You know how I was so excited for my gluten-free oats to come? Well, guess what? Stomach pain. It's not terrible, but enough that I know it's irritated. I've thought about writing posts a few times this past few weeks after different foods cause me stomach pain. The oats- dark chocolate- soy sauce (DUH- I forgot it has WHEAT in it!)- and more that I can't think of right now.
I'm glad that I can tell when food is affecting me. My stomach is saying "enough is enough", and I really need to soothe it and let it heal. I went back and looked at the foods that are acceptable on GAPS. I've been on a more restricted diet long enough that it doesn't seem that overwhelming to me. Here is a description of the foods allowed (taken from the GAPS diet website):
The best foods are eggs (if tolerated), fresh meats (not preserved), fish, shellfish, fresh vegetables and fruit, nuts and seeds, garlic and olive oil. Apart from eating vegetables cooked, it is important to have some raw vegetables with meals, as they contain vital enzymes to assist digestion of the meats. Fruit should be eaten on their own, not with meals, as they have a very different digestion pattern and can make the work harder for the stomach. Fruit should be given as a snack between meals.
It is very important to have plenty of natural fats in every meal from meats, butter, ghee, coconut (if tolerated) and cold pressed olive oil. Animal fats on meats are particularly valuable. Fermented foods (sauerkraut, yogurt, and kefir) are also a very important part of this diet in addition to homemade meat or fish stock. It is recommended to take a cup of warm meat or fish stock with every meal as a drink as well as soups and stews made with the meat or fish stock. The stock, kefir and fermented vegetables will over time restore the stomach acid production, which will improve digestion.
It is best to avoid processed foods (any packet or tinned foods). They are stripped from most nutrients that were present in the fresh ingredients used for making these foods. They are a hard work for the digestive system and they damage the healthy gut flora balance. On top of that they usually contain a lot of artificial chemicals, detrimental to health, like preservatives, colorants, etc. Try to buy foods in the form that nature made them, as fresh as possible.
Notice there are NO grains listed? Yeah, NO grains. The last time I did it I did allow myself Buckwheat, Quinoa, and brown rice. Nope. Not this time. I'm planning (HOPING) to follow this strictly. I just really hope that it won't mess up my running schedule. I found a new running group that I'm running with on Mon/Wed/Fri, and I LOVE it. LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I can't even tell you. I've been wanting to find an early A.M. running group for so long, and they're about my pace. We do 4-5 miles each time, which is perfect. I hope that when I get rid of all grains it doesn't mess up my energy. I started to do the Intro to GAPS diet back in October, but gave up after a few weeks. I got really nervous because I was losing a lot of hair. I went to a GAPS meeting last night at a local health food store called Real Foods. A lady named Melissa Washburn presented info about GAPS. She and her family have being doing GAPS for 2 years! It was great to light the fire under me again, and get me excited to try it again. I'm still debating on doing the GAP Intro, or just starting off with the regular GAPS that is more lenient. I think with the stomach pain when eating and the food sensitivities that I need the Intro.
Now the biggest question for myself: Am I ready to tackle this with my family? I think it would benefit all of us. I'm going to research a bit more & see if I can find others with large families and/or older kids, and see how they approached it. It would my life easier in that I wouldn't be preparing 2 separate meals. On the down side I'd have to win the battle with my kids, and try and help the see why it is so important. Hmmmm. A lot to think about. I'm for sure going to start it for myself the first week of February. I think Jimmy will want to do it with me, even if I don't tackle it with the kids.
Showing posts with label GAPS Intro diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GAPS Intro diet. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Intro to GAPS diet- Day 5
This afternoon I had a bit of a GAPS Intro melt down. I got REALLY anxious, which is something I haven't felt since the first few weeks that I cut out sugar, back in early August. I was serving Bekah an almond power bar that I made yesterday for the family, and I suddenly lost it. I HAD to have it, and decided that it was okay since everything in the bar was still in the regular GAPS diet. I didn't stop myself. I wasn't sure if I'd have a reaction or anything, but it really calmed me down.
