Minerals are basically the spark plugs of life, or keystones to our health. Minerals are the catalysts that keep our ‘battery’ going and hold it’s ‘charge.’  Minerals compose about 4% of the human body. We cannot produce minerals within our bodies, so we must obtain them through our food. They ultimately come from the earth. Good soil is 45% minerals, yet our soils today are quite lacking due to synthetic fertilizers, mono-cropping and more. In the US our soils contain 86% less minerals than they did 100 years ago (based on a study done in 1992). Minerals are what remain as ash when plant or animal tissues are burned. (approximately 5 pounds from a cremated body.) They come from the earth and will eventually return to the earth.
There are 103 known minerals, at least 18 of these are necessary for good health. Mineral imbalance is epidemic. Osteoporosis is on the rise in our nation, 30 million people in the US over 50 are susceptible to fractures caused by mineral deficiencies in their bones. Over 1/3 of the women in America will have diagnosable osteoporosis in their lifetime. Osteoporosis isn’t even diagnosed until you’ve lost 30% of your bone mass. Nearly 100% of Americans have some type of joint degeneration by the time they are 40 years old.  Zinc deficiency is very common, evidenced by such health issues as; prostate cancer, breast cancer, hormonal imbalances, hydrochloric acid deficiency, skin cancer. Magnesium is a key element to keeping the cells metabolizing, involved in at least 300 functions in the body. It is particularly sensitive to stress, and can easily be lost. Most everyone is deficient in magnesium anymore, along will all of the main minerals of the body. It can take several years to re-mineralize the body. It can take 12 months to replace one mineral such as iron, so to replace more can take awhile.

Role of Minerals in the Body

•    Minerals act as cofactors for enzyme reactions. Enzymes don’t work without minerals. All cells require enzymes to work & function. They give us our vitality.
•    They maintain the pH balance within the body.
•    Minerals actually facilitate the transfer of nutrients across cell membranes.
•    They maintain proper nerve conduction
•    Minerals help to contract and relax muscles.
•    They help to regulate our bodies tissue growth.
•    Minerals provide structural and functional support for the body.

There are two categories of minerals essential within the body, macro-minerals & micro-minerals. There is no one mineral deficiency, they all must be maintained in balance within the body.

Macro-minerals
•    Calcium
•    Phosphorous
•    Potassium
•    Magnesium
•    Sulfur
•    Sodium
•    Chloride

Micro-minerals (or Trace Minerals)
•    Iron
•    Boron
•    Chromium
•    Iodine
•    Manganese
•    Molybdenum
•    Selenium
•    Silicon
•    Vanadium
•    Zinc
•    Lithium
•    Germanium
•    Rubidium
•    Cobalt
•    Copper

Of all of these minerals found in the body, calcium is the main mineral, it comprises almost half of the mineral content in the body. Just 1% of the calcium in the body is actually in the blood, so blood tests are not accurate answers to just how much calcium our body truly has. The other 99% is stored in the bone. In order for calcium to be absorbed and utilized by the body there are several factors to consider. For example, if the overall systemic pH is off, it will be difficult to utilize the calcium you eat. Also, your hormonal function affects your ability to attain the calcium you consume, as well as whether or not you are adequately hydrated or if you digestion is impaired. Calcium also works in tandem with other minerals (particularly magnesium), vitamins and fatty acids. If you are not eating a properly prepared, whole foods, nutrient dense diet, staying hydrated and improving your over all digestion, you could be eating all the calcium in the world and not be able to retain it. Most everyone gets adequate calcium in their diet, but are missing some or all of the above co-factors in their lives to make it of use to the body in the way it is intended.
Having appropriate calcium homeostasis plays a significant role in bone remodeling. Old bone tissue is continually being destroyed and broken down and new bone is continually being created. Osteoblasts are bone-forming cells that convert cartilage to bone. Osteocytes  are our primary bone cells, and they maintain bone tissue. Osteoclasts are the bone-destroying cells that help with the function in resorption.
Calcium is only made available for other tissues in the body when the bone is broken down during remodeling. Bone helps to buffer the pH level of the blood through the release of calcium from the bone. (Bone is a major buffer of calcium and calcium is a major buffer of blood pH.) When blood is too acidic it will pull calcium from the tissues. And when the blood gets too alkaline, calcium can separate out and get deposited into the wrong tissues, thereby causing problems if an excess occurs in those tissues. Calcium is also needed for every nerve impulse.

In order for calcium to be absorbed it needs an acidic environment. If there is inadequate hydrochloric acid in the stomach you won’t be able to utilize the calcium you consume. Additionally, zinc is needed to help create the hydrochloric acid. Minerals are more difficult for the body to extract from the food. Absorption from the GI tract is the first step to getting the minerals into circulation, it can be a fairly complex process. If you see any aspect of undigested food in the stool, you can be sure you are not getting your minerals. Anyone with osteoporosis or osteopenia should check the pH of the stomach and check for adequate hydrochloric acid levels.

