Our family’s journey to healthier living began one year ago.
Right after Christmas, our daughter broke out head to toe in hives. We took her
to the doctor and he suspected strep, but they were unable to get a culture, so
there was no official diagnosis. He prescribed a very strong antibiotic, which
we promptly picked up and gave her. Within seconds of swallowing it, she
vomited violently. We didn’t know what to make of it, so we waited until her
next dose was due and gave her the 2nd dose. She did the same thing.
We decided the antibiotic was not the right for her and began exploring other possibilities.
Our research led us to having allergy testing done and we discovered she was
allergic to wheat and gluten. We then embarked on the gluten free journey. We
fell into many of the marketing gimmicks in an effort to maintain “normalcy”
for our daughter. We purchased items that simply amounted to organic junk food.
We bought lots of gluten free snacks and cereals, only to later discover that
the ingredients used; potato starch, tapioca flour, tapioca starch, etc., aren't very good for you. All that starch just turns to sugar in the body and isn't healthy either.
We decided there had to be a better way and began going deeper
down the rabbit hole. Our research led us to the “real foodie lifestyle”,
cooking from the Nourishing Traditions cookbook and ultimately the GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) diet. We began drinking
farm fresh, non-pasteurized milk, buying grass-fed meats, and organic produce.
We significantly cut down on the amount of grains we were consuming and began
soaking those we did eat. My husband lost 35 pounds in just a couple months’
time. We had already stopped eating fast food several months prior, but we
began to stop eating out altogether. We all had more energy, and when we cut
the grains, the weight seemed to just fall off of us. Weight loss wasn’t a
goal, just a byproduct. This fall we began to implement the Introduction phase
of the GAPS diet. You can learn more about it here.
This isn’t so much of a diet in terms of weight loss as it
is a lifestyle change with the intention of helping our bodies heal. The
thought behind it is that all sickness, disease, etc. originates from a
bacteria or flora imbalance in the gut. If your body can’t properly digest the
food you’re giving it, the undigested particles
of food become toxic in your body and you can develop allergies, behavior
issues, sickness, disease, auto immune disorders, etc.
We have four children
and two were showing some of the GAPS patient symptoms. Our daughter that was
diagnosed with the wheat allergy had been born 6 weeks early with heart
troubles and spent a month in the NICU. Her bill for her medications alone was
$75,000. That’s a lot of drugs! We’re very thankful that she survived her
ordeal with medical intervention; however we couldn’t overlook the toll it took
on her body. We believe this is where her issues originated. Our fourth child
also had some digestive issues, where things were coming out completely
undigested. We knew something had to change. She had been exclusively breastfed
for the first 6 months, and continued breastfeeding until she was 21 months.
Seems like she should be healthy right? Well, I had antibiotics in labor and
that is where we believe her troubles originated. Her gut flora was compromised
from birth.
We decided to forge ahead with the whole family and begin the Intro
diet. We were just a few weeks into it, and what a change! My older daughter who was
previously showing the beginning of ADD/ADHD symptoms was so calm and
thoughtful. It was like she had done a 180 degree turn. My son who is 4, used
to bounce off the walls being “all boy” but he would now sit quietly through
church with a paper and crayons with no squirming or complaint. Our youngest
daughter’s language began to explode, her expressions just came alive. My
husband and I have collectively lost 100 pounds, and have so much more energy
and just generally FEEL better. We still have a long way to go and will
continue this lifestyle change, but it’s been so encouraging to see results so
quickly. When people start noticing and commenting that your kids are so much
better behaved, so sweet, so calm, etc. it’s very encouraging. Teachers,
friends, family, babysitters, so many people have commented we can’t help but admit
real results. Our kids weren’t considered “bad” before either. They were
polite, respectful and kind, just very busy. I had a friend comment to me, “It’s
not just the weight loss that I notice. You all LOOK healthier, you have better
color, the kids seem so different, and you just seem so much more healthy.”
The
biggest proof in the pudding though, has been the fact that at the end of my
first trimester with baby #5, I barely feel pregnant! With each of my previous
pregnancies, I was nauseous practically from conception to week 20. With my
last baby, I spent almost a whole month barely moving from the couch I was so
sick. With this one, I was almost 7 weeks before I even realized I was
pregnant! With each of the other kids I knew by about 4.5 weeks. I know I’m so
much healthier with this pregnancy because I can feel it. We’re eating better,
are more educated about nutrition and the way our body uses it, and for me what
exactly a pregnant women needs for optimum pregnancy health.
We’re looking
forward to continuing this journey, learning more and watching the difference
it will continue to make in our family’s life. If you
want to learn more about the diet and the doctor who developed it you can click
here.
To find a GAPS practitioner in your area click here.
To buy the book and begin researching for yourself click
here.
~Beth Joramo
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