Day 33...
It's hard for me to write this--after all that I've written about. But, Day 33 on GAPS Intro is the end of the GAPS journey for me. For now.
GAPS Intro went great for Andy and Vienna. They benefitted from it greatly, had great responses and completed all six stages of the Intro diet and moved into Full GAPS. I wish I could say the same for myself. It's been a long, confusing, uplifting, discouraging, and trying ride for me. I have felt amazing. And I have also felt terrible. All in all, I was feeling really good being on Intro...like I mentioned in my previous post, I had so much lightness, mind clarity, and I felt really good. But something was still wrong...and I still don't know what it is. I had read several stories of others that have had similar situations on GAPS and have just come to realize that every person is so different and this is such a case-by-case thing. Like I said, it worked great for the rest of my family. But for me, it took a turn to who-knows-where. If I have learned one thing...it is that there is so much to nutrition I can't even wrap my brain around it. You try, you learn, and you keep growing and exploring.
I don't want to discourage GAPS at all...I think it's a great diet. And I think anyone who has eaten a standard americanized diet most of their life can benefit from doing the GAPS Intro, even if it's just quickly for the detox effects. I just wish I could've found the healing that I was looking for...
I mentioned in my previous posts that I was having a hard time progressing from stage to stage. Everything started off fine, but I started getting terrible gas suddenly and didn't know what was causing it. My whole stomach would bloat, churn, ache and was physically noisy. So I went back to the beginning, started at stage 1 and hit the soup regime for a couple days and tried to introduce things again to see what was causing the problem and to give my gut more time to heal. I ate a lot to make sure I was keeping up my calories, and I even added coconut water to my daily intake to replenish electrolytes. I was trying to go through it quickly so that I could have an easier time keeping my calories up...except this time I seemed to react to most everything I tried to add, it was very confusing. SO--I went back to the beginning, AGAIN. Each time I did my symptoms worsened, to the point that this last Sunday I started on stage 1 again and reacted to EVERYTHING I tried to add, except egg yolk. Where before I tolerated Ghee, avocado, scrambled eggs...etc. just fine...suddenly it was all making my stomach hurt. Gas--to the point that my stomach was rock hard, uncomfortable, and sore to touch. And my mood was so up and down from it all...I noticed when I hurt I had a real hard time being energetic and focusing and found myself totally lethargic and lifeless. But then a few hours later I could feel totally amazing again. I wrestled with how long to push through it...and kept pushing and pushing believing it was just a matter of time before I found an answer, but I just wasn't finding one. It made no sense why I seemed to be unable to tolerate things that I could the week before. Then, I started realizing my milk supply was dwindling. The same thing happened with Vienna around this age and I had a hard time finishing her first year out feeding her...but we did it. And I suspect that Finley hasn't been getting enough from me for about 2 months as I look back at his behavior and all that has happened. So on top of trying to figure out what to do about myself, I've been trying to figure out what to do with him and trying to increase my milk supply. I simply just can't do it all...
I can't feed my baby, increase my milk supply, and try to figure out what's going on with me...all at the same time. I needed to prioritize and I wasn't sure which was priority. Was it too late to increase my milk? If I tried, would I succeed? What if I quit GAPS and still couldn't up my milk? With all the issues I've had feeding Finley was it time to switch to an alternative formula? Do I keep trying to stick to GAPS? I wasn't sure. I had put so much effort into this that I just felt so confused, I felt like quitting was giving up...and I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it.
Well. I did do it. For 33 days. And it wasn't a failure. It just took a turn that I didn't expect and I had to adjust and make decisions based off of what had occurred.
I started reading others stories about their similar experiences on GAPS and discovered that some people just don't do well on low-carb diets. Everybody's body is different and functions differently, and I think mine was freaking out about the low-carb thing. I started charting my body temperature and discovered that it had lowered almost a full degree below normal. That isn't good! My whole metabolic rate was mixed up. When I discovered this fact, the answer felt easy to me...I needed stop this path, whether it gets put on hold or gets abandoned. I felt like as long as my body is still producing milk I am going to try my dang hardest to increase it so that I can feed my baby. And even if I can't, it still wasn't the path I needed to be on right now with the way my body was reacting. As soon as I made the decision, 100%, I felt so peaceful about it. But it was really stinkin hard to get to the point. I have invested so much into this, and I just really didn't know what the right thing was to do.
Yesterday I made the decision to step away from this. I don't know what the future will hold for me. I do know I still have issues that need healing...and I want to pursue healing them at some point. I also know that by stopping I am going to experience a whole new array of stomach discomfort as I eat things that I haven't eaten in the last month. If I was having issues trying to add them gradually on Intro, I was definitely going to have issues jumping right into a my "normal" diet. But...at this point, functioning with a seriously bloated, very uncomfortable and entirely gassy belly is going to have to be my life for now while I try to produce more milk and get my body a little more back to normal. The first thing I did yesterday after I decided to be done was eat a banana....I felt so much different within a half hour. I ate a few other things and could really feel myself regaining more strength--though, instantly my stomach started hurting. I think I'm going to pretty much go back to how I was eating, but I am going to make it a point to still have soup once a day and make bone broth part of my meals, which is all pretty much the Full GAPS diet. I'd still like to keep my family on that same course. My stomach is freaking out since yesterday...it literally is so swollen that it hurts to touch it...and I have gas like nobody's business (TMI, I know...but I figured if you've read this far you probably care enough to know!) I hope these symptoms don't last long because it's not fun...but my main goal right now is increasing my milk supply. I'm on Fenugreek, drinking lots of Mother's Milk tea, nursing frequently, pumping, and adding even more spoonfuls of fat to every meal (instructions from my midwife!) I hope it works.
It's hard for me to admit that I didn't complete GAPS Intro...and I struggled with feeling like a failure...but, I realized that I'm not. I'm trying to make the best decisions I can for me and my family, and we've had to roll with the way things have played out. I don't want to discourage GAPS at all if anyone is considering doing it...it has been so beneficial, for Andy and Vienna especially, and even for me despite the turn it has taken. I have learned a lot of things through this, and have created a lot of good healthy habits. And I am thankful that we've all taken a step towards a healthier lifestyle.
So here's to a new venture, I'm not sure where it'll take me. :)
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Approaching the End of Intro...
Day 22:
Wow. What a journey so far. Where do I start?
I think the biggest thing I've noticed is just how good we all feel. Andy and I were talking about it last week and we noted how light we feel. Mainly physically, but mentally as well as emotionally. I had read about how people think more clearly after going through Intro and by being on GAPS, but I didn't really understand what they meant until now. I have such an easier time concentrating, I don't get overwhelmed as quickly, and I just feel like my brain is sharper. My energy throughout the day is steadfast...I can't say I don't get tired because, lets face it, I have an 8month old that still isn't sleeping through the night...but whereas before I would have periods during the day where I would just crash, I don't have that at all. It's steady, and it feels awesome.
