Webster’s dictionary defines the word “gap” as “a pass or way through a range of hills.” I am writing my story after following the GAPS diet protocol for one full year.
I decided to write on this day to share my story of healing – my path through the hills.
For those of you who are not familiar, GAPS stands for Gut and Psychology Syndrome, the bestselling book written by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride MD. It is a natural digestive healing program.
It has been used to successfully treat many diseases/conditions including Crohn’s disease, Ulcerative Colitis, IBS, Autism, ADHD/ADD, Allergies, Depression, Anxiety, Asthma, Eczema, Schizophrenia, and more.
The GAPS Diet protocol rebuilds the gut by healing the damaged and permeable gut lining. This is the root cause of autoimmune diseases.
Managing Ulcerative Colitis With Drugs
At the time, I was receiving Remicade infusions for the management of Ulcerative Colitis.
I had been dealing with this for over 10 years.
Ulcerative Colitis is a type of inflammatory bowel disease characterized by abdominal cramping and bloody diarrhea.
Remicade is not a “treatment; it only manages the symptoms; therefore, it does not address the root problem.
To manage and “hide” symptoms throughout those years, I went through the typical pyramid of conventional medications, beginning with Asacol, Colazol, and Prednisone.
Finally, Remicade was prescribed when a major flare-up landed me in the ER. In the hospital, I was first given the highest dosage of IV Prednisone possible in an attempt to stop the bleeding and cramping.
When that wasn’t successful, they told me the only other option besides surgery was Remicade, an intravenous drug that suppresses the immune system.
It had just recently been approved for Ulcerative Colitis when previously it was only approved for Crohn’s Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis.
At the time, I had never heard of Remicade but I desperately wanted to stop the pain and bleeding so I started infusions in the hospital. I was soon released with directions for further Remicade infusions and a very high dosage of oral prednisone. In about three weeks surrounding my hospital stay, I lost about 15 pounds but I was encouraged by my doctors that the Remicade would get me better.
In time, I slowly tapered off prednisone and per the advice of my gastro-intestinal (GI) doctor, I began taking Mercaptopurine/6MP (another immuno-suppressant drug).
The Remicade indeed “managed” and hid my Ulcerative Colitis symptoms.
Fortunately, I was able to wean off the Mercaptopurine/6MP. This medication is not safe for fetuses and I eventually planned to have a child.
I remained on the Remicade infusions (a 3- hour intravenous process administered in an outpatient hospital setting).
I received these infusions every 8-9 weeks, continuing without any signs of symptoms.
According to the world of conventional medicine, it appeared that I was doing well with my health and Ulcerative Colitis. I had no signs whatsoever of my disease and I went through college and early adulthood “healthy”.
Unfortunately, this is the typical approach by our conventional healthcare system today – give the drug that hides the symptoms to make you forget that your body is at war underneath. And so, I was only reminded of my disease when I went in for my infusions, the drug that disguised my body’s ill state.
Remicade managed my symptoms, bleeding, and abdominal pain. However, I soon realized that I wanted out of the “managing symptoms cycle”.
You may be wondering why would I want to risk flaring, risk spending more time in a hospital, risk more pain and bleeding, and risk facing many health uncertainties.
There were several reasons that surfaced. First, I usually felt “uneasy” during infusions. It’s a difficult feeling to describe.
I never had any allergic reactions to Remicade and so I never needed to prep the infusion by taking other medications that other patients required. Following infusions, I usually felt a little “out of it” and I usually didn’t plan much for the remainder of the day.
So although I never had any direct reactions to the infusion, throughout the years, I became even more troubled at infusion times.
I also had the “uneasy” feeling (it sort of felt like a string was being pulled within my stomach) when I thought about my hidden disease and what my body was going through underneath the Remicade mask.
I guess that was my gut giving me a sign that something wasn’t right. This wasn’t the way to deal with my body’s ill state for the rest of my life.
I tried explaining my feelings when my Gastro-Intestinal (GI) doctor asked me “Why?” when I approached him regarding my desire to heal myself naturally and get off drugs.
I had just begun the health coaching certification program through The Institute for Integrative Nutrition and I wanted to jump on the right track and embark on my own journey for true health.
