Where is the Yogurt Making Machine?
How many people have made their own homemade yogurt at home? I’m not the only one who is trying this to fight the creepy colitis symptoms right? Although December 26th is not nearly as exciting as other days of the month. It is the most exciting day of the month for me this year. Tomorrow is the scheduled arrival date for my Waring Pro YM350 Professional Yogurt Maker
. I have been tracking it down at as of right now, it looks like its going to arrive on-time. I wrote to the shipper and asked if there was anyway they could get it here early, since this past weekend would have been the greatest time to sit back and make some Specific Carbohydrate Diet(SCD) YOGURT for the first time ever, but they replied it is way too busy with all the other presents being shipped right now. The yogurt starter packages have already arrived, so I’m all good to go with that “Culture de Yogourt” from Le Groupe Vachon, sounds like a French company to me right?
I’m Having a Colitis Flare…Why Am I So Excited?
This past week has been one of those super strange colitis symptom weeks. Something like it was the best of times, it was the worst of times… Just about one week ago, I somehow came up with a Guinness Book Worthy RHBM(Rock Hard Bowel Move). That’s right just about a week ago. And then right away everything started hitting the fan(I thought my UC flare was gone several weeks ago too…weird). It almost seemed like one of the late night “Unsolved Mysteries” shows with Robert Stack. I just have never thought it would be possible to go from feeling great to seeing decent amounts of blood and having cramping and a bit of pain in under a week. Well, I think the end of 2010 has given me a new found respect for Ulcerative Colitis. I definitely don’t like UC anymore knowing how powerful it is, but it has shown a few more cards to me lately.
It’s Alright, Have Some Colitis, Cause It’s Alright:
To sum up the flare I’m in right now, I would give it a 4 on the 1-10 scale where 1 is “feeling normal” and 10 is the 20 bleeding nasty craps per day. So, at the end of the day, things could be, and have previously in months past been much worse. But I want to feel normal again, and soon would be nice too right!  I want to put back on some weight and get on with life in 2011. I want to answer that things are “Alright” or even better than that when people ask this coming year.
Really, I want to be able to start making up some tasty SCD legal yogurt and start mixing in some strawberries and other stuff, maybe adding it to morning smoothies. You get the picture right. I want to get back on the bike, doing some nice rides, seeing some muscles growing, not muscles getting….. I hoping that the yogurt will come out nice and tasty, be full of some good stuff my body is lacking, and who knows… Definitely I have reluctantly avoided making the SCD yogurt for way too long, I guess it boils down to me being too lazy.
One thing that is for sure is that Elaine Gottschall who wrote the SCD diet book “Breaking the Vicious Cycle” made a great big deal about eating homemade yogurt. Many others who follow the SCD diet for ulcerative colitis have had success with the yogurt. So that is the main reason why I’m so excited on this 26th day of December. I’ve got a pretty good feeling that things are already going in the right direction(strange how 9 1/2 hour WABM(without a bowel movement)) can do that to you. But right now, I’m most excited to start making up some yogurt.
Who Else Is Making SCD Yogurt Out There?
Has anyone got any great advice for making up yogurt? Or some great SCD yogurt recipes? Has anyone had bad ulcerative colitis reactions to yogurt? What the heck should a newbie to home yogurt making be aware of? I’m all ears, and would really like any feedback. My newest UC’er friend Valerie who I’ve been emailing with has told me to make sure and take it very easy with the quantity inhaled the first few days. She has recommended to take only a partial teaspoon for a while until I’m surely comfortable with the yogurt. She also suggested to maybe try the goats milk as the main ingredient instead of cow’s milk if there seems to be some bad reactions. I’ve heard that before actually, but man the goat’s milk isn’t cheap where I shop. Let me know if you have any great insights with yogurt and your ulcerative colitis. Thanks, Adam (Amateur Yogurt Dude, with a side order of UC flare right now)
I started site  shortly after being diagnosed in October of 2008 with severe pancolitis (when my whole colon was inflamed).
For me, it was a very rough start with severe symptoms. Getting bounced from medication to medication was not easy or too helpful. But, I did meet another UC’er, changes several parts of my diet, and of course the rest is history.
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Hi Adam,
during your flare ups do you have to take any prednisone, Humira or colazal…etc? I’m in week 3 and nothing natural has worked. I’m going to the hospital first thing in the morning tomorrow…something is not right this time with this flare up.
Help!!
