The GAPS Diet Overview
The GAPS diet is based on the book, Gut and Psychology Syndrome, by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, a successful neurosurgeon who was forced to find answers to her own child's autism after the medical community was unable to help him. Because of her research many children with autism have been cured, mine being one of them. It is essential you read the book to fully understand GAPS. There are websites and blogs devoted to it but none come close to explaining it as well as Dr. Natasha. Here's a link to the new, revised edition of the book (buy the 2010 revised and expanded edition which has been updated and includes 132 additional pages): http://www.amazon.com/Gut-Psychology-Syndrome-Depression-Schizophrenia/dp/0954852028/ref=dp_ob_title_bk
The diet requires you to say goodbye to McDonald's and Taco Bell and to adopt a whole, natural foods lifestyle. Because my son was allergic to so many foods and had a severely limited diet already, it wasn't that big of a leap for us to try the GAPS diet. For those allergic to corn, you know what I'm talking about. Your leap won't be nearly as great as the family who still enjoys restaurant food. Take heart though, the benefits of this diet will far outweigh the convenience that take out and prepackaged foods have provided. I've said this many times and will say it again, this diet has been a Godsend to our family. Within 2 months nearly all of our son's autistic symptoms were GONE. He's still developmentally delayed but is catching up at a much faster rate than before GAPS. His doctors are astounded at his progress. It can take up to 2 years for the lining of the gut to heal so we are encouraged to see the progress our son has made so far.
For those considering the GAPS diet for reasons other than overall health and wellness, it treats a number of ailments that include autism, ADD/ADHD, food allergies & intolerances, dyspraxia, dyslexia, schizophrenia, and depression. People with other diseases and ailments such as seasonal allergies, fibromyalgia, and autoimmune disorders also report improvements in their symptoms after implementing the GAPS diet. We are learning more each day about how closely connected our overall health is to the health of our intestines.
Based on the premise that an imbalance in the good and bad bacteria in our guts (dysbiosis) and the subsequent injury to the gut wall is at the root of the ailments listed above, the diet attempts to restore the balance by starving out the bad bacteria and populating the gut with good, healthy bacteria. This results in an environment that heals and seals the injured lining of the gut. If the walls are injured and filled with bad bacteria leaking toxic substances into our bloodstream, our gut is unable to properly digest and break down foods. An unhealthy, injured gut wall will allow improperly digested foods to cross into your bloodstream that shouldn't be there. Your immune system will react to the foreign invaders and attack the proteins. If the gut wall was healthy and had broken down the food properly, and there were no bad bacteria leaking toxic substances into the bloodstream causing further injury to the gut wall and aggravating the immune system, then the presence of a properly digested protein would be far less likely to cause an allergic reaction.
So what do we eat? Basically, the diet takes us back to our roots. Free from grains and cane sugar, it is a diet that includes lots of bone broth, fermented foods, and probiotics to introduce good bacteria back into the gut. Fruits and vegetables and organic meats are integral to the diet. If you think about what your ancestors ate 100 years ago (before refrigerators and take out), it consisted of lots of fermented foods (a common method of food preservation), fruits and vegetables grown in their backyard (without the use of pesticides), and meat that came from cattle that spent their days roaming pastures eating grass (without the use of artificial growth hormones and antibiotics). The diet is broken down into stages, starting with the Introduction Diet that consists of stages 1 through 6. A person moves through each stage based on how well their body tolerates the allowed foods before finally reaching Full GAPS, the stage of the diet that allows the widest variety of foods. Full GAPS is where you will spend most of your time. It takes some people a few weeks to work through stages 1-6 while others may take months. The health of each person's gut will determine how well they tolerate each stage and subsequently how quickly they move on to the next stage. For a comprehensive list of foods allowed on GAPS by stage, see here: http://gapsinourgut.blogspot.com/2011/06/foods-allowed-on-gaps-listed-by-stage.html
Dr. Natasha has generously provided directions on how to proceed through the introduction stages on her website: http://www.gutandpsychologysyndrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/gaps-introduction-diet.pdf
And for directions on how to implement Full GAPS after working through stages 1-6: http://www.gutandpsychologysyndrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/the-full-gaps-diet.pdf
For a quick list of foods allowed on Full GAPS from the official GAPS website: http://www.gutandpsychologysyndrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/GAPS-Diet-Foods.pdf
So what does a day on the GAPS diet look like? Below is an example of what my son may eat on any given day (he is on Full GAPS). I'll be specific with brands for those with a corn allergy who can't just pick up any can of tuna or condiment. Keep in mind if you don't have as many food allergies as my son, your options are going to be much broader. Bone broth and homemade kraut juice are the cornerstones of the diet and are encouraged throughout the day during and between meals. The kraut juice aids in digestion by improving stomach acidity. I give my son 2 tablespoons of kraut juice before meals and then encourage him to sip on bone broth during the meal.
