A lot of people who give GAPS advice say that you should slowly inch your way towards the GAPS diet rather than just switching from your current diet to GAPS overnight. This is excellent advice. First of all, it takes weeks to stockpile enough stock and meat in the freezer to get through the beginning of the intro diet. Second of all, it can be painful to wean yourself off whatever will be hardest to go without on GAPS.
For me, that thing will be sugar. The GAPS diet doesn't allow any fruit at the beginning and very limited honey. And I am actually planning to do the intro without honey because I suspect Ellie and I may have candida (a yeast overgrowth that causes a host of health problems and thrives on sugar). So over the past three weeks I've been slooooowly weaning myself off honey and fruit.
It's interesting the changes I've already observed. For whatever reason honey and fruit tends to make Ellie and I a little emotionally unstable (I'm putting that nicely). The first time I trialed raw apple, she started hitting me. I thought this was really odd. Tried it again a few days later and I had to pull her out of library storytime because she was hitting other kids. She is not a hitter (like, ever) so this behavior was very concerning. Unfortunately the same goes for mama. As I've been eating less and less fruit, I'm more aware of it's affect when I do have it. Off sugar I've been feeling a lot more cool, calm and collected (which is a big deal with a very needy toddler in the house). The last couple times I've had a piece of fruit I've completely lost my temper with her within a half an hour. Crazy stuff! I haven't had honey for about two weeks now and I've noticed I'm falling asleep at night much more easily than I used to. A couple days ago I had a weak moment and ate two dates and I was lying awake until 1:30 a.m. I think a few lessons like this are helpful to see that GAPS isn't onerous depravation but a healthy change we need to make to feel better.
So while it will be sad to say farewell to honey and fruit, I think the breakup will be good for everybody. Hopefully as GAPS does its work and our guts heal we'll be able to handle fruit and honey with more grace.
I'm at the place where I wish we were starting GAPS tomorrow but I know we're not ready. I have 6 pounds of chicken legs, wings and necks sitting in the fridge, ready to turn into more stock tomorrow. Then, tomorrow night I pick up a shipment of veggies and pasture-fed meat from a food buying club I just joined. So it's looking like a Thursday launch date.
I also find that fruit/honey and even some of the high carb vegetables turn my mood sour. It is awesome that you are observing these little changes. The calm feelings are very much worth the dietary restrictions.
ReplyDeleteTotally worth it! We are on day 8 now and I am not even temped by seeing fruit in the grocery store. I'm shocked at how my body is responding to Intro, but I'm not having any sugar cravings at all. :)
ReplyDeleteI am also very glad to see my desires for fruit completely tamed with this round of intro. I wasn't really eating much fruit at all, so it's not like I was eating six bananas, but I find that eating fruit/honey seems to make me hungrier, so if even one banana kicks up my hunger I'd just as soon not go there. I think I may end up doing a modified ending to intro and move to full GAPS, without adding in fruit this time. I would like to continue on seeing fruit and not caring so I think I may stay off them.
ReplyDeleteI have the same issue with fruit and sugar! Even a little bit of fruit or sugar turns me into a hormonal rage machine, alternating between anger and crying. I'm technically stuck on a semi-intro state, doing Full Gaps but without any fruit, nuts, or high carb veggies. I'm also nursing a toddler, so you're in great company! Off to read the rest of your blog and subscribe :)
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