Day Six

Experience is such a good teacher, but gives very little grace. So, we've been learning SO much!! Thankfully, we've learned many lessons that should make the rest of the journey much more pleasant.

So, if you are considering the GAPS diet journey, let me give you a few words of friendly advice. First, make LOTS of broth; you will use it. And, buy the resource Cara put together. Whether you use the menus or not, the information is invaluable. I'm not following the menu exactly, but we are using the tips and recommendations for different days. It makes thinking ahead much easier, especially if you are like me and need to experience something first to be able to anticipate how to prepare.

Second, be prepared to spend a tremendous amount of time prepping veggies. We finally bought frozen broccoli and cauliflower. It was about the same price per pound, is probably fresher than buying "fresh" from the store, and is much easier to use. Honestly, though, I am really thankful I listened to the advice of other bloggers and friends who have been through the diet, and cleared my schedule for a while. It has been much less stressful to know nothing else had to be done.

Third, don't start with only bone broth!! I misunderstood the diet and gave my family only bone broth, which is, to a large degree, responsible for the issues we continue to have with little ones refusing to eat the broth. One more reason to buy Cara's e-book, lol. Like I said, it is a life saver.

Finally, reading as much as you can about other people's experiences, and going through the Q & A section on the GAPS website, is invaluable. Reading Dr. Campbell-McBride's book is definitely essential. But, the benefit of shared experiences makes the journey much easier. Case in point - some of my kids are having more issues with their issues than before we started the diet. But, honestly, I'm encouraged. From what I've read, worsening symptoms can be an indication of die-off, which I take to mean that as the gut environment gets healthier, symptoms will improve. Time will tell.

The learning curve has definitely been steep, but not so steep that I'm not willing to continue on this crazy adventure.