A Regimen for Remission
This log tracks my regimen of attitude, exercise, stress management, and SCD foods. Since I started this regimen in 1997, I've been able to keep my Crohn's in a drug-free remission.

Monkey-see,
monkey-don't
Even though I may have experimented beyond the SCD from time to time, one must remember that everyone is different. Follow the intro diet for 3-5 days, and stick with the SCD until you are completely symptom free for at least one year before experimenting.

Be sure to read:
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Laura's IBS log
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Permalinks:
The linked timestamps are your permanent links to individual log entries.

Get the book:
Ready to get your shit together? Got the intestinal fortitude? Yearning for a nirvana of peristalsis? Buy Breaking The Vicious Cycle! Written by Elaine Gottschall B.A., M.Sc., the book includes guidelines for dietary relief and sustainable remission of Crohns, Ulcerative Colitis, and other IBDs.

Feel free to contact me if you still have questions.

Dinner: chicken fajitas from Macayo.

When I worked at an investment bank in New York City, six of us used to go out for dinners every 6 weeks or so. I always got to pick the place (for some reason they had no idea what a Zagat was and never read the restaurant reviews in the newspaper). I always chose something "ethnic"; Thai, Vietnamese, etc. Rarely a steak or generic Italian joint. Anyway, we always had a blast and ate like kings. Ahhhhh.... that was pre-SCD!

Anyway, our absolute favorite place at Christmastime (we went there 2 or 3 years in a row) is a place called Rolf's, on 3rd, just below 23rd (if I recall correctly). Unbelievable German food. But the BEST part is they've permanently decked the whole place out with Christmas decorations.. you wouldn't believe how beautiful it is! It's like being in a little German Christmas-town in the middle of Chelsea. You MUST check it out, even if it's just to look in the door through the crowd at the scene inside.
mhs@20:47

There is a little verdin hopping around my desert cotton plant.
mhs@12:26

Lunch: Trader Joe's Thai chicken in green curry with green beans, a banana, and some nut mix.
mhs@12:20

Breakfast: fruit, dccc. Where to get dry curd?
mhs@08:15

Wednesday, November 29, 2000

Dinner: the last of the grilled cornish hens, tossed salad, butternut squash, and yellow squash.

Lunch: tossed salad, cornish hen.
mhs@20:22

In the IBD and IBS news:
The Australians are conducting a national study on the causes of Crohn's; the British released a study on early environmental factors that may have role in both Crohn's disease and gastric carcinoma. Under the "tell us something we didn't already know" heading, DocGuide.com reports: "Irritable bowel syndrome patients suffer from low health-related quality of life compared to patients with a variety of chronic diseases and people the United States population in general."
mhs@07:55

Breakfast: fruit, pecan and persimmon muffins.
mhs@07:54

Tuesday, November 28, 2000

Dinner: leftover grilled cornish hens, sauteed zucchini.

Lunch: leftover ribeye, tossed salad.
mhs@21:24

Breakfast: fruit, pumpkin pie. :-)
mhs@08:29

Monday, November 27, 2000

Dinner: grilled cornish hens (based upon a recipe I saw in The Naked Chef), sauteed zucchini with scallions and garlic, and a tossed salad.
mhs@19:54

Hawaii's "Iz" isn't Van Dyke Parks, but he definitely is bigger!
mhs@07:44

Breakfast: an apple, dccc, pumpkin pie (gotta love any regimen that allows pumpkin pie for breakfast!!!), and some cantaloupe.
mhs@07:35

Sunday, November 26, 2000

Dinner: grilled swordfish, grilled mushrooms, steamed yellow squash. Dessert is in the oven--it's pumpkin pie!

Lunch: grilled ribeye steak, tossed salad.
mhs@18:39

Breakfast: fruit, nuts and raisins.
mhs@10:00

Saturday, November 25, 2000

Breakfast: fruit, some leftover roasted chicken.
mhs@08:41

Thursday, November 23, 2000

Dinner: roasted chicken with veggies, pureed butternut squash with ginger, and a tossed salad.
mhs@20:26

Mike is in charge of two organic persimmon. He made delicious persimmon and pecan muffins.
mhs@09:11

Preparations for Thanksgiving feasting is in full swing here at Glassbird.com! Laura's mostly in charge this year.. and what a wonderful SCD-legal feast we've got coming up! Already out of the oven: three baked butternut squash. What will Laura do with them? Stay tuned...
mhs@08:54

Breakfast: fruit
mhs@08:21

Dinner, yesterday: sauteed swiss chard with garlic and ginger, leftover roasted beets and sauteed carrots.
mhs@08:20

Wednesday, November 22, 2000

Lunch: leftover turkey burgers with salsa, tossed salad.
mhs@15:00

Breakfast: apple, cantaloupe.

