Starting the GAPS diet

The past few days have been a little tough, and I have so little time to do the necessary computer work, let along to blog. Oliver and I are following the GAPS diet in order to correct some digestive and behavioral issues that have recently come to light...and so that I can be properly well for my own sake, and for any future children I may have. I feel positive and hopeful about this, though it is hard, as the first stage of the diet involves only bone broths with meats, probiotic liquids (from traditional lacto-fermented sauerkraut, etc.), and tea or water to drink. This is pretty limiting...and I think I've lost weight already which is definitely not the goal. I am also eating a small amount of homemade yogurt, well-cooked vegetables, and a few egg yolks a day mixed into broth, but Oliver is in much worse shape than I am and cannot have these things quite yet. I feel well-nourished actually, and haven't had the weird abdominal lumps in the morning that I was having ever since giving birth. Oliver's behavior is much different. Whereas usually he would tear into a pile of neatly folded laundry, today he simply climbed up on the couch and sat among the folded laundry very contentedly! He is showing interest in all his usual activities (he still brings me his shoes to tell me he wants to go outside, for example) but he is much calmer and seems to be less at loose ends...which had been happening a lot lately.

Also the tiny bumps (which I think are yeast) have disappeared from his belly and back. They would come if he ate any sweeteners or fruit, which he has been off for over a week now. He is also off the fresh raw milk right now as he had become sadly addicted to it (more on the dangers of milk addiction later). He slept through the night last night which is quite unusual. He is breastfeeding more than usual because of the dietary restrictions.

This is such an inconvenient time to be doing this as we plan to visit Hugo's extended family in Mexico for a few weeks in June, but I just felt that I could not wait any longer. **DO NOT READ THIS NEXT PART IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH!** His poop had become so disgusting and awful that something really had to be done. Children are not supposed to be pooping out identifiable pieces of food, and it is not supposed to be soupy or mucousy (was terribly mucousy on Saturday after eating a bunch of cheese). One time his poop was so acidic that it caused giant welts to form where it had touched the top of his legs -- horrible!!

As starchy vegetables, grains, bread, fruit, sweeteners, and fresh milk (lactose) all feed the bad microorganisms in his gut (Candida, clostridia, bacteroids, and the others) they have all been eliminated, and will not be re-introduced for a very long time. The healing foods he needs right now are bone broths, meats w/accompanying fat (cooked in the broth), non-starchy well-cooked vegetables (when he is no longer having diarrhea), probiotic liquids (whey, and sauerkraut juice or kim chee juice), and then of course yolks from pastured eggs.

I will keep you updated on our progress. It will likely not prove too exciting for most of you, so I will apologize in advance for that. But as this diet is just what most children these days need to heal, it will be interesting for many parents (especially those who have children with food allergies, asthma, eczema, candida overgrowth, ADD/ADHD, Autism, depression, low energy, poor immune function, failure to thrive, digestive issues, poor sleep patterns, behavioral and learning disorders...and the list goes on). The good news is that I am certain Oliver will be completely well in a comparatively short time as he is overall a healthy child.