GAPS Diet Chat and Support - Page 5 « Back to Group Discussions

[LunaLady]

Ooo, thank you! I will give that a try!!

[birdhappy85]

OMG I'm so excited to try out this grease stain removal! Gah! I've had no luck my entire life either. You may have just made my year.... lol

[Jaimee]

Originally Posted by LunaLady 

From my understanding of the book, Joanie, once you start eating better, the 'bad gut flora' start to die and have a lower population. Those are the flora that liked the 'naught stuff' - the poor food choices. So, once you've been doing intro or just limiting your bad carbs for several weeks, the bad gut flora's numbers are low. Then, if you eat those things you shouldn't, the bad gut flora that used to gobble those up are in lower numbers and your healthy gut flora haven't had time to recover and stable out (why you need to be on the diet for a few years, that and to heal the leaky gut wall) so now you have this food being poorly digested and then leaking through your gut!

This is my understanding, too.

Originally Posted by LunaLady 
Right now we are taking pro-biotics ($45 for a 3 week supply for the three of us), CLO ($35 for a 30 day supply for DH and me, and more like $15/mo for R's liquid CLO), Elderberry syrup (about $20 a month for the three of us) and aresto prevento (about $30 a month for the three of us). Plus the odd tincture for other things. 

And, we are still buying kraut and pickles. I'm glad for that. I just can't work in the kitchen without R going crazy.

Making elderberry syrup is super easy.  All it takes is dried elder berries, water, and honey.  I made some last week and filled enough bottles to last months.  So much cheaper and so tasty.  Kraut is so incredibly easy to make- way easier than pickles and I'm sure easier than broth!  I had no idea how simple and quick it was.  I made some while my in-laws were here and they were very impressed and plan to go home and make their own, too.

If you all were to recommend a probiotic I can buy at a health food store, what would it be?  Since I'm destroying my gut right now with abx, I need to get something in there ASAP.

[LunaLady]

I made kraut once and while it was easy it was not quick! I made a half gallon and it took me almost an hour to chop all the cabbage and pound/squeeze it all. Broth is waaaay easier!
I don't mind buying kraut/pickles. We are already saving a lot of money being on this diet, so it's no big deal.
I have wanted to make elderberry syrup, but every time i check mountain rose herbs they are out of elderberries. I've been checking for months. I haven't checked in a few weeks, so i will check again.
Jaimee, i can highly recommend the probiotic we are taking. It was developed by the owner of the health food store by our house with his team of soil/probiotic researchers from the University of Washington. If you want some i can ship it to you.

[Jaimee]

Originally Posted by LunaLady 

I made kraut once and while it was easy it was not quick! I made a half gallon and it took me almost an hour to chop all the cabbage and pound/squeeze it all. Broth is waaaay easier!

I have wanted to make elderberry syrup, but every time i check mountain rose herbs they are out of elderberries. I've been checking for months. I haven't checked in a few weeks, so i will check again.

Jaimee, i can highly recommend the probiotic we are taking. It was developed by the owner of the health food store by our house with his team of soil/probiotic researchers from the University of Washington. If you want some i can ship it to you.

Oh, yeah, I would imagine that making large quantities would take a while.  I usually make 1-2 quarts at a time and it only takes me about 10 minutes of chopping and 10 minutes of massaging. 

Funny you should say that about Mountain Rose Herbs... I just looked at my co-op (Frontier) to purchase some more elderberries and they don't have them anymore!  I wonder if there is a nationwide elderberry shortage?

I ended up just purchasing some soy/dairy free probiotic tablets (American Health) from our natural food store here since I need something now.  Thank you very much for offering to ship me some- that's so sweet!  But that would probably become very expensive very quickly.

[LunaLady]

Yep, just checked MRH again and still none! I think you're onto something, Jaimee, there must be a shortage. Bummer. I've checked a few of the health food stores here, too, and they don't have any either.

Let me know if you want any in the future. It's $45 for 60 pills and you need just one a day. It would fit in an envelope, probably under $5 to ship. That goes for anyone else, too!  They are really great probiotics.

[Abraisme]

We are taking Bio-Kult, because it's recommended on the GAPS website.  It also has human and dirt strains, plus it's soy free.  

I've gotta admit, I don't pound or squeeze my kraut.  I just chop it, push it tightly in the jar and cover with salt and water.  It works just fine, even though kraut purists would argue otherwise..

I did read somewhere recently that Bubbies kraut and pickles are heated in the bottling process.  I don't know how that effects them though.

