GAPS and Autoimmune Disease
Whether you are struggling with an autoimmune condition or know someone who does, it seems like you can’t throw a rock these days without hitting an autoimmune person. Autoimmune conditions happen when your body starts attacking itself. In Diabetes Type 1, your body attacks your pancreas. In Hashimoto’s, your body attacks your thyroid. When you have arthritis, your body attacks the lining of your joints. The list goes on.
The Gut, GAPS, and Autoimmune Disease Link
Autoimmunity starts in your gut. When your digestive tract becomes ‘leaky,’ undigested particles of food filter into your bloodstream.
But undigested food in your blood is toxic! So your immune system immediately responds to fight these foreign invaders. However, when this process happens frequently, your immune system develops a specific response, antibodies, to clear out this undigested food. And hence, food sensitivities are born. However, by using the GAPS protocol, you can heal your leaky gut.
Yep, this mechanism up-regulates your immune system, steals all your nutritional resources, and wears out your body. However, that is not even the worst part!
Food Sensitivities Indicate Autoimmunity
The worst part of this imbalance is that these undigested food particles are structurally identical to molecules in your body. So not only does your immune system start attacking specific undigested food every time you eat, but your body starts attacking identical structures in your body as well.
The manifestations of autoimmunity are unique, but they all have the same underlying root: a ‘Leaky,’ or semipermeable gut lining.
GAPS and Autoimmune Disease
When you restore your intestinal integrity, your body does not have a need for antibodies that attack your undigested food. And therefore, they can be put to rest and stop attacking your bodily tissues as well. The GAPS™ Diet is the most effective way to heal your gut, and that is why GAPS and Autoimmune Disease go hand-in-hand.
Here are three components of the GAPS (Gut and Psychology/Physiology Syndrome) Introduction Nutritional Protocol that make it ideal for restoring your intestinal lining and supporting autoimmune conditions:
Meat Stock:
NOT Bone Broth! While bone broth consists of bones cooked in water over a period of 12-24 hours, meat stock is meat-on-bone cooked in water for 2-3 hours. Meat stock is much easier to digest and contains higher levels of gelatin, collagen and amino acids that are essential for healing and sealing your intestinal lining. Aim to drink 5 cups every day as an adult. Failing to drink enough meat stock (and not bone broth) is 1 of the most common mistakes I see people making on the GAPS Diet.
Everything Cooked in Meat Stock:
Simmer low fiber vegetables in your meat stock and then add in the meat you used to make a nourishing, delicious soup. Meat stock soup is the easiest food to digest on the planet. By eating exclusively in this way, you relieve your digestive system of stress and provide the nutrients it needs for regeneration as you start reintroducing foods and addressing your sensitivities.
Sauerkraut Juice:
If you have a leaky gut, it is likely that you lack the beneficial flora needed to protect your digestive system. And though sauerkraut is a probiotic superfood, it is too fibrous for someone with an inflamed gut lining. Sauerkraut juice is a liquid that not only replenishes your beneficial bacteria but also stimulates your digestive flow, further supporting restoration of your intestinal lining.
By implementing the GAPS Introduction Protocol, you have the best chance to support your digestion, balance your immune response, and reclaim your lost vitality. GAPS principles support Autoimmune conditions.
GAPS Certified Instructional Videos so You can Transform Your Life
It took me: 3.5 years on GAPS, a lyme diagnosis, record-breaking amounts of pesticides in my body, an incredible amount of heavy metals, a GAPS practitioner certification, and 8 months working intensely with one of the top GAPS Practitioners in the world before I figured out how to do GAPS right + truly started healing myself. I don’t think it should take that much time, suffering, or study for you.
That’s why I created the GAPS Certified Instructional Videos approved by Dr. Natasha’s Son to completely change the way people go on GAPS forever. You’re in the right place if you want to See the Videos.
References:
https://www.thepaleomom.com/start-here/the-autoimmune-protocol