The GAPS™ Diet

Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride is a physician, researcher and parent of a fully recovered child with a severe learning disability. While seeing patients at her own Cambridge Nutrition Clinic, she observed how a high percentage of them suffered from both cognitive and digestive dysfunction. Her many years of experience led her to propose the name Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS™) to describe the adverse effects suffered by the brain as a result of intestinal dysbiosis.

Our Gastrointestinal Tract is populated by trillions of organisms. This microbiome maintains the structure of the tract and also carries out a number of vital functions associated with digestion, absorption and immunity. Modern influences such as antibiotics, pharmaceuticals, stress and toxic metals can shift this balance between beneficial and opportunistic flora resulting in a condition known as "Leaky Gut." As the name suggests, the intestinal wall develops spaces which allow partially digested food particles, toxins and even organisms to enter the bloodstream and cause great harm.

The brain is especially vulnerable to such threats. Manifestations of GAPS™ include autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, depression and schizophrenia. More recently, Dr. Campbell McBride widened the acronym to include additional areas of the body that are affected. She describes this phenomenon as Gut and Physiology Syndrome. In addition to the brain, toxic substances in the bloodstream also affect joints, nerves, skin and other structures resulting in degeneration and autoimmunity.

Following her years of research and observation, Dr. Campbell-McBride developed a diet that would minimize toxicity and promote restoration of the gastrointestinal lining. The GAPS™ diet consists of seven stages and features foods free of grains, sugars and refined carbohydrates. The cornerstone of the diet consists of homemade meat stock which provides the body with nourishing fats, amino acids and vitamins. Over time, the gut lining is able to rebuild itself so that harmful substances no longer pass into the bloodstream. When this river of toxins is lifted from the brain, those affected are able to regain a great deal of function and in some cases, near normalcy.

The GAPS™ diet is outlined in a book Dr. Campbell McBride authored under the name Gut and Psychology Syndrome. She also oversees a training program for qualified practitioners to help people all over the world to implement this diet.

A Certified GAPS™ Practitioner (CGP) offers counseling and direction that is targeted to your specific challenges. Supplements and lifestyle change are also important components in maximizing the effectiveness of the GAPS diet. Chris Bramich is one of just 20 Certified GAPS™ Practitioners in the state of Texas.