[birdhappy85]

Okay wow, I just bought my first jar of Bubbies pickles and I can easily see how these would become addicting.  For real the best pickles I've ever had. Om nom om... *crunch*

[LiLStar]

I'm wondering if anyone has ideas for a pumpkin pie crust that is grain free? I figured asking GAPS followers is the best place for advice :) I'm keeping Evan grain free until, at minimum, he has his molars. I figured a pumpkin pie is a perfect way to give a November baby a yummy treat without sacrificing that! I'd like to use some sort of crust (I've made crustless pumpkin pie before, but it didn't seem quite "right") so I'm looking for a good recipe. I found this http://thebarefootcook.com/recipes/pumpkin-squares-with-coconut-crust-gaps-friendly/ (using a different pie recipe, just looking at the crust part of that) but the "tips" at the bottom made me nervous. if I wait too long to cut it will harden and be difficult to cut? :/ What about when we try to *eat* it? I was going to make it tonight and eat it tomorrow! Anyone have any ideas for a good crust that won't break our teeth? ;)

[LunaLady]

I found quite a few on Pinterest, but I can't vouch for any of them! I am going to try an almond flour/pecan crust for Thanksgiving, though! I have been making pumpkin pie for us to eat almost daily, though. I just make it crustless. We're really enjoying it!

Here's what I'm making:

2 cups cooked pumpkin (or half pumpkin and half butternut squash!)

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup honey (I've been using more like 1/3 cup, but for a more 'dessert' flavor, use 1/2 cup)

1/2 t salt

1 T pumpkin pie spice (I made this one)

2 whole eggs, plus 2 more yolks

Puree in the food processor or blender. I use an immersion blender. Love that thing.

Preheat oven to 350. Pour into a pie dish, baking dish or ramekins. Pie dish takes about 45 minutes to cook, ramekins more like 30-35.

[LunaLady]

We are doing full gaps, now. We did I think at least six weeks of intro diet. We had a handful of cheats, but overall it was great. I really enjoyed all the soup. At this point i think we're still going to have soup for lunch. We're having eggs and homemade sausage for breakfast and we've just started this week having some full gaps food for dinner. We had some skirt steak... yum. I missed that. So did Rhyko! He really went to town on his steak! I give him a long large piece (probably like 3 ounces?) and he just rips into it like there's no tomorrow. Boy loves steak!

I'm making chili and soup this weekend so we'll have lots to eat this week.

We've also really been enjoying the apple/pearsauces I made! They are soooo much more flavorful than store bought. And don't leave that nasty 'sugary' after-taste like store bought does.

How's everyone else doing?

[Abraisme]

Glad to hear that things are going well Christina.  

My dh is now on full GAPS too.  We have slowly added in all the remaining foods over the last few weeks.  He still seems to have a slight issue with eggs (make him loose), so we keep pulling and reintroducing them.  

As for myself.  I'm now able to eat eggs, which has been great!  However, I still don't feel that well (dizzy, tired, spaced out).  I'm almost positive that I have the mthfr (http://mthfr.net/) mutation, as EVERYONE in my family has been tongue-tied, which is a strong indicator.  It generally means that my body doesn't use B vitamins well and I will have a hard detoxing (I basically feel like I'm always having die-off symptoms).  I also have a lot of symptoms of b12 deficiency, even though my blood work always comes back normally.  I'm considering a few things..  I'm going to do the intro diet in January after the holidays, I'm thinking about ordering some methylfolate (a kind of B vit) and I'm probably going to follow the anti-candida GAPS protocol for a while too.  I've also decided that I'm going to cut way back on my probiotic foods and supplements for a few days and see if helps me to feel better.  I have a feeling that I have been massively over-doing it and need to increase things WAY more gradually.  

I have noticed that I don't need magnesium anymore!  I used to have to take it daily to prevent muscle cramping.  I highly attribute it to the better diet and lack of sugar.  My digestion has also normalized now, as I got slightly constipated when I started the diet (I'm normally regular).  

[LunaLady]

Wow, Abra... I have never heard of the MTHFR.... But I have so many of the indicators... Migraines with aura, pre-eclampsia, severe PPD, mood disorders...etc.

Okay, I just went and found my blood work. I had blood work done by my ND in June when I was having suicidal breakdowns... and SHE DID THE MTHFR test! And it says that I do in fact have the mutation! She told me that, but I had no idea what the MTHFR was. She basically said it made it hard for my body to process B vitamins (folate in particular) but she didn't elaborate any further.