A huge changed I have noticed, particularly in myself and in Vienna, is our taste for food. We must have had a lot of sugar-thriving-bad-bacteria die off because my whole taste for food has changed. I feel like I'm actually tasting food now...whereas before, I never noticed the richness and flavor of simple foods--I just wanted the sweetness of stuff. 1. My constant sweet craving is entirely gone. Daily, several times a day, I would just want something sweet...even if it was a lick of honey. Though at times things might sound good, I don't really miss it. I haven't had a drop of sugar in 22 days...(and besides a handful of cooked apples I've eaten and a couple tastes of honey in the beginning, I haven't even had sugar in the form of fruit.) The more I don't have things, the easier it is not to even think about them. I have never seen Vienna so excited about food. She has always been a foodie and a good eater, so I'm not surprised that she is savoring the flavor of things as well. She has gotten more excited about her meals than she ever has before, and you can just tell while she's eating that she is entirely enjoying the flavor of everything on her plate or in her bowl. We recently had our first outing to a family members house for the night and I was pretty nervous about Vienna, seeing all the goodies and things she couldn't have. I was so entirely impressed with her...my chest is still beaming. She asked for a few things, but understood when we said she couldn't eat them yet. She handled herself amazingly and seemed to really understand that she could only eat the food that we brought her. Of course I brought her favorites, but where I was expecting meltdowns over cookies and breakfast cereal, she had none.
Which leads to me to point out how I am still shocked at how much food affects our mood, emotions and thoughts. I can feel it in myself, but I can clearly see it in Vienna. Recently I tried to add honey into her diet (after we cheated and she had it on her birthday...) it was like a light got switched. Within the hour she was melting down, throwing tantrums, and couldn't control herself. It is insane to see how one simple thing can make such a difference...and it's been easy to pinpoint what her body isn't quite ready to properly digest yet.
UPDATES:
ANDY- he's done with all six stages of Intro and has moved onto the Full GAPS. He, apparently, had the least amount of digestive issues as he barely reacted to anything and has been able to add things with ease. Though, the healing and detoxifying will still continue on deeper levels the more he keeps on GAPS and slowly adds more foods back into his diet. I haven't asked him when he's going to add coffee yet...shockingly, we both haven't missed it too much.
VIENNA- she's currently in stage 5. She seems to be tolerating raw veggies, and olive oil well, but I can't seem to get her past honey and cooked apples/applesauce for her. They seem to set her off and she seems to get a bit gassy when she has them too. The next thing is for her to start adding raw fruit and until she can tolerate cooked apples/applesauce I am going to hold off trying any other kind. I will probably start adding other options of things like nut butters and different raw veggies while we wait a few more days.
ME- it's been quite a mess of things for me...apparently I must have the most digestive issues out of this bunch. Things went great in the beginning, and then I started having issues eating almost anything except soup. I was tempted to quit several times and just see my family through the rest of Intro, but I knew that if I just went on ahead and started on Full GAPS I would still be dealing with stomach discomfort. I am currently on stage 4. I've had trial and error with almost everything I've added, and I keep going back to the normal soup regime to give myself a couple days and try again. I can't seem to tolerate avocado at all, for some reason, it sends my stomach in serious pain. Since that's one of the first things you add I've just decided to cut it out entirely and keep moving forward, I'll try it again after I complete Intro. I just tried a raw veggie today at lunch for the first time, so we will see how I handle it...it would be nice to progress onto stage 5. I think I could really benefit from going through Intro even slower than I am...however, it is really hard to have everybody on a different page and it's hard to try to keep up my calorie intake for nursing with limited variety. So right now I'm trying to go at a steady pace as slow as I can.
I can't believe we've made it 22 days already. It's been long, but yet it has FLOWN by. As with all diet changes it takes awhile to settle in and for things to feel normal, but I am feeling like I am there. We have a good array of things to eat, we all seem to be enjoying the food a lot, food prep and cooking is not nearly as hard or as time consuming as it was two weeks ago, and heck...grocery shopping is so freaking easy because you blow it all on the same produce and meat and just start cooking things differently. It's really nice actually and less of a headache! We have all gotten used to soup and even Andy said he could eat soup for at least one meal a day in the long run--it really is quite tasty and we are really feeling amazing. :)
Wow. What a journey so far. Where do I start?
I think the biggest thing I've noticed is just how good we all feel. Andy and I were talking about it last week and we noted how light we feel. Mainly physically, but mentally as well as emotionally. I had read about how people think more clearly after going through Intro and by being on GAPS, but I didn't really understand what they meant until now. I have such an easier time concentrating, I don't get overwhelmed as quickly, and I just feel like my brain is sharper. My energy throughout the day is steadfast...I can't say I don't get tired because, lets face it, I have an 8month old that still isn't sleeping through the night...but whereas before I would have periods during the day where I would just crash, I don't have that at all. It's steady, and it feels awesome.
A huge changed I have noticed, particularly in myself and in Vienna, is our taste for food. We must have had a lot of sugar-thriving-bad-bacteria die off because my whole taste for food has changed. I feel like I'm actually tasting food now...whereas before, I never noticed the richness and flavor of simple foods--I just wanted the sweetness of stuff. 1. My constant sweet craving is entirely gone. Daily, several times a day, I would just want something sweet...even if it was a lick of honey. Though at times things might sound good, I don't really miss it. I haven't had a drop of sugar in 22 days...(and besides a handful of cooked apples I've eaten and a couple tastes of honey in the beginning, I haven't even had sugar in the form of fruit.) The more I don't have things, the easier it is not to even think about them. I have never seen Vienna so excited about food. She has always been a foodie and a good eater, so I'm not surprised that she is savoring the flavor of things as well. She has gotten more excited about her meals than she ever has before, and you can just tell while she's eating that she is entirely enjoying the flavor of everything on her plate or in her bowl. We recently had our first outing to a family members house for the night and I was pretty nervous about Vienna, seeing all the goodies and things she couldn't have. I was so entirely impressed with her...my chest is still beaming. She asked for a few things, but understood when we said she couldn't eat them yet. She handled herself amazingly and seemed to really understand that she could only eat the food that we brought her. Of course I brought her favorites, but where I was expecting meltdowns over cookies and breakfast cereal, she had none.
