My dream had been to continue posting results to this page. What happened? Our support list became so inundated with so many success stories, I could not keep up with loading them here! So, view the below as a small sampling, then join our very busy support list to hear countless more stories as they come through!
For a full list of conditions addressed via GAPS, please click here.
Eczema
My son had severe eczema since 6 months old. I did the conventional route and nothing helped. The doctors just said he would grow out of it and would just give him steriod cream. I could not take it anymore. At age 5 (1.5 years ago) he went on the GAPS diet for 7 months. It was hard. He had major flare ups and hives (which he never had before) but we stuck it out. After 7 months, we slowly went back on a few foods but kept dairy and wheat out. This is the first summer he has gone with out eczema! He skin looks beautiful and he does not have shiners under his eyes. He even can tolerate some dairy and wheat without any flare ups! Not even sunscreen has bothered him.
Thanks to the diet, my son is scab free (except for the pick scrape on his knee from falling off his bike)!!
Melissa
August 31, 2010
Anemia, Red Blood Cells, Hemoglobins, Hemotocrits
I just wanted to shoot a quick update on my son’s blood draw from last week. I was the lady who posted about all the fats in the blood vials (highly lipemic). Anyway, I have not received all the information from the doctor that I was waiting for regarding the fats in the blood, but I did receive the lab reports and I wanted to share the excitement with you all. We have been on the GAPS intro diet (currently moving into full gaps although I’m not in any hurry for it) for 5 weeks now. We have drawn blood on a monthly basis in the past since he was so messed up. This is the first blood draw in my son’s entire 5 years of life that his red blood cells, hemoglobins, hemotocrits were in NORMAL range! This is so exciting for us and absolutely miraculous. My guy is also fighting lyme disease so we’ve have always had screwed up blood and we have always been anemic. I know without a doubt the GAPS diet is responsible for these miraculous results.
Kristi, Northern California, USA
September 26, 2009
Leaky Gut, Candida Overgrowth, Intolerances, Etc
My five year old son, who was diagnosed with autism two and a half years ago, has been following the DAN! protocol since then. He was also gluten, casein, soy, rice, egg, corn, etc, free. We did wonderfully and he actually lost his autism diagnosis a while back. But the underlying issues of leaky gut, yeast, bacteria, lyme disease, nutritional deficiency, increasing number of food intolerances, etc, never got better. We were only able to control and manage the symptoms but not actually heal the underlying problems.
In the last two months we also saw a naturopath who worked on clearing some of these issues. One of the things she said we MUST do was the GAPS diet. Well after lots of tears, frustration and researching I forged ahead with the diet. A month ago I started my son on juicing and bone broth every day – he tolerated this well. Two and a half weeks ago we went into the intro diet and never looked back.
The first eight days were pure hell of die-off. Man, did we have die off! I never thought we would pull through but on the eighth day of hell things got better. His words came back full force, he got more energy, stopped throwing up, starting eating more solids, generally became his old happy self but the one thing I noticed the most is he became nice. He is no longer an angry child. He is no longer defiant and he is so loveable. He is accepting all the foods we give him and is no longer craving those sweet and starchy foods. Sure he asks about them from time to time and we talk about them but it’s not a “I must have this or I’m going to die trying to get it” deal. Oh, and his cognitive skills have gone through the roof. (I actually thought they were good before but now they are better). His eczema hasn’t returned. His fine motor skills (drawing, writing name, etc) have improved dramatically since where he was last month. It is amazing that all of this has occured from the intro diet only.
We are in the last stage of intro and slowing moving into the full GAPS diet. We have had to eliminate a few items in the intro stages due to intolerances which, by the way, became very clear were intolerances because bad behavior returned. He just started kindergarten two days after die-off hell and has done wonderfully since. (Thank god we got through the die-off before kindergarten started or we wouldn’t have been able to go.) We have a very long way to go for full healing but I have seen such amazing results so far that I am so excited about the future.
We recently had another huge wave of die-off that this time only lasted three days. The die-off was, I believe, due to the increased fermented foods. These foods are powerful – I love it, love it, love it! Our die-off was accompanied by lethargy and vomit. No changes to stools this time
. Behavior change back to pleasant overnight and his focus is now right back on track. I’m beginning to see a die-off pattern and again I love it!
