Gaps Diet Book

[thleensd]

So, I'm coming up on three years since diagnosis. Not going to lie, it's been a struggle. Not the not eating gluten part - I'm pretty used to that - but my health. Just can't seem to get healthy. SO fatigued. However, since I've been eating cleaner and taking vitamin D I haven't had even a cold in two years (yes, knocking on wood).

I'm trying to get better! First I went gluten-free, then corn-free, then I added in more natural foods, then I got rid of *most* processed foods, then ALL grains, then ALL processed foods... whittled it down (tried dairy-free, soy-free, nightshade-free), and was getting *slightly* better with each step. But it's just not working. So, after hearing a bunch of you talk about the GAPS diet, I decided to dive in. I almost just went for it from the food lists without reading the book. I'm SO glad I didn't.

This book is great. Seriously... I'm gonna go all evangelical about it. I'll try to tone that down though. I mean, I'm just starting the diet, so I can't be a success story yet. But there is great information in it. That info alone is worth the price of the book.

I've been reading about nutrition and celiac for three years (had to start in little bits since the brain fog was mighty at the beginning). So, there is a lot I already knew about the gut, but this book really ties it together. I had ear infections, strep from time to time - normal kid stuff there, but plenty of anti-biotics. Also I had long term anti-biotic use as a kid as a PREVENTATIVE for UTIs. But I was healthy (um, other than that?)! (But the Dr. SAID there wouldn't be any long term effects!) As an adult, a bout with chronic ideopathic urticaria and angioedema (hives/swelling). More warning bells, too much histamine can be produced by bad gut bacteria! And then I took prednisone! Steroids mess up your gut, too. Hmph.

So, how much disease can be avoided if our gut flora is healthy? A LOT.

This book isn't written specifically for Celiacs. We get a few mentions here and there, but that's ok. If you read this, you'll see yourself in it.

Anyway, I'm excited to be starting this new way of eating. It's not THAT different from the last version of my eating habits, but the differences are important (fermented and cultured foods, etc). I'm a little scared about the whole fermenting thing...but I'm taking a deep breath and going for it. Homemade yogurt turned out on the first try (who knew it was that easy?). Next stop: sauerkraut.

I wish there were an area just for GAPS and/or SCD here. There's a post about SCD that has a gazillion entries on it (it's close to that, I'm sure), but that's really hard to wade though.

Anyway, I'd put this on the must read list, even if it's just the first few chapters. I found myself saying, "I wish I could send this page/paragraph to my allergist/primary care doc/GI doc/sister/friend...) When I get a few more bucks I'll buy a copy just to loan out.

Happy end of 2011! "Let food be they medicine and medicine be thy food!"

[Skylark]

It's an eye-opener, isn't it?

[Strawberry-Jam]

my book came in a few days ago. I'll be starting it sometime after new year's.

[srall]

Hmmm. Might be the next step for me too.

[Korwyn]

I'm a big proponent of this book. I first heard about it from my wife's pastor, whose son is autistic. I eventually read it after hearing about it at our local GiG support group meeting again from a friend. Going on strictest form of the GAPS for six months was key in really starting healing my gut. In fact, I'm considering doing it again because I've had a couple round of antibiotics for infections and I fell off the wagon on my high-fat/high protein/paleo food lifestyle for a couple months (and put on 15 pounds in a couple weeks) and my gut hasn't really ever recovered.

[domesticactivist]

Yay! You all know I'm practically evangelical, too. I've now got a summary of all the stages plus tips of how to get set up plus details of my family's experience of it on the blog linked from my profile. One thing I like about GAPS is that it is more a way of approaching a health problem (gut dysbiosis) and food than just a diet. I'm glad you read the book!

[domesticactivist]

Oh, and all the recipes on my site are gaps legal, too

[Skylark]

I think I'm still having reactions to foods. The one problem with GAPS is that the skin patch test is a joke. I tried it with some plain yogurt and had no skin problems. When I ate the yogurt I had a really bad mental reaction.

[Strawberry-Jam]

bought a leg of lamb for Christmas dinner and the butcher gave me some soup stock bones (beef, plus the joint off the lamb leg) for free ~

To do this diet without expensive equipment I was thinking of just getting a mortar and pestle (to grind nuts for homemade nut butters) and a thermos for taking my lunch to work in the early stages of the diet. yesh?

Haven't read the book, but will be reading it soon enough. I have to eat up what I have in the house and get through hectic work schedules up till new years before I can go on the diet.

[domesticactivist]

I think I'm still having reactions to foods. The one problem with GAPS is that the skin patch test is a joke. I tried it with some plain yogurt and had no skin problems. When I ate the yogurt I had a really bad mental reaction.

I agree that it's not very accurate. Some people's skin is far more reactive than other's, too. Mine barely reacts to anything, but my son's and partner's really does. My guess is that for people who are prone to histamine reactions the skin might be a better indicator.

[domesticactivist]

bought a leg of lamb for Christmas dinner and the butcher gave me some soup stock bones (beef, plus the joint off the lamb leg) for free ~

To do this diet without expensive equipment I was thinking of just getting a mortar and pestle (to grind nuts for homemade nut butters) and a thermos for taking my lunch to work in the early stages of the diet. yesh?

Haven't read the book, but will be reading it soon enough. I have to eat up what I have in the house and get through hectic work schedules up till new years before I can go on the diet.

I can not imagine trying to make nut butters by hand. Is there no way you can get a food processor or blender?

A thermos is a lifesaver. We use ours constantly. They were well worth the small investment.

[Strawberry-Jam]

I was eyeing a huge, 1 litre camping thermos in the outdoors store today (I went in to buy a base layer to go under my trousers since I had a bicycle crash and ripped a hole in my other ones).

The thing was epic, had two lids that became two separate cups, and looked like it'd keep food warm/cold for forever. But it cost, like, 20 or 30 quid, so I told myself to wait till I started the diet and then make up my mind...

[domesticactivist]

I can't link to the ones we like, but we have thermos brand thermoses that keep food hot 7 hours. I actually prefer using the smaller ones... enough for two bowls of soup. It's nice to be able to take two different hot things rather than just one. We do have a large one as well with the two cups, which is nice when more than one person is going somewhere together. Once it is half empty the food doesn't stay warm as long, I feel.

[LReynolds]

Looks like I need to check this out! Thanks!

[thleensd]

I definitely need to go thermos shopping. I have one that stays hot quite a while, but it's not really big enough. Or maybe I just need a couple more small ones.

I did just buy an assortment of canning jars... a gallon of soup in the fridge so I won't have to do much the next couple of days =)

I couldn't make it through stage one of the intro without nearly passing out, so I'm on intro-3ish while we get better at making soups, etc. I'm not sure I can do without the eggs, but I seem to be tolerating them well. Also, the ferments aren't done (got the yogurt thing down, I think!), so hopefully when those kick in things will get rolling a bit more.

I think the squash and cooked carrots I started on might have a bit too much sugar, though. I think I'm fighting candida, so I'm reading up to see what I should do. I'm underweight, so I can't afford to skim on calories. I'm one week in, though, I've been able to maintain weight (except those first couple of days, that was rough).

This is definitely the right time of year to do the intro diet! It's great drinking warm broth all the time. Not sure I'd want to do that in the summer!