Gina Giarmo, M.Ed.
Certified GAPS Coach
NTP in training
My goal is to teach you how to help your baby’s body heal & grow with nutrient-dense, delicious foods and simple lifestyle shifts that will leave you and your child feeling empowered and joyful.
Baby GAPS Supports:
Early Gut Development: Once baby starts showing interest in food other than breast milk or formula at around 4-6 months, starting Baby GAPS is a wonderful way to set your baby’s tastebuds towards nutrient dense foods. By focusing on nourishing, gut-healing foods and avoiding potential gut irritants at first, the diet contributes to a balanced and thriving microbiome right from the start.
Gut Healing: Baby GAPS prioritizes gut healing by addressing issues such as leaky gut syndrome early on that may have been already jumpstarted by exposure to toxins including medications or vaccines. This proactive approach helps to build and maintain a robust gut lining, preventing harmful substances from entering the bloodstream, and fostering a diverse and balanced gut microbiome.
Immune System Support: A well-balanced gut microbiome, nurtured through Baby GAPS, contributes to the development of a strong and responsive immune system in infants. This support can reduce the risk of allergies, infections, and autoimmune conditions as the child grows.
Digestive Wellness: The diet's focus on easily digestible, nutrient-dense foods in Baby GAPS encourages optimal digestive wellness. It minimizes the chances of digestive discomfort, gas, and bloating, ensuring a smooth transition to solid foods.
Check out this Baby GAPS weaning protocol straight out of the yellow book (p352).
*This is for you to get a general overview of how Baby GAPS works and is not a substitute for reading the book.
Following Baby GAPS is one of the most instrumental ways you can help foster balanced gut microbiome for your baby.
How to Get Your Infant Started on the Baby GAPS Diet
Baby GAPS begins when your baby starts showing interest in food other than breastmilk or formula around 4-6 months, and can last until your baby is at least 1 year old. The amount of time on Baby GAPS depends on the needs of the child and family. It can extend if a breastfeeding parent is also on Full GAPS, or if baby needs more healing after 1 year. This extended period provides ongoing support for gut healing and immune system strengthening.
Parents' health plays a pivotal role in shaping their baby's microbiome. If either parent has a history of digestive issues, allergies, mental health concerns, heart conditions, chronic pain, fertility challenges, skin conditions, or recent medication use, Baby GAPS is a helpful start for food introduction. With Baby GAPS, parents can address potential genetic and environmental factors that might affect their child's microbiome, thereby setting the stage for a healthier start in life.
By emphasizing gut healing, immune system support, and digestive wellness, Baby GAPS provides a strong foundation for a lifetime of better health and well-being.
You don’t have to do this alone, and I’d love to help. Together, we’ll:
1
Learn about your goals.
We’ll talk about your baby’s current symptoms, and flexibility to make changes
2
Meet your needs.
We’ll choose which version of GAPS works for you and get you everything you need to be fed well & succeed.
3
Make some shifts.
We’ll start your plan & pay close attention to your baby’s symptoms, shifts & next steps.
How I Got to GAPS
Some of my earliest memories are standing on a wobbly stool, mixing and measuring with a family friend who taught me how to cook from scratch. Raised as a vegetarian before it was cool, I transitioned to a mostly vegan diet while living in a housing co-op as a student at UC Berkeley where I studied psychology. That’s right when my health began to take a nosedive.
After graduating, I helped launch, “The Farmhouse,” a co-op in Berkeley, where we raised two dozen chickens. During these years, I explored a career as a children’s cooking teacher, worked as an intern with The Good Food Awards, and helped small farms and food businesses raise money as a food and farm focused crowdfunding consultant. Then one day at age 26, I couldn’t get myself down the stairs.
My whole life I thought it was normal to have aching, unstable joints, to be bloated after eating, to have trouble remembering words and struggle with depression and anxiety, along with an eating disorder. When I correctly diagnosed myself with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, an acupuncturist & naturopath begged me to start eating meat. So I finally made myself a batch of meat stock.
After the first sip, my brain turned on in a way it never had before. I spent the next few months slowly incorporating stews and probiotic foods into my diet, until I garnered up enough strength and healing to begin teaching preschool.
I discovered the GAPS protocol when I was working with a nutritionist while getting my master’s degree in education and teaching elementary school. I was so exhausted, I could barely get through the day and crashed the second I got home.
After nine months of trying GAPS all on my own, I enlisted the help of a GAPS coach. I relearned how to cook, and have found ways to keep homemade cooking sustainable with a busy schedule. With my coach’s support, I healed my chicken egg and dairy allergy, and experienced the first of many pain free days.
After supporting friends through GAPS, and dealing with the repercussions of sugar crazed students, I decided to turn my passion for nourishing food into a career. With my background as a teacher, I’m particularly good at helping families make the switch to a more nutrient dense diet and keeping it fun for kids. I’ve experienced first-hand how this protocol can change lives, and am dedicated to helping others on this journey.