The Mommypotamus » GAPS

GAPS Giveaway Winner!!!

Heather — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:21:56 +0000

Reading the comments for this giveaway was bittersweet. The frustration and weariness behind your words made my heart ache. I know all too well what it’s like to muddle through chronic illness. The dead ends. The false starts. The struggle toward normal – whatever that is.

Oh dear, is that a rain cloud over my head?!?!? I didn’t mean to sound so gloomy. What I’m trying to say is I’ve been there. I’m not some girl with perfect genes spouting off theory. Food heals people.

Food healed me.

Though not the only one, the GAPS intro diet is an incredibly powerful recovery tool. So join us. I promise we won’t turn you into a zombie or make you wear the ugly Christmas sweater your aunt Zeida made you. We’ll just encourage you. We’ll walk with you. We’ll do our best and figure out this stuff together.

Oh sheesh, I just went all inspirationally, didn’t I?

As corny as it sounds, I really do mean it. But you’re here for the winner announcement, aren’t you? Well, here it is. If this comment sounds familiar to you . . .

WAIT! I should probably mention now that if you are not the winner I have a coupon code for 30% off What Can I Eat Now? – 30 Days On The Introduction Diet. So if you didn’t win stick around! Okay, as I was saying – If this comment sounds familiar to you:

We (all 6 of us) want to do GAPS because we are so tired of being sick, some of us are tired of being afraid to eat because we wonder if this food will make us sick or in pain, we are tired of feeling run down and our kids who should have boundless energy of feeling run down, For my child who is an animal lover but severely allergic to be able to ride a horse or visit a friend who has pets, to not loose countless days because we ate something that made us sick, to feel and be healthy enough to adopt again, to never have to sleep sitting up on the couch because something we ate disagreed with us and now we have horrible heartburn, to never have to have surgery due to colon or pancreatic cancer and end up witth a colostomy like my dad and granddad have, to have my baby look healthy, happy and energetic, not whiny, tired, and overall sick, so my 12 yr old does not feel like an old lady anymore, because or bodies are not absorbing the nutrients we need. That is the short of it.

It’s probably because your name is Michelle, and your comment #5 is the winning number. Congratulations, Michelle! I hope this win is the beginning of MANY good things for your family.

If you didn’t win but are still interested in joining Cara’s 30 Day Challenge (or doing intro whenever!), use the coupon code mommy30 for 30% off What Can I Eat Now? until October 15th. Need more inspiration? Ann Marie is blogging her way through Intro right now!

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GAPS Intro Challenge and Giveaway!!!

Heather — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 12:58:28 +0000

Today Is Your Day!

Okay, not today (or maybe it is) – but soon! If you’ve been wanting to start GAPS, the 30Day GAPS Intro Challenge hosted by Cara at Health Home & Happiness is right around the corner! Starting October 1st families in Duluth, Dallas, Delaware and where you live will be starting “Intro” together.

“Intro” is GAPster speak for the intensive healing first phase of the diet. And by intensive I mean soup. Lots and lots and LOTS of it!

But hey! It’s not so bad. Soups and stews make delightful fall meals, and if you get started next month you’ll be ready to feast on goodies from the full GAPS menu this holiday season. You’ll have lots to choose from, believe me.

Yes, there’s egg nog.

Yes, there are cookies.

Yes, you can have pancakes.

And yes, you can even have berry cobbler.

A quick blip through the intensive healing phase and you’ll be there. Pinky swear and everything.

But First, You Must Decide

Will it be the red pill or the blue? No wait, that’s not right! You need to decide on a STRATEGY – otherwise you’ll wake up and realize the broth you need for breakfast is still sitting in the freezer way. too. many. times.

Ahem.

If strategy is not your thing (it’s definitely not mine), What Can I Eat Now? is the essential guide to Intro. I don’t know how people survived Intro before Cara created this 57 page wonder. Or actually, I do, because she sent it to me when we were halfway through our first round. It’s like the difference between cracking a coconut with a hammer instead of a plastic spoon!

Cara covers everything – sourcing foods, switching your toiletries to non-toxic versions (including recipes), reminders to start fermented foods, recipes for detox baths, and of course creative casseroles, stews, and other meals I never would have thought up on my own. Want to take a peek??? You can download a preview here.

And Now For The Giveaway!!

To help kick off the 30 Day GAPS Intro Challenge, Cara is giving away a copy of What Can I Eat Now? here on Mommypotamus! To enter, just leave a comment telling us why you want to start GAPS to be entered to win! The winner will be chosen via random.org one week from today!

P.S. Have you ever wondered if it’s okay to do GAPS while breastfeeding? Yup! read more . . . Similar Posts:

Life After Ketchup {GAPS Update}

Heather — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Yesterday Katie pulled a half empty bottle of ketchup from the fridge and asked what it was. One of her favorite games – and my least – is to ask questions she already knows the answer to, so I gave a quick sideways glance to check her expression. Yup, the girl has completely forgotten about ketchup.***

Now, if your child -who happens to have been a ketchup enthusiast – can no longer name the condiment of tomatoey goodness, it means one of three things:

A) This is not your child. Go back to the last place you were . . . grocery store, park, craft store, wherever. A parent whose child is undoubtedly wearing the exact. same. outfit. as yours will inevitably wave you down. Exchange.

