With the new version of Dr. Campbell-McBride’s book (Gut and Psychology Syndrome™) there was a very important change on the Not Allowed foods list. Originally we didn’t use baking soda on full GAPS™ because in the old book we weren’t allowed to have it (that we could see anyway). So we valiantly worked on methods to make baked goods without a rising agent and did very well – if I do say so myself. But a friend of ours had gotten the new book and in the course of reading it called us excitedly.

She told us we could have baking soda! My first reaction was “Where? Where did it say that?” Well if you look at the book there is a little note tacked on the Not Allowed foods list, and I quote:

“Baking powder and raising agents of all kinds apart from pure bicarbonate of soda.” (emphasis mine)

I was so happy. I bet I did a dance in the kitchen – I’m grinning just thinking about it. Baking soda makes such a difference in baked goods! Were they were really good before now they’re just excellent. But I got to wondering, questioning person that I am, and asked “What’s pure baking soda?”

“Do people sell unpure baking soda? And how do I avoid that?”

Yes there is a technical explanation that I don’t care to copy and paste as I found it a little boring, but you can buy unpure baking soda. Don’t worry that pure baking soda is going to cost you an arm and a leg though. It won’t.

And if you’ve been in your local health food store and seen the price of Bob’s Red Mill™ baking soda don’t hit the roof yet. I’ll be really honest with you – if you go to a health food store for baking soda you’ll spend way more then you need to. Sure it’s safe, and if you feel really uncomfortable using anything else by all means use it! I just can’t justify spending more money on something that should be super affordable.

But what about Aluminum?

Due to a little phrase on the front of Bob’s Red Mill Baking Soda “Aluminum Free” health food people have been speaking out against any type of baking soda that doesn’t say aluminum free. At one point it was important to say this on the front of their packaging because people were using aluminum in their baking soda – but you don’t have to worry about that much anymore. Most companies have made the aluminum free switch, and if your buying pure baking soda it won’t have aluminum in it anyway.

Okay but what about Arm and Hammer™?

I’ve heard several people question whether or not Arm and Hammer baking soda contained aluminum. After all it didn’t state on the front that it didn’t. So from several people I’ve talked to there seems to be the idea that it contains aluminum and should be avoided.

Only problem for those people is it isn’t true.

That’s right Arm and Hammer baking soda is aluminum free! Now you can buy a big bag of affordable, baking soda and know that it’s safe for you and you’re family.

If you’re wondering how I know this know that I’m just brilliant that way. Just kidding. In all seriousness I emailed the company (which if you have a question you should ask them), and here was their reply:

“Thank you for taking the time to contact Church & Dwight Co., Inc. regarding ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda.
In response to your inquiry, ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda is 100% sodium bicarbonate and does not contain aluminum.” (emphasis mine)

So I hope that clears up any questions you’ve had about baking soda, but if you still have a question about it feel free to leave me a comment and I’ll try to answer it as soon as possible.

(The above mention of Bob’s Red Mill is meant to be informative, and is in no way against their company or product.)

This giveaway is closed.

There are several of glass bottles out there on the market now and I’ve been interested in getting one so I started researching glass bottles.

I found all the glass bottle companies that I could, and narrowed it down to two companies that seemed to have good products. One I found at my local health food store, and there were several things I didn’t like about that it. My 2 biggest complaints being the wide mouth jar top and how big around it was, since I have small hands I just knew after picking it up that it just wouldn’t work for me.

Then I found BottlesUp. After watching this video I knew it was the one I wanted to try.

Laurel Herter is the creator of these glass bottles and she’s a glass artist, and in 2007 she decided to create these glass bottles after looking at plastic bottles and deciding by creating a glass one that she could avoid three things:

• the health dangers of plastic
• the volume of trash
• the waste impact of plastic

The craftsmanship of these bottles is what drew me to them. I contacted BottlesUp and asked about the bottles and they sent me 2 bottles to review and have offered to give 1 bottle to one of you, my lovely readers!

Of course I’m excited.

The really neat thing is Laurel had already heard about the Weston A. Price Foundation – it truly is a small world isn’t it? Which makes my first company review all the more exciting and cool. So here’s my review:

When the bottles came the first thing that struck me was the neat packaging. BottlesUp doesn’t use any plastic in their packaging or bottles which further enforced their position on maintaining the lowest carbon footprint possible. Then when I got the boxes open I was blown away by how great the bottles are, but it wasn’t until I washed them out that I really got to see their beauty.

These bottles are a nice weight and come (for now) in 22 oz bottle, that actually will fit in our car cup holders – major plus! Also with the silicon bands around the bottle I’m not afraid of dropping it, and it fits nicely into my hand.

I really like the silicon lid and it has a water tight seal. Trust me on this one I actually filled it and shook it upside down. In the house. Probably not the brightest idea I’ve ever had, but the seal held so it was okay.

