I realize I have been delinquent in writing an update as to how everything is going on the GAPS diet.
I have been sitting in front of the computer for basically the last hour staring at that first sentence and trying to figure out where to go from there. I think that was why I haven't posted an update in a while. Not that I don't have much to say, but that because I have been a little frustrated about the progress I feel I should have made so far on this diet and I really didn't want to get down or not believe in the diet's ability to work - because I think positive thought can go a long way in healing. But it is time for an update. I mean, it has been 8 months since I started the diet last May. Hard to believe it has been that long.
I was lucky enough to spend the last week visiting Kathryn in Coronado and so had time to think and talk about how everything is going with her and the girls and really think about how everything has been going for me and what I am going to do going forward.
Thinking back on the initial stages of the diet I realize that I definitely had die off - fatigue, headaches, achy muscles, etc. I also felt like I had improvement in digesting foods I had trouble eating (carrots, apple, even small amounts of honey) - which would make sense if bad bugs died. And don't get me wrong, I have been pleased with the fact that the rash/acne that appears on my chest and that I have been dealing with on and off for the past three years really has totally gone away on this diet (except for the week I was in CA, of course. It, along with my face, seemed to breakout like crazy!) - not sure why that happened. Now though, with regards to the food, I feel like I am kind of back to where I was before - having reactions and not knowing what I am eating that is causing them.
Could this be due to some food poisoning I had in the middle of December (a salad I ate on a business trip - not fun) that lasted about 12 days? Could it be that there is something else going on that is preventing me from seeing more dramatic results?
I know it took my gut a long time to get damaged and it would make sense that it would take a while to get back to normal so I am trying not to get discouraged. I have read that for adults it typically takes 18 months to heal, but could be up to three years. I am not considering stopping the diet, I am just wondering if I need to make tweaks and get more strict - i.e. soup at least one meal a day or drinking a cup of broth at least once per day, reducing overall fruit/nut consumption.
You may have read Kathryn's blog post about parasites - if not, read it here. Basically, from all of the reading I have done on parasites, I figure there is a good chance I have them in some form or another. In my pre-GAPS days I described my favorite food as sushi. That statement alone probably means I have parasites. So that is a consideration I need to make.
Another thing that has been sitting in the back of my head is the fact that back in January of 2011, my acupuncturist recommended I try a 4 week 'detox' and after I completed it I was 'cured' - I could eat apples, carrots, pears, plain sugar even! I never tried eating gluten (too scared, but I bet I could have). Then in early April 2011 it all started coming back. I even tried the same program again a few months later and it didn't seem to do anything.
Here is the detox that I followed:
4R GI Restoration Program
Follow steps 1, 2, & 3 for 30 days. Then follow steps 2, 3 & 4 ongoing.
1. Remove: remove the bad bacteria, fungus or parasites in the GI system
- Eliminate gluten and dairy for 30 days
- use herbs such as Coptis Root or Goldenseal for 15 days (2,000 mg/day not taken with meals) Ginger, garlic, and sour plum (umeboshi kill parasites (take ongoing until symptoms go away)
2. Replace: boost digestive enzymes that may be inadequate
- Drink lemon juice and water, Swedish Bitters, ginger (in food or tea, or take a digestive enzyme supplement.
3. Reinoculate: reintroduce desirable GI microflora with probiotics
- Take a supplement of acidophilus/lactobacillus (refrigerated capsule or powdered form) and or eat fermented foods such as lacto-fermented raw sauerkraut, pickles (not the kind on the shelf in the grocery store), miso soup, etc.
4. Regenerate: rebuild and heal the GI mucosa/lining
- Take a cold water fish oil supplement (4,000-6,000 mg/day) or flax seed oil (for vegetarians).
- Take a supplement of Tumeric (2,000-4,000 mg/day) also can be used as a spice in food.
- Take L-Glutamine (5,000-10,000 mg/day - powdered form is best).
For me, my acupuncturist recommended I take Goldenseal for the first 15 days and then take Swedish Bitters for the second 15 days. She also recommended that I substitute Dandelion Root instead of Garlic in step 1.
So if this detox worked to eliminate my food issues - for a period of time at least - then whatever is wrong with my gut is most likely bacterial or parasitic and the herbs just were not strong enough, or long enough, to kill them.
The other thought I've been thinking of late (typically at around 1 o'clock in the morning when I should be sleeping!) is that maybe I have yeast overgrowth, also known as candida. I have entertained the idea of candida since 2009 when I did a very scientific at-home test where you spit your saliva into a glass in the early morning before you have eaten or rinsed your mouth and observe what happens. I even made Alex do it so I would have something to compare mine with. Per the test, I had signs of yeast overgrowth. So why didn't I take that route immediately, attack this thing as if it was candida? I don't really know. I think I got caught up in going to doctors, getting tests, etc. and kind of just forgot about it. Also, I had a test done in early 2012 that showed no signs of candida or of parasites so that kind of just removed it further from my mind. However, I just don't think that there is a way that I don't have an issue with parasites and/or candida.
So here is what I have figured are my options:
1. I can go back on the intro diet, but will it be enough to kill off everything? Probably not.
2. I can do an herbal parasite cleanse (more research needed on my end)
3. I can incorporate an anti-yeast.anti-candida diet into the GAPS diet and look into candida cleanses.
4. I can find an alternative doctor/naturapath who could help with a parasite/candida cleanse.
5. I can see a real doctor. And by real, I mean one with an MD after their name. This would make some people happy, but would probably just be the equivalent of throwing money down the drain based on my past experiences.
So with that said, I am going to be better about posting and keeping things updated on here. I have some new receipes that I will be posting soon too!
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