Day 17 - What I Wish I Had Known

Several things have popped into my head in the last couple of weeks that I would tell someone if they were about to start GAPS. Most of them deal with kitchen tools, some of which I already owned, but many that I have purchased along the way.  The current list is below, but since I am only in Intro Phase III, I might add to it and post it again later.

PREPPING FOR GAPS – WHAT I WISH I HAD KNOWN AHEAD OF TIME

Grater for Ginger

Crockpot / Stockpots

Mini-Crockpots

32 ounce Thermoses

Canning Kit for sterilizing jars

Fermenting Caps

Fermenting Weights with extenders

Travel Coffee Mugs

Stainless Steel Water Bottles if adding essential oils

Essential Oils to help during withdrawals

Yogurt Maker

Soup Containers for freezing broth, soup, etc.

Tongue scraper for fresh mouth when detoxing

Peppermint Oil for fresh breath

Source for fresh mackerel (I am ordering from Whole Foods)

Essential Oil Diffuser to help with stress management

Round Ice Cube trays for freezing grated ginger

Vegetable stamper for fermenting

Dehydrator for drying nuts / seeds

Coffee / Spice Grinder for making nut flours

Fine Mesh Tea Ball for ginger tea

Fine Mesh Strainer for straining broth

Pyrex with handle and spout for pouring hot liquids

Mixing Bowls with spouts

Roasting Pan with Lid

Flour Sifter

Blender

Food Processor

Days 15 and 16 - Rounding Another Corner

As I complete a week of Phase II, I also started prep for Phase III.  This brought with it the possibility of some new foods I could introduce.  After picking up some new items at Whole Foods, I did a sensitivity test for avocado on one wrist and plain homemade yogurt on the other wrist.  Both tests showed no reaction, so I added a few bites of each to my meals for today. Tonight, I will test for sunflower seed butter, which is one of the three ingredients for the pancakes I will get to try soon (the other two ingredients are pureed winter squash and eggs).

Days 13 and 14 - GAPS On the Go!

Over the last two weekends I have not only remained true to my GAPS plan, which in and of itself is plenty of work, but I have also traveled to see family out of state.  I have a fairly good system down for making travel easier while in the Intro phases of GAPS.

I freeze as much of my food as I can ahead of time, which allows for it to travel much better.  The soups, broth, grated ginger, vegetables, meat and sauerkraut juice can all be frozen.  To easily freeze the grated ginger, I purchased some round pop-out ice cube trays.  For the other items, I ordered Reditainer freezer containers from Amazon (also available at http://reditainer.com/) since they withstand extreme hot and cold temperatures well.

As for other supplies, I packed the following:

• 1-qt pan, 2-qt pan and 3-qt pan, with corresponding lids
• Pyrex glass measuring bowl with handle and spout (to pour broth and water into thermoses)
• 2 or 3 thermoses for carrying hot broth, water and soup around all day
• 2 travel mugs (one for ginger tea and one for broth)
• Tea ball for making ginger tea
• Dish wand and dish soap
• 2 mini crock-pots to reheat food

Another key is to make sure to eat or drink broth before going out, since family and friends will be able to grab a snack anywhere, but that is not the case for those of us doing GAPS.

Days 11 and 12 - My New Normal

The last couple of days have allowed me to get into more of a Phase II routine. I am eating new well-cooked veggies with my chicken and soft boiled eggs, including cauliflower and brussel sprouts. The additional flavors are a welcome change while I continue to rely heavily on broth each day. 

Day 10 - A Day of "Firsts" - Kefir and Ghee

Today was very exciting as I once again had plans to try my hand at a couple of new tasks, both of which are part of progressing in Intro GAPS Phase II.  

This morning before work I strained the kefir grains out of their sugar water I was using to rehydrate them and started my first batch of water kefir.  It should be done in about a day and a half.  I'm currently using the coffee filter / rubber band method to cover the jars, but have ordered some legitimate fermenting caps that I will use going forward.  I also used organic coconut palm sugar for the first time with this project, which is why the water is such a dark molasses color.

