GAPS Food Journal: Day Eight
OK I’m really and officially off the Intro Diet now. I ate a salad (raw vegetables) and I had coconut milk and coconut flour. I know, I know, I’m not supposed to start introducing all of this stuff all at once. You are supposed to introduce one new thing at a time.
But I just couldn’t stand more broth and meat — which is why I wasn’t eating enough. Plus my stool is totally normal now. Ideal, in fact. According to the Bristol Stool Chart on the Fiber Menace website, I am a perfect Type 5. Hurrah!
And all you people can stop worrying because I am getting enough to eat now. It is so much easier to eat enough on GAPS when you are NOT on the Intro Diet.
Man cannot live on bread alone, and woman cannot live on broth and meat alone. This woman, anyway.
I made the coconut flour pancakes only I used coconut milk instead of milk, coconut oil instead of butter, and I left out the baking powder. They still came out great!
Here’s Kate eating her pancakes:
Doesn’t she look happy?
Also, I really don’t think I’m reacting to honey or fruit. I put honey on my pancakes this morning and I did not sneeze at all.
So here’s what I ate today:
Before Breakfast:
1 cup beet kvass
2 Biokult
Breakfast:
1 cup organic half-caf coffee, black with homemade almond milk (made from soaked and dried almonds, filtered water, raw honey, vanilla extract and sea salt)
Coconut flour pancakes (made with coconut flour, coconut milk, coconut oil, pastured eggs, and sea salt) served with raw honey
Snack:
3 pieces organic Applegate Farms roast beef
Lunch:
Salad with organic greens, roasted chicken, peas, grated carrot, mushrooms, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and dressed with olive oil and Balsamic vinegar
Afternoon:
2 Biokult
1 large handful soaked & dried raw almonds with a little sea salt
Iodoral, adrenal gland, cod liver oil and other supplements
Dinner:
1 large bowl homemade Thai curry coconut soup with shrimp (homemade chicken stock, Mae Ploy yellow curry paste, about 7 or 8 wild shrimp, coconut milk, and fresh lime)
Very watered-down vodka tonic comprised of mostly San Pellegrino mineral water and ice and 5% (if that) Belvedere vodka
Coconut cream kefir (made with fermented coconut cream, vanilla, and raw honey — I bought this at Rawesome; it’s delicious!)
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20/11/2008 at 2:40 pm Permalink
I’m jealous, that’s all I can say
>
Food sounds yummy! Do you used canned coconut milk?
Kate does looks so happy and serene… it’s all those good nutrients. She’s such a great eater! Hope I have one like that someday.
G
20/11/2008 at 2:44 pm Permalink
Yes, I am using canned coconut milk. I hunted around and unfortunately there is no source for canned coconut milk that does not use BPA in the can lining.
So I’m going to start making my own coconut milk from dessicated coconut. It’s not hard to make and is no more expensive than the canned variety via Azure Standard.
I will post the recipe as soon as I am able.
20/11/2008 at 3:06 pm Permalink
I LOVE coconut flour pancakes. So good with butter, peanut butter, organic fruit spread, raw honey, anything really
. I bet they’d be good cooked in bacon grease too 
.
20/11/2008 at 4:50 pm Permalink
Hi, “J”!
Good to see you!
Wow maybe I should try making my own coconut kefir. Isn’t that stuff DELISH?
How long did it take yours to ferment? What proportions did you use of coconut cream and kefir grains (and honey and vanilla)?
I would love to try making this. This is the first time I bought it at Rawesome. I love Rawesome but I hate how they don’t label anything with prices. I never know what I’m going to end up spending in there!
I have some coconut cream in the cupboard (from Tropical Traditions) but I haven’t used much of it. I tried putting it in my coffee but I didn’t like the consistency/flavor. I don’t really like eating it off the spoon either. But the fermented coconut cream — now that is fabulous.
You know what I would LOVE? A chocolate one. I know, not legal on GAPS. But wouldn’t that be good? Another flavor that might be yummy is peanut butter. Peanut butter fermented coconut cream. Hmmm….
By the way, I overcame my candida overgrowth in the 90s and I ate honey and fruit. I did not eat sugar or maple syrup or anything like that. Only honey and fruit. If I ate ketchup for example, I made sure it was sweetened with fruit juice.
I was also on very strong probiotics. I think if you’re taking Biokult you will heal in time. You can also eat the rinsed kefir grains — which is what I’m going to start doing today. I’ll start with a 1/2 tsp and work up to a few TBS per day (in addition to the Biokult).
Hugs,
AM
20/11/2008 at 5:37 pm Permalink
I’m ADDICTED to the coconut cream kefir that they sell at Rawesome! I eat a spoonful or two whenever I have a craving for something I’m not supposed to eat. It’s totally satisfying as far as I’m concerned.