B) An interstellar worm has wriggled it’s way into your child’s brain. It’s only food is the cellular memory of ketchup, which makes for a very short lifespan. In other words, your child was infected with an alien parasite for about three minutes.

C) Your child is on GAPS

Fortunately, in my situation the answer is C . It’s been six months since we became a GAPS family and three months since I told you about my bucket list and confessed that my husband has no pants (and as we discovered on vacation, no swim trunks either). Which means . . . it’s time for an update!

Mommy, Can I Watch The Adult Movie, Too?

Oy, of all the things Katie’s said, that one max’s out on the heebie jeebie scale. Fortunately, the only “education” she is getting around here is a little – okay, A LOT – of extra flirting between mommy and daddy.The movie she wanted to watch was What About Bob, which we have emphatically explained is a “Grown-Up Movie”.

I’m serious about the flirting, though. Daddypotamus feels better, and for some reason that compels him to buy me wine and flowers. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE that wine is GAPS legal??

Alright, getting off track here. In a nutshell, the hubba hubba hubs is 45+ pounds lighter . . .

. . . and that’s good! As the spontaneous clearing of his weird, crusty, flaky scalp condition (that he had for YEARS) proves, his internal ecosystem is shifting. Unfortunately, focusing at work is still a semi-epic battle, so we’re in the process of adding supplements to support cognitive function -L-tyrosine, Ginkgo biloba, Brahmi (an Ayurvedic herb), or Gotu Kola – I’ll let you know how it goes. But for now, let’s move on to Katie!

Katie Is On GAPS Because . . .

Silly me! Katie is on GAPS because we are – it’s purely by default. So why, after four months on a gut healing diet, did my HEALTHY daughter decide to begin displaying symptoms of digestive distress???

This no-good, very bad, horrible rash appeared on her face . . . and stayed, and stayed, and STAYED. I did everything I would tell another mama to do (and then some), but the darn thing unpacked it’s suitcase and started collecting takeout menu’s from neighborhood restaurants. Evicting this thing was not going to be easy . . .

I thought it might be eczema, which as we all know is related to gut dysbiosis. But because it’s hard to be objective in circumstances like this – and because I have a tendency to royally freak out – I consulted Katja. She reminded me that microbes are like tiny, invisible gunslingers with a penchant for gun blazing, symptom flaring last stands. In other words, though Katie had no symptoms, chances are that a pathogenic yeast was taking hold in her gut before we started GAPS (I had no idea about establishing good gut microbes when Katie was born). So when it started losing it’s grip it got kind of , er, ticked and went all Billy the Kid on my daughter’s face.

We treated the yeast with a topical calendula tincture and held our ground with the diet, and by our vacation two months later she looked like this.

When symptoms return (or get WORSE) on a healing diet it can be really discouraging. But sometimes, just when we think we have utterly failed, it turns out we are actually winning! (Note: I’m declaring victory against Billy the Rogue Yeast just yet. He may have a last stand or two left.)

Did this yeasty revolt surprise me? Absolutely. Katie is not a typical GAPS kid, and yet this diet is clearly having a positive impact on her health. I’m more committed than ever! Now for a quick little story about . . .

Fried Eggs And Mustard

Did you know that mustard contains iron? Late one night when my body screamed “Steak! Steak! STEAK!” at me for over an hour, I politely informed it that the steak was in the freezer. “Fried eggs and mustard then, please,” it replied – and then I knew.

A quick consult from Google and everything added up: Eggs (protein) + mustard (iron) = steak. Only, they don’t actually, so I rummaged around and found my whole food based iron supplements from way back when and set the steak out to thaw before bed.

And then, puke fest. Puke puke puke puke puke. Did I mention the puking? Seriously, this is turning out to be quite a bucket list. So there I am heaving into the toilet (in the dark, which I don’t recommend) and wondering WHY, when this passage comes rushing back:

Most people with abnormal gut flora have various stages of anemia. It is not surprising. They not only can’t absorb essential-for-blood vitamins and minerals from food, but their own production of these vitamins is damaged. On top of that, people with abnormal gut flora often have a particular group of pathogenic bacteria growing in their gut, which are iron-loving bacteria (Actinomyces spp., Mycobacteriam spp., pathogenic strains of E.coli, Corynebacterium spp., and many others). They consume whatever iron the person gets from the diet, leaving that person deficient in iron. Unfortunately, supplementing iron makes these bacteria grow stronger and does not remedy anemia.”

Gut & Psychology Syndrome, p. 24

So uh, apparently, I have improved my gut flora and therefore my ability to absorb iron (I have always been borderline anemic), and now half of my normal dose of iron supplements raises the DEFCON 5 alert. Good to know.

So that’s us, six months in! If you’re interested in starting GAPS, stay tuned. I have a giveaway just for YOU!!!