Which leads to me to point out how I am still shocked at how much food affects our mood, emotions and thoughts. I can feel it in myself, but I can clearly see it in Vienna. Recently I tried to add honey into her diet (after we cheated and she had it on her birthday...) it was like a light got switched. Within the hour she was melting down, throwing tantrums, and couldn't control herself. It is insane to see how one simple thing can make such a difference...and it's been easy to pinpoint what her body isn't quite ready to properly digest yet.
UPDATES:
ANDY- he's done with all six stages of Intro and has moved onto the Full GAPS. He, apparently, had the least amount of digestive issues as he barely reacted to anything and has been able to add things with ease. Though, the healing and detoxifying will still continue on deeper levels the more he keeps on GAPS and slowly adds more foods back into his diet. I haven't asked him when he's going to add coffee yet...shockingly, we both haven't missed it too much.
VIENNA- she's currently in stage 5. She seems to be tolerating raw veggies, and olive oil well, but I can't seem to get her past honey and cooked apples/applesauce for her. They seem to set her off and she seems to get a bit gassy when she has them too. The next thing is for her to start adding raw fruit and until she can tolerate cooked apples/applesauce I am going to hold off trying any other kind. I will probably start adding other options of things like nut butters and different raw veggies while we wait a few more days.
ME- it's been quite a mess of things for me...apparently I must have the most digestive issues out of this bunch. Things went great in the beginning, and then I started having issues eating almost anything except soup. I was tempted to quit several times and just see my family through the rest of Intro, but I knew that if I just went on ahead and started on Full GAPS I would still be dealing with stomach discomfort. I am currently on stage 4. I've had trial and error with almost everything I've added, and I keep going back to the normal soup regime to give myself a couple days and try again. I can't seem to tolerate avocado at all, for some reason, it sends my stomach in serious pain. Since that's one of the first things you add I've just decided to cut it out entirely and keep moving forward, I'll try it again after I complete Intro. I just tried a raw veggie today at lunch for the first time, so we will see how I handle it...it would be nice to progress onto stage 5. I think I could really benefit from going through Intro even slower than I am...however, it is really hard to have everybody on a different page and it's hard to try to keep up my calorie intake for nursing with limited variety. So right now I'm trying to go at a steady pace as slow as I can.
I can't believe we've made it 22 days already. It's been long, but yet it has FLOWN by. As with all diet changes it takes awhile to settle in and for things to feel normal, but I am feeling like I am there. We have a good array of things to eat, we all seem to be enjoying the food a lot, food prep and cooking is not nearly as hard or as time consuming as it was two weeks ago, and heck...grocery shopping is so freaking easy because you blow it all on the same produce and meat and just start cooking things differently. It's really nice actually and less of a headache! We have all gotten used to soup and even Andy said he could eat soup for at least one meal a day in the long run--it really is quite tasty and we are really feeling amazing. :)
Friday, January 25, 2013
Rendering Tallow
As I sit down with one of my 2-3 afternoon snacks...a bowl of well-cooked veggies and a cup of stock, I am struck with the reality of how much has changed in two weeks. For instance, I never thought what I'm eating right now would taste good to me...but, I have come to appreciate the natural sweetness in vegetables and sure look forward to a sautéed bowl of carrots and zuchinni.
In the midst of all this current craziness, I have found myself trying the arts of many things homemade-related. First it started with kefir, simple enough--check. Then bone broth/stock--check. Then yogurt--again, check. Then...I got wild ;) and decided to render suet.
What?
I made beef tallow.
What???
You heard me, this stuff:
One of the important things of this diet is consuming quality fat...specifically animal fat. If you are unaware of how important it is for every person to consume fat for our health (I know it sounds backwards but its true!) read this. I won't go into detail about how good fat is essential to our health and even aids in weight loss...maybe some other time. No, I'm going to go into detail about how I got my hands on some of that good fat.
I bought some grass-fed suet, I think it was maybe $1.75 a pound. If you don't know what suet it is, its pretty much fat cut straight off the cow. I was pretty nervous about this endeavor...but I figured it couldn't be too hard...and it was probably the easiest homemade thing I've ever tried my hand at.
First I chopped it up into larger chunks (you want it cold so it cuts easily.)
Then I threw it in my food processor and processed until it looked like this.
Dumped it in my crockpot and set it on low and let it do it's job. You can also do it on the stove but that requires more babysitting...the crockpot method you can forget about and just check randomly.
You cook it until all the fat melts and you're just left with the impurities floating on the top. It looks like this. (I don't even know how long I cooked it for...an afternoon, probably?)
Then I strained it through a sieve lined with cheesecloth, poured it into jars and wah-lah...good quality beef tallow.
I got two pint sized jars full from one pound of suet.
Yep. I rendered beef tallow. I admit it. Judge me, I don't care...it sure makes food taste amazing!!! :) It was cheap, easy, and what better quality can I ask for that grass-fed from a local farmer? Perfect.
Next...I'd like to try my hand at making kombucha. :)
In the midst of all this current craziness, I have found myself trying the arts of many things homemade-related. First it started with kefir, simple enough--check. Then bone broth/stock--check. Then yogurt--again, check. Then...I got wild ;) and decided to render suet.
What?
I made beef tallow.
What???
You heard me, this stuff:
One of the important things of this diet is consuming quality fat...specifically animal fat. If you are unaware of how important it is for every person to consume fat for our health (I know it sounds backwards but its true!) read this. I won't go into detail about how good fat is essential to our health and even aids in weight loss...maybe some other time. No, I'm going to go into detail about how I got my hands on some of that good fat.
I bought some grass-fed suet, I think it was maybe $1.75 a pound. If you don't know what suet it is, its pretty much fat cut straight off the cow. I was pretty nervous about this endeavor...but I figured it couldn't be too hard...and it was probably the easiest homemade thing I've ever tried my hand at.
First I chopped it up into larger chunks (you want it cold so it cuts easily.)
Then I threw it in my food processor and processed until it looked like this.
You cook it until all the fat melts and you're just left with the impurities floating on the top. It looks like this. (I don't even know how long I cooked it for...an afternoon, probably?)
Then I strained it through a sieve lined with cheesecloth, poured it into jars and wah-lah...good quality beef tallow.
I got two pint sized jars full from one pound of suet.
Yep. I rendered beef tallow. I admit it. Judge me, I don't care...it sure makes food taste amazing!!! :) It was cheap, easy, and what better quality can I ask for that grass-fed from a local farmer? Perfect.