Kristi, Northern California, USA
September 18, 2009
Failure to Thrive, Bedwetting, Shyness, Anger, Clumsiness, Clinginess, Etc
Melina started GAPS in May mainly due to failure to thrive (she didn’t add any weight between three and four and a half years of age), in spite of a very healthy WAP diet. We also had some other underlying issues that I never thought were a real problem until I read the GAPS book, things like regular bedwetting (I just thought she drank too much fluid in the evenings); clumsiness; always attached to me (I just thought she was a “mama’s girl”), fits of anger, horrible tantrums with no discernible trigger (I just thought it was her age, and that maybe she was too spoiled and sensitive); excessive shyness (she didn’t say anything in daycare for one and a half years, though she spoke three languages at home, but again I just thought she was overwhelmed with so many people in the same place).
As I stated in a previous report, she had big die-off during the first weeks (she couldn’t attend school for the first three weeks of intro, it was so bad) and she lost more than three pounds, when she was already skinny. She became a pale-looking, empty-eyed, walking shadow. But after the first three weeks were over, we started an amazing journey, where her entire body and spirit have been changing.
Over the subsequent three months, she put on 6.6 pounds. Remember: This child didn’t grow for almost 2 years! Her body became muscular and strong. She became vibrant, full of energy and, according to her teacher, one of the smartest children in her class. She initiates conversation in groups, she shouts in the breaks to call her friends, she has almost daily playdates. She learned to bike on two wheels faster than all her friends in the neighbourhood. She has a good appetite and she loves her food: She doesn’t miss or make any fuss about the non-legal treats that other children eat. She has not wet her bed once since starting the diet. She does get some anger attacks and tantrums, but everytime, like clockwork, it is when I give her too much SCD yoghurt.
There are still some issues to fix (eg. dairy sensitivity) and she has a little rash on her cheek, but I am so confident she is on a good path.
Like other people, I really need to thank the GAPShelp Yahoo Group for the support, especially during her first weeks when I was afraid and doubtful, and shocked to see my skinny child losing even more weight, being in pain, crying from muscle cramps and stomach aches. I am very grateful to all the mothers who wrote me, telling me how their children lost weight, too, in the beginning, only to put it back and some more.
Mihaela Hrebenciuc
The Netherlands
September 12, 2009
Behaviour, Food Intolerances, Constipation, Eczema
Having just about reached our six-month milestone I thought I’d update everyone on our son’s progress.
We started GAPS Intro as a family, in February, motivated mainly by our 2 year old son’s persistent eczema, persistent constipation, food intolerances and ‘autistic-like’ behaviours. Six months on we hardly recognise the little boy in our midst. He currently has NO eczema, produces type 4 or 5 stools daily, seems to be tolerating runny duck egg yolks (chicken eggs previously triggered his eczema) and is behaviourally a totally different child. His newly discovered happiness now permeates our home. We still haven’t been able to successfully introduce any dairy products (including ghee) but we are optimistic that with further healing this will also be possible in the future.
The journey here has been bumpy and several times I have questioned our decision, but standing were we do today, I am glad beyond words that we stumbled across the GAPS protocol on the internet and had the courage to try it.
I don’t believe that is a coincidence that he has improved physically at the same time as behaviorally. It’s only when things become easier that you really appreciate how hard they were before. DH and I keep looking at each other with tears in our eyes – irrationally you are so scared that if you speak the words then the magic spell will be broken and things will return to how they were. We have always loved our son dearly but now we really like him too
DansMum
August 15, 2009
http://thinkingoutsidebox.wordpress.com/
Fatigue
I just wanted to share with everyone my short journey on GAPS. I had posted 3 weeks ago that I was still feeling really tired, one month in to GAPS and was worried the diet wasn’t going to help with this symptom. Well, it’s been almost 2 months on the diet and the last 5 days have been so awesome, I am happy as a clam to share that my energy level is much improved! I haven’t had to take a nap in days! Now, I haven’t upped anything so I’m not experiencing die-off at the moment. And I plan on introducing some new stuff today, so I fully expect to be tired again soon, but I am so encouraged that I have had these most wonderful days of energy and I KNOW that, with perseverance, I will feel better and better. Th[e Yahoo support forum] is awesome. Everyone is so helpful. Thank you to everyone.
JenniferG
August 13, 2009
Candida Overgrowth
…this year I decided to transition my 9 yr. old over to it. It was becoming apparent he had some yeast issues after a course of antibiotics. He only wanted white cheese food and sugar as well.
Ok, after several months of good non-yeasty SCD/GAPS food, my son is sleeping thru the night, no accidents, eating a wide range, and in a delightful mood 24/7. He even went to an Indian restaurant and tried food.
