The Gutsy GAPS girl!

 

A GAPS diet for a healthy gut

 

Hello!

 

 

My name is Caroline and I am 18 years old.  I am the blogger for www.mygutsy.com. Can you guess what I am passionate about by my blog name? That’s right — guts! Specifically, the guts that are smashed in your tummy, as well as “having the guts” to be different!

 

You may wonder why I am writing a whole blog dedicated to your guts.  Well, believe it or not, your guts actually play a huge role in the quality of your life. Let me explain.

 

Being “gutsy” means that you are not afraid to wear your unique qualities and ambitious dreams right on your sleeve. It means running after your passion until you knock it to the ground. It means doing what your heart desires, no matter what anyone says.

 

I had to learn to be gutsy at a very young age. My poor health forced me to stand up for myself and adapt a gutsy approach to nourishing my body.  The proper ways of healing require a lot of dedication and eating of gutsy food!

 

 

So, what sort of food am I eating to heal myself? I drink bone broth; eat lots of saturated fat, raw or rare meat, organ meats and fermented vegetables! Actually, organ meats are my favorite food!

 

These foods are the back-bone to the GAPS (Gut and Psychology syndrome) diet, which I am currently following. The GAPS diet is designed to heal the gut. Once a person’s gut is healed, good health is very likely to come their way. Everyone requires different amounts of time to fully heal. I have been on the GAPS diet for 10 months already.

 

A “leaky gut” can cause the following ailments: autism, food and environmental allergies, bipolar, OCD, ADHD, Crohn’s disease, IBS, arthritis, autoimmune disorders, and more. Nearly any disease or condition can improve by eating to heal the gut.

 

 

The GAPS diet was created by Natasha Campbell-McBride. It is an amazing life-changing way of eating and healing. If you are already familiar with the Nourishing Traditions cookbook by Sally Fallon, then you will be familiar with the techniques used in GAPS, such as fermenting and bone stocks. Traditionally prepared food is not only crucial to our health, but it can actually give our bodies the tools they need to heal themselves! Isn’t it amazing what our bodies can do once we provide them with the right foods? You can probably tell by now that I am a huge “real food” nutrition nerd!

 

The GAPS diet changed my life as well as my family’s. My mom healed her brain from a lifelong diagnosis of bipolar disorder.  My sister’s severe PMS cramps and acne breakouts got significantly better after starting GAPS. I reversed my symptoms that were leading me to a Crohn’s diagnosis. My environmental allergies (ragweed, dust, etc..) used to keep me in bed for days. Now, I am lucky enough to almost call myself “outdoor” allergy free. I am still working on my food intolerances by carefully following the GAPS protocol.

 

A newbie on the GAPS can easily become overwhelmed if they don’t know what they are doing. Let me give you a few hints if you are thinking about starting the GAPS diet.

1. Read and research any GAPS material and blogs (such as mine).

2. Source and buy local real food!

3. Prepare your GAPS food in advance.

4. Don’t jump right into the GAPS diet! I suggest slowly getting yourself and family accustomed to the food.

 

The intro diet is the first stage of GAPS diet. This includes a lot of boiling meat and veggies in bone stock to break down the hard-to-digest parts. The diet emphasizes lots of fat to keep you full and help you heal. Detox will come naturally with this clean way of eating, so slow and steady is the key. This “soup” stage will only last a few days at most. Eventually you will add in one new food at a time, monitoring your body’s reaction to the food. Most food “sensitivities” are only temporary because of a “leaky” gut! Isn’t that great news?!

 

“The GAPS diet has come to the rescue to fix your gut! The gelatin from the bone broth, the saturated fat, and the probiotics from the ferments are the superstars of the GAPS diet.”

 

Personally, I am thriving and much happier and healthier on the GAPS diet. This diet is certainly not meant to last forever; it is a way of healing. I actually do not miss “regular” food one bit, because my body is so content. I have had a rough 18 years (you can read all about it here). Make sure you read about the toxic mattress incident, too!

 

 

Being gutsy gives me the health that my body craves and needs. I never thought I would be as healthy as I am today! Please stop by my blog, Gutsy, and check out my super yummy GAPS recipes. Who says you cannot have cookies on GAPS?

 

~Stay gutsy, Caroline

 

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Thank you Caroline for stopping by to chat with us today.  We applaud you for your courage and the great example you set!  We really like your blog and how you share your honesty with those of us who want to have a heallthy and happy gut.

 

Photo Credits:

All photos courtesy of MyGutsy.com

 

 

Proviso:

 

 

Nothing in this blog constitutes medical advice.  You should consult your own physician before making any dietary changes.  Statements in this blog may or may not be congruent with current USDA or FDA guidance.