Two of the most common mistakes I see on GAPS are:
- jumping in to the program without being set up (with information, resources, physical tools, etc)
- staying in one stage for too long
In the first case, what commonly happens is a person reads a bit about GAPS online, then jumps into full GAPS or intro, then experiences awful challenges, then panics, then posts questions to an email list or blog, then tries from there to find their way to calm. My strongly recommended approach is, instead, this:
1. Before starting, purchase a personal copy of GAPS Guide.
2. Read the book from cover to cover.
3. Start your activity on page 28.
Eager to heal, people tend to jump in and start before having a solid foundation of information, tools, and supports in place. The book -which sets out which of those to put in place and how- took me literally hundreds of hours to research, compile, edit and lay out. The very purpose of all that work was to limit your frustration, expense, and pain! Thus, I urge you to read the Guide before taking a single step. While you wait for your book to arrive, simply practice recipes from one of the links here. Taking the ‘waiting period’ to play with recipes will alone prove an excellent investment toward a relatively peaceful journey.
The second aspect that challenges people a lot is moving too slowly. We move into Stage 1, notice we’re still having symptoms, so stay there. In the meantime, we wonder why we’re feeling lethargic, bored, or weak. Please do not do this! Once you’ve read through the entire Guide, move steadily from page 28 onward. When you reach intro, for most people Stage 1 should be complete within 1-3 days. After that, add another food every few days, and keep doing so! Do your daily detox bath -with a different additive each time- and ensure a daily bowel movement. (If bowel movements are an issue, apply one of the tips from the Guide’s ‘Constipation’ section for each of four days. If needed, move on to a subsequent tip.)
So, don’t rush in but once you’re set up, keep on a movin’! Onward and upward!
I heartily agree, Baden! When I recommend GAPS to people, I always stress the need to start slowly. Your book, The GAPS Guide presents an excellent approach to easing gently into GAPS. It’s worth every penny!
Another mistake, I think, is rushing with problematic food introduction:
if for someone it is dairy, really give yourself good time before starting it. It may take many many months before chunk of healing happened. Yes, butter, perhaps is fine after short time but the rest might be problematic. And once started, begin with less then a teaspoon. So can be true for fruits.
I can not (and it was said in many places) do not rush with this step. So yes, keep moving forward with all mistakes (it is a learning diet). Forward and back…
I LOVE your book. It has been my saving grace and push that I CAN DO THIS! Thanks for all your hard work and caring heart!
I do not find it that hard. Mostly it meat and low carb veggies. The only time comsuming think is making crackers and breads and you can skip those.
I started the Intro on Feb. 6 this year. I am working with a GAPS Practitioner, who is a life-saver! I have found the GAPS Guide to be absolutely essential – I would recommend this book to ANYONE who wants to be successful. We were overwhelmed for a while at the beginning, and I have been making bone broth, yogurt, kefir, a member of WAP study groups, using sea salt – for YEARS! Get this book before you start!
Thank you so much for these words, Therese!
And I’m so, so, so glad the Guide has been helpful to you!
All my best,
Baden
Yep, that’s me! I’m looking forward to the Guide arriving any day now and in the meantime appreciated your patient response to my worried questions earlier.
You’re so welcome, CJoy!
All my best,
Baden
I’m looking to do intro for DS and after 5 months of Full gaps I am extremely intimidated with limiting my son’s diet even further! He needs intro so bad! You can’t reason with a 2 yr old so how will I persist without him getting undernourished?
Right now he is self-limiting to GAPS legal baked goods, fruit, nuts, etc and will take a few bites each day of the critical healing food but try telling a 2 yr old what he will eat! HA!
Hi Bean,
I know it’s intimidating to go for intro (believe me!), but this is definitely the best way to resolve the self-limiting. It won’t be about reasoning; it will be about allowing the body to heal, which is what will ultimately support him to eat a wider range of foods. The first few days he will likely tantrum, refuse to eat, etc. That’s okay -just make sure he stays hydrated. After that, as his body starts to come into balance, he will start to eat the foods. For more info and tips, please see:
http://gapsguide.com/2009/08/05/but-my-child-wont-eat/
http://gapsguide.com/2008/12/01/bone-broth-how/
http://gapsguide.com/2009/10/01/surviving-die-off/
All my best,
Baden
Thanks Baden – Do you think 3 days for each stage is enough for my son? He is still quite sensitive. Non-gaps foods always affect his behavior sometimes even affecting his speech, nightwakings, tantrums, etc.