Michelle
August 9, 2009
Schizophrenia
My daughter has autism and catatonic schizophrenia and her “hearing voices” symptoms have never fully been medically controlled. Since she went grain free a week ago, she has NOT HEARD VOICES. (Wow!) I see a HUGE difference in my daughter already. She’s so much happier.
Alana
August 3, 2009
Autism Spectrum Disorder
…yesterday was our one year anniversary on this diet and I wanted to post a note of progress and hopefully encouragement for those just starting out, or losing hope.
Since starting this diet, my boys (now age 12 and 7, ASD, severe and moderate) have:
1. Been taken off all their medications (they were up to six different kinds per day).
2. My oldest is seizure-free and is no longer taking any anti-seizure meds.
3. My youngest is talking and not a day goes by that he does not make one more milestone.
4. My oldest who was smearing poop almost daily no longer soils himself in the day or night. (He used to soak through his pull-ups.)
5. They both have more language.
6. They are both calmer.
7. My youngest is coloring and spelling and READING!The list goes on. The moral of the story is: The diet works. Don’t give up!
Inas
August 2, 2009
Eczema; Behavior; Digestion
…my daughter’s eczema has healed wonderfully on the diet. Prior to SCD/GAPS she had a year of severe eczema (open sores all over her limbs). After 4 months on the diet her skin began to heal, and now eczema is no longer a problem – ie, it doesn’t dominate our lives any more. Her skin still flares occasionally, so the problem has not been entirely eradicated. She also has pretty bad hay fever which doesn’t seem to have improved at all, but I hope that continuing with the diet will resolve that in time. I think eczema is different for everyone. I honestly can’t say what triggers my daughter’s flare ups – I have become less certain about all this as time has gone on! I just keep plugging away because the diet has worked so well for us; my daughter has made huge behavioural advances and my son’s digestive problems have all been resolved.
Kate Edwards
Bristol, UK
July 27, 2009
Please tell me the digestive problems of your son that you wrote got all resolved after doing GAPs diet. I am very depressed because my toddler, I think, has the most damaged gut. He has severe and chronic constipation. All the supplements that I had given him stopped working. My husband and I gave him enema yesterday. Please help.
Hazel
hrsaldana@gmail.com
Hi Hazel,
I know how hard and depressing it is when our little ones are ill. You can read part of my son’s story here:
http://gapsdiet.com/Testimonials.html (Mine is ’3.5 yr old boy’.) You can read our full story in GAPS Guide, along with several others. More results stories are here: http://gapsguide.com/about/gaps-results/
GAPS Guide is a step-by-step guide to achieving this healing, so that depressed parents can achieve it with less overwhelm. It is available on Amazon and at gapsdiet.com
Best,
Baden
I did the GAPS diet for a year, and then slowly returned to normal eating, though with a better sense of what my body wants to eat. Before doing the diet I got palpitations after eating, a lot of the time, couldn’t cope with carbohydrates after lunchtime ( I wouldn’t sleep properly), had headaches and generally felt unwell. My reason for doing the diet, however, was depersonalisation syndrome, a brain condition which makes you unable to perceive emotions or emotional resonance in things, but does not affect your reason at all.
I don’t have any problems with palpitations or bad sleep now, I never react to foods except toxic foods, I feel well and digest well, and I feel markedly better in my depersonalisation, although I haven’t managed to cure myself with this. It has made a dramatic difference to every aspect of my life.
One thing I’d like to add – I had much more energy and felt much stronger after I was able to re-introduce carbohydrates into my diet again, although I am sure it must be important to do this cautiously and only at the right time so as not to undo the good work the diet has done in healing the gut.
The GAPS diet has brought my girl back to me. I only wish I could have helped my brother, aunt and cousin who have all fallen prey to bipolar illness and currently my sister, aunt, uncle, two nephews and a cousin who live with either bipolar or autism.
Historically my mother suffered from TB and was subjected to tons of drugs and antibiotics; I have also have had a life plagued with candidas yeast infections so the minute I started to read the GAPS theory I could relate and became a believer that this system could help.
Three years ago my daughter, Mary, was on top of the world achieveing in athletics ( a silver medallist at Nationals and on scholarship in University — then she had a batch of vacinations and life started to fall apart — bipolar presented itself. With one symester left at university and on medication for bipolar illness she could no longer be an athlete; she couldn’t pass her practicum and virtually every friend abandoned her. Life was miserable and I feared for her life.
