Transform Your Health with the GAPS Diet

In this episode, I share my personal journey with the GAPS (Gut and Psychology/Physiology Syndrome) Diet and how this powerful protocol transformed my health in just a few weeks. Join me as I break down everything you need to know about implementing GAPS as a busy mom, including practical strategies and real-world solutions for family healing.

Episode Highlights:

• My health transformation story: postpartum struggles, mold toxicity, and finally finding healing
• What the GAPS Diet is and who developed it (Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride)
• The critical difference between meat stock and bone broth (this matters!)
• Who can benefit from the GAPS protocol
• The three phases of GAPS: Introduction, Full GAPS, and Reintroduction
• How to implement GAPS as a busy mom with kids
• Common challenges and how to overcome them
• My combined approach: GAPS + Mary Ruddick's autoimmune protocol

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to the GAPS Diet Journey
02:29 Understanding the GAPS Diet and Its Origins
10:16 The Mechanisms of the GAPS Protocol
16:26 Who Can Benefit from the GAPS Diet?
22:33 The Role of Meat Stock in Healing
29:23 GAPS Food Protocol: What's In and What's Out
37:13 The Power of Healthy Fats
38:34 Nutrient Density Over Calorie Restriction
39:33 Implementing GAPS for Families
41:42 Practical Strategies for Busy Moms
43:38 Batch Cooking and Meal Prep
45:05 Involving Kids in Food Preparation
47:05 Addressing Picky Eaters
48:50 Navigating Social Situations on GAPS
50:18 Budgeting for GAPS Diet
52:07 Common Challenges and Solutions
56:23 Managing Gut Reactions
01:00:42 The Role of Supplements
01:02:03 Personal GAPS Journey and Insights
01:10:15 Preparing for Future Health Goals
01:12:20 Conclusion: Embracing the GAPS Journey

Resources Mentioned:

• Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride's book "Gut and Psychology Syndrome"
• Mary Ruddick's autoimmune protocol
• Environmental Working Group's Clean 15/Dirty 12 lists
• Free GAPS Guide for Busy Families
• Book a 1:1 consultation

Connect With Me:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Email: lena@lenalivinsky.com

Action Steps:

1. Start with meat stock (not bone broth) - simmer meat on bone for 2-3 hours
2. Download my free GAPS Guide for Busy Families for practical implementation tips
3. Begin gradually by adding healing foods before removing problematic ones, if starting with the introduction diet too hard for now. 
4. Focus on progress, not perfection!

Grab your Bon Charge gear here, code LenaL for 15% off your purchase 

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Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making significant dietary changes.

Transcript

Well, hey there, welcome back to the Livin'Sky Podcast podcast. I am Lena, your host, and I am thrilled to have you listening to today's episode. Pour yourself some meat stock, I mean, just kidding, but not really, and get comfy because I am so excited to share my journey with the GAPS diet, a protocol that has been so transformative to my health. And I only started it in February, 2025, so...

As of recording this, I have been on it for about six weeks. So after struggling with postpartum health issues, which I had many, and then mold toxicity exposure back in August 2024, I was at my wit's end trying to feel normal again. There were just so many things I was dealing with in terms of my health, just constant fatigue.

weight that I could not take off. I was basically still weighing the same amount I had once I had Nate in December 2021. And no matter how healthy I ate, no matter how much I exercised, no matter how much I tried to slow down my lifestyle and nourish myself, the weight just wasn't coming off.

It did start to come up a little bit when I did the antihistamine protocol for three weeks, but it was still very slow and then it plateaued. So I lost about eight pounds and that was back in about a year ago. So yeah, so I had a lot of things to figure out and so many things to think about and I just didn't really know what to do. But...

Last year, I started to learn more and more about the microbiome and that started to really solidify some ideas for me and I started to put two and two together and made me understand so much more about health, so much more than what I have learned over the past 12 years being on this personal healing journey from many different symptoms.

And so I'm very excited to talk about the GAPS protocol today because This is exactly what it addresses.

leaky gut and microbiome issues. So

When you're a mom who can barely drag yourself through the day, something's just gotta give.

So I heard about the GAPS diet on a podcast. I was listening to Mary Ruddick talk about her story, her story with dysautonomia, as well as just in general, providing incredible health advice and just talking about her work with other clients throughout the years, as well as her adventures.

learning from indigenous civilizations and populations that still live on earth. So she's traveled to countless villages and has met with so many different indigenous populations I just love Mary's story so much that I just devoured podcast after podcast after podcast. And I learned so much and I,

I love Mary Ruddick and I hope to have her on this podcast one day, manifesting it. But she talked about the GAPS Diet quite a bit because this is what, or this was part of the, one of the biggest things that helped her heal from dysautonomia. And dysautonomia is a very serious disorder where essentially your body is kind of out of sync. And it caused her to, her organs to start to essentially.

not work together and some of them started to shut down and she was just very very sick. She was very sick for many years and bedridden for four years and unfortunately and she tried so many different things to heal including veganism and vegetarianism and juicing and so many different things but she was not making progress until she read about this indigenous tribe that

was in perfect health and they essentially all they ate was blood, milk and meat. So very much animal based and it got her wheels turning, right? And she started to do more research and she essentially found gaps, but also this is kind of what set her on this journey to search for these tribes and to learn from these people who

still exist and still are in perfect health. And they have a bit of various diets, but most of them are very animal-based and very much reliant on animal fats, which are very healing to us and have been demonized in our culture for a little while, right? Who's afraid of butter? Who is afraid of having fat in their diet?

There's been so much talk about it, of how unhealthy it can be for us, so much misinformation out there. Meanwhile, these indigenous tribes are surviving and thriving and in this perfect health where they don't have any health issues, no chronic disease, no fungus, no cavities, no heart disease. They age gracefully, they're so happy, and they're eating a ton of animal fats.

So we'll talk more about animal fats with the GAPS diet, but it just, got me thinking. It got me so interested because this is so different from what I've learned in the past with this idea of plants being super healing. So when I went on the GAPS diet, within just a few weeks and I did the meat stock centered diet at first, meat stock, not bone broth, right? And we'll talk about this a little bit more.

