Ive decided to give the Real Food Wednesdays a try on my blog. I love reading all the blog entries on this group so I thought I would join in. Lets hope this works!
I thought I would share what we had for dinner tonight. It is an old favourite that I cut out of a magazine years ago. Apparently it is a recipe that Candice Bergen contributed to a charity cookbook called: Star Palate, Celebrity Cookbook for a Cure
I love this recipe because it is soooo simple AND it is gaps friendly.
I left out the ricotta tonight as we are dairy free at the moment, but in the past I have favoured Goats Feta over ricotta in this recipe.
Enjoy
Salmon Burgers
675g Salmon fillets
5 large green onions (we use spring onions)
2 tsp fresh chopped dill
3 tsp lemon juice
1 ½ Tblsp ricotta
2 egg yolks (use the whites to make almond crescents - will post recipe next week)
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Fat for cooking
Pulse salmon in food processor until finely chopped but not puree
Combine with all other ingredience except fat
Form small patties with hands.
Heat fat in cast iron pan
Cook patties over medium/high heat until crisp and golden on each side.
Serve with salad greens, tomato, avacado and sauerkraut.
This post is part of Real Food Wednesdays hosted by Kelly the Kitchen Kop!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Teeth troubles
I have had trouble with receeding gums for about a year. I have found that being on GAPS has helped but not completely overcome this problem.
Recently there was some discussion on the GAPS list about this topic and the following was suggested.
"Pastured raw butter, Green Pastures fermented cod liver oil, xylitol mints, rinse with water after every meal, oil pulling, non toxic toothpaste or toothsoap for brushing. Also eating raw liver and apply raw bone marrow topically. These are the things I've found are most helpful for remineralizing and keeping teeth healthy. "
Here is the explanation that was posted for "Oil Pulling":
Take 1tablespoon of olive oil, and rinse for 5minutes, in between the front-teeth especially.Then spit out, and rinse your mouth with baking soda + water.
Do not do it longer than 5mins, otherwise the toxins begin to leach back in to your blood vessels, gums and teeth.
Do this on waking in the morning, before breakfast, and before/after bushing your teeth. I do this, after a shower, I take 1 tablespoon and rinse for 4minutes.
You can do it as many times as you want, 3-4times is recommended for tonsillitis, and toxicity crisis.
Listen to your body/subconscious your know how much is enough, plus the colour of the oil changes to a milky white, its full of toxins, so rinse with baking soda to take any remnants out from the mouth/in between teeth/gum.
When the colour change is not as deep, then you have done enough, you can do it 3-4times, 1tables of oil, 4minute rinse, spit out, baking soda rinse, 1 tablespoon oil... etc.
Recently there was some discussion on the GAPS list about this topic and the following was suggested.
"Pastured raw butter, Green Pastures fermented cod liver oil, xylitol mints, rinse with water after every meal, oil pulling, non toxic toothpaste or toothsoap for brushing. Also eating raw liver and apply raw bone marrow topically. These are the things I've found are most helpful for remineralizing and keeping teeth healthy. "
Here is the explanation that was posted for "Oil Pulling":
Take 1tablespoon of olive oil, and rinse for 5minutes, in between the front-teeth especially.Then spit out, and rinse your mouth with baking soda + water.
Do not do it longer than 5mins, otherwise the toxins begin to leach back in to your blood vessels, gums and teeth.
Do this on waking in the morning, before breakfast, and before/after bushing your teeth. I do this, after a shower, I take 1 tablespoon and rinse for 4minutes.
You can do it as many times as you want, 3-4times is recommended for tonsillitis, and toxicity crisis.
Listen to your body/subconscious your know how much is enough, plus the colour of the oil changes to a milky white, its full of toxins, so rinse with baking soda to take any remnants out from the mouth/in between teeth/gum.
When the colour change is not as deep, then you have done enough, you can do it 3-4times, 1tables of oil, 4minute rinse, spit out, baking soda rinse, 1 tablespoon oil... etc.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Raw Nut Granola
Makes approx 10 cups
- 1 apple chopped
- 1 ½ cup date paste (I just use some dates soaked in a little boiling water and then whiz in the food processor until a paste is formed)
- ½ cup honey
- 2 T lemon juice
- 1 T vanilla extract (optional)
- 1 t cinnamon
- ½ t salt
- ½ cup sunflower seeds soaked 2 hours or more
- 2 cups almonds soaked 4 hours or more
- 3 cups pecans soaked 2 hours or more
- 1 cup pumpkin seed soaked 2 hours or more
- 1 cup dried cranberries or currants or sultanas
1. In a food processor whiz apple, date paste, honey, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and ½ of sunflower seeds to make paste
2. Transfer to a bowl
3. Add to the food processor, remaining sunflower seeds, almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds (don’t bother rinsing bowl). Coarsely chop in a few quick pulses
4. Add to bowl with dried fruit
5. Mix well
6. Spread onto baking paper and place in dehydrator at 115 F for 8 hours.
7. Flip the granola over and peel away the paper
8. Dehydrate another 12 hours until crunchy.
9. Break into pieces and once cooled store in the fridge in glass containers.
Note: T = Tablespoon, t = teaspoon
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Balinese Spiced Duck
This is one of my all-time favourite recipes and I wanted to share it with you all as it is so simple and a delight to the taste buds. I got this one off the web - one of the recipe sites, not sure which one.
Ingredients
8 duck portions
50g dessicated coconut
3/4 cup coconut milk
Deep fried onions and salad leaves (I caramelize our onions and we serve the Duck with Steamed or Stir-fried veges).
For the spice paste
6 shallots (I use 12 spring onions)
2 cloves garlic sliced
2.5 cm fresh ginger root pealed and sliced
1 cm galangal peeled and sliced
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1-2 red chillies seeded and sliced
4 macadamias or 8 almonds
1 tsp coriander seeds dry fried
Method
Ingredients
8 duck portions
50g dessicated coconut
3/4 cup coconut milk
Deep fried onions and salad leaves (I caramelize our onions and we serve the Duck with Steamed or Stir-fried veges).
