Intro Diet
Welcome to the start of your journey! Beginning a diet protocol like this is a big step toward restoring your health. As you get started, be gentle with yourself. Keep things as simple as possible, and give yourself time to rest and heal.
How This Stage Works
- • Elimination In the beginning, you’ll eliminate major irritants, potential allergens, and possible sensitivities that might be contributing to your gut dysbiosis.
- • Microbiome In stage 1, bad bacteria have lost their food source—sugar. As a result, they begin to starve and die and move out of your body.
- • Timing Plan to spend 2 to 5 days at each stage. Some people spend as many as 7 days on a stage, but at that point, you should move on to the next stage unless your digestive symptoms are still severe.
Homemade stock is a staple at this stage of the diet.
What You Can Expect
- • Die-off As bad bacteria die, they release toxins. These substances can cause gas, bloating, diarrhea, and cramping. The worst of these symptoms usually last only a few days. Be strong, rest as much as you need to, and keep in mind that this stage is only temporary and is the first step to regaining your health.
- • Adjustments In stage 1, you’re getting rid of foods you’ve always eaten. Embrace the idea of new staple foods, new routines, and new mind-sets.
- • Boredom The foods in stage 1 are limited on purpose. Keeping things simple can mean you’re eating the same meal over and over. Vary as much as you can while still making things easy on yourself.
What You Can Eat
MEAT AND MEAT PRODUCTS These are the basis of this stage. Animal products are an important source of protein and fats, and they’re rich in vitamins and minerals needed for gut healing.
- • Homemade stocks Sip stocks from beef, chicken, fish, turkey, and lamb between meals, or use as a base for soups. Grocery store stock is not the same and cannot be substituted.
- • Boiled meat Your meat must be well boiled at this stage. Reserve meat, fat, and connective tissue from stock to use in other recipes.
- • Healthy fats Use good fats such as tallow, lard, chicken, goose, or duck fat for cooking and in soups. Coconut oil also can be used. These fats are rich in the minerals that help heal your gut.
Beet and Beef Short Rib Borscht combines well-cooked vegetables and healing meat.
VEGETABLES AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTS You can eat vegetables if they’re well cooked; don’t eat fermented vegetables at this stage. All types of vegetables are healthy, but in the beginning, avoid more fibrous vegetables to give your gut a rest.
- • Cooked vegetables Vegetables must be well cooked and should be peeled. Avoid fibrous vegetables such as cabbage and asparagus, and remove fibrous parts such as the stems of cauliflower or broccoli.
- • Juice only You can use only the juice of fermented vegetables at this stage because cabbage is too fibrous. Try adding 1 teaspoon to soup, ensuring that the soup has cooled to lukewarm so the beneficial bacteria aren’t killed.
CULTURED DAIRY This is allowed at this stage for those who have no allergy to it. Although dairy has gotten a bad reputation recently, for those who can tolerate it, it’s a great vehicle for beneficial probiotics and a good source of protein and fats.
- • Cultured dairy If you have no allergy to dairy, you can add homemade yogurt, cultured cream, or kefir (which have been cultured no less than 24 hours) at this stage.
- • Homemade dairy This is the only acceptable dairy during the intro stage. You can experiment with commercial dairy when you’re on the full GAPS diet, but not at this stage.
- • Intolerance If you suspect dairy intolerance, wait a minimum of 6 months before attempting to reintroduce it.
Yogurt and other cultured dairy add probiotics (if you have no intolerence for dairy).
TEA
Buy a bunch of fresh mint, a “hand” of fresh gingerroot, and natural organic loose-leaf chamomile tea. To make tea, steep 1 tablespoon ginger and 1 tablespoon mint or 1 tablespoon chamomile tea in 1 cup boiling water for 5 or 6 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon raw honey, 1 teaspoon coconut oil, and/or 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice to taste just before straining and serving.