Despite my best efforts to blog every stage separately, the last three stages of the intro to the GAPS diet have come and gone so quickly I did not find the chance. Each week we reintroduced an assortment of allowed foods to our diet, as laid out in the GAPS book. It is amazing how much we appreciate the taste of even the simplest foods after weeks of living off of such a stripped down diet. It is a bit like fasting & it is absolutely refreshing!

The allowance of fresh pressed juices in Stage 4 got us addicted to morning breakfasts of fresh pressed carrot + ginger juice. We throw in an occasional apple or beet for variety, but the carrot + ginger combo is a big winner! My husband has weened himself off of coffee and this juice has been a super charged energy boost for him in the mornings. I call it ‘getting juiced’.

I took the homemade yogurt out of my diet for the weeks of the 4th and 5th stage, as my digestion had slowed way down and I was feeling quite heavy. After two weeks of no dairy, I was able to reintroduce it in the 6th stage without a problem. I have also cut way back on the amount I was eating per day. I now only have it as a morning snack and that seems to have balanced things out.

Stage 5 allowed us to use our outdoor grill again which is our favorite way to cook meat, especially fish.

And stage 6 brought back a large variety of raw vegetables and we are back to eating lots of fresh greens and salads.

We are still getting plenty of bone broth and fermented veg.

All in all we are both feeling really good! Ready and committed to the FULL GAPS DIET.

I have started a few batches of my own fermented vegetables, still awaiting the results.

Symptoms have continued to lessen for my husband through this transition from stage 2 to 3. He is losing weight and feels much more energized. Exciting stuff!

All you need is a head of cabbage, 1 tablespoon of sea salt and a sprinkling of caraway seeds. Shred the cabbage and place in a large glass bowl with the salt and seeds. Knead the cabbage a bit with your hands to mix the salt in and begin the release of the cabbages juice. Let this sit for about and hour. Come back to the bowl and knead with your hands until the cabbage shreds go limp and their juices have been released. Pack the cabbage into a large glass jar, pouring the juice in over it. Make sure the cabbage is completely submerged into it’s juice. Leave a very small space at the top of the jar for expansion during the fermentation process. Lid the jar and place in a cool dark place for about a week or time to taste. To stop the process, place the jar in the fridge. You now have kraut!

There are many variations I can think of to create different flavors. Try adding a little shredded garlic, ginger, carrot, radish and as you progress into the full GAPS diet add some minced chilies for a bit of spice!

In the past, both my husband and I have shown sensitivity to eggs on food allergy tests so I tried the suggested sensitivity test from in GAPS book. I was a bit skeptical, but followed the directions as placing a drop of the food in question on the inside of your wrist let it dry and leave it there overnight. If you wake up the next day and the area is red and irritated, then do not attempt to introduce that particular food at that time, if there is no reaction, however, you are free to introduce that food.

I had no reaction and happily had my very first raw egg yolk this morning. I mixed it into a warm cup of broth & topped it off with a splash of sauerkraut juice. Not too bad!

Starting week 2 and we feel pretty good. My husbands bloating has dramatically decreased and his skin is clearing up from the dry flakiness he had been experiencing before we started. I, on the other hand, have had some minor skin break outs, which I think are due to the detoxification process my body is going through. I also feel a bit ‘greasy’ from all the broth and meat I have been consuming as these beginning stages have been quite a switch from my normal diet.

Looking forward to the week ahead!

During the intro portion of the GAPS diet your main sustenance is bone broth, and lots of it!

Though there are many ways of preparing bone broth, this is the technique that I have been using and it works quite well. I am not home during the day to watch over a pot on the stove, this method allows me to set it up in the morning, returning home from work to perfectly soft cooked meat and the beginnings of broth.

Simple Bone Broth:

Place a whole chicken (or other meat on the bone) in a large crock pot, season with sea salt & pepper. You can add other seasonings as you progress through the stages of the intro diet. Pour a cup of water over the meat and cook on low for about 8 hours. Remove the cooked meat from the pot and serve as a part of your evening meal along with well cooked vegetables of your choice. Return any and all bones, skin and other joint bits to the dense broth at the bottom and fill the remainder of the crock pot with water. Continue cooking on low for another 24 hours or so. The nutrients from the bones will be extracted into the broth. If the bones are large (like a turkey leg) chop the bones up a bit to release the marrow. Finally, remove the bones from the broth and it is ready to use or to store in jars, frozen or refrigerated. Add salt & pepper to taste.

