Have you decided to make this year THE year to get yourself or your loved one well, but already feel overwhelmed and don't know where to begin? Or have you started a healing diet like GAPS but are unsure about what to eat and just need a GAPS Diet food list or other practical help?
First, check out one child's unexpected comments about the GAPS Diet:
This is from the Gut and Psychology Syndrome | GAPS Diet Facebook page, Sarah writes:
Positive moment! My youngest adopted sister who displays symptoms of Asperger Syndrome is also participating in this GAPS adventure. Just now she came downstairs from my parents apartment, sat to eat some broth (something she would have gagged over last week) and had this touching discussion. Emmie asked, “Do you feel happier on the GAPS diet?” “Why do you ask?” I asked her. She responded, ” I want to know if it is just me or if everyone who eats this way feels happier. Because yesterday I started feeling really happy inside.” WOW! BLOWN AWAY.
Pretty cool, huh?
Who could benefit from the GAPS Diet?
So many people who are struggling could find many health benefits from trying the GAPS Diet, because it heals the gut, meaning the digestive tract, which is where most of our immune system originates, and by healing the gut, we can help (often HEAL) all SORTS of issues:
Autism, ADHD, constipation and any digestion issues, anxiety and depression, candida, eczema, asthma, learning / behavioral problems, food allergies, fussy eaters, and many more, too.
And what's scary is that if these problems aren't addressed early, they often can lead to full blown Crohns, depression, or auto-immune issues later on.
If you're not sure, or you're wondering if it can help YOU, do some research. Go to this page and type “GAPS Diet add-your-health-condition-here” and see what comes up. Now try the same thing on a regular Google search page.
Next, I'd like to give you hope.
Read my previous post, What is the GAPS Diet {GAPS Diet for Rookies}, a guest post from my friend Cara, where she explains that the goal is to heal your gut and then go off the diet, you don't have to follow this protocol forever! Also there is a short GAPS Diet food list there, but there's more on the intro GAPS Diet food list in Cara's materials…
I want to point you to the best, easiest way to get going (Especially if you want a simple GAPS Diet food list…)
Cara's GAPS starter kit and supportive GAPS materials are the only way to go because she's got it all together in one spot for you. She tells you what foods are allowed in each intro stage, she shares GAPS Diet recipes and practical advice when implementing the GAPS Diet with your kids, because SHE has pulled it off with her kids, and now they're OFF the diet!
You can get the full GAPS Diet food list (for when you're on the full GAPS Diet) in The Gut and Psychology Syndrome book by Natasha Campbell McBride.
Much more can be found here:
- Click here to get the GAPS Starter Kit
- Click here for the strong probiotics – a big part of the healing on GAPS
- Click here for the fermented cod liver oil – another crucial part of GAPS
- Nourishing Bone Broth for Rookies – the 3rd important part of healing on this diet
- Click here for Grain free meal plans
- More on what IS the GAPS Diet?
- More posts on healing autoimmune issues
- More posts on healing anxiety and depression
- Healing Arthritis and Osteoporosis on the GAPS Diet – Portrait of a GAPS Family
- Healing Autism (and Fussy Eaters) with the GAPS Diet and Grandparent Power!
- Apprehension over the GAPS Diet
- One from Sarah: 5 Most Common GAPS Diet Mistakes
- Struggling with eczema? I've heard this book, The Eczema Diet, is really good.
This book can help you, too:
The Heal Your Gut GAPS Cookbook by my friend, Hilary Boynton.
Needed: GAPS Diet Testimonials!!
Lastly, I'm working on more GAPS posts and would SO appreciate it if you could share your healing stories from the GAPS Diet. Did you notice a difference after following this diet in regards to anxiety or depression, or even Bipolar Disorder? Severe food allergies? If you don't want to comment below, feel free to email me and I can share your testimony anonymously: [email protected]. Thanks!
More posts you might like:
- This Mom Will Make You Cry: How One Small Change Brought Help and Hope for Her Autistic Son
- Is My Probiotic Really Helping or am I Wasting Money? 5 Ways to Know For Sure
Rhiannon F S Lynn says
I put myself on a version of GAPS – my long standing problems (misdiagnosed as autism, I’m actually just really sensitive to come things) completely went! Hooray! 😀
Sarah Schantz says
I desperately want to do this for my son, I believe my husband would benefit greatly as well, but I just don’t feel like I can make it happen on my own.