If certain hormones are dysfunctional in the body this will also affect our bodies ability to utilize calcium. Such as parathyroid, thyroid, adrenal and sex hormones. The parathyroid hormone is primary in regulating the blood calcium levels. The mineralcocoritcoids produced by the adrenals are very important in regulating minerals, particularly sodium/potassium homeostasis which has a role in calcium homeostasis as well. Women that go through menopause have a much greater risk of bone loss. Estrogen and progesterone need to be in balance at this time to help with osteoclastic activity.

Appropriate fatty acid intake in the diet is necessary for the calcium to be transported through the cells walls. Fatty acids also help increase the calcium levels in the tissues. Weston Price and Royal Lee talked about the relationship between vitamin D and vitamin F (or fatty acids) through their studies. Vitamin D gets the calcium into the blood, fatty acids get it into the tissue. Without appropriate fatty acids you won’t get calcium into your tissues which is where a larger quantity of our body houses calcium. Vitamin D is necessary for calcium homeostasis and bone health. (if supplementing be sure it’s in the form of D3, not D2)

Additionally, we need good hydration to ensure that the  blood is fluid enough to efficiently transport calcium throughout the body to other tissues. We also need to get balanced electrolytes (electrically charged ions of calcium, sodium, potassium , chloride, bicarbonate) to ensure an appropriate transfer of calcium in and out of  the cells. This is only the beginning of understanding how just one mineral works within the body. However, they all work synergistically, so it is very important to consume a high quality real food diet based on the properly prepared foods paradigm discovered by Weston A. Price through his studies of indigenous people groups. We need a full spectrum approach to ensure we are getting adequate mineral intake, not just supplementing with some or one or two individual minerals, hat will always throw off the mineral balance in the body. Be sure to consume a wide array of fresh real whole foods in season and properly prepared.

Best Food Sources of Minerals

By far the best and most ionic form of a full spectrum of minerals is bone broth. A full spectrum good quality sea salt is also a fabulous way to get in minerals and trace minerals. Also good mineral rich water from wells is a great option, but one that most of us no longer have access to. Animal proteins from well raised animal on pasture and grassfed as well as wild seafood are another great source. Properly prepared nuts, seeds  and legumes are excellent as well. Remember to pair these foods with good fatty acids to ensure you are actually utilizing them well. If you are not well versed on which fats are optimal, please read my post here on; ‘What Fats You Should Be Consuming.’  Raw milk dairy products (not pasteurized or homogenized), cultured dairy and cheeses are an excellent source. Pastured eggs are rich in a wide array of nutrients that all synergistically support each other. Dark leafy greens, sea vegetables, oysters, even butter and liver. If you are familiar with the foods recommended in ‘Nourishing Traditions’ and make sure to get a balanced diet from them you are likely getting the minerals your body needs. Just remember that there are cofactors to consider when your body shows signs of deficiencies.

Stay tuned for another post on ‘Factors that Deplete Minerals From the Body.’

(Source for this post – my notes and studies from The Nutritional Therapy Association.)

Ghee, also known as clarified butter, originated in South Asia and is commonly found used in Indian cuisine. (also Bangladesh, Nepali & Pakistan) Ayurveda regards Ghee as a vital food for healthy skin, mental clarity, and good digestion. By clarifying the butter to make ghee, the milk solids are removed and this makes ghee more tolerable for those with intolerances to milk protein. Ghee does not contain any whey or lactose either, so it’s safe for those with lactose intolerance. It also is excellent for cooking at higher temperatures as it’s smoke point is 482 degrees F and does not burn since the solids have been removed, leaving only pure fat. Ghee provides an excellent fatty acid profile, along with vitamins A, D, E, K2, beta carotene and more, all in an easily assimilable form. For more in depth information about the tradition of ghee, read this article by Whole9.

I have been making ghee often as of late, due to being on the GAPS Introduction diet. It is one of the first dairy foods introduced as it is tolerated by most everyone. Only those with severe casein allergy usually are not able to tolerate ghee.