In addition to the “uneasy gut feeling,” the possible effects of Remicade are very serious. They can include a weakened immune system, infection, liver damage, tuberculosis, and lymphoma (cancer); not to mention the unknown long-term side effects since Remicade was only approved in 1998.
My answer to his question was that I wanted to address the core problem and heal the chaos that my body was experiencing while hidden under the meds. I also was extremely terrified of all the side effects and the unknown future ramifications of the medications.
Remicade is classified as chemo-therapy when billed to an insurance company (each infusion costs about thousands of dollars!) My GI doctor seriously recommended that I continue Remicade.
He cautioned that if I were to stop infusions, I could build resistance and it would not be effective the next time. It was odd to me that he questioned why I would want to stop a “treatment” that was successful.
His approach was to keep his patients on Remicade as long as his patients don’t develop an immediate reaction.
Well, I don’t consider that successful. He also said that he didn’t know about any natural treatments.
He then said that IF I chose to stop Remicade, he wanted me to transition to another oral anti-inflammatory medication.
Of course, that medication came along with another list of side effects. Obviously, we weren’t on the same page and not even in the same book!
My objective was to heal my disease without the dangerous medications that are pushed upon patients too quickly every day. I wasn’t worried about building resistance to Remicade because I knew I wanted to stop putting that poison in my body and never go back.
I decided that I wasn’t going to receive the support that I needed from him. That was the last time that I saw a GI “specialist.”
My Search for Natural Healing
So, that brought me to my search for natural healing.
The role of food, which passes through our digestive system several times a day, was NEVER discussed during the 10-plus years dealing with Ulcerative Colitis.
I was told that I would have to manage the disease by taking medicines for the rest of my life. My former GI doctor mentioned that certain foods may trigger a flare-up but it is different for everyone. I was never questioned about my regular food intake.
Gluten is a well-known digestive irritant but I was never tested for a gluten allergy until I requested the test.
The test came back negative but that didn’t matter to me. I suspected gluten sensitivity in my body. After removing gluten from my diet, the chronic knee pain that I experienced for years dramatically decreased.
I found it very hard to believe that food didn’t play a major role in our gut health. But that is what we are told by most physicians.
Through the program at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, I was introduced to the teachings of Weston A. Price and the true meaning of health with traditional, nutrient-dense, and real foods.
I immersed myself in that lifestyle and approach to life and health. It resonated very deeply with me and my body.
Even though I did not return to my GI doctor, I decided to continue with infusions until I had a clear plan for healing. It was during a Wise Traditions Conference that a good friend talked to me about the GAPS program. She was about to begin it for her own personal healing.
After reading and learning more about it after the conference, I decided that it would be my path to healing.
Next, I consulted with Dr. Thomas Cowan, a physician who utilized the GAPS healing program. We determined how I would taper off Remicade meanwhile implementing the GAPS diet program.
GAPS Diet Heals Ulcerative Colitis
So, I prepared for GAPS. Fortunately, I was living the traditional food lifestyle already, so the transition wasn’t as shocking as I can imagine it could be.
However, there were still many procedures, routines, and foods that the GAPS diet highly stresses and I needed time to consistently incorporate them into my life. After a few months of preparing, I started the GAPS Introduction phase.
As I look back at this year on GAPS, the food aspect was of course challenging. Obstacles, trials, and of days of utter frustrations with food were always present.
It wasn’t easy.
I remember staring often into my refrigerator and thinking “I have nothing to eat!” even though I just spent HOURS preparing food ahead for several days.
Sometimes, especially in the beginning, I just got tired of stock and ferments. One time, I had a minor breakdown over acorn squash! I couldn’t find jars full of acorn squash that I had roasted over the weekend.
I prepared them ahead of time so that I would have some ready for meals during my busy work week. Oh, that was a fun morning, when I realized that I would just need to cook and prepare even MORE food than I already had in the previous days.
I remember bawling to my cat, Lewis, saying “I just don’t want to MAKE any MORE food!”
That happened often in the beginning. Also, a GAPS girl always has to be prepared!
Traveling with lunch bags/coolers, thermoses full of homemade stocks and soups, and my trusty mini-crockpot to reheat homemade meals in hotels was (and still is) a must!