But I lost almost 25 pounds now. And this is weight that has been just holding on stubbornly since I gave birth to Nate. I had candida issues that have drastically improved. Psoriasis patches started to heal and my mood lifted. I just felt like a totally different person when I was postpartum. I just felt like my

My emotions were pretty flat for a long time. Things did start to improve and I started to see more different emotional variations in myself after about a year and a half. But it was still nothing like what I used to experience where I would get excited about things or really happy and I would just feel it in my heart. I was missing those emotions and I started feeling this way after just two weeks on the GAPS diet.

which was quite incredible. And my productivity soared. I started to feel like my chores at home weren't completely out of reach because between work and between Nate and between everything else, just maintaining the house, it's a lot of work. And I just felt like so defeated by it for so long. And after going to Gap's Diet, I just all of a sudden had like a burst of energy and clarity in my mind where

how I can keep things organized, how I can do things differently. So it was very different and it was so sudden for me that I was just thrilled, Because how can something as simple as meat stock and fermented foods have such a significant impact on our health? And that was my exact thought, right? I was very skeptical at first.

Although I truly believed what I heard from Mary and what I read in the gaps books and the countless healing stories I heard in one of Dr. Natasha's who created a gap site. We'll talk about her a little bit more in this few seconds, but she talked about in one podcast how there's been about a million people now who have healed from the gap side. So that's a huge statistic. That is

mind blowing to me. And she's not the one who's worked with a million people. There's gaps providers, people who are trained in how to administer this diet, who can help other people get on this diet and do it according to their needs. But yes, the message is spreading and gaps has been

across countless cultures and it's amazing to see.

break down what is a gap diet, who is it for, and how you can implement it as a busy mom without losing your mind, right? Because let's be real, any health protocol that requires hours of preparation when you can barely find time to shower, it's just not going to be something that you can can commit to right now, right? And it doesn't have to be that way with gaps. So I'm very excited. Let's dive in.

So first, let's talk about what is the GAPS diet. So the GAPS diet was developed by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, a brilliant neurologist and nutritionist who was seeking solutions for her son. Her son was on the autism spectrum. And like many moms, right, when her child wasn't thriving with conventional approaches, she took matters into her own hands and dove headfirst into research about the gut-brain connection.

So GAPS, G-A-P-S, stands for gut and psychology syndrome, our brain function. include gut and physiology syndrome. So basically acknowledging that the gut dysfunction

affects our entire body, not just our brain.

So at its core, GAPS is based on the concept that many modern health issues stem from a damaged gut lining, imbalanced gut bacteria, and compromised digestive function. So when our gut barrier becomes permeable, which is known as leaky gut, essentially it's not holding together very well, and spaces open up, and things can get in

So partially digested food particles, toxins and pathogens can sneak into our bloodstream. And that can trigger inflammation and immune reactions throughout the body.

the GAPS protocol works through three main mechanisms. First, it removes foods that have damaged the gut or are difficult to digest. So think of it as removing the splinter before trying to heal the wound. Now, second, it introduces nutrient-dense foods that provide the building blocks for healing.

So these are your gut's construction materials. And third, it helps restore the balance of beneficial bacteria in the gut. So basically evicting the trouble makers and inviting the good neighbors back in. So the protocol has three distinct phases. First is introduction diet, and it's the most intensive healing phase, which is divided into six stages. And this is where foods are gradually introduced, beginning with the most digestible

and least likely to cause reactions, which of course is our meat stock, and as well as some well-cooked meats and specific vegetables, and gradually adding in some fermented foods, eggs, specifically egg yolks at first, and more diverse foods as healing progresses. So it's kind of like your rehabilitation for your digestive system. Then you go on to the full-gaps diet.

which follows the introduction phase and that includes a wider variety of foods while still maintaining the core healing principles. So this is typically followed for one and a half, two years minimum. And I know that sounds like super long, but there is a reason for that. This time allows for us to make sure we are starving out the bacteria that can survive for a long time. So lifespan of

pathogenic bacteria in our gut varies. Some of it can be a few days, some of it can be a few months, and unfortunately some of it can last up to two years. So this is why the GAPS diet can last for minimum of one and a half to two years because of how long it takes to starve out some of these pathogenic bacterias. And sometimes all it takes is like one bite off.

the GAPS protocol. let's say like a bite of a cheesecake or a bite of something super sweet, something filled with sugar and starches to give some energy to this bacteria so they can live for much longer. So this is why it takes a little while to be on the GAPS diet, but trust me, it goes so fast. I was on the vegan diet for three years. That flew by. That's how long it took me to malnourish myself. So in my mind, if I can...

do something like that for three years, I can do two years of healing. But then after the full GAPS diet, you go into the reintroduction phase, which allows for the slow and systematic reintroduction of previously eliminated foods. So that starts with the least problematic ones like eating your potatoes and fermented gluten-free grains or maybe some fermented sourdough.

And it's like cautiously testing the waters to see what your new healed body can handle. So typically if you have a reaction where you have indigestion issues or constipation or diarrhea, anything like that, then you know you're not able to eat that food yet. So you kind of go back and then you reintroduce it again, maybe on a smaller scale or just give it a few more weeks.

what makes gaps different from other healing diets is it's comprehensive approach. It's not just about removing problematic foods. It's about providing the specific nutrients needed for gut healing and detoxification while supporting beneficial bacteria growth. So it's not a quick fix or a fat diet. It's more like a renovation project for your body's foundation.

So who is the GAPS diet for? According to Dr. Campbell McBride, the GAPS diet can help with a wide range of conditions that might seem completely unrelated, but share the common root cause of gut dysfunction. So on the psychological side, that includes things like conditions like autism, ADHD, dyspraxia, dyslexia, depression, anxiety, and even schizophrenia.

There has been actually thousands of children who have gone into remission from autism spectrum. They were no longer on the autism spectrum from being on the GAPS diet. I know this is a controversial topic, but I have seen it firsthand what diet can do and what lifestyle changes can do for these children with neurological conditions and...

I am thrilled to be talking about this because I feel like we're not talking about this enough and our kids are suffering. More and more kids are suffering. So I am so happy to talk about it on a much larger scale moving forward because we need to be talking about this as providers, as moms. And I want to help other kids and other parents to heal as well. So here we are.

