“Recent research has discovered that **90% of all cells in the human body are in our gut flora!
So our bodies are just a shell — 10%.
A shell,,,, a habitat for lots of microbes that live inside us. And I’m afraid that they’re in charge, not us. They’re very much in charge.
Their reach is not just in the digestive system.
They reach to every organ, every cell, every tissue in the body — no matter how far away that organ might be from the digestive system.”

What is GAPS ?

GAPS stands for Gut and Physiology Syndrome / Gut and Psychology Syndrome. At its core, it’s a holistic approach to health that views the gut as a key foundation for overall wellbeing. Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria that have evolved with you—working constantly behind the scenes to support digestion, regulate your body’s internal environment, and play a vital role in overall health.

When digestion and this internal ecosystem are well supported and balanced, the rest of the body can function more smoothly. But when the bacteria in the gut is out of balance, it may influence more than just digestion—potentially affecting immunity, skin, mood, behavior, and overall wellbeing.

— Look after your bacteria, and they will look after you
— when they flourish, you flourish!

The GAPS concept was created by Dr. Natasha Campbell Mcbride (MD) Neurologist and Nutritionist as well as creator of the GAPS Diet Protocol. Through her pioneering research and extensive clinical experience she observed that many people with chronic physical and mental conditions also had digestive disorders and gut imbalance.

When the gut was healed and balance within the body improved - their symptoms would dramatically improve too.

Why GAPS matters

The Gut-Body and Gut-Brain connection matters because it highlights how supporting your gut health can play a role in your overall wellbeing -

AKA : You have a huge level of influence over the environment inside your body!

Your gut is your first point of contact with everything that enters it through food and drink. It plays a key role in
- digestion
- nutrient absorption
- and interacting with the body’s natural defense systems

The condition of your gut can greatly affect
how well your body nourishes and supports itself!

When the gut is under constant stress from poor diet or lifestyle, the body can gradually adapt to a less balanced state over time and may become less effective at digestion, nutrient absorption and defense systems. When the digestive system is undernourished or bacteria is out of balance, it can also influence the production and regulation of important compounds created in the gut from our bacteria mates that help support hormones, immunity and overall body communication.

Because the gut plays such a central role in how the body processes nutrients and signals, imbalances in the digestive environment may also be reflected in other areas of the body. For some people this can show up through changes affecting the skin, colon, liver, lungs, kidneys, as these systems all work together to help maintain balance and remove waste products.

Over time this adaption can become the bodies new baseline and when the scales tip too far, its ability to maintain resilience declines - leaving the system compromised despite how hard your body has been working to keep balance.

The GAPS approach focuses on changing the environment. By prioritizing simple, nourishing foods and gut-supportive practices, the goal is to —

Create better conditions for the body to Restore Balance
& support its own Natural processes, improving long term overall Well Being

The human body is the ULTIMATE BALANCING MACHINE!
how cool is that?
she works hard behind the scenes to keep everything balanced.
even when conditions aren’t great, the body adapts and manages to survive
When the conditions are supportive and healthy,
the body can truly thrive!

What is the GAPS Diet ?

The GAPS Diet is split into 2 protocols:
1: GAPS Introduction Diet
2: FULL GAPS Diet

The GAPS Introduction Diet is the most structured and restrictive stage of the GAPS approach. It is often recommended for individuals experiencing significant digestive challenges, behavioral and mental conditions, auto immune disorders etc.
or simply those wanting to take a deeper, more focused approach to restoring gut balance.

During this stage, foods are introduced gradually and in a specific order. The diet begins with properly prepared meat stock and other very easy-to-digest foods. Additional foods are added slowly and intentionally in stages, while paying close attention to how the body responds. There are 7 stages to progress through at your own pace - depending on how the body reacts to the foods being introduced.

If certain foods appear to trigger discomfort or symptoms, the approach is typically to return to the previous stage and focus on the foods that feel most supportive. Then Introducing the food again when the body has built more resilience. This slower progression allows the digestive system time to adjust while continuing to receive nourishing, traditional foods.

Once a wider variety of foods can be tolerated comfortably, people generally transition to the Full GAPS Diet, which includes a broader range of DELICIOUS nutrient-dense foods prepared in ways that support digestion.

The Full GAPS Diet is often followed comfortably for an extended period, commonly around two years, although the exact timeframe can vary depending on individual preferences and circumstances. Some people choose to continue elements of the approach longer because it provides a wholesome and balanced way of

eating simply, intentionally and deliciously!

At the end of the day, wellbeing is about balance. When we create an environment that supports the body, it becomes easier to enjoy life
- including those moments when we relax and indulge a little.

The body is better able to handle when you let your hair down
- if you tye your hair up too!

How the GAPS diet works

The GAPS diet works by focusing on supporting digestion and restoring balance in the gut through a nourishing diet and lifestyle principles. Its success is greatly affected by your ability to do the GAPS Introduction Diet correctly, although you can still enjoy positive results on the more relaxed, family friendly FULL GAPS protocol.

At the beginning of the protocol, the focus is on simple, gentle foods that are easy to digest and rich in nourishment.

These foods — such as properly prepared MEAT STOCK and other traditionally prepared meals — provide nutrients in forms that are generally easier for the body to process while placing less strain on digestion.

Starting with only “HEALING and SEALING” foods allows the digestive system time to settle while still receiving nourishment to rebuild.

