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).