He had been a constipated child till starting GAPS. He was very advanced @ 16 months only to regress @ 18 months and develop some autistic behaviors out of nowhere (one of the biggest reasons he is on GAPS and even though we stopped vaccines @ 7months old).
He has blowouts a lot so I don’t know how to gauge moving on to the next stage based on BMs. It may be the increasing dose of soil based organisms and GUTpro probiotic but I guess those supplements are stopped when we start Intro.
Hi beanmoster,
Gosh, your son sounds a lot like mine! Neat!
In determining when to move forward, I recommend ignoring the stools. In early healing -possibly for several months- they can be all over the map regardless of what we’re doing. As your son moves through healing, you’ll come to figure out what in him indicates food reactions and what is more random. In the meantime, just keep introducing a new food/style/supplement every 3-4 days. Be sure to give him lots of die-off relief support: daily die-off bath, etc.
Yes, do stop supplements (except those needed for life or limb) before intro, then follow the guidelines in your GAPS Guide book for starting the probiotics, etc, back up.
All my best,
Baden
Baden I am very concerned because since my son has been on full GAPS since December 2011 and his hair has been thinning out, the texture has become much less soft, his extremities are becoming colder since starting the diet. He is a thin guy. GAPS has not allowed him to gain much weight. I’m really concerned that his metabolism has been more damaged due to the diet. I know I was anemic, hypothyroid while he was in my belly. I have read that a lot of nuts and fish oils (PUFA) will contribute to hypothyroidism.
We are attempting intro right now and its hard to see him so thin because he doesn’t like the food much. He will sometimes eat broth, boiled meat, but the carbs are important for him because of his thyroid and he is getting sick of the squashes, carrots, cauliflower. Im finding he isn’t eating what is required on intro to meet a balanced diet – its way too high in muscle meat. What’s a mom to do? I had to cave in and give him some boiled apples and a tiny bit of juiced apple juice with his water.
Hi beanmoster,
I hear your worry, fear and concern. Some thoughts…
1. Any time you have concern about specific issues I strongly recommended consulting with a health practitioner familiar with GAPS. Four lists of them are linked to from my ‘Support for You’ page. You don’t need one local to you; a consult by phone/email/Skype can also be very helpful. In the meantime, you might also look through Dr Natasha’s updates/FAQs as presented in a searchable pdf here: http://gapsdiet.com/FAQs.html
2. I would select just one healing program and go for that one -whether GAPS or a different one- 100%. When we mix philosophies or approaches (limited muscle meats, low oils, low nuts, etc), our diet can become too restrictive. Many people coming to GAPS have thyroid imbalance and/or anemia. Dr Natasha’s recommendation for GAPS applies to these conditions as well as to other GAPS ones. Except as otherwise noted in Dr Natasha’s recommendations for specific conditions, we remove from our personal program just what we specifically react to. So, if we react to nuts or oils, we do remove that. Otherwise, we include it.
3. Many people will see limited healing -and persistent issues- doing just full GAPS (especially if relying heavily on their pre-Intro preferences), while seeing big changes upon doing Intro.
4. It’s normal for a child to refuse or severely limit food for the first few days of intro. Generally on Day 5 they will begin to eat eagerly. We see this most often when the stages are adhered to. (When we go with the child’s cravings, they often continue to be repelled by or avoidant of the more nutrient-dense foods that are needed for healing and building.)
5. There’s no need for intro to be high in muscle meat, low in carbs, etc. Also, most people should be moving through the stages quite quickly, which brings a person to the carbs in nuts, etc, within a couple of weeks. No stage of GAPS lasts long enough for nutritional shortages to be an issue.
All my best,
Baden
We’ve been doing each stage for 2 days. Not much die off seen just maybe skip a day of BM or soft BM. Hope that isn’t too quick. I did check out the FAQ last night and want to try the iodine patch with my son. Thanks for the advice Baden!
On two year olds– kids WILL eat when they are truly hungry, especially when they know they will not get anything else. I have two kids who understand they would eat what we gave them, or they would eat what we gave them later (same food). It worked like a charm and we never had any issues with them eating whatever was served.
Thanks for sharing this, Marie!