Now to figure out why I was feeling like that. I think it is because I ran 6 miles this morning, and then for breakfast I had onion soup, and for lunch I had carrot/cauliflower/onion soup. Maybe not enough calories & my body suddenly freaked out?
Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, the author of GAPS, wrote an excellent article titled One Man's Meat is Another Man's Poison, and I strongly recommend that you read it! Here are a few excerpts that make me think of what happened to me today:
Now to figure out why I was feeling like that. I think it is because I ran 6 miles this morning, and then for breakfast I had onion soup, and for lunch I had carrot/cauliflower/onion soup. Maybe not enough calories & my body suddenly freaked out?
Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, the author of GAPS, wrote an excellent article titled One Man's Meat is Another Man's Poison, and I strongly recommend that you read it! Here are a few excerpts that make me think of what happened to me today:
Depending on what your body is doing at the time, depending on the season of the year, on the weather and the level of stress you are under, your body can switch between different ways of energy production: using glucose for example or using fats. Only your body knows what is appropriate at any particular moment of your existence, and it requires very different nutrients for different patterns of energy production.
***
No matter how clever we think we are, we cannot calculate how much salt or water we should consume at any given time: only your body knows that, and it has excellent ways of telling you what it needs – thirst for water, desire for salt or any particular food, which may have the right mineral composition. Make no mistake, your body knows the nutrient composition of foods on this planet.
These are just a few factors to demonstrate to you that no laboratory, no clever doctor or scientist and no clever book can calculate for you what you should be eating at 8am, or 1pm, or 6pm or in between. Only your body has the unsurpassed intelligence to figure out what it needs at any given moment of your life, as your nutritional needs change all the time: every minute, every hour and every day.
***
So rather than feeling guilty for eating outside of my GAPS Intro diet, I'm going to trust my body, and know that what I did was okay. I love that I'm getting in tune enough with what I'm eating that I can know that what my body is craving is okay, not just an addiction to sugar or wheat and craving a bunch of garbage. (BTW- The only reaction I had after eating the almond bar was the backs of my knees itching a bit, but it wasn't bad).
Tomorrow I enter STAGE 2! I get to add fresh herbs, fermented vegetables (I've only been doing sauerkraut juice up to this point), fermented fish (? I'm not even sure what this is?), and egg yolks.
Intro to GAPS diet- Day 4
I wasn't going to post about Day 4, because it's all pretty standard now. I'm eating lots of boiled meats, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, and butternut squash. But I just remembered the soup I ate last night, and it was really good, so I've got to post about it (& I'll do another post for Day 5).
The soup from last night is Meatball and Broccoli Soup (SOURCE). I made a few changes to it that were really good.
On Thursday I made some fish broth by boiling a whole tilapia for 8 hours. I could only find a farmed whole fish at the store, so I hope I'm not doing more damage than good.
I took the fish out, salvaged what meat I could (it was a tiny amount for how big a fish it was- a few bites worth), and then strained the broth into some quart jars. When Jimmy saw this he asked if I even felt one tiny inkling that this was a bit.... weird. I just smiled.
For the beef/broccoli soup I used 2 quarts of beef broth, 1 quart of water, and 1 cup of fish broth. I added about a pound of broccoli, and ten meatballs, and let it simmer for about a half hour. I removed the meatballs, added a couple cloves of garlic, and then blended it nice & smooth. It was a lovely green color- reminded me of split pea soup. When dishing it up I added back the meatballs, and sprinkled it with salt and pepper.
It was so good! The fish broth gave it an interesting tang, but not too strong. Jimmy didn't even guess the fish broth was in it. I give this soup 5 stars out of 5.
The soup from last night is Meatball and Broccoli Soup (SOURCE). I made a few changes to it that were really good.
On Thursday I made some fish broth by boiling a whole tilapia for 8 hours. I could only find a farmed whole fish at the store, so I hope I'm not doing more damage than good.
I took the fish out, salvaged what meat I could (it was a tiny amount for how big a fish it was- a few bites worth), and then strained the broth into some quart jars. When Jimmy saw this he asked if I even felt one tiny inkling that this was a bit.... weird. I just smiled.