Breakfast: Homemade milk kefir with pureed pumpkin, honey, & cinnamon, ripe bananas, fresh apple
juice, and bone broth
Lunch: Bear & Wolf salmon with Eden Organic mustard, sliced and peeled organic apples, bone broth,
and a small handful of Chiccarones orginal flavor pork skins (these are on the fence of being GAPS legal
but we can't use nut flours to bake our own breads and crackers so our choices are more limited)
Snack: A smoothie (see below), fresh fruit, cheese, kale chips, Trader Joe's freeze dried strawberries,
and/or pork skins
Supper: 15 oz smoothie (made with 1 large organic carrot, two handfuls of fresh kale, 1 organic apple
including the peel, a handful of broccoli, and about 4 oz of leftover juice and pulp from breakfast
juicing). In addition to the smoothie he would also have 4-6 oz of Harvestland whole chicken (scrubbed
with skin removed and cooked 10-12 hrs in crock pot covered in water with safe seasonings and 4 TBSP
Bragg's apple cider vinegar), green beans with real butter, bone broth, and probably a banana for dessert
because he might still be hungry
The GAPS resources available online for those living the GAPS lifestyle are growing every day. Below are the links I use almost daily. Many families have created blogs and websites to share their GAPS wisdom with other struggling families. It may appear overwhelming at first but once you break it down into simple steps and take it one day at a time leaning on the wisdom of others who have gone before you, the diet isn't so overwhelming. I wish you the best and pray you find the diet to be as great a blessing to your family as it has ours.
Official U.S. GAPS diet website:
http://www.gutandpsychologysyndrome.com/
Official U.K. GAPS diet website:
http://www.gaps.me/
Another informative website that provides the big picture of GAPS:
http://www.gapsdiet.com/Getting_Started.html
For interviews with Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride (creator of GAPS diet) explaining the diet:
http://gapsdiet.com/Resources.html
To help a busy mom prepare for going on the GAPS diet:
http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2011/01/how-to-prepare-for-going-on-the-gaps-diet.html
At a glance list of GAPS legal foods starting with Stage 1:
http://gapsinourgut.blogspot.com/2011/06/foods-allowed-on-gaps-listed-by-stage.html
At a glance list of foods allowed on Full GAPS:
http://gallery.mailchimp.com/a233ec41348798f175e0176e9/files/GAPS_rec_foods_v1_1.pdf
Link to the Yahoo support group with a ton of help (I can't put into words how helpful this message board is to someone starting the GAPS diet):
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/GAPShelp/messages
Website written by one of the most seasoned GAPS dieters EVER, Starlene:
http://gapsdietjourney.com/
More seasoned GAPS writers:
www.healthhomehappy.com/
Super easy bone broth recipe in a slow cooker from Nourished Kitchen:
http://nourishedkitchen.com/perpetual-soup-the-easiest-bone-broth-youll-make/
How to make sauerkraut:
http://www.threetastes.com/blog/files/sauerkraut_tek.php
Help with fermenting vegetables from the Liberated Kitchen:
http://theliberatedkitchenpdx.com/basics/why-i-dont-use-whey-as-a-vegetable-fermentation-starter/
How to make 24 hour yogurt:
http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/beginners_guide/yoghurt/yoghurt.htm
Recipes and ideas for what to eat on GAPS from Keeper of the Home:
www.keeperofthehome.org/2010/03/recipes-and-ideas-for-what-to-eat-on-the-gaps-introduction-diet.html
Recipes from Primal Kitchen (not all are GAPS legal but the primal/paleo lifestyle is very similar, pick and choose the recipes that fit the stage of GAPS you're on):
http://primalkitchen.blogspot.com/p/recipes-index.html
Recipes from Nourished and Nurtured (mostly GAPS legal recipes): http://nourishedandnurtured.blogspot.com/p/recipes.html
Recipes from Pecan Bread which are based on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (very similar to GAPS, many of the recipes are GAPS legal):
www.pecanbread.com/new/recipes.html
Recipes from the Nourishing Cook (recipes are from Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions cookbook, many of which are GAPS legal):
http://thenourishingcook.com/recipe-index-2/
Help with preparing allergy free menus:
http://allergyfreemenuplanners.com/
Meal plans from Well Fed Homestead:
www.wellfedhomestead.com/meal-plans
Where to find real milk:
www.realmilk.com/where09.html
Information on Quercetin (the anti-allergy bioflavonoid), not GAPS related but definitely helps with allergies: www.immunesupport.com/92fal004.htm
Website to buy organic foods and personal care products:
www.greenpolkadotbox.com/
The diet requires you to say goodbye to McDonald's and Taco Bell and to adopt a whole, natural foods lifestyle. Because my son was allergic to so many foods and had a severely limited diet already, it wasn't that big of a leap for us to try the GAPS diet. For those allergic to corn, you know what I'm talking about. Your leap won't be nearly as great as the family who still enjoys restaurant food. Take heart though, the benefits of this diet will far outweigh the convenience that take out and prepackaged foods have provided. I've said this many times and will say it again, this diet has been a Godsend to our family. Within 2 months nearly all of our son's autistic symptoms were GONE. He's still developmentally delayed but is catching up at a much faster rate than before GAPS. His doctors are astounded at his progress. It can take up to 2 years for the lining of the gut to heal so we are encouraged to see the progress our son has made so far.
