Days 112 to 117 - Busy Bee (pun intended due to my experiment with Beeswax)

I have definitely been more focused on the GAPS goal of reducing toxins in other areas of my life for the last few days.  The food part of my journey has been a little more relaxed due to celebrating my birthday and taking a day trip to Illinois.  I will openly admit that when I have allowed some sugar in my meals, I have not felt great afterwards.

On the toxin elimination side, I officially launched my lovethewell.com site, as well as the facebook page and twitter account.  I am preparing for the first public appearance at my mom's antique sale this coming weekend.  One of my last products to whip up before this weekend was men's stick deodorant.  My dad was not only the one who requested that I make it, but he has volunteered to be the first to try it!  It smells amazing, with several essential oils and some wonderful odor-absorbing and natural skin conditioning ingredients.  The process was a little messy, but fun, and the end product turned out really well.

Coconut Oil, Cocoa Butter & Beeswax to be melted together

In the jar awaiting their fate

It was interesting to see watch the ingredients melt at different thresholds. First the coconut oil (almost immediately), then the cocoa butter (when there were bubbles and a little steam in the water outside the jar), and then finally the beeswax (after boiling for a couple of minutes).

Melted mixture cooling

Stirring in the essential oils, pro-biotic, arrowroot, witch hazel, and vitamin E oil

Filling the deodorant container

Finished product!

Days 76 to 111 - Moving Forward

I must apologize to you all for being MIA for so long.  At lot has happened since my last post.  I will attempt to quickly catch you up.  Last I updated you, I had just returned from Vegas, so here’s what you’ve missed…

• Went out of town again to visit sister and nephew over Labor Day weekend
• Still struggling with allergic reactions (saw my N.A.E.T. doctor again and she recommended Urtica Urens which is specifically for food allergy rashes)
• My sister and I challenged one another to try whitening our teeth with charcoal.  This is my "during" picture.  I didn't notice a remarkable whitening effect, but I will try it again soon.

• Vacationed with the hubby in Colorado for 11 days (managed to eat GAPS-like - between carefully choosing restaurants and eating in… had a few cheats with sugar and/or starch)

• Continued to take Frankincense daily, as well as alternated applying dōTERRA On Guard (immunity blend), Balance (balancing blend) and Lavender (for allergies & stress reduction)
• After 5 days of 3 pellets 3 times a day, the Urtica Urens did the trick…saw a DRAMATIC improvement in allergic reaction!!!
• Returned from vacation and became obsessed with making my own everything based on dōTERRA essential oils…personal care products, beauty products, cleaning supplies…I still have a lot to learn, but am having SO MUCH FUN!

• lovethewell - Based on my passion for making my own products at home, decided to start a business
• Asked a friend to make me a logo
• Asked my husband to set up email and website...check it out...lovethewell
• Got recommendations for ingredient combinations from friends and family 
• Shopped a LOT on Amazon (mostly for containers)! 
• Research, research, research 
• Started mixing, bottling and labeling for an event where I will have a booth in October 
• Opened a bank account & set up the business with the state of Missouri 
• Ongoing – annoyed my family with updates every 5 minutes, but they give amazing feedback!
• Refinanced our house
• Replaced our home A/C unit
• Got to the bottom of my coolant system with my car (annoyance for the past 1 ½ years)
• Maintained Intro Phase II / III – since work and personal travel have picked up, it’s been impossible to make all my own food.  For now I will eat as GAPS-like as I can (still no grains, sugars or starches).  When travel dies down, I will restart Intro from the beginning.  Hopefully with the food allergy reactions under control, things will go much better the second time around.
• Tried to manage stress levels in spite of the life issues listed above!

Days 70 to 75 - Back to Reality

As I returned from vacation and went back to work, I had to get back into more of a routine with my GAPS plan.  I was very low on broth and other cooked meats and vegetables, so I had to begin the process of stocking up again.  The crock pot has been going non-stop and I already need to go to the store again.

I am still dealing with some itchy skin, which is most likely holding on longer due to seasonal allergies.  I saw my N.A.E.T. chiropractor on Saturday and we did a treatment for mold, tree pollen, weeds, grass and ragweed.  Since then, I have noticed an improvement.  I have also been using coconut oil to hydrate my skin and taking frankincense capsules to promote internal healing.

