I honestly can't believe I have been on this diet for 2 weeks - it was a quick two weeks, made even better because I didn't have crazy die off symptoms. I must admit that was nice, but it almost concerns me that I haven't had more of a response - i.e. do I still have bad bacteria living in me that aren't dying? Did I not have any in the first place (a test I had done in early January didn't show signs of candida or bacteria overgrowth). Since I haven't really had many symptoms I decided to move forward in the diet so I introduced fermented cod liver oil yesterday. FCLO is suppose to be very beneficial for people who have gut problems as our guts are supposedly not able to absorb Vitamin A in pill form. I was on very high levels of Vitamin A and Zinc, per my naturapath earlier this year, and never saw any improvement in my digestion. I don't think I was absorbing it.
So after doing a bit of research and watching a video on how to take liquid FCLO without gagging I opted for the cop out route of purchasing it in relatively taste-less pill form. The problem is I discovered that in order to take the recommended dose of 1 teaspoon per day I need to take 8 pills. That means my 2 (120 ct) bottles will last 30 days and will result in a $70 per month investment....Hmmm guess I am going to have to buy the liquid next time and watch that video again. I took three pills last night and other than having a bit of a stomach ache/headache, I was fine. Placebo effect, perhaps? I am increasing it to 4 pills tonight.
Today, I also introduced egg whites by whipping up a GAPS intro 'pancake' for dinner. This consists of 2 eggs, 1 squash shredded, salt and pepper, all pureed in a blender. I didn't cook it as pancakes because they are super thin and hard to flip, but instead just dumped it in the pan with some coconut oil, cooked the bottom and put it under the broiler to finish the top. It was very good, crepe-esque, and nice to eat solid food that is not meat.
It is a lame reason, but I also need to progress with the diet a bit because I will be traveling for work next week and would like to be able to eat some more things to make it easier. Having to go to restaurants for business lunches and traveling for work while gluten free/dairy free makes me super stressed out so the idea of traveling on the GAPS diet has resulted in 'wake up at 5:00 in the morning thinking about it' stress. I do not need to stress.
I soaked raw, organic almonds, walnuts, and sunflower seeds in salt water last night and they are currently dehydrating at the moment - It took all of my strength not to eat one as I was putting them on the trays. Maybe I will eat one tomorrow?
Meals for today and yesterday were all the same (except for the squash pancake) - Zucchini and broccoli soup with 'onion gravy', fresh basil, and either chicken or hamburger.
Oh - also tried one of my lacto-fermented pickles tonight. I don't know what it is suppose to taste like exactly, but it tastes like a pickle! They have been in there since May 19th, so they should be ready to eat.
P.S. Our mouse-guest turned up his nose at the colby jack I left for him in the live trap. We are trying feta tonight - hopefully he will like that better :)
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
GAPS Intro Diet - Day 1 & 2
So to sum up for Stage One, Day One
The only thing the children were happy with on Day 1 was the tiny shot glass of kraut juice. They managed to eat a little chicken, squash and some broth. Maybe one meatball. I think the frozen soups altered in texture and my family prefers freshly cooked food. The smells of the stock were also not appreciated. We all got our Epsom Salt and Baking Soda bath (did a mix) and L was asleep in my lap before we left the bathroom. When I got out of my bath, the skin on my back peeled. I have read that magnesium can do that, but it was still strange. N and I went to sleep around 8:30 and she woke up dry heaving at 3:30 a.m. Intermittent dry heaving/sleeping for 90 minutes. I think she had about a tablespoon of coconut oil over the course of the day and some more before bed on some squash and that is what caused it. Coconut oil is powerful.
Day Two
I mixed the cauliflower soup and squash soup and enjoyed that for breakfast. The girls didn't really eat - they had ginger tea and L ate some boiled chicken. The girls ate a decent lunch of boiled carrots and broccoli topped with chicken "butter" - yea! L drank her broth, N passed.
