An Update on Our GAPS Diet and Related Q&A
Last week I shared why our family is doing the GAPS diet and what it is all about.
We actually began this Monday morning. We haven’t seen any amazing results come out of the first 4 days, but we are definitely noticing some die-off symptoms from the toxins being released (so far, only mild, but it’s a good sign). Some upset tummies, slightly more eczema, a grouchy little boy, a really grouchy mama, some flushed cheeks.
I think this diet is really doing something, though. I couldn’t really tell, until I cheated slightly yesterday. I was tired and emotional, and I caved and had 1/3 cup coffee with a tad of cream and unpasteurized honey. I paid for it. Oh, did I pay for it. My stomach reacted with the worst cramps I have had since I used to have Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I will NOT cheat again. At all.
What did I learn from my experience? That you cannot interrupt a gut that is being healed. It is a slow and careful and fragile process. My gut has obviously been beginning to heal more than I thought, and this teeny amount of coffee threw it for an absolute loop. Learn from my mistake and obey the diet, whether you’re hungry, frustrated, emotional, or tired.
Making the Food
The food preparation has not been as challenging so far as I anticipated. I spent some time last week making beef bone broth in preparation, and then more time on Saturday and Sunday cooking a chicken, making chicken broth and making a soup for Monday morning. It was well worth it to spend some extra time preparing to begin. Making food in large batches and utilizing my crockpot and leftovers has helped so much.
We did find that we had to quickly adjust and make a few small changes to the diet. I had been hoping that we could stick to the first stage of the Intro diets (blended meat and veggie soups, with a bone broth base) for a week or so, but we just couldn’t do it. We lasted 1 1/2 days before we were all starving and frustrated and felt like we needed something else to eat!
We added in a couple of foods, based on the GAPS diet/SCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet, which is very similar). We chose to add in eggs (lightly cooked for the children and I, but hard-boiled for my hubby as he doesn’t care for eggs very much at all). We also added organic, peeled and cooked apples, and small amounts of lacto-fermented liquids and some sauerkraut. Lastly, we’ve started eating some more stew or just meat and veggie type meals, but still ensuring that everything is very well cooked and that we all consume bone broth along with each and every meal. We will do this for the rest of the week, and then start to slowly add in other introductory foods.
A few of you have asked for recipes, but I don’t really have any to share yet. I have been making soups and now some stews, but they are just out of my head. I’m going to share about soup making (without a recipe) early next week.
There were also two excellent questions from last week that I wanted to make sure I addressed:
lizzykristine asked: I am curious whether you are still nursing?
The answer is yes. In fact, Johanna is still exclusively breastfeed (meaning she does not eat any solids) at nearly 7 months. How does this affect me doing the GAPS diet?
For one thing, it means I need to eat and eat and eat. It’s hard to stay full enough and eat enough calories on this diet while nursing a little chunky monkey of a baby. It also means that I need to control my toxin die-off and keep it slow.
That is why after feeling sick on Tuesday, I realized that I needed to add a few foods back in to help slow down the detoxification and keep me more full and able to produce enough milk. I have also kept my probiotic use very minimal so far, which is another way to keep the detox level low. For more on cleansing while breastfeeding, see this post.
Photo by everydaypants
Ali said: So when do you have time to fellowship with the body of Christ, or have a Bible study in your home? Do you invite unbelieving ladies in your community to your house and teach them your cooking skills and weave in the Gospel… I just think this takes it way beyond NT and cooking well and healthfully… It just seems to elevate our bodies and food to such a higher level than may be necessary (and I know our bodies are the temple of Christ, but I don’t think this is a good example of applying that).
This is a really excellent question! I have a few thoughts on it. First of all, cooking healthfully does take more time, but I have found that the longer I do it, the easier it gets. I spend a bit more time in the kitchen than many of my friends, but I also enjoy cooking and nutrition, I do it with my children, and it is also a part of the ministry that I feel called to, both on this blog and sharing our lifestyle with those we know in real life. I don’t spend my days doing much (if any) frivolous stuff or even hobbies that I enjoy. I’m busy, focused and try to be as intentional as I can.
I try to use my time wisely, and that includes making time for more than just church on Sundays. Serving and loving others has a definite place in our lives (though I wish it was even more prominent). We regularly have people over to our home, many of them Christians for fellowship, and sometimes unbelievers as well. I haven’t found doing special diets to be incompatible with either fellowship or ministry.
