Category Archives: GAPS Diet

GAPS for Beginners Series: The GAPS Introduction Diet

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Meghan Slocum • 15 Comments

This is the last scheduled post in my GAPS for Beginners Series. I may, however, add more posts at a later date if I think they’re warranted. Is there anything I’ve missed that you’d like me to cover? Or do you have any other questions? I’m happy to answer.

Today I want to spend a little bit of time talking about the GAPS introduction diet. (Or intro, for short.) I’ve left this until the end because I feel that reading about the introduction diet can be really overwhelming when you’re first learning about GAPS. The prospect of doing the introduction diet may even be enough to keep you from doing GAPS altogether.…

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GAPS for Beginners Series: Dairy

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Meghan Slocum • 12 Comments

I briefly mentioned dairy in my post about modifying your diet for GAPS. I think it deserves a bit more attention, however, since dairy can be a confusing part of the GAPS protocol. Unlike grains and starches, whether or not you can eat dairy depends on how it’s been produced – specifically whether or not it’s been fermented. To complicate matters further, that fermentation process must be competed for a set amount of time, depending on the type of dairy product in question.

Lactose

The reason that only some dairy products are allowed on GAPS is because of lactose content.…

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GAPS for Beginners Series: Juicing

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Meghan Slocum • 5 Comments

Like detox baths, juicing also helps detoxify the body and is thus an integral part of the GAPS program. Juicing is beneficial because juices are fiber-free, meaning that your body is able to absorb the nutrients from the fruits and vegetables much more quickly than normal. Juicing also provides a concentrated source of nutrients, since you can consume far more fruits and veggies in juice form than you would ever be able to eat whole. We do, of course, still eat whole fruits and vegetables on GAPS, but juicing provides the body with an additional source of nourishment.

My Experience with Juicing

I have to admit that I have not been very good at juicing regularly.…

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GAPS for Beginners Series: Detox Baths

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Meghan Slocum • 0 Comments


Image by Fleur Suijten

Detoxification is an important part of the GAPS program. In addition to reducing the amount of toxins we encounter daily, while on GAPS we also need to remove old toxins that have accumulated in our bodies. Detox baths are one method of assisting detoxification.

Detox baths help draw out toxins through the skin. To achieve detoxification you need to add a detox aid to your bath, such as apple cider vinegar, Epsom salts, sea salts or baking soda. 1 cup of the detox aid is usually a good amount, although feel free to experiment to see what’s right for you.…

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GAPS for Beginners Series: Supplements on GAPS

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Meghan Slocum • 15 Comments

While the GAPS protocol mainly focuses on healing the body through food, Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride (or NCM, as I like to call her) does recommend a few supplements for GAPS people. If you’re considering GAPS, it’s worth taking a look at these supplements and pondering whether you would like to include them in your own healing program.

Commercial Probiotics

NCM recommends that all GAPS people take a commercial, therapeutic strength probiotic during their time on the GAPS diet. High-quality commercial probiotics contain a great variety of beneficial strains that will attack your bad bacteria and help reestablish healthy gut bacteria. Commercial probiotics are not a substitute for fermented foods, but they do augment the good bacteria that you receive from your food sources.…

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