For the beef/broccoli soup I used 2 quarts of beef broth, 1 quart of water, and 1 cup of fish broth. I added about a pound of broccoli, and ten meatballs, and let it simmer for about a half hour. I removed the meatballs, added a couple cloves of garlic, and then blended it nice & smooth. It was a lovely green color- reminded me of split pea soup. When dishing it up I added back the meatballs, and sprinkled it with salt and pepper.
It was so good! The fish broth gave it an interesting tang, but not too strong. Jimmy didn't even guess the fish broth was in it. I give this soup 5 stars out of 5.
Friday, October 28, 2011
The Dreaded Detox Bath
In my "What Can I Eat Now- 30 Days on the Intro to GAPS Diet" e-book (sample HERE) it says that I should be doing one detox bath a day. First of all, I had never heard of a detox bath before this program, and second of all, we have one bath tub in our home, and it's one of those small ones that I don't really find relaxing. When I think of a relaxing bath, I think of a nice big soaking tub in a beautiful setting. Maybe something like this:
.
I know, I know- I need to be grateful for what I have. I have visited other countries where a bathroom is a luxury, not to mention indoor plumbing. I need to remind myself that as I'm having a hard time finding the motivation to take this step.
I've come this far, though, that I should be doing everything I can to get the results I want, right? So I decided that today I'm going to read about detox baths and try and work that into my schedule at least 4-5 times a week. Maybe up to 7- we'll see! Maybe I'll begin to love it and wonder how I ever lived without it.
Here's a web page from wikihow.com on detox baths: Detox Bath. This has already made me more excited to try it. Interesting point from the post: Your skin is known as the third kidney, and toxins are excreted through sweating. A detox bath will assist your body in eliminating toxins, as well as absorbing the minerals and nutrients that are in the water.
In the e-book it says:
Detox Baths Detox baths are a part of the GAPS intro (and continuing) protocol. You will alternate between seaweed, Epsom salt, apple cider vinegar, and baking soda.
Each day along with the menu it tells you which kind of detox bath to take. Today my detox bath is supposed to have seaweed powder, something I don't have. I think for now I'll start off basic with Epsom salt, vinegar, and baking soda. I had never cared to know what Epsom salt is made of until a few minutes ago: MAGNESIUM sulphate. Hmmm. Think that might help my possible magesium problem?
OK- wish me luck. I'll start this tonight. (I know- torture to have to set aside half an hour a day to soak and relax, right?)
Have any tips on detox baths? I'd love to hear them.
.
I know, I know- I need to be grateful for what I have. I have visited other countries where a bathroom is a luxury, not to mention indoor plumbing. I need to remind myself that as I'm having a hard time finding the motivation to take this step.
I've come this far, though, that I should be doing everything I can to get the results I want, right? So I decided that today I'm going to read about detox baths and try and work that into my schedule at least 4-5 times a week. Maybe up to 7- we'll see! Maybe I'll begin to love it and wonder how I ever lived without it.
Here's a web page from wikihow.com on detox baths: Detox Bath. This has already made me more excited to try it. Interesting point from the post: Your skin is known as the third kidney, and toxins are excreted through sweating. A detox bath will assist your body in eliminating toxins, as well as absorbing the minerals and nutrients that are in the water.
In the e-book it says:
Detox Baths Detox baths are a part of the GAPS intro (and continuing) protocol. You will alternate between seaweed, Epsom salt, apple cider vinegar, and baking soda.
Each day along with the menu it tells you which kind of detox bath to take. Today my detox bath is supposed to have seaweed powder, something I don't have. I think for now I'll start off basic with Epsom salt, vinegar, and baking soda. I had never cared to know what Epsom salt is made of until a few minutes ago: MAGNESIUM sulphate. Hmmm. Think that might help my possible magesium problem?
OK- wish me luck. I'll start this tonight. (I know- torture to have to set aside half an hour a day to soak and relax, right?)
