GAPS diet claimed to relieve food allergies, autism, ADHD, depression and more

Thursday, December 01, 2016 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
Tags: GAPS diet, autoimmune disease, allergies

---

(NaturalNews) What if there was a way to permanently heal all sorts of chronic health conditions that stem from the gut by temporarily changing one's diet? That's what many people claim about the "GAPS" (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) diet, an intensive, intestinal-healing food regimen that's reportedly helped many people overcome a host of abnormalities ranging from autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), to schizophrenia and even food allergies.

GAPS isn't like a lot of other diets that involve taking expensive pills or quick-fix concoctions to attain too good to be true "miracle" results. It's a nutrient intensive, systemically restorative way of eating that, in a sense, is simply a return to the way people used to eat before processed and convenience foods became the norm. And when it's done right, the GAPS diet actually can have miraculous results, helping the body to correct major underlying problems that conventional medicine simply can't.

Science is continuing to uncover the fact that many chronic health conditions that involve the brain or central nervous system actually stem from problems in the gut, which is technically the body's "second brain." When digestion gets thrown out of whack, food isn't processed the way it should be, and particles and other matter end up permeating the intestinal lining and escaping into the body – a condition known as leaky gut syndrome.

When the intestinal lining becomes compromised from perpetual exposure to chemicals, the wrong types of foods, pharmaceuticals and other things, tiny holes begin to form that allow these toxic substances to enter the body in ways that they shouldn't. The result is that the body ends up attacking these substances as well as itself, setting into motion the breakdown of the immune, digestive and nervous systems.

This is where the GAPS diet comes into play. By eliminating certain foods and eating a whole lot of other ones, the body, and specifically the intestinal tract, is given a chance to heal itself rather than constantly having to deal with particle invasion. Foods then begin to digest in the way they should, nutrients are properly absorbed, and everything is set back in its proper place, effectively reversing the conditions that too often arise from living with a compromised gut.

Is that GAPS diet right for you? The evidence says probably

So what does the GAPS diet involve? In the beginning, there are six stages of the dietary protocol that involve eating slow-cooked meats, vegetables, plenty of meat and bone broth, and healing, probiotic-rich foods like sauerkraut juice and cultured dairy products. In the later stages, those following the GAPS diet can begin adding more foods like eggs, ghee, roasted meats, soaked nuts and seeds, raw vegetables and fresh-pressed juices.

Katie, the "Wellness Mama," is a strong proponent of the GAPS diet, having witnessed firsthand how it helped her own son overcome eczema and a dairy allergy from which he suffered. After just a few weeks on the diet, these conditions in her son began to reverse right before her eyes, and now Katie advocates the diet to others, explaining in detail on her blog how it works and what it can do.

"The GAPS diet eliminates those foods which contribute to leaky gut, like sugar, starches, and grains," she writes. "Instead, it replaces them with gut-healing foods that promote good bacterial growth in the gut. This includes foods like sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables, those that actually rebuild the gut lining like gelatin-rich meat stock and bone broth, and those that restore depleted nutritional stores like fresh-pressed juice and copious amounts of raw egg yolks."

To learn more about the GAPS diet, be sure to check out the book Gut and Psychology Syndrome: Natural Treatment for Autism, Dyspraxia, A.D.D., Dyslexia, A.D.H.D., Depression, Schizophrenia by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, M.D.

Sources for this article include:

WellnessMama.com

GAPSDiet.com