Almond cookies that I made for the kids on Valentines day.

We're almost at the 5 month point on the GAPS diet. We've all gotten quite used to what we can eat, what we can't, and we've found decent alternatives for a lot of the things we miss. But...

But the diet, as we've been doing it, at least, is far too expensive. I suppose I could do it cheaper if I spent all day, every day, cooking (and washing dishes). But I don't want to spend my life doing nothing but cooking. As it stands right now it takes me about 30 minutes to get everyone's breakfast made. (It helps that the girls are completely maxed out on eggs and prefer fresh fruit. Fruit has been the quickest, easiest snack we've found. It takes another 20 minutes or so to put the kids' lunches together plus another 15 - 20 minutes to make my own lunch. And I spend anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour making dinner. And that doesn't include making snacks for the kids (which has been the hardest part of all. I'm not spending a whole lot more time making regular meals. But snacks go so quickly that keeping the house stocked takes a lot of time. Which is where we've turned to store bought alternatives. Which is partly why our expenses are high.)

Let me first introduce you to some store bought snacks that have been lifesavers for us on this diet.

Shelton's Original Turkey Smoke Snack Sticks: These are the only sticks by Shelton's without sugar added. And they're the only meat stick/jerky that I've found (at our local grocer) that doesn't have added sugar or grain.
MMLocal Pear (not apple) Sauce: This has been a huge helper in the school lunch and quick breakfast/snack realm.
Go Raw cookies: Chocolate is the kids favorite and Masala Chai is mine. I need to learn to make these at home. They're made from very simple ingredients.
PaleoKrunch Bars: The kids like the original and the espresso. They also have pumpkin, bacon, and other flavors. But man are they pricey. This is another one I should learn how to make. (Oh! And check this out. I just found that someone posted their own recipe online. I'll have to check this out.) PaleoKrunch also has granola. The Apple Pie is the only one we've tried, but it was devoured incredibly quickly.

These items have made the diet easier to accomplish while at the same time shooting our food budget to the moon. (Nuts, nut flours, and nut butters, meat, and lots of fresh veggies aren't particularly cheap either.)

So, even though I had hoped to make it at least to the 6 month mark for the GAPS diet, we're going to start making a transition to a more Weston Price-ish diet. I bought some red skinned potatoes and brown rice at the store today. I'm going to slowly ease us into eating starches again. And I'm going to start learning all about sprouting.

Grains are what make eating affordable. We're going to continue to avoid gluten, but I feel like we need to mix some cheaper foods into our diet so that we can financially afford to keep eating, and I'm hoping that by introducing a few grains, I'll have a wider variety of easy to make snack options available to us as well as a few more options that I can purchase at the store.

The other thing that I've decided to change is the amount of probiotic pills that we take. I've been giving everyone two a day and I've been varying the brand in hopes of getting the widest variety of good bugs that we can get. But I haven't really noticed any significant change in myself or my daughters due to the pills. So for the three of us, we're going to rely more upon fermented veggies (like Bubbie's Sauerkraut and Wildbrine's Red Beet & Cabbage Sauerkraut Salad when we can find it). I'm going to keep my son on the probiotics because he's the one that's had the most tummy issues, so I don't want to back off on the probiotics just yet.

This change in our diet is going to be reflected in my blog. The recipes may start to contain some potatoes, rice, quinoa, etc. I'm going to be learning all about sprouting and cooking with sprouted grains, so I'll try to share what I learn. And, of course, I'll be letting you know how the change in our diet affects how we feel, physically and emotionally. 

We've been enjoying the peanut butter cookie recipe I found recently, but I felt like it was time to spread our wings again and try something new. So I made up a chocolate cookie recipe that can be eaten with or without the peanut butter cookies (depending on if you're looking for a Reeses affect or not). I decided to leave coconut flour out of this recipe since I'm starting to think coconut flour is not my tummy's best friend.