Have any tips on detox baths? I'd love to hear them.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Intro to GAPS diet- Day 3
Ahhhhhh. Much better. I know that I was experiencing some die-off symptoms yesterday, but I'm feeling much better today!
Yesterday I felt a little nauseous and had a headache (mainly in the morning, but no, I'm not pregnant!). Thankfully that wore off once I had lunch. Maybe it was that yucky onion soup for breakfast. I ended up putting the onion broth/onions in my blender and pureeing into more of a creamy soup. It still wasn't my favorite, but a lot better than eating the onions sliced in the broth.
In the evening yesterday I suddenly started having symptoms like I was getting a cold- stuffy nose, my throat feeling itchy/funny, and sneezing. I have felt that before over the last few months, and it was always quite sudden, but went away quickly, too.
Here are common die-off symptoms (the ones I'm experiencing/have experienced in red):
Fatigue, brain fog, gastro-intestinal distress such as nausea (not any more), gas, bloating, diarrhea or constipation, low grade fever, headache, sore throat (slight), body itch (behind the knees! I thought it was a reaction to something I was eating, but couldn't figure out what), muscle and / or joint soreness or pain, feeling as if coming down with a flu (slight- not so bad) .
When you do a candida cleanse everything I've read says it isn't good if you have a big die-off all and once and feel horrible. I feel like I've got a pretty good balance here, because I'm having enough symptoms to know it's working, but nothing too bad.
One of the biggest changes today is how mentally clear I feel! There is a distinct difference! The last few days I have been VERY spacey- answering questions wrong, saying the wrong words when I'm trying to say something- in a BRAIN FOG (another die-off symptom). It's hard to describe unless you've had it happen before. It's a step past "dumb blond".
I have read that when you first start GAPS or a candida diet some of the symptoms you were having in the first place get worse before they get better. I was hoping that because I had cut out simple sugars and most fruit for a few months that I wouldn't experience die-off symptoms as bad, but I can see that there is more work to do!
Today's Menu:
Boiled roast beef (with leftover butternut and onion soup from yesterday)
Creamy Cauliflower (with butter and lamb tallow - I'll use chicken fat instead of the tallow)
Crock pot Onions (I'll use the leftover from yesterday)
Mashed Carrots (boiled an hour, then mashed & adding garlic and chicken fat).
Sauerkraut Juice (!) (I get to introduce sauerkraut juice- 1 tsp! Thankfully I like it. It's supposed to be homemade, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. It's on my to do list. For now I'm using pricey fancy sauerkraut from the health food store).
Yesterday I felt a little nauseous and had a headache (mainly in the morning, but no, I'm not pregnant!). Thankfully that wore off once I had lunch. Maybe it was that yucky onion soup for breakfast. I ended up putting the onion broth/onions in my blender and pureeing into more of a creamy soup. It still wasn't my favorite, but a lot better than eating the onions sliced in the broth.
In the evening yesterday I suddenly started having symptoms like I was getting a cold- stuffy nose, my throat feeling itchy/funny, and sneezing. I have felt that before over the last few months, and it was always quite sudden, but went away quickly, too.
Here are common die-off symptoms (the ones I'm experiencing/have experienced in red):
Fatigue, brain fog, gastro-intestinal distress such as nausea (not any more), gas, bloating, diarrhea or constipation, low grade fever, headache, sore throat (slight), body itch (behind the knees! I thought it was a reaction to something I was eating, but couldn't figure out what), muscle and / or joint soreness or pain, feeling as if coming down with a flu (slight- not so bad) .
When you do a candida cleanse everything I've read says it isn't good if you have a big die-off all and once and feel horrible. I feel like I've got a pretty good balance here, because I'm having enough symptoms to know it's working, but nothing too bad.
One of the biggest changes today is how mentally clear I feel! There is a distinct difference! The last few days I have been VERY spacey- answering questions wrong, saying the wrong words when I'm trying to say something- in a BRAIN FOG (another die-off symptom). It's hard to describe unless you've had it happen before. It's a step past "dumb blond".