For the spice paste
6 shallots (I use 12 spring onions)
2 cloves garlic sliced
2.5 cm fresh ginger root pealed and sliced
1 cm galangal peeled and sliced
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1-2 red chillies seeded and sliced
4 macadamias or 8 almonds
1 tsp coriander seeds dry fried
Method
- Whiz the ingredients for paste in a food processor until a paste forms.
- Rub over the duck pieces and marinate for 3-4 hours or over night (I often skip the marinating as I forget!)
- Preheat oven to 140 C.
- Shake off the paste and mix the coconut milk into it
- Place duck pieces into a glass baking dish and pour over the sauce
- Cover and cook for 1 hour (longer if you are using legs and wings - I use breasts with skin on and 1 hour is plenty)
- Dry fry the dessicated coconut until crisp and brown
- Remove cover from duck
- Turn the oven up to 190 C and cook 20-30 mins brown and crispy. I usually leave it longer than this
- Sprinkle desiccated coconut over meat
- Serve with caramelized onion and stirfry veges and drizzle with
Two steps forward and one step back
One thing I am learning on the GAPS diet, is that the journey of healing is not a straight path.
Just when I think I have things figured out and my body is responding in a positive way (ie: my symptoms are less), something new pops its head up to confound me.
This last week I got really excited because I had 3 days in a row that my chronic sore throat didn't bother me. But today it is back again.
I started wracking my brain about what I could have done to cause this. Maybe it is because I stayed up too late last night, or because I didnt take my charcoal tablet yesterday, maybe it was because I visited a neighbour who has a cat inside....
I took some time today to reflect and read some emails on the GAPS list.
As I read I began to realise that this is all a "normal" part of the GAPS healing process AND that sometimes there is NO reason for the reaction other than the body is cleansing and healing.
The theory of the Herxheimer reaction, states that: "The healing crisis will usually bring about past conditions in whatever order the body is capable of handling at that time."
This last week I have had a very strange rash under my bottom lip. Im not usually a rashy person so I was, initially, surprised to see this pop up. Then I remembered that a few years ago an itchy patch under my lip and realised that it was simply a re-tracing of old symptoms and not something I had eaten or been exposed to in the material world.
I am learning to be patient, and not 'awfulize' about my problems.
Just when I think I have things figured out and my body is responding in a positive way (ie: my symptoms are less), something new pops its head up to confound me.
This last week I got really excited because I had 3 days in a row that my chronic sore throat didn't bother me. But today it is back again.
I started wracking my brain about what I could have done to cause this. Maybe it is because I stayed up too late last night, or because I didnt take my charcoal tablet yesterday, maybe it was because I visited a neighbour who has a cat inside....
I took some time today to reflect and read some emails on the GAPS list.
As I read I began to realise that this is all a "normal" part of the GAPS healing process AND that sometimes there is NO reason for the reaction other than the body is cleansing and healing.
The theory of the Herxheimer reaction, states that: "The healing crisis will usually bring about past conditions in whatever order the body is capable of handling at that time."
This last week I have had a very strange rash under my bottom lip. Im not usually a rashy person so I was, initially, surprised to see this pop up. Then I remembered that a few years ago an itchy patch under my lip and realised that it was simply a re-tracing of old symptoms and not something I had eaten or been exposed to in the material world.
I am learning to be patient, and not 'awfulize' about my problems.
Friday, September 11, 2009
How to Make a Homeopathic Remedy for Allergies
I havent tried this yet, but I wanted to post it here so I didnt lose it before I had a chance to use it. LOL.
What you will need:
Glass jar with plastic lid
Purified water (preferably reverse osmosis)
Fill jar with ¼ cup water
Put smallest amount of allergen in jar and seal
Sake 200 times
Empty contents.
Fill jar again with ¼ cup water no allergen
Shake 200 times
Empty
Fill jar with ¼ cup water again
Shake 200 times
Drink contents
To get results the remedy needs to be taken with a clean mouth which means away from food. If taken around food it should be taken either 15 mins before or you can eat 30 mins after
After taking avoid coffee, chocolate, peppermint (toothpaste) For atleast 12 hours.
What you will need:
Glass jar with plastic lid
Purified water (preferably reverse osmosis)
Fill jar with ¼ cup water
Put smallest amount of allergen in jar and seal
Sake 200 times
Empty contents.
Fill jar again with ¼ cup water no allergen
Shake 200 times
Empty
Fill jar with ¼ cup water again
Shake 200 times
Drink contents
To get results the remedy needs to be taken with a clean mouth which means away from food. If taken around food it should be taken either 15 mins before or you can eat 30 mins after
After taking avoid coffee, chocolate, peppermint (toothpaste) For atleast 12 hours.
Dealing with die-off
This list of suggestions was posted to the Yahoo group recently and I thought I would include them here in case anyone needed them.
-Take activated charcoal capsules, thrice daily. (not within 2 hours of any other supplements as they hinder mineral absorption
- Apple cider vinegar 3tablespoons daily in water
- Epsom salt bath, 1Kg per bath
- Coffee enema, 15-20min retention.
- Cut back on meat/egg, [which are nourishing, but create many toxins in GAPS patients], for the time being, drink freshly squeezed fruit juices - say: apple, celery, carrots, dark green leafy vegetables.
I find if I have an epsom salt bath every day and eat the charcoal I feel a lot better. I also do an enema every few days using about a cup of cabbage rejuvelac to 1 litre of water.
-Take activated charcoal capsules, thrice daily. (not within 2 hours of any other supplements as they hinder mineral absorption
- Apple cider vinegar 3tablespoons daily in water
- Epsom salt bath, 1Kg per bath
- Coffee enema, 15-20min retention.
- Cut back on meat/egg, [which are nourishing, but create many toxins in GAPS patients], for the time being, drink freshly squeezed fruit juices - say: apple, celery, carrots, dark green leafy vegetables.
I find if I have an epsom salt bath every day and eat the charcoal I feel a lot better. I also do an enema every few days using about a cup of cabbage rejuvelac to 1 litre of water.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Zucchini "Noodles" with Pesto
Today I made some noodles with pesto sauce for my sons lunch.
I used the Spirooli, that I purchased from the raw store, to make some "spagetti" out of zucchini. Here is the YouTube demo that I got the idea from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh0r4RU5fQQ
Firstly I chose a nice straight zucchini, as bent ones dont work very well in the Spirooli. Apply very little pressure as you turn the handle or you will end up with very fat pasta, more like hokkein noodles than spagetti. I was aiming for angle hair pasta.