Since things seem to be calming down, I have also started eating cooked carrots again and tried raw celery juice this morning with breakfast.  Hopefully introducing these foods for a second time will go much better so I can progress to next phases.

Days 64 to 69 - Viva Las GAPS

One more twist to my adventure comes with my departure to Vegas with my friend Maranda for her 30th birthday trip with the girls.  Surprisingly, I was able to do Vegas GAPS-style for the most part.  We found buffets with carved meat stations, plenty of places with salmon for dinner and eggs for breakfast.  We even did a little cooking in the suite at the hotel.  I was able to maintain my plan of eating no grains, starches or sugars, even though I was unable to eat organic or preservative-free.  I was definitely apprehensive about how to vacation during the GAPS plan, but overall, it turned out better than expected.

Days 50 to 63 - My Way or the Highway of Frustration? Let the Dance Begin!

Where do I start?  I had a certain idea in my mind of how my progression through Intro GAPS should go, especially since the first couple of phases went so well.  I have to say, I am a little frustrated that things have not gone as expected more recently, and am definitely feeling like I'm having some setbacks.  I have still been combating food allergy reactions.  Although I was cleared of the physical carrot allergy and several accompanying emotions that might be interfering, I was still experiencing hives.  I returned to the chiropractor for a checkup and we determined that I might benefit from Bach's Rescue Remedy, a mixture of floral extracts designed to help relieve anxiety preventing me from moving past the allergic reactions.

In addition, I tried to give blood last week, but my iron was too low.  This is not necessarily related to GAPS, but there are some iron-rich foods that will come in later phases that I would love to eat soon (spinach!).  My iron since high school has been borderline (I've been denied at the blood drives several times before).  I did find a good iron supplement from Natural Healthy Concepts with not too many other ingredients (no gluten, citrus or other vitamins).

One other thing that I have experienced off and on since childhood that has happened more frequently in Phases III and IV of Intro GAPS is something found in the GAPS FAQ pdf.  When going from lying down or sitting to standing up, I become lightheaded.  This is possibly attributed to P.O.T.S. (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome).  It can be caused or exacerbated by several things: imbalance caused by toxins in the gut (possibly producing too much histamine, for example), anemia, dehydration, low blood sugar and not getting enough animal fats.  I am working on those things and seeing improvements, although I still make a point to take it slow upon rising in the morning or standing up after sitting for a while.

One of my earlier blog posts was entitled "Day 2 - GAPS is not for the faint of heart" but I think an alternate title for today's post should be "GAPS is not for the faint of spirit" (this process is definitely an exercise in building character).  However, I decided on "My Way or the Highway of Frustration?  Let the Dance Begin!" because as I hear more of the experiences of other GAPS individuals, I realize it is a dance.  Not one speed or method will work for everyone.  Sometimes we take steps forward and steps back before moving forward again.  I am choosing to give in and let go of my idea of how GAPS should progress, very happy that I am a unique individual even though that acknowledgement comes with its challenges.

Days 46 to 49 - Not My Idea

It all started a few years ago when I found a dry powdered toilet bowl cleaner I liked at a farmer's market, then later at a local health food store.  I went to the store this weekend to purchase more, but the lady who formerly supplied the brand I like has stopped making it according to the store owner.  So even though it was not my idea (or something I wanted to take on right now), it appears I will be making my own toilet bowl cleaner.  I ordered the borax for it tonight, so I will post more about this later.

In GAPS news, I am continuing with Phase IV without carrot juice.  I also made my first batch of sour cream, and it is delicious!  I didn't realize how much I had missed it.  It's basically just like making yogurt, but starting with heavy whipping cream and leaving it in the yogurt maker for at least 24 hours.  I have been adding it to my scrambled eggs each morning and my soup for lunch. 

Day 45 - The Raw Deal

I was able to visit my chiropractor and undergo some testing, which determined that raw carrot juice was the problem with my allergic reaction.  We did an elimination treatment and acupuncture, and I will go back in a week for a follow-up treatment.  In the meantime, I have still been maintaining  Phase IV minus carrot juice. 

Following the morning acupuncture treatment, I had my first experience with eating out during GAPS.  The people at Local Harvest Cafe serve preservative-free organic food which is easy to customize for people with food allergies.  I was able to enjoy someone else making my eggs and ham for the first time in a couple of months!

