GAPS Intro Diet
Whether you choose to follow the GAPS Introduction right away, or after getting used to life on Full GAPS, the intro diet helps to heal and seal the gut lining by:
Providing foods with large amounts of nourishing building blocks for the gut lining: amino acids, gelatin, glucosamine, collagen, fats, vitamins & minerals.
Gently removing irritants like fiber and other substances that may irritate your damaged gut lining while it’s healing
Providing probiotic foods that bring balance to your gut microbiome
Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride recommends going through GAPS Intro for people:
Who have serious digestive symptoms like chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, reflux or mucus in stool, especially those with Chrohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis.
(This includes diarrhea or digestive upset from bacteria, a parasite, travel or a virus)
Who have food allergies & intolerances. Severe damage from a leaky gut is essential to heal slowly and gently through intro.
Children with autism. While serious digestive problems are very common, Intro can be adjusted and moved through more slowly or quickly based on symptom severity.
Kids and adults with severe learning disabilities or mental health challenges
Children & adults with Celiac Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, or Type 1 Diabetes
GAPS 6 Stage Introduction Diet
Stage 1
These foods lay the foundation for nursing the gut back to balance, and are meant to have variety included in the long run. Only stay in stage 1 for 1-5 days, and build in uninterrupted time where you can rest, if possible. Choosing to stagger who is on stage one in your family might be helpful if extra rest is needed.
Homemade meat or fish stock.
• Blend up “nibbly bits,” like cartilage & bone marrow in with the stock for optimal nutrients — try hiding in blended soups if you need to get over the texture hump.
• Try chicken stock if you need an extra gentle & palatable start
Homemade Soup made from homemade meat or fish stock.
• Include meat from stock
• Veggies must have seeds and skins removed & be soft from simmering in stock for ~25 minutes
• Blended soups are a soothing and delicious to lean into here and beyond
Probiotic Foods like sauerkraut juice, beet kvass, kefir, crème fraîche
• Essential to include right away & can be veggie or dairy based.
• Since probiotic foods are highly rebalancing & can evoke a die-off reaction, gradually introduce them to build up a tolerance by starting from 1-2 tsps/day in stock for 2-5 days, then 3-4 tsp/day for 2-5 days, etc until you can tolerate a few tsps of the probiotic food in every cup of meat stock or soup
Ginger or peppermint tea with some honey
Honey Butter, if needed. Enjoy up to a few tablespoons every 15 minutes. This helps keep your blood sugar regulated as you’re adjusting to your eating shift, and provides the body with fat-soluable vitamins A, D, E, K and will support you in sustaining energy. After some time following GAPS you or your child will naturally crave this less
Stage 2
Follow anywhere from a week to months+. Dr. Natasha considers this to be the most healing stage.
Continue with previous foods & gradually add:
Raw organic egg yolks, try a soft-boiled egg in stock once yolks are tolerated
• If you’ve been previously sensitive to eggs & pass the sensitivity test, consider steadily increasing a tsp at a time over a few days
• gradually increase until you’re having a yolk or more with every cup of soup or stock
Stews and casseroles with meat and vegetables can be made with fresh herbs, but not spices just yet
Increase daily amounts of homemade ferments - sour cream, yogurt, kefir, vegetable medley, beet kvass, sauerkraut juice
Fermented Fish - start with one piece per day and increasing gradually.
Homemade Ghee
GAPS Shakes - can be added here to help relieve constipation
Stage 3
Continue eating previous foods & add:
Ripe Avocado - introduced gradually in soups
Nut or Seed Butter Pancakes
Eggs gently fried or scrambled with lots of ghee, goose fat, pork fat or duck fat
Cooked Onions - in lots of fat of choice, covered for 20-30 minutes (helpful for your digestive & immune system)
Sauerkraut & Fermented Vegetables. Start with a small amount & gradually increase to 1-2tbs per meal
Stage 4
Eat all previously tolerated foods & add:
Broiled & Roasted Meats, gradually added
Cold Pressed Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil to meals
Freshly Pressed Juices, beginning with a few tsps of carrot juice (if GAPS shakes have not already been added)
Seed or Nut Flour Bread: Start with slowly with seed flour from sunflower or pumpkin seeds if you’ve had a previous seed & nut intolerance. Don’t let bread stop you from moving forward! Feel free to progress to the next stage if everything but nuts or seeds is working for you. You can always come back to it, later.
Stage 5
Keep up all previously tolerated foods & add:
Cooked Apple in a puree with lots of ghee
Raw Vegetables starting with softer parts like lettuce & peeled cucumber
•You’re not ready for this if diarrhea or constipation starts up.
Add Fruits to Juice like apple, pineapple & mango to juice if carrot, celery, lettuce & mint juice is already tolerated
Stage 6
Continue with all foods & add:
Peeled Raw Apple
Other raw fruits & veggies
GAPS Cakes & Other Sweets (as an occasional treat)
People move through the GAPS Intro Diet based on what their body tells them. You may progress more slowly or quickly depending on how you or your child reacts.
Once you’ve progressed through the stages, and you’re stool is pretty much normal you’re ready to move on to the Full GAPS Diet. Keep eating soups and stocks at least once a day on Full GAPS.