Alex
Hey Alex,
I’m sorry to hear you are doing not good right now. I know the feeling you are talking about when you think something is not right. I haven’t taken any medications since Oct. 2009, and its the same right now during this flare. I’m sure hoping to find some success again with the SCD. The thought has also crossed my mind to ask the doctor for a little dose of prednisone to maybe give my body a little kick start of some anti-inflammatory steroids, but I’m just not at that point yet. I wish you the best tomorrow, I hope things calm down fast for you. -Adam
Hey let me know about the yogurt machine, I am starting the diet but haven’t purchased one yet, I just felt like it was a lot of work, but I do want to buy one. My wife made some delicious SCD meaatballs and sauce last night and I made banana mufins SCD style this morning since we are in a blizzard so know work. I here you guys on feeling shitty and wanting prednisone, I was in a flare 3 weeks back and still had pills leftover and wanted to just start taking 40mg to feel better, but I steered away and I have been feeling better lately.
Yo James,
Congrats on getting through without the pred! that’s great encouragement, I like it!
Also, I will for sure get you some knowing on the whats up with the yogurt machine. I am wondering when mr UPS man is going to ring the bell.. its 6pm here and no bell ringing yet, so might be delaying one day on the yogurt start up. awesome too about the scd style muffs. I love those things. did you throw in some blueberrious berries?
Hi Adam,
Really sucks that your body is turning into an episode of Unsolved Mysteries. Valarie’s advice is great and I can’t offer much more than that.
If the flavor of the yogurt is not to your liking, you can add, honey, cinnamon, vanilla, banana (or any fruit you can tolerate) and it should taste great. I tend to have it plain myself. I used to add the above, but now for whatever reason I prefer it plain.
Unsolved Mysteries used to be my favorite show too a few years/decades ago. Thanks for the yogurt tips. How often are you eating the yogurt Reid? is it a daily event for you?
Same here, great show! Eating the yogurt was a daily ritual for about 4 years. I haven’t been consistent with it in the past 2 years but want to get back into it. I’m trying different kinds of yogurts with less pasteurized milks to see how my body handles it.
Hi Adam, sorry to hear things aren’t great UC wise at the moment. On the yoghurt front, it is the one detail of the SCD intro diet that I didn’t follow when I restarted the diet in October. I just can’t live without dairy. If you have been eating cows cheese without any problems, you’ll probably be okay on the cows yoghurt, but phasing it in small quantities is probably a good idea as I’m guessing that you can’t pinpoint anything in particular that has caused the flare?
As yoghurt is the only major source of calcium on SCD, and having had some long stretches on prednisone and therefore worry about bone density, I’m religious about my morning smoothies. When I started phasing in foods after the intro diet, I had a friend who was giving me massive quantities of home grown spinach, and because I was cooking everything to death on the intro diet, I introduced “green smoothies” as my first raw food with the intention of getting some more vitamins and minerals naturally, and stop taking supplements. So that was a big handful of spinach, half a banana, nutmeg and cinnamon, about a cup of yoghurt and some water to make it a drinkable consistency. It felt very healthly, but didn’t taste like spinach at all. I had mulberries one day and added a couple for colour and my husband couldn’t tell that there was spinach in it at all. (He winces at my green smoothies).
This morning I had hot mashed roasted pumpkin with nutmeg and a big spoonful of leftover date and cashew whip from Christmas (soaked cashews and fresh dates, thoroughly blended) and poured a good bit of smoothie over the top, which was quite tasty, it yo are into nutmeggy porridgy kind of things.
I also drip some yoghurt and mix in some honey and it makes a great accompaniment to desserts. And really thick, mixed with fresh herbs and garlic makes a great dip for vegetables. Mum makes dripped yoghurt into balls and rolls them in fresh herbs and bottles them in olive oil, but I’m not that dedicated!
Once you’ve made the yoghurt a few times, it gets pretty easy. I can now put on a batch while I’m making breakfast before work, and it only takes me about 5 mins longer than usual to get out the door.
Good luck
Catherine
Hey Catherine,
Wowie, Do you have room for two people down at your place? Geeeeez, sounds like you got a full on restaurant kitchen going over there. Super tasty sounding things, man I LOVE all the creativity you are getting into into the kitchen, that is super awesome, CONGRATS!
Its about 7:43 and still no yogurt machine, so I think Mr UPS man got hung up with something tonight. But that means an even better chance of it coming tomorrow I think.
