Well, who says you can't have Thanksgiving dinner while on the GAPS Intro? Not us! The kids still enjoyed roasted turkey, green beans and mashed potatoes. We made the mashed potatoes out of mashed steamed cauliflower in homemade turkey broth and topped it with melted ghee and some fresh ground himalayan pink salt..yum! For dessert they had pumpkin custard and they loved it! It made me so happy to hear Noah, who previously was sad about being on a diet on Thanksgiving, say to me that this was the best Thanksgiving dinner and he thanked me.
GAPS Intro-friendly Pumpkin Custard
1 can organic pumkin puree (or same amount of fresh steamed pumkin puree)
2 eggs
1 Tbs coconut oil
Honey to taste
Dash of salt
Couple dashes of cinnamon (optional)
Whisk all ingredients together and put in custard cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until firm and butter knife comes out clean. Let it cool. Enjoy!
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Saturday, November 19, 2011
She Took a BATH!
THIS is MONUMENTAL! Kai took a bath today without screaming and crying in pain! I am so proud of her! She was able to take a nice soak comfortably for about 3-5 minutes. After that her skin started burning a little so we ended it.
Before tonight, this has not happened in over a year. The reason she was able to do it tonight is because her skin is improving. She is itching less, therefore scratching less, therefore no open tears, therefore no burning! She did get a little itchy and started burning right before she got out and afterwards for about 10 minutes. Then it subsided. This is still an improvement and we are so thankful! I gave her lots of encouragement and told her that she is a brave young girl to keep trying to take baths even though they are painful. Her perseverance is paying off. The strict eating, supplements, prayer...all of it, is paying off.
Thank you, God, for getting us this far. I can't believe this is happening!
Before tonight, this has not happened in over a year. The reason she was able to do it tonight is because her skin is improving. She is itching less, therefore scratching less, therefore no open tears, therefore no burning! She did get a little itchy and started burning right before she got out and afterwards for about 10 minutes. Then it subsided. This is still an improvement and we are so thankful! I gave her lots of encouragement and told her that she is a brave young girl to keep trying to take baths even though they are painful. Her perseverance is paying off. The strict eating, supplements, prayer...all of it, is paying off.
Thank you, God, for getting us this far. I can't believe this is happening!
Friday, November 18, 2011
GAPS Intro - Day 12
I cannot believe we are here...Day 12!!! The baby and I have been under the weather, flu or some sort of virus. I am feeling much better and back to normal. It seems unreal that we maintained the Intro diet through me being sick. I pulled it off somehow. The kids kept looking forward to getting a spoon of ghee and honey twice a day. It's amazing what a person will hang on to in order to satisfy that part of us that wants dessert. You make do with what you get, ya' know? Here they're left with meat, fat, broth, eggs, veggies, sauerkraut juice, sea salt, ghee, and honey and they tell me that ghee and honey taste like ice cream and sea salt crystals are like chips. (I am laughing so hard right now).
I feel like so much has happened since I last blogged. I wish I have been able to take pictures. Kai's skin has recently improved dramatically in texture and appearance. It has gained a slight suppleness to it. Something she has never had. I believe that the Vitamins A, D, and K are finally beginning to be assimilated by her gut. These are essential for healthy skin. She is deficient in them. Also, I recently started her on some Vitamin D3 as recommended by her chiropractor. I think this is a big jump in her healing. She is itching less during the day and the evening. It may not be enough for others to notice, but I notice! It's funny because the other day I was getting so discouraged. I even considered looking at other options. I called up a doctor that administers Low Dose Allergen injections to feel out that option. But the very next day Kai's skin began to look very different. It was just what I needed to keep me going.
The baby and I are doing a less strict style of the diet. I am allowing certain things for him and I since he is a baby and I am still nursing. We pretty much eat what they eat, but also some fruit, nut butter, and raw goat dairy.
The other two, Noah and Kiyomi, are hanging in there. There were some hard days. I guess there were some hard days for all of them at some point. But I kept my foot down. I am a determined mama at this point. There was proof of yeast leaving Kiyomi's body (don't want to get too detailed about that if you know what I mean). Josh has told me that he is noticing some higher level of alertness/awareness in Noah. I noticed too, but didn't tell Josh until he told me first. I sometimes want to make sure it's not just me imagining things.
So at this point they are all pretty much on Stage 3 of the Intro Diet and progressing daily. Kai is handling a few drops of Fermented Cod Liver Oil a day and this is a miracle! All in all, I can say that I am already witnessing some gut healing that has already taken place.
I am so proud of my kiddos. What they are going through is not easy and most children will never have to think about. They are going to appreciate good health and good food in a way that many won't. This experience, like all experiences in life, will make them who they are...and for the better.
I feel like so much has happened since I last blogged. I wish I have been able to take pictures. Kai's skin has recently improved dramatically in texture and appearance. It has gained a slight suppleness to it. Something she has never had. I believe that the Vitamins A, D, and K are finally beginning to be assimilated by her gut. These are essential for healthy skin. She is deficient in them. Also, I recently started her on some Vitamin D3 as recommended by her chiropractor. I think this is a big jump in her healing. She is itching less during the day and the evening. It may not be enough for others to notice, but I notice! It's funny because the other day I was getting so discouraged. I even considered looking at other options. I called up a doctor that administers Low Dose Allergen injections to feel out that option. But the very next day Kai's skin began to look very different. It was just what I needed to keep me going.
The baby and I are doing a less strict style of the diet. I am allowing certain things for him and I since he is a baby and I am still nursing. We pretty much eat what they eat, but also some fruit, nut butter, and raw goat dairy.