After work I decided it was time to make my first batch of ghee, which starts out as organic unsalted butter and ends up as clarified butter that is easier on the digestive system.  It has a nice golden color to it, so I will definitely add some to my next meal.

Days 8 and 9 - Early Graduation

After one day of adding raw egg yolks to my soup and broth, I decided to "graduate" myself early and move to soft boiled eggs.  My mental state just could not handle any more raw yolks, even though they did not upset my stomach.

Now, not only have soft boiled eggs become a part of my everyday life again, but I can also eat Italian Casserole, which is basically meat with cooked vegetables.  An interesting variation I have created at work is to reheat the chicken and veggies in the mini crock-pot with a soft boiled egg cut up on top.  If you have ever had a breakfast skillet, this combo tastes very similar.  Of course, I am still drinking broth with sauerkraut juice at all my meals and ginger tea in between.  While adding foods back in slowly, I am also re-hydrating my water kefir grains (takes 4 days) until tomorrow when they will be ready to start a batch.

Day 7 - Channeling my inner Rocky

After my unplanned break from Phase I of the Intro GAPS plan (following the power outage and trip to Brooklyn), I have now re-entered the plan with a renewed passion to go through the steps properly and slowly.  Yesterday marked Day 6 of strict adherence to Phase I, even while traveling out of town for Father’s Day and sitting at restaurants watching family members eat their delicious meals.  It was difficult to stay strong, but a choice well worth the sacrifice.  I must admit, I did chew on one unripe gooseberry from my mom’s plants for nostalgia’s sake, but I spit out the skin when I was done.  After all, when will I get that chance again?  She will have them made into pies next time I visit.

Last night when we arrived back into town, I was eager to see about moving to Phase II (especially since I am now down 13 pounds since beginning GAPS and do not want to lose too much weight too quickly…that is not the reason for this plan, albeit a nice bonus).  I pulled out an egg delivered fresh last week from my friend’s farm, separated the yolk, and put a drop on the inside of my wrist to perform my egg sensitivity test.  I let the drop of egg yolk dry and remain on my wrist overnight, and was happy to find no irritation this morning. 

Now came the hard part.  I have always had some OCD response concerning raw eggs, and have on more than one occasion washed my hands to the point of my skin cracking while handling them.  I never even liked eating cookie dough as a child due to the raw egg content!  The GAPS plan proposes eating raw egg yolks (from a trusted source) and gradually progressing to soft boiled eggs.  I put on my best Rocky face and put one raw yolk into my soup for breakfast.  At first, it had the familiar taste of an egg cooked over-easy or soft boiled.  Then, the more I looked at it, I began to be queasy (even a little shaky).  I pressed on though, and drank the entire serving, immediately brushing my teeth and heading for my ginger tea which had been steeping (I like my tea strong, so it had a bit of a kick…perfect for this situation).

The rest of the day has progressed as usual, and I will include one more egg yolk in my broth tonight and will hopefully move on to happier days and soft boiled eggs very soon.

Days 4 and 5 - Storms & Setbacks

Friday started out great, and my thoughts were jumping ahead to starting Phase II. I realized that I was beginning the fourth day of eating only a few hundred calories a day (chicken broth has something like 30 calories per cup).  So I figured I should progress if I passed my sensitivity tests. 

Right after work, I went to Whole Foods to do some shopping for my sensitivity tests and fermenting supplies to begin Phase II.  While there, the tornado sirens went off and we were taken to the walk-in freezer behind the dairy section.  Nearly an hour later, we were okay to leave the store.  I made my way to our house that did not have any power.  Because of our busy weekend ahead, Jeff & I decided to go to a hotel, which brought its challenges in keeping up with Phase I or starting any of my prep for Phase II.

Saturday, I had to give in to the situation and eat some "normal" food.  I tried to keep it as healthy and "Gaps-like" as possible, but it has been difficult at a hotel with no ability to prepare food for myself.  I also have a two-day trip Tuesday night through Thursday night this coming week, so I will more than likely have to repeat a few days of Phase I when I return home.  This will allow me to reset and prepare for sensitivity tests & introducing dairy, egg yolks, fermented fish and chunkier meat / vegetable soups.