The Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) diet was originally designed by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to treat autism, dyspraxia, ADD, dyslexia, ADHD, depression, schizophrenia and other psychological disorders. Because GAPS heals and seals the gut, it has found a following amongst those with celiac, Hashimoto's and other autoimmune disorders. Recent research indicates T2 diabetes may be an autoimmune disorder, thus my experiment of n=1 to see if GAPS improves my health after 25 years as a T2.
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| Pulled pork by beardenb, on Flickr |
This was my dinner for stage 2. I had a 10 lb pork shoulder in the freezer, and since GAPS is all about fatty meats, it seemed like the thing to do. However, stage 2 only allows stewed meats, so I saved the other half to make carnitas for stage 4.
This recipe is time-consuming since you both brine and then crockpot the pork, but requires very little hands-on time.
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| Stracciatella alla romana by Sifu Renka, on Flickr |
Of course, eggs and soup being stage 2 foods, my mind immediately went to egg drop soup. But this is NOT your takeout type egg drop soup! It's thick and full of meat.
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| Fog by Rickydavid, on Flickr |
As I write this, I am currently in stage 4. I had a lot of brain fog throughout stage 2 & 3, so while I kept a few notes to remember what was going on, I really wasn't up to writing updates, or doing much of anything.
To my mind, the big question is... what is the difference between a detox reaction and a food intolerance and how do I know which I'm experiencing.
I've always been a bit suspicious about detox reactions. On the one hand, I completely understand that the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction actually exists and is real and documented.
On the other hand, it seems like every type of snake oil out there claims all the good effects are due to the snake oil and the bad effects to Herxheimer reactions. This strikes me as very convenient for those who sell snake oil.
In the GAPS book, Dr. Campbell-McBride makes it clear that both detox reactions and new food intolerances can occur, and in either case, she feels you should back off on the changes that brought on the reaction and go slower. She believes detox should be done slowly and gradually so as to minimize symptoms.
Cara, author of the What Can I Eat Now? 30 Days on GAPS Intro Handbook, has an article on her blog What is a Healing Crisis? in which she discusses the difference between a healing crisis (detox) and a reaction (food intolerance).
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| Butternut Squash Soup! by prideandvegudice, on Flickr |
Technically, this is a stage 1 food, but I decided this soup, along with a couple soft-boiled eggs, would be my breakfast for stage 2.
