We have just completed our second week on the GAPS Introduction Diet as a family. If you are not familiar with GAPS, you might like to read the GAPS Review to find out more. It definitely went much smoother than the first week! We continued with about 2 days per stage and very few symptoms of die-off were experienced. Everyone is feeling much better.

In Stage 4, I had introduced nut muffins which our bodies were just not ready to digest. At the end of the week, I tried them again, successfully this time – everyone was ecstatic! Anything resembling bread or a bread product was delicious!

Stage 5 involved the introduction of cooked fruit and raw vegetables. Each addition was made slowly and for vegetables, I began with raw carrots.

Stage 6 added raw apples and other fruits. We have to this point added apples and pears.

We are now entering the Full GAPS Diet which will be continued for a yet to be determined length of time. I will continue to add more new vegetables while at the same time staying away from the starchy ones like potatoes, okra and certain dried beans. These starchy vegetables turn quickly to sugar (a disaccharide as opposed to a monosaccharide like honey) and feed the “bad” bacterial which we are trying to bring under control. As our menus expand, the children are definitely happier and more satisfied – limiting ourselves sure can be challenging!

Kefir and fermented vegetable (homemade sauerkraut and fermented carrots) are here to stay in our diet. The probiotics in them are both economical and take very little preparation time in the kitchen. Grains will be left off for awhile and when re-introduced, I will soak them to help break down the phytic acid (an enzyme and calcium inhibitor). Everyone has been able to adjust to drinking water instead of a drink mix and I will be adding kombucha soon.

Many good changes have occurred in our family as a result of being on the GAPS Diet. While limiting ourselves, especially in sugar intake has been difficult, I have no doubt that we have given our bodies a jump start on bringing the “bad”, toxin producing bacteria in our gut under control.

After all, it is always good to practice self control!

Driving home from Georgia after attending my father-in-law’s funeral, I read aloud the GAPS book. It is such an interesting book and made so much sense, as far as, our overall health being related to our intestinal health. I had posted earlier about my experience with GAPS and the amazing relief I have found from my arthritis pain, as well as, beginning to eat meat for the first time in 30 years. So, even though we felt that our children were healthy,we decided to begin the Introduction Diet as a family.  After all, I cook most of our meals from scratch, make our bread and overall have a healthy lifestyle. Since no one has health problems which stand out, we decided to take a couple of days per phase, just to make sure everyone’s intestinal bacteria is balanced and healthy.

We started last week in Phase 1 which basically consists of eating soups made from bone broth, the boiled meat cooked during the process of making the homemade broth, probiotic juice from homemade sauerkraut and kefir (since dairy is tolerated by all). I made beef  (from our own grass fed steer) and chicken broth. Using the GAPS compatible cookbook, Internal Bliss, I tried new recipes which included, Creamy Garlic Soup, Carrot Soup, Slow Cooked Chicken Soup, Butternut Squash Soup and Cowboy Stew.

To our amazement, the children, especially the three younger ones (ages 3, 6, 9) had detoxification or die off symptoms. These are symptoms caused by the toxins released as the ”bad” bacteria die in the gut. Symptoms included nausea, headache, irritability and lethargy. Thankfully, by the end of the week, the symptoms were almost gone.

In Phase 2 we added eggs, as well as, casseroles made with meat and vegetables.

Everyone perked up with the addition of eggs but they sure missed the biscuits and jelly!

In Phase 3 we added avocados, sauerkraut, more cooked vegetables and muffins made with almond flour.

There were varying responses to the avocados. While we have had guacamole, we have never eaten plain avocados.

To begin with, I sliced 2 between the 9 of us in an effort to introduce new foods slowly. Instead of mashing them in our soup, I served the slices plain with eggs at breakfast. I think the texture was the main problem, especially for our 9 year old.

The big hit of the new phase, were the muffins. While they were not biscuits, they were delicious to souls starved for any type of bread product or even something resembling bread!

Unfortunately, we will not be having the nut muffins for a few days. Everyone seemed to react poorly. Intestinal gas was noticed by all.  

In an effort to make the almonds as easily digestible as possible, I had soaked them in salt water overnight. This reduces and helps breakdown the phytic acid in the almonds. After soaking, I dehydrated them in the oven. Once dehydrated, I ground them in the food processor to make almond flour. Even with all this prep work, it was obvious that our gut was not ready for them. So, I will wait for several days and try them again.

Overall, the week has been very encouraging as I see the progress of the children. The presence of die off symptoms confirmed the fact that perhaps we are not such a healthy family after all and benefits will be reaped from this diet.

I have been on the GAPS diet since early November. In addition to the relief from my arthritis and being able to eat meat again, I have also noticed my hair and nails are growing once more. I had assumed they stopped growing as a result of a change in hormones related to menopause. Evidently, I was wrong and it was actually a nutrient absorption issue.

This is truly an eye opening and life changing experience for us as a family! While the GAPS diet is not difficult to follow, it does require commitment. Planning and preparation are also vital for success. To make it easier, I planned the weeks worth of meals at the beginning of the week. With the menu plan posted on the refrigerator, I was able to prepare everything as needed, even with the pruning in the vineyard!