I have read that when you first start GAPS or a candida diet some of the symptoms you were having in the first place get worse before they get better. I was hoping that because I had cut out simple sugars and most fruit for a few months that I wouldn't experience die-off symptoms as bad, but I can see that there is more work to do!
Today's Menu:
Boiled roast beef (with leftover butternut and onion soup from yesterday)
Creamy Cauliflower (with butter and lamb tallow - I'll use chicken fat instead of the tallow)
Crock pot Onions (I'll use the leftover from yesterday)
Mashed Carrots (boiled an hour, then mashed & adding garlic and chicken fat).
Sauerkraut Juice (!) (I get to introduce sauerkraut juice- 1 tsp! Thankfully I like it. It's supposed to be homemade, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. It's on my to do list. For now I'm using pricey fancy sauerkraut from the health food store).
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Intro to GAPS diet- Day 2
Bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh.
I feel crappy right now. Yuck. The detox effect has kicked in, and I feel nauseous and a bit shaky.
It doesn't help that the soup I ate this morning is yucky. It is onion and leek soup.
It smells really good, but it tastes like nothing- a huge disappointment after yesterday's amazing Intro butternut squash soup. And it doesn't help that I made pumpkin oatmeal (with pumpkin pie spices and raisins) for my kids. It smells SOOOOOO good.
Recipe:
Onion Leek Soup
2 quarts stock
1 quart water
5 onions, sliced
4 leeks, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon sea salt (or to taste)
Simmer everything for one hour or overnight on low in the crock pot. (source) *
My menu for today:
Onion Leek Soup
Meat Patties (you form hamburger into patties, cook in chicken broth with carrots and cauliflower added, remove when done then blend broth & veggies into sauce to pour over burgers- this sounds good)
Squash chunks
Meat strips (boiled roast beef)
Another challenge that I'm facing right now is the MICROWAVE. You're not supposed to use it on GAPS. They say it destroys the nutrients. Grooooaaannnn. I'm realizing now how much I depend on it (I'm using it right now to thaw my hamburger). This diet will really test me on my planning ahead skills, which aren't the greatest right now.
*All recipes I post for the Intro to GAPS diet are taken from the e-book "What Can I Eat Now- 30 Days on the GAPS Intro Diet" from www.homehealthhappy.com.
I feel crappy right now. Yuck. The detox effect has kicked in, and I feel nauseous and a bit shaky.
It doesn't help that the soup I ate this morning is yucky. It is onion and leek soup.
It smells really good, but it tastes like nothing- a huge disappointment after yesterday's amazing Intro butternut squash soup. And it doesn't help that I made pumpkin oatmeal (with pumpkin pie spices and raisins) for my kids. It smells SOOOOOO good.
Recipe:
Onion Leek Soup
2 quarts stock
1 quart water
5 onions, sliced
4 leeks, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon sea salt (or to taste)
Simmer everything for one hour or overnight on low in the crock pot. (source) *
My menu for today:
Onion Leek Soup
Meat Patties (you form hamburger into patties, cook in chicken broth with carrots and cauliflower added, remove when done then blend broth & veggies into sauce to pour over burgers- this sounds good)
Squash chunks
Meat strips (boiled roast beef)
Another challenge that I'm facing right now is the MICROWAVE. You're not supposed to use it on GAPS. They say it destroys the nutrients. Grooooaaannnn. I'm realizing now how much I depend on it (I'm using it right now to thaw my hamburger). This diet will really test me on my planning ahead skills, which aren't the greatest right now.
*All recipes I post for the Intro to GAPS diet are taken from the e-book "What Can I Eat Now- 30 Days on the GAPS Intro Diet" from www.homehealthhappy.com.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Intro to GAPS diet- Day 1
Yes, I did it. I took the plunge! I'm on day 1 of my Intro to GAPS diet. For those of you who have never heard of GAPS, it stands for Gut and Psychology Syndrome. I describe the Intro to GAPS diet more HERE. The purpose of doing GAPS is to help heal the gut, which will prevent toxins and other unwanted things from entering the bloodstream and causing all sorts of problems (GAPS basic info HERE).