Ingredients
2 1/4 cup almond flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda

Directions
Mix ingredients together and drop by rounded tablespoons onto a cookie tray. Cook for 7 minutes at 350F.

Chocolate cookies go well with a side of peanut butter cookies

Why does the most nutritious part of the animal have to be the organ meats? Really?

I tried making liver paté yesterday. I know it's good for us. My mom used to serve liver and onions at least once a month and it didn't kill me so I figured I should provide the same nutrition to my kids. I pulled out Sally Fallon's cookbook, Nourishing Traditions, followed the directions, grabbed a spoon and took a nibble, ... only to want to puke it all up immediately. It was horrible!

Here's what I emailed to my sister (who has been feeding liver paté to her family and they actually eat it, so she must be doing something right):

i just made chicken liver pate using the recipe in the book. i must not have added enough wine. i assume the wine is so that you’re too drunk to care about the flavor.  i just took one small nibble of the pate after blending it up and almost barfed.
ack!

Whole Foods has a liverwurst that I like the flavor of. I think I'll have to stick to that. In the meantime, I have a container of chicken liver paté in the fridge that I need to use up. My sis recommended mixing it into meatballs. I'm hoping meatloaf will work. *sigh*

On a happier note, the girls have had far fewer headaches than they used to have before we started this diet. They still have occasional, embarrassing acne, though. We had hoped the diet would clear that up. So far, no dice. And Nathan has been a much more cheerful kid than he was this time last year... or this time the year before that... or even this time the year before that. I feel like I'm getting my son back. 

You'll see some posts repeated because they contain our story and a recipe, or helpful information, but also a bit of how that relates to us.

Informational Posts

Putting the Pieces Together (24 Sept 13): includes the video where I first learned about the GAPS diet
GAPS Intro Diet - The Six Stages (27 Sept 13): As I was trying to figure out how to tell when to move from one stage to the next (which I never really did wrap my head around) I also wanted to get a better grasp of what we could eat in each stage. This post links to recipes and ideas for each stage. 
What We Eat Affects Everything (4 Oct 13): This links to an article about how food affects health.
GAPS Diet Recipes By Stage (5 Oct 13): I didn't want to start the diet until I knew there'd be things we could eat. So I started collecting recipes. 
Genetic Roulette Movie Streamable for Free (6 Nov 13): Link to the movie about how we're experimenting on ourselves with the Standard American Diet (SAD).
Articles on Grains vs. Fats, Microbes, etc. - a reference page (1 Jan 14): I started a resource page so that if someone asked me, "What about...?" I could look it up quickly.Something Has Happened in a Pervasive Fashion from the Environmental Perspective (11 Jan 14): Article on how things are changing in the world of food and it's affecting our health.


Our story - posts listed chronologically

Putting the Pieces Together (24 Sept 13): includes the video where I first learned about the GAPS diet
Day One-ish: Stage One of the GAPS Diet begins (11 Oct 13): The beginning of a broth based week.
The Kids Reaction to Stage One of the GAPS Diet (12 Oct 13): The kids didn't like stage one.
Yogurt and Eggs! (13 Oct 13): We moved through the stages quickly. Yogurt and eggs made such a difference.
Homemade Yogurt Is Rocking Our World (14 Oct 13): Homemade yogurt is really easy to make and it's cheaper than buying store bought. Better for you, too (because you know exactly what's in it and it's fresher than store bought so the little live cultures are healthier when you eat them).
Adding Pancakes and Reviewing Goals (15 Oct 13): Pancakes felt a little more normal. But we still couldn't add much honey.
Stage Three: End of Week One (18 Oct 13): I started to lump days together at this point.
Celebrating... Despite Lack of Potatoes (21 Oct 13): We celebrated my mom's birthday and caught up with my sister who started the diet when we did.
Sweet Things That Are GAPS Friendly (24 Oct 13): I've found snacks to be the hardest part of the diet. You can't just buy them in the store anymore.
Coconut Milk, Kids' Lunches, and Cabbage Soup (24 Oct 13): Packing lunches took lots of prep work the night before.
Meggie Had a Bloody Lamb - And Other Tales of Failure (25 Oct 13): Things didn't always go as planned.
One of the Grossest Things I've Ever Done (28 Oct 13): I drank straight broth. Remember, I don't like the taste of meat.
Lack of Snacks (1 Nov 13): Our biggest struggle, having the time and ingenuity to create new snacks. There's lots of recipes out there, but it's a trial and error process finding things that the family will like.
One Month on the Full GAPS Diet - Little Change in Symptoms (25 Nov 13): Change did come, it just wasn't really noticeable for us yet.
Woot! Two Small Victories Show That the Diet is Healing Me (6 Dec 13): Progress! Finally.
Gack! Liver! Run away! (10 Feb 13): I know we need to be eating more organ meats because they're so nutritious, but honestly, liver?!!