Gorgeous golden ghee

Of course making ghee at home is the most affordable approach, however not everyone always has enough time or may find themselves in a pinch. So here are a few store bought options you can look for;

Pure Indian Foods 100% Organic Grassfed Ghee

Purity Farm Organic Ghee

One of the best steps you can take towards better health is to simply ditch processed foods and transition to real whole foods. To some that could mean entirely gutting your pantry leaving nothing left to utilize in your kitchen, and needing to make a clean start. In an effort to help those who want to take it one step at a time, let me break it down for you in order of importance (at least how I see it). The top two things you should change in your S.A.D. pantry and kitchen to make it a REAL FOOD pantry are the fats/oils and meats you choose and consume. My first post in this series, I discussed,  ‘What Fats Should You Be Consuming.’ Today I am going to discuss how to choose the healthiest meats and protein choices. My hope for this particular post is that it will help people to transition from consuming factory farmed meats, which really is quite a health hazard, to healthfully raised and cared for animal products.

Why Are Proteins Essential To Our Health

Proteins are the building blocks of our bodies. Our body uses and assembles 50,000 different proteins to form organs, nerves, muscles, and flesh. Complete animal proteins are responsible for building enzymes, antibodies, hemoglobin and hormones. All proteins are combinations of 20 amino acids: 10 of which are essential, meaning the body cannot produce them. The other 10 are nonessential and can be synthesized by the body. Amino acids are responsible for creating neurotransmitters (such as norepinephrine, serotonin, GABA, acetylcholine, aspartate, and glutamate) Amino acids are extremely important components of many hormones. Sex hormones are made up of amino acids plus fats. 95% of muscle is made up of amino acids. 95% of the heart is made up of amino acids. RNA and DNA also require amino acids for proper regulation. In other words, amino acids are necessary for our genes to function properly. Therefore, daily consumption of proteins is critical to optimal physical function and health. A good daily amount of protein to consume is 30% of your overall intake. Or on average, about 45 to 60 grams of protein per day for adults, is considered ample to consume. Athletes would need more, about 60 to 80 grams per day.

The Truth About Factory Farmed Meats

Animals raised on factory farms are hardly what nature intended. Fed with chemically grown and fertilized feed, feed that is not native to the animals true diet, crowded into pens and stalls standing in their own filth and refuse, unable to roam and graze as nature intended. These animals are bred solely for a profit and in so doing become very unhealthy. For example, calves on factory farms when they are just 2 months old, the males are castrated and all of the calves are implanted with a growth stimulating hormone (typically a female hormone). Because diarrhea is common at this age, many ranchers mass-treat calves with antibiotics; when calves are weaned at seven months of age, more antibiotics are used to control possible respiratory ailments. At that time, animals are again implanted with a hormonal growth promotant, wormed, and dipped in a toxic insecticide bath to kill scabies producing lice. Farmers, by law, must dispose of residual liquids at licensed toxic-waste-disposal sites. (source – ‘Traditional Foods Are Your Best Medicine‘) And that is just the tip of the iceberg. To get a better feel for how horrific the conditions of these animals really are, perhaps it’s critical to view the following videos. If you can’t realize alone from watching these that factory farmed animals are not worth consuming, well then I don’t know what hope you have in understanding how detrimental these mass produced meats have on your health, not to mention our environment.


The following video is rather disturbing – you have been warned!

Have you heard about meat glue?

Proteins/Meats to Ditch

Meats – All meats raised or grown on factory farms, all eggs grown in confinement on industrial or factory farms, commercial sausage, ham and other processed meats containing MSG and high levels of additives, as well as commercial beef jerky.

Dairy – Avoid all low fat and skim milk; as well as homogenized and especially ultra-pasteurized milks. Any imitation milk as well made from soy, rice, almonds, oats or hemp. Ditch all lowfat and fat-free cottage cheese, cream cheese and fresh cheese, and those made with additives or ‘fake’ cheeses, such as American cheese slices in individual plastic wrapped slices as well as ‘vegan’ cheeses, and cheese spreads or can spray ‘cheeses’. Steer clear of ultra pasteurized cream; sour cream with additives, canned whipped cream; imitation whipped cream made with vegetable oils and non-dairy creamers. Also stay away from lowfat and sweetened store bought yogurts and kefir. Finally, be sure to chuck out any margarines and spreads, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil; shortenings, spreads combining butter with vegetable oils or whipped butter.

Seafood – Farm raised fish such as salmon, catfish and trout should also be avoided, believe it or not they too are often fed antibiotics, as well as feed that is not their native diet. Also avoid canned fish containing soy or vegetable oils or hydrolyzed protein.

Eggs - Stay away from most commercial eggs, and by all means never eat them raw if they are all you can get.

Best Sources of Proteins 

Local Duck Eggs

Pastured/Free Range Eggs- Eggs fed from chickens that actually roam outside on pasture – not eggs that say, access to pasture. Those chickens don’t really ever go outside – the farmer’s make sure of it. You want to buy these locally to you so you know the farmer and the source. Find out what they are fed. Optimally, you want chickens that are fed non-GMO feed with no corn or soy. Pastured eggs yolks are gorgeously bright yellow/orange have great integrity and taste amazing.