*** If you’re working up the nerve to start GAPS and can’t live without ketchup, don’t worry. It’s allowed, you just have to make it yourself. I tried a couple recipes and they were just meh, so we stick with rockstar condiments like homemade mayo and pickled jalapenos (a lot of storebought mustard’s are GAPS legal, too). I’m sure you’ll find one that works for you.Similar Posts:

Are You A Caveman, GAPster or WAPFer ???

Heather — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 11:15:44 +0000

I’m a mom of 2 who is seeking to take the best care of my family that I know how. I am currently swimming in a sea of too much head information and not enough application. Could you please help me understand the basic and simple differences between the eating styles of WAPF, GAPS, Standard Process, and Clean Eating.

~ Heather F

Great question, Heather! This is going to take some real ‘splainin, so let’s jump in, shall we?

[The] Price Is Right – No, Really. He Is!

The Basics: Dr. Weston A. Price (1870-1948), a prominent dentist and founder of the Research Institute of the National Dental Association (which later became the American Dental Association), is pretty much the reason we’re chatting here today. Yup, the Real Food Movement was started by a . . . dentist.

What exactly was it that he discovered? Simply put, people who have never even seen a toothbrush have fewer cavities than most of us. But I am getting ahead of myself . . .

Dr. Price began to suspect that the decay he saw in his patients was the result of modern living: processed foods, sugar and highly processed oils. To prove his theory he set out on a 10 year expedition in search of isolated people groups — sequestered villages in Switzerland, Gaelic communities in the outer Hebrides, Eskimos, African tribes, Australian Aborigines, the Indians of North and South America, Melanesian and Polynesian South Sea Islanders and the Maori of New Zealand — and then he studied them.

“Wherever he went, Dr. Price found that beautiful straight teeth, freedom from decay, stalwart bodies, resistance to disease and fine characters [meaning a low incidence of mental illness] were typical of primitives on their traditional diets, rich in essential food factors. When Dr. Price analyzed the foods used by isolated primitive peoples he found that they provided at least four times the calcium and other minerals, and at least TEN times the fat-soluble vitamins from animal foods such as butter, fish eggs, shellfish and organ meats.

Weston A. Price, DDS

Weston A. Price Foundation Food Pyramid

The photos above, taken by Dr. Price, compare two New Zealand populations. The first are the Maori Indians, whose diet consisted largely of fish and shellfish. They have broad dental arches, perfectly straight teeth and a low rates of cavities.

The New Zealanders on the right, unfortunately for them, ate modern foods such as white flour, processed sugar and refined oils. Dr. Price believed their cavities, deformed dental arches (which cause crowded, crooked teeth) and general susceptibility to disease were a sign of physical degeneration resulting from nutritional deficiencies.

Do these photos convince you? They did me! In fact when my daughter began showing signs of tooth decay I put her on a Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) diet excluding grains and her decay reversed. Yes, you bet I took pics!

Primary Foods Emphasized: Grassfed meat (especially organ meats such as liver), Wild-Caught Seafood, Animal Based Fats (butter, ghee, tallow, lard – all from animals raised on pasture), Eggs, Raw Milk Products, Lacto-Fermented Foods, Vegetables, Soaked and Sprouted Grains, and Fruits

Foods To Avoid: Pasteurized Dairy Products, Modern Soy Foods (Tofu, Soymilk, Isolated Soy Protein, etc.), Highly Refined Oils such as Margarine, Shortening and “Vegetable Oils”, Processed Foods

This Diet Might Be Right For You If . . .

You breathe! Although some people simply cannot tolerate grains and/or dairy and therefore would need to modify this diet, learning it’s principles is foundational to health. Personally, my fave insights are:

Saturated fats are GOOD for you and do not make you fat!
Cultured veggies and fruits should be eaten at least daily. We stopped using these processes when refrigeration became widely available, but these probiotic rich foods are vital to our health! (Plus culturing makes vitamins and minerals more bioavailable, yay!)

Popular Books: Nourishing Traditions (A Cookbook), Nutrition & Physical Degeneration, Eat Fat Lose Fat

Primal/Paleo ~ Nutrition So Easy All The Cavemen Did It

The primal/paleo diet is very similar to the Weston A. Price diet with a few exceptions – most notably the removal of grains from the diet.

Wait, why would anyone want to remove grains? They’re cheap and yummy!

There are several reasons, actually. First, there is nothing you can get from grains that you can’t find in a more easily digestible form somewhere else.

Second, primal eaters claim our bodies have not evolved to catch up with the relatively new invention of agriculture (vs. hunting and gathering).

Personally, I don’t buy the whole caveman thing, but Marks Daily Apple makes some compelling points regarding lectin and gluten (and phytates, too, but those can be reduced by sprouting grains).

So, if you’re keeping track here: Weston A. Price says grains are okay as long as they’ve been traditionally prepared. Paleo types say never ever ever. What do I think? Hey, way to put me on the spot!