When others invite us over, they are very often willing and eager to work around our dietary needs. If I think it’s too much for someone, we might have them over to our house instead. I will happily cook up foods that we wouldn’t normally eat to bring to others who eat differently than we do, when bringing a meal to someone. Just last night we had a couple over for dinner- I served them soup that we could all eat, and I made a batch of cornbread specifically for them (which we didn’t eat). No problem!
Lastly, serving my family is one of my highest priorities. How can I focus my attention on others outside of my home when I haven’t first attended to the needs of those whom God has specifically given to me to care for? If my family is in poor health, it impacts how we serve others. It is difficult to pour ourselves into Kingdom work when we are dealing with significant health problems. We want to be as healthy and whole as we can be, so that we can be fully available to the opportunities that God allows us.
More to Come
I will continue to share on some things related to GAPS. Next week I will post about how I make homemade soups from scratch, without recipes, a very valuable skill for doing this diet!
I have also planned another GAPS update later in the month, as well as some tips for improving your digestive health even if you aren’t up for doing a specific diet like this one.
I have never heard of this particular eating style for dietary change… but you have sparked my interest! I have a Nourishing Traditions book and I enjoyed the wealth of information in it… its a slow process for our family especially when we were raised up eating certain ways with certain junk… MY DH is a lil bit more resistant but I know in due time he will come around and so I press on to gradually introduce the new eating into my family…..
.-= Jeannie´s last blog ..Friday Finance: Teaching Kids =-.
We are moving toward doing full GAPS as a family… hopefully about a week off from that. Doing lots of soups so far, and lots of veggies, meat, and eggs. The kids and I are still eating some dairy, and, being pregnant, I’m still going to be eating some grains in moderation… and the occasional dark chocolate. (It’s proven to make happier babies, you know. :> ) Once we are on full GAPS for a bit my husband will do the intro, and then I will possibly have the kids do it in the fall. Baby is due in May, and I need to be careful that once we start something I’ll be able to keep up with it, so we’re taking the transition slowly. My husband, though, is the one who needs it most, and in the last week since cutting out grains, dairy, and most sugars, he’s already feeling better, more clear-headed, and has lost weight.
Thanks for sharing your journey. It’s encouraging to see how others are doing it. I also appreciate your thoughts on ministry/health. I have given thought to what my responsibility to my family is, versus my responsibility to the rest of the world, the needy, etc. Is it right for me to buy grass fed meat, organic produce, etc. when people are starving? It’s not an easy thing to grapple with, and while I don’t want to neglect helping others, I do believe, as you do, that we will all be better equipped and able to serve and bless others when we are healthy. I don’t want to make an idol of health, nor do I want to trust merely in good nutrition for our health; I know it’s a gift from God. But, I also believe that I am responsible, as I have the knowledge, resources, and ability, to feed my family healthy, God-given food. I think the danger lies in thinking we will “do ministry” or share with the poor “someday” instead of doing what we can now.
Like I said, I appreciate your thoughts, as well as the concerns of the person who asked the question.
Many blessings!
Rebeca
.-= Rebeca´s last blog ..San Sebastian del Oeste =-.
We are in the planning stage of GAPS/SCD. I’m kinda stuck on where do I find soup bones (that are good)? Also, I know how to make soup, but could use some vegetable combination ideas, so that we’re not stuck with eating the same soups all the time.
How do you get kids to eat GAPS foods? My kids have been very resistant to eating this type of food.
.-= Abby´s last blog ..Rags =-.
@Abby, It’s been a little challenging. Mine were happy to eat blended soups the first day or so, and then they started to reject them. One way we encouraged them was by giving them straws to slurp up their soup. Makes it a little bit more fun.
We also added in eggs and cooked, peeled apples to help make sure the kids were getting enough. It was really tough to feed them adequately on the soup alone. But my kids adore eggs, and the way I make the apples is in slices, then I put them in a frying pan with a bit of water and cook them on low-med heat for about 10-15 min. until they are nice and soft. I sprinkle them with just a bit of cinnamon, and these have been a HUGE hit with both my kids and with me and Ryan. The kids think the apples are a big treat, now. 🙂
When I first started reading your blog, I had the same thoughts about the length of time and the priority that food takes in your life. But the more I read, the more I realize that your dietary needs are very specialized and require more attention. I do not do half of what you do for cooking and health, but I have been encouraged to take it a step further. God has blessed our family with so much health that I don’t feel a need to go beyond what we are doing. But if I had issues, I wouldn’t think twice about bumping it up a few notches. And, thanks to this blog, I’ll know exactly what to do if/ when the time comes.