Once the noodles are made fry them up gently with some ghee. I like to add some onion to the pan first and fry that until translucent before adding the noodles.
When the noodles are barely coooked, I add the pesto to the pan and warm it through. I then place it on a plate and sprinkle with cashews. This is absolutely delicious with Salad.
Pesto Recipe (I often multiply this by 4 and freeze some)
1 bunch of basil
1/4 olive oil
large pinch salt
pine nuts or cashews
Process together in a food processor until formed into a paste.
I like the nuts to still be crunchy so I add them at the very end and give them a little whizz through the pesto.
Here is a link on how to make the spagetti with a grater, if you dont have a Spirooli http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDrfVbsLkZE&feature=related
Home Cured Bacon
As most of you know regular bacon contains all kinds of toxic nitrites that are really not needed for the flavour and wreak havoc on your body, (Im assuming they are added to the meat to preserve it for long periods of time), so for quite some time we have been eating naturally cured bacon.
When we started gaps we found out that bacon was off the food list as it also contains various kinds of sugars. So being a lover of bacon I decide to find out how I could cure my own.
As with all my "how to" searches I started with YouTube (my favourite resource). I watched several videos of people curing bacon and ham in different ways. I didnt want to have the hassle of smoking the meat, as that seemed like too much extra brain power, so I just went for the basic cure and then freeze method.
Once I had seen enough videos to feel confident to give it a go myself I decided on a simple salt rub method.
That came out a little too salty and my teenager complained it had no real bacon flavor. So then I cured it with salt and honey. That made a real difference to the flavor. Although the honey in the meat does make it caramelize and then burn more easily so we have to keep the temperature of the pan on medium.
So here is what I do to make bacon. It's very simple:
I purchase an organic pork belly rinse it and rub honey all over it. Massage it well (this is a very goopy process).
I then sprinkle a generous amount of salt all over every surface and pat it down. I place it in a zip lock bag and make sure all the air is squeezed out before sealing it.
Place the whole think in a baking tray in the fridge and place a chopping board on top of it before adding a weight to that, to help press out all the juices – I usually use 3 kilos of oranges as our fridge is always full of fruit.
Each day I turn it over and replace the weight again.
In 5-7 days it is ready.
To slice it you will need a very sharp knife or a friendly butcher that is willing to slice it for you. (I spend approx $150 every 2-3 weeks at my butcher so he is very helpful and slices it on the deli slicer for me, so all the slices are nice and even).
I layer the bacon between pieces of plastic wrap so I can just pull out a couple at a time. I tried using greese proof paper but it tends to tear as you pull out the slices. Plastic wrap, called "Gladwrap" in Australia, works much better.
When we started gaps we found out that bacon was off the food list as it also contains various kinds of sugars. So being a lover of bacon I decide to find out how I could cure my own.
As with all my "how to" searches I started with YouTube (my favourite resource). I watched several videos of people curing bacon and ham in different ways. I didnt want to have the hassle of smoking the meat, as that seemed like too much extra brain power, so I just went for the basic cure and then freeze method.
Once I had seen enough videos to feel confident to give it a go myself I decided on a simple salt rub method.
That came out a little too salty and my teenager complained it had no real bacon flavor. So then I cured it with salt and honey. That made a real difference to the flavor. Although the honey in the meat does make it caramelize and then burn more easily so we have to keep the temperature of the pan on medium.
So here is what I do to make bacon. It's very simple:
I purchase an organic pork belly rinse it and rub honey all over it. Massage it well (this is a very goopy process).
I then sprinkle a generous amount of salt all over every surface and pat it down. I place it in a zip lock bag and make sure all the air is squeezed out before sealing it.
Place the whole think in a baking tray in the fridge and place a chopping board on top of it before adding a weight to that, to help press out all the juices – I usually use 3 kilos of oranges as our fridge is always full of fruit.
Each day I turn it over and replace the weight again.
In 5-7 days it is ready.
To slice it you will need a very sharp knife or a friendly butcher that is willing to slice it for you. (I spend approx $150 every 2-3 weeks at my butcher so he is very helpful and slices it on the deli slicer for me, so all the slices are nice and even).
I layer the bacon between pieces of plastic wrap so I can just pull out a couple at a time. I tried using greese proof paper but it tends to tear as you pull out the slices. Plastic wrap, called "Gladwrap" in Australia, works much better.
For the love of Liver
I used to hate liver.
Just slicing it would cause me to gag. Eating it produced the same effect and I would have to spit it out.
The dogs enjoyed my attempts at various liver recipes. They would go nuts for it.
Then I found some wonderful resourses that explain how to prepare it properly, and now I cant get enough. (And the dogs dont get a look in).
So here is a breif explanation of the benefits of Liver, and some simple ways of preparing it.
_________________________________________________________________
This excerpt is from "The Liver Files" on the Weston A Price Foundation website: http://www.westonaprice.org/foodfeatures/liver.html
So what makes liver so wonderful? Quite simply, it contains more nutrients, gram for gram, than any other food. In summary, liver provides:
Marinate slices of liver in the fridge overnight in water mixed with a little vinegar or plain lemon juice, plus lots of garlic and bay laurel leaf. After marinating, pat dry and fry in lard and/or butter until well done (really brown on the outside and slightly rose inside). The key is marinating to take away any unpleasant taste.
Once the liver (I use lamb liver) is marinated and patted dry I cook it in one of the two following ways.
1. dip the slices in egg and then dunk in almond meal mixed with a little salt (you can use flour if you are non-gaps). Then gently fry on each side . These little schnitzels are divine. They dont taste like liver at all. I use them as snacks when we are out.
2. saute some diced onion and bacon and when almost cooked add some diced liver and losts of garlic and saute until just cooked. Fry or poach an egg leaving yolk runny for maximum nutrient value, then serve with liver mixture. I like to have this with a little salt and home made tomato sauce. Again this is sooooo delicious. Really it is worth a try!
Be brave and reap the rewards.
Just slicing it would cause me to gag. Eating it produced the same effect and I would have to spit it out.