Days 41 to 44 - Changing Things Up

I have eliminated carrot juice for 6 days now, and have also removed olive oil and butter for the last couple of days.  I plan to cut back on avocado tomorrow.  I will keep all of these items out of my meals until my allergic reactions are completely gone, and then will reintroduce them again one at a time with several days in between each one.  When I entered Phase IV the first time, I introduced some new items on the same days and others only a day or two apart.  Now that I am showing some sensitivity, I will have to slow things down.  I should mention that I did perform the skin sensitivity test on all these foods and did not have a reaction.  I also plan to go see a chiropractor on Saturday who performs NAET and other treatments for food and environmental allergies.  My hope is that she can do some muscle testing with some of these foods to see whether my brain or other organs are still having problems with some foods even if my skin has shown no reaction.

Days 38 to 40 - On the Go Again

I once again found myself packing up all my food for a weekend and heading out of town.  My husband's high school reunion was happening in his hometown, so we went to stay with my in-laws and take part in the festivities.  It was much easier this time in Phase IV than in Phase II when I was traveling previously.  Having bread I can eat as a snack makes such a difference.  I did stick to my plan to eliminate carrot juice over the weekend to see if it was causing my allergic reaction. 

Days 34 to 37 - Phase IV, The Good and The Bad

I have spent the last week thoroughly enjoying eating bread and having a few more foods in my meal plan.  However, I seem to also be having a reaction to something I introduced, although whatever it is has taken a few days to impact me.  To figure out which item is the culprit, I plan to begin backing off some of the new foods one by one to see if the symptoms (hives) subside.  Carrot juice will be the first to go, but I might end up going back to Phase III entirely for a time.

Days 32 to 33 - Bread has never tasted so good!!

I made my first batch of Phase IV bread today.  It included a bit of acorn squash with eggs, flour (homemade from sunflower seeds) and butter.  I made a double batch, so I ended up with 4 mini loaves and a medium loaf.  It does not taste like "normal" bread, but to me, it is completely delicious!  I think for non-GAPS people whose taste buds have not yet adjusted to being sugar-free, it would taste great with a little honey or jam spread on it.  For anyone whose family members are not eating the GAPS way, this would be a good item to try out on them to see if some GAPS foods could be incorporated.

Days 30 to 31 - More Natural Living

On the food front, things are still going well with entering Phase IV slowly. I have introduced olive oil into one meal per day and totally adore the fresh carrot juice first thing each morning.

To continue the natural living part of my plan, I mixed up two new items for "the bod" tonight.  First was an essential oil spray bottle of bug repellant (using doTERRA TerraShield, lemon and peppermint oils).  West Nile virus was confirmed in Illinois not far from where I live, so it was time to get my natural defenses up. No DEET for me, thank you very much... no need to poison myself to avoid getting West Nile.

The second project was making my own toothpaste, a trick I read about at www.healthextremist.com. It simply uses coconut oil, baking soda and an essential oil (I used my absolute favorite, doTERRA On Guard).  The toothpaste went very easily into a small GoToob I ordered from amazon. I had already brushed tonight, so will try my new product tomorrow morning for the first time.

Days 29 to 30 - Snore No More & Other Stuff - How To Tell If GAPS Is "Working"

In the early (first few) days of my GAPS adventure, my husband informed me that I no longer snore...granted, it was always that cute girl snoring, not sawing logs like men...but either way, I am apparently breathing a lot easier when I sleep.  I also enjoy that benefit during the daytime, due to GAPS easing my inflammation from allergies and the poor substances that used to BE my diet.

That brings me to a few other physical changes I have noticed.  People keep asking me if / how I know GAPS is working for me.  So I have compiled a list of improvements I have noticed, listed below.  Of course, this will vary for everyone based on the issues you experience before doing GAPS and your overall makeup.