Thanks so much for bringing that up, Abra. I'm going to research this more. People on both sides of my family have so many of the conditions listed.

[LunaLady]

I have the C667T mutation; a heterozygous mutation. Which is 1 mutation. I do not have the A1298C mutation, They tested for those two.

[Abraisme]

That's really interesting Christina. The mthfr stuff is slightly confusing and I finally feel like I have the brain power to digest the info. Let me know what you find out.

[LunaLady]

It is slightly confusing to me, too. Luckily my ND gave me the 5-MTHF to take for this which is exactly what the Dr Ben guy on the website you linked suggests. Thorne brand.

Also, it seems like he pretty much suggests a GAPS diet/lifestyle. No gluten and dairy (or very limited), grass fed free range meats/eggs, probiotics, limiting processed food consumption, epsom salts baths, no household chemicals, etc.

I need to research more into the protein/ammonia thing. I didn't quite understand that part.

That doctor is based in Washington. I wonder if my insurance covers him.

[birdhappy85]

I need to look into this MTHFR thing too. That's one of the genetic mutations my dad has, one of his three blood clotting disorders! One of my sisters inherited Protein S Deficiency and the other just tested positive for a thrombophilia related to homocysteine levels, so now I'm wondering if the latter has the MTHFR! Interestingly enough, she has been the healthiest out of anyone in our family. She's TTC right now. Do you think there is anything I should mention to her about this? I know nothing about this. I wouldn't want to scare her... but I wonder if she should review her records and do something differently in preparation for TTC if in fact she does have the MTHFR mutation?

I tested negative for everything years ago but I'd really like to get my medical records to know exactly what they tested for and make sure I have all of my bases covered.

[Abraisme]

Joanie - I really don't know enough about it either, so I can't say if you should tell your sister or not.  I suppose it depends on if she's a pro-active type person or will just simply freak out about one more thing?  It seems to me that the biggest thing that one does if they have the mutation is to supplement with special folate vitamins, and like Christina said, you need to pretty much stay on a GAPS/Paleo type diet for life.  I also highly doubt that you were tested for this, as it's pretty alternative and unless they had a reason it doesn't seem likely.  I know I've never been tested for it.

Christina - I'm pretty sure that I read on his website that he doesn't take any sort of insurance.  It sounds like your NP is pretty good though if they did the test?  I can understand why a NP wouldn't go into deep detail about it, as it's complicated and confusing!  Do you feel that the vitamins are working for you?  I found the MTHFR guy through the GAPS yahoo group.  People talk about it fairly often there, so I started to research it.  I'm pretty sure that he's tied to GAPS in some way, which is why the GAPS community takes him seriously.

[LunaLady]

How was everyone's Thanksgiving?? We made a full GAPS legal spread and it was awesome! Lots of leftovers, too. Yum yum! My DH made a pecan pie that was to die for... wow. And we made whipped cream with coconut milk... tasted so good.

[birdhappy85]

My Thanksgiving was wonderful, thanks Christina! Your pie and whipped cream sound to-die-for. Mmm. I asked my father-in-law days in advance to set aside some plain turkey and prime rib for me since he usually puts the turkey in gravy. They had a ton of raw fruits and veggies to snack on too and gave them all to me to take home! So I had a bunch of meat and produce for my Thanksgiving and felt great.  The best part was that this was the first year I didn't have any cravings for the other foods, even while preparing a plate for Sora. It was liberating.

I spent a few hours yesterday jarring various fermented vegetables I had in my fridge. I'm excited to taste this particular one with green cabbage, cauliflower, yellow bell peppers, garlic, and red onion. Random, I know, but omg the brine smelled amazing!

Question: If I use less salt than the recommended amount per quart of water, will my veggies still ferment okay? I like mine less salty but don't know how much that will affect the brine.

I can't believe how much I'm learning from this GAPS book... all of the little facts that are completely contradictory to what Western medicine has purported as truth. 85% of our blood cholesterol is produced by the liver in response to processed carbs and sugars - yet we're taught to fear eggs and red meats even though dietary cholesterol merely makes up 15%? That made me crazy just thinking of how many people are on cholesterol-lowering medications (my parents included) and are avoiding the wrong kinds of foods while indulging in tons of sugar, perpetuating their problem. It's all such an eye-opener. I also find it interesting that from 4am - 10am our body is doing the most detoxifying and it's best to eat breakfast after that period. I'm going to try that. It's almost 10:00 here now, so I'm going to go and whip me up some eggs!