Welcome to this roundup of GAPS-friendly recipes!

Newcomers to GAPS sometimes look at the list of foods they are supposed to avoid and get this sinking feeling or maybe it's their stomach growling as they think, “What's left to eat?” What will I do about Taco Tuesday if I can't have corn tortillas? What about sandwiches? Let me assure you there are many amazing and delicious substitutions when you take a look around this wonderful place called the Internet. I can assure you there thousands of ways to mix up the “legal” foods to make delicious meals. Every month we scour the Internet to find these recipes to share on my Facebook page. I'd love you to follow me on Facebook to see these links as they are posted: GAPS Diet Journey.

Recipes are vetted to ensure they are GAPS legal, but occasionally miss an “illegal” ingredient or two so please remember to review the ingredients yourself. Happy cooking!

Recipes

Sausage Sheet Pan Dinner from Our Food Fix
Paleo Pumpkin Turkey Chili from Hungry by Nature
Chicken Chili Verde from Ambitious Kitchen
Pineapple Pork Wraps from Fit Mitten Kitchen
Cranberry Apple Cinnamon Smash from Fresh Planet Flavor
Healthy Hot Chocolate Squares from Real Food RN
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds from Life Made Full
Roasted Brussels Sprouts from Real Food RN
Paleo Fall Salad with Butternut Squash, Bacon, and Kale  from Bullet Proof
Everything Bagel Cauliflower Rolls from Lexi's Clean Living
Copycat Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowls from Lexi's Clean Living
Creamy Tuscan Chicken from Lexi's Clean Living
Sheet Pan Lemon Herb Cod from Lexi's Clean Living
Chocolate Almond Date Balls from Anya's Eats
Paleo Chocolate Covered Apples from Thriving on Paleo
Curried Crock Pot Broccoli Soup from The Gardening Cook
Crockpot Salsa Verde Chicken from Eatwell 101
Pumpkin Sage Mini Meatloaves from The Castaway Kitchen
Creamy Pumpkin  Chili from The Castaway Kitchen
Chicken, Apple, and Pecan Salad in a Jar from Damn Delicious
No Bake Apple Almond Butter Bars from Faith, Food, Fitness
Every Cinnamon Porridge from Every Last Bite
Apple Cinnamon Chicken with Bacon from Real Food With Dana

Articles

6 Ways to Stop the Modern World From Tearing Down Your Immune System from Vital Plan
Covid-19 is Really Two Diseases from Citizens for Health
Coronavirus Disinfectants May Be Extremely Hazardous to Health from GreenMed Info
Some Surprising Benefits of Coconut Oil from Purposeful Nutrition
Gettin’ Under Our Skin: BPS & BPA on Printed Register Receipts from Deep Roots at Home
How to Make Pumpkin Powder from Practical Self Reliance
Why You Should Eat Two Apples a Day from GreenMed Info
14 Benefits of Breastfeeding for Mom and Baby from Mommypotamus
Green Tea Helps Cystitis Sufferers and Prevents Antibiotic Resistance from GreenMed Info
Important: How Minerals Help You Cope Better In Life from Lydia Joy
Natural Homemade Deodorant from Traditional Cooking School
Homemade Flavored Salts: Tuscan Herb from The Elliot Homestead
Childhood Cancer Caused Largely by Environmental Factors, Report Finds from Children's Health Defense

GAPS can be intimidating, I get it. Tossing whole food groups out of your diet for weeks or months, or even two years? I totally understand, but I have to say having done GAPS, I would always do it again if given the choice.

So you want to try GAPS, but you're hesitating… the first thing I would say is ask your a few questions.

1. Why do you want to try GAPS? Is it for you, or someone else?
2. What is the hesitation? Are you scared or just don't know if you can stick with it?
3. Would you be willing to try for just two weeks?
4. What do you expect to get out of GAPS? Will you be super disappointed if it doesn't work?

I'll share my answers to those questions.

I started on the GAPS Diet to help my husband. He had been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and he wanted to try diet to heal himself, in spite of what his doctor had said which was basically, “… diet has nothing to do with this, but cut down on red meat…”. Hmmm… can you say “mixed messages?”. I did not think that I needed GAPS. Even though I was on asthma medication for going on ten years, and was quite overweight. I had steadfastly refused to going on any kind of “diet” for over a decade, so going on GAPS was not for me. Little did I know I was in for a big surprise.

