Going GAPS

It’s been a while since I last updated. There have been a whirlwind of changes recently and not much time to settle down from it all. There has been very little help from the medical community regarding Carter’s FPIES and that’s for 1 simple reason, there is not enough known about atypical FPIES and how to help children with it. I have done lots of reading and research trying to find a way, not only to feed him, but to heal him. Time and again, I kept coming back to the same answer, GAPS or Gut and Psychology Syndrome Diet. Some amazingly brave FPIES moms have already put their children on the GAPS diet, and have seen some amazing results. One mom had only one safe food for her twins, and in 6 months, they were eating almost 30!!

What is GAPS? In short, it is a diet that allows for the body to heal itself using the correct foods in the right combination. It heals the intestinal tract and the leaky gut that makes Carter’s body react to foods. His gut is in a weakened system that allows particles of food which are not yet fully digested, to enter into his blood stream. This causes his body to react to these particles as foreign invaders, similar to a virus. The weaker his system gets, the more foods he reacts to and the less likely he will be to EVER eat normally.

Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride is the founder of this diet and path to healing.  There are 6 stages to the introductory portion of this diet before Carter will be able to move onto the Full GAPS Diet. A lot of foods are removed from the diet in order to promote healing. Starchy foods such as potato and corn, all forms of sugar (except honey), grains including rice and all processed foods. This is the majority of Carter’s current diet. So what does that mean? It means it all went in the trash last night. All of it. If it wasn’t a GAPS approved food and it was on Carter’s shelf in the pantry, it went in the trash. What did that leave me with? Nothing! It is hard, but it is the only way we will heal Carter.

The first stage for Carter involves only the consumption of meat and bone broths and small amounts of boiled pumpkin. Why pumpkin? It is one of Carter’s current safe foods and also one of the foods allowed in the first stage of the diet. I have made beef and lamb broth and currently have a pot of chicken broth simmering on the stove. And the meat has to be soy free in order to make sure Carter doesn’t react to the trace amounts of soy from the feed. So I now have a freezer half full of beef bones just waiting to make the next batch of broth.

How long will the first stage of the diet take? I am not sure. It all depends on Carter. There are more veggies that we need to introduce as well as the meat itself. For now, we focus on the broth, getting as much into his system as possible, 30 to 40 ounces a day would be wonderful. The more he takes, the faster the healing process.

Now, you probably think this is crazy. Meat?!?! That’s the exact opposite of FPIES friendly. Broth is actually one of the most nutritionally dense and easy to digest forms of nutrition available.

But doesn’t this mean a lot of time in the kitchen? Making all that broth and nothing processed or store bought? And won’t Carter be upset that all his foods are gone? Won’t he starve? Are you crazy?

I have asked myself all of these questions and more. I have turned my back and run from the idea of GAPS for months, looking for another answer,  only to find myself tripping over it again and again. Carter reacts to his formula, to the 10 formulas we have tried. His accidental ingestion reactions have gotten worse. GAPS is our answer. The incredibly steep learning curve, the sacrifices, the expense, the hours of food preparation will all be worth it. This was not a decision that was made lightly or easily, but we believe it is the right one for our little boy.

Today is Carter’s first GAPS day. He helped us throw away all the yucky food last night, including the Crayola colored pencils (which contain soy and were causing low level reactions). He drank 10 ounces of beef broth for breakfast and another 10 ounces for lunch along with some boiled pumpkin. After he finished his first serving of broth for lunch, he asked for more. He is doing so much better than we anticipated and his brothers are doing a great job of encouraging him.

As we move through the intro diet, I will post updates of Carter’s progress. I hope you will see the transformation right along with us. I hope you will witness the changes as we go from an under-nourished, cranky, clingy, always hungry little boy to a child who knows what it is to be full and who finally understands and is able to enjoy a day without pain.