My Journey Beyond SCD: Why I Expanded My Diet and How I Chose What to Add

How I chose to expand beyond SCD for long-term gut and full-body health — and the foods that now support me.

Jun 24, 2025

For many years, I followed the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) with strict adherence. Like many others managing Crohn’s Disease or IBD, SCD gave me structure, stability, and a way to calm my gut. It worked — and I trusted it.

For a long time, I didn’t even think about adding anything beyond what was allowed. I felt stable. I believed I’d follow that structure forever.

But life — and healing — don’t always stay linear.

The Season That Changed Everything

Many years ago, after my mom passed away, I entered a season that many people with IBD might not anticipate:

I became emotionally and mentally exhausted from the discipline it took to maintain strict food rules.
The grief, stress, and fatigue caught up with me — and I just didn’t want to think so hard about food anymore.

At first, I relaxed things slightly. Then, with no real structure in place for reintroducing foods, I ended up eating more freely than I’d intended — and eventually, whatever I wanted. That period lasted a couple of years.

Then, the inevitable: a small flare.

Just enough to remind me that my gut still needed care — and that food still played a big role.

Getting Back on Track

I was able to regain stability with a 4-week round of Entocort and a return to strict SCD for several months. But I didn’t want to repeat the cycle:

Strict SCD → Burnout → Chaos → Flare → Start Over.

This time, I asked a different question:

“What if I could expand my diet thoughtfully — not just to avoid symptoms, but to build full-body health?”

That became the start of my Beyond SCD approach: adding foods with intention, awareness, and a focus on long-term nourishment.

How I Choose What to Add

I began thinking about:

Nutritional diversity (fiber types, micronutrients, plant compounds)
Support for my microbiome
Personal tolerance — both physical and emotional
Joy and satisfaction in the foods I eat (it is okay to want joy in your food!)

My Core Beyond SCD Foods

Green Plantains
Resistant starch that supports microbiome diversity.

Sweet Potatoes
Gentle starch, rich in vitamin A, adds fiber variety.

Quinoa
A complete plant protein that adds diversity and is easy to digest when properly prepared.

Ground Flaxseed
Provides soluble fiber and omega-3s; supports regularity and gut health.

Unsweetened Cocoa
Rich in polyphenols and antioxidants — and adds joy to meals.

Steel Cut Sprouted Oats
Support butyrate production and offer a slow-digesting starch.

Other Foods I Use Occasionally or in Moderation

Arrowroot Powder (limited use)
A gentle starch used for texture in cooking and baking.

Cassava Flour (limited use)
Grain-free option for occasional baking variety.

Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas)
Add gentle protein and fiber variety.

Pinto Beans
A well-tolerated fiber-rich legume in my experience.

Chamomile Tea
Calming, anti-inflammatory, and gentle on digestion.

Canned Tomatoes (Boxed or Glass Jar)
Selected for low acidity and clean ingredients.

Tomato Paste & Pumpkin
Nutrient-dense staples that work well in cooking.

Lunch Turkey (True Story brand)
Clean protein source with minimal ingredients.

No-Sugar Ketchup (True Made Foods)
A flavorful option with no added sugars or preservatives.

What This Means — and Doesn’t

🔹It doesn’t mean everyone should go beyond SCD.
🔹It doesn’t mean all of these foods will work for every gut.
🔹It doesn’t mean I expanded casually or without thought.

It does mean I’ve chosen to include a wider variety of gut-supportive, body-benefiting foods — with care, intention, and ongoing reflection.

The Road Ahead

This is the first in a series where I’ll be sharing how I approach gut health and food expansion — not as a “yes/no” list, but as a process of learning, listening to your body, and choosing what helps you thrive.

We’ll explore:

The science behind reintroduction and microbiome health
How to approach food anxiety after years of restriction
Real strategies for choosing what to try — and when

A Note on Change — and Community

The foods I’ve shared here reflect where I am right now — but this list may shift over time.

I may discover something that no longer works for me, or I might thoughtfully add new foods as I learn more and continue supporting my health in different ways. That’s part of the process — and part of the permission I want to offer you, too.

Everyone’s path is different.

If you’ve tried expanding beyond SCD — or are thinking about it — I’d love to hear what you’ve explored, what’s worked, or what you’re curious about trying next.

Feel free to share in the comments or send me a message. I always love hearing from you.