Dinner, yesterday: grilled trout, roasted beets with rosemary and sauteed beet tops, sauteed carrots.
mhs@07:34

Tuesday, November 21, 2000

Lunch: leftover turkey burgers, tossed salad. Dessert: Laura's apple crisp.
mhs@13:21

Phew! The Blogger upgrade is complete and it appears the folks at Blogger.com and Pyra have done a wonderful job!!! (applause..)

Dinner, yesterday: grilled turkey burgers (with salsa, garlic, curry, raisins, and chopped onion), tossed salad, steamed artichokes.
Lunch... I don't recall right now.
mhs@08:16

Monday, November 20, 2000

Breakfast: fruit, dccc.
mhs@08:16

Sunday, November 19, 2000

Dinner: tossed salad, stuffed broiled mushrooms.
mhs@19:58

Breakfast: herbal peppermint tea, fruit, dccc.
mhs@07:34

Friday, November 17, 2000

To a parent who had posed a question on the SCD listserve regarding the diet, teens, and success rates:

I saw your post, as well as Elaine's post, regarding your child. I was 16 when I was diagnosed with Crohn's. I took drugs, on and off, for almost 15 years. While I never had any bleeding during that time, I had considerable pain and D throughout that period.

I finally started the SCD on 1/1/97. I was taking Asacol at that time, and in a position of "drug-based stability"-- 4-10 trips to the BR each day, but little or no pain. So, even under the drugs, I was never as healthy as I am now. (As you will see in my testimonial on scdiet.org, I'm doing great now.)

The delicate consideration I want to raise is what I refer to as "attitude". In my own case I personally had to mature and ask myself why I was letting Crohn's "stay around". It sounded arrogant when the question was first posed to me--after all, all M.D.'s "know" that CD is uncurable! Nevertheless, I started to realize how wonderful life would be without it, and especially if it could be put into a natural, sustainable, controlled remission. And so I started the diet, opened my mind to ways of reducing stress, sought exercise, etc.

I'd recommend reading some of the testimonials on scdiet.org for ideas on how to support the diet. You may also find the 'critical success factors' page to be of assistance. My personal belief is that healing happens in its own time, under the right conditions. And my personal belief is that neither drugs nor scd will work if the timing is "wrong", people stress themselves out about it, etc. I wish my folks had known about the SCD many years ago! I would have loved to lovingly help prepare the foods that were so healthy! Your child is a lucky kid to have you caring for him/her and exploring the many alternatives to healing. I think involvement in self-healing is quite beneficial. Perhaps your child has an email address and would also like to join the list to ask his/her own questions? Perhaps s/he is interested in reading BTVC (if s/he hasn't already) so s/he starts to understand "the hows and the whys".

---

And the wonderful reply:

Thank you for the letter. I was moved that you wrote to me personally with so much good will and care. I'm going to show it to my son, and suggest him to start writing. You are so right! I can help, but it is his decision if he is going to let to be cured.

So far I was trying to protect him, to do all the research for him, but he needs to be involved more. I was afraid that he would reject the natural approach, but I can tell that he is getting more and more mature (thank you for finding the right word), regarding his illness. I read your testimony about critical factors, and I'm agree[ment] with every single word. ... Oh, I have a new dream since I've read your letter today. I wish him to have your luck finding a wife.
mhs@21:23

Dinner: leftover roasted chicken and veggies, stir-fried stringbeans and garlic (while watching the ABC special on The Beatles).

