Larabar

[Guest guest]

Members please note it took me over a half hour to compose a response

to at Larabar which is why I will not undertake to be the

official food investigation commandant LOL!

Anyhow here are the results from Larabar:

> Dear Carol,

>

> I apologize for not responding more quickly to your email. The reason

> for

> my delay is that I wanted to take some time to better understand the

> Specific Carbohydrate Diet and its specific dietary allowances and

> restrictions.

>

> Through my research on csdiet.org, and breakingtheviciouscycle.info I

> have

> been unable to find a specific list of dates that are acceptable for

> people

> to eat if they are on this nutrition regimen. We, here at LaraBar,

> would

> like to better understand how the SCD delineates between various date

> varieties and what makes some dates permissible to eat while others

> are not

> allowed. What allows loose California Medjool dates to be directly

> absorbed

> into the bloodstream, but not other dates? If possible, could you

> direct me

> to any specific websites or books that would explain how the sugar

> content

> of dates is vastly different and how that affects people on the

> Specific

Dear ,

The book that defines and outlines " The Specific Carbohydrate Diet is

called " Breaking the Vicious Cycle " by Elaine Gottschall. In the

chapter introducing the diet under the category of fruit it is

specified " only loose California dates are permitted. In later

clarifications and discussions on SCD discussion groups Elaine

elaborated further that they are known as Medjool dates. These are

also grown in Mexico and there is lots of information on them from the

growers' association:

http://home.earthlink.net/~bardmedjool/

Medjool dates are costly. Currently in Canada they are $8.99 a pound

(Cdn.) but available in 2 lb. clear plastic tubs for less at Costco.

They contain monosaccharide sugar which requires no involved digestive

process and is directly absorbed into the bloodstream without further

damaging a compromised gut such as one finds in Celiac Disease, Crohn's

Disease or Ulcerative Colitis. I believe Gottschall designated them

specifically because she was able to establish them as suitable without

researching a myriad of other types of dates. Since Elaine's death last

summer, no one is authorized to verify any changes in her original

basic protocols.

This diet has a wonderful track record among people with gastric

diseases and and was discovered to be helpful and effective in many

cases of autism about six or seven years ago. Our little ASD support

group alone

pecanbread@...

has grown from a few parents to nearly 3000

SCDdiet is not an official website but is helpful.

The two official websites are:

www.breakingthevicouscycle.info

www.pecanbread.com

SCD for ASD states dried fruits and ground nuts are considered an

advanced food reserved for the stage when significant healing has

taken place. Adults who tolerate these foods are advised they should

be occasional.

Our advice to newcomers is to be very cautious about any store bought

food and stick to homemade.

We ask our members to request a HAND WRITTEN letter from the food

processor stating the ingredients, process, involvement of third party

companies and several other details before trying a processed store

bought food not already approved.

..

Unwillingness for such disclosure creates the possibility of risk.

Small infractions feed harmful bacteria and they proliferate rapidly in

the gut creating malabsorption and damaging the villi that line the

intestine.

There is also some type of citrus water I am not sure about. All of

which explains why we needed to know more about your " little trade

secrets " when I first inquired :-)

(One website advertising that their food is SCD compliant offers

Larabar but specifies it as only for the advanced. However we often

get requests for approval of Larabar from beginners)

Best regards,

Carol Frilegh

> Carbohydrate Diet?

>

> If you could please expand upon any of this we would greatly

> appreciate your

> time.

>

> Sincerely,

>

> Morrill

> ----------------------------------------

> A l l i s o n M o r r i l l

> L Ä R A B A R ®

> PO Box 18932, Denver, CO 80218

> direct

> toll free

> fax

> www.larabar.com

> Re: New message from website

>

> Sent to Larabar:

>

> Dear ,

> People on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet can only use loose California

> Medjool dates as they are directly absorbed into the bloodstream and

> do not stress a diseased digestive system. I have no choice but to

> inform our thousands of members world wide that Larabars are not

> suitable for the diet.

>

>

>

> Dear Carol,

> Thank you for taking the time to contact us.  We appreciate your

> interest in our product.

>

> We use a variety of dates in our bars.  Unfortunately, I am not able to

> give specific information on the types of dates we use as this is a

> trade secret and considered proprietary information.  I am sorry I

> cannot be more helpful.

>

> Thank you again for your interest in LÄRABAR! 

>

> Best wishes,

> Morrill

>

> ----------------------------------------

>

> A l l i s o n   M o r r i l l

>

> L Ä R A B A R ®

>

>

> Name = Carol Frilegh

> Email = c.frilegh@...

> Comments = what kind of dates are in Larabars?

>

>