And Dr. Natasha observed in her clinical practice that many patients with these conditions showed significant improvement when gut health was addressed. And honestly, as a mom who's experienced brain fog plus mold exposure, I can absolutely attest to how gut health affects your thinking and mood. For me, it was the biggest thing that shifted. For physical ailments, gaps can be beneficial for digestive disorders like IBS, IBD, SIBO, and...

Those, can't leave the house until I know where all the bathrooms are situations, right? Autoimmune conditions often respond very well to things like psoriasis, arthritis, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and so many more. And I already mentioned psoriasis, but skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and acne frequently improve as gut health is restored.

In my cases, psoriasis patches I struggled with for years began to clear within just a few weeks on the protocol. Not all of them yet. I've had many because I was so depleted after giving birth that it's a process. When you see a psoriasis patch heal, it takes a little bit of time because first the flakes kind of disappear, then like the center disappears, then slowly the coloring shifts and slowly maybe

that Oriola disappears, like the boundaries of it. So it takes a while, but it's amazing to watch. I'm so thrilled to see it. And I kind of like search every day to see like, okay, what changes am I seeing today? It's very, very nice.

So gaps is also particularly relevant for those who have a history of antibiotic use, right? And that happens a lot. Over 70 % of antibiotics are over prescribed and those are really damaging to our gut. So these are people who can very much benefit from the GAP diet Chronic infections, food sensitivities and allergies, and hormonal imbalances and...

chronic fatigue and that's beyond the normal I have young kids exhaustion, right? Fatigue where no matter how much you sleep, how many hours, how early you go to bed and you wake up and you're tired. I was in that boat for a very long time so I can attest this is very, very helpful. For moms specifically, the postpartum period is a time when gut health can be compromised due to the stress of childbirth, sleep deprivation, even only

having about 48 hours of sleep deprivation is detrimental to the gut. So that is something to consider, but not freak out over because you can rebuild your gut, right? So sleep deprivation is also very normal for moms who, especially who are nursing, because if you are formula feeding, maybe the dad can help as well. But for moms who are nursing, this is very normal and it's also something that has, have done for.

hundreds and hundreds of years.

actually thousands of years. So not to worry, this is something we we're meant to do, but we can also restore these imbalances after we're done. And also for hormonal fluctuations, this is amazing for hormonal fluctuations. So not to mention those of us who stress ate ice cream and take out during those early newborn days, like don't worry about it.

GAPS provides a structured approach to rebuild maternal health while also setting a foundation for family wellness. It's worth noting that while GAPS can be implemented for children, even babies actually, with modified approaches, pregnant women should not start the instruction diet unless under careful medical supervision. However, the full GAPS diet can be safely followed during pregnancy.

And it will be amazing for you if started beforehand, right? Because if you are really, really nourished, nourishing yourself well and rebuilding your gut and rebuilding your health, because we know 80 % of our immune system lies in the gut, you can really help to prepare your body well for pregnancy. And this protocol is just beautiful for that. So the protocol is designed to be temporary, a healing journey rather than a lifelong restriction.

However, if you have dealt with chronic disease for a very long time, you cannot go back to eating ultra processed foods and eating just starches and sugars and then continue to feel amazing, right? Once we learn the basis of the GAPS diet, our diet will change. We're going to understand what is nourishing for our body, what is not. And even though you don't have to be as restrictive as you were in a GAPS diet,

you know that being on it at least 80%, 70 % of the time still, it's going to be very nourishing to your body. So it's not only about just going on a diet, but it's essentially reinventing the way we think about food and lifestyle.

So let's talk about meat stock. I mentioned it at the beginning. And this is something that I wanted to talk about in a little bit more detail because bone broth is so popular right now for healing. And meat stock is different. So I wanted to talk about this distinction. Meat stock is absolutely essential to the GAPS approach, especially in the early stages. And I've heard Mary and I've heard Dr. Natasha talk about

how the more meat stock you drink and eat, the faster you are healed. So it is absolutely essential. And it is not the same as bone broth. And despite the terms of them being used interchangeably in popular health circles, they're not the same. And yes, I learned this the hard way after making gallons of what I thought was healing bone broth, only to discover I was missing a critical element of the protocol.

So according to Dr. Campbell-McBride meat stock is made by simmering meat on the bone for a relatively short time, about two to three hours. Usually you bring it to boil and then you let it simmer for about one and a half, two hours and it takes about two to three hours to make. And as a result, you have this rich

liquid that's gentle on the digestive system and especially healing for gut lining. Bone broth in contrast is simmered much longer, anywhere from 12 to 24 hours.

A lot of people may get in a slow cooker and often it is made with primarily bones rather than meat on the bone. And this long lasting cooking process extracts more minerals from the bones but also creates higher levels of histamines. And a lot of us right now because of the toxic world we live in, we have histamine issues, higher levels of glutamates and free amino acids that can be problematic for people with sensitive digestion or

certain neurological conditions. So those are the gaps people, right? And it's kind of like the difference between a gentle rain and kind of like a tsunami in a way, both involve water, but the impact is completely different, right? And the reason meat stock is emphasizing gaps, particularly in the introduction phase is because of its rich gelatin and specific amino acids that help.

heal the gut lining without overwhelming a compromised digestive system. So it provides nutrients in a form that requires minimal digestion and directly nourishes the enterocytes, the cells that line our intestines. So think of it as sending in the perfect construction crew for the gut renovation project. And to make proper meat stock, you want to use joints and meat on the bone, not too much meat. You don't need a lot of muscle meat, but we definitely want the fatty meat.

So for chicken stock, you can use the whole chicken or pieces or chicken pieces with joints or like the carcass. For meat stock, meat bones like ox tail, short ribs and shank are really, really good. What I do for the beef stock, I'll get just beef bones from a farm. So they're filled with bone marrow and they have some meat around that.

And it's usually about three to four pounds of them and I'll put them in a large, very large pot, fill a pot with water. And this is going to make some really delicious meat stock.

So the key is to include the connective tissue, which provides a healing gelatin. And you know that jiggly stuff that might have grossed you out before on the meat, like that's liquid gold for your gut. And this is exactly what we need. And this is what our gut is craving. So a properly made meat stock will gel when refrigerated. This is a sign of its high gelatin content and healing potential.

