When he was ready to eat again, what he wanted was egg yolks -hard boiled- and lots of them. He wanted them for breakfast and he wanted them in his thermos for his school lunches. Besides these, he wanted very little -so little that the school’s lunch supervisors had him check and recheck his knapsack, certain that his mother would have sent far more for this usually hearty eater. On these and a few sticks of baby carrots or four cherry tomatoes, he was good to go. He had lots of energy and happiness. I became ecstatic! It was so easy!I laughed aloud and regularly at how easy my shopping and cooking life had suddenly become.

Eventually, though, he got hungry again. At that point, he wanted salmon: three salmon patties for breakfast, three more for lunch. And then it changed again. This week, his body is asking for whole eggs: three to four fried eggs for breakfast, and the same in a hot thermos for lunch. He enhances his first two meals with snacks and supper of: kefir, raw veggies, cauliflower rice, large salads, etc. (Our cheese supply has never lasted so long.)

I love how he can hear his body’s needs. I love how much more he knows than the Canadian government does about what brings, builds and recovers his health. I love how lucky he is, to have a kitchen full of the most nutrient-dense options to freely choose from, as his body dictates. It’s so neat how even a very young child can come to know so much, just by having his body supported so well for even two and a half years!

This is all a great example, too, of how important it is to not look for an airtight formula for healing. In intro, in full GAPS, and after GAPS, each body will have different needs at different times. Allow for that. Even though it can be frustrating and confusing initially to “not know” precisely what to eat and when, learning to experiment, test, and hear one’s own body will serve you well in the long run.

• dry curd cottage cheese, 600 grams
• cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon
• eggs, three large
• lemon juice 1/4 cup
• vanilla 1.5 teaspoon
• honey 1/4 cup
• butter, softened or melted 1/4 cup
• salt 1/4 teaspoon

Put all ingredients into a mixing bowl.
Blend with an immersion blender.
Pour into a pie plate.
Bake at 400 F for 50 mins or so -until firm, and top starts to bronze.
Cool at least 15 minutes, to allow it to firm up for slicing.

Tastiest served warm.

My son and I tend to enjoy this as a full, albeit sweet, meal. Nice and firm, this also slices and -for a school lunch, for example- travels well.

Dry curd cottage cheese would also make an excellent base for a savoury pie, but we haven’t done that yet.

*

On the note of delicious, healing food I want to post a quick note of thanks to the folks at Pickl-It, who suggested an update to my vegetable fermentation instructions. This adjustment is now noted on the ‘Book Updates’ page here: http://gapsguide.com/book/book-updates/(If anyone else has a suggestion for GAPS Guide updates, I always welcome these. Please do let me know so I can share the new information or corrections with readers!) Pickl-It offers a unique tool for fermenting pretty much anything, as well as recipes, tips, and a fermentation forum. Enjoy!

• 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. Even six days on intro rocks for my body. In that relatively short period, I gained very much! I became deeply aware of recent food habits, I felt clearer, itching ceased, cravings diminished then disappeared, my feet felt lovely. I developed several new approaches and recipes (which I will share over time). A detox bath every evening soothed my soul and body. I worked out some emotional pieces (intro always shifts some longstanding stuff).

2. To do intro, I need community. This go at intro was my very first time solo. I felt no need for my son to do it again; I had asked my sister and my partner to join me, but both declined; because I wasn’t up for organizing it, I did not prepare and engage an online community. So, solo I started and solo I fizzled. I suspected, but now I know for sure, that with big challenges I do best when I’m in a relationship of accountability with at least one other person. Many of us find this to be true with exercise, maintaining sobriety, etc. In intro, we can be well served by acknowledging our social aspect.

3. It remains true that the longer I am exposed to foods I’m aiming to skip, the higher the chances I will ingest them. For me, having my home include only the foods I’m currently eating is almost as important as having community in place. (This was the first go at intro in which I was sharing a home with people who don’t do GAPS.)

