What’s in the Grain-Free Gourmet Books?

How are the Grain-Free Gourmet books different from other gluten-free cookbooks?

Can people who are allergic to nuts enjoy the Grain-Free Gourmet books?

Are there recipes for vegetarians in the Grain-Free Gourmet books?

Can diabetics eat the food in the Grain-Free Gourmet books?


About the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD)

What is the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD)?

How do I find Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) resources?

Why doesn’t the Specific Carbohydrate (SCD) diet work for everyone?

Why aren't there clinical trials on the Specific Carbohydrate (SCD)?


About the conditions controlled by the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD)

What are celiac disease, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), lactose intolerance, and autism spectrum disorder?

How many people have celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), lactose intolerance, or autism spectrum disorder?


Nutritional information about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD)

Isn’t it unhealthy to eliminate all grains?

What is the difference between complex and simple carbohydrates?

Aren’t simple carbohydrates bad for you?

What is the nutritional content of almonds?

Will I gain weight from eating almonds?

What is good bacteria and why is yogurt good for you?

What’s in the Grain-Free Gourmet books?
The Grain-Free Gourmet cookbook series helps people with limited food choices rediscover the joy of eating. Each book has over 100 recipes — from appetizers and salads, to main dishes and desserts. Grain-Free Gourmet: Delicious Recipes for Healthy Living also has a section devoted to eggs and an introductory section that explains how to use the key ingredients in the book. Everyday Grain-Free Gourmet: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner makes meal planning easy with its menu guides. In addition, this book demystifies fat and provides information about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD). Check out the tables of contents and some sample recipes.

How are the Grain-Free Gourmet books different from other gluten-free cookbooks?

The Grain-Free Gourmet books are different from other gluten-free books because all of their recipes are made with whole, natural foods, which makes going gluten-free easier, healthier, and more delicious. For example, these books use almond flour (ground, blanched almonds) as a grain substitute when baking, which more closely approximates wheat flour than other wheat flour alternatives in terms of taste and texture and lowers blood cholesterol levels.

These books also address the multiple dietary needs of people with intestinal problems. For example, many celiacs are not only gluten intolerant, but also lactose intolerant, so the recipes in the Grain-Free Gourmet books are both gluten-free and low-lactose. These books also eliminate most complex carbohydrates because people with intestinal problems can find them hard to digest.

In addition, Grain-Free Gourmet books are based on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet instead of the gluten-free diet because the gluten-free diet doesn’t help all celiacs — it didn’t help Grain-Free Gourmet co-author and celiac Jenny Lass.

Can people who are allergic to nuts enjoy the Grain-Free Gourmet books?

Yes. There are many nut-free recipes in the Grain-Free Gourmet books. Check out the books' tables of contents and some sample recipes.

Are there recipes for vegetarians in the Grain-Free Gourmet books?

Yes. Including desserts and standards, there are almost 70 vegetarian recipes in Grain-Free Gourmet: Delicious Recipes for Healthy Living and 90 in Everyday Grain-Free Gourmet: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. Most of these dishes are listed under the key word “vegetarian” in the index because they cross so many other sections (such as appetizers, soups, baked goods, and desserts) that we couldn’t group them together easily.

Can diabetics eat the food in the Grain-Free Gourmet books?

Yes. There are lots of recipes without honey. But many diabetics can have some honey and most of the honey-sweetened recipes in the books are combined with the monounsaturated fat of almonds, which slows the absorption rate of glucose into the bloodstream. Celiac diabetics, in particular, enjoy the food in the Grain-Free Gourmet books.

What is the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD)?

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) is a diet used by thousands of people worldwide to control the symptoms of many diseases, such as celiac disease, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and autism spectrum disorder. Renowned American pediatrician Dr. Sydney Valentine Haas developed the SCD in the 1920s to treat celiac disease and cured hundreds of children who could once have died of their condition. The SCD was eventually adopted by other disease communities as a complementary treatment option. For more information about the history of the SCD, visit the about the books page or read The Power and Potential of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet in Everyday Grain-Free Gourmet: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

How do I find Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) resources?

Please visit the resources page. If you are starting the SCD for the first time, please first refer to Elaine Gottschall’s Breaking the Vicious Cycle. Note that we do not advocate going off any medication to start the SCD or trying the SCD without consulting a doctor first. The SCD is meant to be a complementary therapy, not an alternative one.

Why doesn’t the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) work for everyone?

Just like a lot of mainstream medical treatments, the SCD doesn’t always work. However, a physician-run survey indicated that the SCD works for about 80% of people who try it. For more information on this study, see the Nieves reference on the resources page.

Why aren't there clinical trials on the Specific Carbohydrate (SCD)?

There are no clinical trials on the SCD largely due to a lack of funding. Also, conducting a trial on a diet is challenging. There is no way to be sure that study participants will follow the diet properly, making it difficult to produce meaningful results. However, the SCD community is hopeful that one day proper trials on the diet will be conducted so that it can be acknowledged and prescribed by mainstream physicians.

