GAPS Update

Proper planning prevents poor performance.... (if I had properly planned for meals this week, I would not have experienced the following discovery)

Today, I didn't have anything in the house for lunch and decided to take Joshua to Subway. On the GAPS diet, we are not supposed to give him any kind of grains (gluten allergies as well as undigestable properties). But what can I say, the kid loves a spicy italian sandwich (and with the $5.00 deal, it makes it very tempting).

I should have taken the meat off the bread and given him just the meat. But what can I say, the kid loves his carbs...

Tonight, he was BOUNCING off the wall at bedtime. Actually, it was more like bouncing out of his bed... I thought about all the things he ate today, and the bread was the only thing on the list that he is NOT supposed to eat. I have to assume that he definitely has a gluten sensitivty.

Good to know.

Other than that, we are doing pretty good on the diet. I say we, not because Jim and I are doing the full diet, but we as in, I prepare Joshua's meals, so we are doing good in that general area of life (haha).

He has really enjoyed the new recipes we have tried. He especially likes the banana pancakes (or crepes) and he loves to eat meat wrapped in lettuce or cabbage leaves and call them tacos. Additionally, he has learned that he LOVES brussell sprouts and swiss/rainbow chard. He used to love to eat salads full of different veggies, but now, he only wants to eat lettuce (with EVOO and salad seasoning).

(Chicken Cabbage Wraps & Brussell Sprouts- YUM!)

He has stopped liking most soups (except the black bean & sausage soup at Crispers). It's like pulling teeth to get him to eat my homemade soups now... His veggies are a struggle sometimes, although I found a little trick, he will eat ANYTHING (and I mean ANYTHING) if I give him a little dollop of honey to dip it in.

(This one is just for fun!)

I get such a kick out of this picture.
He got a cape and mask for Christmas from
Jim's sister & family and he thinks the
bucket makes a great hat! But the lack of
pants really makes the whole outfit!

GAPS Update

We are making great strides in our effort to begin the GAPS diet. We have gone to a completely organic diet (meats, veggie and fruits). It has taken a BIG bite out of our budget, but it's amazing to taste the difference. (In our experience, the organic fruits and veggies burst with flavor and juices that we haven't really experienced with conventional fruits and veggies)

I am finding more and more recipes every day to make for Joshua. He is not allowed to have refined sugar, dairy, or grains (gluten). As a substitute for ice cream, I blended a partially frozen banana until it was a smooth puree. Then I placed it in a bowl in the freezer for a short while (to harden it up) and Joshua had his very own SUGAR-FREE ice cream (he loved it BTW)

We bought some whole, raw almonds that I soaked in water overnight. I then de-skinned them (you don't have to, but I didn't want to later pick the skins out of the pulp as I have plans for that too). So, after they were de-skinned, I placed them in the blender with 1.5 cups of water and blended until pureed. Next I added 1 tsp vanilla about 3/4 Tbsp of honey and another 1.5 cups of water and blended for about 3 minutes. I strained it through a fine mesh strainer with cheese cloth and VOILA... ALMOND MILK! (which Joshua LOVED also, BTW) The pulp left over from the almond milk will be used (today hopefully) to make almond flour (nut flours are the only flours allowed on the GAPS diet).

I also made a recipe from my new GAPS cookbook the night before last called Honey Glazed Drumsticks and it was DIVINE! I enjoyed it, Jim enjoyed it, I had to pull the bones out of Joshua's mouth because he loved it so much he was going to eat the bones too! :)

We have seen a noticeable difference in Joshua's overall behavior and I am not sure if this is the case, but I let him have some "non-GAPS" food the other day and the whole rest of the day and the next day I fought with him about his bad attitude and was constantly having to get on him about his behavior. Coincidence? Maybe, but I have a hunch that it's not!

We have been making non-dairy smoothies, eating green veggies and will soon be experimenting with a dehydrator. (making yogurt and fruit leathers [a.k.a. fruit roll ups] and vegetable "chips") I have also ordered a mandolin slicer and I am going to attempt making noodles out of zucchini.

If we didn't live in an apartment, I would be buying an almond tree. We found several "dwarf" varieties that for $60-$80 you can buy a tree already producing the almonds (to buy raw organic almonds is $9.00/lb I could but a whole tree for the cost of 10lbs of almonds)... Oh well, maybe in our next house.

We are attempting to grow some organic veggies that we can have as a container garden on our porch. I will have to keep you posted on that as well.