foundational foods - the gaps way

GAPS is a nutritional protocol designed for healing the most complicated issues to more common digestive complaints. Although there are other parts to the protocol, like detoxification tools and some supplementation - it is the food that is the real hero.

The purpose of GAPS foods is to heal and repair the gut and in doing so, it is essential to take some foods out initially to get the healing underway. What comes in though, is nourishing, gentle, nutrient-dense, quality, fresh, real foods.

The foods are prepared in a way so that they are incredibly gentle on the most chronically inflamed systems. Of course, any of the foods can be consumed at any time because they are alive, teeming with beneficial bacteria and provide the building materials to repair damage and resolve conditions. So, here's a rundown on some of the food preparations, using age-old techniques to transform food into medicine.

Dairy is allowed on GAPS for reasons such as the nutrients, fat soluble vitamins but also the beautiful, soothing lactic acid that calms an aggravated gut.

We use fermentation techniques to make dairy and vegetables easily digestible. You can even ferment fish to make it more bioavailable. The fermentation process also allows beneficial enzymes, bacteria and yeasts to develop and in turn re-populate a damaged, unbalanced microbiome.

Meat is slow cooked initially and the individual progresses onto other cooking techniques as their gut heals. With this short-cooked meat, we get the liquid gold that is meat stock. This food and drink is an absolute pillar for healing on the GAPS nutritional protocol.

The best quality animal fats are used extensively throughout healing for consumption and cooking, and we also include cold-pressed plant oils - although these are never heated to retain all their antioxidant properties.

Organ meats, marrow and eggs play an integral part also because of their nutrient-density benefits.

Although some foods are removed for a time, this protocol certainly focuses on the most profound healing foods. Not only are you investing in the best quality foods but this is an investment on your health.