Following the Diet and Making Exceptions

For the first year I followed the diet according to the Breaking the Vicious Cycle book. After the first year I was feeling fine so I decided to make a few exceptions. This is a decision not to be taken lightly. I figured since I was doing so well, and the book itself said to follow for at least a year, that I could try out a few things.

I still followed the diet, but I was looking for some convenience so I added some canned vegetables, beans, and tomato sauce. I did this kind of exception over the next six years. At the seventh year I decided it was time to add to other types of carbs – breads, corn, potatoes, agave, stevia. Over the years I have experimented with a few other exceptions. It’s still an ongoing process. I would like to have some whole grains in my diet.

I try to keep my diet 90 – 95% SCD.

Below is a list of exceptions that have become a fairly regular part of my diet.

Potatoes – Potatoes are one of my favorite foods. I eat them 2 – 4 times a month. I like them baked or sometimes I cut them up to use in a breakfast scramble. For the holidays I mash them.

Pre-Made Vegetable Broth – I use organic broth, it usually comes in a box. I kind I most often use is the Pacific Natural Foods Organic Vegetable Broth. It does not have sugar or added starches.

Wheat Free Tamari – I added this to my diet a few years ago. I like making stir-fry and was really missing soy sauce. I have probably once a month and I don’t use very much. I use just enough to add a little soy sauce flavor.

Pinto beans – I’ve never had a problem eating these

Classico Tomato & Basil Spaghetti Sauce – I love this sauce and it’s one of the few spaghetti sauces that does not have sugar added.

Tofu Pasta – I eat this every once in a while. I think it tastes pretty good and it is very low in calories. Soy is something I have added very sparingly back to my diet.

Agave – I use agave as a sweetner occasionally. I use only a little every onnce in a while.

Stevia – I like the Zevia sodas and the Blue Sky stevia sweetened sodas. I try to keep it to one can a day.

Quinoa – Quinoa is non-animal based complete protein source. It is like a grain but is really a seed from a plant that is similar to spinach and kale. It is a good substitute for rice and is high in fiber and vitamins.

Plantains – I eat plantains every once in a while – like once every couple of months. Inka Chips Plantain Chips are a nice satisfying snack when I’m really missing potato or tortilla chips. I also sometimes buy fress Plantains and fry or bake them.

Canned Tomatoes – I use canned tomatoes for chili. I buy organic with the least amount of ingredients. Basically I look for tomatoes and salt. Reading labels is very important when buying anything pre-prepared.

Canned Beans – I look for organic with only beans, water, and salt. I try to still use dry beans, but canned can be so convenient for last minute side dishes or soups.

Westbrae Unsweetened Ketchup – This ketchup has maltodextrin in the ingredients. I try not to use too much. I have never been able to make a good ketchup substitute, so I really like this. I like it better than regular ketchup actually. Who needs sugar in their ketchup?

Unsweetened Chocolate – This is a rare special occasion kind of thing. I have used it for baking during the holidays and have added a little to a banana smoothie. I haven’t had any problems with it, but I am cautious not to go overboard. When I buy the unsweetened powered baking chocolate I usually get dark chocolate.

Supspire Grain Sweetened Chocolate Chips – These are sweetened with malted barley and corn. They also contain soy lecithin, and are made in a factory that processes nuts. They are not guaranteed gluten free. I used these very sparingly. They are not as sweet as regular chocolate chips and have a slightly different texture, but they do taste good. I wanted to have some chocolate without using regular chips, and these work well for that.

GRAINS

Over the last few years I have tried several grains, but have never settled on anything as a regular part of my diet except quinoa. I have eaten rice, buckwheat, oats, cornmeal, and multi-grain cereal mixes (ones that are grains with no other added ingredients). I don’t eat any of these things regularly, and I’m still working on the best way to incorporate them into my diet.

BREADS

For a little while I ate pretty much any bread I wanted, but I decided it was not worth the risks. Bread can have so many ingredients it’s hard to know what you are getting. I haven’t eaten any bread for a while now, but when I do have it I try find whole grain bread that does not use sugar. My favorite is Dave’s Killer Bread – Power Seed.

Pastas

Every once in a great while I will use regular pasta instead of spaghetti squash. I use a whole grain pasta or a sprouted grain pasta. I look for simple ingredients. Pasta does not need much more than flour and water.

That’s pretty much it for exceptions. The important for me is to read labels and use moderation.

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Sherry Lipp

Founder at Happy Gut For Life

Sherry is a Certificed Holistic Gut Practioner, author, and recipe creator. Sherry started the Specific Carbohydrate Diet in 2000 and has been creating delicious, grain and gluten-free recipes ever since. She is the author of the Don't Skip Dessert SCD cookbooks.