugar or simple carbohydrates. The SCD and GAPS diet are designed to combat that.
Symptoms of Yeast Overgrowth
- Inappropriate laughter
- “Foggyness”
- Inattention
- Hyperactivity
- Anger, aggression
- Increased self-stimulatory behavior
- High-pitched squealing
- Increased sensory defensiveness
- Climbing/jumping off things
- Sugar cravings
- Confusion
- Inability to potty train, or loss of this skill
- Self-limiting Foods
- Plateauing in skills
More information on the SCD diet and autism can be found at www.pecanbread.com. The website provides scientific based research, as well as tips and recipe’s to get started on the diet.
Based on the “starting out” recipe’s, you will need the following ingredients, all of which can be purchased at your local grocery store.
Unflavored gelatin
100% grape juice in a jar/bottle
Broth
Eggs, eggs, eggs and more eggs
Apples
Bananas
Avocado
Chicken (whole and ground)
Squash
Carrots
Coconut oil
Parchment Paper
The foods allowed/not allowed on the SCD diet are listed on the Breaking The Vicious Cycle website. Reviewing this list can be overwhelming at first, so please visit PecanBread first.
**My favorite grain free bread recipe.
Other Helpful Sites
Books
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