The dogs enjoyed my attempts at various liver recipes. They would go nuts for it.
Then I found some wonderful resourses that explain how to prepare it properly, and now I cant get enough. (And the dogs dont get a look in).
So here is a breif explanation of the benefits of Liver, and some simple ways of preparing it.
_________________________________________________________________
This excerpt is from "The Liver Files" on the Weston A Price Foundation website: http://www.westonaprice.org/foodfeatures/liver.html
So what makes liver so wonderful? Quite simply, it contains more nutrients, gram for gram, than any other food. In summary, liver provides:
- An excellent source of high-quality protein
- Nature’s most concentrated source of vitamin A
- All the B vitamins in abundance, particularly vitamin B12
- One of our best sources of folic acid
- A highly usable form of iron
- Trace elements such as copper, zinc and chromium; liver is our best source of copper
- An unidentified anti-fatigue factor
- CoQ10, a nutrient that is especially important for cardio-vascular function
- A good source of purines, nitrogen-containing compounds that serve as precursors for DNA and RNA.
Marinate slices of liver in the fridge overnight in water mixed with a little vinegar or plain lemon juice, plus lots of garlic and bay laurel leaf. After marinating, pat dry and fry in lard and/or butter until well done (really brown on the outside and slightly rose inside). The key is marinating to take away any unpleasant taste.
Once the liver (I use lamb liver) is marinated and patted dry I cook it in one of the two following ways.
1. dip the slices in egg and then dunk in almond meal mixed with a little salt (you can use flour if you are non-gaps). Then gently fry on each side . These little schnitzels are divine. They dont taste like liver at all. I use them as snacks when we are out.
2. saute some diced onion and bacon and when almost cooked add some diced liver and losts of garlic and saute until just cooked. Fry or poach an egg leaving yolk runny for maximum nutrient value, then serve with liver mixture. I like to have this with a little salt and home made tomato sauce. Again this is sooooo delicious. Really it is worth a try!
Be brave and reap the rewards.
How Im making my soup
I have discovered a delicious way of making soup. (Well after 4 weeks of eating it you would imagine that I would stumble upon some sort of discovery!!)
Basically I start with making a huge batch of bone broth from 10 litres of water, 2 full beef necks and 2 marrow bones cut length and cross ways.
I simmer that for about 24 hours and then pick off the meat and scoop out the marrow. I add the marrow back to the broth and reserve the meat. The dogs get the bones (which they leave scattered all over my lawn!!).
I then freeze the broth in batches.
I then get some more meat - lamb chump chops are my favourite, but I also use chicken thighs, lamb bones with a lot of meat still on, beef chops etc.
I saute an onion and some garlic and the meat and water to just cover the meat. Simmer for 3-4 hours until soft. Remove any bones and grizzle. The water will have simmered down quite a bit so I add a nice big dose of bone broth. Maybe a cup or three.
Then I add the veges of choice and simmer - ready for eating in about 30 mins.
I sometimes remove the veges and puree and add back to the soup to thicken. Depending on how much meat was on the second lot of bones I might also add meat from the stock making process. The double batch of meat seems to really enhance the flavour.
I didn't set out to boil two lots of meat, I just found that each batch needed more meat, and often times I was simply adding veges etc to yesterdays batch to make today's soup and I definitely needed more meat.
This soup works really well for me.
Basically I start with making a huge batch of bone broth from 10 litres of water, 2 full beef necks and 2 marrow bones cut length and cross ways.
I simmer that for about 24 hours and then pick off the meat and scoop out the marrow. I add the marrow back to the broth and reserve the meat. The dogs get the bones (which they leave scattered all over my lawn!!).
I then freeze the broth in batches.
I then get some more meat - lamb chump chops are my favourite, but I also use chicken thighs, lamb bones with a lot of meat still on, beef chops etc.
I saute an onion and some garlic and the meat and water to just cover the meat. Simmer for 3-4 hours until soft. Remove any bones and grizzle. The water will have simmered down quite a bit so I add a nice big dose of bone broth. Maybe a cup or three.
Then I add the veges of choice and simmer - ready for eating in about 30 mins.
I sometimes remove the veges and puree and add back to the soup to thicken. Depending on how much meat was on the second lot of bones I might also add meat from the stock making process. The double batch of meat seems to really enhance the flavour.
I didn't set out to boil two lots of meat, I just found that each batch needed more meat, and often times I was simply adding veges etc to yesterdays batch to make today's soup and I definitely needed more meat.
This soup works really well for me.
Bringing some moderation into my healing journey
One of my dearest friends has moved to Victoria and I have been keeping her updated on my GAPS journey (including all my woes), via email.
A few days ago I recieved this response from her in relation to my ongoing soup consumption and lack of progress (I was continuing to struggle with a chronic sore throat despite sticking to the diet). Alice is also following the GAPS diet. Id been on soup for about 4 weeks and it was seriously effecting my emotional balance. This is what she is referring to when speaking about "4 weeks".
_________________________________________________________
Hi Stephanie, I’m thinking of you. make sure it’s only 4 weeks. It could be die off – but it could also be lacking something else that you’re not getting in the soup. I agree and totally support you. I can see that you want to get it done once and for all and do it right. I’m like that too, so I relate.
So you’ve been having the soup for 4 weeks and you’re going to carry on with it for another 4 weeks??? I don’t know what the yahoo group members suggest, but I reckon even if you still have the sore throat and allergies after another 4 weeks, you should still go onto the next stage.
It might be that your sore throat takes longer to go away, so don’t loose hope if it’s not gone in 4 weeks, there is still a good chance it will go away within the next 2 years of being on the gaps diet.
I say this as I know what it’s like to live with ongoing low level depression – it’s miserable. It also has an obsessive, anxious streak in it, which I think you also suffer with, like me. So it’s good to keep a balance when the obsessiveness is overtaken… in other words carrying on with the soup on and on because you think it is the ultimate….
I know myself and I’ve always liked to do things well and have good attention to detail. So I have to watch myself for heading over the edge of obsessiveness.
It’s a fine balance.
Love Alice
_________________________________________________________
This letter helped me so much.
I was really getting overwhelmed by the diet and as I love to eat, I was really suffering with the lack of variety.