We have been using up our broth so quickly in the way of making soups and drinking it between meals that I have not had a chance to store any of it. I have had an alternating pot of meat and broth going constantly.

So far I have made chicken, lamb, beef and turkey broth this way and they have all turned out really well.

* thermoses have become a new essential, as we are gone most of the day. We are able to bring broth and soup with us to work without the need to reheat.

You can find a comprehensive list of foods allowed at this stage here.

We are attempting to spend one week on each stage.

In preparation, I made my usual yogurt (very pleased that I was able to keep something familiar in my daily diet). A large pitcher of ginger tea. Lamb broth out of lamb leg bones. A large pot of Chicken soup, with chicken broth I had made in advance. I also started my first batch of sauerkraut! Tonight I am slow roasting a spaghetti squash whole… it seemed like a good versatile soft veggie option. I have plans for a breakfasty style squash porridge.

Day one was a bit rough for my husband as he only brought the lamb broth with him to work in a thermos, not realizing that I had prepared a whole pot of chicken soup the night before. The lamb broth was very rich and fatty, easier to eat as a soup or stew, tough to get down as broth alone. This left him feeling tired and a nauseous most of the day.

I am not much of a meat eater and am already missing my fresh veggies! But it’s only a matter of time until I can reintroduce them. Other than that, I feel pretty normal.

Day 1 & 2 down!

Despite our very healthy + gluten free lifestyle, both my husband and I still experience the roller coaster of reactions from certain foods that we eat. After hearing much about this diet through a very close friend who has been on it with her family for almost one year, we decided to look into it ourselves. Determined to find balance and healing we have committed to adhere to the GAPS diet for 1 year… starting yesterday, January 14, 2013.

My Husband’s current symptoms are more physical and include: redness, dry itchy & flaky skin, severe dandruff, achy muscles & bones, heartburn, mouth sores and geographic tongue.

My symptoms are more emotionally felt and have included: anxiety, depression, severe bloating, jaw clenching and overall tightening of muscles, impaired ability to focus & pay attention, impulsive cravings for certain foods… mostly sweet.

This diet is absolutely fascinating to me! I am super excited to see it’s effects and in what ways it changes us. It feels like something of a science experiment and I wanted to log our experience and track our progress. So I decided that I would share our findings right here on Bits of Blue Sky.

Plus I will get to share all of the recipes! Right now our options are pretty stripped down during the first few stages, mostly meat and bone broth with cooked vegetables, but soon I will be reintroducing foods into our diet and I am looking forward to the challenge of getting to create new GAPS friendly recipes!

I hope you will enjoy following along & get inspired to seek new areas of health and healing in your own life.

Fermented coconut water! Combining the health benefits of coconut water & the power of probiotics created during the fermentation process leaves you with a fizzy + tart beverage that is naturally rich in vitamins, minerals & electrolytes.

• 1 package water kefir grains
• 1 quart pure coconut water

Rehydrate your kefir grains as per directions on package → allowing them to soak in sugar water for a few days until plump & ready for fermentation. Add soaked kefir grains to room temperature coconut water and wait 24-48 hours for fermentation process. Strain coconut water into a glass jar with a lid to store in the fridge. Rinse grains with filtered water and start a new batch. It is as easy as that! Endless enjoyment.

Happy first day of spring! Here is a little lunchtime inspiration for you …  a lovely simple salad in celebration of the first fruits of the season.

• 2 cups mixed market greens
• 1 purple carrot, shaved
• 2 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup snap peas, roughly chopped
• 2oz smoked trout
• Drizzle of good quality olive oil
• Fresh ground sea salt & pepper

Toss all ingredients together & enjoy!

Serves 1

I was recently asked to make a batch of coconut macaroons for a holiday party I attended. I used to make these the proper way with egg whites & sweetened condensed milk… delicious, but not very good for you. So I challenged myself to find a better way.

What I ended up with was a gorgeous mound of orange flecked coconut goodness.

Vegan & gluten free!

• 1 cup coconut butter
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup finely grated carrot
• 1 cup gluten free oats
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 dash of maple extract
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 300°F and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Combine the coconut butter and all of the remaining ingredients in a bowl. Stir until well-combined. Using a mini ice cream scoop or a small spoon, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the bottoms of the macaroons are lightly browned. They come out quite soft, so allow some time for the macaroons to sit at room temperature until they firm up and cool down before handling them. Enjoy!