GAPS Diet Protocol... What the heck is GAPS?!

I won't lie... the GAPS diet is not like a traditional diet. If you're reading this, chances are you found it by searching for GAPS diet in google. There really aren't as many free resources available out there as one would hope. And for parents who are on an extremely limited budget, with a child who has a medical condition that GAPS has been indicated to help... free can make the difference between success and failure. I'm writing this because I've now spent the last 5 weeks on the GAPS full diet (you're about to learn what that means) and will be gearing up to do the introduction diet for GAPS (wait, shouldn't it be the other way around?)

If you are new to my blog, I will give a very brief background. My two year old daughter has Food Protein Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome. In the easiest way to explain it, she's allergic to food. Her body can react to any and all things she sticks in her mouth, or consumes in any way. Many children who have this, will eventually outgrow it. But it can be painful, difficult to manage, and indeed life threatening if not managed well. We were pointed toward the GAPS diet as a possible way to help "heal" my daughter's gut, and reverse some of the symptoms and sensitivities her body has to foods. My daughter does not have a mild version of FPIES... nor does she have it as bad as some others. Many children who have this syndrome are only "allergic" to less than a handful of foods. We have 10 known food allergies at this time, and all new foods are strictly introduced on a special trial schedule. It can be exhausting. And as any parent of a special needs child can attest, sometimes you're willing to try anything if it may help make it easier in the long run. 

In addition to that, I have struggled with my weight and weight related health issues for several years. The GAPS diet has been indicated to help with these issues as well. I figured, what do we have to lose?

5 weeks in, and I am down 10 lbs. But cheating on this diet is not like cheating on weight watchers, or some other weight loss diet. I caved yesterday and ate pizza at the office. I was sick all afternoon and all night long. My body had detoxed off of grains and sugars, and the pizza just didn't sit well at all. I could feel it this morning too. I am now convinced that GAPS has had a positive effect on my body. I am sleeping better, feeling better, and have seen a decrease in anxiety/depression and in my weight, and an increase in my energy. I have no financial steak in whether you do this diet or not, I can only say that modern medicine has not helped us up to this point, but GAPS has. If you're tired of dead end roads with the medical community, having pills thrown at you to alleviate symptoms but  not the cause of your illness, and you're ready to make a change... what have you got to lose?

Bear with me while I attempt to give you as much information as I can in regards to the practical application of starting the GAPS diet. If you want the history of the GAPS diet, the full details, or more information on it, there are other great resources out there. Dr. Campbell-McBride has her own website, and there are many other good sites for giving you pieces of the puzzle for figuring out the GAPS diet on your own. Everyone tells you to buy and read her book, but if you're like me, and you haven't yet done it but want to make steps in the right direction... then read on my friend.

GAPS DIET

Basic Info:

•  This diet is designed to eliminate grains, beans, sugars, and starches to allow the gut to heal and the body to start properly digesting and absorbing nutrients the way it was intended to do.
• GAPS diet is a temporary diet, and the length depends on what you’re intending to heal. Usually a couple of months to two years in length.
• Is recommended to help with healing of a whole host of autoimmune diseases. Can be used for diabetes, autism, FPIES, IBS, chrones disease, ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, depression and anxiety, schizophrenia, 
• Starts with a 6 stage intro diet (the hardest part) where you progress based on symptoms.
•  “Die off” is where the body may revolt a bit and you experience an increase in symptoms as your body detoxes during the intro phase of the diet. Once symptoms start to subside, you move on to the next stage or phase of the diet.
• GAPS does require you to do your homework and some prep work prior to getting started. It is possible to start eliminating some of the harmful foods now, but you’ll want to source or make some of the essential foods ahead of time (bone broth, fermented veggies or dairy, organic eggs, grass fed meats, etc.)
• The entire diet recommends organic and grass fed versions as much as possible to avoid the meat/dairy/eggs being contaminated from modern feeding practices of animals (penned up without proper exercise to condition the meat properly, the lack of fresh grass which is high in essential vitamins that end up in the meat/dairy/eggs, etc.)
• Many people prefer to start with the “full GAPS diet” until they are comfortable with what is going to be expected, get the hang of the cooking, gather recipes and source needed products/ingredients. We did this, and I feel like it was the best way to transition for us. We purchased a bulk beef package from a butcher shop, and managed to get meat and bones for stock donated by local hunters (due to my daughter’s medical condition). After figuring what store brand versions were easily accessible, and what we liked (Bubbies vs. Olykraut) we were then able to determine what we wanted to ferment on our own (youtube and blogs are essential, anyone can learn to do it!) This diet doesn’t have to be expensive. It’s all in the planning. If you take the time to plan, make a binder, and write your game plan down (including recipes, what is require of you during each stage, etc.) then you can easily do this on a tight family budget.