Both broth is very cleansing as well as being immune boosting, so it was probably adding to my die-off symptoms. As of yesterday I decide I needed to follow my own path to healing and while I am still following GAPS guidelines, I am not introducing the foods in the sequence that GAPS suggests, and I am have introduced several foods all at once.
I expected to have a reaction to the foods I introduced but surprisingly I havent. I can only guess that by adding more enjoyment to eating has stopped me craving (and indulging) in foods that I know trigger me (like fruit!).
I have also added more supplements and have started having DAILY epsom salt baths. Both of which I imagine are contributing to my success.
In case you are wondering the epsom salts help to remove toxins from the body, so that die-off symptoms are lessened.
So what am I eating:
I really felt I needed more iron, so I added liver (with onion, eggs and salt cured bacon) for breakfast, and a nice big steak with salad for dinner . I still had soup for lunch and bone broth in the evening as well as 3 glasses of warm water with coconut oil mixed in, throughout the day.
I have also introduced saccharamyces boulardii to kill off the candida, fish oil (Nordic Naturals brand) to help with the depression, and niacin for detox and immune boosting.
So far so good
A few days ago I recieved this response from her in relation to my ongoing soup consumption and lack of progress (I was continuing to struggle with a chronic sore throat despite sticking to the diet). Alice is also following the GAPS diet. Id been on soup for about 4 weeks and it was seriously effecting my emotional balance. This is what she is referring to when speaking about "4 weeks".
_________________________________________________________
Hi Stephanie, I’m thinking of you. make sure it’s only 4 weeks. It could be die off – but it could also be lacking something else that you’re not getting in the soup. I agree and totally support you. I can see that you want to get it done once and for all and do it right. I’m like that too, so I relate.
So you’ve been having the soup for 4 weeks and you’re going to carry on with it for another 4 weeks??? I don’t know what the yahoo group members suggest, but I reckon even if you still have the sore throat and allergies after another 4 weeks, you should still go onto the next stage.
It might be that your sore throat takes longer to go away, so don’t loose hope if it’s not gone in 4 weeks, there is still a good chance it will go away within the next 2 years of being on the gaps diet.
I say this as I know what it’s like to live with ongoing low level depression – it’s miserable. It also has an obsessive, anxious streak in it, which I think you also suffer with, like me. So it’s good to keep a balance when the obsessiveness is overtaken… in other words carrying on with the soup on and on because you think it is the ultimate….
I know myself and I’ve always liked to do things well and have good attention to detail. So I have to watch myself for heading over the edge of obsessiveness.
It’s a fine balance.
Love Alice
_________________________________________________________
This letter helped me so much.
I was really getting overwhelmed by the diet and as I love to eat, I was really suffering with the lack of variety.
Both broth is very cleansing as well as being immune boosting, so it was probably adding to my die-off symptoms. As of yesterday I decide I needed to follow my own path to healing and while I am still following GAPS guidelines, I am not introducing the foods in the sequence that GAPS suggests, and I am have introduced several foods all at once.
I expected to have a reaction to the foods I introduced but surprisingly I havent. I can only guess that by adding more enjoyment to eating has stopped me craving (and indulging) in foods that I know trigger me (like fruit!).
I have also added more supplements and have started having DAILY epsom salt baths. Both of which I imagine are contributing to my success.
In case you are wondering the epsom salts help to remove toxins from the body, so that die-off symptoms are lessened.
So what am I eating:
I really felt I needed more iron, so I added liver (with onion, eggs and salt cured bacon) for breakfast, and a nice big steak with salad for dinner . I still had soup for lunch and bone broth in the evening as well as 3 glasses of warm water with coconut oil mixed in, throughout the day.
I have also introduced saccharamyces boulardii to kill off the candida, fish oil (Nordic Naturals brand) to help with the depression, and niacin for detox and immune boosting.
So far so good
Stage 2 continued
This week has been a hard week. The die-off is leaving me feeling tired, depressed, anxious, fat, trapped, hopeless, foggy....
Not very pleasant.
Prior to stage 1 I was enjoying cooking and was planning to make cheese and yogurt for my kids. Now I cant be bothered.
I keep reading posts from other GAPSters to keep going and have faith in the program, and I am trying to keep my spirits up, but I am sick of soup and even a mouthful of fruit gives me a sore throat.
I feel like Ive become allergic to everything!
Apparently this is normal. I need to go slow and steady. More slowly than I have been! Just about every day I try to add a new food in the hopes of expanding my dietary repertoire. Obviously this is not working and in fact I wonder if it is slowing my progress?
I have cut back on all dairy. Ghee has not caused me problems in the past however I have cut this out for now as obviously the detox has made me more sensitive.
I have cut out the sauerkraut but I am having a probiotic cabbage rejuvelac drink (basically sauerkraut water without salt). This is from Bee's Candida Diet, recipe is here: http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/articles/pre1.php
I have ordered the Saccharomyces Boulardii to help kill off the candida, and am starting on the fish oils to combat the depression.
To be honest the only thing keeping me going is the knowledge that people like Baden have had such wonderful success.
Well that is where I am up to. I dont feel up to writing anymore at the moment.
Will post those promised recipes soon
Not very pleasant.
Prior to stage 1 I was enjoying cooking and was planning to make cheese and yogurt for my kids. Now I cant be bothered.
I keep reading posts from other GAPSters to keep going and have faith in the program, and I am trying to keep my spirits up, but I am sick of soup and even a mouthful of fruit gives me a sore throat.
I feel like Ive become allergic to everything!
Apparently this is normal. I need to go slow and steady. More slowly than I have been! Just about every day I try to add a new food in the hopes of expanding my dietary repertoire. Obviously this is not working and in fact I wonder if it is slowing my progress?
I have cut back on all dairy. Ghee has not caused me problems in the past however I have cut this out for now as obviously the detox has made me more sensitive.
I have cut out the sauerkraut but I am having a probiotic cabbage rejuvelac drink (basically sauerkraut water without salt). This is from Bee's Candida Diet, recipe is here: http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/articles/pre1.php
I have ordered the Saccharomyces Boulardii to help kill off the candida, and am starting on the fish oils to combat the depression.
To be honest the only thing keeping me going is the knowledge that people like Baden have had such wonderful success.
