Whether searching out information for your own use, or to help out a fellow GAPSer, there are a number of resources at your disposal. Below are the steps I take, in approximately this order, to find information pertaining to GAPS. Please note: The diet part of GAPS is simply the SCD slightly modified. For details of the differences, please click here.
In this post, “BTVC” stands for Breaking the Vicious Cycle, the book by Elaine Gottschall upon which the diet part of GAPS is based.
1. Look in the GAPS recommended/not recommended lists.
2. Look in the book GAPS Guide: Simple Steps to Heal Bowels, Body and Brain. and through the webpage of book updates. Note: This book is the most comprehensive ‘how to’resource for GAPS. Most of your questions will be answered within it.
3. Apply the tips found here to researching through the GAPS Guide website.
4. Peruse Dr Campbell-McBride’s website, including her new FAQ page.
5. Search the chapter headings and/or index of the book Gut and Psychology Syndrome.
6. Search the GAPShelp message archives. For a step-by-step guide to this in pdf, click Searching Yahoo Archives.
7. Ask if anyone on the GAPShelp list has received specific word from Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride. (If not, I add it to my list of “one day” questions for NCM. In the meantime, proceed with the following steps.)
8. Look at the BTVC Legal/Illegal list. Not all of the information here will apply to GAPS, but where GAPS does not mention it one way or the other, I go with this.
9. Look at the BTVC Knowledge Base. Not all of the information here will apply to GAPS, but where no GAPS materials mentions it one way or the other, I go with this.
10. Use the BTVC search function. Not all of the information here will apply to GAPS, but where no GAPS materials mentions it one way or the other, I go with this.
11. Search the chapter headings and/or index of the book Breaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall. Not all of the information here will apply to GAPS, but where no GAPS materials mentions it one way or the other, I go with this.
12. Search the BTVC message archives. Not all of the information here will apply to GAPS, but where no GAPS materials mentions it one way or the other, I go with this.
13. Ask on the BTVC list. Not all of the information here will apply to GAPS, but where no GAPS materials mentions it one way or the other, I go with this. Note: If you are not a member of the BTVC list and do not wish to subscribe to another very busy list, just ask someone on the GAPShelp list to post for you.
14. Google it. Typing your key phrase + gaps (or scd) will often bring up surprisingly helpful results!
15. If you are researching answers for a fellow list member, also take some time to meditate on/recall your own experience. Details of your own journey can be invaluable to the member in need while also providing important considerations for the program’s ongoing development.
16. With questions that are of general GAPS interest, ie. not case-specific, and which are also unanswered through any of the above steps, email ask@GAPSdiet.com Questions relevant to a wide variety of people doing GAPS will be forwarded to Dr Natasha. For questions that are truly unique to a given person, ie. case specific, information about consulting with Dr Natasha directly is available here.
Tip: If after three days a message to an online support list has still received no replies, hit ‘reply’on your own post, type the word ‘bump’as though a reply, and hit send. “Bumping” your post to the top of the message list will let people know yours still needs an answer.
Hi i’ve been following “Breaking The Vicious Cycle” Diet for 4days now and diarrhea has not subsided just wondering how to achieve a “formed stool”? Any comments would be grately appreciated
Hi Melody,
Diarrhea can be caused by any number of things, including various foods. Dairy, eggs and fibrous vegetables are frequent triggers.
GAPS’intro protocol is a bit different than that presented in BTVC. It has no eggs for the first several days, no dairy and no fibrous veggies. My first suggestion would be to follow that protocol, which is provided here.
With further questions, I would strongly recommend you join our online support group.
Cheers,
Baden
This is a great resource. Thanks for posting this Baden!
I recently took flagyl for blastocytois infection but reaction after not completeing 10 day course . Starting a paracite cleanse herbal reading about Gaps and think it could help. any experiences with Gaps and Blasto?
Hi Ruth,
Before we knew about GAPS, a relative struggled with Blasto. I don’t know if GAPS or a course of GAPS-recommended Mebendazole would work for that. I suggest asking on the support list, putting ‘blastocystis hominus’in the subject line of your post. You might hear from folks who have dealt directly with that.
All my best,
Baden