Grassfed Local Flank Steak

Grass fed/Pastured Meats -Cows, pigs and chickens, the most commonly raised animals in the US, should be out on pasture roaming and eating their native diet. Cows eat grass. Pigs forage, as do chickens. They need to eat bugs. Grain feed is not their native diet. When animals eat what is not native to them, it causes health problems for the animal which then in turn does for us who eat them. Look for local farmers that raise their animals on pasture and do not give antibiotics or hormones to them. Grass fed and finished is optimal for beef. Choose organic if possible. Also choose from wild meats such as buffalo, bison, deer, duck, goose, pheasant and wild turkey. Check out EATWILD.COM for a listing of sources that provide these products. Also find a local Weston Price chapter leader near you and inquire with them for the best local sources of grass fed meats in your area.

Homemade Sour Cream from local grassfed raw milk

Whole Raw Dairy- Raw milk from grass fed cows is the best choice for your dairy consumption. Seek out local farms near you that sell clean whole raw milk from old fashioned breeds such as Guernsey and Jerseys. Check out The Real Milk site to source raw milk in your area. Fresh cheeses from raw milk are best as well. Whole raw cottage cheese, cream cheese (with no additives), aged raw cheeses made with milk from grass fed animals, using animal rennet or organic non-GMO vegetable rennet. Many imported and artisan cheeses are of this type. (European cheeses are raw if the label says “milk” or “fresh milk.”) Fresh or cultured raw cream from grass-fed animals. Plain naturally cultured yogurt and kefir, preferably raw, homemade without additives. Also raw butter and ghee from grass-fed animals. Read more in this post, ‘A Case For Raw Milk‘

Oysters Bienvielle - Fresh oysters from New England

Fresh Water and Deep Sea Fish -Cold water deep sea fish are the best source of seafood one can consume. They are very rich in omega 3 fatty acids, fat soluble vitamins and minerals including iodine, selenium and magnesium. Fresh or smoked caviar and roe, fresh or frozen ocean-going fish, especially herring and mackerel; shellfish (crab, lobster, oysters, clams and mussels) in season; fresh or frozen wild shrimp (US shrimp from Maine is wild); Pacific or Alaskan salmon, fresh or frozen; kippered (smoked), dried or pickled herring, eel, mackerel and salmon; dried, salted small fish (available in Asian markets); trout and catfish guaranteed from clean waters.

Good/Better/Best

If you cannot obtain truly pastured or grass fed meats, wild seafood or fresh local raw milk you should at least try to choose the best choices you can – by the good/better/best motto. Always look for meats that do not have added hormones or antibiotics. That is a great place to start. Then look for organic meats. Organic doesn’t always mean optimal, but usually it’s a far cry from the factory farm meats. Look for organic dairy that is not homogenized or ultra-pasteurized and look for RBGH free. Below is a more specified listing of the good/better options most commonly available to you. Also if price is holding you back from seeking out the best options, don’t let it! Read this post on ‘Why Organic Pastured Meats Are Worth The Price.‘

Eggs – Good/Better options are; Organic or high-omega-3 eggs

Dairy- Good/Better options are; Full-fat pasteurized milk, preferably not homogenized, preferably from grass-fed animals. Whole cottage cheese, cream cheese and fresh cheese from pasteurized milk, preferably grass-fed with no additives, whole raw cheese made with milk from animals not grass-fed. Whole milk cheese made from heated or pasteurized milk, preferably from grass-fed animals. Pasteurized cream; cultured or sour cream without additives. Plain whole yogurt and kefir. Pasteurized butter and ghee, preferably grass-fed.

Seafood- Good/Better options are; canned tuna without hydrolyzed protein or other additives; canned sardines or anchovies in olive oil; canned Alaskan salmon; canned shellfish; canned roe or caviar

Meats – Good/Better options are; organic chicken; fresh or frozen beef, pork, lamb, duck, turkey and goose. Sausage, bacon and processed meats without MSG.

Making the switch to the most healthful meats possible in your daily diet will go a long way to keeping your body healthy. Consider the hormones, antibiotics and ill health of factory farmed animals alone and realized that you are consuming sick animal flesh. This indeed will have a negative impact on your health. We have an epidemic on our hands of excess hormone related issues, in part due to the meat we eat and it is no small issue. (Not to mention the pesticides on the feed of the animals.) Consider the long term cost of what you put in your mouth now. You may have to pay more to your farmer now, to avoid paying more to your doctor and medical bills later.

A great resource, and one that I used in helping create the best sources and good/better options, is this handy little shopping guide from the Weston A. Price Foundation for only $1. If you are new to real/traditional foods, this is an invaluable resource to have on hand.