Well that is where I am up to. I dont feel up to writing anymore at the moment.
Will post those promised recipes soon
Banana Caramel sticky muffins
So Im posting a few recipes that I have found and tried over the last week, and one that I made up when I needed to use up some left over ingredients.
Ill post them in separate blog entries and that way they will be easier to find under the labels (for future reference).
The first recipe is from Grainfree Foodies- The original recipe is here:(http://grainfreefoodie.blogspot.com/2009/04/banana-caramel-sticky-buns.html)
These girls are kitchen geniuses. I use a lot of their recipes. They call these tasty morsels "buns" I have renamed them muffins as that is what they more closely resemble in my opinion.
I have also tweeked the recipe slightly. We dont eat coconut flour at present as I have heard it is high carb so I subsituted almond meal for the coconut flour.
These muffins are the most delectible GAPS foods I have ever tasted. Not quite like a sticky date pudding but close.
Banana Caramel Sticky Muffins
Ingredients for muffins
1 Large very ripe banana, mashed
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup melted butter or coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups almond meal
1/4 tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 180 C.
Mix all ingredients with a wire whisk.
Pour into a well-greased muffin tin or use silicone liners (I used cupcake papers. They did stick a little bit so you could spray some coconut oil on the papers if you find this an issue)
Ingredients for topping
1 cup chopped crispy pecans (from Nourishing Traditions or WAPF)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup butter
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon almond meal
2 Tablespoons shredded coconut
Mix all ingredients for topping with a fork.
Crumble topping on buns.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through.
Ill post them in separate blog entries and that way they will be easier to find under the labels (for future reference).
The first recipe is from Grainfree Foodies- The original recipe is here:(http://grainfreefoodie.blogspot.com/2009/04/banana-caramel-sticky-buns.html)
These girls are kitchen geniuses. I use a lot of their recipes. They call these tasty morsels "buns" I have renamed them muffins as that is what they more closely resemble in my opinion.
I have also tweeked the recipe slightly. We dont eat coconut flour at present as I have heard it is high carb so I subsituted almond meal for the coconut flour.
These muffins are the most delectible GAPS foods I have ever tasted. Not quite like a sticky date pudding but close.
Banana Caramel Sticky Muffins
Ingredients for muffins
1 Large very ripe banana, mashed
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup melted butter or coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups almond meal
1/4 tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 180 C.
Mix all ingredients with a wire whisk.
Pour into a well-greased muffin tin or use silicone liners (I used cupcake papers. They did stick a little bit so you could spray some coconut oil on the papers if you find this an issue)
Ingredients for topping
1 cup chopped crispy pecans (from Nourishing Traditions or WAPF)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup butter
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon almond meal
2 Tablespoons shredded coconut
Mix all ingredients for topping with a fork.
Crumble topping on buns.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through.
GAPS Intro, Stage 2
There is only one word for what I have been experiencing over the last 4 days.... Detox, or as gapsters like to call it Die-off. (Also known as the Herxheimer Reaction)
It is not an enjoyable process, as my dear husband and children will tell you! Basically when the body starts to kill off bad bacteria, and cleanse toxins, it goes into a healing crisis, where all the symptoms that you are trying to overcome by doing this diet come back in greater intensity than normal.
So for me this has meant a week of being very grumpy, critical, depressed, overwhelmed by small things (like a teen trying to show me how many push ups he can do, for the FIFTH time - and all Im thinking is "I dont care let along have time for this, Ive got to make more soup"!).
Well you probably get some understanding of my state of mind! Ive also been tired a lot and had a sore throat on and off even though Im not eating any illegal foods.
It has not been easy but my GAPS support group have been great and it helps to know that this reaction is normal (when I feel like Im going crazy!!).
As the title of this entry states, I have moved onto stage 2. Mainly because I really needed more than just soup. I was always hungry. So I have added, avacado, saurerkraut and ghee. Ive also been drinking copious amounts of ginger tea, and have started really enjoying the flavour of it.
Ive been doing the enema's every other day, and am feeling brave about increasing it to the daily regime. (The next bit of info is for fellow Gapsters who need info on enema's, so family and friends can skip this bit!) Now about enema's - everyone has a different tale to tell, and I have heard that "it feels great", "it is so easy", "I can hold a litre of water a time" etc.... well I havent found them to be particularly easy or great, and I can only hold in about 200-500 mls, before my insides are gurgling and Im crossing my legs and testing my resolve to hold on for a few minutes more.
What I have found that helps is to do a systematic, hold then purge, hold then purge approach over about an hour. This seems to work quite well and I have it on authority from a long term enema user that this is the best way! I can hold a little bit more fluid each time and for a little longer. Still a lot of gurgling and leg crossing but I feel like Im getting the hang of it.
What I have been eating:
Breakfast:
Mineral supplement and RO water first thing
Hot water with 1 Tablespoon of Coconut oil
Soup with kraut and ghee
Lunch
Soup with half an Avacado and kraut
Ginger tea
Dinner
Two bowls of soup with Avacado, kraut and ghee
More ginger tea
Hot water with coconut oil
Epsom salt bath before bed (1 cup of salts - soak for 20 mins)
Great things about this week:
It is not an enjoyable process, as my dear husband and children will tell you! Basically when the body starts to kill off bad bacteria, and cleanse toxins, it goes into a healing crisis, where all the symptoms that you are trying to overcome by doing this diet come back in greater intensity than normal.
So for me this has meant a week of being very grumpy, critical, depressed, overwhelmed by small things (like a teen trying to show me how many push ups he can do, for the FIFTH time - and all Im thinking is "I dont care let along have time for this, Ive got to make more soup"!).
Well you probably get some understanding of my state of mind! Ive also been tired a lot and had a sore throat on and off even though Im not eating any illegal foods.
It has not been easy but my GAPS support group have been great and it helps to know that this reaction is normal (when I feel like Im going crazy!!).
As the title of this entry states, I have moved onto stage 2. Mainly because I really needed more than just soup. I was always hungry. So I have added, avacado, saurerkraut and ghee. Ive also been drinking copious amounts of ginger tea, and have started really enjoying the flavour of it.