For those considering the GAPS diet for reasons other than overall health and wellness, it treats a number of ailments that include autism, ADD/ADHD, food allergies & intolerances, dyspraxia, dyslexia, schizophrenia, and depression. People with other diseases and ailments such as seasonal allergies, fibromyalgia, and autoimmune disorders also report improvements in their symptoms after implementing the GAPS diet. We are learning more each day about how closely connected our overall health is to the health of our intestines.
Based on the premise that an imbalance in the good and bad bacteria in our guts (dysbiosis) and the subsequent injury to the gut wall is at the root of the ailments listed above, the diet attempts to restore the balance by starving out the bad bacteria and populating the gut with good, healthy bacteria. This results in an environment that heals and seals the injured lining of the gut. If the walls are injured and filled with bad bacteria leaking toxic substances into our bloodstream, our gut is unable to properly digest and break down foods. An unhealthy, injured gut wall will allow improperly digested foods to cross into your bloodstream that shouldn't be there. Your immune system will react to the foreign invaders and attack the proteins. If the gut wall was healthy and had broken down the food properly, and there were no bad bacteria leaking toxic substances into the bloodstream causing further injury to the gut wall and aggravating the immune system, then the presence of a properly digested protein would be far less likely to cause an allergic reaction.
So what do we eat? Basically, the diet takes us back to our roots. Free from grains and cane sugar, it is a diet that includes lots of bone broth, fermented foods, and probiotics to introduce good bacteria back into the gut. Fruits and vegetables and organic meats are integral to the diet. If you think about what your ancestors ate 100 years ago (before refrigerators and take out), it consisted of lots of fermented foods (a common method of food preservation), fruits and vegetables grown in their backyard (without the use of pesticides), and meat that came from cattle that spent their days roaming pastures eating grass (without the use of artificial growth hormones and antibiotics). The diet is broken down into stages, starting with the Introduction Diet that consists of stages 1 through 6. A person moves through each stage based on how well their body tolerates the allowed foods before finally reaching Full GAPS, the stage of the diet that allows the widest variety of foods. Full GAPS is where you will spend most of your time. It takes some people a few weeks to work through stages 1-6 while others may take months. The health of each person's gut will determine how well they tolerate each stage and subsequently how quickly they move on to the next stage. For a comprehensive list of foods allowed on GAPS by stage, see here: http://gapsinourgut.blogspot.com/2011/06/foods-allowed-on-gaps-listed-by-stage.html
Dr. Natasha has generously provided directions on how to proceed through the introduction stages on her website: http://www.gutandpsychologysyndrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/gaps-introduction-diet.pdf
And for directions on how to implement Full GAPS after working through stages 1-6: http://www.gutandpsychologysyndrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/the-full-gaps-diet.pdf
For a quick list of foods allowed on Full GAPS from the official GAPS website: http://www.gutandpsychologysyndrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/GAPS-Diet-Foods.pdf
So what does a day on the GAPS diet look like? Below is an example of what my son may eat on any given day (he is on Full GAPS). I'll be specific with brands for those with a corn allergy who can't just pick up any can of tuna or condiment. Keep in mind if you don't have as many food allergies as my son, your options are going to be much broader. Bone broth and homemade kraut juice are the cornerstones of the diet and are encouraged throughout the day during and between meals. The kraut juice aids in digestion by improving stomach acidity. I give my son 2 tablespoons of kraut juice before meals and then encourage him to sip on bone broth during the meal.