All my best,
Baden
Sounds great and keeps me going but can we sometimes be too slow?I’m strating to worry as my son (3,7 years old)has been on the Gaps Intro for 6 months and as he can’t chew we are kind of stuck on Stage 2 with some elements from stage 3 ,which seems quite frustrating and leading to nowhere.I really don’t know how to proceed.
Hi Siya,
Yes, definitely we can be too slow (that was the ‘move’ part of the post). We must move forward. If we get too stuck, it’s time to connect with a health practitioner familiar with GAPS. Three lists of these are linked to from this blog’s ‘Support for You’ page.
All my best,
Baden
I know you caution against moving too slowly, but what of the symptom your experiencing isn’t decreasing? I have crohn’s disease and I’ve been on intro Stage one for a week now, and my diarrhea hasn’t got better, in fact it’s worse than when I started. Would you still encourage me to keep moving through the stages?
I know you caution against moving too slowly, but what if the symptom your experiencing isn’t decreasing? I have crohn’s disease and I’ve been on intro Stage one for a week now, and my diarrhea hasn’t got better, in fact it’s worse than when I started. Would you still encourage me to keep moving through the stages?
Kate,
I would still be on the first stage, untill your main symptoms decreased…and may be if you could talk to GAPS doctor, MD preferably. It is the best, I think good chicken stock and may be do meat and bones chicken stock and cook it for 2-3 hours, not bone stock cooked for that many hours. Cook untill meat is done. Chicken is the easiest for the intestines and stomach.
Marina
Hi Kate,
Yes, while a person with severe intestinal distress would stay on Stage One for up to seven days, one needs to move forward after that. The additional sources of nutrition may well be what heals the persistent symptom. If a newly introduced food aggravates the condition, remove it from your program, take a few days rest on the previous stage, skip the problematic food, and move forward to the next item in the progression. The problematic food can be retested after a few more weeks of healing.
All my best,
Baden
Baden,
I am moving on to Stage 3 of the Intro diet. Just wondering if I can fix/eat all of the soups listed in the Internal Bliss cookbook during the Intro. Diet. I am getting a little tired of the basic recipes that are in your and Dr. Natasha’s books. They are tasty, but I need some variety. Your thoughts?
Hi Susan,
In early Stage 3, you can eat any soup that meets the following criteria:
-any meat or fish
-broth or bone of any animal
-any tolerated veggies, simmered at least 25 minutes
-any stage-friendly fat (which for most people will also include ghee from Stage 2)
-any herb or spice, fresh or dried (as these were introduced with the fermented fish)
-nothing sauteed
Yes, many of the soups in the fabulous Internal Bliss book would work -or be easily adapted- to this stage. In my copy (early edition) of this book, this would include the ingredients of soups on pages 41, 42 (without the parmesan, and ghee instead of olive oil), 44, 45, and so on. For this stage, simply put all ingredients into a pot and simmer at least 30 minutes.
Later in Stage 3, upon successfully introduction of the long-sauteed onions, feel free to sautee for soups, too.
All my best,
Baden
A timely post for me… I know I have recently made the mistake of moving too slowly. However, although I am nervous about progressing, I *have* been feeling like I need to push forward to get more nutrients. I’m just nervous about progressing because after introducing the nut butter pancakes and then scrambled eggs, my persistent bloating has returned. I viewed that as a reaction, but after 1-1/2 weeks, every time I eat, I still swell up. I know your book says to try the food subsequent to the offending one after symptoms have been clear 3 days. Does bloating count for that? It stood to reason, in my mind, that if bloating is *one* of the reasons I’m doing GAPS, that I should wait. I am afraid that introducing something new would exacerbate this. Should I hope that perhaps in time, it will correct itself again as it did around week 3 or 4?
Ugh! I’m so confused. And after 6-1/2 weeks on the diet, my bowels are still not coming within 36 hours. Though I did begin the carrot juice and CLO, it was close enough to when the bloating began that I thought I should just take a step back on everything since the bloating will not quit.
I’m just not sure where to go from here, but I guess, aside from any diarrhea or other severe symptoms, “forward” is the answer?