Ive been doing the enema's every other day, and am feeling brave about increasing it to the daily regime. (The next bit of info is for fellow Gapsters who need info on enema's, so family and friends can skip this bit!) Now about enema's - everyone has a different tale to tell, and I have heard that "it feels great", "it is so easy", "I can hold a litre of water a time" etc.... well I havent found them to be particularly easy or great, and I can only hold in about 200-500 mls, before my insides are gurgling and Im crossing my legs and testing my resolve to hold on for a few minutes more.
What I have found that helps is to do a systematic, hold then purge, hold then purge approach over about an hour. This seems to work quite well and I have it on authority from a long term enema user that this is the best way! I can hold a little bit more fluid each time and for a little longer. Still a lot of gurgling and leg crossing but I feel like Im getting the hang of it.
What I have been eating:
Breakfast:
Mineral supplement and RO water first thing
Hot water with 1 Tablespoon of Coconut oil
Soup with kraut and ghee
Lunch
Soup with half an Avacado and kraut
Ginger tea
Dinner
Two bowls of soup with Avacado, kraut and ghee
More ginger tea
Hot water with coconut oil
Epsom salt bath before bed (1 cup of salts - soak for 20 mins)
Great things about this week:
- I know my body is responding as it should be
- I have actually been enjoying the soups
- Detox baths
- Im loosing weight
- My gaps group!
Not so great:
- Having to cook food for the rest of the family that I cant eat. (When you feel like Im going out of my mind anyway, this can really do you in!!)
- Having the children remind you what a grump you are being! (Very little sympathy here)
- Enema's - yuck
Intro - Stage 1
Well I started off on the GAPS Intro diet 4 days ago.
To be honest I havent done very well at sticking to the "soup only" policy and therefore Stage 1 is taking me longer than expected to complete.
The first day I ran out of soup and got hungry after dinner. I munched on a banana and some butter with coconut. The second day I went to a wedding and although I didnt go to the reception David wanted to go via the UNI library on the way home and the whole thing ended up taking such a long time I was starting to feel dizzy from lack of food (I had only had 1 bowl of soup for breakfast), so we stopped at the bakery!!
The third day, I did really well but again ran out of soup and ate some fruit. I also did a lot of baking for Jordan (I started him on the GAPS diet 4 days ago, but he is not doing Stage 1 yet. So I have been very busy in the kitchen trying to keep up with the quantitiy of food that he needs to eat), and it is very hard to bake and not taste the food to see if it turned out ok. All the recipes I am trying are new so I want to know if I should repeat them, chuck them or tweak them to re-use another time.
So here I am on day four, still eating soup!!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lessons I have learned: Make the next batch of soup when Im still half way through the current batch.
Take soup in a thermos even if only intending to be out for a couple of hours.
Postpone Stage 1 if trying new recipes!!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Having said all that, I am definately seeing some detox results regardless of my adhoc approach. Last night I was extremely nauseas at bed time and even when and got a bucket to put beside the bed. Fortunately there was no need for the bucket during the night.
Today I had soup for breakfast but at lunch time I tried to eat some and felt sick again, so just drank some water.
Tonight I am feeling better and getting my soup ready for tomorrow! As far as the enema situation that I mentioned in the last post - that hasnt happened yet. I thought I would just pop down to the chemist and pick one up, but I ended up needing to order one on the internet!
The enema kit arrived today, so that is on the list for tomorrow. (Dont want to try it before bed!).
The amazing thing so far is the improvement I have seen in Jordan. For as long as I can remember, Jordan has had a constant runny nose and an equally constant (and annoying) habit of picking it. Well, since he started GAPS his nose has stopped running and I havent seen him even scratch his nose let alone pick it!! Whooo hoooo. Im such a happy mumma.
I havent seen any impovement in his acne yet but I am expecting that to improve once his fruit intake is reduced. (He's still eating about a kilo of apples a day - even though that is not part of the GAPS diet!). I need to take baby steps with Jordan so he doesnt completely reject the diet.
Im off to take a detox bath and watch a movie with hubby.
To be honest I havent done very well at sticking to the "soup only" policy and therefore Stage 1 is taking me longer than expected to complete.
The first day I ran out of soup and got hungry after dinner. I munched on a banana and some butter with coconut. The second day I went to a wedding and although I didnt go to the reception David wanted to go via the UNI library on the way home and the whole thing ended up taking such a long time I was starting to feel dizzy from lack of food (I had only had 1 bowl of soup for breakfast), so we stopped at the bakery!!
The third day, I did really well but again ran out of soup and ate some fruit. I also did a lot of baking for Jordan (I started him on the GAPS diet 4 days ago, but he is not doing Stage 1 yet. So I have been very busy in the kitchen trying to keep up with the quantitiy of food that he needs to eat), and it is very hard to bake and not taste the food to see if it turned out ok. All the recipes I am trying are new so I want to know if I should repeat them, chuck them or tweak them to re-use another time.
So here I am on day four, still eating soup!!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lessons I have learned: Make the next batch of soup when Im still half way through the current batch.
Take soup in a thermos even if only intending to be out for a couple of hours.
Postpone Stage 1 if trying new recipes!!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Having said all that, I am definately seeing some detox results regardless of my adhoc approach. Last night I was extremely nauseas at bed time and even when and got a bucket to put beside the bed. Fortunately there was no need for the bucket during the night.
Today I had soup for breakfast but at lunch time I tried to eat some and felt sick again, so just drank some water.
Tonight I am feeling better and getting my soup ready for tomorrow! As far as the enema situation that I mentioned in the last post - that hasnt happened yet. I thought I would just pop down to the chemist and pick one up, but I ended up needing to order one on the internet!
The enema kit arrived today, so that is on the list for tomorrow. (Dont want to try it before bed!).
The amazing thing so far is the improvement I have seen in Jordan. For as long as I can remember, Jordan has had a constant runny nose and an equally constant (and annoying) habit of picking it. Well, since he started GAPS his nose has stopped running and I havent seen him even scratch his nose let alone pick it!! Whooo hoooo. Im such a happy mumma.
I havent seen any impovement in his acne yet but I am expecting that to improve once his fruit intake is reduced. (He's still eating about a kilo of apples a day - even though that is not part of the GAPS diet!). I need to take baby steps with Jordan so he doesnt completely reject the diet.