I’m not 100% sure yet, but at this point our family does not do well on grains. This may just be because our digestive systems are gunked up by our misspent youth (i.e. Taco Bueno days). Or it may be permanent. Either way, this leads me to our next diet discussion – GAPS! But first, here are paleo’s picks:

Primary Foods Emphasized: Grassfed Meat, Wild-Caught Seafood, Raw Vegetables, Honey, Raw Fruit and Seeds (used sparingly)

Foods With Secondary Emphasis – Fermented Foods

Foods Avoided: Grains, Sugar, Refined Foods, Starchy Vegetables (potatoes, yams, beets, legumes, etc) are limited but not completely avoided

Controversial Foods: Dairy — some primal eaters say a little dairy is okay (they think hunter-gatherers most likely herded sheep and drank their milk), some say it’s not

This Diet Might Be Right For You If . . .

You want to lose weight or don’t do well on grains. (BTW, many people have symptoms associated with gluten intolerance and don’t realize it. You can check them out here).

GAPS ~ A Time Machine For Your Gut

Whether you think the ideal diet is best represented by aborigines or cavemen, I think we can all agree on this: We are not either of those.

Most of us have, at one time or another, committed some pretty horrendous crimes against our bodies — avalanches of MSG, GMO’s, excitotoxins, and food coloring. Chicken “flavor” instead of chicken and orange juice “flavor” instead of, ahem, juice! And heck, even when you splurged for the 100% juice it still really wasn’t.

What’s the result? Acne. Adrenal Fatigue. Allergies. Autism. ADD. Diabetes. Dyspraxia. Eczema. Fatigue. Schizophrenia. And a bunch of other stuff, too (there’s a whole list here if you want to take a look).

For many of us, returning to the foods our ancestors ate will cause a drastic improvement in health, but it may not be able to completely right the damage we have done to our internal ecosystems. GAPS is a diet focused on soothing, healing, and balancing the world within us so that one day we can properly thrive.

Primary Foods Emphasized: Bone Broths, Grassfed meat, Wild Caught Seafood, Animal-Based Fats (butter, ghee, tallow, lard), Lacto-Fermented Foods, Vegetables (cooked, fermented, and some raw) and Fruits

Foods to Avoid: Grains, Legumes, Starchy Vegetables and Lots of Other Stuff (listed here)

This Diet Might Be Right For You If . . .

You have allergies, digestive problems, chronic illness or any of the conditions listed above. Or if you just really like my recipes and are therefore on the Accidental GAPS plan.

SP Cleanse

This is a 3 week diet and not a lifestyle diet, so I’ll just touch on it briefly. Dr. Price observed that many of the cultures he observed had designated periods of fasting for purification for body, mind and spirit. The SP Cleanse is a blend of supplements and dietary recommendations meant to help us achieve that goal.

Popular Books: Uh, mine!

Clean Eating

Okay, this one I don’t know much about, but this is how it breaks down according to the food pyramid I found here. Processed foods are out (a very good thing!) and 5-6 small meals per day are recommended (also good!**). But then things get wonky . . .

Vegetables and legumes are recommended to make up the bulk of the diet (which is very hard on the digestive system), followed by lean meats, fruits, and whole grains. Dairy and healthy fats are to be used sparingly, which is a shame. Remember how the healthy indigenous groups had 10 times more fat soluble vitamins than us? It because we’ve been trained to be afraid of fat!

Foods To Avoid: All Processed Foods, Refined Grains, Sugar, Foods Containing Saturated and Trans Fats and Alcohol.

No book recommendations here. I love that she’s anti-processed foods but saturated fats are too vital to cut out.

Well, there you have it. Within each diet there are LOTS of variations, but these are the basic principles as I understand them. Thanks for your question!!!

** At least I thought so, but now I’m not so sure. Check out Katja’s comment below to find out why!

Weston A. Price Food Pyramid courtesy of Sandrine Hahn of Nourishing Our Children

Do YOU Have A Burning Question About Real Food? Tell Us Below!

Photo credit: Imano SorianoSimilar Posts:

My Husband Has No Pants

Heather — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 13:12:46 +0000

We’ve been GAPsters for a three and a half months now, which means it’s time for an update! So, the first thing you need to know is . . .

My Husband Has No Pants

Start GAPS today, and you too can have no pants! Okay, I overshot there. You probably WANT pants. You most likely even want them to fit. Daddypotamus actually does, too, but since the man is shedding about two pounds a week his measurements are a moving target. Nothing to complain about there! I can think of a few other things not to complain about when losing 35+ pounds, and they are bacon, mayonnaise, biscuits and BUTTER! Not in breath mint sized portions, either. No, we’re talking unrestricted access. Take that, Jenny Craig!!

Ahem.

Pantlessness is not the only “benefit” of GAPS.

We’re Spending 80% Less On Supplements

GAPS is not as expensive as I thought. Yes, we pay more for food, but it’s so nutrient dense that for the first time in years I can count the supplements we’re taking on one hand. Just in case you’re interested, they are . . .