I ordered a 30-day meal plan for my GAPS Intro diet from http://www.healthhomehappy.com/, and I'm really glad to have found something all laid out for me to use. The diet is a HUGE change, and this takes helps make it less overwhelming. HERE is a sample of the meal plan I'm following. It's great because it tells you what cooking equipment you'll need, gives you a shopping list, and even tells you what to tell friends, family, and others about your diet (because people will think you're crazy!).
I made my chicken broth yesterday, and had one huge pot taking two burners, and then two other pots on the stove the entire day. It smelled really good, but I wasn't so sure how it would taste. I didn't know if I diluted it too much. Last night I put the broth into jars, and I ended up with a lot!
This should last me quite a while! I used the plastic container of broth today for my butternut squash soup (probably not BPA free... I ran out of jars, though!). I'm going to freeze most of it, and left extra room at the top of the jars for it to expand in the freezer.
My menu for today (any order): Intro Butternut Squash Soup, Boiled Broccoli, Sweet Onions, Chicken Meat with Soup.
I made the butternut squash soup this morning by simmering 4 cups of butternut squash in 2 qts of chicken broth and 1 qt of water. I also added one tablespoon of Real salt.
It didn't look very good at first, but when the squash was soft I blended the soup up in my Vitamix, and it looked creamy and smooth.
It was a bit thin, but when I took a bite..... Heavenly! SO GOOD. Unbelievably good. I am surprised that something so simple could be so good. If everything I eat the next month tastes so good I shouldn't have any trouble. You can do anything for a month, right?
And remember, this diet has six stages. In this first stage the diet is very basic, and then we add more & more variety at each stage change. If all goes well I'll be on each stage for 3-4 days.
I decided to wait on the magnesium. I read a blog post where someone was supplementing on magnesium and had a crazy reaction to it- they got so tired they had to immediately go to bed & they were groggy and incoherent. I decided to wait until dinner, closer to bed time. But then I read somewhere else that magnesium can mess with your sleep, so not to take it after 5 pm until you know how it will affect you. That made me nervous, so I think I'll wait for a while. On this GAPS intro all my foods are soft anyway, so it won't be an issue for me.
One thing I haven't found any information on is if there is anything wrong with heavy exercise while you're doing this program. I'll have to play it by ear. If I start feeling too wiped out I might have to ease off on the strength training for awhile.
I ordered a 30-day meal plan for my GAPS Intro diet from http://www.healthhomehappy.com/, and I'm really glad to have found something all laid out for me to use. The diet is a HUGE change, and this takes helps make it less overwhelming. HERE is a sample of the meal plan I'm following. It's great because it tells you what cooking equipment you'll need, gives you a shopping list, and even tells you what to tell friends, family, and others about your diet (because people will think you're crazy!).
I made my chicken broth yesterday, and had one huge pot taking two burners, and then two other pots on the stove the entire day. It smelled really good, but I wasn't so sure how it would taste. I didn't know if I diluted it too much. Last night I put the broth into jars, and I ended up with a lot!
This should last me quite a while! I used the plastic container of broth today for my butternut squash soup (probably not BPA free... I ran out of jars, though!). I'm going to freeze most of it, and left extra room at the top of the jars for it to expand in the freezer.
My menu for today (any order): Intro Butternut Squash Soup, Boiled Broccoli, Sweet Onions, Chicken Meat with Soup.
I made the butternut squash soup this morning by simmering 4 cups of butternut squash in 2 qts of chicken broth and 1 qt of water. I also added one tablespoon of Real salt.
It didn't look very good at first, but when the squash was soft I blended the soup up in my Vitamix, and it looked creamy and smooth.
It was a bit thin, but when I took a bite..... Heavenly! SO GOOD. Unbelievably good. I am surprised that something so simple could be so good. If everything I eat the next month tastes so good I shouldn't have any trouble. You can do anything for a month, right?
And remember, this diet has six stages. In this first stage the diet is very basic, and then we add more & more variety at each stage change. If all goes well I'll be on each stage for 3-4 days.
