Saturday 30 June 2012

A grown-up GAPS Birthday

-an organic shade-grown americano from a local coffee shop
-an early morning walk along a local beach
-brunch with a friend - smoked turkey and stilton cheese on a scone (excused as it was my birthday)
-flower arrangement - lavender and white flowers from my own garden
-an afternoon of sunbathing with a good book
-cocktail hour - vodka, honey, water, and fresh lemons with grapefruit perrier on the side
-dinner - wine, smoked mozzarella, and marinated roasted vegetables and gluten & antibiotic free sausage
-dessert - whipped cream with sea salt and honey on raspberries, strawberries and blueberries
-evening - strawberry daquiries with honey and vodka under the stars


Wednesday 6 June 2012

Summer on GAPS

It's hard!  Harder than I thought it would be.  Who wants to eat broth and well cooked fruit and veggies in June?  I find myself wanting summery things like hamburgers and salads.  Not that a green salad can't be GAPS  legal, but it's not exactly the easiest thing on your digestive tract, and for me summery salads include things like potato and pasta salad.

Not to mention, summer is when all of the troublesome veggies are in season...the nightshade family, the brassica family, stone fruit.  Again, not that any of those things are not allowed on GAPS, it's just they are associated with the health conditions that prompted me to start GAPS.  I've been cautioned against tomatoes, red peppers, eggplant, zuchini etc. because of my arthritis, and apparently veggies like kale, broccoli and cauliflower, and stone fruits like peaches and cherries can adversely impact thyroid function, if consumed in excess.  (And there are things on this list I do tend to consume in excess...peaches, tomatoes....)  I have noticed in the past that sometimes my overall level of health drops off in summer, and lately I've wondered if there is a connection.

I generally try to offer solutions to problems in my posts, but this is more of a whine/lament than anything else, as I don't have the answer.  To me, in terms of seasonality and ease of application, GAPS is perfect for late fall and winter, when you're really craving things like stews, soups, warm applesauce, squash etc. etc.  I guess the advice I would offer potential GAPS dieters is to be aware that starting in the summer months may be tough!