Biokult probiotic
Green Pastures Fermented Cod Liver Oil
Digestive Enzymes
Innate Sufficiency Fish Oil
True Calm (Helps Daddypotamus and I wind down after stressful days)

Plus, now that we’re off Intro we can use navy beans and lentils to stretch things a bit. And the fact that Daddypotamus doesn’t sneak off and blow our budget at restaurants now helps too.

Oh, And The Fungus Is No Longer Among Us

We don’t actually know what it was, but Daddypotamus’ weird, bumpy, crusty flakiness is gone! After using several topical applications on his scalp with no success, we were excited to watch it completely disappear during the Intro Diet.

It hasn’t stopped by to pick up it’s mail in awhile so we’re assuming it’s found a lovely beachside home and will stay gone for good. Fine with us.

Considering GAPS? Feeling overwhelmed? Cara at Health Home & Happiness just released “What Can I Eat Now? 30 Days On The GAPS Introduction Diet.” It is hands down the best resource on starting GAPS Intro I’ve seen. Review coming soon!

Did I miss anything? What do ya’ll want to know about our GAPS journey?

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GAPS Q&A At The Sandbox Cafe!

Heather — Thu, 19 May 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Gotta love the Sandbox Cafe — the mud pies are cheap, the waitress is cute as a button, and there’s a great view of the slide. There is this one thing, though . . . the cook can be a little tempermental. Ask for a fully loaded baked potato and you’re gonna hear “That’s not on your GAPS diet.” ** Sigh**

Do you have questions about GAPS beyond what’s on the diet? Perfect! The Sandbox Cafe is hosting a Q&A today with Cara of Health, Home & Happiness. Grab a slice of that Mississippi mud over there and pull up a chair, this is gonna be good.

**All questions below answered by Cara unless otherwise noted.

Meal Prep / Diet Questions

First up is Anni. You’ve got the floor, missy. What’s your question?

I’m interested in doing this, but I work outside the home and I’m not sure if I have time for all the meal prep. Is is possible for two working parents to undertake this. And if so, how?

Great question, Anni! The GAPS Guide has some great tips for maintaining the GAPS diet on a busy schedule. I think that for a family that works outside the home, it would be doable, but at least one 6-hour block each weekend would need to be devoted to meal preparation for the coming week. Thankfully lots of things like bone broths, ferments, roasts, etc on GAPS can be made ahead of time.

I’ve looked at this list of recommended/prohibited gaps foods and am wondering, is that for 6 months, 2 years or forever? ~ Joanna

It’s for as long as you’re ‘on GAPS’. You may find that you prefer to eat GAPS foods forever, but others just go on the diet temporarily to heal certain issues, and then return to a Nourishing Traditions type diet.

I’m in Ann Marie’s class to help get started on this for my daughter. I’m currently expecting and nothing sounds good right now (especially chicken stock) so I’m hoping once I’m past the first trimester I can do the “full” version for myself for a few months before the baby arrives. We might have a battle of the wills with my daughter though. She has coconut milk every day and usually gets a banana in the morning for starters on breakfast. From what I recall of reading through the book, I don’t know if those are allowed in the very beginning? ~ Megan

Right, fruit isn’t allowed until the end of intro and coconut milk isn’t allowed at all on intro. I spent some time with my kids working to get them to like soup, they like drinking it out of my lidded coffee cup, out of a Klean Kanteen, or through a straw.

I’d say this is the most important question of all- do you ever get to add back in coffee? Even just decaf organic? It isn’t the caffeine I miss when not drinking coffee, it is the yummy yummy taste.

No kidding! I have used coffee, both decaf and regular, on GAPS and I didn’t feel it harmed me I’ve done it all three ways, without coffee, with regular, and with decaf.

How Much Is This Gonna Cost???

I’m very intersted in doing this diet as well, but I’m on a fairly strict budget and in a state that does not allow the sale of raw milk. I would love to hear if this can be done on a budget and some ideas if pastured, grass-fed meat is hard to find. ~ Mary

It took me a while to find good sources of grassfed meat too, and I do order some meat online (grassfed hotdogs and sustainably raised chicken). GAPS can be done on a budget, but that would be harder with ‘Intro GAPS’. ‘Full GAPS’, or what’s allowed on the full version of the diet allows beans and lentils, which can stretch grocery dollars well. I have a budget stretching lentil burger recipe if you are interested. On Intro GAPS most people find they eat so. much. food that it’s very hard to stay on a limited budget, but it is only temporary. For grassfed meat, I had good results independently contacting local producers that had their meat sold at our health food store, and ordering in bulk.

I’ve looked at the GAPS cookbook and it seems to call for a lot of nuts, which are expensive. Is there a way to make this diet more affordable? Thanks! ~ Lisa

We use nuts more as snacks and treats on the GAPS diet, nuts aren’t really supposed to be the main focus of the diet anyway. But meat and bone broths are important to the healing process, so it isn’t usually possible to do this on a very limited budget. Grains are very cheap filler calories.

Has your food spending increased, decreased or stayed the same since going on the gaps diet? ~ J

It has increased. There’s no doubt about it, meat is more expensive than grains. But I’ve seen amazing health benefits for my family, so I don’t mind this change.

