GAPS

Dear Family,

"No Disease That Can Be Treated By diet Should Be Treated With any Other Means.”

- Maimonides

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I've been thinking recently that there are two sorts of people in the world: those who are dealing with significant health concerns, to the point where these concerns pretty much take over their lives...and those who aren't.

Then I thought, there is actually a third group: those whose lives are ruled by their health problems, but they (the people) don't realize it.

Dear Family,

"Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and
feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to cycle and he will realize
fishing is stupid and boring."

--Desmond Tutu

"Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see
the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the
people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you
started is not the same as never leaving."

-- Terry Pratchett, "A Hat Full of Sky"

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The notes that follow are my (Sarabeth's) summary of a talk given by Kelly Dorfman. Any inaccuracies in transcription are undoubtedly my fault, and I apologize for these in advance!

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Robbie was sick and compromised from birth. He lacked oxygen during many hours of labor, and was born barely alive. Afterward, he was limp and listless and would only sleep. For a couple days he was like that, no nursing at all for many hours. There was every indication that he had irreparable brain damage.

When we first started the Specific Carbohydrate/Gut and Psychology Syndrome Diet in 2010, I had a bookcase full of vegetarian recipes, a burgeoning career as a vegetarian chef…and not a clue how to cook (let alone eat) a chicken. The only thing I knew how to ferment was sourdough bread. And for many more reasons than the sheer cooking workload, I was completely overwhelmed.

Dear Family,

"I don't know whether I believe in God or not. I think, really, I'm some sort of Buddhist. But the essential thing is to put oneself in a frame of mind which is close to that of prayer."

--Matisse

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Jemmerisms:

"[I made] a teeny candle, in case you want a teeny bit of light…an' this one is even _tinier_, for those times when you need an even tinier light."

"[The snow] is so pretty, 'cause it's not falling super fast or super slow."

Dear Family,

"There is only one thing people like that is good for them: a good night's sleep."
--E. W. Howe

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Jemmerisms:

“I broke my rubber band...an' now I can do so much cool stuff with it.”

“When you say, 'Do you want your hat, Jem?', you're REALLY saying, 'You should wear your hat.'”

“It's nice, looking at a baby and watching it seeing you and smiling.”

I just listened to a fascinating podcast about (come on, what did you think?) thyroids. And I took notes, which you will find below.

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By Toni Graff

[This is Toni and Ethan's story, compiled by me (Sarabeth) from their own notes and an interview that you can download at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gapsjourney/2011/07/03/toni-graff-healing-… . I am most appreciative for their permission to post this story here.]

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[This is Toraji's story, in her own words, compiled by me (Sarabeth) from
various articles and posts from multiple sources. Her diet has not been specifically GAPS, but is similar enough to be relevant for many people on this path. I am most appreciative for the permission to post her work here; to protect her privacy, Toraji is not her real name.]

Healing Tooth Decay and Remineralizing Teeth
by Toraji