Do you need encouragement to do GAPS?
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GAPS can be intimidating, I get it. Tossing whole food groups out of your diet for weeks or months, or even two years? I totally understand, but I have to say having done GAPS, I would always do it again if given the choice.
So you want to try GAPS, but you’re hesitating… the first thing I would say is ask your a few questions.
- Why do you want to try GAPS? Is it for you, or someone else?
- What is the hesitation? Are you scared or just don’t know if you can stick with it?
- Would you be willing to try for just two weeks?
- What do you expect to get out of GAPS? Will you be super disappointed if it doesn’t work?
I’ll share my answers to those questions.
I started on the GAPS Diet to help my husband. He had been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and he wanted to try diet to heal himself, in spite of what his doctor had said which was basically, “… diet has nothing to do with this, but cut down on red meat…”. Hmmm… can you say “mixed messages?”. I did not think that I needed GAPS. Even though I was on asthma medication for going on ten years, and was quite overweight. I had steadfastly refused to going on any kind of “diet” for over a decade, so going on GAPS was not for me. Little did I know I was in for a big surprise.
My desire to help my husband get better was much stronger than my own fears. I jumped in with both feet in early December and I stuck with it! Even through the holidays, but there was a significant reason that prompted me to stick with it which I’ll share in a minute.
I was not expecting anything from the GAPS Diet, not for myself at least, so I wasn’t afraid of failing. I was willing to do it to help my husband get better.
So what is holding you back? Because I know you can do this.
It is so easy to get started… you can begin by making this easy pot of soup and you’re on your way. You can even make chicken soup using your Instant Pot. Bear in mind that Dr. Natasha’s preference is that we use slow cooking but check out this post about the Instant Pot with regards to GAPS.
I say if using your Instant Pot is going to get you started on this journey, then go for it. When you feel better, you can start making your broth more traditionally.
A lot of people who start on GAPS see improvements in just two weeks. What happened for me was my feet and back stopped hurting. I had been diagnosed with plantars fasciitis and my feet ached immensely. I can remember my paternal grandfather hobbling around at his restaurant as he cooked and I thought it was something I’d inherited and there was nothing to be done. I had gone to a doctor and the only thing he could help me with was orthotics. Very expensive ones, which I couldn’t afford.
But just 13 days on GAPS and I will point out, this was not Introduction. It was just full GAPS… my feet stopped hurting. It was incredible and life changing. I kid you not! My feet hurt so bad that I could barely walk on them. Getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom was excruciating. It was hard not to cry from how bad they hurt to bear weight on them. But when they stopped hurting… that hooked me. I was staying on this GAPS Diet for as long as it took.
I have heard these kinds of stories from a lot of people. I have also heard that each time they did a round of Introduction they found significant changes and improvements.
So if you need a little encouragement today, here it is:
You can do this. I know you can. You don’t have to do everything at once. It can be as simple as making a pot of broth and drinking one cup every day. Then the next week start adjusting your diet. And you don’t have to do Introduction first. You can definitely do full GAPS, I even got the word from Dr. Natasha that that is okay to do full GAPS first. I just personally think it is enough of a learning curve to go to full GAPS.
Do you just need to do Introduction, or do you feel like you need to reset and do another round of Introduction? Just get that soup made.
Again, I know you can do this. 🙂
Have an amazing day, you beautiful person!