Laura Stollorz Schroeder says
GAPS healed my son
Jean Price says
Real food is healing medicine!
Jennifer DeMarcos says
I put my older daughter on GAPS the winter she was 8. It was like an exorcism. No joke. So glad I have an amazing friend who switched me onto it, glad my mom was a warrior who did these things for us when we were kids so I’d know to do it for my kids (hyperactive sister who did well on Feingold) and amazingly – so happy Mila’s grade 2 teacher was so awful. The teacher wasn’t receptive to feedback and wouldn’t give support. I’m grateful because it put me in a dark place where I questioned if I was doing everything within my control to make Mila well and happy. She’s a new person. The main trigger was wheat but her overall gut health was compromised. It’s a new world over here. She’s 12, in junior high and thriving.
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
Wow, Jennifer DeMarcos — you are seriously a superhero, way to go!!!
Jennifer DeMarcos says
Aw shucks. Thanks. I was a slow learner. At least I did it. I’m so glad I learned about the dark side of shots before it was too late. I think my kids were primed for injury.
Laurel says
I’m having trouble finding the “GAPS Diet add-your-health-condition-here” on the link you provided. My daughter has sypmtoms like picky eater for 3 yrs, throws up carrots if she eats them (several days later), gets random (not constant) ulcers in her mouth, dark circles under her eyes when she’s hungry, etc. I’d love to put her symptoms into that search. thanks!
KitchenKop says
Just go to that link and in the search box put in “GAPS mouth ulcers” or “GAPS dark circles” or “GAPS picky eaters”, that’s what I mean. Sorry I wasn’t clear!
Kelly
Emma McKinnon says
Can anyone recommend a good probiotic?
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
Emma McKinnon — there are several good ones and you can see the options (to compare prices) here: https://kellythekitchenkop.com/resources
Caroline Parra says
I had a very hard time with constipation on gaps and never end up making it past week 3 or 4 of intro. Certainly there’s got to be a hack to make intro easier.
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
So many have done GAPS over the years, I’ll bet there’s a way to help that out there!
Dana Webber says
Thanks for the suggestions for if one is not ready for the full GaPS diet. We have been trying to babystep our way to it, hate to say we have not been making much progress lately. Thank you for the tips and the reminder to me for why we need to.
Cindy Landskron says
I never got sick starting GAPS. I used the “eat” and “don’t eat” list only. I immediately lost 20 lbs and felt TONS better. So now I do Trim Healthy Mama with GAPS ingredients. It actually hurts me to hear of people with autoimmune conditions who are taking meds or worse doing nothing and eating a SAD diet!
The Wellness Balance - Simple Solutions for Digestive Health says
Thanks Kelly the Kitchen Kop! Without quality of life there’s less meaning to life. Everyone and every family situation is different and sometimes cold turkey is better than a transitional approach. Gut and Psychology Syndrome | GAPS Diet is definitely a commitment that requires thought and planning. Thank you for all of your great work 🙂
Kim Rossi Hahn says
It makes me sad too. And then worse when trying to help an overwhelmed mom with their struggling child-boy are there many- and the mom shouts *we have 1,000 things to try before we try food!*. We are a GAPS diet healing success story. Actually low oxalate SCD/GAPS combo with NAET too. Worth the blood sweat and tears for 3 yrs to have our health now!!
Kristen Darling says
My son has been on probiotics since he stopped nursing at 9 months and I started making his NT daily goat milk formula. He is now 6. I too am very familiar with GAPS and did it with great success for 15 months. We eat well, organic, local, homemade etc… little sugar or processed foods. However, my son is in school, and I swear he seems sick more often than the kids who eat the things we avoid like the plague. That said, his illnesses seem less intense. I am 40, ang my gut health seems awful, with chronic reflux issues. I too have taken probiotics for a decade, ferment, exercise, good food / healthy lifestyle, etc… I’m wondering if all the importance we place on food is stressing us out to the point that the stress & anxiety exceeds the benefits of living this way. We are single income, and the lion’s share of our budget goes to food. It’s pretty stressful & time consuming, and the thought of going GAPS again, though good, is particularly stressful from a time & budget perspective. I feel that I’m caught in some healthy living catch-22.