And if your sock doesn't gel, it likely needs more joint bones or less water.

For those starting gaps, with significant digestive issues, Dr. Natasha recommends consuming meat stock multiple times a day as a drink between meals, as a base for soup and for cooking vegetables. So in the introduction diet, you basically cook almost everything with meat stock and later on with some ghee as well. But it is a basis for everything and you can strain the solids from the meat stock so you only have the broth and you can use that for drinking as well.

And I know drinking meat stock sounds about as appealing as cold coffee when you're new to this, but trust me, when I say your taste buds adapt and you might even find yourself craving it, it's shocking, but true. And for me, like if I feel like it needs a little bit more salt, I'll add more salt, salt, especially mineralized salt. It's so good for us. I use Red mond's salt and also I'll sometimes add in some herbs and like some, some seasoning that's allowed.

So in my own experience, switching from Bone Broth to true meat stock was a turning point in my healing. The difference was noticeable within days and less digestive discomfort and more stable energy levels. It's a small distinction that makes a huge difference in the healing process. So let's talk about the GAPS food protocol. Let's break down the diet into what's in and what's out because we all know that's the first question when starting a new way of eating, right?

So on the no list, we have foods that either damage the gut lining, feed pathogenic bacteria, or are difficult to digest. So all grains, and pseudo grains are removed. So that includes wheat, rice, corn, quinoa, and buckwheat. Even the amazing sourdough, just because it can feed the pathogenic bacteria for those who have compromised bacteria in their gut.

But remember, this is temporary until you transition off the full-gap diet. So Dr. Campbell McBride explains that the complex carbohydrates in these foods feed pathogenic bacteria in the gut and can be difficult to digest with compromised digestive function. And I definitely miss my sourdough bread, but listen, I feel so much better right now that to me, that trumps everything.

Other things on the low list are processed foods, of course, and additives, which are eliminated as they often contain gut-irritating compounds and provide no healing nutrition. So no more convenience foods that got us through these busy weeknights. Don't worry, we'll find new solutions. Commercial dairy products are avoided initially, especially pasteurized milk, which contains casein and lactose that can be difficult to digest.

But don't panic, there is a path back to certain dairy products later in the protocol. All refined sugars and starchy vegetables like potatoes and sweet potatoes are removed as they can feed pathogenic microbes in the gut. And this was personally the hardest one for me because I'm Polish. We eat potatoes with like almost every meal. It's just our best friend. So yes, it was hard and I mourned, mourned a little bit, but

I will do anything to heal. at this point, I don't really mind. Soy products and industrial seed oils like canola, corn, safflower oils are eliminated due to their inflammatory potential. And these were hiding in so many of my healthy packaged foods before gaps. I feel like I've been talking about reading ingredients for years and years and I've been reading, but I don't think I was reading them enough. Like I don't think I understood what I was reading.

Now when I look at these ingredients, I'm just like, wow, I thought this was healthy before and it's really not. So, versing yourself and learning about ingredients is so important as well. If you want to, I mean, just nourish your family the right way, but if you want to stay on the GAP diet you need to really know what goes in and what goes out.

you must be wondering what is on the yes list. And there are many things and we focus on foods that heal and nourish.

So homemade meat stock, I keep talking about it, but this is the foundation. And this is consumed multiple times a day, as I mentioned earlier, especially at the beginning. So I just bring mine in a coffee mug so I can sip it throughout the day when I'm with my patients. And some days, honestly though, I would just eat soup. I wouldn't sip on it. And that's okay too. I was just having less cravings. wasn't feeling like I wasn't feeling up to eating as much.

So sometimes I would just eat it as part of a soup. And that was at the point where I was still eating two soups a day. So I was getting enough. But if you don't feel like drinking it one day, that's okay too.

Fresh meat and fish prefer to be organic and grass-fed, pasture-raised from regenerative farms and the ocean for fish, provide essential protein and fats that support cellular repair. And this is where you want to invest in quality if your budget allows. Although, don't worry, because I have heard Mary, who has been working for years with clients on the GAPS diet and different clients that have healed from various conditions,

She said that even people who weren't able to afford these quality meats and opted for conventional but made the right changes were still able to heal from so many different things. So, don't worry about that. But if your budget allows for it, those are preferable meats. Animal fats are emphasized throughout the diet. So tallow, lard, duck fat, goose fat, ghee, if you can tolerate it.

Those are used liberally for cooking and they provide fat-soluble vitamins and stable fatty acids. Eggs, especially the nutrient-dense yolks, are introduced gradually and usually starts around stage two where you're able to add and...

a raw egg yolk into your diet. Don't freak out, it tastes delicious. And of course you want them to be from good quality farms and hoping that the chickens are fed an appropriate diet. But these little eggs are just powerhouse nutrition. Even though for years we were made to fear them because of high cholesterol levels and just cholesterol being made as the villain.

Don't get me started on this topic, but we now know that we absolutely need cholesterol to be healthy and to produce vitamin D and do all these different things for our body. So eat the eggs. Eggs are amazing. They're just a powerhouse of nutrition, like I mentioned. Non-starchy vegetables are also allowed and these are usually well cooked in the early stages to improve digestibility and they provide some fiber and vital nutrients.

The softer and more mushy the veggies, the better in the beginning. Save your al dente cooking skills for later in the protocol because it's just harder to digest. Eventually we do introduce some raw veggies into our diet as well as juices, but it takes a little while. You need to let your digestive system heal and don't rush it because the longer you wait, the slower you go, the better for your gut.

Fermented foods are a cornerstone of the protocol, but are introduced very gradually. Beginning with just like a teaspoon of sauerkraut that you add to your soup. And these provide beneficial bacteria and help restore proper gut flora. And oh my gosh, I love them. I love them. And I just got some special fermentation kit yesterday in the mail and I'm excited to make my own sauerkraut. And you don't have to do anything special. It just makes it easier because you have like these like glass weights

to hold the sauerkraut down, but you don't even need all that to ferment things. But I went a little fancy because I want to really start my production. And I'm so excited. I'm also fermenting on my countertop right now, some kefir, sour cream. I just made homemade butter yesterday, raw ice cream for my son, who's not fully on the GAPS diet yet. Yeah, I don't know who I am, but I'm loving this. And natural fats are emphasized throughout the protocol.