There were many times when I just wanted to have some gluten-free bread (grains are not allowed on GAPS). I often thought, what would happen if I just had one piece? Or what if I just had some roasted sweet potatoes?
Those thoughts definitely flew around in my mind. It was in those times, I had to dig even deeper, and envision my life healed and free of medications. I refocused and kept on.
The most challenging aspect of GAPS, especially during the first 8 months, was my body’s unknown reaction in reference to my previous symptoms.
I had NO clue what to expect while tapering off Remicade in addition to introducing a limited food regimen.
Questions such as “Will my symptoms return?”, “What will I do if they return?”, “Am I ready to possibly go through those severe symptoms again?”, “Will I be able to work?”
Since I had not experienced any symptoms since being on Remicade several years earlier, this was very scary for me. I had read several successful testimonials about healing digestive disease with the GAPS program.
I even found a new friend, a former patient of Dr. Cowan, who healed her Crohn’s disease with GAPS. She was and still is a great support throughout my GAPS journey. However, I was unable to find someone that decided to completely forgo “successful conventional treatment” (which was managing the symptoms of digestive disease) and choose natural healing when symptoms weren’t at all present.
All of the testimonies and stories that I encountered thus far were about taking on the GAPS program while symptoms were present and conventional medications were not managing symptoms. It was scary and I was in the dark.
While I began to taper off Remicade and start the GAPS program, I was also finishing up my health coaching program at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. I was working on building my health coaching business.
I had a lot on my plate, literally!
At the same time, I knew I needed to rest and let my body figure out how to heal. I remember countless days on end (I called them “healing weekends”) when I experienced setbacks. I stayed in the house, wore my pajamas for days, looked a wreck, slept, drank stock, sat in the sun, and didn’t do much at all.
My energy was greatly affected and I lost about 14 pounds; definitely not weight I needed to lose! However, I kept on with my journey, one day at a time, keeping my heart on true healing. I continued on and I began to see improvement.
While I once managed symptoms with the icy cold Remicade infusions, I was now finding true health through the warmth of the deeply nourishing homemade stocks.
Drug-Free At Last
It has been quite a year on GAPS. With any natural healing process, there are ups and downs, plateaus, and hills. It’s a long road. So far, through it all, I can say today that I am doing very well and I trust in my heart and gut, that this is the path for me. I have regained most of my lost weight — a sign of healing.
From the extra nourishing GAPS diet, my triglycerides are a record low! By the way, I am consuming a ton of fats! My energy has also increased. I remain on GAPS and I plan to do so in order to heal completely. I know that I have come a long way but I have more healing to go.
In addition to more gut healing, loads of pharmaceutical drugs throughout the years took a toll on other aspects of my health and GAPS will help in regaining balance with those aspects as well.
As I look forward, I am positive and full of thankfulness. I am so appreciative of all the support from my friends and family this past year.
Their continued love and support have been a tremendous reason for my success so far. In addition, Dr. Cowan’s continuous guidance has been nothing short of supportive and genuine care.
I hope that my story has inspired you to take a step toward natural healing. I truly believe that anyone can take back their health.
If you or anyone you know is dealing with any of the conditions I mentioned at the beginning of my story, I encourage you to read the book Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr. Natasha McBride.
While it is slow progress, it is REAL progress and TRUE healing. It is extremely worthwhile. I wake up and I know that pharmaceuticals aren’t masking my body’s signs and feelings.
We all deserve to be well and to experience optimal health. We CAN get to that place naturally, without pharmaceuticals, with the strength of our bodies and heart, and with REAL, nourishing foods Let your healing journey begin!
For an update on this inspiring story, click here!
More Information
GAPS Diet: Heal Your Autoimmune Disease Now
Overwhelmed by the GAPS Diet? Help Has Arrived
FPIES: Resolving the “Other” Food Allergy
How to Speed Healing and Shorten Time on the GAPS Diet
The Five Most Common GAPS Diet Mistakes
Hannah’s Story: 2 Years on GAPS Diet Heals Autism
Chronic Stomach Pain and Bloating Gone!