Next...I'd like to try my hand at making kombucha. :)
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Update & a Happy Birthday Cake
Day 13:
Wow, it's almost been two weeks...it's hard to believe! After the first initial 7 days things really smoothed out...the worst of the detox was over, I started getting into a routine, and because we moved into stage three there's a slight bit more of variety to eat so that is extremely helpful too. Things are still a bit chaotic, we still have detox systems occasionally, and I'm not sure I'll ever adjust to feeding us as frequently as I have been and keeping up with the dishes...but I do have to say that the food is really starting to taste much better to me. I actually craved a bowl of soup between breakfast and lunch yesterday...weird.
We seem to be stuck in stage 3 at the moment. We all reacted to almond butter when I tried to add it, and I can't seem to tolerate the sauerkraut super well yet...though I still think it tastes good. We decided to wait a couple days before we tried to change anything up again.
Update on Vienna & eggs. She seems to be able to handle them now! We added them on Monday (day 11) and she had no reaction. I'm not positive if her eczema flare-up/rash reaction last time was due to the egg whites or if it was die-off reaction, it was weird that it happened both the times she had the egg whites, but regardless, she tolerated them well on Monday and has had them since then and has been just fine! Yay. :)
Monday was her birthday--and boy did I wrestle with feeling guilty about not giving her the standard birthday cake, especially since she has talked about her birthday cake since November. She clearly has a gluten-intolerance and so I am glad that I didn't load her up on gluten and sugar, however, I had hoped to be a little further progressed at this point and could've made her a baked treat of some kind...but I knew it would be a bad decision and we'd all regret it. So I had to get creative. Vienna loves squash, and I mean...l.o.v.e.s. it, has ever since she was a baby. So I decided to whip up some baked squash, an egg and a bit grass-fed butter, pour it into a couple ramekins and bake it in the oven. A cute little orange cake. :) For frosting I looked up online and found a super yummy meringue frosting made out of egg whites and honey...we all had a taste and oh my goodness, the frosting was so delicious. So...ta-da...a GAPS birthday cake! :)
She LOVED it, and was so excited about "my happy birthday cake"! She didn't know any different. :)
It was a great day, she even got to have her favorite--pancakes--for breakfast! :)
Wow, it's almost been two weeks...it's hard to believe! After the first initial 7 days things really smoothed out...the worst of the detox was over, I started getting into a routine, and because we moved into stage three there's a slight bit more of variety to eat so that is extremely helpful too. Things are still a bit chaotic, we still have detox systems occasionally, and I'm not sure I'll ever adjust to feeding us as frequently as I have been and keeping up with the dishes...but I do have to say that the food is really starting to taste much better to me. I actually craved a bowl of soup between breakfast and lunch yesterday...weird.
We seem to be stuck in stage 3 at the moment. We all reacted to almond butter when I tried to add it, and I can't seem to tolerate the sauerkraut super well yet...though I still think it tastes good. We decided to wait a couple days before we tried to change anything up again.
Update on Vienna & eggs. She seems to be able to handle them now! We added them on Monday (day 11) and she had no reaction. I'm not positive if her eczema flare-up/rash reaction last time was due to the egg whites or if it was die-off reaction, it was weird that it happened both the times she had the egg whites, but regardless, she tolerated them well on Monday and has had them since then and has been just fine! Yay. :)
Monday was her birthday--and boy did I wrestle with feeling guilty about not giving her the standard birthday cake, especially since she has talked about her birthday cake since November. She clearly has a gluten-intolerance and so I am glad that I didn't load her up on gluten and sugar, however, I had hoped to be a little further progressed at this point and could've made her a baked treat of some kind...but I knew it would be a bad decision and we'd all regret it. So I had to get creative. Vienna loves squash, and I mean...l.o.v.e.s. it, has ever since she was a baby. So I decided to whip up some baked squash, an egg and a bit grass-fed butter, pour it into a couple ramekins and bake it in the oven. A cute little orange cake. :) For frosting I looked up online and found a super yummy meringue frosting made out of egg whites and honey...we all had a taste and oh my goodness, the frosting was so delicious. So...ta-da...a GAPS birthday cake! :)
She LOVED it, and was so excited about "my happy birthday cake"! She didn't know any different. :)
It was a great day, she even got to have her favorite--pancakes--for breakfast! :)
Friday, January 18, 2013
Days 7-8: GAPS Intro--ONE WEEK DOWN!
We made it a whole week!!! Yay! Seriously a huge accomplishment to check off seven days into this. Especially when I wanted to quit on day 1. We are still feeling a bit tired but are beginning to feel a bit more stabilized. This week has been hard, demanding and messy, with a lot of lows and highs. But we knew the first week was a hurdle and we are just so glad to have it past us!
Day 7:
We added egg whites this morning, and I'm fairly certain Vienna reacted to them. She broke out with her normal eczema/rash thing around her mouth...which, had disappeared at the start of the diet. She complained about it hurting (which she doesn't normally.) I find this strange because she has dealt with this thing on her face for so long, sometimes it would flare up, sometimes it was just dull and you couldn't really see it, but we were eating eggs pretty much daily--so that's a little bit mind-boggling because I would think it would've been consistent if that was the cause of it. I gave her eggs whites two days in a row and on the second day you could clearly see the rash intensify within a couple hours of eating them. So I'm pretty sure it's that, and I am going to hold off on the eggs for a few days and see if the rash clears. I'm going to do the sensitivity test before adding them again, I'm hopeful it's just a matter of time before her gut will heal further and she can have them.
Day 8:
I feel a lot more like myself today, not so emotional and more even tempered, I feel like my energy is a bit more steady, so I think it's a turning point for me! A week ago I couldn't survive without caffeine, and though I miss the taste of coffee, I am more alert and awake than I am hyped up on caffeine....but, I do have to say, I am ravenous! Seriously cannot believe how quickly this food is digesting, I am eating almost hourly! I added walnuts in my diet today (by making some squash, walnut, egg pancakes,) they were a nice change from all this soup and veggies. I was a little nervous about adding walnuts because before going on the Intro diet I couldn't tolerate them super well--I would get gassy and my stomach would churn--that, and Finley always got gas when I'd have them too. But this is exactly why I'm on this Intro diet because I ate them today (after they were properly prepared) with absolutely no problems! And better yet, Finely didn't react to them either! This actually amazes me how much of a rapid change my body has been in the last week...and will continue to be in as I keep consuming all this broth, fat, probiotics, etc. and gradually add more things in. This last week was probably one of the toughest weeks I've ever experienced, but I am glad to have a pay off at the end and am so excited to hopefully see more healing for our family as the days continue on!