So Dr. Natasha is clear that healthy fats did not make us fat. And I can attest to this, I've been eating a lot of fats since I started the GAPS diet and I lost almost 25 pounds. So do not fear the fats, they're so healing. And they are essential for rebuilding damaged tissues, supporting hormone production and proper brain function. So.

as healing progresses than the diet expands And it includes nuts and seeds, which are properly prepared by soaking. We want them to sprout. And these are so good as a snack. Fermented dairy, which is homemade yogurt, kefir, which I mentioned I've been making. And this is a game changer for my calcium needs. And these are preferably prepared with

raw milk if possible or minimally pasteurized, the A2 type of milk from farms, something to seek out if you can. Fruits are gradually introduced, always with fat, so adding butter to apple slices, felt scandals at first, but so good. Raw honey in small amounts, which is nature's perfect sweetener in moderation. So Dr. Campbell McBride emphasized that the gaps is not about calorie restriction, but about nutrient density.

which I love, I love, I hate to talk about calorie restriction. And sometimes that plays a big role for many people in healing. But I don't think it should be focus of health, but nutrient density is. We want to be eating nutrient-dense foods as much as we possibly can, including those good meats and nourishing non-starchy vegetables and the soups and the good fermented foods. It's just so good for us.

that I love that this is the focus here because it's so essential. And portions when you are eating should be sufficient to satisfy hunger and meals should be regular. Many people naturally find their appetite regulation improves as gut health is restored. That happened to me. I was no longer having afternoon energy crashes I was no longer craving chocolate after dinner.

So that was very true for me as well. And I used to be a big snacker. So for families implementing GAPS, Dr. Natasha recommends that everyone participate to some degree, even if not everyone follows a full protocol. And this is what I've been doing slowly with Nate. So I have him eat the soup every single day now, which luckily he likes. And this is so nourishing for him. While I'm still slowly,

taking control of what he eats other than the GAPS protocol foods, nourishing him with some good meats, and slowly starting to reduce snacks. My Nate is a huge snacker, and it's hard to do because in daycare he gets food there, but he will be transitioning to a different school system. He's gonna be going to a nature preschool starting in September. I'm so excited about that, as well as this incredible

Montessori, Emilia Reggiano, afternoon school a few times a week. So I'll be giving him lunch now and I'll be in charge of snacks. So I'm excited because I can have much better control over what he's going to be eating. But even if you don't have that flexibility, there are so many things you can do to modify what they're eating and to make sure they're eating very nourishing foods while they're at home. So this creates a supportive environment and

Mom and Dad's need to prepare multiple meals and because let's be honest none of us have time to be short order cooks making different meals for everyone every day. I mean some moms do the super moms are out there they're incredible I'm not one of those moms when I cook I try to cook for two to three days at least so I totally understand whatever your needs are but GAPS is still flexible and you can be so innovative with this diet that you don't have to worry about.

So here's a practical implementation for busy moms, Let's get real about making gaps work when you're juggling kids and work and everything else and cleaning and running through a grocery store and honestly anything else life throws at you.

As a mom who's implemented gaps in a busy household, I found some practical strategies that make this doable even when you barely  time to pee alone. So first, we're gonna start gradually rather than trying to change everything at once for the family. Unless it's for you and you have a big healing goal, I would just dive right into gaps if you can

I do recommend diving right in, but if you can't, take it slow.

Begin by adding meat stock to your daily routine and replacing one meal a day with a GAPS friendly confidence and see results, you can expand from there. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither is your gut health. Remember that. And I wanted to take a little pause here. Batch cooking is absolutely essential. I dedicate a few hours on weekends to prepare large batches of meat stock.

I now I'm going to start boiling eggs. I just prepared ground meat, which I have just stocked in my fridge and you can chop vegetables, prepare them. however it needs to be done. And these are just building blocks ready to go and it makes weekday meals much more manageable. so you can call it a Sunday prep party or you can do it whatever day works for you.

And usually put on a good podcast to make it more enjoyable. That's what I did And yeah, so it's it's really not that difficult when because it's very simple and it's easy to just grab these foods as like building blocks Invest in time saving equipment if you can so I got this huge huge pot so I can have a lot of meat stock and a lot of Broth that I can make I think it's like about 20 liters capacity or 22 liters. So it's very big

But that made things easier for me. So I can just throw in a whole chicken. I can throw in a bunch of bones and just have an amazing, good quality meat stock. Food processors make quick work of chopping vegetables and glass storage containers are very good for keeping your fresh foods visible and in a non-leaching container. So you can keep emergency gaps foods on hand at all times.

So I mentioned you can have hard boiled eggs, can have avocados. Those start in stage three with the introduction diet. So avocados are big because of the healthy fat content. So there's a lot of things you can do with those. You can even make your own condiments, right? You can make your own mayo, you can make your own ketchup. There's so many different things you can do. So Gaps it allows you to have a big variety. You can make cooked meat patties and containers of meat stock in the freezer.

On days when everything goes sideways, like when the toddler flushes a toy and floods the bathroom right before dinner, these can be quickly assembled into a healing meal that beats ordering pizza. For children, you can transition them gradually and involve them in a process. And not only is this great for preparing them for the gaps protocol a little bit better, it is very good for picky eaters. Involving them in any type of process of cooking

or preparation and talking about food and shopping for foods is so good for picky eaters. I always recommend it for my families because kids before they are expected to eat food, they should get familiar with it. They should be comfortable with cutting it and touching it and playing with it and seeing it, right? Sometimes we have this expectation where we're gonna prepare this beautiful meal for our kid and they're like, absolutely not. I'm not touching this, this is gross. Or like Nate likes to say, it smells like dirty socks, which

are a lot of things for him apparently, but it's important to involve them in the process. I can't emphasize this enough because Dr. Natasha also emphasizes the importance of not making food a battleground, right? We should not be stressing our kids about food. Start by adding healing foods alongside familiar ones and slowly phase out problematic foods that are not good for the gut.

and using familiar shapes and presentation and arranging foods into fun pictures and involving kids in age-appropriate food preparation, it can help tremendously. And not only for picky eaters, for all the kids. It is so good. It is such a good practice to have in the kitchen. Nate is way more interested in vegetables when we're cutting cauliflower or we're doing things together. He is willing to try things and

I love that and most kids are as well.