Having grown up amoung Bipolar inflicted siblings I knew conventional drugs would not help much and they didn’t. Through desperation I began a search and have come across a formula that works for my child: The GAPS diet.
Now my daughter is no longer some one I don’t know but her kind, bright, wonderful self. My confidence and hope is being built up again (hers too). She completed a double degree and has just recently been accept into an international doctorate degree.
My fear however is trusting that she’ll stay on the diet and believing that bipolar’s ugly head won’t turn on our family again. I’m afraid to let her go abroad for fear of her mental health going awry. Yet Mary had the courage to heal and go against medical advice and trust me when I insisted on trying this route — I moreless had her move home and nursed her back to health reading/following the Gaps book over and over like the Bible.
Somehow how I want to find the courage to be brave too… to provide a huge amount of emotional and financial support and pray that she can soar to success. However,
it is difficult to watch other family members suffer so much and watch them go through periods of highs and lows repeatedly. Most of my family have branded me as a quack for promoting this diet. They feel my daughter has just healed on her own and do not encourage her to stick to the diet.
I feel confused. I beleive but I aslo feel weak. Any advice on how to stand strong.
Eva, AB, Canada
Hi Eva,
All will be well.
Your daughter may well go off the program, and as an adult she will need opportunity to be able to do that. Now that her acute healing phase is complete, she may do fine doing GAPS only, say, 80% of the time. She may do fine with other foods incorporated. Conversely, she may become unwell with a single inappropriate food incorporated, and she may turn 100% to the Standard American Diet and become very ill again.
Whatever path she chooses will be her own and it will be okay.
Personally, I went on and off GAPS-like programs several times before I finally stuck with it. I did become ill again each time, but that was all part of the journey. It’s okay to be ill if that’s what we need to do. All that matters is that we give our children the taste for the good life, for full health. After that, the decision is theirs. It is very likely she will choose health, either sooner or later.
As for influencing the rest of your relatives, there’s not much we can do beyond live the results. If our happiness, joy, laughter, ease and clarity do not impress them enough to open their minds to the effects of nutrition, only their own personal experiments -which they can only choose for themselves- can.
All my best,
Baden
My 2 and a half year old nephew has terrible eczema and is emotionally stressed all the time, as well as not sleeping properly due to the discomfort. He is being treated with homeopathy by a naturopath, and she has put him on a diet excluding only wheat, dairy and soya, and taking lactobacillus acidophilus. His health and appetite have improved a lot after 2 months on this program, but not his eczema. The naturopath has warned against more drastic diets and more comprehensive probiotic supplements as she says the die-off will be too destructive, but we are beginning to worry that her program will not be enough, or will be a very long drawn out and expensive process.
After my own success with the GAPS program I have a lot of trust in it, but have seen from what people have written here that treating eczema needs to be done with respect for what the person will go through in the process.
I used the original GAPS book and don’t know yours – can you tell me if it addresses eczema? Does anyone have any contacts who can provide support to parents using the diet to treat eczema?
We feel we’re on our own, particularly as even speaking to the naturopath on the phone is expensive, and we’re advised just to trust her and pay for lots of expensive homeopathic medicines as well.
Sophia Smith
Hi Sophia,
On GAPS, your son would go through die-off, it’s true, but acute die-off can be largely prevented or remedied. Along those lines, GAPS Guide has information on transitioning slowly, die-off relief baths, etc.
In terms of eczema specifically, I have been compiling this post (adding to it regularly) based on comments from families on our support list dealing with that symptom specifically. On our support list you can connect with a number of families who have come through the worst of eczema and out the other side. As eczema is so challenging and frustrating, connecting with that (free) support will be vital! Simply put in your email subject line to the group ‘eczema’, so that families experienced with this find your email.
All my best,
Baden
My 2 year old son has just been diagnosed with Apraxia/dyspraxia. He has been in speech therapy since 18 months old and I was wondering if anyone out there has had any success with speech delay recovery while on the GAPS diet.
Hi,
My son had only a handful of single words (at 3 yrs of age) when he started the program. Speech Therapy had been useless for him. Three days after starting just the diet part of GAPS, he spoke his first full sentence and he hasn’t stopped talking since! His language is still a bit behind his age group, but certainly catching up more and more every month.
If you’d like to hear more stories of the impact of GAPS on speech, please post to the support list with a very specific subject line (as the list is so busy, not everyone reads all the posts).
All my best,
Baden
Baden, I have listened to your 5 hour lecture from WAP Conference….would you think the GAPS diet would benefit a person with Neurofibromitosis? Thanks for your response in advance. Toni
Hi Toni,
I really don’t know one way or the other whether digestive healing and super nutrition would assist this particular issue.
