The SCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet) is a diet that eliminates foods that are poorly absorbed by your digestive system. Easy to digest foods are allowed, while hard to digest foods are not allowed.

The theory behind the diet is that poorly digested food sticks around in your intestines (instead of being digested.) This encourages harmful bacteria to feed off the undigested food. These bacteria contribute to the poor digestion problem, and the “vicious cycle” continues. By only eating food consisting of monosaccharides (single structure carbohydrates) that are easily digested, the bad bacteria are starved out and healing can begin.

The three main groups of foods that are eliminated are as follows:
– Grains
– Starches
– Refined sugars

Specifics and more information can be acquired by reading Breaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall.

Eating this way is tough – there is no doubt. But for those with Crohn’s disease or any other digestive malady, what do you have to lose? No food is worth consuming if it makes you sick. I am certainly an exception, but within three days of starting the diet many of my Crohn’s symptoms – stomach cramps, pus leakage, mouth sores – either vanished or noticeably improved. It’s certainly worth it to me.