Ideas for Eating Outside the Home

I’d like to know how to do GAPS when you’re on the go or when you go to someone’s house for a meal or party. ~ Sharmista

We tend to not eat out at friends’ houses when we’re on GAPS, just because it’s such a limited diet and usually getting anything off the diet will make the GAPS person sick. It’s usually easier to just suggest an alternative activity, like visiting a park or the zoo. About eating out, we’ve found a few things that worked well- Fuddruckers here has all beef (or wild elk or bison) patties, with just plain vegetables. Outback has a gluten free menu, so they’re familiar with food restrictions, and we’ve ordered plain salmon and steamed veggies with butter there and had a good experience. It’s generally easier to just pack some soup in a thermos.

Here is a question I am curious about (as we prepare/get ready to do the GAPS diet starting soon): How does an airline pilot who is gone for 4 straight days go on the Intro Diet? Sometimes he leaves first thing in the morning (5 am) on the 1st day and doesnt come back until 9 pm on the 4th day. I havent figured this one out for him yet and he is the one that needs this “diet” the most! ~ Alexis

Cara: Could he have a crockpot going and a cooler of meat for stock and fresh veggies? I do think the entire intro could be done in a crockpot if necessary, if this was at all possible.

Heather: I’m not sure how much down time a pilot has between flights, but here’s an idea. Pack some essentials: a supply of frozen stock, frozen meat (maybe) and a pot/hotplate or crockpot. Then at each destination go to the grocery store for veggies and cook in the hotel room? Would that work?

What About the Rest of the Family?

How do you manage different dietary needs within a family, for example, if not everybody does gaps?

We make all our meals GAPS, and then after the kids go to bed we’ll eat ‘off GAPS’ food. We also will make GAPS version of foods like ice cream, and give the kids GAPS ice cream while we eat regular if desired.

Preconception Health/Detoxing

I’d like to be pregnant in the next 2-6 months or so, and I read somewhere recently that it’s not a good idea to start a detox diet any time in the 6 months prior to conception. Do you agree with this?

I would stay away from doing any major detox right before conception, but I don’t think I’d be too nervous if it was 6 months away. That’s just my personal opinion. During pregnancy I would stick with ‘full GAPS’ and not go through intro though.

Children and GAPS

I’m amazed about the dark circles you mentioned under Daniel’s eyes fading. I have had bad dark circles under my eyes for as long as I can remember, and I wonder if it has to do with underlying food allergies. That alone is enough for me to want to do it. I’ve been looking for something to help my husband, who is getting generally more unhealthy by the day, run down at work, etc. I wonder how you do it with a small child, though. Max is 2, and he’s picky to begin with. He pretty much just eats cheese, yogurt, peanut butter, toast, crackers (homemade if at all possible) and fruit. Should I just not worry about it with him? He’s also still nursing. It just seems like it’d be a huge battle with him (not to mention my mother who keeps him a couple of days a week)! I’m excited to learn more! ~ Heather

I would try to start ASAP! It won’t get easier as they get older. My son (he was 11 months when we did it the first time, then I put him back on when he had just turned 2) had started becoming very picky, limiting to carbs mostly. Within a week of putting him back on GAPS he was eating everything again.

“I eat primarily vegan whole foods type diet with rare occasion goat cheese and very rare occasion fish. Is there another version of this diet for those like me? As well, can young children follow this diet or is it modified for them?” ~ Ashley

First question- you might like the Body Ecology Diet better than GAPS, it’s similar, but would work well for those who feel they do better on a vegan type diet. As for children, I feel that the GAPS diet has been very healthy for my children. My daughter with autism has been on it strictly for over a year now, and my son has been on it, but not so strictly, since he first started solids.

Nursing While On GAPS

Heather, how are you feeling on this while nursing? I’ve done the Standard Process cleanse while nursing and found myself so ravenously hungry that I had to greatly increase my protein intake, but otherwise found it compatible. I have Crohns disease and another auto-immune disorder that has doctors perplexed but both I control very well through diet, but I suspect that if I was even more diligent that I would feel even better.

I was pretty hungry during the first part of intro, but my milk supply never suffered and it got much easier by the second week. I ate A LOT and there were times I tiptoed off to the garage to polish off a jar of peanut butter in secret. I have a busy schedule and didn’t have a lot of time to make our soups interesting, so that was hard, but it also led to a lot of jokes around the dinner table as we commiserated together. Rather than getting cranky and irritable with each other my family actually deepened our bonds doing intro together. Who knew??

Cara: I can share my experiences with nursing, too – I was HUNGRY! LOL! Other than the amount of food you need to consume, the full GAPS diet is good while nursing. I went through intro while nursing a toddler and did well, but he was down to nursing 1-3 times a day.

I’m wanting to do GAPS, but I was thinking it would be best to wait until I’m closer to being done nursing. I get hungry all. the. time. and if I don’t eat every couple of hours I start to feel really sick, really quick. Did you start with phase 1? ~ Anna C

You can start by skipping the intro if you’d like, or waiting until you’re at least past the first year of nursing is a totally understandable option as well!