For recipes using healthy grass-fed/pastured meats be sure to check out my recipes page. Cooking grass fed meats is a bit different than cooking conventionally raised meats. Grass fed meats are lower in fat, but more flavorful. If you cook them wrong they can be tough, and I know many people that have been tempted to give up on grassfed meats for this fact alone. They are best cooked simply, and low and slow. For more on how to properly prepare grassfed and pastured meats here are some great grass fed meat cookbooks;

Tender Grassfed Meats. Stanley A. Fishman

 

The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook. Shannon Hayes – This book is a awesome! I can’t recommend it enough!

Stay tuned for a future post on the health benefits of pastured/grassfed meats!

Currently, I’ve been making a ‘family’ smoothie in the attempt to get lots of good probiotics into my kids who either can’t swallow pills or won’t eat many probiotic rich foods. Each of my kids has some minor health complaint that could be greatly benefitted by consuming more beneficial life giving bacteria. Smoothies make a great conduit for an extra nutritional punch. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that promote ‘life’ within our inner ecosystems.

 Why Add Egg Yolks?

Eggs from truly pastured hens allowed to roam and eat bugs are one of the most nourishing and easy to digest foods on earth. Raw egg yolk has actually been compared with human breast milk in that it’s almost 100% absorbed into the body apart from digestion. They are loaded with amazing nutrition from, amino acids, loads of vitamins especially B vitamins, essential fatty acids, zinc, magnesium and more. They are pretty much a perfect food. If you are able to get really good quality eggs, this would be a great way to ensure that you are getting a good spectrum of essential nutrients for overall health.

Saccharomyces Boulardii

A yeast that was first discovered by a French scientist, H. Boulard, in 1920. This yeast is found in water kefir, milk kefir and kombucha. Supplementing with it in your diet can be helpful in treating gut issues, such as diarrhea and even constipation. It has also been said to help eradicate candida.

How Much Probiotics To Take

Based on Dr. Natasha’s book; ‘Gut & Psychology Syndrome‘, once you find a good quality probiotic, you need to build your dose slowly. This is to prevent the symptoms of ‘die-off, which occurs due to the pathogenic bacteria inside your body being destroyed by the good probiotics. When the bad guys ‘die-off’ they release toxins. So start with a small dose and build up, increasing as you feel ready to without any ‘die-off’ symptoms. This smoothie recipe may contain too many probiotics for someone who has not built up a tolerance to them. Adjust the recipe to where you are at and go slow to prevent any reactions. Here are some general guidelines to dosage for maintenance (these amounts would increase with health complications/and severe illnesses);

An adult should have around 15-20 billion of bacterial cells per day.

An infant up to 12 months of age can have 1-2 billion of bacterial cells per day.

A toddler from 1 to 2 years of age can have 2-4 billion of bacterial cells per day.

A child from 2 to 4 years of age can handle 4-8 billion of bacterial cells per day.

A child from 4 to 10 years of age can have 8-12 billion of bacterial cells per day.

From the age of 12 to 16 we can increase the dose to 12-15 billion per day.

Supplies For Your Probiotic Smoothie

Beef stew can truly be one of the most hearty and comforting of fares. A variety of ways could be used to make a tasty stew with various cuts of meat. This particular beef stew is made with beef soup bones. These are very affordable and create a delicious stew and stock all at once. Below is a photo of a beef soup bone. As you can see it has plenty of meat for a nice pot of stew/soup.

I came up with this recipe and have made it twice now while on the GAPS introduction diet. (Not familiar with GAPS?  Read more about it here and here.)  I found starting a soup or stew in the morning was an easy task, and then I’d have several meals for the next few days. I would begin a new stew each day and have plenty of leftovers and varieties to choose from as the days went on. This one has been one of my favorites so far! Even if you are not on GAPS or never do the GAPS protocol this stew is very comforting and super simple to pull off.

Plan ahead this summer and freeze bell peppers fresh and in season to have on hand at your ready for soups such as this. Do the same with green beans and you can easily whip up this simple stew any time of year.

Fresh cream from grass fed cows is just about one of life’s greatest pleasures. Not only is it divinely delicious, it is rather highly nutritious. (now I am getting all poetic).  The beautiful thing about sour cream is that the fermentation/culturing process makes it more nutritious and digestible. Fermentation breaks down casein, or milk protein, one of the most difficult proteins to digest. Culturing restores many of the enzymes destroyed during pasteurization including lactase, which helps the body absorb calcium and other minerals. Lactase produced during the culturing process allows many people who are sensitive to fresh milk to tolerate fermented products. Both B and vitamin C content of milk increase during fermentation.

