So someone you love is on the GAPS Diet and you don't know what to get them. What does GAPS even mean? Well, for starters, GAPS stands for Gut and Psychology Syndrome Diet. Many people who come to GAPS have digestive ailments, which you may or may not have known about since a lot of the time people don't share such details. Another reason people come to GAPS is because of “psychological” issues. Maybe your loved one suffers from depression. The GAPS Diet has also been known to help children with various issues, like autism.

I thought it would be helpful to share some items that a person who is doing the GAPS Diet might appreciate having.

1. Gut and Psychology Syndrome Diet Book

Anyone who is  on the GAPS Diet should have a copy of the book that tells you all about the diet. But sometimes people can't afford to buy the book. If you discovered your friend didn't own a copy of the book, I'd suggest that as the number one thing to buy.

2. What Can I Eat Now? 30 Days on GAPS Intro

There are two parts to the GAPS Diet. There is the Introduction part of the diet, then there is full GAPS. I personally feel that it is easiest to start with full GAPS because there is already a big learning curve, but sometimes people need to start with Introduction. I have written a blog post here that discusses the options: Which Should I do First? Intro or Full GAPS?  My friend Cara from Health, Home and Happiness has a great product called What Can I Eat Now? 30 Days on GAPS Intro which is a great gift for someone who is planning to do Introduction.

3. Beyond Grain & Dairy: 113 recipes for GAPS

If your friend is on the full GAPS part of the diet, my e-book Beyond Grain & Dairy is going to be a great help in ideas for what to eat. I served these meals to my family and we all loved them, and didn't feel deprived at all. You can even buy this book as a gift, just choose that option after you put the e-book in the cart and hit checkout, then you can put in your friend's name and email address. And here's a coupon code for 50% off: BGDSAVE50

4. Detox Baths

You might have heard your friend talk about taking a “detox” bath. Dr. Natasha recommends that we take detox baths on a regular basis to aid the body in removing toxins.

My favorite detox bath consists of hot water and Epsom salts. When I'm really focusing on helping my body to detox I'll take one or two hot baths every week and add two or more cups of Epsom salts each time. Your friend is probably going to be taking quite a few detox baths, so she might appreciate having a bag of Epsom salts.

5. Spiralize Your Veggies

There is a lot of cooking with the GAPS Diet and lots of soup. Soup, soup, soup and more soup. One of the ways I keep soup interesting is to change up how I make it. I might make spiralized zucchini which is super easy with a spiralizer. This handy kitchen appliance is usually less than thirty dollars and is such a great help in creating substitutes for noodles or spaghetti. This spiralizer has seven blades, boasting various shapes like angel hair, fine and coarse shredding, fine or coarse “wavy” noodles, and a thicker “curly fry” blade.

6. Food Processor that slices AND dices!

Another handy appliance is a food processor that dices in addition to slicing and shredding. It really can make the different between one more boring pot of soup and one that's interesting when you change up on the way you prepare the vegetables. Dicing in a food processor is so much faster than doing it manually, you'll never go back to using your knife.

7. Natural Skin Care Products

One of the things we need to think about as we do the GAPS Diet is to decrease the toxins we are exposing our bodies to on a daily basis. Have you ever taken a look at the ingredients list on your favorite lotion, lip balm or soap? I would be willing to bet there are colorants, chemicals and things you can't even pronounce. One of my favorite companies is owned by Renee Harris. I am an affiliate for Renee but she is also a good friend, and I love her products. I appreciate that they are all-natural, most items are five ingredients or less and every ingredient can be pronounced. Her flagship product are her hard lotion bars and they work wonders with dry skin. I also love the muscle balm, lip balm, and the goat milk soap. Your friend that is on GAPS should be actively working toward reducing her toxin load, and MadeOn Natural Skin Care Products can help with that.

8. Chocolate Treats (Yes, chocolate is allowed  on GAPS!)

In Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride's book she stated that chocolate is not allowed; however, a couple of years after the book was published she updated her views at her FAQ, and hip-hip-hooray we can have cocoa on GAPS after digestive ailments have subsided. Baker's Dozen Chocolate Treats is one of my e-books and all the recipes are GAPS legal or can be easily modified so that they are. It was a very happy day for chocolate lovers when Dr. Natasha made this modification. Check out my post with more than 20 chocolate recipes, all GAPS legal.

9. GAPS Guide by Baden Lashkov

When I start learning about something new, like GAPS, I find it helpful to have at least two books on the subject. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, Dr. Natasha's book is required reading. But I also found Baden's GAPS Guide to be very helpful. Baden implemented the GAPS Diet for herself and her son and from her experience wrote a comprehensive guide to clarify the steps for her fellow parents and others supporting those with mental and physical symptoms.

10. 24-Hour Yogurt Maker

Yogurt is one of the fermented foods your friend will want to have while on the GAPS Diet. It's very important to allow the yogurt to ferment at least 24-hoursallow the yogurt to ferment at least 24-hours which reduces the lactose significantly. My favorite appliance for making 24-hour yogurt is the Instant Pot! Your friend might have heard that Dr. Natasha doesn't approve of pressure cooking, but the Instant Pot has a lot more functions. Admittedly its biggest claim to fame is pressure cooking but most models make delicious 24-hour yogurt, function as a slow cooker, steams and sautes and more. And… your friend will one day transition off GAPS and could incorporate the pressure cooker aspect. I have done some research on using an Instant Pot and I personally feel it is a very helpful tool in my kitchen, especially for making broth.

I hope you find something you can buy your friend or loved one who is on the GAPS Diet (even if that happens to be you!).

I'd love to hear from you in the comments if you are doing GAPS. What would YOU love to receive as a gift to help you on your GAPS Diet Journey?