My desire to help my husband get better was much stronger than my own fears. I jumped in with both feet in early December and I stuck with it! Even through the holidays, but there was a significant reason that prompted me to stick with it which I'll share in a minute.

I was not expecting anything from the GAPS Diet, not for myself at least, so I wasn't afraid of failing. I was willing to do it to help my husband get better.

So what is holding you back? Because I know you can do this.

It is so easy to get started… you can begin by making this easy pot of soup and you're on your way. You can even make chicken soup using your Instant Pot. Bear in mind that Dr. Natasha's preference is that we use slow cooking but check out this post about the Instant Pot with regards to GAPS.

I say if using your Instant Pot is going to get you started on this journey, then go for it. When you feel better, you can start making your broth more traditionally.

A lot of people who start on GAPS see improvements in just two weeks. What happened for me was my feet and back stopped hurting. I had been diagnosed with plantars fasciitis and my feet ached immensely. I can remember my paternal grandfather hobbling around at his restaurant as he cooked and I thought it was something I'd inherited and there was nothing to be done. I had gone to a doctor and the only thing he could help me with was orthotics. Very expensive ones, which I couldn't afford.

But just 13 days on GAPS and I will point out, this was not Introduction. It was just full GAPS… my feet stopped hurting. It was incredible and life changing. I kid you not! My feet hurt so bad that I could barely walk on them. Getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom was excruciating. It was hard not to cry from how bad they hurt to bear weight on them. But when they stopped hurting… that hooked me. I was staying on this GAPS Diet for as long as it took.

I have heard these kinds of stories from a lot of people. I have also heard that each time they did a round of Introduction they found significant changes and improvements.

So if you need a little encouragement today, here it is:

You can do this. I know you can. You don't have to do everything at once. It can be as simple as making a pot of broth and drinking one cup every day. Then the next week start adjusting your diet. And you don't have to do Introduction first. You can definitely do full GAPS, I even got the word from Dr. Natasha that that is okay to do full GAPS first. I just personally think it is enough of a learning curve to go to full GAPS.

Do you just need to do Introduction, or do you feel like you need to reset and do another round of Introduction? Just get that soup made.

Again, I know you can do this. 🙂

Have an amazing day, you beautiful person!

Image Credit Pixabay

Going on any specific diet means dealing with a few restrictions, especially if you want to get fitter faster. Because the Standard American Diet is so filled with carbs, fats, and sugars, starting on the road to fitness requires some level of effort.

The GAPS Diet can be a challenge in a different way; however, the benefits will often be worth the effort.

In my article ‘Which Should I Do First? Introduction or Full GAPS', I talk about the transition process to follow the GAPS diet. Every GAPS journey is different, but once you've settled into your routine more options open up for nutrition. Whole food is always the main focus of GAPS, and after you've gone through Introduction you can start to add a few supplements.

Fish and cod liver oil

Fatty acids like omega-3 play a large role in the GAPS diet, so it's important that you get the proper amount. Many GAPS experts recommend daily supplementation of fish oil or cod liver oil capsules, which are rich in omega-3, as well as vitamins A and D. The best fish oil supplements should come in dark-colored glass containers, and should be properly refrigerated and kept to avoid rancidity. One of the best cod liver oils can be sourced from Nordic Naturals, which is sourced from Arctic cod, and contains zero additives.

Probiotics

The gut is obviously the center of the GAPS diet, so we should be doing our best to ensure that it's operating at maximum efficiency. One of the best ways to help your gut is through taking healthy bacteria like probiotics. Probiotics help keep the balance of healthy bacteria in your gut, easing digestion and reducing bloating, gas, and other gut problems. Experts recommend that there should be at least 8 billion bacterial cells per gram. The superfood and probiotic blend by Brightcore is a great option for this, as it contains 10 billion live probiotics, as well as fiber and omegas. It's certified organic, GMO-free, and dairy-free as well, making it a perfect complement to the GAPS diet.