Sour cream is recommended by Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride to help with people who are prone to constipation. (and yes, this has been a remedy for me in the past!) Thankfully, it’s allowed on the Introduction part of the GAPS diet if you pass the sensitivity test. This has been a wonderful grace to me as I am on the Introduction part of GAPS.

Whether or not one is on the GAPS diet, sour cream is a wonderful healthful addition to a real food diet. It adds richness, flavor and provides satiety. Fresh cream from grass fed cows is the optimal choice for making your own sour cream. It can be difficult to obtain fresh raw cream. I simply collect the cream off the top of my raw milk until I have enough to make a quart. I can easily get enough from between 2-3 gallons of milk. If you can’t get raw cream or raw milk, try to find pasteurized milk from grass fed cows. Regular pasteurized milk would be the 3rd best, but definitely avoid homogenized and ultra-pasteurized cream.

Try my Homemade Ranch Dip – one of my most used recipes at my house. I have some on hand at all times for the kids to snack on veggies with. Good fats help to enhance the nutrient absorption in raw veggies!

Every day of GAPS Intro so far, I’ve come up with another soup recipe, just based on what I have on hand. This creamy leek soup was my idea to combine my love for creamy veggie blended soups with some substance in it. If you can get a pastured ham that is only cured with honey, salt and maybe just some cloves or cinnamon then you can use that on GAPS Intro. If not just use some meat from a pork roast. I already had the ham cooked up in some pork stock in the crock pot. Leeks, mushrooms and asparagus are all in season right now in my part of the country (east coast near Philadelphia), so I took advantage of their availability and freshness to concoct this very delicious soup.

I’ve been on the GAPS Introduction diet for the past 5 days. So far, it hasn’t been a really big drama. I have had some discomforts in my gut, but I can tell things are working themselves out. One of the most interesting things I have noticed about being on Intro, is my relationship to food. Over the years on my real food journey, I’ve certainly come a long way in viewing my food more as nourishment. However, this week it dawned on me, that how I think about what goes in my mouth is shifting. I suppose that will happen when your body revolts against you in many ways after eating certain things. I never had such clear reactions as I’ve had in the past 9 months. I think my body is more able to deal with the stressors now, due to relieving such a burden on myself through the wrong diet. Now I may seem hypersensitive to more things, but it’s because my body is able to communicate better to me and deal directly with things that may have always been problematic. I look at it as a healing response. At times it’s regrettable, but when I realize I am becoming more in tune with my body’s innate needs, I take comfort in that. (photo – me enjoying a shrimp dish with lots of butter, pre-GAPS)

Gearing up to go on GAPS was a definite mind game. I knew long ago, my body needed it, but I didn’t want to go through the motions for a long time. Over time as my knowledge grew about nutrition, and as my own body showed me things, I finally allowed the reality of GAPS to sink in. Believe me, I did NOT want to tackle GAPS intro and emphatically so. I was tired, burnt out from all the work it takes to stay healthy. Yet, I knew deep down if I wanted to heal my issues, I needed to embrace it. After having several functional assessments done in the past 6 months, I’ve seen where my body needs the most support. Digestion. My small intestines are rather inflamed and irritated and despite all my attempts to work on them, I still have annoying symptoms. Though I have come a long way in my overall health, and even in my digestion, I still have a ways to go. Digestion takes a long time to work itself out, and we all are different. Some of us can heal quickly, some of us it may take a really long time. (though I suspect for most people born in the last 50 years, there is likely deep gut health issues that need to be addressed). From what I understand about my body and my own life experience, it’s likely I’ve had serious digestive issues since I was a child that went unaddressed. Now I have years and years of damage to undo. I’m sharing all that to say that I needed to come to terms with a lot of things and make sense of it before I just jumped deeply into a rather intense dietary game plan. I needed to know inside and out why I was taking on GAPS before I did it, otherwise I wouldn’t be setting myself up to succeed on it, and the chances would be high I’d just quit.

Now that I am on GAPS, and only just really beginning, I am very confident that this is the path for me. It’s not just a practical thing in my life, the decision to take on GAPS runs very deep, down to the very core of my being. Understanding the past and present, and how the body works has led me to make this choice. So, when I go on each day I find strength in continuing because I know the ultimate goal. To heal my gut. I want it so much that I am willing to do the hard work to achieve it. I am tired of dealing with ‘less than’ ideal digestion.