Day 7:
We added egg whites this morning, and I'm fairly certain Vienna reacted to them. She broke out with her normal eczema/rash thing around her mouth...which, had disappeared at the start of the diet. She complained about it hurting (which she doesn't normally.) I find this strange because she has dealt with this thing on her face for so long, sometimes it would flare up, sometimes it was just dull and you couldn't really see it, but we were eating eggs pretty much daily--so that's a little bit mind-boggling because I would think it would've been consistent if that was the cause of it. I gave her eggs whites two days in a row and on the second day you could clearly see the rash intensify within a couple hours of eating them. So I'm pretty sure it's that, and I am going to hold off on the eggs for a few days and see if the rash clears. I'm going to do the sensitivity test before adding them again, I'm hopeful it's just a matter of time before her gut will heal further and she can have them.
Day 8:
I feel a lot more like myself today, not so emotional and more even tempered, I feel like my energy is a bit more steady, so I think it's a turning point for me! A week ago I couldn't survive without caffeine, and though I miss the taste of coffee, I am more alert and awake than I am hyped up on caffeine....but, I do have to say, I am ravenous! Seriously cannot believe how quickly this food is digesting, I am eating almost hourly! I added walnuts in my diet today (by making some squash, walnut, egg pancakes,) they were a nice change from all this soup and veggies. I was a little nervous about adding walnuts because before going on the Intro diet I couldn't tolerate them super well--I would get gassy and my stomach would churn--that, and Finley always got gas when I'd have them too. But this is exactly why I'm on this Intro diet because I ate them today (after they were properly prepared) with absolutely no problems! And better yet, Finely didn't react to them either! This actually amazes me how much of a rapid change my body has been in the last week...and will continue to be in as I keep consuming all this broth, fat, probiotics, etc. and gradually add more things in. This last week was probably one of the toughest weeks I've ever experienced, but I am glad to have a pay off at the end and am so excited to hopefully see more healing for our family as the days continue on!
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Days 4-6 : GAPS Intro Stage Two
Day 4:
I woke up feeling much better than the last three mornings. I had pretty a decent amount of energy until noon when I could tell my body started having the die-off effect. It's so weird that you can tell when its happening...it's such a strange experience. Andy called me crazy when I described it to him, so obviously not everyone feels it the same way, but I can literally feel it. I get warm, like I'm having a hot flash, and my skin starts to tingle and then slowly increases until it becomes uncomfortable and then it just dies off like someone is letting out the air of a blown-up ballon. I get really tired and irritable--it's like you don't even have control over your own emotions. Andy and I have been kind of bickering with each other as a result and I have to keep reminding myself that its the detox talking. We were talking about it at supper and we both have ups and downs throughout the day. When we're tired, we're exhausted, and when we have energy it feels so amazing! I haven't actually craved anything sweet after the first day...which is a shocker. The food is okay, it's not great, but it's not bad either. I added sauerkraut this morning and I have never been a big fan of it--but it tasted so good! Another shocker. My biggest complaint is that the whole process is just messy! I feel like my kitchen is one big greasy, mushy, mess...all day.
Vienna is doing great. You can really see her ups and downs throughout the day, but she is handling it well and eating pretty good. She still doesn't like broth, it's like pulling teeth to get her to drink any if her meal is not a soup. She absolutely loved the butternut squash soup we had for breakfast and she enjoyed spooning some kefir on top of it. She loves to be involved in food prep, if she can help prepare her own meal she eats it much better. She still is particularly liking the sauerkraut and kefir.
Andy seems to be about a day behind Vienna and I in terms of how much he's feeling the detox effects. He was pretty tired and irritable all day and the first half of the day he didn't want to eat again. Mid afternoon he had a hefty bowl of soup and I think his appetite increased after that, so did his energy.
We introduced raw egg yolk today, and oh...my...gosh...it made soup taste amazing!!! All of us loved it! I think Andy liked it the most--and he was the most leery about trying it. Vienna thought it was so cool to help put her egg yolk in her soup--in which she chowed down the whole bowl. I really enjoyed the richness it added to the soup...such a good flavor! I'm looking forward to having more tomorrow.
Day 5:
Totally had a meltdown today. I think we're experiencing every symptom of the detox...extreme irritability, tiredness, foggy brain, etc, etc, etc. And I'm just tired of it. I'm tired of cleaning, I'm tired of mushy food, I'm tired of seeing myself, Andy and our daughter go through ups and downs all day in terms of our emotional state and functionality. I've wanted to throw in the towel almost daily, yet, daily I've been so encouraged to see that this is actually working. It sucks to feel like this, and see my family like this, but at the same time it gives me encouragement that what we're doing is not in vain and is working. So even though its hard, and messy, I'm not giving up yet. We haven't gone through the last five days for nothing. There'd be no point in quitting now.
We added ghee today. Super yum! I've had it before but am really appreciating the way its flavoring the food now! It seems like each day we're making our soup, cooked veggies and meats taste much yummier! I'm not craving the food, but when I actually sit down to eat it it tastes pretty good to me. And we all looked forward to our egg yolks in our soup today. Haha! At this point the food isn't an issue for us...it's the emotional part of this diet. It's taking it's toll!
Day 6:
I am so impressed with Vienna and her coping capability of these last few days. She's had rough patches throughout the day but she is doing so good--after that second day when she refused to eat, she has only asked for other foods a handful of times and hasn't put up much fuss about not getting it. Everyday I can see her like the food a bit more and more. She loves to help put together her own meal and if that's what's going to make her eat it...then heck, I'm going to let her help. She is devouring glasses of kefir and bowls of sauerkraut. She's obsessed with squash, she loves the egg in her soup. I've had the trickiest time trying to get her to eat meat (she's never been a fan) but today and yesterday she was excited about some simmered beef patties I made and totally downed the meat in her bowl.
Besides the emotional ups and downs, I am beginning to feel like I have a handle on this a little better. Its not as overwhelming as it was even two days ago...and I am really appreciating the natural flavor in these foods. We seem to be trucking through these stages fairly efficiently, for which I am thankful for so far. I'm not sure what's recommended, I think it depends on each person, their condition and their body--thankfully we've had no reactions to anything we've added...we've had, of course, lots of stock, meat, veggies, sauerkraut/its juice, kefir, homemade yogurt, lots of animal fat, coconut oil, egg yolk, and ghee. Tonight we're going to add a cod liver oil supplement and tomorrow I'm planning to move onto stage 3. We're all really looking forward to feeling a bit of relief...hopefully soon. They say the first week of detoxing is the hardest, and we're all still feeling its effects today...I'm hopeful things will get better soon!
