To GAPS or not to GAPS

I have wrestled with whether or not to start the diet in January as planned. Part of me feels like we need a stricter diet. But I had no idea how effective some of the babysteps would be. I didn't expect to be feeling any better. I was just trying to get used to the way of cooking so that I wouldn't crash and burn with the GAPS diet. What I'm finding that is working for us is going to be real close to the GAPS diet so I'll probably be using a lot of those recipes.

I wanted a healthier diet so that we could fight off colds better. I've had a cold for several days. But it's been incredibly mild as long as I drink my kefir and ginger tea (2x a day). If I miss my ginger tea, like during the busyness of Christmas Eve then the symptoms return. I felt rough Christmas morning. But ginger tea with raw honey and I was able to cook Christmas dinner. I have to remember that just because the symptoms go away, doesn't mean that my body doesn't need extra support. I should probably plan on doubling up on the ginger tea for a week after a cold.

I've accomplished the goal that I set out for. I wanted us to get sick less often and with less severity. We're still gonna get exposed to germs. Especially with young children in the house. But we've got better ways of coping with it so that they don't become bacterial infections or crud that drags on for weeks.

I had an IBS attack before Christmas. It went on for several days before I could get back on track. In trying to figure out what had triggered it and what else I could do to stop it, I read about how GAPS can actually slow metabolism. That's the last thing that I need. I've found that what I am doing now has sped up my metabolism. I've even lost a couple pounds over the holidays. Crazy! It's even affecting how my husband and I react to medicine. We have taken zyrtec regularly without it affecting our ability to function. Now if we take it, it is like a tranquilizer and we could just sleep for days if that was an option.

But that was the information that finally made the decision certain. We won't be going through the GAPS intro diet in January. The babysteps are working so I will just continue with them to keep replacing what I use with a more nutritious and less-processed alternative. Opt out of the 2 yr diet for a complete lifestyle change.