For the last week I worked on increasing the sauerkraut juice because I know we hadn’t progressed quickly enough on that. Also, although I only noticed any problems with milk during my hayfever season, I took that as a signal to not try dairy during the intro. But now, I’ve been wondering if I introduce it gradually enough, maybe I can tolerate it and it will expedite healing? And now that I’ve finally found a source for raw milk, I actually have the option.
I didn’t have any bloating when I did a 10-day juice fast in January. Should I introduce juicing maybe with just vegetables? Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Edited to add: BMs are not coming within 36 hours WITHOUT an enema.
Edited to add: BMs are not coming within 36 hours WITHOUT an enema.
And yet another question (sorry)… so today we added the soft boiled eggs again–been doing raw yolks for a long time now–and my daughter’s eyes are mildly itching. It’s not diarrhea, and it’s not severe, but it’s one of the hayfever/food allergic reactions that we want to eliminate. Since this is a clear reaction, doesn’t that mean I should hold her off on the egg whites?
And then resume progression with the next food after 4 days of no symptoms? (I had to check back in your book. I guess it was 4 days and not 3?)
I wonder if we had too much. My daughter, my son, and I divided a total of 2 boiled eggs between us for breakfast and lunch, each of us having a total of 2/3 of an egg so far for the day. Was that too much? Should we have started with less? Am I being too OCD? LOL!
Hi Geniene,
Yes, skip the egg whites for a couple of weeks, then retest them. In the meantime, have a rest of 3-4 days, then move on to the next food. You have this correct
It’s hard to say how much to start with. Trialing a larger amount gives a clearer indication of issue. On the other hand, starting with a teaspoon and working up slowly can allow a food to be introduced and tolerated. (I don’t have my GAPS Guide with me, but I detail this in a few places, including the ‘Slow & Methodical’ section.)
I know it’s hard that not everything is cut and dried. But you are on the right track and as you go you will develop a stronger and stronger sense of how to proceed in your family. You’re doing great!
All my best,
Baden
Hi Geniene,
You are right to be confused! Bloating is a really tricky one -very stubborn in some cases, and it can have many causes. In addition to those mentioned in the GAPS Guide book, on her FAQs page Dr Natasha has more recently said bloating can also indicate the activity of yeast attempting to clean up toxic metals. She recommends patience while one continues with the program, as well as possibly specific enemas:
So, Geniene, I would suggest the following:
-ignore this symptom for now
-continue onward, yes, skipping foods specifically identified as problematic (scrambled eggs, nut butter) but otherwise moving forward
-feel free to try some of the other remedies listed under ‘Constipation’ in GAPS Guide, especially magnesium
-as noted in the GAPS Guide section on bloating, increasing probiotics may exacerbate this symptom; please don’t feel you need to increase probiotics quickly -rather, increase them as the body allows (which may be quite slowly)
-we don’t know how you will do with milk until you test it -it may expedite healing and it may slow it; feel free to test it
-implement the tips provided by Dr Natasha
-if you feel juicing veggies would be beneficial, do feel free; see your GAPS Guide book for juicing for heavy metals
Geniene, please let me know what works in your case. That will allow me to help others with this issue.
All my best,
Baden
First off… Thank you so much, Baden, for your replies, and for giving your assistance to so many people. Though I don’t always reply, I do greatly appreciate your insight.
In mulling over the above info, reading comments from here– http://gapsguide.com/about/gaps-results/ –and in light of this week’s developments… I’m back at the same place–stumped!
In reading your exchange with Aji from the above-mentioned link, I get the sense that further healing can and will take place (without dependence on supplements) as we progress, but after 8 weeks and still camping in Stage 3, it just seems like we can’t seem to move forward. We all got diarrhea this week but not all from the same things. (And of course, now I’m back to constipation.) I feel stuck! (No pun intended.)
And introducing a teaspoon of something at a time, to get diarrhea after 2 – 3 days, then having to wait 3 days to try something else, really drags this out. I feel so limited to the same foods, mostly from Stage 2, that I’m growing SICK of.
Two questions that came to mind from your advice to Aji:
1) Due to bloating, should I back off sauerkraut a little then? I keep thinking that I need more to aid with the digestion, and that the bloating occurs because I can’t break stuff down. But instead, it seems it could be from yeast activity. But why then do I bloat only when I eat?
2) What is the earliest you recommend boulardii for those without severe psychological/digestive disorders? As long as I have bloating, you think I need to wait on this supplement? I was considering starting Primal Defense Ultra, which includes the boulardii, to accelerate the process of healing, assuming maybe we have severe yeast issues, and hoping something… anything… will help us move forward.
