It's so Easy - GAPS Intro Stage 5

The fun in the GAPS Diet Stage 5 is fruit and raw veggies! This is where I run into trouble… because once I start with sugar I pretty much don’t want to stop. Moderation can be easier said than done. A trick that helps is to make sure you are not very hungry when you start eating fruit, and to balance out sweets with fat or protein.

Here are the foods you get on Stage 5:

• All the foods from the previous stages
• Cooked apple
• Raw vegetables
• Juiced apple, pineapple, and mango (avoid citrus)

And here is how to do it:

All the foods from the previous stages
If you haven’t been able to introduce all the foods from the previous stages, you may try reintroducing the foods from those stages, cautiously. Typically people retest a food every week or so along the way.

Cooked Apple
Peel and core your apple and cook it in a pan with a bit of water until it is soft. Then add ghee or any animal fat and mash it up together. You may add a bit of honey to taste. Start with just a few spoonfuls per day, and gradually increase the amount if there is no adverse reaction.

Raw Vegetables
Start with the softer parts of lettuce and peeled cucumbers. If those are not problematic, you may move on to other raw vegetables in small amounts. Carrots, onion, cabbage, etc. Tomatoes may be introduced if you don’t suspect a problem with nightshades. Avoid any starchy vegetables (like potatoes and yams). If diarrhea returns or there are other symptoms, back off of this step!

Juiced Apple, Pineapple, and Mango (avoid citrus)
If the juice from Stage 4 is well-tolerated, you can start adding fruit to the juice. Be sure to avoid citrus.

If you need a bit more guidance on getting all set up to start GAPS, check out these related posts:

• GAPS Resources
• Starting GAPS
• It’s so Easy – GAPS Intro Stage 1
• It’s so Easy – GAPS Intro Stage 2
• It’s so Easy – GAPS Intro Stage 3
• It’s so Easy – GAPS Intro Stage 4
• It’s so Easy – GAPS Intro Stage 5
• It’s so Easy – GAPS Intro Stage 6
• The GAPS Full Diet

P.S. – OK, I’m realizing now I should have been calling this “simple,” not “easy.” Basically, the foods you eat are simple. The list of what to eat isn’t long or complicated. Yes, there is prep work and planning involved. Any time people eat real food that doesn’t come from a box, there is prep work and planning!

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