Betaine HCl

People on the GAPS diet tend to have lower stomach acid production. Remedying this involves taking a betaine HCl supplement with added pepsin. Betaine HCl is a manufactured form of hydrochloric acid, which is one of the main stomach acids found in the human body. Pepsin, meanwhile, is an enzyme also produced in the stomach which allows the body to break down and absorb protein. Solaray's HCl with Pepsin dietary supplement is a straightforward, simple formulation that's highly effective. It delivers 650 mg of betaine HCl and 162 mg of pepsin per serving, making it a popular and efficient choice.

Healthy oils

If you're on the GAPS diet, you probably know that you're advised to have a 2:1 ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3s are commonly found in fatty fish, while omega-6 fatty acids can be sourced from seed or nut oil. According to RxList, omega-6 fatty acids can reduce your risk for heart disease and lower bad cholesterol levels, and could minimize your risk for cancer.

Always remember to add supplements one at a time to make sure they agree with you. There is nothing worse than adding several new foods or supplements only to find you have to remove everything and start all over because you had a reaction and aren't sure what affected you.

Most people don't like to waste food. Especially if you have ever been through a time in your life when you didn't have enough food, it can really make you think twice. Did it ever occur to you that you're literally throwing money in the garbage when you let food go bad?

Or maybe it's not that you're letting your vegetables go bad, maybe you don't have enough to go around. Here are a few ways to use vegetables to make sure you don't waste food or money!

Here are the three ways I use vegetables to keep them from going to waste.

Stir Fry

Stir fry can be complicated or simple, but let's go for simple and use those leftover vegetables. You can use a wok if you have one, but a cast iron or stainless steel skillet will work great as well.

Hopefully you aren't using non-stick pans but if you do, please avoid them for stir fry because you'll be cooking at high temperatures.

Heat your skillet on medium-high and plunk a tablespoon or so of your favorite fat (I really like using coconut oil [affiliate link] with stir fry) into the skillet and start with one or two cups of vegetables. You'll want to stir every few seconds so they can cook but not scorch or burn. Cook in batches of one to two cups at a time, and as each batch is done, move the vegetables to a large bowl, replenish the oil and do the next batch.

Here are some good combinations, but as I said before, use what you have on hand!

• Cabbage, carrots, peas, green beans, onions [affiliate link], garlic, yellow crookneck squash
• Celery, onions, carrots, asparagus, spinach, mushrooms
• Onions, garlic, red and green bell peppers, ginger [affiliate link], green beans, cabbage
• Broccoli, mushrooms, onions, carrots, peas

Don't forget to use leftover meat in stir fry.

And one more thing… consider the way you prepare the vegetables. You can use a potato peeler to peel long strips of carrots for carrot noodles, a julienne slicer for matchstick sized pieces of zucchini. You would be surprised at how different and pretty your food can be when you mix it up a little when you're cutting it up.

Soup

My mom did this when I was growing up, and I started doing it when I moved out on my own. It's so simple. Just keep a dedicated freezer safe container in the same place in your freezer (a gallon Ziploc freezer bag works great if you're short on space) and every time you have any leftover vegetables instead of tossing them, put them into the container.

Before too long you'll have enough to make a great pot of soup. My favorite method is make chicken stock, then strain out the bones. Add your container of vegetables. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are fork tender. Add salt and pepper to taste and dinner is ready!

Quiche

Another favorite way to use leftover vegetables is to make quiche.

And you don't really need a crust, although you could make one from coconut flour.

You’ll need around two cups of steamed or sautéed vegetables for a 9-1/2″ pie pan. Season the vegetables by adding salt and pepper, onion powder and garlic powder [affiliate link]. Season them to taste, and if you're using a pie crust, prebake it first.

Spoon the vegetables into the pie crust or even an empty pie tin when they are fork tender. If you can eat dairy products, grate in some cheddar cheese. Then scramble 3 or 4 eggs [affiliate link] and pour in on top of the vegetables.

Bake at 350°F until the top is lightly browned and firm, about twenty minutes. Cool for 20 minutes and serve. Quiche is also delicious cold, super quick for breakfast on the go, a great finger food if you need something easy for lunch at work and don’t have the time or means to heat it.

Let me know in the comments if you have used any of these ways to utilize leftover vegetables!