Surprised by GAPS

18 comments
Our family hit a milestone recently. August 1 marked one year on the GAPS diet. What began as a month-long experiment has now become a lifestyle. You can read about our family experiment in this previous post.

What is GAPS? Gut and Psychology Syndrome is a nutritional protocol to heal the gut lining and thus heal the brain and body. The Nourished Kitchen website offers more information in its article titled Why Everyone is Talking about the GAPS Diet, Plus 5 Resources to Get Started.

Leading natural physician Dr. Joseph Mercola recently featured an hour-long interview with GAPS founder Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, whose son's autism diagnosis led her to seek nutritional healing. Her son's successful recovery then led to her specialized practice in the areas of autism, learning disabilities, neurological disorders, psychiatric disorders, immune disorders, and digestive problems. Click here to hear this interview and read the accompanying article.

As I have reflected on this last year, I’ve come up with a list of ways that GAPS has surprised me. Two things, however, have been no surprise:

1. GAPS is hard work. I remember clicking on the GAPS home page 18 months ago and clicking right off of it. “Impossible,” I thought. “No way,” I assured myself, and moved on. I came back to GAPS several months later because our daughter with the severe digestive disorder wasn’t progressing like we hoped. I showed her the GAPS page. She responded positively, saying the diet was worth trying. We’ve been making bone broth ever since. Three hot meals a day, made from scratch, is just as much work as I thought it would be.

2. We’re not cured. If I were in an accident and broke every bone in my body, I would not expect to heal overnight. Why would I expect my body to recover quickly from a major microbial assault? The adult intestinal tract is 30 feet long. Why wouldn't it take years to build back a healthy gut flora? Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride makes it clear that GAPS is a long-term treatment plan. I know of one GAPS mom who didn’t see her Autism Spectrum Disorder son turn the corner until the fourth year.

While I knew to expect these two things, I did not expect the following:

1. We have progressed by leaps and bounds. Behavior has improved. Moods have improved. Rashes have improved. My three youngest are in school full time. My energy has returned. My executive brain function has improved. I am shocked by our collective progress.

2. What was once foreign is now familiar. I knew nothing about fermented foods. I didn’t know how to pronounce kefir. I had to look up ghee in the dictionary. I felt like I was living in a foreign land. I was terrified and uncertain. I felt unsure of myself. One year later, I make my own sauerkraut, share kefir grains, and know how to spell enterocyte.

3. My kids didn’t wither away. This was one of my biggest fears. If we cut out most of the popular, commonly accepted foods, what would my kids eat? Some of my kids were already underweight. I already was at my lowest weight of my adult life. Surprisingly, all of us have either maintained or gained weight. I’ve gained 10 pounds. Last week Reagan went for a fitness evaluation. His most notable change? He’s 25 pounds heavier, mostly muscle. “I know football players who would love to gain this kind of weight,” his trainer remarked.

4. Colin’s diabetes has improved. Colin was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes four years ago. We struggled to keep his A1C (average blood sugar) under 9. For the first time since diagnosis, Colin has an A1C of 7 or below (his most recent result is 6.2). He uses 70% less insulin. His behavior has improved. The change in Colin has been dramatic.

5. We are less hungry. The first month on GAPS was not this way. We were starving. All the time. I knew enough from reading the popular GAPS basics book, GAPS Guide, to expect this. I did not expect the turnaround, however. The demand for snacks decreased and the bedtime snacking improved. Slowly we were becoming fat burners instead of carb burners, a concept explained in this article.

6. Anxiety has improved. Anxiety is still an issue, but nothing like it was. My kids are able to experience new people and places without the tormenting nervousness. My insecurities and general paranoia have markedly decreased. The general mood of the household is much calmer than a year ago. The brain-gut connection is real.

7. I like to cook. I’ve never been a fan of cooking. In the old days we relied heavily on fast food and take-out food. I was daunted by the idea of cooking from scratch. Slowly, ever so slowly, I have discovered the joy of cooking. I get excited when I see a fresh head of cabbage. I love making spicy kale chips. I can’t wait to put a new batch of beef jerky in the dehydrator. I love preparing nourishing foods for my family.

8. Animal fat is our friend. With my vegetarian background, animal fat was a hard sell for me. The more I learned, however, the more daring I became. According to noted author and speaker Sally Fallon:

Fats from animal and vegetable sources provide a concentrated source of energy in the diet; they also provide the building blocks for cell membranes and a variety of hormones and hormone-like substances. Fats as part of a meal slow down absorption so that we can go longer without feeling hungry. In addition, they act as carriers for important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Dietary fats are needed for the conversion of carotene to vitamin A, for mineral absorption and for a host of other processes.

(To read the rest of this article, click here.)

I’ve learned to make ghee and to render pork fat. Now I keep a small fondue pot next to the stove, full of animal fat to use in stir-fries, soups, and other dishes. The addition of animal fat to our diet has proven very stabilizing to our minds and our bodies.