Think of your digestive system like your home’s plumbing. When pipes are overworked, neglected, and exposed to buildup, bacteria and harsh chemicals, things slow down.
Flow drags. Pressure builds. Issues start to show.

You wouldn’t keep pouring more down the drain and hope it clears. You’d stop. Ease the load.
Flush the system so everything can move freely again. Then you’d seal any leaks before turning the pressure back on.

Your gut is no different. When it’s overwhelmed, the solution isn’t more pressure—it’s to reset, restore flow, and repair the system.

1. Healing and sealing the gut lining - When the gut barrier becomes weakened and compromised, small openings may develop in the lining. This can allow microbes, undigested food particles, and other substances to pass into the bloodstream and reach places in the body where they are not normally meant to be. This can place additional stress on the immune system and may contribute to inflammation and imbalances that can be like a domino, affecting different systems of the body, including organs, glands and the brain.

   The GAPS approach therefore focuses on nourishing foods first, especially meat stock - to help heal and seal the lining, followed by a gradual and structured reintroduction of additional foods. By introducing new foods slowly, properly prepared and only once symptoms have settled, the digestive system is given time to adapt and rebuild strength and tolerance. This step-by-step process aims to support long-term digestive balance and overall wellbeing as well as giving you the best chance to enjoy all foods symptom free in the future!

2. Balancing gut environment -Fermentation produces live cultures and bioactive compounds that research suggests can interact with your gut microbiome, helping to increase microbial variety and resilience — often considered a marker of a healthy gut ecosystem. These compounds may also influence markers of inflammation and immune activity.

   The GAPS approach uses fermented foods strategically to support this balance, helping beneficial microbes thrive while creating an environment that discourages less helpful ones.

3. Lifestyle - The GAPS diet isn’t just about the foods you eat - lifestyle habits play an important role in supporting the gut and overall wellbeing. Throughout the protocol, GAPS encourages practices that help reduce environmental stressors and support the body’s natural detoxification processes. This includes prioritizing quality sleep, managing stress, staying active and limiting exposures to unnecessary toxins.

By combining these lifestyle practices with nutrient-dense, gut supportive foods, the body is given the best chance to;

‍ ‍ - Restore balance
- Achieve deeper healing
- Improve digestive function
- and Maintain long term health

How is the GAPS diet different to the Deetox ME Pack ?

Think of the GAPS diet as the FULL POWER, NUTRIENT-PACKED plan for your gut and overall wellbeing.
The Deetox ME Pack is more like a gentle warm-up — it supports your body’s natural processes, draws inspiration from GAPS-style principles rooted in traditional wisdom, and gives you tools for your healing handbag that you can always revert back too.

The Deetox ME Pack also sets you up for success if you decide to move into deeper healing with the more structured and restrictive GAPS Introduction Diet that is known to achieve great results!

The Deetox ME Pack focuses on turning the tap off
reducing pressure and clearing buildup.
The GAPS protocol focuses on sealing the cracks in the plumbing while helping clear the pipes.
Together, they work to restore flow and create a balanced, supportive environment.

How can Dee support you with the GAPS diet ?

Dee is a certified GAPS Coach and can support you with all your GAPS needs or point you in the right direction. If you are already familiar with GAPS and need some support navigating the book, Dee has been trained by Dr. Natasha Campbell Mcbride to make the experience digestible and easier to apply in your everyday life.

It starts with reading the Gut and Physiology Syndrome book and Gut and Psychology Syndrome book by Dr Natasha Campbell Mcbride. The books can be information rich.

Dee is here to support you

Your digestive system contains a natural protective layer known as BIOFILM,
which coats the lining of the gut. This layer is created and maintained
by the balance of microbes living amongst it in the digestive system.

Biofilm acts as a protective barrier,
helping keep microbes from directly contacting the gut lining.
When we support an environment where beneficial microbes can thrive,
this natural barrier is better supported.

You can think of the biofilm much like the soil in a garden.
The quality of the soil influences everything that grows there.
The roots, plants, fruits and flowers all depend on healthy soil,
and the many microbes living within it each play a role in
maintaining balance.

Even microbes that are not always considered beneficial
still have a place when they are kept in balance. For example,
small amounts of certain yeasts or opportunistic microbes
may exist in the gut just as worms, microbes
or even weeds exist in a garden.
When the soil is healthy and balanced,
they remain under control and do not cause problems.

But if the conditions begin to favour them, they can quickly spread and start taking over the garden, crowding out the healthy plants. Over time, the garden can become imbalanced, under nourished, depleted = leading to poor growth and low-quality yields.

A similar imbalance can occur in the digestive system. If the microbial balance shifts and less beneficial microbes begin to dominate, the biofilm layer may become weaker and the barrier can become less effective. When this happens, the gut lining may become more vulnerable to irritation making it easier for microbes and their by products to penetrate into the gut wall.

Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride often explains that when the gut lining becomes compromised, it can begin to act “like a sieve” with many holes. In this state, food may not be fully broken down before it passes through the intestinal wall.
Instead of being properly digested first, partially digested food particles can pass through the LEAKY GUT and enter the bloodstream.

Until the integrity of the gut lining is restored, even foods that are normally considered healthy may not be processed in the way the body expects, because they are entering the system before digestion has been properly completed.

— creating a river of toxicity every time you eat.

The GAPS Protocol focuses on supporting the repair and integrity of the digestive lining while encouraging an environment where beneficial microbes can flourish,
& in turn so can you!