“It’s risky to eliminate whole food groups” said by doctors and dieticians everywhere.
Really? What kind of risk are they actually talking about?
Because the scientific evidence is starting to clearly back up SCD and other real food diets like Paleo.
Success stories and anecdotal reports are popping up all over the internet of people just like us who have achieved levels of health usually higher than most doctors enjoy.
There are resources available that show exactly how to do it… so there aren’t any risks figuring it out.
And yet everyone thinks diet change is risky. Why?
Well for one I think it’s because everyone seems to be an expert. If you can eat, you must know a thing or two about food right? WRONG. Doctors, moms and co-workers won’t hesitate to give us their opinion on why what we’re doing is wrong. And then offer us a Twinkie.
It doesn’t matter that these people haven’t done their homework, tried the diet, nope they have an opinion and we should listen. For example my co-worker told me the other day “If you’re trying to improve your digestion you really need more fiber and the best place to get is whole wheat bread.”
“Oh really?!”
The reason I understand this is I used to be this way too, about 10 years ago I had several conversations with a crazy smart uncle of mine who stopped eating grains. Didn’t he know he was going to slowly die an awful painful death and turn to dust in like a month or two?
Nope, he told me as he tried in vain to layout the science for me – to which I did a great job of not listening.
What is going on here?
Well there’s either one of two problems happening in these situations.
#1 The person giving us diet advice when we change to SCD or other real food diets is totally Ignorant of actual science.
Or
#2 The reason they think diet change is risky is that most people evaluate risk irrationally. Gauging the riskiness based on emotions not based on fact.
If we were rational creatures (we’re not, but we like to think we are) we would read the scientific literature, look at our ancestors and the right changes would smack us in the face. But it’s not that easy. You see our brains won’t let us.
No, we like our emotions too much. Actually, they usually help us make the right decision most of time. But there are times such as processed food when it’s probably a bad idea to trust them.
The Actual Risk of a Grain-free diet
The scientific risk of SCD or Paleo is non-existent. They are safe and effective. You’ll suffer no ill effects from eating this way. You might actually reverse every medical problem you have.
So what is it?
The risk is doctors will write you off, spouses will sleep on the couch and friends will make fun of you.
The risk is you might feel like an outsider, left out and sad on the inside.
The risk is the people you eat with will judge you.
The risks of a new diet are all emotional… and it seems like you have to confront them at every meal. That’s one of the reasons why it’s so hard to change sometimes. If you change your diet, you risk emotional pain with every bite until you grow as person and realize these people can only affect you if you let them.
I’ve been there and damn if it isn’t hard to change in the face of these emotional risks.
We’re all emotional and irrational beings… don’t forget that.
I no longer perceive eating my custom SCD as risky… but I had to grow to this level.
Have you dealt with these emotions? I’d love to hear about it below.
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
I hear almost everyday how crazy, hard, unrealistic and fanatical I am regarding the SCD for my teenage son. One year ago, he was feverish, 30 pounds lighter, in unbearable pain and eventually hospitalized for the first time since his healthy birth. He was diagnosed with such a severe case of Crohn’s, they told us he needed intestinal reattachment surgery right away. Needless to say, we didn’t accept that so quickly, but it was only after two exteneded hospital stays, prednisone, 6MP, methatrexate and Remecaid; that we were told again he MUST have the surgery. I begged for ANY other alternative and his doctor said it’s a long shot, but he would give me four weeks to try the SCD. We started the next day on September 1, 2011 and haven’t looked back. All of his symptoms are GONE!!! THANK YOU LORD!!! He takes NO MEDICATION. He has gained almost 30 pounds, he can now play outside with his friends and I get teary-eyed every time he says “Mom, I feel good.” So guess what, I don’t give a happy hoot about ANYTHING anyone says about the SCD not being good for you. I just nod my head and say, “really?” and keep it moving. It has even helped my husband and I feel better – so it’s good for ALL of us. Thank you for this blog to share. Be blessed and well!!
I stopped eating grains about 20 years ago due to food allergies. People were amazed it could be done and asked what did I eat instead. Buckwheat, quinoa, lentils, green peas and lots of extra virgin olive oil for more calories (I used to bike race). I never cared what people thought because I finally felt GOOD! after years of suffering and not knowing the cause.
Most of my friends and family have been amazing in supporting me. My family more or less follows the SCD with me.
I have, however, had some negative comments from “friends”, such as:
“you’re too skinny, anorexic, you look like you have an eating disorder.”
“when are going to go off that crazy diet?”
I also have a friend who laughs at my baking. She won’t even try the cookies I’ve made with almond flour. She asumes they will taste like sawdust. On the other hand, I’ve had friends who’ve tried the cookies and many have asked for the recipe.
I’ts all about preconceived notions, I guess.
@ Karen – thanks for comment! The one who laughs is usually hiding something and is covering it by trying to knock you down to build them up.
I think it would be incredibly risky to eliminate a whole food group–that is, if human beings had already evolved to need that food group. But in the case of grains (and dairy) our ancestors made what seems to me to be a very risky decision to introduce these new food groups into our diets only about ten thousand years ago, and the human species has been around, pretty much unchanged genetically, for around 75,000 years, I think.
Now, of course clearing out whole ecosystems to grow grains (which can be stored) on the land gave rise to a lot more people and domesticated animals. But whether these revolutionary dietary changes were better for the individual is a different matter. And in our day and age, as we ingest many new drugs and chemical groups and the two new sweet deals, sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup, in addition to two whole new food groups, it’s not really surpising to me that our bodies are becoming increasingly fed up with the situation.
But I’ll admit that my opinion of SCD didn’t first arise so much out of evidence based theory as from personal experience. I read Gottschal’s book of course, but for me, having been diagnosed with Chron’s, and having suffered from it for six years, the proof had to be in the pudding (or rather, home-made yogurt). And it only took about 24 hours for the SCD to clear up my symptoms and keep them cleared up. I just returned from four months in Ecuador, and haven’t had to use meds. for over a year, and though I’m currently working on a refined combination of the SCD and Paleo diets, and going to start trying to repopulate my gut with probiotics to achieve even better health, I will always be greatful to this diet and the direction it has pointed me in.
@ Anthony thanks for sharing man!
When I started on the SCD I met with a registered dietitian to find out if the diet was okay nutritionally. She said it was fine. Everyone needs carbohydrates, but they don’t need to come from grains. People on the SCD get sufficient carbohydrates from vegetables and fruit.