The only thing I didn’t care for was the size of the lip. It was a little big, but after using it for a day it doesn’t really bother me that much.

All in all I think this bottle is a winner. And speaking of winners one of you lucky readers gets to win a BottlesUp Glass Water Bottle!

Entering is simple:

1. Your first and mandatory entry is to comment and tell me what your favorite feature is about this glass bottle.
2. Comment on other articles and comment here telling me you did it for an extra entry (up to 2 times)
3. Blog about this giveaway – make sure to mention BottlesUp, Gapalicious, the ending date and a link back to this post.

All the Important Stuff: The giveaway ends on the Sunday, December 11th at 12PM eastern time so make sure you get your entries in! I will be choosing a winner with Random Number Generator. If you are the winner I will contact you on December 12th to get your full name and address so BottlesUp can get your prize to you. Open to the USA only.

As a side note these bottles would be great as a Christmas Gift. Just saying.

Okay, that’s all ladies and gents have fun!

I’ll be posting my Mom’s review of them tomorrow (I gave her the extra one).
This post is linked to Fat Tuesdays, and Monday Mania.

I’ve gotten several questions about whether there will be an Android app of the GAPS™ allowed food list. So I figured I would answer the question.

I’m talking to my development team, and we are seeing what we can do. I will post more as I know more.

I would appreciate it – if you’re interested in an Android app – if you would leave me a comment. I need to know if this investment would be helpful for all you ladies and gentlemen on the diet.

So if you want an Android app please leave me a comment!

I’m a little under the weather lately. Caught it from a family member who will remain anonymous (though you know who you are). Needless to say I’ve had plenty inspiration.

That’s why I wanted to write my Top 10 list of things to do for a cold. Since I’ve discovered all these things through trial and error (and coughing, lots of coughing) I hope you enjoy this post.

10-Sleep/Rest

I am not a nap person, but sleep is an important ingredient for getting better. That’s why you should turn off your alarm (if possible) and let your body sleep. If your one of those people who likes naps -great- go ahead and take one. But if you dislike taking naps with a passion prop some pillows on your couch or bed and relax. Resting this way helps a lot to, and when you don’t feel well you’ll usually end up falling asleep (you’ll appreciate it when you wake up!).

9-Watch favorite movies

The trick to this one is watch movies you’ve seen before, and preferably ones that make you more relaxed not keyed up. Now this may different for every person, like my sister prefers watching Gettysburg and God’s and Generals when she’s sick – it makes her fall asleep. While I prefer Jane Austen or black and white ones. To each their own.

8-Use a Paper Bag

This is an important one, keep a paper bag around you for your tissues. It helps keep your germs in one location, and you’re the only one who should touch it. I know if probably sounds weird, but it really does work. Once it’s full or your over your cold crumple it up or tape it shut and throw it away.

7-Get a Shower

Showers will do wonders for opening up your sinuses, easing chest congestion, and for making you feel human again. When you start feeling like you’ll be joining the ranks of zombies anytime soon it’s definitely time to get a shower.

6-Dress Comfy

When you really feel like crud stay in your pj’s by all means, but when  you start feeling a little better change into clean, comfortable clothes. It may be your favorite pair of jeans and a t-shirt, a comfortable dress or skirt. Whatever makes you feel good. I know this always makes me feel better and for some reason gives me more energy! Always a plus for me.

5-Eucalyptus Essential Oil

I love this trick! If your head is all congested pull out your Eucalyptus essential oil and a carrier oil (olive, coconut, jojoba, etc.). Put a little carrier oil in your hand then 2 drops of eucalyptus then rub in on the bottom of your feet. Repeat this with your other foot, put on socks. You should start feeling more open quickly, doing it before bed can help you fall some asleep a little easier.

Make sure your eucalyptus oil is eucalyptus radiata. It smells the best.

4-Take a Walk

Outdoor air can make you feel so much better. Especially crisp, cool air in autumn. Try going for a walk and see if it opens you up. Just remember to take some tissues!

3-Wear a Wool Scarf

I get terrible sore throats. The kind that makes it almost impossible to swallow, and it lasts several days. That’s why I was so excited to learn this trick – because it works!  You just need a 100% wool scarf. Wrap it comfortably around your neck (just make sure it’s lightly touching your neck at first). It will actually make your throat feel better. During the summer I had a sore throat and I went around town wearing a wool scarf! I probably looked really funny, but it works so well I don’t care.

2-Make this Apple Cider Vinegar Drink

This recipe helps with sore throats, chest congestion, and most importantly infections. When you’re coughing up green phlegm this will help.

1-Fresh Orange Juice with Coconut Oil

Citrus juice is really good for colds when combined with coconut oil. It will have you feeling chipper in no time.

The trick to drinking it is to stir your drink and take a sip; it distributes the oil throughout the citrus (which cuts the oil).