*Btw, yogurt enema gave me diarrhea, but unwisely, I did have sauerkraut for the first time the day before. Was it the sauerkraut or enema? I don’t know, but I don’t want to waste another 3 days on either one of them trying to find out. In wanting to move forward, I rushed. Grrrr.
And…
1a) Should I not include the probiotic in my enema? And would the Primal Defense Ultra be okay in that case, even if it has fermented oat and barley grass in the formula?
3) Am I driving you crazy yet???
Hi Geniene,
Yes, include probiotic in your enema. As pure as possible is best, and one with added ingredients may or may not be acceptable to your body.
No, you’re not driving me crazy
Sometimes I can feel overwhelmed by the number of questions posted by the community in a given week, but then I take that to mean I need to continue breathing, and to come to the questions when I have more mental and psychological resources to draw on.
All my best,
Baden
Hi Geniene,
Yes, the initial stages can be frustrating and painstaking. However, they are worth their results!
Diarrhea – Common triggers are veggies (fibre), and eggs (especially, for some reason, scrambled). In the case of diarrhea, I would take those out. Likewise, if an enema triggers diarrhea (not simply a loose stool immediately following the procedure), skip that.
Some people need to stay on an early stage for a longer time -and do indeed get very bored of the limitations. Some people -those do not have symptoms so severe that they must stay on an earlier stage- make the decision to move forward regardless of symptoms. They move forward to a point they feel they can at least stick with, then return to a second round of intro later. That can work.
1) Again, bloating is such a complex issue and, according to Dr Natasha’s recently posted theory about it resulting from yeasts’ positive clean-up activity, may persist for some time. In the meantime, include some sauerkraut juice for the probiotic (or replace it with another source) but rely on chewing, Betaine, etc, for digestive help.
2) I like to see most people be on GAPS -including a good run at Intro- for at least three months before introducing any anti-fungal supplement such as boulardii. Be gentle and kind with your body; it will heal faster that way.
All my best,
Baden
Thank you for your feedback. I have not yet made or eaten the fermented fish. I’m really don’t enjoy fish. Is it a problem to move on to stage 3 without beginning to eat the fish? Many thanks!
I wondered about this, too. We skipped it before just because I have never purchased raw fish before and wasn’t sure how necessary it was and just have too many questions, i.e. what kind of fish is best with the mercury scare. And I also didn’t have the book for the recipes, since my friends are rotating/sharing our books.
I also wondered the purpose of avocado, though I did include it as I could, and if you are supposed to put it in every soup along with soft-boiled eggs for the remainder of the intro.
Hi Geniene,
Don’t worry too much about the fermented fish. It’s a wonderful recipe, but no one food is critical. Do try it when you’re ready to, though!
Again, while each tolerated food in intro provides nourishment, none makes or breaks it. It’s not necessary to include avocado in every bowl of soup, no.
All my best,
Baden
Hi Susan,
It’s not essential to take the fermented fish. (I was quite frightened at the thought myself, and skipped it the first time I did intro. Later, I did have it and absolutely loved it!) In any case, dried herbs and spices are introduced at that point in intro, so feel free to add them to whatever dishes you *are* making.