I suggest posting to our support list, with the diagnosis in the subject line, and ask if anyone on the list has had that or a similar issue impacted.
All my best,
Baden
MY daughter has tics, I think they would be transient tics, as they come and go over the past year. Also, the cause seems to be from gut disbiosis – candida, and clostridia. We have been on the scd/gaps diet for the past 5 months. I am not sure how much to cut out fruit and honey. lots of people say that it all settles out without a complete cutting out of these things. What is your advice about this and also who has used these diets to treat tics.
Hi Susan,
Off hand, I can’t think of whether or not anyone has reported resolution of tics via GAPS. I suggest asking on the support list, being sure to put “tics?” in the subject line.
Some people have to cut out all fruit and honey (and possibly nuts, and sweet veggies like winter squash and carrots); others do well with all of those in. The intro progression, as laid out in GAPS Guide, is key.
All my best,
Baden
Hi Baden,
I am just about to start the GAPS intro diet for my 3 and 4 yr old and myself. I have been eliminating illegals for a while now and starting the diet off gently. My 3 yrs old has reflux though and with the extra fats its starting to aggrevate him – do you have any suggestions please?
Cheers,
Caragh.
Hi Caragh,
The best idea would be to go to the support list and get input from a variety of parents who have been through this exact scenario. The support list is here: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/GAPShelp/
Some people do need to limit the fats when starting out, and build it up gradually, but if one of the parents can suggest a way their reflux-prone child was able to take in the fats, that would give your son an advantage.
Betaine, Apple Cider Vinegar, sauerkraut, a slow build up of fats intake, and other approaches have all helped different people with reflux based in too low stomach acid, which is common in people who require GAPS.
All my best,
Baden
Hi Baden,
Firstly thank you for writing the wonderful GAPS guide, i have been on GAPS now for 2 months (still on last stage intro) and feel I am finally healing.
I had a course of very strong fluoroquinolone antibiotics following an op which casued overgrowth of bacteria in my small intestine (SIBO). Subsequently i could not tolerate any carbs, they were fermented as soon as they hit my small intestine. I also started to have huge histmine intolerance reactions to food which lead to me being put on a medical shakes diet for a month to calm everything down and let my gut rest.
GAPS has helped me control all of this wonderfully now I’m off the shakes but I wonder whether it will be able to get rid of the small intestine bacterial overgrowth or whether GAPS was more for large intestine problems. I also cannot tolerate sauerkraut or yoghurt due to the histamine which is a shame but hopefully might change as i heal.
If i have to stay on GAPS forever so be it, as long as the intolerances clear i will have a very varied diet and just be thankful for my health
Thank you again for being such a positive role model for people like myself.
Best Wishes
Nadia
Dear Nadia,
Thank you for your email, and for the warm feedback about my book’s impact on your journey.
I do not actually know about the role of GAPS on the small intestine specifically. I suggest you ask this on our support list because I know it’s been discussed there.
Did you read what Dr Natasha said about histamines in her book?
Without sauerkraut or yogurt, what form of probiotic are you taking? This is so important.
Yes, 2.5 years into GAPS, I’m still very much enjoying it! It is indeed a wonderful, varied and delicious lifestyle!
All my best,
Baden
Hello,
I’m feeling overwhelmed! I’ve started my 4 year old on the diet three weeks ago. I skipped the intro because he refuses to eat meat and soups. Never the less, he has shown significant behavioral progress! He still has very loose stools and is allergic to some of the “allowed foods”. He is allergic to nuts/seeds, eggs, soy, and dairy. I’ve been giving him some of the almond meal recipes and his back is beginning to break out. I know someone out there can see more clearly what I need to do and HOW. Are parents forcing their children to complete the Intro phrase? If so, how?
Thanks
Hi Sonja,
Great job on getting started!
Most GAPS kids are initially repulsed by nutrition. Here is some information about kids who refuse to eat, or who refuse nourishing foods:
http://gapsguide.com/2009/08/05/but-my-child-wont-eat/
http://gapsguide.com/2008/12/01/bone-broth-how/
Most kids are intolerant of or allergic to many of the foods. Intro is the fastest way to resolve (non-anaphylatic) reactions.
For more avenues for finding answers to all common and uncommon questions, please see the options presented in these posts:
http://gapsguide.com/2009/02/16/how-to-find-answers/
http://gapsguide.com/about/support/
All my best,
Baden