About FPF

The thought of “health” first entered my mind when we found out that my father-in-law had cancer. My whole world was turned upside down at the thought of Cancer running in my family’s veins. I looked at my husband and said we have to make some changes.  I have suffered from debilitating migraines since I was around 13 years of age. Constant battles with depression, anxiety, and fatigue. I have had dark, dark circles under my eyes since I was about 6 or 7 years of age and have had on and off bouts with eczema. I have battled with weight loss, then weight gain, severe IBS,  stomach pains, severe body and muscle aches. I couldn’t roll over in the middle of night without yelping in pain. My husband suffers from severe anxiety, ADD, RLS, and Seasonal Allergies and dairy sensitivity. Jeremy’s overall health has been pretty good!

My sweet boy RJ (age 4) born vaginally with epidural and had all scheduled immunizations, RJ by a few months old had dark circles under his eyes, and we had suffered from severe thrush that we couldn’t get rid of and finally gave up nursing at 2 ½ months. By age two he was suffering from severe constipation and tooth decay. I wouldn’t realize till after diet changes that his extreme word repetition and random loud outbursts as well as his unrealistic, unreasonable, and often anxiety related tantrums were all related to his diet. Oh yeah, and his OCD!  

And Venita my daughter (age 1) born vaginally with epidural and had all scheduled immunizations at first, and then started spreading them apart at 2 months of age. Venita has had sensitivities to me eating dairy, wheat, and eggs while nursing. She suffered from gas and eczema and started developing dark circles under her eyes.

So I started with what I knew and that was that MSG was bad! From there I found out quickly that it was in EVERYTHING!! I soon learned just by eliminating MSG our diets would be incredibly strict. I had known for quite some time that my cousin and her family were on a strict diet of some kind, so I asked to come spend a day in their lives to see how they lived out their daily life on a strict diet. That is when I was introduced to the GAPS diet. It overwhelmed me at first, and at the same time gave me such peace! It seemed as though their life was so simplified! Their shelves weren’t loaded with boxes and boxes of processed foods! It was like a minimalist lifestyle, like they were living in a different time! I loved it! I also learned about the gut and brain connection, Candida, gut health and so forth. Realizing this diet was the answer to the possible cure of all our ailments!! Well I thought you would either have to be crazy to pass this up, or you would have to be crazy to do it! It is an entire lifestyle change. At that time I became completely convicted but I decided to just finish the food in our house, not to waste it. But at that time I was suffering from daily migraines and I knew food needed to change right then for me to even function. So I just got rid of it all!! Gave it to a friend who was fully aware of how horrible all the food was, so I didn’t have to feel too guilty!! Haha! So we went on Full GAPS and started noticing changes within a few days.

The diet was easier than expected, maybe because of my conviction and excitement about it, I didn’t really get into fermenting right away. I experienced a lot of die off right away mainly consisting of massive BO and tingly and itchy skin. We had stayed really steady with the diet for a month and a half, but it quickly took a shift after my Father in-law passed away from cancer. It made travel inconsistent and I wasn’t prepared in that area! So we pretty much fell of fthe wagon at that point and have been working towards getting back on ever since. But I have been hesitant because my milk supply had diminished so much during the diet that I have been worried about going 100% on full gaps. We have stayed consistent with gluten free and processed free in our home still but cheat a whole lot out of the house! And just recently went back on more grains, doctors orders, until I’m done nursing Venita. I have finally decided come January the kids are going on GAPS intro. I want RJ to be able to start pre-school done with intro. I don’t think I will home school at this point since he is dying to go to school!! We shall see what the future holds.

These are some things I have found improved while on Full GAPS  and things that are still improved while sticking to whole unprocessed foods, AND things I have noticed after reintroducing grains.

Me: On diet, increased energy, decreased body aches. It got to the point that I could be on my feet 24 hours a day without a single ounce of pain and I have lived in chronic pain for as long as I can remember. I was often bouncing around the house like a kid, it was amazing!! I went for a 6 mile hike for the first time in my life!! My husband was really worried about me because of all my foot problems of old, and we were both shocked that I made it, it was one of the proudest moments of my life! I quit getting tummy aches every time I ate, before I had often gotten sick half way through eating and couldn’t finish my meal, uck! I also lost over 30lbs, not that I wanted to because I’m not over weight by any means. I can say I have officially gotten rid of my migraines!! It has taken time to figure out all the foods I am sensitive to as well as detox from a lot of those foods, but I can say without a doubt that I cured my migraines and the only way I will begin to get them is if I eat my trigger foods, but hope to heal from those sensitivities all together one day.  Since we introduced grains I have noticed a serious decrease in energy and a small increase in body aches. Wheat gives me canker soars in and around my nose and mild eczema, never realized that was a wheat issue, and my eczema is back!! My depression is not to be determined since I am still on anti-depressants but I am doing well there at least! I still struggled with IBS, but my naturopathic doctor suggested I use a digestive enzyme, as well as get proper vitamins while nursing and have had zero IBS problems since. 

Hubby: Has noticed a significant decrease in anxiety and RLS. I try to keep him on vitamins BUT he only seems to take Calcium/Magnesium when his RLS acts up.. He isn’t totally convinced about the diet, but he is totally convinced about the effects of MSG on all of us, he has noticed clearer thoughts in himself.

RJ: The first thing that me and everyone else noticed was his change in appetite. Greens turned into eye candy for him! He couldn’t get enough of them! He ate sooo good! And never turned food down! His crazy random tantrums went away, his word repetition went away, his bouts with word outburst went away! He was completely regular with his bowel movements. Since reintroducing grains he has become incredibly picky with his food again and doesn’t like greens anymore, doesn’t even like fruit! He has started word repetitions and random word outbursts again. His OCD isn’t a problem anymore, and he only has crazy tantrums if he gets a big dose of MSG or sugar! And has become a little more constipated.

VENITA: Well her little digestive system is getting better and better, I keep her away from all grains other than rice, and the only dairy she gets is from me ;)! Eggs she doesn’t seem to have a problem with. BUT I have noticed since I reintroduced wheat in my diet, she has developed little eczema patches.

I have concluded we all need GAPS, but we aren’t all created equal! So while I have gone back and forth on whether or not to start the kids on GAPS apart from myself due to nursing; I have realized that their healing is going to be way different than mine anyway. I have learned that food is dangerous!! I realized quickly that you cannot judge a single person in this world by the way they look or the way they act! I have learned incredible compassion for people and it breaks my heart to see so much pain in this world that could be helped with a little diet change.

The thing that has changed most in my life and where I gain my passion is the fact that I am no longer defined by my depression. I am no longer just a lazy person! I don’t have to live this way, and I have a choice! I chose health! 

Roland James (RJ)

Venita Elizabeth