Babystep #13

Babystep #1 Add kefir daily or at least several times a week. check

Babystep #2 One batch of broth and subsequently soup a week.  This week, the soup bones looked old at Publix so I got back rib bones instead.

Babystep #3 Introduce fermented veggies. check

Babystep #4 Streamline kitchen  - removed everything from one counter so that it is always ready for the large slow cooker or the electric griddle.

Babystep #5 Add detox baths - We all got 20 minutes in a detox bath.

Babystep #6 Add omega 3 supplements  check

Babystep #7 Purchase some more local raw honey.  check

Babystep #8 Ginger tea - Done!

Babystep #9 Magnesium supplements - Done! No need for my inhaler for two weeks and counting. I haven't heard any coughing or wheezing from James since we've started him on magnesium. I won't call it a cure-all and I can't be certain what effect other changes are having on our health. But magnesium is definitely a contributing factor to our improved health.

Babystep #10 Sourdough starter - I have two starters going so that I can bake every 1-2 days rather than 3-4 days.

Babystep #11 Drink water first thing in the morning. - Spotty success. I'm thinking about it more often but still missing it some days.

Babystep #12 Work on creating a natural bath set for the children - Thinking about using baby food jars with decoupaged lids and/or colored ribbons or labels for the moisturizer but I will need something bigger for the body wash. Still looking.

Baby Step #13 - Menu planning each week - I'm finding that cooking some of the GAPS foods doesn't require so much extra time or even expense. It really doesn't take much time to put some bones in a pot and cover them with water. It does however require a great deal more thought. Not only do I need to plan what to eat but some parts of meals start 24 hours or so before you eat them. This morning I spent an hour and half in the kitchen but that including all prep for supper other than putting the bread in the oven and ladling the soup from the crockpot plus breakfast, dishes and tending to kids.

There are many menu planning printables online or can just use a notebook. The prep time has to be documented as well. If broth needs to be simmered, yogurt fermented or beans soaked then these all must start 12-24 hours before the meal so I need to write down what prep needs to be done to keep things running smoothly.

I'm accustomed to getting a general idea in my head of a menu plan (occasionally it gets written down) and rolling with it. But this diet won't work unless I write down a plan and actually stick to it. This past week, I was 12 hours late starting a couple things so instead of having supper for breakfast the next morning, my plan had to be reworked.

I've created a notebook with a guide to the intro diet so that I can plan the soups, stews, casseroles, snacks, etc for each week as I learn more about cooking GAPS foods. It times out pretty good for the first of the year. If we do a week for each stage, we'll be adding baked goods back just in time for James and John Micah's birthdays. Good timing!