Misc

I don’t eat any land animals and I don’t drink milk, but I will occasionally eat cheese, yogurt and kefir (preferably from goat or sheep). I do eat fish and seafood. Is it still possible to do the ‘diet’?

I’d recommend the Body Ecology Diet for you

Here’s my question: How will I know when I’m ready to transition off the diet? ~ Erin

I think Dr. Natasha recommends being symptom free for 2 years. Some of us don’t wait quite that long, and we just start with a few gluten free grains, or raw milk that hasn’t been cultured, or maple syrup, and see how it goes

I can’t stop thinking that this may be just what we need (esp my hubby) but I also can’t stop thinking about how hard it would be to give up grains for so long. We eat healthier than the typical American (less processed, better meats/milk/produce/etc) but we eat out probably twice a week and I can’t imagine spending all day in the kitchen. So I guess my question is, how in the world do I go without what you’re used to having on a daily basis, for 6 months to 2 years? Is it just knowing that it’s exactly what you have to do to get healthy, or is there something else? And how much extra time would you say it takes to prepare meals? (factoring in the lack of grains, extra work to find gaps-friendly recipes, etc) I’m so scared that we’re going to be bored from day 1 with stew, soup, stew, soup… BUT I am very drawn to the unexpected benefits you listed, and the fact that the whole concept just makes sense. i’m just standing on the edge and need something to make me want to jump! Also a list of where you buy everything allowed would be great! ~ Joanna

Once you get the hang of it, and the family is used to the new food, it really doesn’t take much work at all! No more soaking grains, making bread… a simple meal can just be a beef patty with guacamole and a piece of fruit! I did start the Grain Free Meal Plan and an Intro e-book to help those overwhelmed with the idea of this new way of eating get started.

What brand of cod liver oil is recommended. Also do you buy your raw yogurt or make it? Thanks

Heather: I use Green Pastures Cinnamon Tingle Fermented Cod Liver Oil and make my own yogurt. I have a recipe that is made from unheated raw milk (which makes it runny) here and Cara has a great recipe using the cooler method here.

Cara: I use Green Pastures Salty Cod Fermented Cod Liver Oil. I have gotten their capsules as well. I make my raw yogurt, and I make dairy free coconut milk kefir for my kids, who don’t seem to handle dairy well.

What would you say to someone who’s not sure if this is the right decision for them? ~ J

Just try it for a short period of time that seems manageable to you- even trying it for a week is better than not trying it at all! Look at it as a fun challenge, and more likely than not the benefits you get will motivate you to continue!

Did this help? What other questions do you have?

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What To Eat While Traveling on GAPS Diet

Heather — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Wondering how you’re going to continue with GAPS on summer vacation? I have a few suggestions. First, go somewhere warm. Preferably an oceanside town. Then as you unpack your suitcase gently hum to yourself the little ditty that goes:

One, two, three four
Tell the people what she wore

It was an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny
Yellow polka dot bikini
That she wore for the first time today

Think of it as a mantra of sorts as you pull out the peanut butter jars, bags of beef jerky and crispy nut crackers that are snugly tucked where your clothes were supposed to go. If you can’t make it to the beach try to come up with another song and maybe wear a raincoat over your swimsuit.

I’m kidding. About the raincoat of course. The swimsuit thing is totally serious.

Now, if you’re wondering what foods to bring along with you in lieu of non-essentials like, ahem, pants, I have some ideas for you below. Healthy meats will be hardest to come by, so they take top priority in my suitcase. Next on the list for me are crackers because they add weight to meals and go great with my #3 priority, nut butters! Fresh produce is pretty easy to find anywhere so I left it off the list, but if you’re traveling by car throw some in!

Meats

Beef Jerky – This recipe from GNOWFLINS is fabulous and very inexpensive to make. We’ve been taking it on road trips for years!

Canned Salmon – I love Vital Choice because the salmon is wild and sustainably caught AND it comes in BPA-free packaging

Canned Tuna, preferably from Vital Choice – Sorry to be such a name dropper, but I really like this company! “Because predatory fish such as tuna accumulate mercury over time [Vital Choice only buys] smaller Albacore tuna (14 lbs. or less) for optimal purity.” Cooked only once to preserve abundant omega-3′s, Vital Choice is also rich in Vitamin D and sustainably caught.

Tinned Portuguese Sardines and Mackerel – From the company that shall not be named AGAIN

Crackers

Matzoh Crackers – Haven’t tried this recipe yet, but I think it would go fabulous with some honey and fruit flavored yogurt cheese. Or if you’re traveling, maybe some salmon and dill.

Basic Cracker or Pizza Crust – Oh my! I thought our pizza days were over but then I found a GAPS friendly cracker/crispy crust recipe!