Breakfast: Homemade milk kefir with pureed pumpkin, honey, & cinnamon, ripe bananas, fresh apple
juice, and bone broth
Lunch: Bear & Wolf salmon with Eden Organic mustard, sliced and peeled organic apples, bone broth,
and a small handful of Chiccarones orginal flavor pork skins (these are on the fence of being GAPS legal
but we can't use nut flours to bake our own breads and crackers so our choices are more limited)
Snack: A smoothie (see below), fresh fruit, cheese, kale chips, Trader Joe's freeze dried strawberries,
and/or pork skins
Supper: 15 oz smoothie (made with 1 large organic carrot, two handfuls of fresh kale, 1 organic apple
including the peel, a handful of broccoli, and about 4 oz of leftover juice and pulp from breakfast
juicing). In addition to the smoothie he would also have 4-6 oz of Harvestland whole chicken (scrubbed
with skin removed and cooked 10-12 hrs in crock pot covered in water with safe seasonings and 4 TBSP
Bragg's apple cider vinegar), green beans with real butter, bone broth, and probably a banana for dessert
because he might still be hungry
The GAPS resources available online for those living the GAPS lifestyle are growing every day. Below are the links I use almost daily. Many families have created blogs and websites to share their GAPS wisdom with other struggling families. It may appear overwhelming at first but once you break it down into simple steps and take it one day at a time leaning on the wisdom of others who have gone before you, the diet isn't so overwhelming. I wish you the best and pray you find the diet to be as great a blessing to your family as it has ours.
Official U.S. GAPS diet website:
http://www.gutandpsychologysyndrome.com/
Official U.K. GAPS diet website:
http://www.gaps.me/
Another informative website that provides the big picture of GAPS:
http://www.gapsdiet.com/Getting_Started.html
For interviews with Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride (creator of GAPS diet) explaining the diet:
http://gapsdiet.com/Resources.html
To help a busy mom prepare for going on the GAPS diet:
http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2011/01/how-to-prepare-for-going-on-the-gaps-diet.html
At a glance list of GAPS legal foods starting with Stage 1:
http://gapsinourgut.blogspot.com/2011/06/foods-allowed-on-gaps-listed-by-stage.html
At a glance list of foods allowed on Full GAPS:
http://gallery.mailchimp.com/a233ec41348798f175e0176e9/files/GAPS_rec_foods_v1_1.pdf
Link to the Yahoo support group with a ton of help (I can't put into words how helpful this message board is to someone starting the GAPS diet):
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/GAPShelp/messages
Website written by one of the most seasoned GAPS dieters EVER, Starlene:
http://gapsdietjourney.com/
More seasoned GAPS writers:
www.healthhomehappy.com/
Super easy bone broth recipe in a slow cooker from Nourished Kitchen:
http://nourishedkitchen.com/perpetual-soup-the-easiest-bone-broth-youll-make/
How to make sauerkraut:
http://www.threetastes.com/blog/files/sauerkraut_tek.php
Help with fermenting vegetables from the Liberated Kitchen:
http://theliberatedkitchenpdx.com/basics/why-i-dont-use-whey-as-a-vegetable-fermentation-starter/
How to make 24 hour yogurt:
http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/beginners_guide/yoghurt/yoghurt.htm
Recipes and ideas for what to eat on GAPS from Keeper of the Home:
www.keeperofthehome.org/2010/03/recipes-and-ideas-for-what-to-eat-on-the-gaps-introduction-diet.html
Recipes from Primal Kitchen (not all are GAPS legal but the primal/paleo lifestyle is very similar, pick and choose the recipes that fit the stage of GAPS you're on):
http://primalkitchen.blogspot.com/p/recipes-index.html
Recipes from Nourished and Nurtured (mostly GAPS legal recipes): http://nourishedandnurtured.blogspot.com/p/recipes.html
Recipes from Pecan Bread which are based on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (very similar to GAPS, many of the recipes are GAPS legal):
www.pecanbread.com/new/recipes.html
Recipes from the Nourishing Cook (recipes are from Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions cookbook, many of which are GAPS legal):
http://thenourishingcook.com/recipe-index-2/
Help with preparing allergy free menus:
http://allergyfreemenuplanners.com/
Meal plans from Well Fed Homestead:
www.wellfedhomestead.com/meal-plans
Where to find real milk:
www.realmilk.com/where09.html
Information on Quercetin (the anti-allergy bioflavonoid), not GAPS related but definitely helps with allergies: www.immunesupport.com/92fal004.htm
Website to buy organic foods and personal care products:
www.greenpolkadotbox.com/