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
You know, when you’re on a tight budget, prioritizing food expenditures to get the most bang for your buck might be the way go for you right now. Organ meats, for example, are typically less expensive than muscle meats but are way more nutrient-dense. Stress is a big immune-challenger for sure, and school in and of itself can present extra stresses, whether that be from academics, a busier schedule, or social challenges. GAPS is a powerful healing tool as it is, but sometimes people have individual issues that might need attention, and some of those issues can only be discovered through targeted testing. Functional Medicine practitioners (they can be chiropractors, naturopaths, or regular allopathic doctors) are especially equipped to not only address gut health, but complicated, chronic health issues in general. You can use this page to see if there is one near you: https://www.functionalmedicine.org/practitioner_search.aspx?id=117
Kristen Darling says
Thanks Kelly. I was married to an acupunturist for a decade, and I’m in with the the local alternative health & healing providers crowd. I will give it another shot.
Jason Olivea says
I think you bring up a wonderful point. Food isn’t the silver bullet to gut health. Management of stress, hydration, sleep, breathing with diaphragm, etc are just as important. The body is a system of systems.
Jill-David Boman says
GAPS definitely changed our daughter’s life. She did it for 18 months (and transitioned off of it to a Paleo type diet, which she still is on) and resolved a many-year’s long battle with severe acne and multiple food sensitivities. She feels so much better now! One food sensitivity she was not able to resolve was wheat–that one’s a doozy though. If she eats even a small amount of wheat now (like for communion) she has a hangover for days. That one might be a true allergy though, and we had never had her tested for Celiac, so there’s always that possibility.
Lynn Tarasek Minney says
I did GAPS for about 3 months until I discovered I couldn’t tolerate high histamine foods (ferments, slow cooked broth, eggs, avocados). I did see some healing initially, but had to stop because of the reactions I was having. I was able to re-intro cocomut & almonds though which was very exciting for me!
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
Some people are VERY sensitive to histamines, and those people can only do GAPS with some adaptations made to it. I wonder if you consulted with a GAPS practitioner if you could trouble shoot some of the reactions you were having? I wonder if more tweaking or supportive therapies could make a difference for you?
Lynn Tarasek Minney says
I just saw my GP this morning & he suggested i see a naturopathic doctor (There aren’t any GAPS ones un my area). Her focus is on gut health & adrenal fatigue. I will find something that works for me & until then I’ll continue to eat paleo with some modifications and lots of supplements 🙂
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
There you go, Lynn Tarasek Minney! Another option you might want to look into if you have a difficult time finding a naturopath who is really up on this stuff, is a Functional Medicine Practitioner–they are really into gut health and resolving chronic health issues using a very individualized approach. Here’s a link where you can see if there is a FM practitioner near you: https://www.functionalmedicine.org/practitioner_search.aspx?id=117
Trixie Grohman Ferguson says
My picky eater is a 50 year old man, recently told that he has diabetes. He doesn’t want to give up the carbs, the sugars, the grains, etc. Any tips on slowly introducing more GAPS food without starting WWIII?
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
There’s the rub, isn’t it, Trixie Grohman Ferguson! The carbs, sugars, and grains are what feeds diabetes–diabetes LOVES that stuff. Your 50 year old picky eater is going to have to decide for himself whether he would rather control the symptoms of diabetes with medication for the rest of his life, or if he wants to have a good chance of resolving it at its roots by making the necessary diet and lifestyle changes. There’s just no way around it, but it’s a choice he has to make and can’t be imposed on him with any hope of success. I’d suggested to another commenter that easing into GAPS is a lot more doable for many people than diving in head first. A way to do that would be to cut one thing out at a time, gradually, until the diet resembles that of the Full GAPS diet. After adjusting to that, a person can start the Intro at stage 6 (which is the least restrictive stage), and move backwards, gradually, towards stage 1 and then back up to 6 again and the full GAPS diet again. Another resource I love, that explains so well the detrimental affects of excessive wheat and grains on health is the book, Grain Brain: https://amzn.to/1hQ09mn The recommendations in that book might seem more doable for him and maybe reading the information for himself would convince him.
Trixie Grohman Ferguson says
Oh my goodness!! Thank you so much 😀 I’m going to get the book right now! I have been “trading” carbs by sneaking in cauliflower into mashed potatoes and other sneaky little tricks like that. I appreciate you.
Cindy Landskron says
I’ve found the best way to make changes is to be a good example. My “picky” guy got on board just from watching me and seeing results.
OR: you can give the tough love and tell him you want him around for another xx years and it’s either your way or the highway!!
Cindy Landskron says
This (SAD) kind of eating leads to Alzheimer’s and many other degenerative diseases!