N wants to know when dates are back on the diet, or lentils, or blueberries, or larabars, or Sunbutter, or fruit, or lentils, or coconut, or dates (did I mention that?). She's been asking the same questions all day! She finally picked up the ebook "30 Days on Intro" to look for where the lentil recipes are and couldn't find any. Disappointing! Tonight I talked her through the Stages and the foods on them again and hopefully that helped. She is planning the celebration cake we will have - complete with dried fruit bits stuck into the yogurt icing.
L went in the pantry today (as I was up to my wrists in raw chicken) and found the coconut flakes and was preparing to eat them. I told her they were old and Papa was going to take them to work. She threw the bag on the floor in disgust!
Tonight for dinner I made the Italian Casserole from the GAPS book - whole chicken simmered in a low oven for three hours with carrots and onions. I'm going to serve the meat and veg on a plate and broth in a cup.
C took his three thermoses to work and did well today. But he forgot his salt so we'll have to help him remember tomorrow. He also took kraut juice and weak coffee. Apparently his office mates were wowed with the smells that came from his three thermoses - and perhaps not in a great way.
Seriously the past three batches of soups have been my worst cooking in about 11 years. The last bad meal (in that no one wanted to eat it) I made was when too many jalapenos made their way into some creamy corn chowder and we had to toss the whole batch.
We are all doing well - not noticing anything out of the ordinary today. I hope we can move along in the stages and also find some good and tasty recipes. BUT we've got to get the broth into N. It seems that coconut icecream - made with coconut milk and frozen fruit in the Vitamix - might be the motivating factor for N. She wants her grandparents to try that when they visit in July - and she wants in on the action!
To help our children understand this portion of the diet better - we call GAPS Intro "Deep Healing" and Full GAPS "Healing" - we've been explaining that drinking the broth is like putting a band-aid on the inside of there tummies so hopefully they can try new foods like eggs and ghee. I keep (gently) reminding them of this as we eat and it is helping.
Apple Cider Vinegar bath for us all tonight.
One day at a time on this journey and hoping tonight is quieter than last!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
GAPS Intro Diet - Day 12 (Stage 2)
Guess what came in the mail today?! My Excalibur food dehydrator! I am such a dork, I know. I am pretty excited about it because although I am much more satisfied with the soup than I thought I would be (considering I have had it basically for three meals every day for the last 12 days) I really could go for something crunchy... i.e. nuts. Since all nuts have to be raw/organic nuts and then soaked for 24 hours and then dehydrated for 24 hours (nothing is that simple on GAPS) I am planning to make up a bunch and keep them in the fridge until I can eat them - which is sooner than you might think (late Stage 3). Plus I can also eventually make yogurt either out of goat milk or cow milk, if I end up being able to tolerate it, which would be exciting. Pre-GAPS diet I was buying this goat milk kefir from a company called Redwood Hill Farm (Whole Foods carries it) and I loved it, and even better, had no problems with digestion.
I also must share the best soup trick I have discovered so far on the diet (maybe you will have better luck with getting the girls to eat it this way Kathryn). The trick I have found to making all of the soups taste better is to add in 'gravy.' What I do is when I cook chicken in the crock pot I layer the bottom of the pot with onions, garlic, and fresh herbs - I have tried both basil and sage, but you could omit herbs for stage one and just do onions. When the chicken is cooked, I take it out and use my immersion blender to blend up the onions and juices in the bottom of the pot. Once chilled it becomes solid, like gravy, with a rich delicious flavor. Then I just add a few spoons to each pot of soup. I have also been adding fresh herbs to the soups which has helped a lot to change up the flavor, especially considering I am either eating zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, or a mixture of all three soups, so not a lot of variety.
I have just taken out my last two mason jars of soup out of the fridge to thaw for Thursday... looks like I have a bunch of cooking to do this weekend to restock the freezer. Thank goodness I am only feeding myself on this diet (sorry K), I don't think I could cook enough for more people - I already feel like I am cooking/washing dishes all the time.
I realize that I never really indicated what 'Stage One' allows you to eat versus 'Stage Two' so for clarification, Stage One allows you to have:
Breakfast: Zucchini and broccoli soup with hamburger
(zuch, onions, broccoli, basil/onion gravy, hamburger, egg yolk, fresh basil on top)
Lunch: Same as breakfast
Dinner: Celery root puree mixed with leftover soup, egg yolk, chicken, sauerkraut juice and sauerkraut.
