What is the GAPS Diet?
The GAPS diet is a nutritional healing protocol developed by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. GAPS stands for Gut and Psychology Syndrome. The theory is that a leaky gut causes many conditions that affect your brain and a variety of other issues.
It is used around the world by thousands of people to heal or eliminate symptoms of illness and chronic disease, including asthma, eczema, mental health disorders, learning difficulties like ADHD and dyslexia, autism, autoimmune disorders, and chronic digestive disorders, among others.
There are some great diets out there that help with chronic conditions like autoimmune paleo diet (AIP), the Wahls protocol, and the specific carbohydrate diet (SCD).
The GAPS diet is different in that there is just as much focus on including healing foods in the diet as there is in eliminating foods that are causing damage to the body. For example, grains, starchy vegetables and refined carbohydrates are all eliminated from the diet and instead you focus on easy-to-digest, nutrient-dense foods.
The diet aims to heal and seal the gut lining to repair leaky gut, support the immune system, eliminate inflammation, and restore microbial balance. By healing the gut and giving the body what it needs, the body is able to repair and regenerate just as it was designed to do.
WHY WE STARTED GAPS
My first child started coughing at 2.5 and didn’t stop for many months at a time - a hacking, persistent cough that often had him vomiting after 10 minutes of running in the cold air.
Along with this cough, he had persistent bad breath, constant night terrors, and constant black bags under his eyes- probably from lack of sleep due to intense night time coughing and night terrors. These episodes last months upon months. We all lost sleep.
First, we were told he had post nasal drip but the nasal spray and other therapies recommended to him did nothing. Then we were told he had obstructive airway disease. Then told by another nurse that he had inflammation/ swelling in his nasal passage with at least one polyp.
The doctor told us that due to his age, they cannot diagnose asthma but signs point to that - what they call it at his age (6) is obstructive airway disease.
We tried absolutely everything besides a puffer (which we were prescribed). After trying nearly everything, it was time to focus hard on diet. Less than a month into the diet, his coughing stopped. His bad breath disappeared. His night terrors went away. He no longer looked tired all the time with heavy bags under his eyes.
We went right through the cold and flu season and the cough never returned nor anything else that came with it.
WHO BENEFITS FROM THE GAPS DIET?
If you are dealing with a health issue, you might benefit from the GAPS protocol. It is more than managing a condition; it is about restoring health and creating long term changes and implementing habits that bring healing.
You might benefit from the GAPS protocol if you live with or suffer the following:
Eczema/ psoriasis/ skin conditions
Food allergies and intolerances
Fatigue/ chronic fatigue
Autism
Learning difficulties including ADD/ ADHDdyslexia , dyspraxia
Depression and anxiety
Digestive conditions including IBS/ IBD, Chohns, constipation, diarrhea, diverticulitis, SIBO
Autoimmune diseases such as hashimotos
Diabetes or insulin resistance
Conditions associated with insulin resistance
Asthma
Frequent viral and bacterial illnesses and infections
WHAT FOODS ARE ALLOWED ON THE GAPS DIET?
There are 2 parts to the GAPS diet:
1) The Introduction phase
2) The Full GAPS phase
Where you will begin will depend on many factors including your current state of health, lifestyle, and current diet.
The foods that are allowed are all meats and seafood (well sourced), healthy fats including animal fats (butter! fish!) and olive oil, most fruit and vegetables, properly prepared nuts and seeds including coconut, properly aged cheeses, 24 hour fermented dairy products, and fermented vegetables, and honey. Foundational healing foods include organ meats, meat stock, and fermented foods.
You can find a complete list here.
FOODS TO AVOID on GAPS
Food that are avoided on the GAPS list include starchy vegetables like potatoes, all grains, beans, and legumes (minus a very select few), sweeteners including table sugar and maple syrup, all refined/ processed foods (refined carbohydrates, for example), soy products, unfermented dairy or unaged cheese, commercial yogurts, many additives. A comprehensive list can be found here.
WHAT DOES THE GAPS INTRODUCTION PHASE INCLUDE?
The introduction phase is a series of six stages, similar to an elimination diet in that foods are added in slowly and with the intention of allowing the body to adjust and identify symptoms and cause.
The introduction phase of the GAPS diet has a heavy importance on including core healing foods into the diet which include meat stock, meat close to the bone, animal fats, fermented foods, and organic egg yolks if tolerated.
Stage one includes:
Homemade stock (chicken, beef, turkey, fish, venison, pork)
Soups with boiled meats and vegetables
Boiled meats, fish, and shellfish, and liver
Cooked vegetables with fibrous stalks removed
Animal fats (chicken, tallow, lard, duck)
Coconut oil
In later stages, you might add in raw organic eggs yokes and probiotic food (Stage 3) , nut flour for baked goods (Stage 4) and cold pressed olive oil (Stage 4) or raw vegetables (Stage 5). Some of the sweeter things come very late, including raw fruit and honey in Stage 6.
You may find as you add foods, you become bloated, uncomfortable, and experience digestive symptoms. This would be a sign that the body has not done enough healing and you need to stick to the stage your in for a bit and try again.
A detailed introduction GAPS diet list can be found here.
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IS THE GAPS DIET DIFFICULT?
At first, yes! Who doesn't miss their honey, beans, or bread? It also depends on where you’re at with your diet. However, this diet is very healing and well worth it. For all the hard work that you do, your body will thank you.
The Gaps Conclusion
For many, this diet has been the answer that they’ve been looking for; a protocol to heal the body of conditions when nothing else has worked. For many, starting here got them past many failed prescriptions, doctors visits, and diets that alleviate symptoms but don't bring healing.
Each individual is different and paths to healing vary greatly. Good luck!
“He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might, He increases strength.”
The Lord led us here. He has brought healing to us through this path. He has given us the strength to do it. Wherever he leads you, he will give you strength as well.