The GOOD STUFF girl says
SO VERY TRUE. I have 2 picky eaters, and we have addressed the above. BOTH take probiotics as well. They have been doing well.
Andrea Perry Calkins says
We have done GAPS before and seen great results (used it for 7 months years ago). Again we had to use it this past summer to help a child showing symptoms of ulcerative colitis and we avoided a colonoscopy & drugs in that case.
BUT… GAPS is very diffifcult to pull off in this culture. Be ready to spend a lot more time on food prep if you are not used to cooking with only whole foods and NO processed foods OR grains at all.
That said – we can attest that it does work for gut healing and we currently maintain the use of probiotics, ferments, and bone broth on a daily basis….
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
GAPS is a big commitment, Andrea Perry Calkins, and can be a huge shock for people not used to cooking from scratch. One thing I sometimes recommend is easing into it slowly. For some people, just cutting out wheat alone (since it’s in so many staple food items: breads, pasta, processed foods) is a shock, so starting there and then cutting out all other grains when they get used to being wheat-free could be the next step. Then gradually easing to the Full GAPS diet for a few months to get used to THAT (which is less restrictive than the intro stages) before easing into the Intro BACKWARDS, from stage 6 through stage 1, and then back up to 6 again and then Full GAPS again. Taking a very gradual approach can accomplish two things for people: less shock when it comes to food prep, and less die off effect (detox symptoms that make people sick). For very toxic people I think it’s much more gentle to their system, and I think the people who would go into the greatest food prep shock (because they are the most reliant on processed, prepared foods, and take-out) are likely to be more toxic anyway. A friend of mine went from a basic, standard, decently healthy diet (containing wheat, dairy, grains, sugar) to GAPS Intro Stage 1 and within a day or two was so sick from die off that she gave up completely. I think taking a gradual approach could have spared her the misery and by doing so could have helped her stay the course.
Kim Rossi Hahn says
A friend and I hired a cook from a restaurant to help. We’d buy the groceries and he’d come to one house, do 4hrs prep work and we split the bill. Cost = a babysitter for a quick night out (which you won’t be doing if you are on GAPS!) and the benefits were far reaching. Got some very helpful people who were looking for a little extra cash off a Craigslist ad. Ask for and Check references!! Very helpful and stress reducing. And my turkey burgers are never as good. Some things are just better when someone else makes them!!
JenP says
We’ve seen huge gains from GAPS. Healed awful allergies to food and depression and OCD and many other issues. Unfortunately, as a family we need more than the just the diet, but I praise God for how much healing it has given us and the fact that food can keep life sane and manageable while we search for deeper healing. We’d be in such a mess without it!
Jenny says
I am a mother of 2 special children. My 19 yo has an Asperger Syndrome and my youngest,3 yo has ADHD n has been diagnosed mild autism spectrum. I started the diet on my youngest last October and within 4 days he had the die off symptoms. After that he has progressed tremendously. He has speech delay before and has very fast pace, but now he is able to be calm, can be taught, and he is now very talkative. I started my 19 yo on the diet last December and within a week he cleared up his allergies also it’s easier to communicate with him now. I wish I had known this diet when he was a baby because I am sure it would help him tremendously during those difficult times. Now I’m trying to start this gaps diet movement with parents who have special children but it’s kind of hard to educate these parents to believe that no carbs is okay for their children. Because in my country Indonesia it’s natural to eat rice. Plus their doctors condemn this diet and scared them off by saying that it will disrupt their children growth. I just want to spread this wonderful thing so that every parents who’s struggling with special children can benefit from this diet.
Marsha McManus via Facebook says
We tried it in Jan. and could not continue it for various reasons. I do think the short period we were on it (full gaps not intro) confirmed my belief that my 22 month old needs to at least be gluten if not grain free. He has very sensitive skin and his skin has been so much clearer being off grains. We do not have any severe issues but I do have allergies and digestion issues that I would love to deal with by doing GAPS.
Laura Young via Facebook says
I went on GAPS after my Nutritional Therapy Practitioner recommended it instead of chemo meds to treat an auto-immune disease that I have called Scleroderma. I saw my health turn around and start progressing in the right direction after doing GAPS for just two weeks. I’ve adopted a WAPFer type diet as a permanent diet for our family and we are going on 5 years. It has helped my husband and our son as well. Best decision ever, it made getting almost deathly sick worth it since the benefits have been far reaching and we would have never made the changes otherwise.