(celery root is tolerable when mixed with copious amounts of gravy or into soup)
Feelings/Reactions: I was feeling fine until I ate dinner and now I am feeling loopy and slightly nauseous sick. If this post is reflective of that, I apologize. I am wondering could it have been the raw egg yolk, which I thought at least got partially cooked in the hot soup? Could it be the chicken stock from the fridge I used to thin the puree - I threw it away out of fear. Is it a GAPS reaction? I do not know.
Also, I discovered while quietly typing here that a little mouse has decided to take up residence in our apartment and is sauntering ever so carelessly across our checkered kitchen floor. Do you think if I leave him a recipe for some soup he could restock my freezer? You know- like that movie Ratatouille?? Oh wait, that was about a rat wasn't it.
I also must share the best soup trick I have discovered so far on the diet (maybe you will have better luck with getting the girls to eat it this way Kathryn). The trick I have found to making all of the soups taste better is to add in 'gravy.' What I do is when I cook chicken in the crock pot I layer the bottom of the pot with onions, garlic, and fresh herbs - I have tried both basil and sage, but you could omit herbs for stage one and just do onions. When the chicken is cooked, I take it out and use my immersion blender to blend up the onions and juices in the bottom of the pot. Once chilled it becomes solid, like gravy, with a rich delicious flavor. Then I just add a few spoons to each pot of soup. I have also been adding fresh herbs to the soups which has helped a lot to change up the flavor, especially considering I am either eating zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, or a mixture of all three soups, so not a lot of variety.
I have just taken out my last two mason jars of soup out of the fridge to thaw for Thursday... looks like I have a bunch of cooking to do this weekend to restock the freezer. Thank goodness I am only feeding myself on this diet (sorry K), I don't think I could cook enough for more people - I already feel like I am cooking/washing dishes all the time.
I realize that I never really indicated what 'Stage One' allows you to eat versus 'Stage Two' so for clarification, Stage One allows you to have:
- meat or fish stock
- well cooked (boiled) broccoli, cauliflower, squash (summer and winter), onions, carrots and leeks
- boiled meat (I always slow cooked my meat, which is probably a cheat, but boiled meat is a waste of money because all the flavor goes away...)
- sea salt (I cheated here with pepper and organic dried sage)
- 1-2 teaspoons of sauerkraut juice
- fresh herbs
- fermented vegetables (kimchi, pickles, sauerkraut)
- fermented fish (I haven't even entertained the idea of making this!)
- egg yolk
- ghee
- stews and casseroles made with meat and vegetables
Breakfast: Zucchini and broccoli soup with hamburger
(zuch, onions, broccoli, basil/onion gravy, hamburger, egg yolk, fresh basil on top)
Lunch: Same as breakfast
Dinner: Celery root puree mixed with leftover soup, egg yolk, chicken, sauerkraut juice and sauerkraut.
(celery root is tolerable when mixed with copious amounts of gravy or into soup)
Feelings/Reactions: I was feeling fine until I ate dinner and now I am feeling loopy and slightly nauseous sick. If this post is reflective of that, I apologize. I am wondering could it have been the raw egg yolk, which I thought at least got partially cooked in the hot soup? Could it be the chicken stock from the fridge I used to thin the puree - I threw it away out of fear. Is it a GAPS reaction? I do not know.
Also, I discovered while quietly typing here that a little mouse has decided to take up residence in our apartment and is sauntering ever so carelessly across our checkered kitchen floor. Do you think if I leave him a recipe for some soup he could restock my freezer? You know- like that movie Ratatouille?? Oh wait, that was about a rat wasn't it.
Day One, Stage One - Snapshots
We've had cauliflower/zucchini soup, squash/broth and squash soup, so far. Broccoli with turkey meatball coming up tonight. I feel fine and not hungry - thirsty though! C started intro at lunch, when he came home to eat soup. The girls are not really eating, just a few no thank you bites, but they are drinking water.
A few snapshots of our first day.
L wakes to say, "I hear the 'nata calling (garbanzo bean flour pancake)."