What are celiac disease, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), lactose intolerance, and autism spectrum disorder?

Celiac disease: is an autoimmune disorder triggered by the ingestion of gluten. The small intestines can become damaged, causing diarrhea and poor nutrient absorption.

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease: are inflammatory bowel diseases that cause inflammation and bleeding of the intestines, constipation, and diarrhea.

IBS: is a condition that prevents the intestines from moving properly. Sometimes people with IBS are constipated and sometimes they have diarrhea.

Lactose intolerance: is caused by a lack of the lactase enzyme in the gut, which prevents the digestion of lactose, the sugar in milk. Symptoms of lactose intolerance include bloating, gas, and sometimes diarrhea.

Autism spectrum disorder: is a brain disorder that develops in childhood and affects behaviour, social interaction, and communication.

How many people have celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), lactose intolerance, or autism spectrum disorder?

Approximately 170,000 Canadians have IBD. It is estimated that as many as one million Americans have IBD.

It is estimated that one in 130 to one in 300 North Americans has celiac disease and 10 to 20% of the general population are affected by IBS.

Between 30 and 50 million Americans and 3.5 million Canadians are lactose intolerant. Estimates range from about 12% to 25% of any given population.

One in 150 North Americans has autism spectrum disorder.

Isn’t it unhealthy to eliminate all grains?

Grains are very healthy if you can digest them. However, if you have a sensitive stomach, there are many other foods that can provide you with the fibre, vitamins B and E, and minerals that are found in grains.

Alternative sources for the nutrients in grains include nuts, meats, fish, eggs, fruits, and vegetables. For example, squash has lots of vitamins A and C, and about as much vitamin B6 as and more folate than regular pasta. Three ounces of almonds have 36% of your recommended daily fibre intake and 105% of your recommended daily vitamin E intake. Beef is the number one food source for protein, zinc, and vitamin B12, and is one of the best sources of dietary iron.

What is the difference between complex and simple carbohydrates?

All carbohydrates are made up of units of sugar (saccharride). Carbohydrates containing only one unit of sugar (called monosaccharides) or two sugar units of sugar (called disaccharides) are known as simple sugars or simple carbohydrates.

Complex carbohydrates are composed of three or more units of sugar. The chemical name for the largest type of complex carbohydrate is polysaccharide, meaning "many sugars." The SCD eliminates most disaccharides and polysaccharides for easier digestion and to promote intestinal healing.

Aren’t simple carbohydrates bad for you?

Not all simple carbohydrates are bad for you. Fruit, after all, is a simple carbohydrate and many fruits are low on the glycemic index (GI). All the simple carbohydrates used in the Grain-Free Gourmet books are fruits, vegetables, or honey, a natural, unrefined sweetener.

What is the nutritional content of almonds?

3 oz of almonds (about 75 nuts) have
• 105% of your recommended daily vitamin E intake
• 60% of your recommended daily magnesium intake
• 45% of your recommended daily phosphorus intake
• 36% of your recommended daily fibre intake
• 24% of your recommended daily calcium intake
• 18% of your recommended daily iron intake
• 12% of your recommended daily folate intake
• 0 cholesterol

Also, 85% of the fat in almonds is unsaturated and almonds lower blood cholesterol levels better than whole wheat.

Will I gain weight from eating almonds?

Because almonds are filling and can help prevent unhealthy snacking, they don’t cause weight gain unless you eat too many — just like any other food. In fact, a 2003 article in the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders states that an almond-enriched, low-calorie diet high in monounsaturated fats can help overweight people lose more weight than a low-calorie diet high in complex carbohydrates. After six months, those on the almond diet had a 62% greater reduction in their weight and body mass index, a 50% greater reduction in waist circumference, and a 56% greater reduction in body fat than those on the low-calorie, high-carbohydrate diet.

And remember that fat is an essential part of a healthy diet! Aside from satisfying your hunger, fat helps your body make hormones, gives you long-lasting energy, contributes to the formation of your brain and nervous system, creates cell membranes, carries vitamins throughout your body, and regulates body temperature. Just make sure you're eating mostly "good fat" (which is found in abundance in almonds).

What is good bacteria and why is yogurt good for you?

There are over 400 species of bacteria in the digestive tract. Some are harmful and some aren’t. The good bacteria (probiotics) keep the harmful bacteria in check. But if the natural balance of gut bacteria is disturbed, the bad bacteria can take over and cause diarrhea, a common occurrence when you take antibiotics.

Yogurt with active bacterial culture can maintain the good bacteria in your intestines and by fermenting it yourself for a long period of time, you can not only increase its amount of good bacteria, but you can also eliminate its lactose. The healing effect of probiotics was demonstrated in a recent study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology that showed that over half of ulcerative colitis patients taking probiotics achieved remission and one quarter saw improvement. For more information on this research, see the Bibiloni reference on the resources page.