As I was reading this I literally felt like I was reading my own story & the struggles that I have gone through with UC. I also just stopped my remicade treatments. I have also recently become uneasy with the drug & what it is doing to my body. Iam curious if there are any updates on how she is doing today & if she is still in remission. Thanks Sunnye
Hi Sunnye – Glad to hear from you! Yes, I am doing very well and still in remission. I plan on writing an update soon. It’s good that you are listening to your body and your gut feelings. That is step #1. How are you doing without Remicade? If you need any guidance or support, be sure to reach out. Sending healing thoughts your way! Hang in there.
Meghan- if the GAPS is too rigorous try the SCD first. Especially if he is a bigger franed person like I am. Also, Slippery Elm Bark, Aloe Vera Juice, and Vitamin E Oil helped me out a LOT. I wasnt able to keep energy levels high enough for me to function daily on the GAPS diet. I find te Aloe at walmart in the laxatives section, the E oil at CVS in the E vitamins section and slippery elm bark at the natural foods/supplements store. These are ALL natural supplements that soothe the colon and helped me out tremendously. The aloe is a laxative so it a little rough if u dont drink it with food.
my husband was diagnosed with U.C. almost a year ago (well first they diagnosed him with Croan’s (this concerned me because they couldnt fully identify which one it was and thus lessend my faith in their diagnosis)) needless to say he has been having flaire ups here and there and more frequently… they put him on Pentasa… nothing seems to be working so I am really trying to find a more holistic may to treat if not cure him… does the Gaps book list full diet recipes etc… Not to say I am lazy but I am the one managing his daily food along with myself and a toddler and often dont have much time to search and search for recipes etc. thank you in advance!
The book does have some recipes Meghan. There are also other cookbooks that you can get and lots and lots of free recipes easily accessible on the internet. (Just type in GAPS recipes.)
The time you put into this is more than worth in in terms of increased health and the ability to do more. I really encourage you to give it a go
Hi Meghan – I would really encourage your husband to do GAPS. It has grand ability to calm things down and move towards healing. I work with many people on this and I can’t tell you what great things we see from GAPS. It may seem daunting, but just start one piece at a time and reach out to a health coach, if you need support. I coach people up to GAPS and through it also, because it is tough and intense! Also, I just want to point out that GAPS foods aren’t just for those needing to rebound from a serious dis-ease. GAPS foods are how we all should be eating anyways. So, this could really apply to the entire family, It is relatively easy (once you learn the tools, techniques and methods) to make basic GAPS meals (which could be for entire family) and then other non-GAPS components could be added in if needed/applicable. I hope that helps. You can do it! And reach out to me if you need some support!
Thank you all SO much for responding today, right now i am extremely emotional, literally an emotional roller coaster due to the taper of steroids I’m sure. I cried for the first time in over a year the other day on the phone with my amazing girlfriend who has been by my side throughout this whole debacle. What are some good support groups, I’m having trouble locating them, and I would deeply appreciate ANY more advice, feel free to email me ANYTIME, since I’m not sleeping well now. I have started taking slippery elm, boswellia, cinnamon, along with Lialda twice daily. Also any tips on joint pain and fighting fatigue while coming off these steroids would be awesome!! I’m SO grateful for your experienced input, it has given me hope again :). Please feel free to email me I would appreciate it greatly.
Oh I have been in your shoes Mikel. It’s such a tough road but I do strongly believe that GAPS is a great foundation. It’s great that your girlfriend is by your side. My now husband was by my side through my previous suffering and now through healing. The support groups are on yahoo. One is GAPSdiet and the other is GAPShelp. Search for yahoo groups. They are loaded with info but I had to be careful not to get too overwhelmed because everyone’s journey is different. Joint pain is indicative of internal inflammation, very very common with an unhealthy gut. My chronic knee pain is DRASTICALLY less since I’ve healed my gut. About fatigue – LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. IF YOU ARE FATIGUED, rest and sleep more. Healing is an energy sucking process. You need to rest rest and rest more. Please stay hopeful. I never thought I would be where I am today without meds. I am optimistic for you too. Hugs to you!
There are a few great groups on FB too that are a bit less overwhelming and very supportive:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/248981575181017/ – GAPS Diet for families – this one is the most active of the two
https://www.facebook.com/groups/thegapsdiet/ – more focused on adults and great support also
WOnderful Susan! Thank you for sharing those resources!