Recipes - posts listed alphabetically by type

GAPS Diet Recipes By Stage (5 Oct 13): I didn't want to start the diet until I knew there'd be things we could eat. So I started collecting recipes.

Savory Dishes
Cauliflower "Rice" Recipe (15 Oct 13): This is really yummy, especially with lots of butter. (Remember, butter is good for you.) It doesn't soak up sauces like regular rice, but it makes a passable base for stir fries and other dishes that you're used to eating with rice.
Pork Cutlets - GAPS Style (22 Oct 13): I started buying meat from a local ranch.
Fresh Cabbage Soup (7 Dec 13): Easy to make. Yummy.
Apple Carrot Curry Soup (7 Dec 13): Sooo delicious!
Greek-ish Salad (10 Jan 14): This is one of the family's faves. The kids love the chicken.
Chicken Adobo (11 Jan 14): Easy crock pot recipe.


Snacks/Desserts
Almond Raisin Cookies (25 Sept 13): These are made with almond flour and a bit of coconut flour. To make them even more almondy, add a bit of almond extract.
Squash Fudge (24 Oct 13): Creamy and yummy!
Fried Bananas with Caramel and Cream (26 Oct 13): Yeah, baby!
Panna Cotta with Fruit Sauce Topping (3 Nov 13): This was a big hit. But the kids preferred when I used the coconut milk with guar gum in it.
Banana Ice Cream - Dairy Free, Easy to Make, and Yummy (17 Nov 13): Soooo easy to make and so yummy!
Grain-Free Muffin Recipe (21 Nov 13): Basic recipe that's easily adapted.
Coconut Pancakes - Paleo / GAPS (29 Nov 13): The kids loved these.
Soooo Simple Chia Mousse - GAPS / Paleo Easy Peasy Dessert (29 Nov 13): Good for school lunches
Coconut Flour Crepes - GAPS/Paleo (29 Nov 13): Crepes feel decadent and help you feel less like you're on a diet.
Grain Free Crackers (15 Dec 13): Finally, something to dip in stuff besides veggies.
Flourless Chocolate Cake (15 Dec 13): Pretty rich and dark. Good with whipped cream. (You don't have to add sugar to whipped cream to enjoy it.)
Simple Cream Custard (31 Dec 13): Rich. I like it with nutmeg on top.
Grain-Free Peanut Butter Cookies (14 Jan 14): It's hard to make enough of these at a time. The kids plow through them.
Chocolate Cookies (11 Feb 14): So easy to make. And there's no eggs, so you can munch on the batter!

Nathan asked me to make peanut butter cookies the other day. He had been eating a lot of peanut butter on apples until we realized that fruit was contributing to his runny nose. So then he switched to celery and peanut butter, but he said he feels like celery detracts rather than adds to the overall taste of the snack. So he asked me to try making some cookies.

I found a recipe on Detoxinista that I've modified only a wee bit (subtracted chocolate chips, added coconut flour).