Last week I made my own using coconut cream and some milk kefir grains I recently started playing around with. I got them from a generous person who originally got them from Dom at http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html, who seems to be the world expert on kefir.
I know that at Rawesome they use the Body Ecology starter so I wasn’t sure if it would work, but it came out beautifully! I have another batch on my counter now. I love the honey vanilla but I’d like to try some other flavors. Any suggestions?
I’m also on GAPS but my issues are mainly intestinal and most likely candida related. I’m not sure I’m supposed to have coconut cream esp with honey. Dr Campbell-McBride says honey is OK, Body Ecology stresses young coconut kefir in their diet. I can taste little bursts of coconut oil in the kefir and I know THAT’S good for me. Anyway, at least it keeps me well away from other sweet things.
BTW, Anne Marie, I’m too shy to sign my name, but I was also at the Wise Traditions conference. We were at the same table on awards night. Hello to everybody else who was there too. I had a great time!
J
20/11/2008 at 5:44 pm Permalink
I cultured the coconut cream for 24 hours. Before culturing I added the seeds which I’d scraped from a vanilla bean and about 1 tbsp of raw honey and about 1 tbsp (more or less) of milk kefir grains to a pint of coconut cream. Put the whole thing in a quart jar because it will expand quite a bit. You have to fish around to find the grains when you are done. You can’t strain it obviously because of the texture – which I LOVE.
When Rawesome first started making it, this past summer, they had samples of other flavors. They had chai, and a savory one with, I think, chives and something else. They also sometimes have one with berries in it. I have tried their unsweetened one but ended up adding honey to it. It rounds out the flavor to create that curious sweet, sour, creamy, fizzy taste unlike anything I’ve had before.
I’ve been on anti-candida diets before too, though this is the first time I gave up grains. I think that’s key with me. I’m not eating fruit though. I’m trying to really beat it this time.
I was up to 6 Biokult per day but I just cut back to 4 because I’ve been including so much more coconut kefir (I also kefir coconut water and drink it thoughout the day).
I’m confused about the probiotics. Some anti-candida programs say you have to really get your yeast count down before the probiotics will “attach” themselves. I’m inclined to think there’s some truth to this because I’ve taken various probiotics for years. Yet, when I had a stool test, the results showed NO lactobacillus growth.
I wouldn’t rinse the kefir grains before eating them. If they are healthy they should have a slimy stuff on them called kefiran. According to Dom: “This gel substance is normal and healthy, and is part of the kefir process. Kefiran has proven to shrink some forms of cancers in mice.” He goes on to suggest many ways of ingesting the grains – adding to salads, baking with them, using instead of eggs in ice cream, smoothies, even a probiotic dressing. He cured himself of colitis by eating them and implanting them in his colon.
20/11/2008 at 5:57 pm Permalink
So how exactly do you get the grains out if you can’t strain it? And why can’t you strain it?
Re: the probiotics. It really depends on what brand you were taking. Most probiotics out there do NOT work. I think the only way to go is something really strong like Biokult and/or eating the kefir grains. I think you do also have to change your diet while you do this or you will see little or no change. The good guys have to get a jump on the bad ones — they have to rise up and overtake them.
I was going to rinse the kefir grains because I’m not supposed to have dairy. I guess it would be OK if I started slow.
Mmmm I just made a quick smoothie for lunch:
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 banana
4-5 TBS of the fermented coconut cream
3 raw pastured egg yolks
It was delicious!
20/11/2008 at 6:09 pm Permalink
Oh yeah, I forgot about the dairy. I’m off dairy too. I’ve just been eating a grain or two here and there when I’m making a new batch of kefir.
I just fished around with a spoon to get the kefir grains out of the coconut cream. The cream becomes really fluffy and thick. I really like the texture so I don’t want to deflate it by straining. Last time, I didn’t think it was sweet enough and added more honey after it was finished. Stirring it up messed with the texture too much, IMO.
Definitely have to change the diet while taking probiotics, I agree!
That smoothie sounds good! Too bad I can’t have unkefired coconut milk, or bananas
Instead I’m warming up left over all-day beef stew. Guess where I got the idea to make that?
20/11/2008 at 9:05 pm Permalink
What exactly is coconut cream?
21/11/2008 at 12:37 am Permalink
Coconut cream is the thick cream that rises to the top of coconut milk. Just like it does w/ regular milk.
21/11/2008 at 2:32 am Permalink
i think i’ll go mix up some coconut cream kefir right now, that sounds amazing!
21/11/2008 at 8:34 pm Permalink
Let us know how it turns out, Maria!
22/11/2008 at 1:46 am Permalink
Excellent content and style…keep up the good work!