This weekend I went to a party, and as all parties go, there was lots of food, and of course NONE of it GAPS friendly. I knew that would be the case in advance, and simply fed myself prior. I had no qualms about it. I did not feel deprived, nor did I feel out of place. I had just as much fun going to a party, if not more, than if I had gone and eaten the food that was served. I realized as I sat there watching people go back for their 4th and 5th beer, and reach into the chip bowl non stop, or carry out their 2nd and 3rd plate of dessert, or as I watched the massive pieces of cake being handed out, that I look at food so differently now than I ever have. It was such a relief, to not think of all that food at that party as a need or a way to placate myself like I once had in the past. I also noticed people complaining about how much they ate or how they just couldn’t resist the 5th cookie or whatever the case may be. I used to be a slave to food like that. No more. Don’t get me wrong I still find food to be a great pleasure to consume, and I do look forward to enjoying some of my favorite treats again, though modified for GAPS. I just appreciate more now that I am able to look at food through the lens of how it impacts my body. I choose to eat things that will nourish me in body, mind and soul. I don’t think that gorging at a party is something we have to embrace because it’s just what everybody does. I think our culture is so far removed from the true pleasure of eating. That is consuming food that not only tastes good, but truly satiates the body and creates the ability for true pleasure. I’d rather have the pleasure of seeming denial and feel amazing while eating as well as afterwards, than to just gorge on whatever is around since that is considered a treat or otherwise I’d be denying myself of that. That mentality is pervasive in society. We think we should not ‘deny’ ourselves or we’ll be deprived. Ugh. I am not deprived on GAPS, in fact quite the opposite. I was depriving my body before in my days of eating just anything and everything. I wasn’t allowing myself to be responsible for my food choices and just placating myself with food and drowning my emotions in the consumption of whatever I could get my hands on.

I am certainly not saying any of this to judge others for their choices, or come off as self righteous in my own choices. I am simply unveiling my soul a bit on this issue, because it really takes a lot of mind renewing to be set free emotionally when it comes to eating. I am certainly not suggesting I have arrived at some pinnacle place where I’ll never wrestle with food emotions again. My goal in sharing this is to kind of unravel the emotional aspect of my real food journey and quest for deeper healing in the hopes that it may resonate for someone else. Compare it to a spiritual awakening if you will. I suppose it feels that way, because when you become alive spiritually the truth is you are simply walking into deeper freedom from things that once kept you back or burdened you in some way. I guess I’d like to relay to others that how you walk out your life in relationship to food matters. One will never overcome being a slave to cravings if there is not a mind set shift. It’s like that with all things. If you want eating healthy to be essentially ‘effortless’ you have to have a deep seated belief or faith in why you are doing so. If at the very core of your being, you know that you know that you know, you need to walk a certain ‘eating’ path for your health, you’ll be more likely to just flow with it. I am not saying it won’t require work, I am saying the work will be worth it to you, because your beliefs are firm.

For some reason today I felt the need to share some of these thoughts that have been swirling around in my brain. I know that when I work with clients, one of the biggest hurdles is overcoming fears. Fears that creep into one’s thought life and cripple one’s ability to have confidence to act. The ‘what if’s’ creep in, and cause one to really second guess themselves. That coupled with not having deeper knowledge as to why one is embarking upon greater efforts to take their health further. I guess I just want to empower people to a greater end. Let yourself process your emotions involved with health and food. Ask yourself the deeper questions, but do not beat yourself up. Allow yourself to be totally real, raw and vulnerable about how you view yourself, your health and your food. Accept where you are at, but do not accept passivity. Processing thoughts and emotions can only lead to you being able to go deeper, and take your health and life back. Just remember, no guilt. Ever!

There are so many forms of emotional eating. We all do it. Society warrants it, deems it appropriate, therefore it’s an acceptable vice for most everyone. However, what I am driving at today in this post is that emotional eating is akin to slavery. Freedom comes when you can realize you are not depriving yourself at a party where everyone is eating, cake, cookies, or even large quantities or drinking as much as ‘desired’. Freedom comes when you don’t feel the need to have ‘treats’ at every party in order for it to be fun. I am not saying that you can’t enjoy some cake from time to time, but what I am suggesting is that we do a mass overhaul on how we think about celebrating with food. I no longer feel inadequate in a social setting when I do not fit in by excessive eating or social eating. Or when I simply drink water while everyone else continually has there hand in the appetizers or chip bowl. I’ve had moments of regret for sure, thoughts like; ‘I miss the days I could just eat as much as I wanted without consequence’. Problem is, the consequences were gradual for me, and now that I know that, those momentary thoughts are easy to defeat.  I have total confidence that I am doing what I am compelled to do with my diet  for the benefit of my own body, mind, soul, and that to me is freeing.

I want to eat to nourish myself and satiate myself, not to placate myself. (though I am sure that when I am tired and emotional that eating to placate will be a temptation.) That act, time and time again, got me to a place where my health suffered greatly for it. It is now taking me years to unravel the mess that came with the repeated choice to fill a void in myself by consuming unneeded foods. I do believe food can bring comfort from a physiological perspective, but the food I am talking about is real, pure, unrefined and in modest quantities. It’s food that is consumed to fill the void of genuine hunger and can be done in a very pleasurable way. It’s simply a mindset shift that allows one to eat in a way that is not burdensome to the body. Ultimately, it’s learning to love yourself from the inside out that makes all the difference!

