There is a lot of information on SCD. I'm afraid that there are no shortcuts, you have to educate yourself. Do some research on it and you will find that thousands of people have found great success with this diet. With that said, it does not work for everybody AND it's really difficult to follow. But if you follow it to the letter, it can be very helpful, to the point where some people are drug free. I'm not advocating that you stop taking your medications and jump on this diet, I'm just telling you that SOME people have been able to go drug free from this diet alone.
Here is the website: http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/
This one has the legal/illegal lists and a lot of the links to other recipes and stories. Pint the lists and keep them along with favorite recipes in a binder.
The links will also lead to the purchase of the nut flours needed as well as some SCD condiments and vitamins. You can get SCD multivitamin and additional B complex from these approved sites.
We strongly advise anyone starting this diet to buy the book, too. It lays the foundation as to why it works. It also has many recipes.
Another helpful book is Janel Patel Thompson's "Listen to Your Gut". She has had Crohn's and uses natural ways to heal, too. It is different from SCD but is a very interesting read.
EXTRA INFORMATION TO KNOW:
Oregano oil, grapefruit seed extract, and colloidal silver have antibiotic/antifungal properties.
L-glutamine is beneficial in wound healing (possibly including abscesses, strictures, fistulas)
Omega 3 fatty acids and tumeric have strong anti-inflammatory properties
Probiotics may be beneficial in re-lining the gut with good bacteria. Do not take antibiotic supplements at the same time as the probiotics; it will kill the probiotics.
These are just some of the "news worthy" extras. I advise everyone to do their own research to see what best works for them. You can get all of these supplements from Natural of Rocklin. The probiotic VSL#3 you can get from Costco pharmacy.
Also, typing in SCD diet and recipes will give infinite number of access to great recipes.
Some other sites:
http://eatingscd.com/ This one talks about Rush's study. It is actually complete; they are analyzing the data which will hopefully be posted soon.
http://www.scdrecipe.com/blog/archive/2011/12/29/exciting-umass-study-planned-obsolescence-site/ This one took the SCD diet and modified it a bit. My recommendation is to stick strictly to the SCD diet for 1-2 years before modifying anything. You want the gut to be COMPLETELY healed before adding anything back.
http://www.scdrecipe.com/blog/archive/2011/12/29/exciting-umass-study-planned-obsolescence-site/ Some blogs on its effectiveness. As one responder noted, "The diet may seem restrictive to many but it’s really just a life-style change. To avoid the hell I’ve been through, I’ll do anything and this one is easy."
More recipes http://www.scdrecipe.com/home/
The most important thing to do is is to print out the legal/illegal lists and keep them handy. Most everything in the store will have something illegal in it. It will seem absolutely crazy at first (and I was skeptical) but stick to it 100% and chances are good you will see some amazing results (unless you are one of the very few who do not respond to it...and yet, I think there is some non-adherence that can be the reason for it not working).
FYI: Costco has Stretch Island Fruit leathers that legal. Some of the flavors are not. I used the site Digestive Wellness to tell me which are legal.
In: http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/related-links/listing/ are sites with Digestive Wellness as one of them.
http://www.digestivewellness.com/
All supplements you or your child should take needs to also be "legal"...no corn starch, dextrose, modified corn starch, maltose, etc. The only thing allowed is honey and dates as sweetners. Here is an initial list of "sugars"
http://www.diet-blog.com/07/25_names_for_sugar.php
No artificial sweetners are allowed either. Makes it hard if you or your child wants gum or mints...not allowed. I'm looking for something minty my son can use since he always wants something. Haven't found it yet.
More sugars: http://www.eatingrules.com/2012/03/names-for-sugar/
As for lab tests, there are many tests that can be done to show level of inflammation. The first thing, of course, is how you feel: how many BM's per day, watery or formed, nocturnal BM's, appetite, weight changes, abdominal tenderness (in general and when you push down around it following the colon track), blood in stools.
Lab indicators:
albumin: should be above 4. If it's low, chances are either you're not eating enough protein or there is inflammation going on (which is more likely)
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate: the higher above goal it is, the more inflammation you have
CRP or C reactive protein: same as sed rate
Iron panels will indicate if there's blood loss. Ferritin is also a good indicator of absorption.
Platelet count: haven't quite figured this one out. My son's was horribly elevated initially and dropped once the diet was in full swing and other markers got to goal.
Calprotectin levels: stool tests that show actual inflammation in gut. I love this because it dropped each time we took and showed exactly how his gut was doing.
Another suggestion, ask for printed lab results and go over them with your doctor. Then you can keep them and track your own progress.
If you are on prednisone, please check your blood sugars. It is notorious for causing them to rise.
The SCDShoppingCart.com
This site will serve as an excellent resource for anyone who might feel overwhelmed by label-reading and the whole grocery shopping experience. Please, please, please, if you have legal products to share, click on the link to AJ’s email at the top of the website, send a photo and information where the product can be found, and he will try to include it to expand the ever growing list of available pre-packaged SCD-legal foods!!!
Other useful sites: