Our GAPS Intro Menu: part 2

brothcuptitle(Did you miss part 1?)

By the time we hit stage 4 or 5 of the GAPS Introduction diet things got blurry and began to run together.  We found it became harder to stick to a designated stage, and everyone tolerated things so differently that we were jumping around and adjusting for each individual.  We were backing up if needed, or moving forward if we could.  In spite of how it sounds, things truly became a lot easier to manage by stage 3.

For stages 2 and 3 we ate a lot of eggs.  And still do.  I can’t speak to an egg-free GAPS because we have not had to be egg free.  That sounds hard.

We also have been eating a lot of dairy.  We are a family of four and are going through about 4 gallons of milk a week for just our yogurt and whey needs.   The fact that we are all eating dairy is quite the miracle.  I have heard it said that a dairy allergy is probably the easiest to heal.   I was hopeful since I have been unable to tolerate dairy without intestinal or skin issue for at least a decade.  My dairy issues did not resolve with Full GAPS.  After starting intro. I was eating ghee, butter and yogurt in less than 2 weeks.

Ellie was also diagnosed with a very severe intestinal allergy to dairy (FPIES).  She eats at least 1/2 cup of homemade yogurt every day now.  And Big Sis had a dairy allergy prior to GAPS.  Hers too was gone within 2 weeks.  Allergies healed.  Totally controversial in the allergy world.  I love it.

Did I mention we went through a lot of eggs?

Did I mention we went through a lot of eggs?

And on with the rest of our menu.

By day 8 it was Stage 2 for Hubby and Big Sis.  Low carb stage 2 for me with GAPS milkshakes and butter/honey mix to get through the day.  Snacks were primarily gummies and leftover meals until we got moving more on stage 3.  We also added garlic whenever we could.  Every meal got broth and sauerkraut.

Day 8:
Breakfast:
Hubby – soup for all day at work
Big Sis – 2 tbsp. yogurt, 3 poached eggs
Me – 2 swigs of a GAPS milkshake resulting in massive, double-me-over liver pain (Or gall bladder pain. Or colon pain. Or who cares. It hurt!), 2 poached eggs
Snack and Lunch:
– Leftover chicken soup
Afternoon Snack for me:
– GAPS Milkshake
Dinner:
– spaghetti squash and beef casserole from 30-day GAPS intro e-book
Bedtime snack:
– yogurt and eggs

Day 9:
Breakfast:
-poached eggs, yogurt, and GAPS Milkshake for me
Lunch:
– egg drop soup
Afternoon Snack for me:
– GAPS Milkshake (By this time I was feeling better and pain was disappearing)
Dinner:
– Covered chicken, broccoli, onion and turnip with broth and baked in the oven until done.  Seasonings were garlic, salt and pepper.

Day 10:
Started Fermented Cod Liver Oil.  Made ghee, sour cream, and yogurt.

Breakfast:
-poached eggs, yogurt, and GAPS Milkshake for me
Lunch:
– meatball soup
Afternoon Snack for me:
– GAPS Milkshake
Dinner:
– more meatball soup (It’s all good.  My family really loves meatball soup.)

Day 11:
Hubby and Big Sis got to move to stage 3.  Me…..I stopped the GAPS Milkshakes and stayed stage 2.

Hooray for squash pancakes! Universal stage 3 celebration.

Hooray for squash pancakes! It’s a stage 3 celebration.

Made ghee and beet kvass.

Breakfast:
– poached eggs, yogurt
Lunch:
– meatball soup served with the meatballs plated and the broth served separately to shake things up a little, peas
Dinner:
– cauliflower mash, chicken casserole with garlic, tomato, spaghetti squash, basil, broth, salt, pepper and served with butter and sour cream as a topping

Day 12 – 20ish:

At this point we did not jump into nut butters but added them as a slowly as a snack, and in baked foods.

Foods over the next several days included:
– London Broil, rabbit stew, scrambled egg, avocado, turkey meatball soup, chuch roast
– squash pancakes and squash muffins
– oven baked goods that used nut butter as a base or egg with no flour
– Creme Caramel and Russian Custard recipes from GAPS book  (There are some really good recipes in the book. Don’t think you have to go digging around the web to find recipes.)
– started juicing and moving on to stage 4

And we are still trucking along.

After about 3 1/2 months we are mostly Full GAPS and focusing on juicing.  Hubby and Big Sis did better than I.  I am still working through some health issues.  In other words, I don’t believe I will see much more healing until I deal with my amalgam fillings.  I plan to do intro again once I have them removed.

We have not tried lentils yet.  Those are coming soon.

But overall we just eat a lot differently now.  I was really surprised to see the changes that took place even though we were already eating Full GAPS.  We eat a lot less fruit and nuts, and we focus a lot more on broth and ferments.  We have a better idea of how to implement a real food diet after having done Intro.  It’s just all around easier for everyone.

Hooray for healing!  Who would have thought that almost 3 years ago one nasty diagnosis called FPIES would open the door to such healing for the entire family.

Hope is contagious.  Pass it on.

~ Nichole

4 Comments
  1. What would be your suggestions on getting children to eat the intro diet? My son (5) occasionally will eat soup/broth, but our daughter (3) won’t touch it. They are very spirited, and I don’t feel that there is any chance to “force” it. Just let em starve until they give in and get hungry?

    • It’s pretty common for kids to put up a fight. It makes perfect sense once understanding that it is not just a battle of wills, but is actually a physical response. This is why Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride recommends an ABA approach with implementing the diet with children. She says there can actually be a skewed sense of taste due to pathogenic bacteria in the mouth and sinuses. Broth can even burn initially, and can be initially very uncomfortable. Symptoms can be neurological in nature changing their behavior and making them fight hard for foods that feed bacteria that is dying off. They won’t starve themselves, though as a mom it certain feels like it, and the guilt is terrible. How long you let them go is certainly an individual decision, but some moms have really had a go of it. As Dr. NCM also says, fasting is very healthy and cleansing. It’s a matter of healing and health. I am certain there is not a mom out there who would not do everything possible to get every last dose of a life saving antibiotic into their child, no matter how nasty it was or how much they refused. My daughter was dying. It was broth or nothing. And it was hard. But I had to. Two years later I wouldnt change it for the money in the universe. So to answer your question, some moms find it helpful to go cold turkey and do intro. Some start with full and then hit intro once a good amount of broth is being ingested. It depends on the individual hurdles, but most find in the end it needs to be a cold turkey ABA type approach.

  2. Hi Nichole
    Was wondering why you introduced butter and yoghurt so early. Don’t we have to wait 6 weeks b4 we do that?

    Thanks

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