9. Grain-free breakfasts are awesome. What would the kids eat for breakfast? How could we survive without our oatmeal, congee, or granola? Would my kids really wake up and actually look forward to meat and vegetables? Breakfast is now like any other meal of the day. Stir-fry for breakfast is as natural as a bowl of Cheerios.

10. Tastes do change. I felt like I was torturing my children by removing so many of their favorite foods. Starches and sugars were a big part of our lives! Our sugar cravings increased once we took away these foods. This is why I'm glad we made the changes gradually in the year preceding GAPS. As the year has progressed, these sugar cravings have lessened. At the very least we have ways to cope, including higher doses of animal fat, as well as fermented foods. I feel far more satisfied than expected.

Last week 10-year-old Brandon prepared his vegetable stir-fry, spicing it just the way he likes it. He sat down, heaved a heavy, happy sigh, looked up at me, and said, “I love our diet, Mom.”

With encouragement like that, I think we're ready for another year.

18 comments :

  1. Andrea,
    My family and me have just moved in to a rental house and there is mold growing in the corner of my parents bedroom. There is about 60cm extending up the wall and the same along the floor under the carpet. They have 'killed it' with commerical mold killer and bi-carb.
    We cannot remediate the house. (It's old and the landlord won't).
    I'm from GAPS and have CFS so am extremely sensitive to molds. The patio roof outside the kitchen window also has mold on it and so does the bathroom roof.
    Is it safe for me here? There is no mold that we can see in the other rooms of the house. My mum had a migraine the first night she slept in her room.
    Thank you for any insight.
    Natalia

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  2. In your top five best posts, for sure, mother! Hung on every, encouraging word--and so well-written.

    Can't wait to see what years of GAPS bring us, too.

    Love,

    Megs

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  3. How do you make your sauerkraut?

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  4. Is it possible for you to make a video of how you make sauerkraut and/or Kefir like you did the chicken stock? Thanks

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  5. I did a recent entry on "how to make dairy kefir"...a video would probably be better. Here is the link:
    http://moldrecovery.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-to-make-dairy-kefir.html

    I will get the SK recipe and post it here...with a video to follow hopefully.

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  6. What a great post. Thank you! We are just starting, and it is overwhelming. But I love to hear the success. i especially love how you ended the post w/ your 10 year old son's comment. That is awesome. My kids are good sports, but I always wonder if it's because they are 4 and 2. But it's true, they will LIKE the food, if they eat it :) Thanks!

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  7. Natalia,
    You are wise to ask this question. The best way to evaluate this is to do an ERMI dust sample in your parents' bedroom. This will tell you quite a bit about the air you're breathing in this home.
    This is the link to the test:

    http://www.emsl.com/ProductCatalogDetails.aspx?Name=Mold-Test-Kit-with-ERMI-5-Day-TAT&ProductID=MTK-ERMI-5D

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  8. Andrea, what a fantastic testimonial for GAPS and the healing that can occur with real traditional foods! :-) So glad your family has seen so much healing.

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  9. Here is a link to a sauerkraut recipe:
    http://www.wildfermentation.com/resources.php?page=sauerkraut

    I slice a head of cabbage...put part of it in a glass bowl and sprinkle salt on it. I add the next layer of cabbage with some more salt and so on.

    I then walk away for an hour or so..this helps the brine form without lots of pounding.

    I press on the cabbage in the bowl and walk away again...the brine slowly forms on its own.

    I then pack the cabbage in a 1/2 gallon mason jar. I add caraway seed which is the key to good tasting SK in my opinion. I make sure the brine comes above the cabbage and then cover the cabbage with excess leaves from the original cabbage. I cover the jar with a cloth and put it in the pantry for a week.

    It's the simple version of the above recipe...and seems to work well for us.

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  10. Hey Andrea! I like reading your blog! Im a got disabled from mold at age 27. I still didnt get treatment or recover. Can i contact you by email?

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  11. do you have an email i can contact you?

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  12. John,
    Sure! andrea@momsaware.org

    Andrea

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  13. Andrea,
    Thank you for all your great information. You are helping so many people with a difficult road. We are currently in the midst of remediation but have a question for you regarding my sister. They just did an ERMI test of their home and the result was a 17. I advised her not to go back under any circumstance and get her husband out of there (the other three family members were reacting to the house and moved out 2 weeks ago). Am I overreacting?
    Sally

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  14. Sally,
    I don't believe that you are overreacting. With that level and the health issues that exist...far better to border on caution. There are numerous hidden neurological effects which can be permanent or appear much later.

    You are offering excellent advice. The Global Indoor Health Network has a collection of research articles to back you up.