Crispy Nut Crackers -Which also make great croutons, I hear

Red Crackers - “These crackers taste similar to cheese crackers, although they don’t have any cheese in them. They are delicious by themselves, topped with cheese, or even as a base for a sandwich with meat, cheese, and mayo. Probably my favorite way to eat them is with a smear of strained yogurt cheese and a couple slices of cucumber on top.” Yes, please!

Crunchy Coconut Flour Crackers - Mmmm . . . topped with tomato, basil and a little raw cheddar maybe? Or maybe something more travel-friendly like peanut butter and fruit/honey? Here’s the recipe

Snacks

Nut Butters – Peanut, almond, cashew, etc.

Larabars - Homemade or storebought

Crispy Nuts – Instructions here

Dried Fruits and Fruit Leathers – Dried kiwis taste like Sour Patch Kids and I LOVE them! You can also try banana, mango, apple, pear, and pineapple

Coconut Milk – To add to smoothies (see below). Native Forest is BPA-free

If You’re Fanatical Like Me, You Could Also . . .

Freeze some broth in a sealed thermos and pack in your luggage for a short flight
Do the same with frozen butter, ghee or coconut oil

But In a Pinch, Look For. . .

A Chipotle. Their carnitas bowl (no rice or beans) with the tomato salsa, lettuce and guacamole is legalish.

Also, Jamba Juice has a few all-fruit smoothies that are okay.

A Whole Foods, Traders Joes or Farmer’s Market

Oh, And Make Sure to Bring Along Your Probiotics!

What did I miss? Please share your fave GAPS friendly travel foods below!

Photo Credit: The Telegraph

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5 Unexpected Benefits of GAPS Diet

Heather — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:19:07 +0000

Benefit #1:No One Ever Asks What’s For Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner

Because it’s always soup! Yes, there’s some variety . . . butternut squash soup, broccoli and beef soup, chicken carrot stew . . . but no matter the question, the answer is SOUP.

Benefit #2:We’re Finally Getting Some Respect

For years people have looked at us like we’re aliens for our food choices. Not that I blame them. What other family have you recently overheard saying ““I said I’m ready to talk about how many chicken bones you got, not how many bodies are in the fridge“??? Yeah, that really happened.

But hey, now that we’re “on a diet” people finally seem to “get” us. Seriously, whether I eat jelly beans all day or nothing but ghee and squash, as long as I call it a diet everyone’s on board. I’m trying to figure out how to apply this loophole to situations other than food.

Benefit #3: Eat Fat, Lose Fat

Since the late 1950′s, we’ve been barraged by the message that fat makes you fat, saturated fats (such as those found in butter, eggs, and red meat) are unhealthy, and tropical fats and oils (like coconut and palm) are downright deadly. And yet-despite our dutiful efforts to eliminate saturated fats from our diet for fear of high cholesterol levels and hardened arteries-obesity, heart disease, and cancer rates have continued to climb.

Based on more than two decades of research by world-renowned biochemist and fats expert Dr. Mary Enig, Eat Fat, Lose Fat flouts conventional wisdom by asserting that so-called “healthy” vegetable oils (such as soybean and corn) are in large part responsible for our national obesity and health crises, while the saturated fats traditionally considered “harmful” (such as those found in coconut oil and butter) are, in fact, essential to weight loss and health.

Eat Fat, Lose Fat (emphasis mine)

Sheesh. In the last couple of months I finally caved and read one teeny-tiny little diet book . . . now here I am quoting another one! It’s true, though. The intro diet is very high in FAT and protein, yet Daddypotamus has shed at least another 10 pounds.

Here he is one month ago (before starting GAPS) and today. It’s hard to tell because of the lighting, but the dark circle under his eyes are becoming lighter, too.

Benefit #4: I Started A Bucket List

This is not a list of things to do before I die, it’s simply a list of times I’ve had to use the puke bucket since starting GAPS. So far, twice. To my complete surprise I have had two massive detox episodes. This was completely unintentional since I do not want to detox too heavy while breastfeeding, and yet its a testament to the healing power of this diet.

I’m not taking herbs or any supplements except for cod liver oil. This is just food, healing me from the inside out. Before starting GAPS I had no health complaints except tiredness. I had a baby seven months ago, so that seemed pretty normal. However, following both detox days I had a surge of energy and increased mental clarity. It feels like someone is walking through the rooms of my mind and opening windows. Fresh air and light are pouring in, and although I still miss the high of my morning coffee, I don’t actually need it anymore.

Benefit #5: My Picky Eater Has Become A Chowhound

The days of negotiating over veggies are gone. My girl begs for sauerkraut, silver dollar squash cakes, and plain raw yogurt. Her palate has expanded significantly and she is doing great at trying new things. She even compliments my meals!

I have become a chowhound, too, only some of my feasts involve illegal peanut butter jars in the garage while no one is looking.

Do you think your family might benefit from GAPS, but not sure if you want to take the plunge? I have great news for you! Cara at Health Home Happy, who knows MUCH more about GAPS than I do, will be doing a Q&A post here on Mommypotamus. Tell us your questions/concerns about GAPS, and we’ll help out if we can. So leave a comment and tell us what you want to know!!

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