The other two, Noah and Kiyomi, are hanging in there. There were some hard days. I guess there were some hard days for all of them at some point. But I kept my foot down. I am a determined mama at this point. There was proof of yeast leaving Kiyomi's body (don't want to get too detailed about that if you know what I mean). Josh has told me that he is noticing some higher level of alertness/awareness in Noah. I noticed too, but didn't tell Josh until he told me first. I sometimes want to make sure it's not just me imagining things.
So at this point they are all pretty much on Stage 3 of the Intro Diet and progressing daily. Kai is handling a few drops of Fermented Cod Liver Oil a day and this is a miracle! All in all, I can say that I am already witnessing some gut healing that has already taken place.
I am so proud of my kiddos. What they are going through is not easy and most children will never have to think about. They are going to appreciate good health and good food in a way that many won't. This experience, like all experiences in life, will make them who they are...and for the better.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
GAPS Intro - Day 2
Well, end of Day 2 of the GAPS Intro Diet. It's amazing what ONE day does! Day 1 and everyone is happy and ready to take on the Intro Diet! Day 2 and my home resembles a slug habitat. Lethargic, whining, and miserable children. At least they think they're miserable. I mean, this is GOOD food! Homemade meat broth, bone broth, meats, vegetables, sauerkraut juice, whey, and good ole celtic sea salt to flavor everything. Kiyomi needed some ghee sweetened with honey a couple of times. She gets real low sometimes. The others did better today. Judah was crying for apples, bananas, peanut butter, and smoothies all day. Poor lil guy! Good news is that Kai is already clearing up and itching less! She slept better last night than she has in weeks! She itched less today than she has in weeks. I plan to go much more slow and gradual and very methodical this round. Why am I doing this again you ask?
Noah- Autism, Sensory Integration Dysfunction, OCD
Kai- Eczema, Sensory Integration Dysfunction, Dyslexia, food allergies
Kiyomi- Constipation
Judah- Yeast infection and Constipation, food allergies
They all four, on some level, need gut healing. I figure I might as well do them all at once! If you haven't heard of GAPS, it stands for Gut and Psychology Syndrome. This diet address all the issues my children suffer with. We did the Intro Diet beginning of September and all four got some healing. Now that I've got more experience and knowledge and made some mistakes, I am going back to do it right! Kai will continue to see her chiropractor.I'll keep ya'll updated! Please keep us in your prayers!
Noah- Autism, Sensory Integration Dysfunction, OCD
Kai- Eczema, Sensory Integration Dysfunction, Dyslexia, food allergies
Kiyomi- Constipation
Judah- Yeast infection and Constipation, food allergies
They all four, on some level, need gut healing. I figure I might as well do them all at once! If you haven't heard of GAPS, it stands for Gut and Psychology Syndrome. This diet address all the issues my children suffer with. We did the Intro Diet beginning of September and all four got some healing. Now that I've got more experience and knowledge and made some mistakes, I am going back to do it right! Kai will continue to see her chiropractor.I'll keep ya'll updated! Please keep us in your prayers!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Amazing Egg Substitute!
This is revolutionary!
Kai finally got to have pancakes that held together!
Kai has been allergic to eggs for years, even the yolks. We have tried many different things to mock an egg and nothing has worked as well as using the gelatinous liquid from soaking chia seeds.
This is what we did: Soaked 2 Tbs of chia seeds in water for 15 minutes or so. Threw a small sliced zucchini, 2 Tbs of almond butter, and the soaked chia seeds with gelatinous water in our blender. I used a little stevia to sweeten the batter. You could use a food processor as well. We pureed it and poured it in a pan with lots of coconut oil and ghee. We made them small so wewouldn't risk breaking them while flipping them. Wah-lah! Pancakes! It melted my heart to watch her enjoy them with some extra melted ghee and drizzled honey on top!
We had been making these pancakes for everyone else already. We used 3 eggs instead of the chia-goo. Now Kai can enjoy them with the rest of her siblings.
Another version of grain-free pancakes that my kids like are Peanut Butter Banana pancakes. I throw a banana, couple spoons of peanut butter (can sub. other nut butter), and 2 eggs (or wonderful chia seed sub.) in a blender. Puree and pour into pan with hot oil/ghee. These are actually their favorite and taste more like dessert!
If you are wanting to try the egg substitute in a different recipe, Sarah Smith from http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/ suggests using 1/4 cup water with 2 Tbs chia or flax seeds to substitute 2 eggs in a baked recipe. You would put the seeds in the water, warm it up gently for about 10-15 minutes and strain. (I didn't strain mine because I wanted the seeds in the pancakes.)
We had been making these pancakes for everyone else already. We used 3 eggs instead of the chia-goo. Now Kai can enjoy them with the rest of her siblings.
Another version of grain-free pancakes that my kids like are Peanut Butter Banana pancakes. I throw a banana, couple spoons of peanut butter (can sub. other nut butter), and 2 eggs (or wonderful chia seed sub.) in a blender. Puree and pour into pan with hot oil/ghee. These are actually their favorite and taste more like dessert!
If you are wanting to try the egg substitute in a different recipe, Sarah Smith from http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/ suggests using 1/4 cup water with 2 Tbs chia or flax seeds to substitute 2 eggs in a baked recipe. You would put the seeds in the water, warm it up gently for about 10-15 minutes and strain. (I didn't strain mine because I wanted the seeds in the pancakes.)
Now go get busy and eat some pancakes if you a haven't been able to due to an egg allergy!
Egg substitute idea from: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/2011/11/video-the-best-baking-substitute-for-eggs/#more-6040baking-substitute-for-eggs/#more-6040baking-substitute-for-eggs/#more-6040baking-substitute-for-eggs/#more-6040.
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