And another thing I wanted to add about picky eaters, which is quite amazing, is that once we address healing the gut, a lot of picky tendencies tend to go away. And that includes sensory processing issues, because a lot of them do stem from gut disbalances. A lot of it is just different preferences for food, for textures, for smells.

willingness and cravings for appropriate foods, as well as increase in appetite, less need for snacking. All these things kind of tend to get better just because we're addressing the gut imbalances, which to me is mind blowing and it is often providers because we just don't talk about the gut microbiome enough, especially when comes to feeding.

And it's a huge, huge portion of it. So I'm going to record a podcast about my Bloom which is all about the different areas that we need to address in order for our kids to eaters and to bloom like little flowers and to grow to be these beautiful, beautiful plants, right? Well, there is a few things that we need and microbiome.

healing is one of them. So I'll be talking about this. So if you're interested, come back and you can go to my Instagram page as I'm starting to introduce this concept. So for social situations, I've found that eating a GAPS meal before events, bringing GAPS friendly dishes to share, and focusing on the social aspect rather than the food.

it can ease some anxiety around this and can help navigate these challenges, right? At first, it might feel like you are depriving yourself, you're going somewhere and there's a pizza being served and ice cream and all these great things. But again, you start to crave these less once you're on the GAPS diet, but also you can do things if this makes you really nervous, do things to prepare beforehand, right? For kids' parties and school events, having special GAPS treats can...

Kids can enjoy, can prevent these feelings of deprivation. And yeah, I bring broth in a coffee tumbler to events. You gotta do what you gotta do. But another thing I wanted to mention here, because I mentioned coffee mugs and coffee tumblers, you can Just don't worry about that. You can definitely have coffee. Just make sure it's organic. Usually medium roast is what's recommended. You can have green tea, can have herbal teas. There's so many different drinks you can have.

but you cannot have milk with the coffee, at least in the beginning, in the first few months until you're feeling better just because of the sugar component in milk. Fermented dairy is different, but I know it's so hard at first, but you kind of get used to it, but eventually you can change that. But you can put butter in your coffee, that's delicious too. So when it comes to budget considerations,

Just if you can focus on organic quality, spending on animal products where it matters most. And if you can have it from local farms, that would be the best thing. And if you have your own vegetable garden, that would be the best as well. But if you can't, just prioritize organic. So for produce, prioritize based on the environmental working groups clean 15, dirty 12 list.

Buying meat and bulk directly from farmers, like I said, is the best. It is more affordable and you can have like a freezer stock of good quality meats. don't have to worry about it, about purchasing more and more

And I don't have a green thumb. I'm not great with garden. Luckily my parents can help with that. However, even without a green thumb, like I was able to grow some amazing herbs in my garden last year. herbs are awesome too. So do what you can. If you can't have it, you can have like a mini vegetable garden at home, but also don't freak out. You can still buy things in a supermarket if you need to. But the closer to the source of production you can get, meaning farms and garden.

the better for your healing.

Remember that gaps is not about perfection, but progress. Dr. Natasha herself acknowledges that the modern world makes 100 % compliance very difficult. So focus on the core principles. Do your best, and don't let perfect be the enemy of good. Some days you'll be a gap superstar, and other days you'll just manage the basics, and both are victories. So here are some common challenges you might come across and some solutions.

There could be some bumps in the road you might encounter when you are on your GAPS journey. And how can we navigate them without losing your mind? Here some ideas. So one of the most common challenges when starting GAPS is dealing with The die off reactions. As harmful bacteria die and release toxins, you might experience temporary worsening of symptoms, fatigue, headaches, or skin eruptions. I like to call it that it gets worse before it gets better phase.

So Dr. Campbell McBride recommends going low and slow, starting with small amounts of fermented foods and probiotic supplements and gradually increasing as tolerated. And I learned this the hard way when I got overzealous with sauerkraut and spent a day feeling like I had the flu. was, my stomach was just in a bad shape. So for those with severe die of reactions, activated charcoal.

is really good. I did some homeopathy when I needed to, Epsom salt baths, support detoxification through the skin. it's, and those are really fun and I know it's hard to do for busy moms, so you don't have to do them every day, but whenever you can, and, and things are going to start moving along. I had a really hard time with,

kind of feeling tired and weak for the first like two weeks, two and a half weeks, even though simultaneously my symptoms were getting better, I was still feeling sick and weak. So I took a pause on my gym membership. I didn't go to the gym for those two and a half weeks. I just went on slow walks. I took it easy whenever I could at work and at home, and it really paid off.

After about two and a half weeks, my energy just got so much better and I went back to the gym and I went back to my lifestyle and I was just feeling a hundred times better already. Constipation is another issue in the early stages. So this is something I'm struggling with even now, it's getting better. And it's interesting because I never had constipation. I actually over the last year had some diarrhea issues. I know it's a lot of

TMI, but I'm going to be completely open with you on my podcast. So I hope you're here for it. Um, but I had some diarrhea issues, which sometimes lasted for about a week, which was very long. Um, and I knew my, um, my gut wasn't in bad shape, right? So I no longer have those issues. did at the beginning of the protocol a little bit. Um, but now I have constipation issues because the gaps diet does remove most of the fiber, right? Although.

The fiber, according to Dr. Natasha and according to Mary, is a misconception. We actually don't need fiber for proper digestion. But there is a lot of big changes in your diet happening, so constipation can be an issue. So increasing fat consumption is something that you can do, especially with juice vegetables. So my plan is to start juicing some celery and start juicing some carrots. Usually carrot juice is the first thing you're supposed to have.

Once you're able to add that into your diet, so wish me luck. Hopefully that's gonna be good. Taking magnesium supplements, which is something that's definitely helped me a lot. Magnesium citrate is what I take. That's really good for constipation. Ensuring adequate hydration and using enemas if necessary for temporary relief. Not to worry about that. I know there's a lot of kind of negative feelings around enemas just because of how invasive they can feel.

