What is GAPS Diet?
The GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) diet is an elimination diet designed to heal the lining of your gut.
It’s claimed to treat conditions such as autism, attention deficit disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome and obesity, among other things. It was created by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride who developed the GAPS protocol after her son was cured of autism following a strict diet designed to heal his gut.
GAPS stands for: Gut and Psychology Syndrome
The GAPS diet is a healing diet that focuses on balancing gut health. The GAPS diet has been linked to many health benefits, such as decreased inflammation and improved hormones.
A lot of people think that the GAPS diet is a quick fix, but it’s not. It takes months, sometimes years to heal your gut.
It's important to note that the GAPS diet isn't about healing yourself in 10-14 days; it's about preventing autoimmune diseases and allergies for life by healing your gut.
Decreased inflammation
You’re probably wondering how the GAPS Diet can help you manage your inflammation. The answer lies in the foods you eat and how they affect your immune system.
Foods that are high in anti-inflammatory properties include:
Fresh fruits and vegetables (especially those with deep colors)
Nuts, seeds and their butters (cashews are especially helpful)
Coconut products such as coconut oil or milk products such as yogurt or kefir
Helps balance hormones
The GAPS Diet can help balance hormones because it helps rebalance gut bacteria.
The bacteria in your gut are responsible for producing most of the hormones in your body, including estrogen and progesterone. This is why many women go on birth control pills when they're having trouble getting pregnant—it regulates their hormone levels. Gut bacteria has even been linked to weight loss, which makes sense since hormones affect hunger levels as well as how much we burn fat or store it.
The good news? There are things we can do to support healthy gut flora and reap all these benefits!
The GAPS Diet has been linked to many health benefits.
The goal of the GAPS Diet is to heal your gut—specifically, your small intestine—and reduce inflammation in the process. Healing your gut will help balance hormones, which can benefit both men and women.
These are just some of the benefits that have been associated with following a GAPS-style diet:
Improved digestion
Better nutrient absorption
Reduced risk of developing an infection in children or infants who are not yet old enough to be vaccinated (such as pneumonia)
Meat stock (cooked shorter than broth and contains less glutamates)
Meat stock is a good source of protein and minerals, especially if it's made from bones. Meat stock also contains glutamates, which are important for restoring the gut wall and suppressing inflammation.
Amino acids (the building blocks of protein) are also found in meat stock, as well as collagen and gelatin. These substances can help with healing leaky gut syndrome and food sensitivities, as well as improving joint health.
Meats, preferably hormone-free or grass-fed.
Meat, preferably hormone-free or grass-fed.
Avoid pork, processed meats and red meat more than once a week.
Choose the highest quality meat you can afford (organic is better than conventional; hormone-free is better than conventional).
Use up within 4 days of purchase to avoid food poisoning bacteria growing in your fridge.
Fish
Fish is a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, but it's important to avoid farmed fish, as they are often fed chemicals and antibiotics. If you can't find wild-caught salmon or other species, try to limit your consumption of tuna and shellfish (because they're high in mercury), and try to focus on clams, mussels and oysters for their higher amounts of omega-3s. In addition to being a great source of protein and healthy fats, eggs should be considered meat on this diet because their nutritional value is similar to meat.
shellfish
Shellfish is a good source of protein, minerals and zinc, selenium and vitamin B12. Shellfish are also a good source of vitamin A and vitamin D. The best kind of shellfish to eat on the GAPS diet is shrimp or other small crustaceans like krill or crab meat as they have fewer toxins than crustacean shells such as lobster or crab legs.
Animal fat
Animal fats, including tallow and butter, are allowed on the GAPS diet. Animal fats are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D. They also contain vitamins A, E, and K.
Eggs
Eggs are a good source of protein, fat and choline. Choline is an important nutrient for brain development and function. Eggs also provide vitamins A, D, E and K2; iron; zinc; selenium; vitamin B12; folate (folic acid); lutein/zeaxanthin (antioxidants).
The only caveat with eggs is that they're high in cholesterol so if you have heart disease or high cholesterol you should limit how many you eat per week. However there are ways to use egg whites instead of whole eggs if this is a concern for you!
Fresh fruits and non-starchy vegetables
Fruits are allowed on the GAPS diet but in small quantities. You should avoid fruit with high fructose content (such as apples and bananas), fruit juices, and unripe or out-of-season fruit. Additionally, most people do not feel well eating large amounts of fruit due to its natural sugar content.
Fermented foods and beverages
Fermented foods and beverages are a great addition to your GAPS diet. They can be helpful for digestive health, as well as mental health. Fermented foods and beverages can be added to meals in small quantities, but they should not make up the majority of your diet.
In order for fermented foods and beverages to be effective at healing leaky gut syndrome, it is recommended that you wait until after you have completed the introductory phase (first two weeks) of this diet before adding them into your daily routine. This will allow time for your gastrointestinal system to heal so that it can properly absorb nutrients from these types of food sources instead of having them pass through quickly without being absorbed by your body's cells.
The GAPS Diet can help you manage your symptoms and feel better, but it should never replace traditional medical care or advice from your doctor. There are many different interpretations of the GAPS diet. If you want to try some of these foods on your own or in moderation, remember that they can still be part of a healthy diet!
If you are looking for a cookbook in GAPS Diet,
Gut and Physiology Syndrome
on Amazon has over 460 reviews and got 4.8 out 5 star rating.
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Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride M.D. (Author)
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