Me: "We don't have any, L."
L: "That's ok, we can just have jelly!"
N about breakfast soup - "I'm not eating that." Cauliflower/zuc
N about second breakfast - Squash on the side with broth in a cup. "This smells like feet! Chicken feet! Is there chicken feet in here? I'm not eating it!"
N and L at snack - "I don't like it." Specifically, the soup, according to N is dry.
Hmmmm.....what will dinner bring? The broccoli soup with turkey meat balls is warming now. I'm choosing to remain relaxed and have faith that one of these soups will be the magic recipe!
Meanwhile, on tap tonight three rounds of detox baths! More later....
A few snapshots of our first day.
L wakes to say, "I hear the 'nata calling (garbanzo bean flour pancake)."
Me: "We don't have any, L."
L: "That's ok, we can just have jelly!"
N about breakfast soup - "I'm not eating that." Cauliflower/zuc
N about second breakfast - Squash on the side with broth in a cup. "This smells like feet! Chicken feet! Is there chicken feet in here? I'm not eating it!"
N and L at snack - "I don't like it." Specifically, the soup, according to N is dry.
Hmmmm.....what will dinner bring? The broccoli soup with turkey meat balls is warming now. I'm choosing to remain relaxed and have faith that one of these soups will be the magic recipe!
Meanwhile, on tap tonight three rounds of detox baths! More later....
Sunday, June 3, 2012
GAPS Intro Diet - Day 9 and 10 (Stage 2)
I am happy to report that my physical fatigue seems to have diminished this weekend - which is great news. Whether it is due to the introduction of the egg yolk or my body has just adjusted, I am not quite sure. I also discovered that the trick with the egg yolk in the soup is that the soup needs to be fairly hot otherwise the coldness of the yolk just makes the soup taste gross.
I also have a confession to make.....I cooked some pig yesterday for dinner. I haven't eaten pig since Christmas 2008, (yeah, I am weird and remember the last time I eat things). One weekend when I was buying some of those lovely eggs from my farmer at the market, he asked if I liked pork because their meat was very good. I replied that I didn't eat pigs (not sure I can say this anymore) and he said that if I ever decided to try some theirs was the ones you should eat since they are pastured and encouraged to do 'pig' things, like wallow and root around. So in anticipation of getting sick of eating chicken and beef on this diet, I decided to buy it. I have had the small piece of pig in the freezer for a few weeks since frankly, I just felt guilty about purchasing it in the first place. But yesterday, when I was balking at the idea of another meal of soup, I took it out and plopped it in the slow cooker. I also stopped by the health food store and got 2 large celery roots. Celery root is this ugly brown knob that you peel up and boil like potatoes and then you can mash it and have faux-tatoes. I had never eaten celery root before until a few weeks ago when I was testing out this whole 'no grain' diet to see how it was. Celery root was touted online as the solution to a potato-less diet. When I made it before I loved it and raved to Kathryn about the deliciousness of this ugly root. So I thought in my head, oh well I'll make this whole comfort food meal - pulled pork, mashed celery root, it will be great. I must admit the pork was good and very flavorful, but it was strangely unsatisfying and it made me a little loopy/light headed, which was an interesting reaction. It is the same loopy feeling I get when I eat preservatives like sulfur dioxide or lactose. As for the celery root puree, I just couldn't stand the taste. I ate two bites of it and was grossed out. So much for my comfort food dinner...
Nothing that new or eventful today except that I injured myself like three times in a row - GAPS Tip: never overfill your mason jars full of soup that are going in the freezer. That note on the Internet you read about mason jars cracking as the food freezes is not a lie. So what do I do after seeing said cracked mason jar filled with my would-be lunch, but bitterly reach my hand to grab it out and slice my thumb open on a hunk of glass. That felt good. Then I proceeded to slice the sides of two fingers when my sharp, but not sharp enough, knife slipped as I was cutting an onion. Oh and I cut myself last night by accident too - but that wasn't the knife's fault, hard to be the knifes fault when you bring down the blade on your own finger. Ahh the perils of GAPS. So I decided to eat some raw, fermented carrots I bought as a comfort to my injuries. So far, so good, granted fermentation is suppose to take out the sugars from the food so it isn't exactly a test of whether I can eat carrots with no reaction, but still.
