GAPS Guide

Often, people come to GAPS with food restrictions and/or a desire to implement a modified approach. From that place, a number of intelligent questions arise. I answer several of those themes here.

Q: “I’m skipping the intro and am just doing full GAPS. I’ll give the full GAPS menu six months, then assess whether it’s truly effective.”

We must be careful in our understanding of GAPS. It is not a menu, but a program. A critical part of the program is a careful, methodical intro progression. I support your choice to skip intro, but I would caution you against assessing GAPS without actually doing it. That would be like an alcoholic assessing the effectiveness of the Alcoholics Anonymous program by starting and ending at Step 12.

Q. “Is SCD/GAPS nutritionally sufficient?”

For my son and I, the proof is in the pudding. We are the most well either of us have ever been, and are constantly improving.

Q. “Okay, it’s sufficient for the short term, but as a permanent diet..??”

For the vast majority, the SCD is not intended to be permanent. It is a transitional diet, taking one from ill-health to relief to wellness, which will ultimately include a wider range of foods. Elaine Gottschall was very clear about that. Dr Campbell-McBride has been very clear about that.

This said, the full GAPS program is indeed fully nourishing. Some people choose to stay on it for many years, because they enjoy it so much and continue to see improvements in health. Others, after achieving a satisfying degree of healing, choose to eventually add in a handful of other foods, such as new potatoes, quinoa or soaked grains.

Q: “For those of us implementing additional restrictions, is it really sufficiently nutritious? I’m nervous about that, so am looking up the nutritional needs of my children and aiming to match them through the foods they can tolerate.”

In Breaking the Vicious Cycle, which Dr Campbell-McBride recommends we all read, Elaine Gottschall notes that where a person is restricting their diet further than SCD promotes, they then have the responsibility to do exactly what you are doing –diligently researching to ensure their family is receiving all necessary nutrients.

SCD/GAPS as presented, however, is a nutritionally dense and balanced program. While a relative handful of people must restrict it further due to anaphylaxis, some do so electively, because of concerns about salicylates, for example, or because of ethical philosophies (eg. veganism), or by avoiding the intro progression (thus, unnecessarily maintaining sensitivities or symptoms).

Elective modifications result, essentially, in a program that is not GAPS, but one merely influenced by GAPS. We can’t comment on the nutritional value or effectiveness of individually-developed programs that are merely influenced by SCD/GAPS.

The diet of my son and I is far more varied than anything we’d every done before. We eat nuts, seeds, eggs, meats, a wide assortment of vegetables and fruits…There is no nutritional lack in this.

Nutritional deficiencies are created very slowly. They require longer than a few weeks to develop. As GAPS’ intro generally lasts about 4-6 weeks, no nutritional deficiency will be created on its count.

Q. “I hear so many families bringing these laundry lists of restrictions. I’m concerned about them.”

The “laundry lists” of restrictions are the reason people are on the program. If they choose to do the program (as opposed to the menu), they will eat their way out of those issues, progressively adding more and more in and eventually moving on. That’s the very idea.

People doing the GAPS program are eating more foods than they were before. For many, GAPS has provided their first opportunity in years to use dairy, certain vegetables, eggs, etc.

Q. “I’m concerned about pregnant women being dairy-free.”

For most, dairy is included in GAPS. It appears very early in the intro (as ghee) so, for most people,  dairy is actually only out for a few days at most. Other dairies are, of course, introduced progressively after that. So, actually, most people are not dairy-free for any length of time –they are usually only *casein*-free, and even then, typically for about six weeks, at which time they usually add in homemade yogurt.

This said, it should be noted that the concern for pregnant women should not be for dairy, per se, but for the nutrition found in dairy. A cup of bone broth, for example, will supply one’s calcium needs.

Q. “Don’t you get bored of veggies?!?”

I eat insane amounts of veggies, and after six months on GAPS, I don’t feel burnt out on them. I have a lot of variety in my choices and preparation. The last few days, for example, have included a kale-beet-etc pizza; dipping sticks with refried almonds; curry risotto (cauliflower; green beans); veggie-egg scramble; veggie-patties; etc.

Q. “I’m not a big fan of nut flours. Is there really anything to eat in that case?”

In six months on GAPS, I’ve used almond flour once and coconut flour twice. GAPS is not flour-dependent. GAPS prefers the use of whole, unprocessed foods.

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