.-= Jena´s last blog ..I will be with you.. =-.
@Jena, I think that’s an important point. We have struggled with perhaps more health issues than some families. That makes health a bigger priority for us, because we just don’t function well as a family in general when we have poor health. AND, when we’re in poor health, we don’t have much extra energy to serve and love others, because dealing with the health issues takes all our time and energy. So yes, it does make a difference where you family is at, health-wise.
A good way to get kids to eat GAPS foods, especially soups and broths, is to use a LOT of sea salt.
I agree, crockpots are key to this diet!
In my experiences after being on the diet 2 years, that the sensitivities go away. I can now ‘cheat’ once without pain. I’m now starting to add back in new foods too.
@Kat, Oh good, that’s hopeful for me! 🙂
I have read so much about GAPS/SCD and think that there are things that we would definitely benefit from with doing this. I’ve read the GAPS book but don’t have Baden’s companion book – although I’ve read all the info on the website. Several questions that I am not real clear on:
Do you think that Baden’s book would be worth the $$?
What sorts of die-off symptoms am I looking for – so many people mention them but I am unclear as to what, exactly, people experience and what to look for?
How do you know when to proceed to the next step?
These are probably really basic and I’ve just missed it somewhere – so I appreciate any input.
Also – recipes!!! I really need some help. I’m not much of one to get spontaneous in the kitchen and have always worked with recipes.
Thanks in advance!
@elaine benson,
Elaine – we’ve been on the Intro to GAPS for about 6 weeks. We’re almost onto fulls GAPS but seem to have trouble with eggs and haven’t added ghee or yogurt or raw fruits back in yet. My opinion is that Baden’s book is NECESSARY! I couldn’t figure out doses for oils/probiotics/etc. from the GAPS book and also didn’t understand how to re-introduce things back in without Baden’s book.
As far as die-off, it’s actually hard to say because they are different for everyone. For me, I get gas and exhaustion when I up my probiotics oo lacto fermented foods but I have trouble figuring out what die-of looks like in each of my 4 kids. Right now 2 of them are ramping up the nasty tantrums while we upped the probiotics! Ugh. Their skin finally is cleared and the word outta their mouths every day is “Come look at my poopy Mommy! Isn’t it jsut right?? ” LOL!
The recipes are tough. Because theya re so basic, you really end up doing a variation on a theme (SOUP) in the very beginning. I switch between chicken bone broth and beef bone broth as a base and add whatever veggies I have (for us – head of cauliflower, 6 carrots, 1 onion, 4-5 turnips in just ONE pot of soup!) plus whatever meat I have (chicken already cooked and diced, beef from a roast, meatballs from McBride’s recipe, homemade sausages from the freezer, etc.) and there’s a meal. Now we can add a salad or cooked squash. You’ve gotta just learn to BE sponteneous – pick a spice you’re comfy with (Thyme) and add it to al your soups to get used to the taste. Then try something different the next week. I’m currantly in love with Coriander – lol! .
But the huge pots of soup are the best way for me to get my kids to eat the veggies – I am shocked at what they ARE eating when they have no other choice. For snacks I just leave the extra broth/soup available (later in the diet we will have more snack options – we are still in the Intro). Adding lots of fat to the soup (tallow, lard, coconut oil) in addition to what’s already in it will help stave off the hunger.
HTH! I love this diet so far! Our goal is to heal food sensitivities so we can eat properly prepared NT foods again (like dairy and sourdough)….
.-= mom24´s last blog ..Summer Reading Goal =-.
@mom24, Good tips, thanks!
I agree abotu making huge pots of soup. Mine are also made out of broth, whatever sort of meat I have available, and then just a variety of veggies. I use herbs and different veggies combos to try to make them taste unique, to keep it interesting. We love cilantro! 🙂
And I’ve found it funny also what my kids are eating when they have no choice. Eggs and cooked apples are now huge treats. I just introduced avocado, and it’s all my kids are asking me for, whereas before they were sort of lukewarm about it. Guess anything starts to taste good when you’re hungry and there’s no other options, right? 🙂
@mom24, Thank you so much for all your help! I laughed out loud over your kids inspecting their “poopy” to make sure it was “just right” – hilarious!!!