Only other thing to report is that I randomly started crying this afternoon on the couch. No reason, just had a need to cry. Alex was a little concerned because I don't typically cry for no reason. Perhaps it is some detox sign?? I hope so.
Food today -
Breakfast - Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup with sauerkraut juice on the side
(with hamburger, onions, egg yolk, garlic)
Snack - Pork
(didn't make me loopy this time)
Lunch - Zucchini Soup, leftover pork
(soup with egg yolk and hamburger)
Snack - Sauerkraut
Dinner - Zucchini soup, chicken on the side, sauerkraut juice
Meal thoughts - Zucchini soup was super good - zucchini is from the farmers market, so very fresh and so is my chicken. I need to make more broth so I bought a whole one at the market today.
Other - detox bath - baking soda. Debating on adding in low dose of probiotics to see if I get any reactions.
I also have a confession to make.....I cooked some pig yesterday for dinner. I haven't eaten pig since Christmas 2008, (yeah, I am weird and remember the last time I eat things). One weekend when I was buying some of those lovely eggs from my farmer at the market, he asked if I liked pork because their meat was very good. I replied that I didn't eat pigs (not sure I can say this anymore) and he said that if I ever decided to try some theirs was the ones you should eat since they are pastured and encouraged to do 'pig' things, like wallow and root around. So in anticipation of getting sick of eating chicken and beef on this diet, I decided to buy it. I have had the small piece of pig in the freezer for a few weeks since frankly, I just felt guilty about purchasing it in the first place. But yesterday, when I was balking at the idea of another meal of soup, I took it out and plopped it in the slow cooker. I also stopped by the health food store and got 2 large celery roots. Celery root is this ugly brown knob that you peel up and boil like potatoes and then you can mash it and have faux-tatoes. I had never eaten celery root before until a few weeks ago when I was testing out this whole 'no grain' diet to see how it was. Celery root was touted online as the solution to a potato-less diet. When I made it before I loved it and raved to Kathryn about the deliciousness of this ugly root. So I thought in my head, oh well I'll make this whole comfort food meal - pulled pork, mashed celery root, it will be great. I must admit the pork was good and very flavorful, but it was strangely unsatisfying and it made me a little loopy/light headed, which was an interesting reaction. It is the same loopy feeling I get when I eat preservatives like sulfur dioxide or lactose. As for the celery root puree, I just couldn't stand the taste. I ate two bites of it and was grossed out. So much for my comfort food dinner...
Nothing that new or eventful today except that I injured myself like three times in a row - GAPS Tip: never overfill your mason jars full of soup that are going in the freezer. That note on the Internet you read about mason jars cracking as the food freezes is not a lie. So what do I do after seeing said cracked mason jar filled with my would-be lunch, but bitterly reach my hand to grab it out and slice my thumb open on a hunk of glass. That felt good. Then I proceeded to slice the sides of two fingers when my sharp, but not sharp enough, knife slipped as I was cutting an onion. Oh and I cut myself last night by accident too - but that wasn't the knife's fault, hard to be the knifes fault when you bring down the blade on your own finger. Ahh the perils of GAPS. So I decided to eat some raw, fermented carrots I bought as a comfort to my injuries. So far, so good, granted fermentation is suppose to take out the sugars from the food so it isn't exactly a test of whether I can eat carrots with no reaction, but still.
Only other thing to report is that I randomly started crying this afternoon on the couch. No reason, just had a need to cry. Alex was a little concerned because I don't typically cry for no reason. Perhaps it is some detox sign?? I hope so.
Food today -
Breakfast - Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup with sauerkraut juice on the side
(with hamburger, onions, egg yolk, garlic)
Snack - Pork
(didn't make me loopy this time)
Lunch - Zucchini Soup, leftover pork
(soup with egg yolk and hamburger)
Snack - Sauerkraut
Dinner - Zucchini soup, chicken on the side, sauerkraut juice
Meal thoughts - Zucchini soup was super good - zucchini is from the farmers market, so very fresh and so is my chicken. I need to make more broth so I bought a whole one at the market today.