All my best,
Baden
i am just starting the GAPS protocol, i only found Dr Natashas vlogs a few days ago but my problem is severe, i have ordered her book which should arrive in two days, i have watched her vlogs solidly for a few days also ive read her website and written down the instructions for the first stage of the diet, i can only eat a few things literally-one meat and 3/4 veggies, i have been having increasing reactions for about 18 years, now it is all i think about as it is so severe, i made broth with lamb and cooked veggies until they went very soft, i stopped my daily rice milk drinks as the carbs are feeding the bacteria? ive stopped potatoes, i have had headaches for two days-i never get headaches, i’m also getting numbness, coldness in hands and feet, tingling in my head and some itching on skin-which again i never usually get, also my tongue has been itchy and numb theres almost a metallic taste in my mouth-a sourness-is this the die off? i have had chronic diarrhea for about two years which since i removed the carbs has turned to constipation-a change i suppose…any ideas on this?, saying this i am terrified of taking the probiotic powder, sauerkraut and fermented cider vinegar i bought, most of the time i am alone with my symptoms and i simply don’t know what to do or who to turn to as i wish someone could help me through the first couple of weeks and help me prepare food as i have chronic fatigue and get very exhausted and absent minded-i’m always forgetting i start to cook and burn supper about 3 days a week-so i think help would really help me, i do believe that GAPS is my problem-in brief…i had a very stressful childhood living in Europe, i was abused and raped as a child which lead me to make bad decisions ever since, i had to take loads of antibiotics after the rape as i had an infection, where i didnt want anyone near me the doctor prescribed everything-they didnt tell me i’d need to help my gut afterwards, since this ive taken a contraceptive pill for ten years which regulated my periods, a few other anti biotics two years ago and i had a general anesthetic and blood transfusion recently after miscarrying a baby (my first) at 39 which seems to have aggravated my condition-no doctors have offered help (or help for post natal depression) except to offer drugs and procedures which i cannot tolerate, i have lost so much weight and suffer with chest pains and muscle wastage, i’m praying this diet works i wish i had known about it ten years ago as now i am physically run down and for the most part am so drained from fighting to stay well…i believe i am here for a reason, i also believe god has kept me alive this long as even my doctor doesnt know how i am here…i had pneumonia at the beginning of the year, i couldnt get out of bed and so i barely ate for over a month-for the most part i lay there alone and scared, it took two months to clear the infection and i’m proud to say i managed without anti biotics-although god only knows how-i never used to be religious but at the tail end of the pneumonia i was coughing and cracked my ribs doing so, i picked up a crucifix and prayed to god in tears as it was so painful and then within two weeks it subsided…it opened my eyes…
i pray and thank god every day-any words of encouragement would be really good to hear, i think Dr Natasha is an angel.
kindest regards Sarah, Bristol, UK.
Dear Sarah,
I responded at http://gapsguide.com/2010/06/10/questions/#comment-15181 to your subsequent post about your initial struggles, but I wanted to add here that I’m happy you found our community. Your journey sounds like that of so many of us, and I’m grateful you’re with us now. You might love connecting with even more people through the very active email support lists, as presented on this blog’s ‘Support for You’ page.
All my best,
Baden
Oh Sarah, my heart goes out for you. You brave soul. I just wanted to say that there will be help out there so keep trusting that God or what ever higher force there is, will provide when time is right. It can be blogs, websites, information, people… keep looking.
I don’t know if you have a car as I know a colonic hydrotherapist who is wonderful, and would help your guts. However, she is two hour drive away from Bristol. Also, not sure if we’re allowed to advertise anyone’s business here?
You may be suffering withdraw symptoms from carbohydrates (headaches are common). Those will pass in few days time after your body adjusts to new diet . I personally only heard GAPS few months ago but healed my body a great deal by following low carb, high fat diet. Some people call it Paelo. There is very little difference (in my mind) between these diets as the emphasis is to eat real food, plenty of fats and avoid starches, carbs and commercially produced food. I’ve been eating that way for 2 years now, and only now learning about fermentation and improving gut flora. So I’m now taking my diet to a new level with GAPS.
We all learn in our own way. Some of us need to take baby steps for longer. The most important thing is to start, and use what ever method works for you. Prepare lots of food in a bulk and freeze some seems a wonderful strategy to me if you cannot prepare fresh every day.
Eat Well and Be Well
M: Bless you for responding to Sarah, and so thoroughly and compassionately and with much encouragement!
All my best,
Baden
Hi Baden,
Apparently I have the most stubborn case of constipation in the world. I have been on GAPS for 6 months, and I have done the intro 2 times. Stage 1 & 2 are the only stages I can go w/o an enema. The thing is I get really bored and keep going, but then always end up constipated, having to do enemas or when they don’t work take Oxypowder. I’m SO frustrated. I take all the recommended supplements purchased from the GAPS store & follow the diet to a t, w/ homemade honey kombucha, beet kvaas, fermented veggies, broth. I can’t seem to ID the culprit. Honestly I don’t know what to do now. Help!
Hi Kristin,
I’m sorry to hear that constipation keeps returning for you outside of Stages 1 & 2!
