Yesterday, my son and I began the GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) diet for healing and sealing the gut.  For my readers who do not yet know, we have been on a journey to heal our digestive tracts for nearly a full year now.  Not unlike a large portion of the population, we both suffer from food sensitivities and allergies which have become increasingly more troublesome in the past few years.
     Until a year ago, I did not know that it was possible to regenerate from these auto-immune diseases, and used avoidance as the only possible solution.  Sure, there are many medical doctors out there poised and ready to fill my purse with a load of prescriptions, and during our most hopeless moments, I admit, we tried several.  However, they always brought with them a host of side-effects and the probability of long-term damage.  It was trading present-day relief for future problems; treating the symptom while aggravating the underlying issue.  I knew that sooner or later, those defensive walls would come crashing down, and we would be weakened and unable to fight back.
     We found out our son was anaphylactic to peanuts during one horrifying near-death experience seven years ago.  Chronic asthma soon followed, and we were quickly given steroid inhalers to manage the problem.  "Asthma and allergies seem to come together," the doctors told me.  But where was this coming from?  Why the sudden over-abundance of kids with Epi-pens and inhalers?  Sure we had some seasonal allergies and mild asthma in the family.  I have had digestive problems since I was a kid.  Yet the outlook was always on the changing food industry, cross-contamination, and early introduction, so I didn't spend much time putting my issues together with his- after-all, I didn't have food allergies, just a poor digestive system. And after a couple of years, his asthma subsided and we assumed he had "grown out" of his problem.
     We had been primarily vegetarian for many years prior- following my college nutrition classes and our government recommended food-guide pyramid.  I lived for complex carbs- beans, split-peas, lentils, bulgar, brown rice, barley, oats.  We rarely ate refined or processed foods, and we ate an abundant supply of vegetables, many of which we grew ourselves. We rarely ate out, and I nearly always cooked from scratch. We ate non-fat dairy and butter-substitutes.  We kept our saturated fat and salt to a minimum.  We snacked regularly on nutrient rich fruit.  As far as I had learned, we were doing everything right.
      When we began following Paleo, everything changed.  Medications were discarded, weight began shedding, and the majority of gut problems disappeared... until a cheat day.  We had found a method to manage the issues without inflicting further damage, but we really hadn't cured anything.  I decided that our bodies just couldn't process those foods, and that was that.
       Then two years ago, my son's asthma came back.  Not only did it come back, but it came back everyday, and was frequented by hives.  His school, panicked over his anaphylactic allergy, would send him home at the first sign of an itchy patch, and before long, I was being called to pick him up early once or twice per week.  At the same time, my face began getting dry and rashy.  I have always had sensitive skin that rejects chemical ingredients, but I was only using natural oils.  What was going on?
     Now, I admit that I am a research-o-holic, particularly when it comes to health, so this was an intriguing new challenge for me to undertake.  One of my biggest breakthroughs came when I stopped frequenting the government and medical sites (the supposed authorities), and started listening to people's stories.  I read the natural health sites, chat-rooms, blogs, and comments.  I opened my mind to take in the methods that were working for others.  The great part of that was, that when it comes to natural health care, there is little risk in experimenting.
     When I heard about "Leaky Gut" and its role in our nation's health problems, particularly auto-immune disease, I instantly knew I had found our underlying problem.  A quick search on the internet resulted in a plethora of treatment methods and tips. The biggest focus was on removing any food that caused any reaction what-so-ever to eliminate the chronic inflammation of the intestines, and adding in a regular supply of probiotics, to restore proper digestive and immune functions. 
     Removing foods is easier said than done.  A reaction can take anywhere from hours after ingestion, up to five days post, and the reactions can come in the way of asthma, hives, sinus congestion, headache, fatigue, eczema, stomach pain, bloating, acid-reflux, or a number of other complaints.  It took me months to realize that not only did I need to continue Paleo, but I also had to take out all nightshade family (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, tomatillos and eggplant), onion, sweet potatoes, olive oil, ginger, coconut, cocoa, and acidy fruit.  Immediately, my face cleared up and my acid-reflux died down.
    For my son, the task was impossible.  We opted instead to make an appointment with a naturopathic doctor who ran a food-sensitivity and allergy test and gave us a list of foods to avoid in addition to Paleo- coconut, fish, shellfish, garlic, Rosemary, Oregano, and Fennel. Not surprisingly, his asthma and hives subsided.  Fortunately I love creative cooking.  This was certainly a challenge, but I was up for it.  After all, how long could it take? 3 months?  4?
    Next month it will our 1 year anniversary.  We have learned a lot through research, tips from friends, and trial and error, and have made tremendous progress.  I am anxious to share the knowledge with others, as I know MANY people who are in dire need of the same.  Stay tuned!

To be continued.....