This year I mentioned some minor GI complaints to my doctor, who suggested trying a low FODMAP diet which is all scientific, and stuff.

Cool, but I have a fair bit of experience with low carb diets, and have considered going Paleo many times. As such, I'm comfortable being grain-free for the most part. I do cheat. A lot. ANYWAY. I discovered the paleo Autoimmune Protocol, which looked like a fun tough interesting challenge, and I'm not really halfway there already, as a low carber. In addition to grain, I have cut out a lot of dairy as I'm not big on cheese, and milk products tend to disagree with me. That doesn't stop me from eating ice cream by the pint (and usually regretting it later, but still doing it again and again ).

I mentioned all of this in passing to my therapist, who suggested GAPS. Said therapist was a big believer in the hypothesis that there is a gut-brain connection and that I could possibly improve my mental health and IBS-type symptoms at the same time.

Looking more closely at the GAPS diet, I'm not convinced that the author is someone whose advice I want to completely follow. It seems pretty woo to me on one level, but on another level hey it's just food. I have to eat either way, so it won't hurt to try eating soup and homemade yogurt... and sauerkraut juice. This is where she starts to lose me. Homemade everything. Nothing in cans, not even sardines, which are really really good for you imo and pretty much only come in cans. And don't get me started on the fermenting. At home. Home-fermented yogurt, pickles, sauerkraut, kefir, beet kvass. The list goes on and I can't help but think about Emily and Dna, and of course Therese, which gives me a chuckle.

So I'm going to do all three diets at the same time, which leaves a very short list of acceptable foods. Low FODMAP rules out most dairy, some grains, onions and garlic, honey, apples, many many other fruits and vegetables. Once you've eliminated everything as prescribed, you start adding things back in and watching for reactions and proceed accordingly. AIP rules out eggs, nuts and seeds (which covers most spices), refined sugars, nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant). GAPS disallows dairy & eggs to start, but they're reintroduced fairly quickly. No sweetener except honey.* Also grain and "starchy" vedge. The author is a bit vague and contradictory about that one, allowing and disallowing some unexpected foods. I want to look into it a bit more, but I've decided not to buy her book because her advice is precisely so confusing that I don't think her book will provide much clarity.

But I'm going to accentuate the positive! I can have all of the chicken, beef, seafood I want. Preferably grass-fed, free-range, etc, but I can't afford that. I will definitely look more closely at labels and avoid additives. GAPS and AIP seem to frown on pork, but I love it and it's affordable right now, so I will be eating a lot of it. Between the three diets, pretty much the only produce I will have in the beginning are carrots and leafy greens. I studied the food lists with one eye on my low carb habits, so there may be more that I can have but that hasn't registered with me because of the carb content. Also, the more gelatin and bone broth, the better. Here is where I roll my eyes for Sparkling Lauren, because she once put out a request for bone broth on social media when one of the kids was sick.

This is my new years resolution. I'm stocking my pantry and pinning lots of recipes in preparation for January 1. I have a collection of mason jars and a freezer full of bones. Found a cheap source for lard made inhouse at a local supermarket, although it's not grass-fed. Mason jar fermenting accessories are on their way. I'm also thinking about how to replace my current favorites with allowed substitutions, so I don't feel like I'm suffering. Nothing is worse than quitting ice cream and soda and not having anything to fill that void. I think it will be a fun challenge, and I give myself permission to adapt as needed or even to quit if I feel like it's not working out.

Now I'm off to try water kefir for the very first time!

Here is a very timely slideshow about food trends for 2017. Half of those items are from one or another of these diets. 

*I will be using maple syrup and evaporated cane juice (aka azucar morena at my latino market--and it's cheeeeeep) as my sweeteners, because they're low in FODMAPs and minimally processed, so mostly paleo-approved. I'm interested to try piloncillo from the latino market, too, (which is the same as jaggery if I'm not mistaken), but I really shouldn't have much sugar at all, and I'm not quite sure how to work with sugar in solid form.