    You can link to the articles by going to their website:

    http://globalindoorhealthnetwork.com/

    If there is anything I can do please let me know. My direct email is:
    andrea@momsaware.org

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  15. Hi Andrea,
    What a great post!! Thanks for posting this! I actually saw the Mercola interview a couple of weeks ago (I subscribe to his e-newsletter), ordered the GAPS book, and just had it delivered a few days ago! But will have to modify it in my case (details at the end of this msg). Hope you don't mind my asking, but I have a few questions for you:

    1. Have you ever had any success in taking digestive enzymes? All the ones I've come across are made using aspergillus mold, so my body doesn't tolerate them (or most herbs for that matter). If you've had any success with a particular brand, pls let me know.
    (I know GAPS Dr prefers HCL/Pepsin over digestive enzymes, but I was hoping to give each a try).

    2. I bought HCL/Pepsin/Papaya Leaf supplement (Solaray), but it has such a strong smell. Manufacturer said that's normal for an HCL suppl. Did you ever try taking an HCL supplement? Did yours have a strong smell also?

    3. Glutathione (GLT): I know you/your family have experience with GLT inhalations, but have you ever had your GLT levels checked to see how much of it is being absorbed through the lungs?

    I tried GLT last week via "IV push" last week immediately following a myer's cocktail (2 of them within 3 days) and noticed some improvement in my digestion and had 1 lb of weight gain with no change in diet.

    I have no doubt that I'm GLT deficient (which may explain the "shortness of breath" I've had for the past 19 months...by SOB I mean "hard to take deep breath & yawn"), so I'm trying to figure out whether to address this via:
    a) GLT inhalation
    b) GLT sublingual
    c) GLT IV push

    My Dr said he may want me to try GLT inhalation if I don't get better from my cold soon (yeast die off symptom). I've heard it helps with asthma too, and since I'm allergic to asthma meds, I'm open to trying it.

    (I've seen a lot of info online about the benefits of increasing GLT via oral precursors such as Vitamin D, Alpha Lipoic Acid, etc., but nothing much on the effectiveness of increasing it via inhalation or sublingual GLT).

    4. Could you please keep me / my family in your prayers? I have a 5 year old daughter and a husband who are doing their best to support me in this long & difficult journey. They're both absolutely wonderful, loving and very supportive, but it's such a heavy load to have to bear, especially since we have little-to-no support from anyone else.

    Eternally grateful for any feedback you can provide.

    Blessings,
    Cary
    P.S. Background summarized in
    Part 2.

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  16. (Continued...)

    Part 2

    BACKGROUND:

    After almost 2 years of challenging symptoms, I finally figured out (with God's help of course) and got confirmation that I have heavy metal toxicity *and* have been exposed to mold (home remediation pending)...all of which has lead to Gallstones, Leaky Gut, Candida, Weight/Muscle Loss, Food allergies (dairy, herbs, etc.), MCS (fragrances, pharma drugs, etc.), Asthma and a host of other conditions.

    So in my case, it'll have to be a modified GAPS diet since I can't have dairy (allergy) or animal/saturated (gallstones). However, I do like her detox suggestions (Epsom salt). Heavy metals cause sulfate deficiency so this is a good way to build it back up and detox at the same time!

    I'm thinking about trying both Epsom Salt baths (foot soaks in the beginning) *and* with FIR sauna therapy.

    I recently purchased a portable FIR Sauna but haven't broken it in yet, since I'm trying to research ways to prevent "Die-Off" symptoms (especially since I had my first "die off" episode recently, or I should say "Yeast/Heavy Metal die off" since I now know that HM's attach to the yeast).

    DO symptoms started within 24 hrs of taking one (1) dose of a 10strain/15Bill probiotic (Brenda Watson's Adult Formula).

    I learned the hard way that probiotics are contraindicated at the *start* of a heavy metal detox as per Dr Timothy Ray. So now, I'm trying to recover from my cold symptoms first, so I can then start my detox after researching the Do's & Don'ts a little more and getting some GLT to help open up some detox pathways.

    Thanks again!

    Blessings,

    Cary

    P.S. Sorry about the long post, but I thought I'd include this in case it helps anyone else out there seeking answers.

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  17. We Are Reversing the Symptoms of Autism Using Natural Treatment(The GAPS Protocol)

    Seeing is believing! For more information go to www.brandonswindow.com and get direct links to over 260 videos of (our) 8 year-old Brandon's amazing progress of reversing his symptoms of autism using natural treatment (the GAPS Protocol) Gut and Psychology.

    Not only the GAPS Diet but detoxing through lifestyle changes.
    Gut and Psychology empowers the family by teaching, empowering and equipping us with the knowledge to combat Brandon's autism. We have been following the GAPS Protocol to a "T" for the last three years.
    We have several copies in our family. It is our reference, our bible when it comes to Brandon's autism. www.brandonswindow.com

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  18. You have inspired me to take another look at the GAPS diet. I am fully convinced of its benefits, but still slightly intimidated by the transition. My son is recovering from autism and we are concerned that he still has at least a mild level of toxicity in his system. Thank you for your encouragement!

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