My name is Judi Mills and I am a Certified GAPS Practitioner. I was one of the first 160 people in the U. S. to be certified by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride in the fall of 2011 to help people implement her GAPS Nutritional Protocol.
What started my journey? The short story is that our son was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 2000 at the age of 17. As a registered nurse, I knew what that meant--a lifetime of gastrointestinal issues and pain, many medications, low energy, and, very likely, surgeries to remove important body parts.
I was devastated! What was even more devastating is that, although he went through every treatment known at the time (including frequent Remicade infusions) he was not doing well and was developing ever increasing food intolerances. And, so the search began to try to understand this devastating disease--and to try to find ways to help him have a much better quality of life.
I first discovered the story of Jordan Rubin (the founder of Garden of Life supplements), then read Dr. Natasha's first GAPS book (which I knew was a protocol we could never follow!). I also finished my master's degree in nursing in 2004 where I learned how to surf the Web to research and find credible information about Crohn's disease--its cause(s) and treatments. When Dr. Natasha's Revised Edition of the GAPS book was released, I eagerly read that as well--and then heard that she was coming to America to offer certification training to healthcare professionals.
I 'knew' the protocol would work and thought--"here is a chance to find out all about it from the creator of the protocol"! I was lucky to be selected as one of 40 participants at the Chicago session. The sessions were incredibly informative and invigorating.
My new passion in life was revealed! It made sense to me that correcting underlying nutritional deficits and providing the body with the nutrients it needed to carry out all of the complex biochemical processes it needs to do on a daily basis could help. And, if Dr. Natasha's son (who was diagnosed with autism at age 3 and could not talk at that time) could overcome his symptoms of autism to live a full and vibrant life, I knew others could have hope too! Greater energy and a fuller, more vibrant life--it suddenly became entirely possible!
My husband and I embarked on our GAPS journey in October, 2011. We went through an initial period of fatigue and adjustment as we excluded many foods from our diet that we had eaten for years. But, as we adapted to the additional cooking and as our bodies cleared, we found increased energy, better mobility, more joy in life -- and we each lost some 'much-needed-to-be-lost' weight. He lost over 50# and I lost over 30#. (Please note: This protocol is not intended to be a weight loss diet, but is rather one that balances the body through diet and lifestyle changes to become the weight it is meant to be. It can be of benefit to those who are underweight as well.)
We eat better than we have ever eaten in our lives. I often call it -- GAPS Gourmet! How often have I heard that 'great quality food--simply prepared' is the mark of a great gourmet meal. We found out how true that is! I discovered that this protocol really was absolutely 'do-able' -- and that we didn't have to be absolutely perfect to enjoy great progress!
So, I hope that you will consider enlisting my help on your own GAPS journey! I can help you: learn about the GAPS Nutritional Protocol, understand the changes that you can make in your life to enjoy better health, find resources so you can successfully implement the protocol, work with your other healthcare providers if needed, work through challenges you may experience as you implement the protocol, learn how to cook and ferment the traditional foods that are the foundation of the GAPS Protocol, make over your pantry, as well as find recipes to create tasty and health-giving foods. I can coach and encourage you on your GAPS journey. You can do it, too!
What started my journey? The short story is that our son was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 2000 at the age of 17. As a registered nurse, I knew what that meant--a lifetime of gastrointestinal issues and pain, many medications, low energy, and, very likely, surgeries to remove important body parts.
I was devastated! What was even more devastating is that, although he went through every treatment known at the time (including frequent Remicade infusions) he was not doing well and was developing ever increasing food intolerances. And, so the search began to try to understand this devastating disease--and to try to find ways to help him have a much better quality of life.
I first discovered the story of Jordan Rubin (the founder of Garden of Life supplements), then read Dr. Natasha's first GAPS book (which I knew was a protocol we could never follow!). I also finished my master's degree in nursing in 2004 where I learned how to surf the Web to research and find credible information about Crohn's disease--its cause(s) and treatments. When Dr. Natasha's Revised Edition of the GAPS book was released, I eagerly read that as well--and then heard that she was coming to America to offer certification training to healthcare professionals.
I 'knew' the protocol would work and thought--"here is a chance to find out all about it from the creator of the protocol"! I was lucky to be selected as one of 40 participants at the Chicago session. The sessions were incredibly informative and invigorating.
My new passion in life was revealed! It made sense to me that correcting underlying nutritional deficits and providing the body with the nutrients it needed to carry out all of the complex biochemical processes it needs to do on a daily basis could help. And, if Dr. Natasha's son (who was diagnosed with autism at age 3 and could not talk at that time) could overcome his symptoms of autism to live a full and vibrant life, I knew others could have hope too! Greater energy and a fuller, more vibrant life--it suddenly became entirely possible!
My husband and I embarked on our GAPS journey in October, 2011. We went through an initial period of fatigue and adjustment as we excluded many foods from our diet that we had eaten for years. But, as we adapted to the additional cooking and as our bodies cleared, we found increased energy, better mobility, more joy in life -- and we each lost some 'much-needed-to-be-lost' weight. He lost over 50# and I lost over 30#. (Please note: This protocol is not intended to be a weight loss diet, but is rather one that balances the body through diet and lifestyle changes to become the weight it is meant to be. It can be of benefit to those who are underweight as well.)
We eat better than we have ever eaten in our lives. I often call it -- GAPS Gourmet! How often have I heard that 'great quality food--simply prepared' is the mark of a great gourmet meal. We found out how true that is! I discovered that this protocol really was absolutely 'do-able' -- and that we didn't have to be absolutely perfect to enjoy great progress!
So, I hope that you will consider enlisting my help on your own GAPS journey! I can help you: learn about the GAPS Nutritional Protocol, understand the changes that you can make in your life to enjoy better health, find resources so you can successfully implement the protocol, work with your other healthcare providers if needed, work through challenges you may experience as you implement the protocol, learn how to cook and ferment the traditional foods that are the foundation of the GAPS Protocol, make over your pantry, as well as find recipes to create tasty and health-giving foods. I can coach and encourage you on your GAPS journey. You can do it, too!