@elaine benson, I think that if you like recipes, Baden’s book might be helpful. I think that it has recipes and a lot of practical information, especially for dong the intro. I don’t have it myself, but I kind of wish I did.
And die-off symptoms can be different for everyone.. being tired, grouchy, flushed cheeks, headaches, eczema flareups, etc. The book does talk a bit more about it. Honestly, I”m still not sure of everything to look for, either.
I’ve found it a bit tough to know when to proceed to the next step, myself. For us, I am just adding in something new to our intro diet every couple of days, one thing at a time. If our bodies react to it in a way that I can notice, then I pull that item back out. If we do fine, we continue and progress again in a couple more days.
And I haven’t found a lot of recipes, except there are some in the GAPS book, though most of them are for once you’re beyond the intro diet. The site http://www.pecanbread.com has some recipes. It uses a slightly different intro diet, but it’s quite similar, and there is lots of useful info there.
@Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home,
Thanks so much for the info and tips! Sometimes I tend to make things too complicated (and then don’t do them because I feel overwhelmed) but really is as simple as just a pot of soup, right? 🙂 I think I will see about getting a copy of Baden’s book – I just don’t feel I’ve got quite the grasp on it yet … probably because I’m not totally sure we should be doing a GAPS diet or just focus on a NT lifestyle of eating. My hubby has rosecea (sp?), I’m tired all the time (and I mean ALL), one of my dd has (non-itchy) bumps on her knees and elbows (assuming it’s some sort of eczema?), there are some very mild learning issues with same daughter, we’ve all had antibiotics – I’ve had a metric ton in my lifetime, etc – I muscle tested positive for candida. So, I think this would be very beneficial – I just haven’t been sure what to look for. I guess I’ll go fire up the stove and get some pots of broth going.
Another question … if you don’t think you’re allergic to anything (eggs, dairy, wheat, etc.) how do you know if you’re experiencing die-off or an allergic reaction to a food? Did you do the spot test on the wrist for anything? Also, does a drippy nose that seems to come on after eating or a sneezing fit mean anything?? Logic says it seems like it would – I just don’t know where to start eliminating things.
Again – thanks so much for all of your help!
and thanks Mom24, too!!
Hi! Its my first time visiting your blog. Glad I found it. Whenever I make positive changes in my diet, I seem to get really moody. This happened to me two weeks ago. I gave up a lot of sugar, and for a full week, my husband thought I was sort of “snappy”. But by Monday, I felt amazing, positive, and was nicer than ever. I think I’ve been giving up before I get over the withdrawal! But finally, I moved past it this time! Hooray!
Good luck on your journey. I’ll be checking in.
Thanks for the update, Stephanie – I was anxiously awaiting it! We are on Day 6 of the full GAPS diet, and sometime in the next week or so we will move to the Intro diet. My primary reason for doing it is for eczema/skin issues, so it will be hard to know when healing has taken place b/c maybe our skin will heal before our gut has completely? I’ve spent WAY more time in the kitchen this week b/c we’re eating SO many veggies and I want everything to taste yummy (lots of freshly pressed garlic!) I’m also running into the challenge of: where am I going to get more bones for stock? My kids (7, 6, 4) are doing amazingly well with all the changes/restrictions. Even today they watched Daddy eat his birthday cake while they had GAPS friendly strawberry shortcake, and they didn’t complain at all. They’re used to me explaining to them why we do what we do and they seem to buy into it. It’s a huge blessing. Personally, I’m really sick of soup, and we haven’t even started intro yet, so I’m honestly quite nervous about that. Thanks so much for inspiring me in this journey. I look forward to future posts on this topic!!
@Susanna, I’ll post more about making the soups next week, and I was thinking of a post about eating in the early stages of the GAPS diet- how to keep it family-friendly and simple. Sound useful?
@Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home,
Yes, that sounds like it would be very useful! I changed my soup plan for dinner tonight and instead of a blended butternut squash soup (w/ coconut milk and curry, etc.), I just did a basic chicken broth/chicken/veggies/garlic, but didn’t puree it. Put plenty of salt in, and we all enjoyed it. I’m seeing die-off symptoms (my youngest threw up twice earlier in the week, and now he has a yeasty-looking rash on his bottom – and he wasn’t even the one I was concerned about!) with what we’ve already implemented, so I think I might just take our time on full GAPS and keep ramping up the things that will detox us – like adding in juicing, cod liver oil, and bigger doses of probiotic foods (we all love sour kraut!) It has been a bit stressful making this change, and I know Intro would stress me further which would only negatively affect our health, so I think I’ll just keep figuring out how to make full GAPS work for us for a while longer, and then re-evaluate next steps. That’s what’s happening here… Sounds like you’re doing a wonderful job with helping your family through this!!
I just want to say I am thankful that you are sharing your progress on the GAPS diet.
I need to get and read the book. It seems like a life changing diet and kind of overwhelming too but so needed. I am looking forward to how your family fairs and
then I will try to do it myself. 🙂
Blessings to you and your family.
We’re taking this changing diet thing very slow! I’m still just reading all I can. One book I found is called Eating for Autism by Elizabeth Strickland. None of us are autistic, or ADD or ADHD, but I read it anyway because she mention “healing the gut”. My question for you is- the author gives lots of recipes and she specifies that Rumford baking powder is to be used. Why? I recently found out that baking powders are different. I do use the aluminum-free; but Rumford and Argo brands use different ingredients. Can you explain that? Thanks! I’m really learning a lot from reading your blog.
.-= Naptime Seamstress´s last blog ..Untitled! It’s really hard to come up with a title sometimes. =-.
I’m thinking about taking the plunge with this diet. I wanted to do it because of my daughter’s autism. There are so many autistic diets but this one seems very therapeutic. I know it would be helpful for the rest of my family to be on it as well. I have yet to buy and read the book and get the right probiotics. Are you getting the ones from the GAPS website or are you using something else? I may opt to use what an autistic doctor recommends. However, Natasha is a doc too so I will have to make a choice. How do you do “lacto- fermented liquids”? Also, how do you do bone broths (have the butcher cut up the bones for you so the marrow is exposed)? I enjoy your blog. I hope to one day prepare all these healthful foods like all you gals do 😉
how important are the bone broths? we are vegetarians and I’m STRONGLY thinking my middle daughter would benefit greatly from this diet. Obviously, the whole family would have to be on board, but frankly, the thought of eating meat/and or meat products gags me. Help!
@laura, From what I can tell, the bone broths are VERY important. The gelatin in the broths is a big part of what heals the gut. I suppose it’s possible that you could make veggie broths and add a high-quality store-bought gelatin to them, but I’m not sure if it would be as effective.
I read your blog faithfully, but have never commented until now-a bit of a stalker I guess.
I just had to write and say I am so inspired by your discipline to follow your ideals, especially when it involves such sacrifice..So many times I know what I think is best for me and for my family, but I just don’t have the self-control to do what’s best.
Good for you.. Thanks for being an inspiration
Hi! I think this is my first time commenting on your blog, but I have enjoyed it for quite some time. I am very interested in this diet as my son has asthma and I would like to see it clear up. He has seen alot of success as we have pretty much eliminated dairy but this diet is intriguing. However, I do have a question. You said you reintroduced veggies as long as they were very well cooked. Working from a RAW is best mindset I am a little confused because if they are very well cooked then there is very little nutrition left in them. Is this done in or to make digestion easier? Does it help the gut healing process and would raw be just to abrasive on the system? Thanks for your help!
@Rachael, Yes, the focus is on easier digestion. Raw would be too difficult for a system that is still healing. Once the patient is doing well on cooked foods and the digestive system is coping well, raw foods can slowly be introduced.
We haven’t full out started the Intro diet. But for the last four or five days have been eating what we normally eat, but doing one meal a day as the intro diet soups, with some lacto fermented goods and low dose probiotics, though not everyday. Just with doing this, we have already experienced quite a bit of the die off symptoms. I’m actually quite surprised. I have had a low grade headache off and on and so has my daughter. Also the flushed cheeks for us both. My husband, who has had very little even of the lacto fermented and no probiotics, has reacted the most with need to throw up in the middle of the night, etc. It’s all very interesting. Planning to ease into it over the next week. 🙂 I’m very excited about what this diet will do for our family.