I woke up feeling much better than the last three mornings. I had pretty a decent amount of energy until noon when I could tell my body started having the die-off effect. It's so weird that you can tell when its happening...it's such a strange experience. Andy called me crazy when I described it to him, so obviously not everyone feels it the same way, but I can literally feel it. I get warm, like I'm having a hot flash, and my skin starts to tingle and then slowly increases until it becomes uncomfortable and then it just dies off like someone is letting out the air of a blown-up ballon. I get really tired and irritable--it's like you don't even have control over your own emotions. Andy and I have been kind of bickering with each other as a result and I have to keep reminding myself that its the detox talking. We were talking about it at supper and we both have ups and downs throughout the day. When we're tired, we're exhausted, and when we have energy it feels so amazing! I haven't actually craved anything sweet after the first day...which is a shocker. The food is okay, it's not great, but it's not bad either. I added sauerkraut this morning and I have never been a big fan of it--but it tasted so good! Another shocker. My biggest complaint is that the whole process is just messy! I feel like my kitchen is one big greasy, mushy, mess...all day.
Vienna is doing great. You can really see her ups and downs throughout the day, but she is handling it well and eating pretty good. She still doesn't like broth, it's like pulling teeth to get her to drink any if her meal is not a soup. She absolutely loved the butternut squash soup we had for breakfast and she enjoyed spooning some kefir on top of it. She loves to be involved in food prep, if she can help prepare her own meal she eats it much better. She still is particularly liking the sauerkraut and kefir.
We introduced raw egg yolk today, and oh...my...gosh...it made soup taste amazing!!! All of us loved it! I think Andy liked it the most--and he was the most leery about trying it. Vienna thought it was so cool to help put her egg yolk in her soup--in which she chowed down the whole bowl. I really enjoyed the richness it added to the soup...such a good flavor! I'm looking forward to having more tomorrow.
Day 5:
Totally had a meltdown today. I think we're experiencing every symptom of the detox...extreme irritability, tiredness, foggy brain, etc, etc, etc. And I'm just tired of it. I'm tired of cleaning, I'm tired of mushy food, I'm tired of seeing myself, Andy and our daughter go through ups and downs all day in terms of our emotional state and functionality. I've wanted to throw in the towel almost daily, yet, daily I've been so encouraged to see that this is actually working. It sucks to feel like this, and see my family like this, but at the same time it gives me encouragement that what we're doing is not in vain and is working. So even though its hard, and messy, I'm not giving up yet. We haven't gone through the last five days for nothing. There'd be no point in quitting now.
We added ghee today. Super yum! I've had it before but am really appreciating the way its flavoring the food now! It seems like each day we're making our soup, cooked veggies and meats taste much yummier! I'm not craving the food, but when I actually sit down to eat it it tastes pretty good to me. And we all looked forward to our egg yolks in our soup today. Haha! At this point the food isn't an issue for us...it's the emotional part of this diet. It's taking it's toll!
Day 6:
I am so impressed with Vienna and her coping capability of these last few days. She's had rough patches throughout the day but she is doing so good--after that second day when she refused to eat, she has only asked for other foods a handful of times and hasn't put up much fuss about not getting it. Everyday I can see her like the food a bit more and more. She loves to help put together her own meal and if that's what's going to make her eat it...then heck, I'm going to let her help. She is devouring glasses of kefir and bowls of sauerkraut. She's obsessed with squash, she loves the egg in her soup. I've had the trickiest time trying to get her to eat meat (she's never been a fan) but today and yesterday she was excited about some simmered beef patties I made and totally downed the meat in her bowl.
Besides the emotional ups and downs, I am beginning to feel like I have a handle on this a little better. Its not as overwhelming as it was even two days ago...and I am really appreciating the natural flavor in these foods. We seem to be trucking through these stages fairly efficiently, for which I am thankful for so far. I'm not sure what's recommended, I think it depends on each person, their condition and their body--thankfully we've had no reactions to anything we've added...we've had, of course, lots of stock, meat, veggies, sauerkraut/its juice, kefir, homemade yogurt, lots of animal fat, coconut oil, egg yolk, and ghee. Tonight we're going to add a cod liver oil supplement and tomorrow I'm planning to move onto stage 3. We're all really looking forward to feeling a bit of relief...hopefully soon. They say the first week of detoxing is the hardest, and we're all still feeling its effects today...I'm hopeful things will get better soon!
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Days 1-3: GAPS Intro Stage One
Well, here we go...
Day 1:
Went down with little fuss! I actually felt pretty relaxed because everything was basically done already...it was kind of a nice change--me and the kids got in lots of play time as a result.
Vienna ate the food we gave her with very little complaining. Some of the things she even particularly enjoyed, like the boiled broccoli with coconut oil and sea salt with a cup of chicken stock. She kept saying "Mmm!" and asked for more when it was gone, then asked for it again after supper. She had a great attitude all day, stayed really level emotionally and had quite a lot of energy.
Andy said he felt pretty good all day. We all had lots of stock, well-cooked veggies, boiled meat, coconut oil, chicken fat and 1 tsp of sauerkraut juice. Vienna and I also had a couple teaspoons of whey from our dripped yogurt. We did have one little cheat where I added a little bit of honey to some coconut oil to help, particularly Andy, stomach it. I don't mind it plain, but I'm used to having it on a regular basis.
I felt really good and was entirely enjoying the soup up until about mid/late afternoon when I really started craving something sweet. I got a headache around this time and couldn't seem to shake it for the rest of the day. I wondered if it was linked to the absence of caffeine? Afternoons are typically the low point of my day and I always feel tired with little energy. I had absolutely no appetite but forced myself to eat some cooked veggies, meat, and stock, and then forced another bowl of soup down at supper. If it wasn't for trying to keep my calorie intake up to feed myself and my child, I definitely would not have eaten a thing.
All in all, a decent first day.
The night, however, was a different story.
Vienna got up twice to go to the bathroom before 1 am, then she wet her bed around 3 in the morning. I've read an increase in urination is normal...though I didn't expect it to happen so quickly. As for me, I don't remember when I started feeling really weird...but I kept waking up feeling like my skin was tingling. As I fell in and out of sleep I started sweating and become really uncomfortable. I had a fever. Vienna came to my side of the bed when she wet the bed and it was when I tried to get up that I realized I needed to eat something...now. I collapsed back into bed and could barely lift my arm. I went to the kitchen and just collapsed on the floor again, my hands were shaking and I felt like I wanted to throw up. I knew this was most likely because my blood-sugar level had dropped too quickly. I asked Andy to get me an apple...I tried to eat it, but couldn't. I then opted for some applesauce, which I stomached a few tablespoons, and went back to bed. It was all kind of deliriousness in the middle of the night when you can't think very clearly. I fell back asleep for a short time but then woke up having to throw up. Yuck. Then I got really cold and couldn't warm up, but managed to fall back asleep. Finley got up at 5am, Andy got him as he was getting up to go to work. I felt slightly better, but not by much, I knew I had to eat--even though I really didn't want to. My juicer was still in its box, so I took it out and didn't care less about washing it...I needed something in my system immediately. I had read that fresh-pressed juices get absorbed very quickly so I juiced a carrot and an apple and drank the juice while Andy heated up a bowl of soup for me. He left for work and here I sat, 5:30am, watching Finley play and eating a bowl of chicken soup. I can say that was a first. But rather quickly I regained a little bit of energy and didn't feel queasy anymore. I put Finely down for a nap at 6:30 and got to go back to bed for an hour before Vienna woke up. The food and the sleep made a big difference.