• (obviously) Not snoring
• Less nasal congestion
• Fewer allergy symptoms (scratchy throat, itchy eyes, itchy skin, tiredness, headaches)
• Less achy joints (After playing volleyball and suffering from allergies my entire life, I have experienced a lot of joint pain and inflammation, as well as weak wrists and inability to grip as in when opening a jar.  All of these symptoms have improved.)
• Cleaner teeth (I have not noticed any teeth sweaters, as my husband calls them.  You would be amazed how much cleaner your teeth feel without sugar, caffeine, preservatives, etc)
• More radiant skin (fewer breakouts, other than the initial detox breakout, and firmer skin) which I attribute to a daily probiotic pill and probiotic foods throughout the day
• More energy (no more afternoon lull where I can barely keep my eyes open)
• Better digestion (everything digestion-wise just feels a lot better and more cleaned out)
• Weight loss (I have not talked much about this for a reason.  You will not hear me referring to what I am doing as the GAPS diet, but instead the GAPS plan.  The reason for doing this plan is not to lose weight, but to heal and seal your gut lining.  Losing weight usually goes hand in hand with this type of lifestyle change.  For some, like me, weight loss can occur rather quickly.  So far, I am down 23 pounds, but I truly had that many to spare and had been eating all sorts of grains, starches and sugars.  I intentionally moved to Phase III more quickly than planned to slow down the weight loss.  Other people will lose just a few and will be at their optimal weight.  Trust your body and do not invest in this plan for the wrong reasons.)

In addition to prepping for Phase IV (starting to use cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil and fresh-pressed vegetable juices), I have also been learning more about DIY (do-it-yourself) natural home and body care items.  In addition to the avocado hair mask I did a few days ago, tonight I made an air freshener spray that I read about at thankyourbody.com (using my favorite dōTERRA oil, On Guard, as the main ingredient).

Days 22 to 28 - Super Free Me!

The accomplishment of being free of several substances prohibited by the Intro GAPS plan definitely gives me the feeling of being a super hero.  If someone had predicted a year ago that I would be able to avoid these items for 1 day, let alone 28 days, I would have seriously reconsidered that person's sanity.

For the last 4 weeks I have been strictly avoiding the following things in my meals:

• Sugar
• Starches
• Grains
• Preservatives
• Microwave food
• Processed food
• Fried food
• Most dairy
• Strong spices
• Caffeine

However, GAPS is not all about the food...I have always been passionate about using pure, organic products for body and home, but during the past week I simply enjoyed being in Phase III and refocused on going to the next level with the environmental factors too.  Last night, I did my first avocado hair mask for deep conditioning and preventing tangles.  It was a great success, and the recipe is below if you would like to try it at home.

AVOCADO HAIR MASK

INGREDIENTS

1 Avocado, mashed

1/4 cup Olive Oil

1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

DIRECTIONS

Combine all 3 ingredients in a bowl and blend until smooth

Apply to damp hair and let it soak for about 15 to 20 minutes

Rinse it out and shampoo as usual

Adapted from www.healthextremist.com

Another first for this past weekend was to try my new pan to make an herb roasted chicken with vegetables (photo included).  To begin prepping for other parts of Phase IV, I did a butter sensitivity test last night (success!) and will perform a few others with the hope of adding some new food choices in the next few days.

Mmmmm...GAPS breakfast!

Breakfast today looked & tasted so delicious that I had to share it!

Days 18 to 21 - Fantastic Phase III

For the last few days, I have been easing my way to Intro Phase III.  This includes eating avocado, yogurt, scrambled eggs cooked in ghee, pancakes (made of butternut squash, sunflower seed butter and eggs), and sauerkraut (instead of the juice only).  The pancakes are my new favorite.  Since I have not been able to have a peanut butter cookie in years, I told my husband I would pretend that's what my pancakes were.  I even made them really small like the size of a cookie to further the belief!  The other item I have truly missed is crepes, and these pancakes almost have the same consistency, so that became my other mental substitution, making them even more fun to eat.

I was out of town again this past weekend, and the increase in solid food choices made traveling much more desirable.  I was able to pop over to the in-laws and borrow a saucepan, bowl and spoon to eat my chicken and veggies for lunch.  Before driving back from Illinois, I even ate one of the pancakes chilled and it was actually really good that way too.  This includes continuing to drink broth with each meal and to eat soups and stews made of meat, broth and vegetables. 

This past week, I also purchased a roasting pan with a lid to prepare for Phase IV (when I will be able to make roasted meat with vegetables in the oven).  My other new devices are an electric coffee grinder and a battery operated flour sifter which I will use to begin making my own flour out of sunflower seeds on a regular basis.  I use sunflower seeds because I am allergic to all tree nuts and peanuts.  Almonds or other nuts would work well for those without an allergy.

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.