In addition to the ideas presented in the GAPS Guide book, which I’m totally betting you’ve implemented, here are some tips presented more recently by Dr Natasha:
-Increase fats from the inside of animals; gelatinous meats; and cooked vegetables (especially beets)
-Eliminate problematic foods, with special consideration to sweet vegetables (e.g., carrots, orange squash)
-Remove high-protein dairy (e.g., whey, yogurt, kefir, and cheese)
-If including dairy, incorporate high-fat dairy (especially sour cream, but also ghee and butter)
-Reduce muscle meats
-First thing in the morning, and twenty 20 minutes or more before breakfast, take the following mixture: high-magnesium, juiced produce (e.g., greens, beets, cabbage, carrots, celery, apples, and oranges), with add raw egg and sour cream added. If dairy-free, start your day with the freshly pressed juice of oranges or grapefruits.
Please let me know if any of these work for you.
All my best,
Baden
Hi Baden and GAPSists,
I just started Intro a week ago
I was feeling so clear and good on Stage 1, but then after 2 days of eating eggs they caught up to me.
Part of the reason I’m on GAPS is because I’m really lactose intolerant and my naturopath has said I have an egg sensitivity. I’ve always had terrible gas and have problems with BM’s when I eat eggs. I’ve since gone back to Stage 1 (for the two days) after having those typical egg-symptoms and now I feel good again. How should I progress into the next stage of the diet when I can’t seem to eat eggs? They are integral!
As well, I’ve had problems with ghee in the past… I wonder how that will go, too…?
Sorry if you’ve already addressed this with someone else! I looked around for a query similar to mine, but wasn’t able to find it…
I’m committed to doing this right!
Hi Kaylah,
No one food is integral to GAPS. As with any food that triggers a reaction, just skip it and move on to the subsequent food in the Intro progression. You might try a problematic food after you’ve had a few more weeks healing under your belt.
Of note, there are loads of people doing GAPS without eggs and/or dairy (and/or nuts, etc). You can find them through the email lists, blogs, etc, presented on this site’s ‘Support for You’ page. They will be great sources of ideas for meals, recipes, etc.
All my best,
Baden
Hi Baden,
I had to go back to stage one due to severe flare up of my symptoms. It seems that gallbladder or and liver is trying to get of toxins. I read somewhere, if not mistaken that at some point you where trying to help with liver cleanse yourself. Sorry, if wrong. My question is what kind of supplement did you use or would use of any and did you modifying the diet to remove fat for sometime, if yes, for how long. Would you, please help on that. I am on stage two.
I thank you very much,
Marina
Hi Marina,
Yes, the organs are always attempting to release toxins. GAPS is intended to support that process. If your liver or gall bladder needs extra support, Dr Natasha has recommendations on her FAQ page, as presented in a searchable PDF here: http://gapsdiet.com/uploads/FAQS_Listing.pdf The shake listed on page 76 will stimulate further healing specific to the liver.
For people who have difficulty processing fats, see the tips on page 76 of the document linked to. Also feel free to start with very small amounts of fat and work the amounts up slowly.
I have not attempted a specific cleanse for my liver. I have not removed fat from my diet for any length of time.
All my best,
Baden
Thank you, Baden. I went through the document once again. Of course, I have read it before, but when I am not feeling well, I think my mind can not work properly. Actually, here we come – gut and brain connection. As I am writing I realizing it. again. Thanks for pointing to the link.
And thanks for your help! Marina
Dear Baden,
My mother-in-law was recommended to do the GAPS diet by her holistic doctor. We’ve both been reading the books & much info online. So much encouraging info! She has several chronic health issues including fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, diabetes, arthritis and many food intolerances. She has a lot of inflammation and severe pain. She has been doing a very restrictive elimination diet recommended by her dr for about a year with little success in helping her to feel better. The Dr keeps running food allergy tests and eliminating more foods. Dr recently recommended GAPS. So to my question (which I have searched & been unable to find a clear answer). When doing intro should she avoid all foods that Dr has determined through testing are intolerances? She was tested intolerant to chicken and egg yolks as well as many vegetables. Her gut is obviously in need of great healing. I had read on Dr Natasha’s site that some people may need to do broths & meats from alternative meats like bison, etc. Hpmf…it’s all a little overwhelming. I hate to see her go through intro & still not get better. She has already been so restricted for so long & is quite discouraged – especially fearful looking at intro & fearing it won’t help either. So appreciate of The GAPS Guide & this blog. You are making a difference in so many lives!