Day 2:
I was extremely tired all morning, though I didn't feel sick...my body just ached and I still had a headache and absolutely no energy. I made it a point to eat much more throughout the day, even though I was already having a hard time with the limited variety and the same thing over and over. When I put both the kids down for a nap after lunch I took a detox bath with some epsom salt, then helped myself to another bowl of soup. I felt really great after that, it took away all my aches and my headache was totally gone. In fact, my energy only increased all day. I had the normal, stock, veggies, meat, coconut oil, chicken fat and sauerkraut juice, but also had some coconut shreds, honey and a couple TBLS of applesauce which are technically illegal on stage one.
Vienna woke up and I could tell she felt off. She had a runny nose and a low-grade fever. She only took a few bites of soup that morning. She kept asking for food, but refused to eat anything I'd give her, even the broccoli she loved so much the day before. Her breath smelt off. She ate a bowl of homemade yogurt, but it took her awhile to finish it. I couldn't get her to eat for the rest of the day. She took a few sips of broth, and when I was deboning some chicken she took a few bites from a piece of leg. She was extremely emotional about every little thing all day, and threw several fits. When she got up from her nap she had no energy, she'd have spurts here and there, but she laid on the floor with her blanket a lot and wanted to be held...which is so unlike her even when she's not feeling well. She wanted to eat supper, but didn't take more than a couple bites and then said she was done. She threw up on Andy while I was putting the baby to sleep. We gave her a detox bath, and though she was still quite tired her mood was much better and you could tell she had a bit more energy. I juiced her a carrot and 1/2 an apple and that perked her up quite a bit. She did take a couple more bites of veggies and a few sips of broth before she went to bed...but nothing substantial.
Andy felt pretty tired all day, but he hadn't gotten much sleep waking up with the kids and trying to help me in the middle of the night. I suggested he take a detox bath, and though I basically had to force him to do it, I could tell his mood picked up afterwards.
Only two days in and we are all very tired of eating the same soup. Two days in and I've already wanted to quit. That makes me feel like a wimp. Blah. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was a little surprised that effects came on so quickly. So far everything is right on with what I've read as our gut heals, bad bacteria gets killed and pathogens die-off. I know this period won't last long...or so I keep trying to remind myself but honestly I'm really hoping I have the will-power to stick with it!
Day 3:
I woke again feeling pretty nauseous, but not nearly as severe as the night before. I downed a bowl of soup as soon as I let the still water and probiotic sit for a bit, but it didn't do much. My stomach was pretty acidity. I was getting shaky and the feeling of throwing up increased, so I juiced a carrot and half an apple again and savored the sweet juice. It perked me up a bit but my body was so exhausted--Andy was home so thankfully I got to crawl back into bed. After a bit I felt much better and steadily my energy began to increase. Day 2 and Day 3 I noticed that my lowest point was the morning and I felt best in the afternoon and into the evening. It's a different change. I ate lots of stock, meat and veggies, sauerkraut juice and some homemade yogurt. I also had some more coconut shreds and a bit of honey again. I think my gut is not quite ready for the honey yet...I seem to get a little gas when I have it. I've been watching Finely like a hawk, and he has been his normal happy self. I wanted to wait to try the yogurt until today to see if he reacts (as in the past he typically gets gas when I have dairy products). But I'm hoping since I used raw milk and fermented it for 24hrs that he can tolerate it.
Vienna woke up and requested carrots and broccoli right away. Though, I don't think she took more than a couple bites. Her sprits were high and she drank a bit of kefir mid morning. I had tried a different soup and served it for lunch and though I had to hand feed her, she ate quite a bit of it. I introduced squash today, she was excited to have that--she loves squash. She ate another good portion of soup at dinner and then topped it off with another glass of kefir. She also had coconut oil and sauerkraut juice throughout the day. Before bed she saw the sauerkraut in the fridge and begged me for some. I was going to wait until tomorrow to introduce it but I decided...why not? She had a few spoonfuls and totally enjoyed it.
Andy was extremely tired all day, lethargic and had absolutely no appetite. He forced himself to eat a few bowls of soup with lots of meat, with the probiotics and the garlic, and besides a bit of coconut oil he didn't have much all day. Andy took another detox bath, which seemed to lift his spirits a bit. I took another one today too in baking soda and felt pretty good afterwards.
So far everyone seems to be reacting well to the food that we've added, no diarrhea--so that's good! Vienna and I seem to be a bit constipated, but from what I've read that is normal. Yesterday I felt like giving up, today I have a little renewed strength and motivation, I read some testimonials and other peoples experiences on Intro and I found it encouraging. Tomorrow we are moving on to stage 2--I wasn't sure how long we were going to stay on each stage, but I feel like we're ready to move on and add a few things. I'll be posting!
Day 1:
Went down with little fuss! I actually felt pretty relaxed because everything was basically done already...it was kind of a nice change--me and the kids got in lots of play time as a result.
Vienna ate the food we gave her with very little complaining. Some of the things she even particularly enjoyed, like the boiled broccoli with coconut oil and sea salt with a cup of chicken stock. She kept saying "Mmm!" and asked for more when it was gone, then asked for it again after supper. She had a great attitude all day, stayed really level emotionally and had quite a lot of energy.
Andy said he felt pretty good all day. We all had lots of stock, well-cooked veggies, boiled meat, coconut oil, chicken fat and 1 tsp of sauerkraut juice. Vienna and I also had a couple teaspoons of whey from our dripped yogurt. We did have one little cheat where I added a little bit of honey to some coconut oil to help, particularly Andy, stomach it. I don't mind it plain, but I'm used to having it on a regular basis.
I felt really good and was entirely enjoying the soup up until about mid/late afternoon when I really started craving something sweet. I got a headache around this time and couldn't seem to shake it for the rest of the day. I wondered if it was linked to the absence of caffeine? Afternoons are typically the low point of my day and I always feel tired with little energy. I had absolutely no appetite but forced myself to eat some cooked veggies, meat, and stock, and then forced another bowl of soup down at supper. If it wasn't for trying to keep my calorie intake up to feed myself and my child, I definitely would not have eaten a thing.