4. In each new circumstance, we need to develop a new game plan. I didn’t anticipate feeling extra challenged by my new circumstances (again, sharing a home with people who don’t do GAPS, for example). Anticipating (or, in this case, learning) how a new circumstance impacts our capacities allows us to develop new approaches. Now that I know how my new circumstances challenge me differently, I can create new strategies. I could, for example, move out. However, I adore my three roommates and choose to continue living with them. I could next time, though, sit down with my roommates some weeks in advance and explain what I intend to embark on, let them know what I need in terms of support, and give them time to prepare for that. My roommates love me as much as I love them; they would absolutely do what they could to support me! We would implement the tips I present in the GAPS Guide book, such as having non-GAPS eaters eat their junk food away from the house, have party guests bring only GAPS foods, etc. These are not issues. What did prove an issue was setting my intro start date impulsively and last minute (indeed, the very day of). Is this what I suggest in the Guide? Noooo00… (Ah, I do have to laugh every time I ignore my own best advice.)

While my personal goal was to do intro for a full month, and I didn’t this time achieve that, I’m very glad for my effort and for what I did achieve. Many people do make a concerted go at intro then stop short of the initial intention. With much sadness, I notice that many readers refer to this aspect of their journey as “failing”. I’m not a big fan of that term. Intro isn’t a test and there is no judge, thus we can’t “fail”. The fact is, every effort toward intro is helpful. Every attempt does the following:

• gives our body a break, whether for three hours, three days, or three weeks. The body appreciates that and happily uses the time to heal.
• we learn what our needs our. In this case, I became acutely aware of what I had previously only suspected: that for me to do something like intro, I need other people. Another person might learn they need extra childcare in place, time off work, or a bottle of magnesium available. Each person’s needs are different from anyone else’s, and taking even a run at intro lets us find out exactly what we personally need in place for it.
• in making enough to go around, those around us incidentally end up with an extra-nourishing diet then and since then. Synergistically, all our diets improve even after The Great Effort.
• every food introduction -for example, of the raw egg yolk or fermented fish that had previously scared us to bits- leaves us a little more relaxed, open and adventurous for the next time we reach that stage.
• we learn new recipes, new approaches. These are then more easily applied in a subsequent go, one which is very likely to complete. When I watch my seven year old learning new things -reading, writing, math- I notice that he doesn’t necessarily grasp a concept or application the first time. He gives multiple goes, approaching it with different angles, until it clicks. Even after it initially clicks, his capacity drops again on random days before the learning finally takes hold and kicks in permanently, at which point he can move on to new levels or subjects. I’m a person that learns by doing, then giving up, then trying again, then letting go, then trying again. When I first did the SCD intro I cried a lot, because for me the learning curve was so steep. (Later I wrote the GAPS Guide book, in order to ease the journey for those arriving after me.) I struggled, did my best, did it imperfectly, gave myself a break, and later tried again. No harm, no foul.

Whatever our intention going in, we can frame a halted intro as a ‘ practice run’. Notice and appreciate the gains, even the small ones. Recognize that these will assist, support and benefit a full go when we do manage that.

Have you at any point started intro, then stopped before the progression was completed? Have you judged yourself as having “failed”? Did your frustration or self-judgment discourage you from ever trying again? What would help you to complete intro at some point in the future? For me, key will be community. You?

• lead up to the event with activities like painting real eggs
• hide tiny toys instead of eggs
• hide plastic eggs filled with tiny toys and/or stickers, and let the kids keep the contents
• hide plastic eggs each with a tiny date-nut roll or other stage-friendly GAPS treat inside it
• hide empty plastic eggs or commercial chocolate eggs, then allow your child to trade the collection in for one new toy
• write a series of rhymes, taking the child from one written clue to another, with the final clue leading her to a toy
• skip the hunt altogether, and instead join a community event with games; trade any chocolate loot received there for a new toy or activity (such as a trip to a pool or live theatre)
• “buy” the loot from the child (especially an older one), allowing him to buy a non-food item with the cash
• leave the candies on the front stoop overnight for the “candy fairy” who will leave a special toy in the candies’ place

A toy -or a trip to a special event like live theatre, a swimming pool or a movie- makes the joy of this event last so much longer than a binge does! Thus, with many cultural activities, GAPS kids often enjoy themselves far longer than non-GAPS kids do!

