• 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!

1. Remember the product Organ Delight I talked about a few posts back? I gotta tell ya, we’re loving the stuff! (And no, I don’t get a kick back on it.) The most obvious change for me, both when I tried the same company’s liver pills a couple of years ago and now, is the obvious and visible change in my menstrual cycle. With Dr Ron’s liver or mixed-organ pills, my menstrual blood is a strong red from start to finish. Without these, the blood rapidly changes from a strong red on Day 1 to a pale pink by Day 3. Again, I expect I would get these results if I were to regularly take another excellent source of iron such as whole liver. But I don’t do that. The fact is, I do everything I can on GAPS and some aspects just keep sneaking out from under me! Thus, I’m taking a second round of a Dr Ron’s product and I wanted to share the results with those of you who might find yourselves equally liver-less (or in need of adrenal support, etc).

Of note, my seven year old son cannot yet accommodate large capsules of anything. I broke these open for him, expecting him to complain of a bitter flavour. He didn’t. What he said was, “Oh, yummy! Oh, I could eat this all day long!” There you have it.

2. While I won’t have a chance to answer comments for probably a few more days, one of the most recent ones inspires me to point out for those owning a copy of the GAPS Guide book that on this site is a very important ‘Book Updates‘ page. There I post anything critically important that I’ve learned about GAPS since the Guide’s publication, as well as important corrections. If you use the GAPS Guide book, please be sure to check this page regularly.

Alex, thank you so much for your kind words as well as for your very important point about a mis-write in the GAPS Guide book, for which a correction appears on the Updates page. I really appreciate people bringing this kind of thing to my attention so that I can provide the correction.

3. I want to extend a huge thanks to Dee and to Mark H. for this past year’s direct donations to this website. These, purchases of the book for oneself and/or others, and the other gifts listed here make it possible for me to write posts, test and report on approaches and products, and answer comments.  Dee, Mark and all those who’ve supported this site through any of the means listed on the ‘Support This Site’ page, thank you so much! Your generosity is appreciated and will go far to help many!

And that was the meal. Sure, usually a dish here is more involved -but often not much! Just because GAPS meals have the potential to be fancy and beautiful, doesn’t mean they have to be. Give yourself a break -not just once in awhile, but regularly. Get some basic nutrition in then go play!

Often, we start out in GAPS wanting to prove to our kids and to the people around us that GAPS can be every bit as layered and delicious as non-GAPS foods. Once that’s out of the way, we can sit back and breathe, aiming simply for nutrition and relaxation -which is all that’s actually needed for health.

Note: The first step to this week’s simplicity was to buy the chicken from Whole Foods already roasted. This is a new-to-me luxury, giving this working, homeschooling, single parent much needed respite once a week or so. We first used some of it in a stew, and when my small caveman was done with the second half of its meat, I threw the little that remained -bones, joints, etc- into a small pot with a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar, plus water to cover it, and set it to simmer. So much nutrition, so little effort! Also of note is that for his bedtime snack, my son chose a medley of veggies -both cooked and raw. The body will balance the day’s need over the course of a day or so.

It was one of those weeks where my intentionally simple life was challenged by some new ideas and variables, culminating in a logistical, emotional and psychological crisis of sorts. “How can I manage all this?” I wondered. “What decision is the right one? What’s the best move?”

This morning I laughed to realize that my ultimate decision is to ‘set the bar low’. That is, instead of trying to do everything -instead of trying to work full-time and maintain a large, owned house and cook everything from scratch and monitor my son’s nutritional journey and ensure enough sleep for both of us and maintain a highly active social life and fold our laundry perfectly and teach my son to swim and teach myself to rollerblade and get regular exercise and escort my son to five (!) school field trips each week- I choose to let so much go. When it comes down to it, I remember that all I actually need to do, really, is ensure my son and I have sleep, nutrition, and happiness. That’s it.

So, when my son asks me why I’m not taking him to field trips #4 & #5 in a given week, I can choose to set the bar low. I can respond joyfully, “Because I’m choosing instead to make you ten meals from scratch.” When my son suggests he eat candy every day like he sees some other kids do, I can set the bar low. I can respond cheerfully, “What a neat idea! Oh…wait, then we wouldn’t have money for the real food that gives us power. D’oh.” And carry on cooking.

When I set the bar low, I not only relieve myself of ‘too much’ and exemplify to my son how to find satisfaction internally, I’m helping other parents out a lot, too! Twice in the past week, I’ve stood happily as families who are complete strangers to me, found in places like the grocery store, pointed to my son and I as examples of people who eat an even stricter diet than their frustrated children have recently started on. Honestly, in those moments I am so filled with joy to be, by ‘setting the bar low’, helping these families in their initial, tentative, frightened steps down the nutritional path! (Of course, we’re actually setting the bar for health and nutrition high but, in that process, we’re setting the bar low in all the other areas individuals and families today are exhausted by!)

In my audio interview with Starlene, I talked about this approach as the ‘pebbles in the jar’ concept. In the GAPS Guide book, I offer specific tips under the section ‘Finding The Time’. Under this blog’s ‘Simplifying For GAPS’ category, I offer a handful more.

