Why We're Doing What We're Doing

Here are the basics for why we're changing the way we're eating.

I have had severe eczema since I was an infant and continue to struggle with it, I've had little breaks throughout my life where it hasn't been that bad but it is currently moderately severe on my face and neck. I've had IBS since I was 10 and discovered in my 20s that when I limited dairy it helped significantly with my gut issues. When I graduated college I saw many doctors to see if someone could pinpoint a way to cure my eczema and why I was always getting sick and was always so tired. No one could help.

I continued searching for someone to help until I had my first child in 2004. He has reflux that was alleviated when I completely cut dairy out of my diet ( I was nursing). We have always kept him on limited dairy.

In 2007 after the birth of my second son, my IBS symptoms increased greatly. I got to where I was in pain everyday. I also suffered from gall bladder attacks. After many months of tests under a GI I was on the road to have my gall bladder removed when I got pregnant with our third child. She was a surprise blessing in so many ways. Because I was pregnant I reached out of the common western medicine and sought out a natural approach to my symptoms. I started seeing a natural pathologist in 2008. With diet and supplements we were able to alleviate the gall bladder symptoms but my IBS symptoms still reside and are often debilitating. It has recently been suggested by my natural pathologist that I might have a Fructose Intolerance.

My boys struggle as well. Tyler (5) reached a crisis point in his behavior in Jan 2009 leading us to pulling him from his preschool, starting OT and completely eliminating dairy and soy from his diet. His behavior is consistent with a child with ADHD (I also have been dx with ADD). Grayson (2) had chronic ear infections and was put on many antibiotics in his first year. This led to intense diarrhea (up to 12 a day) until he was about 15mo. when we started him on a probiotic and the number of BMs decreased. He still struggles with 1-4 a day.

My husband read the book The Omnivore's Delima and is personally convicted on the idea of buying our meat and eggs from organic, local farmers. He feels that we need to care for animals in the way God intended us to care for them by letting them live and eat as they were created.

The more I read about I current food system and the unnatural way food is by the time it comes to our homes, I am convinced I need to be making most of our food. I know that sounds so extreme and I'm not sure how that will happen but I believe in it.

Here are some of the links that I have been reading and have helped my research:

The Gut and Psychology Syndrome This has been the most helpful. I am planning to follow their suggested diet. The main idea here is that all disease starts in the gut. Heal the gut and you heal the body/brain

Robyn O'Brian's site which talks about our current food system and how it contributes to our most common diseases

The Body Ecology Diet This has also been extremely helpful. I have read her book and it is much in line with The GAP philosophy.

KellytheKitchenKop This is a great blog and where I first heard about the GAPS diet

Cheeseslave Another great blog of a woman with a 1.5 yr old which has given me very different ideas on how to feed Annabelle



http://www.gaps.me/preview/?page_id=20