“Hot mashed roasted pumpkin with nutmeg and leftover date and cashew whip!!!!!!!!” now we’re talking!! awesomeness Catherine. Maybe someday once I get my training wheels on, you and I can have a little race as to who can whip up a nice load of yogurt the quickest. If we’re only talking an extra five minutes, that’s no biggie right? especially if we’re all feeling better.
thanks so much for the info, and congrats on getting things under control. and keep up the creativeness in the kitchen, that is simply fabulososososo!
I think the yogurt is a great idea. Be sure to try to use the goat milk because it has a lot of calories and fat – great for gaining back weight. For some reason my guts didn’t like it after 3 days, but I was eating a lot during my last flare so that could be some of it. I can’t wait to try it again. Definitely go easy on the servings at first.
thx gee, i will for sure go easy at first(i might need to be chained down though, I’m dropping a few pounds here and there and getting mighty hungry you know)))
thx for the advice,
Adam
Hi Adam,
Thanks so much for your quick reply. Regarding the SCD yogurt, I saw a video on youtube and a lady did the yogurt without the machine. I went and tried getting the machine myself in the USA but couldn’t find it. I’ll try first without the machine and see….thanks again.
Last night I ended up at the hospital and today will be going in for some more test. They’re not sure if it’s my appendix or something else…I just feel something is not right. I know those nice Tostitos chips started the flare up for me…too bad. No more Tostitos chips for me…!!!
Alex
Hey Alex,
Let me know how it goes and tastes doing it without the machine. A friend from eastern europe tells me how his family made yogurt for centuries over there without any machines and it tasted great. I hope your hospital stay is quick and that you can get some relief soon. if you think you have found something that was bad like Tostitos or anything else, definitely cut it out of your diet. I’m restricting the heck out of my diet lately, and ready for things to turn around.
Good luck Alex,
Adam
Hey Adam,
Sorry to hear that you are in a flare right now….that is never any fun! As for the yogurt, my husband and I have been doing the yogurt from day one of the diet (august of 2010). It has been awesome. although, I will say that the above advice of taking it slow is a good idea. Too much might make your flare worse….I was doing SCD for about a month (with the yogurt) and came off the PRED and went right into a flare again.
BUT, the yogurt has been known (in my case) to help settle my stomach and make me feel better… It is a little bitter at first but you get use to that. I usually put honey or something in it to make it a little sweeter. I also make ice cream with it. You can make butter pecan, vanilla, strawberry (or any kind you like)…I have a little bit of a sweet tooth so the ice cream is great (plus my family loves it). Ice cream makers are fairly inexpensive and a great way to incorporate the yogurt as well.
A lot of times I will use the yogurt in dressings and sauces instead of milk or sour cream as the recipe calls for it. I will send you some of those recipes (I think I owe you some of the recipes I have that are not in the SCD book…I will send them tonight when I put the kids to bed!)
Anyway, I hope that your yogurt maker comes soon and that your flare settles down. I am currently doing REMICADE and am flare free for the moment (only about 2 months flare free) but I have a terrible amount of body pain (joints and bones) not sure if its due to the PRED or just UC. I’m seeing rhuemetoligist at the end of Jan.
Good luck and let us know how it goes!!
Cheers,
Michelle
hey Michelle,
Great to hear from you!
Congrats on two months of flare free, that’s great. I really appreciate your feedback with regards to yogurt. I think for sure I should have jumped on the yogurt band-wagon when I started the SCD initially, but better late then never right…
Hey, don’t sweat the recipes, when you can get them over, that would be awesome and we can put them up.
Good luck too with regards to the joint pain. I hate to say it, but I’m am in a way just waiting for that stuff to kick in again, but for now, its nothing really. Butt’s getting a bit sore from so many toilet seat hours though…. ha ha.