This year my seven year old says he’s going to do the hiding of the treats, making the weekend extra fun for himself.

Below are some older posts detailing a bit more what I and others have done in past years:

http://gapsguide.com/2010/03/08/easter-coming/

http://gapsguide.com/2010/03/17/my-easter-plan/

http://gapsguide.com/2011/04/21/day-11-victory-easter-constipation/

And a Valentine’s Day one, because the approach we used that particular year can easily be adapted to Easter:
http://gapsguide.com/2010/02/14/my-kids-valentines-day/

Have fun!

Does your culture or religion include food-centered feasts at any point during the year? What are your tips or menus for those days? Let us know in the comments section below!

Lucky for me, I made this well in advance of my pal’s actual birthday, so before starting intro. I’m now on Day 3 of that. Boy oh boy… The first day really whalloped me! (A solid indication of my junk and carbohydrate counts leading up to it.) I had a splitting headache and intense cravings and felt so tired. A ginger detox bath in the evening essentially “cured” me and I’ve been basically good to go since. It’s been interesting to watch my cravings morph from a total jonesing for the worst of the worst (processed, commercial snacks) to a craving for “okay, just some GAPS treats then”, to not really any cravings at all. The discipline is the hard part now, but how much better I feel already gives me lots of incentive to stick with it! Yay, intro!

But in the meantime I’m afraid. Very, deeply, genuinely, honestly, authentically afraid. I decided to spend some time, over the last two weeks, exploring and understanding the fear. Here’s what I found:

When I know I’m going to do intro, I fear:

• Not getting to eat whatever I want, whenever I want it – Much of my life is intentionally very simple: I share a very modest home, I sleep on a mat on the floor, I own four changes of clothes. When it comes to food, though, I veer toward hedonism. I think about what I crave then eat that. This is a comfort to me, and it feels like my personal safety net. No matter what’s going on in life, I experience control -a sense of safety- by eating what I want when I want it. I fear the lack of sense of control, the lack of refuge, the lack of ‘being in charge’ of one aspect of my life.

• “Missing out” on whatever annual events -This year it’s my best friend’s birthday cheesecake and the potential for an Easter binge. When I think of missing an event that only comes around once a year, I nearly panic. But who am I kidding? I’m not going to be missing the events! I’m merely going to skip two foods: bakery cheesecake and chocolate eggs. I will still be present for my best friend’s party. I will still eat heartily and celebrate his life.  I will still sing congratulations, laugh with him and his friends, give him the present I’ve been planning for months, bask in happiness at the fact that he is alive. As for Easter, I’ve had chocolate eggs on that day thirty-five times and probably will again. I also have the option of making homemade, GAPS treats, as I’ve done before.

• Soup – Before GAPS, I really, really hated soup. When a person would offer me soup, I would feel angry. It seems to me that I have a body memory of when, pre-GAPS, I had a massive, insatiable appetite. At that time, the idea of soup triggered a deep frustration that I would not, through that particular dish, feel my very real hunger relieved even for a moment. (I know now I was perpetually hungry for nutrients, and my pre-GAPS diet was giving me very few.) A common misconception with GAPS is that we eat just broth for days or just soups for weeks. The facts are: At no point on GAPS do we eat only broth all day, and at no point do we eat just soups for weeks. From Day 1, we eat soups containing broth, boiled meats (including fish), fats and, if we’re free of true diarrhea, well-cooked veggies. It’s also okay to separate these foods, once cooked, and take them on a mix of plates and bowls. But my fear is not based in this misconception. It’s simply a fear of going even a single day without my “favourite” foods. What the fear part of my brain forgets is that, through GAPS, soup has actually become one of my favourite foods!