Marni Postlewait via Facebook says
Does anyone have experience healing adrenal fatigue with GAPS? Are there precautions one should take on GAPS if they’re in adrenal fatigue?
Beth Johnson O'Donnell via Facebook says
what is the GAPS diet?
Kim Rossi Hahn via Facebook says
We did GAPS as a family, mainly for my 4 yr old son’s ADHD and SPD symptoms. I eliminated all of his ADHD symptoms, at least 90% SPD symptoms (Brain Balance program helped too), cured his nut allergy (was not anaphylactic and we also used NAET), healed my depression and anxiety and eliminated the majority of my SPD in about 2 years on the diet. Our immunity systems are very strong- never get colds, strep, stuff going around school- I cannot recommend it strongly enough. We started a GAPS support group for Mama’s healing their babies and I saw some miraculous things happen!! Watched several kids *lose* their autism or ADHD diagnosis.
elaine says
Cara’s starter kit LINK doesn’t work….
KitchenKop says
Hmmm, it’s working for me.
Can you try another browser and let me know?
Could other people please check to see if it’s working for you?
Thanks!
Kelly
Leah says
Hi, Kelly!
It took me over a year of searching to find anything that would help my baby’s severe chronic constipation, and it was GAPS. He was exclusively breastfed and would only have a bowel movement every 7 to 10 Days. Within two years he was completely cured. As an extra bonus, I feel terrific! We are a GAPS family. Thank you for posting this article, it’s going too help so many people!
Marcie says
Leah, when did you start GAPS with your baby? My six and a half month old is miserable. Doesn’t have a bowel movement for days. Severe eczema that comes and goes on his face. He seems to have lots of stomach pain and hardly sleeps at night. I am stressed and worried. Any more you would be willing to share? Could I email you?
Kelly says
Marcie, I just emailed Leah to make sure she sees your question.
I’ll tell you, though, that when you have a baby, it’s mostly the MOM who is breastfeeding that would go on the GAPS Diet. I can’t wait to hear how this helps you!
I’m sure Leah will respond with more info for you soon. 🙂
Kelly
Leah says
Hi, Marcie!
As I stated, it took me a year of searching, so we stated when he was 19 months old. He was still bfing, so I went on it too. In the GAPS book it tells you how to do GAPS with a baby. Feel free to
email me at [email protected]. I’m happy to help! Good luck on you healing journey!
Jill says
I wish I would have known about GAPS when my daughter (now 21) was still a baby! It would have saved her much unpleasantness and given her a better start! I realize now her colic beginning at 6 weeks should have been a clue that her digestive system was touchy. If I had known better, She would never have had grains of any kind until she was between 1 and 2 years old, and I would have transitioned myself onto GAPS as well, while nursing. Her more obvious digestive problems began with miserable constipation at around the time she started solids–grains and wheat specifically. Why I didn’t see the connection, who knows? I suppose I thought fiber was helpful. She was prone to stomach aches and constipation her entire childhood, and then around the time puberty hit, her face “exploded” in acne. By the time she was 16 it was very severe cystic acne. Her poor body was so toxic from leaky gut and dysbiosis that her skin ended up being the default pathway for attempted detoxification. Of course, the steady stream of toxins never stopped, so it couldn’t ever get ahead. Also, I noticed by then she had developped very odd breath–I had a feeling it originated with gut issues, but I didn’t know how to address it besides probiotics and avoiding sugar (she had become hypoglycemic too). A holistic dermatologist tested her for food allergies/sensitivities, and not surprisingly she tested positive for several foods. Eliminating those foods really helped, but she still had a tendency to crave starches and carbs. Even if her carb and starch binges were “non-allergy” foods, her acne would flare up again. Finally I heard of GAPS and she began it her freshman year of college (living at home). After weeks of horrid die off on the intro (flu-like symptoms and food cravings like crazy), her skin became absolutely perfectly clear, her gut felt better than it had her entire life, her breath changed to “normal”, she woke up more easily in the morning, and she noted that her mind felt clear. She never realized that it wasn’t clear before, but after about a month of GAPS it was like a fog she was unaware of lifted and she felt sharper. We did GAPS for 1 1/2 years and then transitioned to a modified Paleo approach. She was never able to re-introduce wheat without feeling hungover for days, but does fine with raw milk, cheese, eggs, and other foods she was sensitive to before. She eats some grains now, but has found a sort of “happy place” where she feels best with no more than a few servings of non-gluten grains per week.