have a good one,
Adam
Hi Adam, I hope you received your yoghurt machine by now. I can relate to the frustration of patiently(but not) waiting for that machine as you know my 6 year old is doing SCD also. I myself use the yogurt machine Yolife because it comes with two size lids to make a bigger batch instead of just those small jars they give you. Some of the best advice I can give is to purchase a dimmer switch, I bought mine at Lowe’s as most yoghurt makers will over heat after 12 hours because they are not made to incubate for 24 hours normally. I guess tries your out first to see if it keeps the 100 to 110 degrees F that it has to stay at. I also keep the lids off my jars as this makes a much thicker yoghurt consistancy because the water is drawn out faster. I check the temp. after 6 hours with a reliable thermometer and put the lid back on quickly to keep the heat in. sometimes I may wipe the inside of the lid out quickly when I check the temp to draw more water out. the way I do the yoghurt for my son is that I make him shakes with ripe papaya which I actually thinks makes the best shakes and papaya is known to aid in digestion. when the papaya is on sale and ripe, i cut it up and freeze to make a thick shake each morning. I use ice, some water, frozen ripe papaya, 2 ripe bananas, a good glob of yoghurt, and blend, then after blended, I add honey at the end and blend again so the honey won’t stick to the glass. I hope this advice was helpful. I don’t declare myself an expert on yoghurt making, but, I think I am pretty good. :-) Even though my son Evan is not off the meds yet, he is only on 2 ml. prednisone now, and has been doing SCD yoghurt and SCD for 3 and 1/2 months now. his stools have been solid! solid! solid! now for 2 weeks straight, with no pain, no diarhea,no blood!! good luck! Linda.
Hey Linda,
So So SOOOO Cool to read your comment!! So happy for both you and Evan, that is great news!
I think you are now the official Yogurt Queen in my book. That smoothie you are talking about sounds so nice too. It almost makes me feel like i’m sitting in hawaii having a tropical drink right?!!
I think you should come up with some crazy name for that morning treat you are making your son.
I will definitely take your advice, I really appreciate it. The thicker yogurt sure sounds up my alley too.
The only thing is, I did not read the whole email confirmation from amazon when we bought the yogurt machine a few days ago. I saw 12/27 as an arrival date, but it really read 12/27-12/30…
So, as you might have guessed, still no machine just yet, but your comment gives the whole situation even more suspense for me.
Thanks for the encouragment, I really appreciate it,
Adam
I’m really glad I could help Adam!. Evan’s been drinking those smoothies for 3 months now and he has not complained on flavor. that’s pretty great for a 6 year old. hope you get your yogurt maker soon. :-) Linda.
I am new to this UC, and reading all your posts is definitely a big help. I have a dumb question for someone. Why not just buy the yogurt instead of making it? Again, I am new to this, and trying to figure it all out and get answers. Any suggestions anyone?:)
I am pretty sure I asked myself the same question less than a week ago. Two great minds think alike right…??
The reason is related to the length of time factory made yogurt is prepared(usually) only 6-8 hours. Scd diet people usually feel this isn’t enough time to break down all of the lactose to the point desired. Home. Made (24) hour cooked yogurt is expected to get rid of the things the scd diet don’t allow. Basically when the yogurt machine is on, all kinds of work is being done and it takes time. 24 hours according to the creator of the scd diet. (Shiela who follows our site inquired about this with a local yogurt maker and they had different science thoughts regarding required time. Such is life. GREEEEat Question!
Hey Adam,
I just recently ran across your youtube vids and that brought me here. First off, THANKS for the videos! It was very refreshing to see someone have a positive attitude about this and to see all the meals you come up with. I just started the diet around thanksgiving and have been struggling to come up with different foods to eat. I got my yogurt maker(yogourmet) mid December and it seems like it’s helping.
My suggestion, just add it to your morning shake. It’s the perfect place to sneak it into the diet.
I eat a half cup in the morning with breakfast and then another half cup in the evening usually while making dinner.
Hey Adam, I cannot stress enough the importance of the SCD Homemade Yogurt, making it the essential component of the diet, as it is the only significant source of calcium in the diet, as well providing up to 700 Billion CFU’s of beneficial probiotic bacteria (which is cultivated over the 24 hr. period in the yogurt maker – and a substantially greater number than any store bought probiotic pill), which in many respects should be labeled a ‘super food’. Once you make a batch, it will last you up to 2 weeks. And you should be eating this regularly to get results. You must start off gradually maybe a teaspoon a day for a couple of days, then maybe 2 teaspoons next couple of days until you feel comfortable. When I first started with the yogurt I had a pretty nasty flare (after consuming two bowls the first day), so definitely take it easy.. but it has been a tremendous help to me as it has stopped the bleeding and keeping me regulated. Also, I recommend you visit youtube and lookup the ‘boiltarian diet’ and start off with that (this diet has helped me tremendously as well, which I’m still on it, as SCD helped me, but wasn’t enough to put me in remission fast enough), now dairy isn’t allowed on the ‘boiltarian diet’, but I think the yogurt should be made an exception. I think this is a fantastic starter diet, as it has been for me, hopefully I can incorporate more SCD foods in the future. Best of Luck!