Im off to take a detox bath and watch a movie with hubby.
Getting Started
Today I started the GAPS Intro diet. "What is the intro diet and why am I starting it now, after I have been a Gapster for several months?" I hear you ask.
Well basically the Intro diet is a cleansing rundown and I really felt that I needed to get in the swing of the diet before I did the cleanse. It has taken me 9 months of going on and off the diet to finally feel confident in what I am eating.
So why am I on the diet? Well, the full name for the diet is the "Gut and Psychology Syndrome" diet. Its basic premise is that people with unhealthy gut flora often have brain related problems like, autism, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety etc and by removing problem foods from their diet they can restore the natural balance in the gut and stop the gut-brain reactions. (That is a very simplistic explanation it is obviously more complicated than that. Its all very scientific - lots of talk of starch and sugars fermenting in the gut and causing morphine type recations in the brain or something. For more information see the links at the bottom of the page).
I suffer from varying moods, that sometimes feel like they have taken control of me. So when one of my girlfriends suggested the diet I was very interested. The amazing thing is IT ACTUALLY WORKS! Just removing all grains, sugars and starches from my diet and I am a different person. Who knew it could be so easy!
My symptoms weren't just pshychological, I have also struggled with allergies for years, and had ongoing health issues like fatigue, chronic tonsilitis and sinus issues, eczema, hay fever... you get the picture.
So what can I eat? Basically I eat lots of fresh and fremented foods and lots of fat. Meat, veges, fruit, nuts, some legumes, loads of bone broth and sauerkraut and eggs. I eat butter, lard, coconut oil, but no vegetable oils as they mostly hydrogenated. The only exception is cold pressed virgin olive oil.
I usually make pancakes and muffins etc from nut meal instead of grain flour. I can use honey in recipes as it is a monosaccharide, whereas sugar, maple syrup, fructose etc are all polysaccharides and cause a bad reaction.
So back to the Intro diet: Basically the first day is all about soup! It wasnt nearly as hard as I thought it would be.
http://gapsdiet.com/INTRODUCTION_DIET.html
Breakfast: Reverse Osmosis water with liquid mineral suppliment and lemon juice. Beef and vege soup- stewed all day yesterday and then left on the stove (on low) all day today.
Lunch: more soup with a nice big dollop of ghee.
Dinner: 2 bowls of soup with sauerkraut on top. Snacks: ginger tea
Bedtime: Soak in epsom salt bath (for extra cleansing properties - and it just feels good).
Tomorrow I brave an enema - wish me luck!! ________________________________________________________________ Links
A video with the author, telling how her son was healed of sever autism with the diet.
http://www.healyourself.com.au/product/gut-and-psychology-syndrome-book-australia-gaps-dr-natasha-campbell-mcbride/
The book: http://www.amazon.com/Gut-Psychology-Syndrome-Depression-Schizophrenia/dp/B0016J7HZU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250164278&sr=1-2
Conditions helped by this diet. http://gapsguide.com/about/conditions-addressed-by-gaps/
A fairly good (and long) explanation of the science behind the diet http://www.sustainlane.com/reviews/the-gaps-diet-the-mother-of-all-diets/LTVKD7QC3RN23RUSRVX2DXV3R98X
Well basically the Intro diet is a cleansing rundown and I really felt that I needed to get in the swing of the diet before I did the cleanse. It has taken me 9 months of going on and off the diet to finally feel confident in what I am eating.
So why am I on the diet? Well, the full name for the diet is the "Gut and Psychology Syndrome" diet. Its basic premise is that people with unhealthy gut flora often have brain related problems like, autism, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety etc and by removing problem foods from their diet they can restore the natural balance in the gut and stop the gut-brain reactions. (That is a very simplistic explanation it is obviously more complicated than that. Its all very scientific - lots of talk of starch and sugars fermenting in the gut and causing morphine type recations in the brain or something. For more information see the links at the bottom of the page).
I suffer from varying moods, that sometimes feel like they have taken control of me. So when one of my girlfriends suggested the diet I was very interested. The amazing thing is IT ACTUALLY WORKS! Just removing all grains, sugars and starches from my diet and I am a different person. Who knew it could be so easy!
My symptoms weren't just pshychological, I have also struggled with allergies for years, and had ongoing health issues like fatigue, chronic tonsilitis and sinus issues, eczema, hay fever... you get the picture.
So what can I eat? Basically I eat lots of fresh and fremented foods and lots of fat. Meat, veges, fruit, nuts, some legumes, loads of bone broth and sauerkraut and eggs. I eat butter, lard, coconut oil, but no vegetable oils as they mostly hydrogenated. The only exception is cold pressed virgin olive oil.
I usually make pancakes and muffins etc from nut meal instead of grain flour. I can use honey in recipes as it is a monosaccharide, whereas sugar, maple syrup, fructose etc are all polysaccharides and cause a bad reaction.
So back to the Intro diet: Basically the first day is all about soup! It wasnt nearly as hard as I thought it would be.
http://gapsdiet.com/INTRODUCTION_DIET.html
Breakfast: Reverse Osmosis water with liquid mineral suppliment and lemon juice. Beef and vege soup- stewed all day yesterday and then left on the stove (on low) all day today.
Lunch: more soup with a nice big dollop of ghee.
Dinner: 2 bowls of soup with sauerkraut on top. Snacks: ginger tea
Bedtime: Soak in epsom salt bath (for extra cleansing properties - and it just feels good).
Tomorrow I brave an enema - wish me luck!! ________________________________________________________________ Links
A video with the author, telling how her son was healed of sever autism with the diet.
http://www.healyourself.com.au/product/gut-and-psychology-syndrome-book-australia-gaps-dr-natasha-campbell-mcbride/
The book: http://www.amazon.com/Gut-Psychology-Syndrome-Depression-Schizophrenia/dp/B0016J7HZU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250164278&sr=1-2
Conditions helped by this diet. http://gapsguide.com/about/conditions-addressed-by-gaps/
A fairly good (and long) explanation of the science behind the diet http://www.sustainlane.com/reviews/the-gaps-diet-the-mother-of-all-diets/LTVKD7QC3RN23RUSRVX2DXV3R98X
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