Cooking with Aiza - GAPS Diet

Healing with Aiza, my nonspeaking ten year old daughter, has also been cooking with Aiza (with a little help from her little brothers). And it's been cooking for me, the most I have ever cooked in my life!

In September (2025) we found out about the GAPS diet and about how it can be gut healing, especially for those on the spectrum or with gut issues. We haven't followed all of the introduction stages yet. I hope to eventually. But even just skipping straight to the "full GAPS diet" has already been healing. And has really changed the way that I look at and prepare foods. Prior to the GAPS diet, we generally followed a gluten-free, dairy-free(ish) diet. While that did help Aiza, it never seemed like quite enough and behaviors, inflammation and pain still seemed to exist.

The first step was removing pretty much all packaged snacks and foods like gluten-free pretzels, popcorn, tortilla chips, Costco convenient heat and eat meals. This alone made a world of a difference! After a few days of what appeared to be detoxing and accidents in her bed, she was incredibly calmer, more regulated and happy. She began to snack on things she had never ate before like almonds and dates and actually seemed to enjoy the chicken soup I was making, even the broth or meat stock!

The diet takes A LOT of cooking and time in the kitchen and definitely can be pretty strict. But I urge you to consider, especially if you have children further along on the spectrum or gut issues yourself even just cutting out processed foods and snacks and seeing the world of a difference it makes! I feel a lot better myself as well. We are on month 3 of the diet and have had some slip ups (especially around Halloween) But I will post more recipes and progress and tips as we continue our GAPS healing journey :)

GAPS Diet website:

https://www.gaps.me/