For the next 6 weeks, I’ll be chronicling my journey through the GAPS Intro Diet with a little self-made questionnaire.

What did I eat on Stage 2?

Stage 2 didn’t differ too much from Stage 1. I was able to add egg yolks to my soup, fresh herbs (this really made a difference to me!), fermented cod liver oil in the mornings, whole sauerkraut in addition to sauerkraut juice and GAPS “casseroles.”

• Carrot and Winter Squash Soup
• Winter Squash and Meatball Casserole with Herb Salt (pictured above; I guess all I’ve been photographing are dishes with meatballs!)
• Pulled Chicken, plain or mixed into soup (I liked it in my smooth soups like Broccoli or Carrot/Squash)
• Chicken Soup with Carrots, Onions and Peas
• Garlic and Parsley Meatballs
• “Mashed” Cauliflower and Cauliflower Soup (this was new and surprisingly tolerable)
• Lots of Bone Broth and Tallow and Salt and Garlic and Sauerkraut

Did I see any changes or patterns in my symptoms?

My pain has decreased quite a bit, as well as a few other “normal” (for me) symptoms. I feel like I wasn’t as irritable, but that could be because I was away from my kids for three days. 😉 I still experienced some blood sugar symptoms when I hadn’t eaten in a while- dizziness, fogginess, tired.

I’m actually starting to see a pattern with my digestion and my stress/busy-ness level. Usually things go much smoother and there are less issues on down days. I saw a lot of the same symptoms on busy days, days that we were driving in the car or days I had a reason to be nervous. I never actually feel nervous or stressed.. but I guess my body is telling me I am just good at hiding it.

Any practical advice from Stage 2?

I would say don’t get too excited about moving on to this stage. Don’t get me wrong, it is exciting to move along through the Intro diet- VERY exciting. But there actually isn’t much that changes with the food, especially the preparation.  In Stage 2, you’re allowed to have “casseroles,” but it was not what I was expecting. I was hoping to have roasted meat and vegetables again, but you actually can’t have those until Stage 4. The Stage 2 “casseroles” are similar to what you’d make in a crockpot, since you must still cook everything in broth or water.

Any encouragement for people in Stage 2?

Keep at it! Hopefully you have started to see results, little by little. There is a real foundation being laid in the first few stages of the Intro diet. Even the smallest cheat will make a big difference. Your body needs time to heal- a lot more time than we want to give in our modern, super-busy world. Give it time and continue to plug away. Take it day by day, meal by meal.

Also- I’ve found the SCD Lifestyle page on Facebook to be extremely encouraging. They are always posting little encouraging status updates and links. I also like @healingfoods on Instagram.

Winter Squash and Meatball Casserole with Herb Salt

 

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GAPS Legal from Stage 2

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Main Dish

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb grass-fed ground meat (beef, buffalo, lamb, etc)
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 medium to large winter squash; peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1-2 cups bone broth
• fresh herbs- I used parsley and rosemary, but any fresh herbs will do
• sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix the ground meat and garlic and form into small meatballs.
3. In a 8×8 dish, spread out winter squash pieces. Pour enough broth over top to just cover the squash. Top with the raw meatballs. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until squash is soft and meatballs are brown.
4. While the casserole is cooking, combine some freshly minced herbs and sea salt and rub together with your fingers. Top the casserole with the herb salt when it comes out of the oven and serve immediately with the broth.

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