GAPS Diet

Day 111.

Today marks Day 111. Let me tell you about what is next for me, diet/health-wise: GAPS Diet.

I have improved a lot from where I started, but I should probably be farther along than I am. I still have such reactions and we are unsure why. The answer may lie in the fact that my body can't process carbohydrates and sugars properly. After my major reaction(s) a couple of weeks ago, I began to think a lot about what could be going on. The SCD was brought to my attention. You can find out all about SCD HERE. SCD stands for "Specific Carbohydrate Diet." The website I directed you to was a website geared more towards children, but can be applied to anyone. The SCD helps with gut issues, including Colitis, which I have a form of. It's also helpful for those with allergies. After I spent a lot of time on this site, I brought it to Leah's attention. Then, we met on Wednesday and she said, "how ironic - I was going to talk to you about this."

What Leah wanted to discuss with me wasn't necessarily the SCD, but definitely a form of it - perhaps an even more strict version of it. And so here I sit, mentally preparing to begin the GAPS (Gut & Psychology Syndrome) Diet. The GAPS Diet was created by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. You can learn all about the GAPS Diet HERE.

I believe this is just what I need. I believe that this is going to help me and that perhaps, just perhaps, this was my missing link. Directly from the website:

"Food Allergies and Intolerances

People with food allergies and intolerances should go through the Introduction Diet in order to heal and seal their gut lining. The reason for allergies and food intolerances is so-called "leaky gut" when the gut lining is damaged by abnormal micro flora. Foods do not get the chance to be digested properly before they get absorbed through this damaged wall and cause the immune system to react to them. Many people try to identify which foods they react to. However, with damaged gut wall they are likely to absorb most of their foods partially digested, which may cause an immediate reaction or a delayed reaction (a day, a few days or even a couple of weeks later). As these reactions overlap with each other, you can never be sure what exactly you are reacting to on any given day. Testing for food allergies in notoriously unreliable: if one had enough resources to test twice a day for two weeks, they would find that they are "allergic" to everything they eat. As long as the gut wall is damaged and stays damaged, you can be juggling your diet forever removing different foods and never get anywhere. From my clinical experience it is best to concentrate on healing the gut wall with the Introduction Diet. Once the gut wall is healed, the foods will be digested properly before being absorbed, which will remove most food intolerances and allergies."

There is no better reason than that paragraph for how I justify this working for me. I believe that this is exactly what's going on with me. And I think she was talking to me when she said, "Many people try to identify which foods they react to." So has been my life. It wasn't all a complete waste because it has solidified for me the concept that my gut is just yucky right now, and until it's healed anything and everything at any given moment could make me react now, in 10 minutes, 2 days or a week.

I will say this, though, these past 111 days have not gone to waste. What can be more satisfying than treating your body well through Organic, fresh and non-preservative foods? Nothing, except, for the idea that we stick to these same exact principles but we tweak it.

So you've gone to the website and you've seen the "Introduction Diet" and its "Stages" and then perhaps you've read "The Full GAPS Diet." You're thinking, "Wow - no way could anyone do this." But I will promise you one thing....I WILL! And furthermore, after I get through the Introduction portion, I will be able to keep it fresh, fun and interesting. I will come up with things that I didn't know existed. And I guarantee that not only will it be good for me, it will taste fabulous!