Other - detox bath - baking soda. Debating on adding in low dose of probiotics to see if I get any reactions.
Friday, June 1, 2012
GAPS Intro Diet - Day 8 (Stage 2)
So I started Stage 2 of the diet today by adding an egg yolk to my soup at dinner. My eggs are from a really lovely farm that sells their meat and eggs at the Carroll Gardens farmers market. The farm is "Animal Welfare Approved" and every week when I buy meat or eggs the farmer tells me about the animals and their philosophy of doing things 'the right way'. The cost of meat is of course more expensive, but since I am eating cows I want them to be happy, 100% grass fed cows - better for me and better for the environment. They also sell chickens - $41 for a chicken!! I bought a half last week because I just couldn't mentally spend that much and it really was one of the most delicious chickens I have ever eaten. The eggs are super delicious too and since the chickens forage for bugs and only really eat some feed in the wintertime the yolks in the eggs are the brightest neon orange color I have ever seen. So how did I enjoy my dinnertime soup with the egg yolk mixed in? I did not enjoy it. Believe me, I don't have issues eating eggs raw so I don't know why I didn't like it, the taste just seemed off to me. I really wanted to like it, but I just couldn't finish the soup. I am going to try again tomorrow and hope it tastes better. Tonight I also felt like I was on the verge of a craving, I am just getting bored of eating soup for three meals a day, so maybe I will cook meat, vegetables, and drink a cup of broth on the side and see how that goes.
Reflecting on the first week of GAPS I must say I am pretty pleased with the diet. I was bracing myself for the nausea, flu like symptoms, headaches, etc. that I had read other people experience during the first days of intro. My only consistent symptom seems to be the physical exhaustion - and it is not really the kind of 'fall asleep in the middle of the day' fatigue. I am just fine sitting at a desk or on the couch and I don't have problems thinking (except late at night when I am trying to write these posts!), I just have physical exhaustion when standing/moving/walking. Other than the fatigue, I had the headache last Saturday, some muscle cramping, increased thirst, and my skin has broken out. Oh and apparently I have been informed that I have GAPS breath - aka my breath smells like a bunch of vegetables and the smell doesn't go away with brushing or mouthwash. Hmmm...lovely. Though it sounds like a lot it really hasn't been that bad. My stomach has felt great - stomach loves stage 1 intro.
I am planning to try the sweeter vegetables that have given me trouble in the past - i.e. carrots and butternut squash (I have some waiting for me in the freezer) maybe next week. I have been totally fine with onions this past week which was another item I avoided in the past. My guess is I will do just fine with a few pieces, but if I tried to make butternut squash soup that would not go over so well. We will see. I am also excited to eventually try honey. Eating honey is like an instant reaction for me, but I have been doing some reading about how some beekeepers feed their bees sugar water and a large majority of honey is so highly processed that it isn't really honey anymore and I am wondering if a raw, more organic honey would have less of an impact on me. I am excited to try it - eventually.
Oh and another positive note is that I have lost almost 6 lbs this week on the diet. Seems incredibly fast, but I am sure it is the low carbs, plus being satisfied by the soup due to the high fat content that has helped. I have had problems in the past with eating a full meal and still being hungry or never being satisfied with my food - always wanting something else. I am thankfully not experiencing that at all on GAPS. I did expect to lose weight on this diet, for my body to normalize itself a bit since the past couple of months have not been good for the digestion. For me, poor digestion = weight gain. So I am glad the scale is going in the opposite direction.
In fact, in regards to the fat consumption, GAPS is the opposite of every diet I have ever been on and the opposite of what I was taught about fat, especially about animal fat. My weight watchers points would probably through the roof every day given the spoons of 'pate' I put into my soup so it is crazy to think that I have been eating what is seems like such a high fat diet and still having weight loss. We are taught that if you eat fat you get fat, when that is not necessarily the case I guess. Sometimes my soups are so glossy with fat that they look the same glossy way that chocolate looks when it is melted - not quite the same taste though!