Thanks Kekoa,
I agree with you 100%, so far being on the SCD yogurt for one month has been very helpful for me. And yes indeed, several people recommended as well to start off very slow with early intake amounts of the yogurt. OHHHH, its tasty!
All these diets can be so confused. I hear don’t eat that, eat this. Today I am frustrated by it all.
I mean to say all these diets can leave you confused and frustrated to where you don’t know what to eat anymore!
Hi, this is all very good. but I made yogurt and as always I did not. my yoghurt is very leaven. I did the same yeast. Could this be because of yeast?
Can I use yogurt Actimel-dannon instead of leaven?
Hi, Guys.
I’m looking to start the SCD (as soon as I get the book from Amazon!) and yogurt has definitely helped in the past, in previous flares of my life.
However, with this flare that started around December 11th, I chose to see my acupuncturist instead of my regular GI doc, knowing she would just prescribe steroids, and I promised myself last time that I would never do that again…I don’t want to suppress…I want to get to the root of the problem and heal – permanently – from the inside out.
With that, I’m mentally preparing for the diet, but my acupuncturist is really anti-dairy. She suggests coconut yogurt. I want to do the SCD diet as strictly to the book as possible, and though I am currently dairy free, I am not lactose intolerant…I’m just trying to follow my acupuncturist’s advice as much as possible, too.
Bottom line, I am not yet out of this flare and it’s HORRIBLE. Please share your thoughts and advice.
Thank you!
Nicole
Had UC for 4 years now, been on prednisolone for 2 years practically not being able to get off! its ruining my life, I’m 23 with scars and have put on a fair bit of weight :( Im desperate to start the SCD but I must say i don’t really enjoy cooking and I’m really put off about making homemade yogurt, how much are the machines? and if it takes 24 hours to heat on a continuous temp, when does everyone start cooking? I really wish there was a way to use normal natural yogurt and cut out all other lactose products, i feel the same as nicole..never had a problem with dairy..
and also can’t stand tea without milk…what can i put in instead?
Thanks
Hi Tracy,
The yogurt machines are about $50 USD, give or take, you can find them for less though if you search online.
As for making the yogurt, it’s a full day of “cooking” in the yogurt maker. Once you get your batch ready, you just put it in the machine and you are ready to go.
As for tea drinking, I always add honey to my hot drinks, whether its tea or coffees an that has been working out great, I no longer need milk anymore, and i don’t drink milk at all (been over two years no milk, and honestly, it wasn’t that hard to stop it after I started seeing postiive poop results)
Best of luck to you!
I use Almond Milk and put it in my decaf coffee and a little bit in my smoothie and it has not bothered me yet. I also add a little honey to it.
Well, my very first batch of SCD yogurt just finished fermenting about an hour ago, and I must say I am SOOOO excited to try it tomorrow morning (I’ll admit, I snuck a bite before I put it in the fridge, though, and boy was it deLICIOUS!).
Has anyone had success making theirs with a crockpot? That’s how I did this first batch, and it was a pain in the butt at first getting the temperature regulated. After a few hours, though, it seemed to level out at about 112-115 and I could breath a sigh of relief and go to bed without worrying I was going to cook off all of my awesome bacteria buddies!
I’m supposed to see my GI tomorrow to talk about starting either 6MP, Humira, or Remicade…my plan is to ask him to give me time on this diet first before we start pumping more meds into me…I’m already trying to taper off of Prednisone. Wish me luck!
Hope everyone is having a great start to 2013 and here’s to some amazing SCD yogurt and flare-free living :)
Best of luck to you Ashlee!!!
HOpe the yogurt turns out great!!!
My advice would be to take it slow at first with the yogurt, just a spoonful the first few days and see how your body does, and then very slowly increase if all goes well.
Best of luck again,
–Adam
I did it for a while but got lazy doing it. I still follow the diet and seem to be okay. The yogurt I need to do again. Hiking a lot and enjoying my life. Am in the theatre, do photography and love to garden. Exercise has helped lots!!!
i’m gonna make my first batch on monday. so excited! i am stuck though with exactly how to make it. i am not sure if i am lactose intolerant or casein intolerant. when i eat dairy, my lips and ears get swollen and my nose gets very snotty, eyes itch. i found a yogourmet starter at the health food store but it has skim milk powder in it. i am very worried that i will react to something in this starter! i am making the yogurt with coconut milk rather than cows/goats just to ensure that i get the smallest amount of lactose/casein possible. i just couldn’t justify paying over 40 bux for gi pro health yogurt starter yet since this is my first time making it.