I decided to wait on the magnesium. I read a blog post where someone was supplementing on magnesium and had a crazy reaction to it- they got so tired they had to immediately go to bed & they were groggy and incoherent. I decided to wait until dinner, closer to bed time. But then I read somewhere else that magnesium can mess with your sleep, so not to take it after 5 pm until you know how it will affect you. That made me nervous, so I think I'll wait for a while. On this GAPS intro all my foods are soft anyway, so it won't be an issue for me.
One thing I haven't found any information on is if there is anything wrong with heavy exercise while you're doing this program. I'll have to play it by ear. If I start feeling too wiped out I might have to ease off on the strength training for awhile.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Enough Planning Already. Tomorrow I Start the Intro to GAPS Diet.
I've gone to Costco. I've gone to the grocery store. I've cooked four chickens. I'm just about ready to take the plunge & start Intro to GAPS.
I was going to start today, but I simply wasn't ready. I didn't want to do all the finish-up prep work on Sunday, so today's my gett'er done day.
Things I still need to do:
Make my chicken broth. I'm boiling the chicken carcasses (read POST here) for 8 hours, straining the liquid, and then I should have lots of great broth, which you should have with every meal for the next 30-days. I have no idea how much broth I'll end up with, but hopefully it's enough for a few weeks. I'll freeze some of it so that it will last.
Buy at least 2 lbs of fish, including scales & bones. We'll see what my local grocery has.
Buy at least 2 lbs of meat bones. I have NO idea if they have what I need. I might have to purchase my meats online in the future. My plan B until that happens? Beef broth from the store if I can find some with out MSG, and one that has lower salt.
Make onion broth.
Buy a large strainer. I'll probably use my colander until I can buy one.
I should be ready by tomorrow. I went and bought some liquid magnesium, by the way. We'll see if I notice any difference by tomorrow.
*****
A great blog, The Healthy Home Economist, is having "Monday Mania" where people from various blogs list a link for interesting blog posts. I've found some neat things there, and put a link of my own this week (#58). Check it out!
I was going to start today, but I simply wasn't ready. I didn't want to do all the finish-up prep work on Sunday, so today's my gett'er done day.
Things I still need to do:
Make my chicken broth. I'm boiling the chicken carcasses (read POST here) for 8 hours, straining the liquid, and then I should have lots of great broth, which you should have with every meal for the next 30-days. I have no idea how much broth I'll end up with, but hopefully it's enough for a few weeks. I'll freeze some of it so that it will last.
Buy at least 2 lbs of fish, including scales & bones. We'll see what my local grocery has.
Buy at least 2 lbs of meat bones. I have NO idea if they have what I need. I might have to purchase my meats online in the future. My plan B until that happens? Beef broth from the store if I can find some with out MSG, and one that has lower salt.
Make onion broth.
Buy a large strainer. I'll probably use my colander until I can buy one.
I should be ready by tomorrow. I went and bought some liquid magnesium, by the way. We'll see if I notice any difference by tomorrow.
*****
A great blog, The Healthy Home Economist, is having "Monday Mania" where people from various blogs list a link for interesting blog posts. I've found some neat things there, and put a link of my own this week (#58). Check it out!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Intro to GAPS diet- here I come!
First, I need to say that my family had CHILI tonight! I was a bit nervous about it, but all went well (no, I didn't tell them what was in it. More about that another time).
I ordered the book Gut and Psychology Syndrome: Natural treatment for Dyspraxia, autism, A.D.D., Dyslexia, ADHD, depression, schizophrenia, by Dr. Natasha Campbell-Mcbride MD, MMedSci(neuroloty), MMedSci (nutrition), and it came last week. I've spent every spare minute reading it!
It's obvious to me that I need to get down to the nitty gritty and do the Intro to GAPS diet. It is even stricter that what I've been doing so far, and Jimmy thinks I'm crazy. But the more I study, the more convinced I am that this is what I need to do. The Intro to GAPS diet is designed to heal and seal the gut lining quickly. It's for those who have serious digestive symptoms: reflux, diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, severe constipation, etc. I don't have any of those, but then the author also says that those with food allergies should do it, too.
You can move through the program as fast or slow as the symptoms will permit. I think that I'll be able to move quickly, and if not, then that will show me that I really needed the healing! There are six stages, and you add a little more and more at each stage.
In stage 1 you start off having homemade meat or fish stock, homemade soup with the meat stock & veggies, and probiotic foods like fermented veggies, whey, sour cream, yogurt, and kefir.
In stage 2 you have the above and add raw organic egg yolks to the broth, plus stews and casseroles made with meats and vegetables (no spices, just salt), and GHEE. What is ghee, you might ask? (I had never even heard of this a month ago!) It's a type of clarified butter. What is clarified butter, you might ask? (nope- I hadn't heard of it!). Clarified butter is milk fat rendered from butter to separate the milk solids and water from the butterfat. Clear as mud? Yeah, to me, too.
Stage 3- Previous foods plus add ripe avocado, nut butter/egg/winter squash pancake, scrambled eggs, sauerkraut & fermented veggies.
Stage 4- Previous foods plus roasted and grilled meats, cold-pressed olive oil, fresh pressed juices, starting with carrot juice, and nut flour bread.
Stage 5- Previous foods plus cooked apples, honey, raw vegetables
Stage 6 Previous foods, plus raw fruit, baked sweet things (using dried fruit as a sweetener)
Now that I've eaten the way I have for two and a half months now, the thought of doing this diet doesn't overwhelm me as much. I'm 2/3rds of the way there, anyway. My family IS NOT going to do it with me. I know that from just doing this week and a half trying to do some of the regular GAPS diet with them. I'll still cross my fingers that down the road they'll have a change of heart. I still plan on having them eat ultra healthy, though. Just not quite as strict as GAPS is.
Of course I'm still in the planning phase of the GAPS Intro diet, so I won't start it immediately. But, the sooner the better to stay away from the holidays.
I ordered the book Gut and Psychology Syndrome: Natural treatment for Dyspraxia, autism, A.D.D., Dyslexia, ADHD, depression, schizophrenia, by Dr. Natasha Campbell-Mcbride MD, MMedSci(neuroloty), MMedSci (nutrition), and it came last week. I've spent every spare minute reading it!
You can move through the program as fast or slow as the symptoms will permit. I think that I'll be able to move quickly, and if not, then that will show me that I really needed the healing! There are six stages, and you add a little more and more at each stage.
In stage 1 you start off having homemade meat or fish stock, homemade soup with the meat stock & veggies, and probiotic foods like fermented veggies, whey, sour cream, yogurt, and kefir.
In stage 2 you have the above and add raw organic egg yolks to the broth, plus stews and casseroles made with meats and vegetables (no spices, just salt), and GHEE. What is ghee, you might ask? (I had never even heard of this a month ago!) It's a type of clarified butter. What is clarified butter, you might ask? (nope- I hadn't heard of it!). Clarified butter is milk fat rendered from butter to separate the milk solids and water from the butterfat. Clear as mud? Yeah, to me, too.
Stage 3- Previous foods plus add ripe avocado, nut butter/egg/winter squash pancake, scrambled eggs, sauerkraut & fermented veggies.
Stage 4- Previous foods plus roasted and grilled meats, cold-pressed olive oil, fresh pressed juices, starting with carrot juice, and nut flour bread.
Stage 5- Previous foods plus cooked apples, honey, raw vegetables
Stage 6 Previous foods, plus raw fruit, baked sweet things (using dried fruit as a sweetener)
Now that I've eaten the way I have for two and a half months now, the thought of doing this diet doesn't overwhelm me as much. I'm 2/3rds of the way there, anyway. My family IS NOT going to do it with me. I know that from just doing this week and a half trying to do some of the regular GAPS diet with them. I'll still cross my fingers that down the road they'll have a change of heart. I still plan on having them eat ultra healthy, though. Just not quite as strict as GAPS is.
Of course I'm still in the planning phase of the GAPS Intro diet, so I won't start it immediately. But, the sooner the better to stay away from the holidays.
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