So those are my suggestions. I would love to hear your favorite things to do for a cold, so leave me a comment.

See ya later!

I was a textbook GAPS™ baby.

At the time as far as my parents knew I was normal. I may have been colicky for the first 6 months, struggled with ear infections for several years, and candida overgrowth on and off from age 6, but those were normal health problems for children – right?

That assumption seemed to work until I was 12 and my health began to spiral downward. Like a switch my digestion seemed to stop working. To me it was like one night I was fine and the next I felt so sick I had to stay up until 3 in the morning!

I assumed it was from pigging out on chocolate covered pretzels at the Valentines party we’d had the night before. But what I couldn’t understand was why feeling sick continued even after the party; and only got worse and more frequent.

 Boy, I wish I could go back and tell myself what I know now because it would have saved me so much trouble.

 Unfortunately, at that point, we followed the typical American health model and didn’t really connect my symptoms to the food I was putting in my body on a regular basis. Now it sounds silly to me, since it makes sense that what you put into your body it what’s going to affect it, but back then I really didn’t see the connection.

It was like a bad ride that I couldn’t get off of, and it kept getting worse until almost every night I was up desperately trying to get the gas, discomfort, and constant feeling of a rock in my stomach to leave.

I tried everything I could think of :

• walking
• bouncing
• rocking

To name a few. But nothing seemed to work. I literally had to exhaust myself to get comfortable. So my Mom and I ended up staying awake until 1-3AM every morning for about 4 years. After that I did it by myself since it had literally become a routine – a new “normal”.

During that time we even went to a couple natural doctors but nothing seemed to give me any relief after a month.

Then we thought we found the magic bullet, at 17 I was diagnosed allergic to gluten and casein. I was a little depressed about giving up my favorite foods, but I couldn’t have been more excited about finding an answer. Hallelujah! I hoped all my problems would go away.

 Nope. The gluten free, casein free (GF/CF) diet made me worse.

 At 18, I read Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, but I quickly dismissed it because, I may have had health problems, digestive problems, and weight problems, but “I wasn’t crazy”.

Now my gut was damaged and there was plenty of evidence for me to see, but instead of looking objectively at the data I got offended by the mental problems talked about in the book. I told my mother emphatically it wasn’t me, put it away, and because I was older my mother allowed me to make the call and we continued searching for answers in other places.

At that time all my health problems were:

• Digestive Issues
• Stomach Pain
• Chronic Fatigue
• Chronic Anxiety
• OCD
• Shaking “Episodes”
• Weight issues (overweight)

Shortly after that, mental problems began to pop up one at a time, and within a few months I was riddled with problems and having trouble functioning. It was at this time, though we didn’t realize it until later, that my biggest problem began to emerge and raise it’s ugly head.

At 18 I began to go autistic.

I know that sounds weird, wild, and like I’m making it up. After all how can a 18 year old become autistic*? I had the same reaction I’m sure you’re having, but I believe it happens the same way it happens to a toddler – gut damage and toxicity. (read Dr. Natasha’s book for more info)

The only major difference was I could talk and I knew what I was experiencing wasn’t “normal” or “right”, but I couldn’t change it and didn’t really know what was happening. Until at 20 years old I watched a little autistic boy. I did everything he did.

 And even more scary I could understand him.

Talk about a Twilight Zone moment if there ever is one. It was then that I went and found the DSM-IV criteria for a diagnosis of Autism and of the 12 areas for diagnoses only 6 are required for the diagnoses of autism.

 I suffered from 9.

It was then I had to ask myself these questions.

Why would a 18 year old begin stimming and moving like an autistic child? Why would they lose eye contact? Why would they get mentally stuck and begin to slide back in their maturity? Unless they were going autistic. To me that answer was clear:

You can become autistic at any age.

 With all these problems my whole family was struggling to understand what in the world was happening. We were all lost, but thankfully it drew us tighter rather than apart, and when we watched Dr. Natasha’s video (from the Weston A. Price conference in the U.K.) we all saw our family and decided to go on the GAPS™ diet never dreaming of all it would do.

After just one year on GAPS my health problems have gone from 100% to 15-20%. In one year!

And as of now I no longer have:

• Autism
• Stimming
• Digestive Issues
• Stomach Pain
• Chronic Fatigue
• Chronic Anxiety
• Shaking “Episodes”
• Weight Issues
• Or most of my OCD problems

So that is why I’m on the GAPS diet, why I’m so I’m one happy girl.excited, and why I want to share it with the world. Because it works!

 Why are you doing the GAPS diet? I would love to hear your story.

*I was not diagnosed in the autistic spectrum by a medical doctor and wouldn’t be sure if I was more autistic or Asperger’s. (If there is enough interest in my experience I might do a post later on it in more detail.)

 If you have any questions please leave me a comment and I will try to answer.

Please be polite in all your comments as this is very personal.