After months of studying, research and learning I finally jumped off the deep end into the
GAPS Intro Diet.
GAPS stands for
Gut and Psychology Syndrome. It was coined by a Russian doctor as she sought to help her own autistic son recover.
The premise is that an improper balance of gut flora leads to a host of ailments such as autism as well as mental disorders, auto-immune disorders and degenerative disorders.
Why am I doing a diet that was originally developed for Autism?
First, a (not so) little history:
I have had psoriasis, an auto-immune disorder that speeds up the skin's regeneration process for almost 18 years. I've tried many treatments to varying degrees of success or failure. When I was first diagnosed, over 75% of my body was covered with strange scaly, inflamed, dry skin. This breakout was first treated as a bacterial skin infection and a course of heavy duty antibiotics was given of which there was no improvement. After a biopsy, the doctor said it was guttate psoriasis, and even though I knew no other family sufferers, it's a hereditary disorder that had been simply latent until that point. He said I'd always have to deal with it and referred me to a dermatologist. The derm's recommendation to pump my system full of horrible chemicals like methotrexate, a chemotherapy drug that destroys the liver, I declined. I was also told to try UV Therapy where I'd stand in a light box to be zapped with high voltage UV rays for 10 seconds three times a week. Although that brought a bit of relief, it took me longer to disrobe than to stand in that box. With three little children tagging along, that treatment was not a long term option. At this point I gave up on an allopathic approach and haven't taken any medications since.
With little to no understanding of natural treatments and based on an article in some magazine, I prescribed myself a high-quality multi-vitamin and echinacea. Guess what! Relief. The irritating beast was tamed to a manageable level. That sent me on a nearly two decade quest for healing.
After many treatments, including but not limited to herbs, acupuncture, massage therapy all with moderate relief, but not recovery I pretty much threw in the towel and just tried to ignore it.
Summer always brought improvement. Lots of sunlight and vitamin D plus the humidity of the Southeast always helps. Despite minor flare ups here and there I was able to live with it without much thought, until last fall that is. That's when the sleeping beast awoke in a rage.
My skin felt like it was either burning or crawling all the time. Unable to ignore it any longer I resumed my quest for healing in several directions. My chiropractor has a lending library from which I borrowed and read
Healing Psoriasis. This book reminded me that the skin is our biggest detox organ and began making changes in my diet to improve the health of my liver and other detox organs. I began going to a wonderful
homeopathic doctor who prescribed the perfect constitutional remedy that cleared 85% of the psoriasis. Still convinced I was overloaded with toxins, I stumbled upon an informative website,
Heal Thyself, where I learned about kefir, fermented foods, gut dysbiosis, leaky gut syndrome and all the havoc wreaked in a body with these issues, one of which is auto-immune disorders like psoriasis. Eventually I came across GAPS.
The GAPS diet focuses on healing the gut, sealing the gut wall and feeding the body nutrient dense foods to that end. The Intro GAPS diet is basically an elimination diet designed to give your body easy to digest foods adding more complex foods based on toleration. Once able to tolerate most foods, you continue into the
FULL GAPS diet of no grains, no sugar, no processed, nutrient dense foods.
Today, with high hopes and after months of preparation including reading
Nourishing Traditions, scouring dozens of
Real Food blogs, taking a
12-week online cooking class, purchasing a wonderful
30 day meal plan and stocking my freezer full of chicken broth, my amazing, supportive husband and I dove into a big batch of butternut squash soup, boiled chicken, boiled broccoli and broth boiled onions.
To monitor the effects, I'll be recording our progress as we go through the Intro Diet.
Day One:
J: Several new psoriasis spots on thighs and calves. Scalp is extra itchy today. Felt sleepy all day.
W: Stomach was queezy late morning. Slight fatigue.
Overall good day for both.
Plan to take a detox bath this evening to help purge any die-off toxins.