Speaking of the UK, here's a holiday recipe from the SCD listserve:

CHRISTMAS PUDDING

8OZ SULTANAS WHOLE
8OZ SULTANAS MINCED
8OZ RAISINS MINCED
3OZ RAISINS WHOLE
16 DRIED PRUNES (SOAK FOR TWO DAYS THEN STONE &MINCE)
4OZ FINELY CHOPPED WALNUTS/ALMONDS
8OZ JUICE FROM SOAKING PRUNES
JUICE OF LARGE ORANGE
GRATED RIND OF ORANGE
8OZ GROUND ALMONDS OR FRESHLY GROUND HAZELNUTS (FILBERTS)
4OZ WHISKEY
2 EGG YOLKS WELL BEATEN
1 TSP MIXED SPICE (REMEMBER TO BUY THE SPICES SEPARATELY TO MAKE UP A MIXED SPICE)

MIX ALL INGREDIENTS TOGETHER.
GREASE 2 I/4 PINT MIXING BOWL
COVER WITH BUTTERED GREASEPROOF PAPER AND STEAM FOR ONE HOUR.
IT WILL FREEZE SATISFACTORILY FOR 6 WEEKS. ALLOW TO THAW OUT GRADUALLY AND STEAM FOR 45 MINUTES, OR MICROWAVE ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURERS INSTRUCTIONS.
(BY JOANN)
mhs@21:13

Lunch: turkey sausage, sauteed kale. Afterwards, a brisk walk around the neighborhood. We got even got to hear some hummingbird airbrakes!
mhs@13:27

Breakfast: fruit, dccc.

I got a wonderful thank-you note from a woman in Florida who has found the SCD for her son. Here's a "you're welcome" right back!
mhs@09:52

Thursday, November 16, 2000

Dinner: another delicious roasted free-range chicken with carrots, onions, and celery!!! My wife is soooo wonderful! :-)
Lunch: tossed salad, leftover chicken cacciatore.
mhs@20:31

Breakfast: fruit, dried figs.
mhs@08:02

Wednesday, November 15, 2000

Dinner: grilled salmon, sauteed string beans with garlic, and some roasted beets.
Lunch: tossed salad, spinach quiche.
mhs@21:19

Breakfast: fruit, dccc.
mhs@07:15

Tuesday, November 14, 2000

Dinner: leftover turkey burgers, cauliflower "mashed potatoes".
mhs@21:19

Lunch: leftover turkey burgers, tossed salad with flax seeds.
mhs@13:04

Breakfast: fruit.

Dinner, yesterday: grilled turkey burgers, collard greens sauteed with onions, and oven roasted beets with rosemary.
Lunch: leftover quickie chicken from yesterday.
mhs@08:54

Monday, November 13, 2000

Breakfast: fruit!

Dinner, yesterday: steamed artichokes and butter, cauliflower "mashed potatoes", and a quickie chicken fricassee/cacciatore type dish that I whipped together in about 20 minutes. Two big breasts of chicken (bone and skin included) chopped into 3 chunks each, chopped garlic, fresh ground pepper, chopped scallions, chopped celery, chopped carrots, two sliced Italian brown mushrooms, 3/4 cup Pomi tomato puree, a handful of chopped parsley, dash of dried oregano. In a skillet with hot olive oil, add the chicken pieces and brown the skin so it gets crispy. [Adding salt beforehand will add more depth and flavor to the dish] Toss in the mushroons and garlic, lower heat, keep stirring for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the veggies and herbs, cook for 5 minutes, then add the tomato puree. Lower heat to a simmer, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Let cool somewhat and serve.

I didn't really have lunch yesterday because Laura and I went for a hike on the King Canyon in the Tucson Mountains. It was a lovely fall day, the air was cool and the sky was cloudless. It was wonderful to be outdoors on the trail again! I grazed on carrots, celery, raisin and nut mix, and some sulfur-free pineapple rings from Trader Joe's.
mhs@08:22

Sunday, November 12, 2000

Research indicates that "colon reflorestation" can cure chronic diarrhea. Here's the scoop from an article in the Nov. 2000 issue of The Americal Journal of Gastroenterology.
mhs@09:35

Saturday, November 11, 2000

Breakfast: fruit, dccc.