• Hunger – Maybe it’s in part because I was homeless and foodless for serious stretches in my twenties, but I dread the sensation of hunger. My GAPS conditions left me without the ability to work, or pay for or organize housing for myself, and waiting many hours -then walking substantial distances- between soup kitchen line-ups. Or maybe, as humans with both cellular and community memories, we all just have an inherent fear of our tummies feeling empty. In any case, I know that at some points on intro, I will feel a sensation of hunger and I may well be put off by my given stage’s limitations. What I also know is that a sensation of hunger is in fact just a sensation, and not a re-immersion into my pre-GAPS challenges, and that any sensation is survivable. What I also know is that hunger is not a bad thing -it is a time when the body can focus on clean up. Finally, I know that on GAPS, we can (and should) eat as much and as often as we want.

• Bad breath, body odour, etc – When we detox, we stink. I share a small living space with four other people. I interact daily with a number of other people, too. I fear ‘offending’ my favourite people. I fear losing hugs. But the fact is, I know the stink is (a) totally worth it, (b) totally temporary, and (c) something I can alleviate somewhat with detox baths, sipping Apple Cider Vinegar throughout each day, and spraying Apple Cider Vinegar under my arms during or after a shower. I can also explain to my loved ones what will be happening, and assure them I’m aware of it and that it will be resolving.

Those are my fears. I find it incredible that even upon having done some version of intro five times already, I every time go through this intense pre-intro fear. I come up with all sorts of reasons not to do it, ways I can avoid it yet somehow still get the benefits. I think if this is true for an “intro veteran and junkie”, how much moreso might it be for those who’ve never done it? And so I write this “out loud”.

But I balance it with the reasons I’m about to do it again. After completing the two + years of healing, and largely because we began sharing our lives more closely with people not doing GAPS, I started introducing non-GAPS foods to the diets of my son and myself (while those in our lives simultaneously began including more GAPS ones in theirs). Generally, our diet has continued to be about 80% GAPS and for the most part we’re really fine. At the same time, I’m very much a slippery slope type of person, and when I veer from GAPS, I can really, really veer. My diet lately has included all the GAPS foods (broth, kefir, etc) but also too much garbage. And I know full well the differences in my body when including any amount of garbage as opposed to eating pure GAPS. Doing intro again now will bring a return of the following benefits, recently lost to varying degrees:

• calm, steady emotions/spirit (this may be my favourite aspect of intro)
• calm skin (that is, the opposite of itchiness – I don’t have eczema this time, but I have been really bothered by itchiness)
• increased energy (my energy is quite good, but intro always gives me even more)
• better sleep
• clearer, brighter skin
• a sense of cleansing
• easy, gentle, predictable menses (my period is consistently my clearest sign of how effective my diet is)
• relief of foot pain – this just started again, and is the one symptom I cannot ignore
• a resetting/elimination of non-productive cravings
• balanced weight/size
• a generally nourished, healthy body

And so it is that through this period of gentle observation and exploration, I’ve moved past enough of the fear to recommit. Yep, with deep happiness I announce that I will be doing intro March 19-April 19th!

What fears keep you from doing intro for a first or subsequent time? What would support you to do intro despite those fears? Let us know in the comments section below…

For a chance to win a FREE copy, post a comment on my blog, right below this post. (Note: It is not necessary to publicly post your name or email address -those will appear privately for me, maintaining your privacy while allowing you to be drawn and contacted.) One name will be randomly drawn March 10th. The post you are reading this very moment will then be amended to include the winner’s name. I will contact Sarah with the winner’s contact info for receiving the book. The winner: Niki, who posted comment #21, is the winner of the recipe ebook! Congratulations, Niki! Sarah will be emailing you with your copy. Everyone else: Remember, this ebook is just $5, so even if you didn’t win it, it remains super accessible -and for heaps more recipe and support resources, you can check out my blog’s ‘Support for You’ page here.

Thank you, Sarah, for one more excellent resource for healing deliciously!

According to the webpage, the article was adapted from the author’s book The Meat Fix.

So many of us were vegan or vegetarian before dismal health brought us to GAPS -this article and/or book may be helpful to those still struggling psychologically with the decision to “do meat”.

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!