Our Sixth Month Anniversary
My family had a reason to celebrate Saturday. It was our sixth month anniversary on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD). We are half way to our goal! Being on this diet has definitely had its challenges.
Friday I was so busy in the kitchen that I did not have time to write an article for Texas Homesteader. My daughter was getting ready to go on her first weekend-long retreat and Jake was leaving before dawn on Saturday to a livestock judging event. Both were going to have to eat while away from home.
Volunteers were serving food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the retreat. I read the menu and there was nothing that Kyla could eat. I wanted Kyla to have a wonderful time and I did not want her dietary restrictions to interfere with her experience. So together we came up with her own menu.
I made her a pizza with her favorite toppings. I sent her ranch dressing to put on salad or carrot sticks. My husband grilled a link of sausage and a hamburger patty. I also made one of her favorites, pea salad. I sent her raisins, apples, and carrots. We packed up all her food and labeled it with her name. I spoke with her host family and the mother offered to prepare eggs for Kyla every morning. She also agreed to have plenty of fruit for Kyla to eat for a snack.
After church on Sunday as we were coming home, I asked her if she felt left out or if her food was suitable for the occasion. She said that she did not feel left out. In fact, other kids kept telling her how good her food looked. Food did not keep Kyla from enjoying fun and fellowship with others.
Jake benefited from my cooking, too. As I was preparing Kyla’s cooler, I packed one for him as well. He took half of the sausage and a portion of pea salad. He also took a box of raisins, carrot sticks, and an apple. He was set for being away from home for the day.
Then I made two batches of cupcakes for Isaac to take with him to share with his class at church. Today is his birthday. He is used to not being able to partake in birthday or holiday celebrations with others. So he was excited about sharing his food with his friends. Some have nut allergies, which really narrows down your options. My solution was to make coconut cupcakes from Elana Amsterdam’s Gluten-Free Cupcakes. I topped them with my Incredible Icing. They were yummy!
We are not just surviving on SCD, we are thriving. My children are growing by leaps and bounds. Kyla and my husband have finally leveled off in losing weight. They both look great. We all feel great, too. Nobody is having intestinal issues. We don’t have the sugar blues either. Eating real food without sugar (except mono-saccharides) or starch of any kind must be good for your body. Six months in we all feel better than ever.
However, it is difficult to always have something ready to eat. It takes time and planning to prepare for being away from home. Eating on SCD is not an easy diet to follow. It takes commitment. We are committed to finishing the next six months. Then we will begin trying to add more foods into our diet.
Food can bring people together or it can make you feel isolated. My husband and I are also committed to allowing life to go on despite our dietary restrictions. We especially want our children to participate fully in their activities. We want them to thrive. With a little more effort on our part, they are able to go where they want to go and still eat what they need to eat.
