Intro made easy

Just a quick note to let you know that Ive found this terrific blog that outlines the stages of GAPS Intro in a really easy to follow format.

Im not keen to re-invent the wheel by trying to summerise it here, Im just supplying the link.

Enjoy!

http://theliberatedkitchenpdx.com/basics/its-so-easy-gaps-intro-stage-1/

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!!
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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!!

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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