@Melissa Buskell, The die-off stuff isn’t fun, but it’s so worthwhile. We’ve all been experiencing it, too. I woke up very nauseous even the second day into it. Caden and Abbie have both have flushed cheeks on and off, Caden especially. Johanna has been a little bit more irritable. Today Abbie kept saying she just wanted to leave our friend’s house and go home to bed (a rare thing!), and Ry felt really out of it and took a long bath, then went to bed early himself. I’ve been definitely grouchy and on edge. Lots of toxins, I guess!
But, we’re already seeing good results. Less eczema, some behavioral/mood changes in Caden, a bit less heartburn for Ry… we’re really hopeful about the effects this will have for us all! I’m excited for you to do it, too, Melissa! Yay!
My mother has Crohn’s disease and I put her on the SCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet) once doctors said they could no longer help her and would just prescribed her pain medications. She was on numerous pain medications and immediately began to improve, but reacted poorly to the meat and dairy that was still allowed and promoted in the diet. She now lives off as much raw and cooked organic vegetables and fruits, which is basically a plant-based diet (with meat rarely used) like the one found in the book A China Study by T. Colin Cambell, PhD, which I would recommend reading if you haven’t already! The brain-gut reaction is very real. Thank you for posting your experience with this. Check out http://www.greensmoothiegirl.com which has some great eating resources and recipes for helping your family to detox and get healthy.
This is so interesting to me. I have to say though that I get over obsessed thinking about the right way to eat and to feed my family. I myself have many health problems and my 5 yr old daughter has some colon issues going on right now. She has a blockage and now has to take miralax every day for 2 months. This seems like a great diet but I know that I will become so stressed out about all that goes into it. Do you by chance have any suggestions to maybe another more simple diet that aids in digestion or foods to eliminate that may help.? Thank you
You said that you “used to have IBS”, how did you get rid of it? I have it and it really effects my life horribly. I love to hear your tips.
.-= Jenny´s last blog ..Reducing Paper Towel Use =-.
Thanks for sharing. I agree GAPS is quite a big diet change, but in my opinion, so worth it. Looks like you wrote this a few months ago – I hope you have found some positive changes from doing the diet.
I had the same experience of reacting to something I shouldn’t have eaten after being on the diet for a while. I find I am even more sensitive now, but I hope that you are right that this just means that the gut is healing. thanks so much for sharing.
.-= Sarah Schatz – menus for limited diets´s last blog ..Homemade Almond Flour Tortillas gluten-free- grain-free- sugar-free =-.
I’m just starting/trying GAPS. can you tell me if you have any updates?
@lw, Not at the moment. Our family is currently off of the diet. Sorry about that!
This is in response to the question of Christian responsibility of placing so much time and effort into the health, specifically through diet, into the lives of our families.
As a parent of a special needs child, I must say that A LOT of my time, energy, prayers, heart ache, and worry already go into the health of my child, before I begin to feed them! With the number of, and severity of, food allergies and environmental allergies in our home, we have already had to distance ourselves from many within our church family, as well as the broader community. We do it because we have to. My responisbility to keep my child safe is greater than making someone outside of our family comfortable at meal times.
As a parent it is heartbreaking to watch your child catch a simple cold and it turn into a life threatening respitory infection…every time. It’s heartbreaking, to see your child suffer several months out of the year with such severe, itchy, eczema that you resort to steroid creams and chemical antihistamines because it’s the only thing you can find in the moment to relieve the discomfort. Not to mention the special soaps and detergents, cleansers and creams.
Those of us with special needs in our families already spend the time trying to meet the immediate needs, not including the time of research for the latest “cure,” our times of fast and prayer that God might lead us to the answer, as we KNOW it’s out there.
And the money! Yes, there are moments when we look at the cost of supplements, and specialty foods and wonder if there was another way. But we remind ourselves that our children are God’s gift to us and it is our God mandated responsibility to do the best we can for them. So the money that may have been sent to foreign missions goes into our food budget, because fresh fruits and vegetables are more expensive than the sugared, hydogenated-oiled, corn sryuped, “food” that is cheaper and often more filling. The whole food supplements are more expensive then the chemically mimicked vitamins. Yes, we weigh this…every time!
My point here is that those of us who live day in and day out with family members (or even ourselves) who are not able to “live life to the full” because of our health limitations, all that time and money is already being spent for “selfish” reasons. If the “cure” is healing our bodies through restricting our diets, thus potentially limiting our involvement and potential influence within the Church, then it is our God given responsibilty to do so.