All in all, a decent first day.
The night, however, was a different story.
Vienna got up twice to go to the bathroom before 1 am, then she wet her bed around 3 in the morning. I've read an increase in urination is normal...though I didn't expect it to happen so quickly. As for me, I don't remember when I started feeling really weird...but I kept waking up feeling like my skin was tingling. As I fell in and out of sleep I started sweating and become really uncomfortable. I had a fever. Vienna came to my side of the bed when she wet the bed and it was when I tried to get up that I realized I needed to eat something...now. I collapsed back into bed and could barely lift my arm. I went to the kitchen and just collapsed on the floor again, my hands were shaking and I felt like I wanted to throw up. I knew this was most likely because my blood-sugar level had dropped too quickly. I asked Andy to get me an apple...I tried to eat it, but couldn't. I then opted for some applesauce, which I stomached a few tablespoons, and went back to bed. It was all kind of deliriousness in the middle of the night when you can't think very clearly. I fell back asleep for a short time but then woke up having to throw up. Yuck. Then I got really cold and couldn't warm up, but managed to fall back asleep. Finley got up at 5am, Andy got him as he was getting up to go to work. I felt slightly better, but not by much, I knew I had to eat--even though I really didn't want to. My juicer was still in its box, so I took it out and didn't care less about washing it...I needed something in my system immediately. I had read that fresh-pressed juices get absorbed very quickly so I juiced a carrot and an apple and drank the juice while Andy heated up a bowl of soup for me. He left for work and here I sat, 5:30am, watching Finley play and eating a bowl of chicken soup. I can say that was a first. But rather quickly I regained a little bit of energy and didn't feel queasy anymore. I put Finely down for a nap at 6:30 and got to go back to bed for an hour before Vienna woke up. The food and the sleep made a big difference.
Day 2:
I was extremely tired all morning, though I didn't feel sick...my body just ached and I still had a headache and absolutely no energy. I made it a point to eat much more throughout the day, even though I was already having a hard time with the limited variety and the same thing over and over. When I put both the kids down for a nap after lunch I took a detox bath with some epsom salt, then helped myself to another bowl of soup. I felt really great after that, it took away all my aches and my headache was totally gone. In fact, my energy only increased all day. I had the normal, stock, veggies, meat, coconut oil, chicken fat and sauerkraut juice, but also had some coconut shreds, honey and a couple TBLS of applesauce which are technically illegal on stage one.
Vienna woke up and I could tell she felt off. She had a runny nose and a low-grade fever. She only took a few bites of soup that morning. She kept asking for food, but refused to eat anything I'd give her, even the broccoli she loved so much the day before. Her breath smelt off. She ate a bowl of homemade yogurt, but it took her awhile to finish it. I couldn't get her to eat for the rest of the day. She took a few sips of broth, and when I was deboning some chicken she took a few bites from a piece of leg. She was extremely emotional about every little thing all day, and threw several fits. When she got up from her nap she had no energy, she'd have spurts here and there, but she laid on the floor with her blanket a lot and wanted to be held...which is so unlike her even when she's not feeling well. She wanted to eat supper, but didn't take more than a couple bites and then said she was done. She threw up on Andy while I was putting the baby to sleep. We gave her a detox bath, and though she was still quite tired her mood was much better and you could tell she had a bit more energy. I juiced her a carrot and 1/2 an apple and that perked her up quite a bit. She did take a couple more bites of veggies and a few sips of broth before she went to bed...but nothing substantial.
Andy felt pretty tired all day, but he hadn't gotten much sleep waking up with the kids and trying to help me in the middle of the night. I suggested he take a detox bath, and though I basically had to force him to do it, I could tell his mood picked up afterwards.
Only two days in and we are all very tired of eating the same soup. Two days in and I've already wanted to quit. That makes me feel like a wimp. Blah. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was a little surprised that effects came on so quickly. So far everything is right on with what I've read as our gut heals, bad bacteria gets killed and pathogens die-off. I know this period won't last long...or so I keep trying to remind myself but honestly I'm really hoping I have the will-power to stick with it!
Day 3:
I woke again feeling pretty nauseous, but not nearly as severe as the night before. I downed a bowl of soup as soon as I let the still water and probiotic sit for a bit, but it didn't do much. My stomach was pretty acidity. I was getting shaky and the feeling of throwing up increased, so I juiced a carrot and half an apple again and savored the sweet juice. It perked me up a bit but my body was so exhausted--Andy was home so thankfully I got to crawl back into bed. After a bit I felt much better and steadily my energy began to increase. Day 2 and Day 3 I noticed that my lowest point was the morning and I felt best in the afternoon and into the evening. It's a different change. I ate lots of stock, meat and veggies, sauerkraut juice and some homemade yogurt. I also had some more coconut shreds and a bit of honey again. I think my gut is not quite ready for the honey yet...I seem to get a little gas when I have it. I've been watching Finely like a hawk, and he has been his normal happy self. I wanted to wait to try the yogurt until today to see if he reacts (as in the past he typically gets gas when I have dairy products). But I'm hoping since I used raw milk and fermented it for 24hrs that he can tolerate it.
Vienna woke up and requested carrots and broccoli right away. Though, I don't think she took more than a couple bites. Her sprits were high and she drank a bit of kefir mid morning. I had tried a different soup and served it for lunch and though I had to hand feed her, she ate quite a bit of it. I introduced squash today, she was excited to have that--she loves squash. She ate another good portion of soup at dinner and then topped it off with another glass of kefir. She also had coconut oil and sauerkraut juice throughout the day. Before bed she saw the sauerkraut in the fridge and begged me for some. I was going to wait until tomorrow to introduce it but I decided...why not? She had a few spoonfuls and totally enjoyed it.
Andy was extremely tired all day, lethargic and had absolutely no appetite. He forced himself to eat a few bowls of soup with lots of meat, with the probiotics and the garlic, and besides a bit of coconut oil he didn't have much all day. Andy took another detox bath, which seemed to lift his spirits a bit. I took another one today too in baking soda and felt pretty good afterwards.
So far everyone seems to be reacting well to the food that we've added, no diarrhea--so that's good! Vienna and I seem to be a bit constipated, but from what I've read that is normal. Yesterday I felt like giving up, today I have a little renewed strength and motivation, I read some testimonials and other peoples experiences on Intro and I found it encouraging. Tomorrow we are moving on to stage 2--I wasn't sure how long we were going to stay on each stage, but I feel like we're ready to move on and add a few things. I'll be posting!
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