Healing IS Possible {Check Out my GAPS Journey}

*These posts were written when my blog was more of a journal and will have more of a diary entry typestyle. If you are in the middle of the GAPS Diet or considering doing the GAPS diet, these posts will helpful for you to see what being on the temporary diet was like.

(Originally written in 2013. Some sentences have been updated.)

God’s grace and Gut and Psychology Syndrome saved my life!

Today marks 365 days since I was as sickest I had ever been in my life

This time last year I was not functioning at all. I was literally in bed (after my pointless and expensive visit to the ER that day), able to do nothing and almost without hope.

My face was swollen beyond recognition, red, burning and itchy. My arms were covered in itchy, bloody scabs. I had lymph nodes popping out all over the place, some of which were the size of eggs. They were very tender and painful. I had been diagnosed with Mono/EBV and was also dealing with adrenal fatigue, low progesterone and the autoimmune condition which was essentially untreated for six years – Hashimoto’s. To see more of an extensive list you can scroll down to the bulleted list of all my symptoms and diagnosis before GAPS. That list isn’t exhaustive either.

Grateful

I was reading through my GAPS posts and it brought back so many not so distant memories of where I was at and how I was feeling. Looking back also made me grateful for where I am now just one year later. Praise God!

If you want to read about my journey click on the following links:

60 Days on the GAPS Diet: Reflections including a progress report
90 Day GAPS Summary: A piece to the puzzle (part one of three)
90 Day GAPS Summary: A piece to the puzzle (part two of three)
90 Day GAPS Summary: A piece to the puzzle (part three of three)

What my Journey on GAPS was Like

I found and implemented the GAPS diet about a week after I hit the bottom. At that point, I was literally fighting for my life. Had I continued on the conventional path I was following, I would have been dead.

I ended up sticking with GAPS very strictly for 7 months.

I had to stay on the intro (stage 1-2) GAPS for almost 3 months!

Hard is an understatement.

I kept searching the web and seeing people only on the intro GAPS Diet for a couple of weeks but my body was just not ready or healed enough after a couple of weeks to move to the next stage. It was so frustrating.

I got through it though and have seen amazing healing. I have also learned SO much over the past year. I have probably learned more about our bodies, health and nutrition this past year than I have my entire life combined.

Where I am Now

I am grateful, in hindsight, that I only had to be on GAPS for a total of 7 months. Some people have to do it for at least a few years. My goal was to finish out GAPS and transition to eating Paleo or AIP (Autoimmune Paleo).

Within 7 months of GAPS, I was able to start transitioning to eating more Paleo foods. I eat an adapted Paleo diet now and weave in some GAPS basics like 24 hour fermented raw milk yogurt and bone broths every day.

Now, I am able to tolerate more of a variety of foods and it is such a wonderful feeling. I went from being so sensitive to all foods I ate and not being able to eat things like onions or garlic because of the sulfur content, antioxidants and detox effects, to being able to bake with coconut flour and eat all vegetables – even sweet potatoes! It is truly glorious.

That transition didn’t happen overnight though. I still had to trial each food to make sure I didn’t react. Sometimes I was more diligent than others about only doing one thing at a time so I could pinpoint where the reaction came from. That was one of the hardest parts though. Cheating was not really an option ever for me because it would cause such severe symptoms that would affect my entire family because I wouldn’t be able to function again. I would feel like I was on my death bed and back to ground zero.

What I Can and Can’t Eat

Even though GAPS allows lentils, I still have never had those or really any legumes up to this point. They would be too hard on my digestion because I am still not fully healed. I also do not eat nuts. Through trial, I realized that nuts were certainly a food that caused my immune system to attack itself. I would get cracked, bloody and itchy knuckles. I pray this is temporary because I do hope to enjoy some nut butter again someday. The Paleo Mom has a good article about nuts and the components that can be good and bad for autoimmune conditions. To read it click here.

I can eat 24 fermented GAPS Raw Milk Yogurt and seem to tolerate that well. It is not something I can have every day though or I start to get symptoms. Once in a while, I have a piece of Raw Milk cheese but it doesn’t sit well with me so it is not something that I would continue to eat until I heal more.

I have been able to have two small cups (total) of organic decaf coffee in the past two months. I use coconut milk and honey in it and it satisfies me. I would like to try a little ghee in it since having it with coffee is beneficial in certain ways.

I do love to eat this way though. I feel satiated and healthy. I don’t feel deprived at all.

The Importance of a Proper Perspective

Quality, clean, whole food has literally saved my life.

My Symptoms Before Starting the GAPS Diet

• A small, tender spot on the back of my head where a lymph node is intermittently sore
• I have gained my weight back and am at a healthy weight for my height
• My whole body composition has changed in a positive way
• Monthly, minor bouts of depression. (Before, it was all the time and even suicidal at times)
• Some itchiness on my neck near my thyroid especially after a warm shower
• Occasional achiness in my hands especially if I have eaten Paleo treats
• Have a hard time going to sleep if I have eaten chocolate in the evening

Helpful GAPS Resources for You

These are some amazing resources that will help make doing the GAPS diet attainable for you.