I hope my thoughts may be helpful to others as they process their own thoughts and feelings that come from health, food and eating.

GAPS, which stands for ‘Gut and Psychology Syndrome‘ or ‘Gut and Physiology Syndrome’ is a dietary protocol to heal the lining of the gut. In so doing, it is possible to heal the body of many health issues, as the seat of our immunity lies in our gut. It really is true that our ill health starts in our gut, like Hippocrates said, ‘All diseases begin in the gut’. With so many things complicated the integrity of one’s intestinal tract, it’s no wonder we all face numerous maladies that stem from our gut in this modern day. GAPS was designed in phases with an introduction diet protocol for deeper healing.

The introduction diet starts out with a very limited amount of foods that can be consumed. Namely, it is meat, meat stock and vegetables. This can pose a problem for those who not only do not know quite what to prepare, but also a sense of boredom. This does not have to be the case. I have been able to create a new soup or stew daily to keep things interesting. Creamy pureed veggie soups are not only super simple, but a nice way to change things up a bit. I love pureed vegetables soups like cream of broccoli, butternut squash and even a vegetable medley. A blended soup like this can be very easy to prepare and a quick snack that is very nourishing. I like to have these in addition to some stewed meat.

To see more about  the GAPS Introduction diet, starting with Stage 1, check out the details in this post.

To read the book about the premise of GAPS, check out ‘Gut and Psychology Syndrome‘ by Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride.

Additionally, there is a GAPS cookbook, called ‘Internal Bliss‘. This is a great resource if you don’t feel capable of coming up with recipes all on your own. I have made many of the recipes in this book with great success. My kids have like them all.

If you are considering going on the GAPS diet, you may want to view the GAPS Dvds. These show you how to prepare everything needed to do the GAPS Introduction diet and what you learn in them carries over to the full GAPS diet as well.

To read more about all that GAPS entails, check out the following websites, here and here.

(Note- the links in the post are affiliate links, I do earn a small commission from them with no extra cost to anyone who purchases through them.)

Ketchup is something we go through rather quickly in my home. With 4 kids you can just imagine. It’s hard to find a really good healthy store bought ketchup at any store, most are laden with high fructose corn syrup or other processed sugars. Long ago ketchup was likely made from scratch at home, just like everything else. I think it takes a bit of reminding to get around to making certain convenience items at home. It took me forever in my real food journey to remember. Thanks to Margaret Floyd, author of ‘The Naked Foods Cookbook‘, I am cured of my forgetfulness to make homemade ketchup.

Making my own ketchup has been in the back of my mind for ages. It wasn’t until a recent conversation with Margaret about her cookbook, that I was re-inspired to the point of action. She made it sound so simple and was so enthusiastic that I had to go for it. My only fear was, could I pass it off on the kids. I figured I owed to myself to try, after all I have gotten them to eat a lot of things they never would have long ago. The secret to my success, would be to ease them into it. I’ve been buying Trader Joe’s organic ketchup, which is a decent store bought ketchup. So, I mixed some of the new ketchup I just made thin enough to pour into the store bought ketchup bottle that was almost empty. It’s all about the head games that kids play. They really do have to be comfortable with the idea of something before they will eat it. So, trick them into it and tell them later. That has been my scheme on many an attempt to try a new food. And guess what, it usually works. Especially now that they have more refined palates and actually appreciate real food.

All that shared, here is Margaret and James recipe for ketchup, from their new cookbook, ‘The Naked Foods Cookbook‘. This recipe is shared with permission.

A few other things you could do with this recipe. If you don’t want to ferment it, just skip adding the whey or the culture and put it right in the fridge. Consider using homemade chicken bone broth instead of water in this recipe to bring additional nutrition to the ketchup instead of fermenting it. Also, instead of using canned tomatoes you could used tomato puree, either store bought or homemade from fresh tomatoes.

Fermenting it for 2 days is a good start, consider letting it go for longer for more probiotic effect and add a little bit more whey on top of the ketchup before putting the lid on.

*NOTE – TODAY IS THE LAST DAY, MAY 3RD TO PRE-ORDER ‘THE NAKED FOODS COOKBOOK‘ PRIOR TO MIDNIGHT AND RECEIVE A FREE SUGAR CONTROL PROGRAM WORTH $95. THAT IS A STEAL, CONSIDERING THE BOOK ONLY COSTS $13.29 ON AMAZON. BE SURE TO JUMP ON THAT DEAL!*