Today's Menu
Breakfast: Zucchini Soup with Chicken
Lunch: Zucchini and Broccoli Soup with Hamburger
Dinner: Zucchini and Broccoli Soup with Beef Stew meat + egg yolk, Sauerkraut
Snack: Hamburger and onions
Detox Bath: Baking soda
K - Yes, starting GAPS with 6 straight days of work is probably going to be tough on C. However, I am sure it will be really helpful if you are preparing his food - it is hard to come home and be hungry and feel like you don't have anything to eat immediately. Day one I learned to always have soup defrosting in the fridge or in a saucepan. So C won't have that problem at least. My thermoses - if primed properly with boiling water and left to sit for 10 minutes will keep soup hot (it will still burn you) for 8 hours, warm up to 12. Pack lots of food the first day - more for the mental aspect since you can't just run out and grab a snack. Plus I don't know how hungry he will get. I am curious how it will go for you all too and what kind of reactions you might have. I think if you keep the carbs up you won't be as fatigued as I am, though I think (hope) this is a 'healing' response for me.
I am treating myself to a massage tomorrow - so excited!
Reflecting on the first week of GAPS I must say I am pretty pleased with the diet. I was bracing myself for the nausea, flu like symptoms, headaches, etc. that I had read other people experience during the first days of intro. My only consistent symptom seems to be the physical exhaustion - and it is not really the kind of 'fall asleep in the middle of the day' fatigue. I am just fine sitting at a desk or on the couch and I don't have problems thinking (except late at night when I am trying to write these posts!), I just have physical exhaustion when standing/moving/walking. Other than the fatigue, I had the headache last Saturday, some muscle cramping, increased thirst, and my skin has broken out. Oh and apparently I have been informed that I have GAPS breath - aka my breath smells like a bunch of vegetables and the smell doesn't go away with brushing or mouthwash. Hmmm...lovely. Though it sounds like a lot it really hasn't been that bad. My stomach has felt great - stomach loves stage 1 intro.
I am planning to try the sweeter vegetables that have given me trouble in the past - i.e. carrots and butternut squash (I have some waiting for me in the freezer) maybe next week. I have been totally fine with onions this past week which was another item I avoided in the past. My guess is I will do just fine with a few pieces, but if I tried to make butternut squash soup that would not go over so well. We will see. I am also excited to eventually try honey. Eating honey is like an instant reaction for me, but I have been doing some reading about how some beekeepers feed their bees sugar water and a large majority of honey is so highly processed that it isn't really honey anymore and I am wondering if a raw, more organic honey would have less of an impact on me. I am excited to try it - eventually.
Oh and another positive note is that I have lost almost 6 lbs this week on the diet. Seems incredibly fast, but I am sure it is the low carbs, plus being satisfied by the soup due to the high fat content that has helped. I have had problems in the past with eating a full meal and still being hungry or never being satisfied with my food - always wanting something else. I am thankfully not experiencing that at all on GAPS. I did expect to lose weight on this diet, for my body to normalize itself a bit since the past couple of months have not been good for the digestion. For me, poor digestion = weight gain. So I am glad the scale is going in the opposite direction.
In fact, in regards to the fat consumption, GAPS is the opposite of every diet I have ever been on and the opposite of what I was taught about fat, especially about animal fat. My weight watchers points would probably through the roof every day given the spoons of 'pate' I put into my soup so it is crazy to think that I have been eating what is seems like such a high fat diet and still having weight loss. We are taught that if you eat fat you get fat, when that is not necessarily the case I guess. Sometimes my soups are so glossy with fat that they look the same glossy way that chocolate looks when it is melted - not quite the same taste though!
Today's Menu
Breakfast: Zucchini Soup with Chicken
Lunch: Zucchini and Broccoli Soup with Hamburger
Dinner: Zucchini and Broccoli Soup with Beef Stew meat + egg yolk, Sauerkraut
Snack: Hamburger and onions
Detox Bath: Baking soda
K - Yes, starting GAPS with 6 straight days of work is probably going to be tough on C. However, I am sure it will be really helpful if you are preparing his food - it is hard to come home and be hungry and feel like you don't have anything to eat immediately. Day one I learned to always have soup defrosting in the fridge or in a saucepan. So C won't have that problem at least. My thermoses - if primed properly with boiling water and left to sit for 10 minutes will keep soup hot (it will still burn you) for 8 hours, warm up to 12. Pack lots of food the first day - more for the mental aspect since you can't just run out and grab a snack. Plus I don't know how hungry he will get. I am curious how it will go for you all too and what kind of reactions you might have. I think if you keep the carbs up you won't be as fatigued as I am, though I think (hope) this is a 'healing' response for me.
