We are providing information on the introductory diet, so that those who have ordered Breaking the Vicious Cycle, and are awaiting delivery, can begin sooner, should they so choose. However, we strongly advise you not to undertake anything beyond the introductory diet without first having read the book and feeling comfortable with the information it contains. The diet requires 100% commitment and adherence, and so without the book, it is not possible to successfully practice the Specific Carbohydrate Diet™.

At the beginning of the program, when symptoms such as diarrhea and cramping are severe, the following basic diet should be followed for about five days. In other cases, one or two days on this basic diet is sufficient. The amounts of the specified foods to be eaten depend upon the appetite of the individual; there is no restriction as to quantities eaten.

You may find that stool colour changes during the course of the introductory diet. This is most likely an initial die-off of bacterial overgrowth, which is one of the reasons the introductory diet is so important. It will help to clean your system out, so that you can begin to heal.

Breakfast:
Dry curd cottage cheese (moisten with homemade yogurt)
Eggs (boiled, poached, or scrambled)*
Pressed apple cider or grape juice mixed 1/2 and 1/2 with water. See, SCD™ Legal / Illegal List for more information about allowable juices.
Homemade gelatin made with juice, unflavored gelatin, and sweetener (honey or saccharine)

Lunch:
Homemade chicken soup
Broiled beef patty or broiled fish
Cheesecake
Homemade gelatin made with juice, unflavored gelatin, and sweetener (honey or saccharine)

Dinner:
Variations of the above

If the food specified in the diet is known to cause an anaphylactic reaction, remove it permanently from the diet. If, in the past, allowable foods did not agree with you, eliminate them for a short time (about a week), and try again in small amounts. If, after a week of eliminating it, a food continues to cause problems, do not include it in the diet.

If you find it impossible to obtain dry curd cottage cheese, substitute the cream cheese recipe (drained homemade yoghurt)

When diarrhea and cramping subside, cooked fruit, very ripe banana (must have brown spots), and additional cooked vegetables may be tried. If they seem to cause additional gas or diarrhea when they are added to the diet, delay their use until later.

One basic principle of the SCD™ diet must be firmly established and persistently repeated: no food should be ingested that contains carbohydrates other than those found in fruits, honey, properly prepared yogurt, and those vegetables and nuts listed. While this principle may be clearly understood, it is sometimes difficult in practice to recognize the existence of carbohydrates in various foods. Small quantities of carbohydrates other than those designated often creep into the diet unless the strictest attention is paid to every item of food. Reading labels, although a good policy, is inadquate for those on the SCD™ since one ingredient sometimes has numerous names and may not be easily recognized as a forbidden carbohydrate. Many can, jars, bottles, and packages do not list all ingredients because of different labeling laws in different parts of the country/world. It is recommended that nothing be eaten other than those foods listed in Chapter 9 of Breaking the Vicious Cycle and listed as Legal on the Legal / Illegal list.

Homemade Chicken Soup

Using the largest pot you have, fill half of it with the chicken parts (legs and thighs make the most flavorful soup).
Peel about ten carrots and add to chicken.
Add about two large onions, a few stalks of celery, and some parsley.
Season with salt.
Fill pot with water.
Simmer for about 4 hours and then strain soup through a colander or strainer.
Skim off top layer of fat (don't worry if you can't get it all).
Purée carrots in blender and return to broth.
Onions, celery, and parsley should not be used at the start of the dietary regimen because the fibrous parts of these vegetables may cause problems.

Cheesecake

The cheesecake filling may be made without a crust.

Filling:
3 eggs
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup homemade yogurt or homemade cream cheese***
2 cups uncreamed cottage cheese (dry curd cottage cheese)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in blender or food processor (with a metal blade) putting eggs in first so that the blender blades will turn freely.
Blend until smooth stopping, if necessary, every 15 seconds to push ingredients down, scraping the sides of the container at the same time with a spatula.
Pour into loaf pan with or without crust.
Bake in oven at 350°F (180°C) for about 30 minutes or until edges are brown. Cool and refrigerate.

Cream Cheese

A food Journal

It's a really good idea to keep a food journal. Some bad reactions to things will show up very quickly, but others can take a week or two, and a food journal is very helpful for seeing those connections.

Every day, write down your symptoms, what you ate, and if you've added something new. In addition to allowing you to see connections between foods and reactions, the food journal can also provide you with a way to see your progress. You didn't get sick over night and it will take time for you to heal. The process can also be two steps forward and one step back. A food journal can help you track the slow improvements you make over time and don't notice from day to day, and be a good tool for keeping yourself on the diet.

* avoid if diarrhea is very severe.
** regular apple juice is not allowed, and for grape juice, use Welch's 100% grape juice.

Originally from Tanya on the Long Island listserve