This past allergy season had me crying out to the Lord for his intervention. I fasted and prayed for 2 weeks on behalf of my daughter. I sought the Lord with the heart attitude of the woman afflicted with a bleeding problem for 12 years….if only we could touch the hem of His garment!
We have not started the GAPS diet. I have only heard of it this week (perhaps an answer to my prayer and fasting???), but I am interested and willing to try this if it will bring healing to my daughter. It’s worth saying no at church potlucks and birthday parties for a season in order to bring healing to my daughter. It’s worth marginalizing our family from friends, and potential ministry in order to bring health to our families.
I realize that this is exceptionally, emotionally laden. All of my friends and family who have chosen to get off the SAD diet all have exceptionally emotional stories that prompted that change. It’s unfortunate that for so many of us it takes a crisis to do the right thing.
My sister-in-law has been doing the GAPS diet for a few months now. She’s doing really well with it, but she doesn’t work outside the home or have children. They make a pretty grand living and have the time, energy and finances to put into eating this way all the time.
I have two children. My oldest is about to turn 3 and I just found out he is allergic to wheat, dairy and eggs! I am quite discouraged by this, because I don’t feel I have the time, energy and certainly the finances to keep up with this way of life. (I also have a 4 month old who is breastfeeding). It is very encouraging to see a family doing the GAPs diet. I haven’t read the book, but will be soon borrowing itfrom my sis. I also know that my sister-in-law is constantly eating eggs, which my son cannot eat…and I’m wondering what options he will have on this diet??
I am also wondering if there are “versions” of this. Do I really have to make EVERYTHING from scratch or, for example, can I break down and buy organic coconut milk to save time? Some encouragement and insight would be greatly appreciated.
Do you have any thoughts on beginning GAPS not too long after having a baby? We have a little one due this June, and I’d like to start our family on it around October of this year, when the baby would be ~ 4 months old and strictly breastfed. We don’t have any obvious issues that we are trying to overcome with GAPS – but I can only imagine having a healed gut being the perfect place to start for anyone desiring a life of “health” (by the grace of God!).
Thanks for your work you put in your website! What a blessing!
Stephanie,
What a wonderful perspective you have! Thank you so much for sharing with all of us.
My husband deals with ulcerative colitis, food sensitivities, chronic fatigue, etc, and cannot drive. He is a full time college student, to boot!
We control his UC with our diets, and since we married in 2002 have been very careful about what we eat, and teaching our children about food, and how it affects our bodies (we have 7, 5, 3 year olds and an 11 month old).
Out of our 4 children, 2 have food allergies and our oldest son is starting to exhibit some symptoms that my husband also showed in his childhood. This is a big clue to me that even though we have been careful, and I’ve been learning and researching our entire marriage, something is still not right with our diets.
In addition, I developed food allergies suddenly right after my 3rd child was born 3 years ago. I was devastated. I felt like the healthy one in our family! Pride goeth before a fall. 🙂
I found the GAPS diet about a month ago. I felt that God led me to it. I have been struggling with implementing this into our lives, as food is a big deal to us, especially the boys/man in our family!
I found your blog tonight as I have been trying to find good recipes for this diet. Reading your posts, perspectives, and feeling the love you have for God and others, and the importance you place on serving others and setting your children up for success in life is truly inspiring. It is empowering to read other moms and families who are also trying to accomplish health, strength in Christian values, all to serve a Higher Purpose!
Thank you so much for that inspiration. It was sorely needed today, in my life.
Many thanks and may God bless you and your family.
We are praying about and researching whether we should start the GAPS diet for our family. We have a son who exhibits symptoms of Asperger’s and my husband has gut problems and struggles with bouts of depression (not clinical, just depressive tendencies). I am just completely overwhelmed right now at the idea of this radical change. We are also a ministry family so the idea of an extremely limited diet feels really difficult with pot luck suppers and meals over other people’s homes. We could always cook for others and have them over. I just wonder if God really means for food preparation to consume so much of my life right now. I would really have to consider what to cut out so I could do this. Then there is the expense of it all. I feel like I need to try this if it could help us. I am going to read some more of these posts. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Do you by chance have any suggestions to maybe another more simple diet that aids in digestion or foods to eliminate that may help.? Thank you