GAPS INTRO DIET

Tips:

     -   A cup of broth should be taken with all meals if not already broth based

     -    Probiotic foods should be increased gradually starting from a spoon or two of the juice, working your way up to the veggies, and then up to eating the veggies at each meal for about a half cup a day

     -    Work your way up to two eggs per day

     -     Any nuts used to make nut butter should be rinsed/soaked/dehydrated first to remove phytic acid (this can help with reversing tooth decay!) and make it easier to digest while healing your gut

     -   Fruits are essentially your “sugar” on this diet. So moderation is key. Eat them as snacks, or when you’re not fully hungry to limit yourself from eating too much.

     -     Fruits should be fully ripe when eaten to get the maximum nutrition and benefit to your gut.

Stage 1

•           Broth/Soup made from bone, meat or fish
•           Boiled meat (from the making of stock)
•           Non fibrous veggies cooked in stock until soft (think soup)
•           Juice of fermented veggies added to slightly cooled stock when ready to eat (sauerkraut juice)
•           Dairy based ferments (think live plain yogurt or kefir)
•           Ginger, mint or chamomile tea with a little organic honey

Stage 2

•           All in stage 1
•          Organic Egg yolk in soup (if no issues with adding this into your diet, you can then have soft boiled eggs)
•           Ghee
•           Fermented fish
•           Increased quantities of probiotic foods from stage 1

Stage 3

•           Everything from previous two stages
•           Ripe avocado
•          “Pancakes” made from nut butter, eggs and winter squash
•           Scrambled eggs
•           Sauerkraut and fermented veggies

Stage 4

•           Everything from previous three stages
•           Roasted and grilled meats
•           Cold pressed olive oil (not to cook with, but as a sauce or dressing)
•          Nut based breads (almond flour, eggs, and any winter squash)
•           Fresh veggie juice (start with carrot juice, you can make it or buy it)
• Start with a few spoonfuls on an empty stomach and work your way up to 1 cup a day.
•  After you’ve worked your way up without added symptoms, you can add other veggies one at a time (cabbage, lettuce, mint, celery, etc.)

Stage 5

•           Everything from previous four stages
•           Cooked peeled apple (cook in a bit of ghee!)
•           Raw veggies
•    Start by introducing softer parts of lettuce/peeled cucumbers.
• Move on to carrots, onion, cabbage, tomatoes, etc. when softer veggies are consumed without further symptoms
• Avoid any starch based veggie! No potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes!
•          Juiced apples, mango or pineapple (avoid citrus fruits) added to your veggie juice!
•  Make sure fruits don’t make up more than 50% of the mix!

Stage 6

•           Everything from previous five stages
•          Add in raw apple and other raw fruits (avoid citrus)
•           Make homemade dried fruits (store bought contains added sugar and preservatives) to add into nut breads!

Once you’ve done the intro diet, you can move on to the full version of GAPS! Yeah, you survived it!

Disclaimer

Memoirs of a Nursing Mother disclaims any liability or warranties of any kind arising directly or indirectly from use of this blog.  It shall not be held liable or responsible for any misunderstanding or misuse of information contained in “Gut and Psychology Syndrome” or for any loss, damage, or injury caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by any treatment, action, or application of any food, food source, or dietary supplement discussed. Use of the letters "GAPS" in this blog are used as an acronym for Gut And Psychology Syndrome. All information contained in this blog is intended to support the book “Gut and Psychology Syndrome” by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. The information on this site is provided for general education purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. I am not a medical doctor and cannot give you medical advice or a diagnosis. Always seek the advice of your physician or health provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read on this blog. Always consult your health care provider before making dietary changes. Links to external sites contain information created and maintained by other individuals and organizations and are provided for your convenience. I do not control nor guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this information. Neither is it intended to endorse any view expressed nor reflect its importance by inclusion in this site.  The use of any information provided on this site is solely at your own risk.