One of the questions that keeps coming up on the SCD Listserve is what is there to eat for breakfast? Really, anything can be for breakfast! While the rest of America eats genetically modified corn-flakes, bleached white rice sweetened with manufactured sugar, and processed, nitrate-laden breakfast sausages, the folks with IBD and IBS that follow a regimen for remission have a universe of food options for the eating! Instead of cereal, one can eat fruit, nuts, nut breads, muffins, dry curd, and more. And why stop there? Why not have some delicious leftovers from one of Lucy's recipes? Come on! If you want to get over your Crohn's, Colitis, IBS, or whatever, it is going to take more than just drugs. You need to put the right foods inside your gut. And if that means no bisquick pancakes with artificial syrup, then so be it.
mhs@10:07

Friday, November 10, 2000

Dinner: grilled turkey sausages, tossed salad with raw organic apple cider vinegar and flax seed oil, and pureed butternut squash with ginger and orange. Awesome!
mhs@19:52

What's up with Florida anyway?

mhs@14:47

Lunch: tossed salad, roasted chicken, some turkey "pastrami".
mhs@13:11

Breakfast: awesome sunrise, fruit, and dccc.
mhs@07:07

Thursday, November 09, 2000

Dinner: another wonderful multi-course dinner at Mike & Laura's! First plate: baked acorn squash with butter and honey; second plate: stuffed mushrooms; third plate: steamed halibut with butter, capers, and lemon - with sauteed string beans and garlic. All that, and a glass of merlot!
Lunch: the last of the chicken soup, tossed salad.
Breakfast: fruit.
mhs@20:39

Wednesday, November 08, 2000

Dinner: roasted chicken, curried kale, tossed salad. Sounds like lunch, huh? Well, if it tastes good and it is good for you, why not?!
mhs@21:16

Lunch: leftover steak, roasted chicken, curried kale, and a tossed salad. Delicious, juicy pear for dessert.
mhs@14:22

Breakfast: fruit, dccc.

And we still don't know who is going to be the new President..
mhs@07:05

Tuesday, November 07, 2000

Dinner: roasted chicken, roasted vegetables, and off to yoga class
mhs@18:14

Lunch: Laura's awesome homemade free-range chicken soup, tossed salad (with spinach).

The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America road tour is coming through Tucson tomorrow night. Golly gee Wilbur, do you think they'll tell people how a change in diet can produce a sustainable, controlled remission? Not a chance, especially when Procter & Gamble and Centocor are sponsoring this event. Maybe I'll show up and throw around some scdiet.org leaflets!
mhs@12:40

Breakfast: fruit, dccc.
mhs@07:15

Monday, November 06, 2000

Dinner: leftover grilled ribeye, sauteed and curried kale, and a tossed salad. For dessert, Laura's delicious apple crisp!
mhs@21:25

Lunch: Laura's awesome homemade free-range chicken soup!
Breakfast: fruit, dccc.
mhs@13:33

Sunday, November 05, 2000

Laura is such a wonderful wife, and an excellent cook! Today she roasted a whole chicken with carrots, onions, and celery, and made chicken soup with another. We've got tons of food for the freezer (for those cold winter days).
Dinner: a four course meal of tossed salad (with spinach), baked acorn squash with honey and butter, roasted chicken and veggies, and apple crisp for dessert.
Lunch @ La Salsa, a chicken burrito.
Breakfast: fruit, dccc.

Dinner, yesterday: grilled ribeye, tossed salad. Afterwards, we watched Denzel Washington in The Hurricane. A weekend of great film!
mhs@20:14

Saturday, November 04, 2000

Lunch: tossed salad with flax seeds, string beans with garlic, and tandoori chicken.
Breakfast: fruit, dccc.

We watched Ghost Dog last night. I really enjoyed it. Forest Whitaker is great; Jim Jarmusch is at his best.
mhs@14:38

Friday, November 03, 2000

Dinner: Awesome grilled Pacific wild salmon, sauteed string beans with garlic and ground pepper, and a tossed salad with organic raw apple cider vinegar and flax seed oil dressing.
Lunch: barely. 15 minutes to snarf down some Thai soup with extra chicken thrown in.
Breakfast: fruit, dccc.
mhs@19:51

Thursday, November 02, 2000

Dinner: roasted chicken, eggplant bisque, and tossed salad.
Lunch: chicken tandoori, roasted vegetables, and grilled zucchini.
mhs@20:07

Breakfast: fruit, dccc, dried figs.
Dinner, yesterday: chicken tandoori, grilled zucchini, and a tossed salad.
Lunch, yesterday: chicken sausage, some sliced turkey "pastrami", and steamed spinach.
mhs@07:57

Wednesday, November 01, 2000

Breakfast: an apple, dccc with mezquite honey, organic strawberries.
Dinner, yesterday: leftover roasted chicken and veggies.
Lunch, yesterday: leftover turkey burgers and a tossed salad.
mhs@06:58

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