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup peanut butter (Use a peanut butter that doesn't already have sugar or other things in it. Peanuts and salt should be all there is on the ingredient list. I used creamy peanut butter, but it probably doesn't matter.)
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
1. Mix all of the ingredients together.
2. The batter will be fairly wet. Use 2 spoons or a cookie scoop to drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. If you'd like cookies with fork pressed designs, let the dough sit for about 5 minutes. That will give the coconut flour time to soak up some of the liquid. You should be able to roll and smash the cookies then.
3. Cook for 6 minutes. By the time my cookies started to brown on top, they were burned on the bottom. So the sooner you take them out the better.

Chella David, Ph.D. and
Joseph Murray, M.D.

Celiac disease is on the rise, and not just because diagnostic tests are improving or that awareness is increasing. A study by Dr. Joseph Murray has found that people today are 4 times more likely to have celiac disease than people only 50 years ago. An article on the Mayo clinic's website describes Dr. Murray's study:

Dr. Murray's team tested the 50-year-old blood for gluten antibodies, assuming that 1 percent would be positive — the same as today's rate of celiac disease. But the number of positive results was far smaller, indicating that celiac disease was extremely rare among those young airmen. Surprised, the researchers compared those results with two recently collected sets from Olmsted County, Minn. One blood-sample set matched the birth years of the airmen. Those elderly men were four times likelier to have celiac disease than their contemporaries tested 50 years earlier. The second set matched the ages of the airmen at the time their blood was drawn. Today's young men were 4.5 times likelier to have celiac disease than the 1950s recruits. "This tells us that whatever has happened with celiac disease has happened since 1950," Dr. Murray says. "This increase has affected young and old people. It suggests something has happened in a pervasive fashion from the environmental perspective." (Celiac Disease: On the Rise, July 2010) 

Dr. Murray also found that celiac disease could be deadly when undiagnosed.

Unfortunately this article didn't address problems of gluten intolerance or gut disbiosis, which I'm more interested in. But the fact that celiac disease is on the rise shows that something in our environment has changed. And just because it hasn't caused celiac disease in us doesn't mean that it isn't affecting us some other way.

Dr. Murray hypothesizes a bit about what could have changed in the last 50 years to cause these health changes. According to the article from the Mayo clinic:

Dr. Murray lists several possible environmental causes of celiac disease. The "hygiene hypothesis" suggests the modern environment is so clean that the immune system has little to attack and turns on itself. Another potential culprit is the 21st century diet. Although overall wheat consumption hasn't increased, the ways wheat is processed and eaten have changed dramatically. "Many of the processed foods we eat were not in existence 50 years ago," Dr. Murray says. Modern wheat also differs from older strains because of hybridization. Dr. Murray's team hopes someday to collaborate with researchers on growing archival or legacy wheat, so it can be compared to modern strains.

This was pretty darn easy to make and the kids went back for seconds. I found the recipe on JustaPinch.com.

Ingredients
8 chicken thighs (I used 4 thighs and 4 legs.)
5 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 c liquid aminos (which I like better than soy sauce and it's better for you)
1 can (about 1 1/2 cups) coconut milk
1 c vinegar (I used white wine vinegar.)
8 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
4 bay leaves
1 tsp whole peppercorns

Directions
1. I used an enameled cast iron pan to cook this in, though the recipe called for a large skillet. Melt the coconut oil then add the chicken. Cook it in the oil until the outside looks mostly cooked.
2. While the chicken is cooking, mix the liquid aminos, coconut milk, garlic, ginger, peppecorns and bay leaves in another boil. Once the chicken has cooked for awhile (about 10 minutes or so) pour the sauce over it and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce to a simmer until the liquid evaporates. (I suppose if you're going to serve this with rice or another side dish that would be good with sauce, you might simmer until there's just enough liquid left for a nice sauce to go along with the chicken.)

I may try adding some veggies to this next time just so there's more than just meat and so that I can join in as well. Carrrots and cabbage might be interesting additions.