I am treating myself to a massage tomorrow - so excited!
Thoughts on Fatigue
It is really interesting reading how Intro is going for you, Emily. I am wondering how things will be for us next week. We have scheduled ourselves to start just when C has to work 6 days in a row coming off a trip from the East Coast ... hmmmm. I really want to make sure he does alright on GAPS so he experiences some benefit and doesn't feel like he has to stop. We have some friends who followed GAPS and one member of the family ate fruit throughout Intro and still received benefit, so I am optimistic. Of course, fatigue is not my favorite thing, but perhaps better than other possibilities!
So I do understand that fatigue can be part of the detox process and also from the switch to low carb. I wonder also if it is just related to the healing process - sleep is when our body restores and rebuilds itself, so it seems normal that if your body was increasing in that capacity you would need more sleep.
I know you are not eating winter squash and carrots yet. When do you plan to add these in? I would think a small amount cooked might be interesting to try.
Reading your posts does encourage me to rethink some of our menu items to be sure to include more winter squash and carrots from the beginning since they seem to be foods we tolerate. I do have a good stash of squash in the pantry and freezer. I suspect I could benefit from leaving them out a while, but might have to go back and deal with that later on my own.
Fats are also supposed to help - the variety of animal fats, coconut oil, egg yolks, etc - so it will be interesting to see what happens when you add more of these in. I have read the more, the merrier and the faster the healing!
So a tricky part of this process to determine if you are having the "healing crisis" or a symptom of something else - learning to pay attention to our body's language or even learning our body's language is part of this. It is interesting how babies and small children are SO good at this - they know when they are thirsty, full, hungry, need to eat less because of illness or more for a growth spurt. And if you are feeding them a healthy, whole foods diet they often balance their meals throughout the day or week. Nursing babies even know which breast they last nursed from! It's hard when you've lost that skill and have to go back to relearn it, but I think it is not too hard to relearn. Our body wants us to.
I saw this post on fatigue while on GAPS and thought it had some food for thought!
http://nourishedandnurtured.blogspot.com/2012/01/troubleshooting-energy-problems-while.html
So I do understand that fatigue can be part of the detox process and also from the switch to low carb. I wonder also if it is just related to the healing process - sleep is when our body restores and rebuilds itself, so it seems normal that if your body was increasing in that capacity you would need more sleep.
I know you are not eating winter squash and carrots yet. When do you plan to add these in? I would think a small amount cooked might be interesting to try.
Reading your posts does encourage me to rethink some of our menu items to be sure to include more winter squash and carrots from the beginning since they seem to be foods we tolerate. I do have a good stash of squash in the pantry and freezer. I suspect I could benefit from leaving them out a while, but might have to go back and deal with that later on my own.
Fats are also supposed to help - the variety of animal fats, coconut oil, egg yolks, etc - so it will be interesting to see what happens when you add more of these in. I have read the more, the merrier and the faster the healing!
So a tricky part of this process to determine if you are having the "healing crisis" or a symptom of something else - learning to pay attention to our body's language or even learning our body's language is part of this. It is interesting how babies and small children are SO good at this - they know when they are thirsty, full, hungry, need to eat less because of illness or more for a growth spurt. And if you are feeding them a healthy, whole foods diet they often balance their meals throughout the day or week. Nursing babies even know which breast they last nursed from! It's hard when you've lost that skill and have to go back to relearn it, but I think it is not too hard to relearn. Our body wants us to.
I saw this post on fatigue while on GAPS and thought it had some food for thought!
http://nourishedandnurtured.blogspot.com/2012/01/troubleshooting-energy-problems-while.html
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