Hi, I’m a 26 yr old former collegiate athlete that was diagnosed with severe UC in the March of 2011, I’ve never really achieved remission, and have gone down a similar path to yours, I haven’t tried Ramicade or anything that drastic yet, but am currently on prednizone. I was hospitalized for the 3rd time over new years due to UC complications and am at my wits end. I cant take immunosuppressants because i react to them. I seem to go into remission when hospitalized due to IV roids but it doesnt last, seems like as soon as i go on oral roids i flare back up. I am planning on purchasing this book today off Amazon in hopes that it helps, if their are any tips you can give me or any advice on what to eat to get started in between now and the time I receive the book I would appreciate it deeply. I want to save my colon so badly!! And I’ve tried everything it seems and am on a pretty strict diet. I discovered my potassium levels are pretty low, probably due to being on roids for the last 5 months. Please any help will be greatly appreciated.!!
Hi Mikel – I’m sorry to hear that you aren’t doing very well. Trust, me I feel your suffering and frustrations. Not knowing what you are currently eating, it’s a little hard to say exactly but I would suggest starting with making meat stock, adding lots of sea salt and adding coconut oil to it. Here’s a recipe for meat stock from this post: https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/stock-vs-broth-are-you-confused/
I work with IBD clients on this all the time, so if you need additional support and guidance in all this, please reach out. I am here to help my fellow gut-healers find healing and be free of this suffering.
Chicken, Pheasant or Turkey Meat Stock
Ingredients
1 whole chicken, pheasant or turkey
2â€4 chicken, pheasant or turkey feet, optional
1â€2 chicken, pheasant or turkey heads, optional
4 or more quarts of purified water
2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
Assortment of vegetables, as desired
1â€2 medium yellow onions
2â€4 carrots
3â€4 celery stalks
Bouquet garni (tie together using cooking twine)
Fresh bay leaf
Fresh thyme, rosemary, sage
Celtic sea salt, 1â€2 teaspoons, to be added in the last 10 minutes of cooking
Parsley, to be added in the last 10 minutes of cooking
Instructions
Rinse chicken, feet and heads in purified water. Cut whole chicken in half down the middle lengthwise. Place these in the pot. Add remaining ingredients. Fill pot with purified water. Allow the pot and its contents to stand for 30 minutes, giving the raw apple cider vinegar time to draw minerals out of the bones. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours.
Add parsley and salt during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Remove the chicken and other large parts. Debone and reserve the meat for eating. It will be delicious. Strain the stock. Set aside remaining ingredients for preparing chicken bone broth (chicken bone stock).
Hi Mikel,
I strongly encourage you to give the GAPS diet a go. I have Crohns and have been on it for a year now. Mid way through last year my gastro told me I was in clinical remission 🙂 – this was after being on Remicade and in danger of further surgery 6 months previously. So it works.
You can have a look at how to start the diet here: Definitely do the intro diet but if this seems a bit much at first, start with the full diet (which is also detailed on the site.) The book is really good to give you further information and an understanding of the science behind it. You have to be prepared to stick to it closely and not cheat to give it a chance to work, but it sounds like you are prepared to do that. You may also find that you need to make a few tweaks to adapt it to you personally. There are a lot of support groups online that can help you when you have questions.
Best wishes. I’m sure GAPS will help you.
Hi Melissa – I’m not sure if this question is directed to me but I have heard a lot more recently on fecal transplants. I’d need to know more before forming my opinion but I think the base purpose makes sense – to repopulate the digestive tract with healthy bacteria from healthy feces…
What are your thoughts on FMT or fecal transplants?
Interesting that people think a diet alone will help a autoimmune disease. I take 6mp for my UC and it has never failed me. If I were the people on this website I would take any diet/new age treatment with a grain of salt. Gina will soon find out that you can only prolong UC for about a year before the symptoms come back as bad as they were before. Not taking a doctor’s advice either is an indication of distrust of society in general. The fact that people take this seriously is actually quite scary. A few things you should know about UC , one it has no known cure/ silver bullet yet. Two dieting can help but doesn’t do anything different than the medicine can’t “covers the symptoms”. Three just because your UC doesn’t come back within a year doesn’t mean that the diet made any difference. In fact since Remicade, the most powerful drug for treating UC, is taken every 8 to 9 weeks its pretty safe to say that its effects can last up to a year. Predisone is that same way. If your UC doesn’t come back in 4 years perhaps there is something to this but until extensive studies have been done with the diet you can’t prove that the diet did anything. TL;DR This diet most likely does nothing and your all being convinced it does. Please for the good of humanity see a doctor and do not trust anything on this website.