For our next seven day period, my son and I will select two of five field trips to participate in; do just one Christmas-related activity; clean merely the bathroom of our small, rented apartment; invite friends to join us in our usual activities rather than create additional ones with them; and fold the laundry imperfectly.

Will you join me in resting, enjoying, and letting go? Will you join me in the service of feeding ourselves and our children the food that sustains our bodies, minds and spirits?

1. If you haven’t already, do get your copy of the GAPS Guide book. The GAPS Guide book sets out the vast majority of what I know to do in GAPS, answers the most frequently asked questions, addresses the most common challenges, etc. The book represents several hundred hours of carefully writing, rewriting, editing and formatting to make GAPS as easy as possible for you. Concerned about the cost? By following the tips -not only in the chapter on budgeting for GAPS, but throughout- you will quickly recover the cost of the book and save far more than you would without. Alternatively, borrow a copy from a friend, ask a local health or naturopathic center to order it in for their lending library, etc. If you are looking to do GAPS with as much ease and little frustration as possible, I wrote this book for you! Whether currently eating full GAPS or anything else, once in hand, start immediately to follow the steps starting page 28 under “Preparing for GAPS”.

2. Prepare or purchase a probiotic source. (Again, for details on what to use, see the GAPS Guide book.)

3. On the blog and/or in the GAPS Guide book, read the sections on minimizing and alleviating die-off, and ensure all tools (epsom salts, baking soda, activated charcoal, enema kit, etc) are on hand.

4. Think about how you will approach intro. Following are some things to ponder gently as you move toward the start date: How will you simplify your daily schedule to be able to nap and/or go to bed earlier? Do you have enough thermoses to get lots of soup to your workplace? What are your arrangements for bringing home another load of groceries every two days? Two people going through die-off at the same time can be triple-whammy: If you are a parent, will you or your child do intro first? If you are free of true diarrhea or intestinal bleeding, how many days will you spend on Stage 1?

5. Think about what will keep you motivated. Will you pay your best friend $200 if you quit three days in? Will you blog your progress daily? Will you create and hang a vision board representing radiant health? Will you focus on helping others by daily answering posts on one of the support lists? What works for you, to keep engaged and committed?

6. April 4th or earlier, start your batch of fermented veggies.

7. Write your Stage 1 shopping list. Bones, meats (including fish) and fats from the bodies of animals; whole ginger; garlic; lemon; apple cider vinegar; sea salt; peppercorns. If you are free of true diarrhea or intestinal bleeding, you might also include some lower-fibre vegetables in your Stage 1 soups. I like onion and garlic and then any combo of celery, kale, mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, florets (not stems) of cauliflower and broccoli, etc. For more thoughts on veggies in intro, click here. If you have true diarrhea or intestinal bleeding, skip the veggies until that symptom is resolved, then start with peeled, deseeded, long-cooked veggies such as zucchini or carrot.

8. If you have or anticipate limited mobility or major fatigue -or are caring for a large family- consider preparing and freezing broth, chopping and freezing vegetables, or even preparing and freezing a few days’ worth of completed soups. Consider borrowing a food processor to do much of the chopping. We surprise ourselves by how hungry and/or achey we can feel on intro. Having a few back-up batches can save the day!

Again, for details on any of the above, more tips, or a step-by-step walk-through of preparing for GAPS, see the GAPS Guide book.

Remember: While several of us are looking at starting intro around the same time, what intro looks like will be different for everyone. Some will move through the stages faster, some slower. Some will include veggies in the soups right from the start, some won’t. What we’re going to aim for here is to encourage each other in whatever intro looks like for each one.

Is it best for my son and I for him to participate in conventional school or in homebased learning? At conventional school, he is exposed constantly to ads for -and suggestions to eat at- McDonalds; offered cupcakes at near-weekly celebrations of other children’s birthdays; presented with the government’s ideas about nutrition; and provided with candies as game winnings. On the other hand, conventional schooling allows his single mom to have a rest, to work to bring in the additional money required to buy GAPS ingredients, etc.

Do I spend $500 on a juicer? Will I use and clean it daily? Would a raw, organic greens powder have a similar effect with less hassle?

Is raw vs pasteurized milk for kefir worth the investment? I absolutely believe in the benefits of the live enzymes and bacterias, and love supporting the very gentle care of these cows as well as those working to have raw legalized in BC. However, support of my local cows means picking it up within set hours each week, and through what is for me a moderately stressful trip.

My strong belief is that we should do GAPS exactly (or almost exactly) as presented for the first several months. After that, our ‘nutrition intuition’ begins to work better and we can start experimenting a bit within the program, ie. More fruit, less fruit, more fats, less fats, raw days, etc. I did strict GAPS for just under three years and lately have been playing around a bit. My most recent decision has been to let go of the raw milk (not absolutely critical for GAPS, just preferred) that we’ve been so grateful to access for a year or so. We’ll try to find another source of milk whose cows are cared for lovingly and gently, but a source that does not require extra driving nor a schedule.