However, they've been used for thousands of years. They are a gold standard of medical care and used in so many protocols. So enomas are fantastic for you. And it's something I've started implementing and I'm a big fan right now. They're not comfortable yet. I don't think they ever will be. But the results of an enema are fantastic for your gut and your colon as well.

And Dr. Natasha Campbell mentions that they can be very healing for hemorrhoids. If this is something you are struggling with postpartum, enemas can be your best friend. So for diarrhea, the focus should be on, if you're having diarrhea on the GAPS diet the focus should be on following the introduction diet strictly, staying on each stage until digestion improves. So consuming meat stock between meals, think of it as an internal bandaging.

and then using stronger probiotics only after initial healing has occurred. So many people worry about weight loss or gain on gaps. And Dr. Campbell-McBride explains that the body will naturally find its healthy weight as gut function normalizes. So those who are underweight typically gain, although initially they might lose a little bit, while those carrying excess weight, like I was, usually lose without counting calories. And that's exactly what happened to me.

I stop weighing myself daily and instead focus on how my clothes fit and my energy levels and this can be much better for your mental health. Although I like stepping on the scale, it's not something that triggers me and it hasn't for a very long time and it used to when I was younger, but I like seeing where I am with my weight loss. And my weight loss kind of after like 22 pounds has plateaued a little bit.

But I also have a feeling some of it has to do with constipation. But I think that this is something, if it's a goal of yours, this is a much better way to go about it than a Ozempik, that's for sure, as we're learning about all these side effects coming from a Ozempik right now. So for very picky eaters, especially children, Dr. Natasha suggests starting with just meat stock, add it to favorite foods.

self-nutrition and that's easy to do because you can even cook their meats and meat stock, their veggies. Hopefully they like soups, but you can even eat, add some meat stock because it's not super strong flavored into smoothies. You can do so many things. You can make ice pops with fruits and meat stock. There's so many things you can do to help them consume more meat stock every day. You can use familiar preparations and presentations.

Sometimes kids it's important for them to have the right packaging or the right presentation. So you can use that to your advantage. You can involve children in age appropriate food preparation like we talked about before. Little chefs are more likely to sample their creations. I can't agree with this more. Being patient and persistent, right? Taste preferences adapt with repeated exposure. So sometimes children may need to be exposed to something 10 times.

sometimes 20 times in order for them to adapt and enjoy something. For me, that's carrots with Nate. Initially, this was something he always fed out, he didn't want, but the more we introduced it, first with cooked carrots, and I start, when I start introduction of new foods that are not preferred, I start with really tiny bites. I'm not expecting him to take like a spoonful. It's like literally crumb size at first, gradually increase those.

He now yesterday he had a piece of a raw carrot. It was tiny, it was not big, but to me that's a huge win. And never force foods, but gently encourage trying small amounts. We don't want food battles. We do not want to bring on anxiety around food. We want to respect our children's boundaries. We do not want to trick them because that never ends well when it comes to picky eaters.

Regarding supplements, Dr. Campbell-McBride recommends a minimalist approach focusing primarily on a therapeutic strength probiotics, which are introduced gradually, essential fatty acids, such as cod liver oil, which is recommended, and digestive support if needed, which can be digestive enzymes, et cetera. So she emphasizes that supplements should support the diet, not replace it, which I love this approach because I just feel like in our current

climate with functional providers, which so many of them are incredible, but we just focus so much on supplements as the basis for healing, which is really taking away from this traditional view of food and nutrition. So I love how this is emphasized on the GAPS diet, because the majority of healing comes from food, if the food you're eating is the right kind of food.

And I used to have a cabinet full of supplements before gaps. honestly still have to go through a bunch of them. But now I just have a few key ones that make a real difference. And I just ordered some cod liver oil, a fresh one, so I can share with Nate. He actually doesn't mind taking supplements. And he loves taking herbal medication when he's sick and homeopathy and all this stuff. It's interesting. This kid is very interesting. I love it though.

So it makes it easier to give him some elderberry syrup when he's sick. But I just ordered cod liver oil for him because a lot of us are just depleted from omega-3s. We do not get enough. So a good supplement is really important. And that's really important for brain health and gut health. So I wanted to make sure he's getting enough, and I'm going to start taking it as well. So.

For those with extremely limited diets due to multiple sensitivities, Dr. Anastasia recommends focusing on just a few well tolerated foods initially while working to heal the gut. And as gut function improves, tolerance simply expands. And honestly for me, I have to go very slow. I tolerated eggs well once I expanded from the meat stock and the meat soups, but I couldn't go too fast with the sauerkraut juice. And I used to eat sauerkraut for breakfast.

every single day because I love it. But I can't handle it. And I actually just took a few bites or I had a bit of sauerkraut with dinner the other day and my stomach was in knots the next day. So go slow. Don't start with a few tablespoons. You start with a little teaspoon of things and go slowly. That's really the best for gut function and improvement. Yeah, and

I'm excited for what else I can bring into my diet now. So I want to talk a little bit about my personal gaps journey and what I'm really doing on my end. So it only started in late February 2025 and at the time of this recording it's April 1st. So I've only been on it for about six weeks. And after struggling with postpartum health and mold toxicity, I was just ready to do something about my health.

What surprised me the most was how quickly I began seeing changes. So within just a few weeks, honestly a week and a half, I started seeing Candida die off. Like I was having, again TMI, I'm gonna be super honest with you guys. I was having some like thrush under my breasts and it was foul smelling at some point. So it was always sweaty and it was always some kind of a buildup.

And only after a week and a half, the smell was gone. It was amazing to me. So that improved drastically, very quickly. And slowly the buildup started to disappear as well. So that was the first thing that happened to me. And then I noticed my mood shifting. I just started being happier and excited about life again and excited about what everyday was bringing and just being a mom and working and having a household and

seeking connections with other people. I feel like it's taking me slowly from my introvert tendencies into extrovert tendencies. And this is fascinating to me because Mary Ruddick, who's visited all these indigenous tribes, has talked about this. These people are in perfect health and they're all extroverts. They're not introverts, which is...

Interesting to me. So I wonder if being an introvert is a sign of gut imbalances and microbiome health issues. I know. Something to ponder, but I saw a big difference. My energy level improved dramatically, and that brain fog that had become my constant companion began to lift. I actually remember what I ordered in my packages. Sometimes I still struggle with this.