I actually feel sad that you feel that way Philip. Your response is quite scary, to be honest. I truly feel for you and hope that one day, you experience a life free from UC and 6MP. Trust me, it’s an amazing feeling. I know it’s scary to visualize it (I never thought it would be possible), but it is attainable. (Also, the half-life of Remicade is 21 days and can vary slightly from how each body metabolizes it. So, I’m not sure where you are getting your information about Remicade effects lasting up to a year).
I am not claiming that diet alone is healing me – but it’s the main part. Pharmaceuticals are not a part. GAPS is a program and one will only heal from disease with a lifestyle change which will naturally differ from the conditions that enabled the disease to brew and show itself. Diet lies at the root of lifestyle. Eating traditional food is by far not a “new age treatment”. It’s how people ate for centuries and didn’t see the myriad of diseases, including autoimmune, that we see today. It’s also interesting how you feel you can predict when my UC will “come back”. As of today, it’s been one year + 8 months since receiving my last Remicade infusion.
I, and everyone else on the GAPS program, are healing, not prolonging. We are taking our health back and rejecting the side effects and long term negative effects of pharmaceuticals, which are thrown in our faces constantly especially with chronic disease. Eating healing and nourishing foods and avoiding unhealthy food is not covering up symptoms and they are, in NO way, similar to pharmaceuticals. In response to “until extensive studies have been done with the diet..”, I wonder if you realize that “extensive studies” won’t ever be done on healing diets? I encourage you to ask yourself, who performs these extensive studies on medications? The pharmaceutical companies have the money for this AND the interest to keep people in the cycle of the current conventional “health care system” – not those who help people truly get well.
I fully encourage people to see a doctor that supports true healing – I do see a medical doctor who does that and sees amazing things from the GAPS program. I see the same, along with many people I know and coach. In addition, everyone SHOULD definitely decide for themselves what to trust. I know I don’t trust those people/companies, such as pharmaceuticals, who are in the business of keeping people ill and diseased. I trust those with other tools in their toolbox.
I debated whether to respond at this length to your response but I felt so strongly, that I decided to do so. I really do have hope for you. I think everyone deserves a chance at true healing – perhaps you will be ready at some point to open your eyes and step out of your comfort zone into true healing opportunities. Best wishes.
Gina, thank you so much for your response. I would like to add something here about faith in healing. I see Dr. Thomas Cowan who is an MD and supports me in GAPS. He has stated in his book and to me to my face that more than anything else, faith is so critical to your healing. He told me he has seen cancer patients completely heal because they changed their attitude towards life in general. There are many approaches to healing and to unanimously state that one is right over another I think is folly. What heals is faith in what you are doing. Many people have healed horrible diseases using allopathic medicine, eastern medicine, praying, meditating, or even a combination of all things. In my belief system, the body gets sick because the soul is out of balance. Blessings to all of us on our healing journey.
Hi Jeanette – very good addition! I agree 100% that faith and confidence is vital to healing. I work with Dr. Cowan as well:) Blessings too and Happy New Year!
I’d like to caution folks about the use of probiotics on this diet. I have been on this diet as prescribed to me by a doctor associated with Weston A Price. Probiotics are not something to be trifled with or go “willy nilly’ into. They can actually seriously disrupt immune balance if not added slowly and properly. My UC actually got way worse because I did not go slowly. This is not die off folks either. My doctor informed me this does not exist and what is perceived as “die off” is the immune system going into overdrive and making inappropriate inflammatory responses. Please be careful in how you add probiotics. If your gut is leaky, this bacteria can actually leak through to blood stream and cause septicemia! I cannot stress enough to go slowly….
Jeanette – Yes, going slow with probiotics is very important!
Amina – Thanks for your comment and for sharing your daughter’s story. I am on the same page with natural approaches. Healing is the only approach – not covering up symptoms. Wishing your daughter continued health and healing!