What guides me these days is the concept that stress has at least as much an impact on our health as nutrition does, and likely moreso. So, am I going to stick with nutrition, and in the form of GAPS? Absolutely. GAPS healed both my son and I; I know full well the benefits. But where a specific activity is stressful not just in a temporary adjustment period but for the longterm, I have to weigh out whether the activity should be kept or eliminated. So, like home-ownership, large-home living, and conventional school, raw milk goes for now. I’ll keep an eye for any changes in either of us and continue to move my life accordingly.

I generally take significant time, too, to consider your question and to compose my response in a way I hope will be most helpful, so this means extra time is needed for each and every one.

In a hurry? Remember that the vast majority of your questions can be answered through the steps posted under ‘Questions?’ above (or click here to be taken directly to the ‘how to find answers’ page) or through the amazing people active on our email support (or phone) lists.

Yesterday I sent my son and roommate away and spent time clearing and organizing the fridge and shelves and preparing basic foods: beef, meat broth, sauerkraut. My pantry and fridge again look simple, basic, clear and unintimidating, there is good food ready to be eaten, and my belly is satisfied.

Every once in awhile I just need to take 3-24 hours to resimplify. My body is always very grateful, and my loved ones return to good food and a very content woman!

Two weeks ago, I found myself suddenly struggling. I was eating well, so what was up? Yesterday I met with a holistic doctor, who asked about any stress in my life. As we talked, I eventually revealed a very deep stress -in fact a trauma for my soul- that I experienced at its most profound just over three months ago and less acutely but very definitely continuously since then. I was able to somewhat “ignore” the stress until my son’s birthday made this impossible to do. And that’s when I broke.

The doctor noted that while diet can fortify us through short term stresses, it cannot compensate for ones we are immersed in day in, day out for many months.

My questions to myself are: What will it take for me to take care of myself? Will I force myself to remain in a toxic circumstance until a doctor gives me the life-threatening diagnosis of cancer or heart disease? Will I only then permit myself to exit toxicity and enter a kinder environment? I have every reason in the world to stay in toxicity, to not budge: My son loves his environments. I dream of consistency for him and don’t wish to uproot him unnecessarily. I should work on my responses to stress. This is a learning experience. Etc.

And I think of all the men and women I know who work like mad to implement dietary changes for themselves and/or their children, but who do so while staying in circumstances that are hurting them every moment of every day. I know for certain that diet will take them a good ways, but also only so far. The liver, the gut, our bacterial levels, our hormone regulation and more are all impacted at least as much by stress as by diet.

And I think of my neighbour, Kevin*, dying of colon cancer after a long battle with Crohns, who learned about the SCD many years ago but who committed to any version of it only many years later, just months before his expected death, and who wants to shout from the rooftops for people to invest now in their health, not only after they’ve received a diagnosis of “terminal”.

If I or my child were diagnosed with a life-threatening illness today, what would I do differently? Would I suddenly be willing to cut all unncecessary expenses in order to fund full nutrition? Would I suddenly be willing to transfer my son out of his wonderful school in order to support my wellness with a move? At what point in the journey will I deem health to be true priority?

What holds you back? Do you make any excuses, hoping a given situation will simply resolve itself in time? What moves have you made to facilitate full healing in yourself and in loved ones? What change have you not made that you would regret, were you to receive a frightening diagnosis today?

*Name has been changed

After awhile I realized I didn’t really have to shake the kefir every 8 hours, nor did I have to move a batch along after 24 hours. In my cool house, I started to ignore the kefir for up to 5 days (sometimes even 7, but that seemed dodgy) at a time. I also realized I could start and end all four litres at once, rather than do them all in progression. These realizations freed up a lot of time.

But what of Dom’s instructions to simply pour kefir into a big plastic colander and walk away until it had drained itself? Indeed, this wisdom kept rising to the top of my mind.

Finally, I did it – I bought a big plastic colander. I also made a couple of other changes. Wow! Here’s what I do now:

1. When I bring my raw milk home, simply add two tablespoons of kefir grains to each two-litre jar it came in. Shake gently. Cover with paper towel.

2. Leave out for several days, then shake.

3.  Leave out another day or so, until I see the rivulets down the sides of the jars, and separation.

5. Shake again.

6. Set my giant plastic colander over a giant soup pot.

7. Pour into my giant plastic colander, which holds four litres of kefir and its grains (which have now multiplied to a cup or so). Allow it to drain.

8. Pour the kefir back into the jars the milk came in.

9. Set the grains into a little glass dish with lid; refrigerate until the next batch of milk comes in 2-3 days.

Now, I feel like I’m breaking a lot of rules here, but it’s working for me. Everything is faster and easier, I’m washing way less and my kefir is just as good as with the original process.

My point, though, is not to do it just like I am. My point is more about the lesson I’ve learned again in occasionally re-evaluating what I’m doing, to see if there might be a simpler way. When we first approach GAPS, everything is this huge learning curve, and often the wisest thing to do is to follow directions exactly as laid out, for maximum results. Once we’ve got some healing under our belt, though, and understand the general concepts and goals, we can start playing a bit.

For a step-by-step guide to getting going with kefir, see the printable guide here.