But I thought it was a small miracle. I was like, oh yeah, this is what I got from Amazon two days ago.

I don't know if any other moms struggle with that. I should mention that I'm not currently following the GAPS protocol in isolation. I'm doing the GAPS protocol, but I'm using a combined approach with Mary Ruddick's autoimmune protocol. And this is where I aim to bring myself into medical ketosis. And I'm currently doing intermittent fasting as well, which is mind blowing to me because I was very anti-intermittent fasting before.

but I'm seeing some great results for myself. So I like to see where this goes. So for the first month, I was extremely strict and only consumed the meat stock soup with some added in eggs, egg yolks and fermented foods. But just the soup the entire month. This is that something that Mary recommends. And I'm also further limiting some items that are

technically allowed on the GAPS diet based on Mary's for my specific situation. So additionally, so those include, I'm not doing honey yet. I'm not doing fruits for the most part. I did have some like apples yesterday, some cooked apples and I did not handle those well. It was really half an apple with some ghee and some cinnamon. But.

yeah, so I'm doing, I'm not doing those. I'm not doing a pumpkin, which is a staple on the GAPS diet, zucchini, squashes. I'm not going to do those just because they're technically fruit. and I'm trying to limit fruit as well. And I'm not doing peanuts. I'm not doing chia seeds, which are technically allowed on the GAPS diet. and no cucumbers and no tomatoes, at least for now.

I am going to visit Poland in May. I'm so excited about it. haven't been to Poland. I haven't been home in almost two years. So can't wait to see my grandmother. But I will be eating cucumbers and tomatoes when I'm there because they're in season and they're fantastic in Europe. I'm definitely going to be eating those there. But for now, I'm kind of taking those out of my equation. Yeah, so.

Additionally, I drink a special glycol-nutrient tea a few times a week that's been incredibly supportive for my healing process. So this combined approach has been a game changer for me. The weight loss was almost immediate. It was amazing. And I just feel like it was inflammation that was just stagnant for so long. And my skin, which has been plagued with psoriasis patches for so long, especially after giving birth to Nate, because

Interestingly, my psoriasis cleared up when I was pregnant completely and all my symptoms went away. Being pregnant felt so good, but then once I gave birth, was just like the depletion was just fully there. yes, so the psoriasis patches went away and yeah, not all of them yet, like I said, but a lot of them started to shift.

And it was interesting because I started like when I remember just looking in the mirror and I started to recognize myself again. Like I feel like a little bit of the old me but in a very different new way. But it was so good to see. Like I was just so ready to let go of what was no longer serving me and that included that inflammatory weight. So the journey hasn't been completely linear though.

For my family, we're doing the transition in stages. We are preparing for hopefully conception later this year. So I'm gonna be on the full GAPS diet, which is gonna be perfect for this. And my husband is also going to move on to the GAPS diet once we come back from Poland, just to prepare him for a minimum of three months, just to repair his body and...

to give ourselves the best chance to have a healthy baby. And I'm giving myself a chance to not have to go through such severe postpartum symptoms like I did after the first pregnancy, which lasted for a long time. My postpartum depression was there for almost two years. It was a very long time. So I am coming into this period with a completely different mindset, a completely different diet.

And I'm very excited for this. So for Nate, I am just adding in the healing foods while I'm slowly removing problematic ones, rather than making like dramatic changes all at once. I've actually just sent out a gut health for him. This is the second one I'm doing. I did one two years ago and his gut health was in great shape, but he was still nursing. So I'm interested to see the differences after being off of milk for.

Yeah, almost two years now. Wow, two years? No, a year, a year. It's been almost a year. Okay. I couldn't calculate that for some reason. Okay. So he's been for like a year and a month ago, I stopped nursing him. So I'm interested to see where his gut is. Because as we know, nursing and breast milk is really the perfect food for our kids. So I'm interested to see where he is.

What I wish I'd known from the beginning is that healing isn't linear. and I've learned this over the years, but even with this, there are ups and downs and that's normal. because there are some die off symptoms, there are some foods that you're not ready for and can make you uncomfortable. so it is something that to keep in mind, it's kind of like peeling a layer of onions, right? Every layer is a little bit different. and to get to the next layer, you have to put in some work.

Um, so just, just take your time, just trust you the process, adjust as needed and celebrate progress. while not expecting perfection. Some days I feel amazing. Other days that I am still a little bit more tired, um, and not feeling a hundred percent. Uh, but that's just what healing looks like. It's never just like boom, boom, boom. Well, my symptoms are gone, especially symptoms that have been lingering for so many years. Um, but the most.

you

So as we wrap up today's episode on the GAPS diet, I just want to emphasize that this protocol isn't just another diet trend that promises miracle results by next Tuesday. It's a comprehensive healing approach with decades of clinical success behind it. Dr. Campbell, Mcbride's work has

helped millions of people recover from conditions that conventional medicine often struggles to address. And the power of this approach lies in addressing root causes rather than just managing symptoms, fixing the foundation instead of just painting over the cracks. So if you're considering gaps for yourself or your family, remember that any step toward healing is valuable. You don't have to implement everything perfectly from day one.

Start with adding meat stock and gradually build from there as you gain confidence. Give yourself the same grace to offer a good friend. So for those wanting more guidance, I created a very basic gaps guide specifically designed for busy families that you can download from my website. I'm going to also leave a link in the notes for this episode. And it includes the no list, it includes the yes list, some ideas for

busy families, of how you can manage things.

and a little bit more. So I'm excited for you to get your hands on this. Even when you are juggling a million other responsibilities, this is absolutely doable for you and your family. So.

In the next episode, I'm going to be talking more about my mold journey and what happened to me and what are some things I also did to heal along the way. very excited to share that with you because I never expected mold to be so detrimental to your health. I've never been in a situation where I was exposed to mold in such a way.

the symptoms that followed were pretty crazy actually. So I want to talk about this in more detail and I'm excited for you to hear my story.

And until then, remember that healing is possible and you have the power to transform your health and the health of your family one meal at a time. And honestly, if you can do this while raising kids and running a household, you are a superwoman, you're a superstar, and you are capable of anything. Thank you for listening and I'll see you in the next episode. Bye for now.