Microbiome, Fasting, and GAPS reflections…

I was reflecting on how I’ve changed since the 30 day water fast back in September/Early October… how my relationship with food and nourishment has been simplified and clarified. I know a lot of people would look at how I’m eating and think it is restrictive, but oh my goodness, I can honestly say I have never been more excited by or satisfied by food in my entire life.

So here’s the jist- beautiful homecooked meat stocks, delicious blended soups, full fat raw milk yogurt, kefir made with half-and-half and heavy cream, krauts galore, organic/non starchy veggies and fruits (lemon, tomato, avocado, etc.), aged hard cheeses, rich salad dressings, certain sprouted/soaked nuts, & seeds, pasture raised meats (I am curious about organs, though I haven’t prepared them), cold pressed olive oil, ghee, herbs/spices, and other animal fats. This is a pretty extensive list. The complexity in the fermented foods enhances each meal exponentially. What isn’t on the menu is starchy foods, sugar, and processed anything.

This is like a cancer-modified GAPS diet approach. The GAPS diet allows for raw honey and certain fruits once the gut has sufficiently healed. I’ll likely leave the sugar/fruits off the menu until I’m at NED (No evidence of disease) status for at least several months. I feel like my whole life I was chained to bloat, a certain amount of overweight, low grade chronic inflammation, and emotional addictive overeating tendencies. Around Covid, I developed a penchant for drinking ciders, and the steady consumption totally undermined my microbiome creating some yucky digestive symptoms. I didn’t really know or believe just how out of whack things were. My gums would bleed when I’d floss- this can often be due to chronic inflammation. I think I just had so much sugar coursing through me all the time from all the delicious bread, beer, treats, etc that my blood was running too hot and mucking up essential processes. No matter what herbs or supplements I added, I don’t think my body would ever come back into balance unless I got a handle on the sugar situation. This has changed the way I feel about my practice, too- in counselling patients. I know more than anyone how strongly the sugar roots can be- but when we have the epiphany, change our mind, and change our behaviors- we can enjoy a new reality.

I think a lot about the microbiome. Not only are sugar and processed wheat/grains highly addictive, they can also generate “damp heat”. In a TCM perspective- damp heat is like all things stinky, hot and infected. Certain microbes that crave sugar/starch can wreak havoc on the balance of microbial communities in the gut. We require MANY different types of microbes to operate optimally. The sugar eaters are like meth head squatters. They only care about their next hit and pay no attention to the mess they make. Over time, toxicity can accrue and then you get these damp hot phlegm balls – a way Chinese medicine looks at certain kinds of tumors and growths. Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, GAPS diet creator, describes cancer as a “parasite nest”- I have to think more about this, but it is a compelling notion.

To her and many other physicians throughout history, the origins of disease can be linked to the gut. Our ability to absorb nutrients properly depends on the state of the walls of the digestive tract. Being exposed to unhelpful microbes through food, our parents when we are little, or even after a round of antibiotics can disrupt the protective microbiotic balance. These unhelpful microbes make us crave foods that do not take the whole of us into account. Many of these highly processed, starchy, and sweet foods schmear the walls of the digestive tract with suffocating and irritating substances. And since these foods are addictive, people tend to eat a lot of them on a regular basis. The gut wall gets sick. Things get stuck and putrefy. The poor intestinal cells can’t do their job to keep the toxic contents of out of the rest of the body. Unprocessed bits of food get into the blood stream and the immune system goes WTF is that- you end up instigating an immune response because your gut wall is leaky.

This is how Dr. Natasha explains autoimmune disorders. The answer is always the same- heal and seal the gut, reestablish healthy microbes, and watch the symptoms disappear. The hard part is changing your life. Or thinking things are better than they actually are. Meat stock is a central aspect of the GAPS diet because it is so nourishing and healing to the gut… there are phases of food introduction for people of varying sensitivities, and the goal is to eventually be robust enough to enjoy what you want freely and without suffering. We have to get back in touch with our instincts for this to happen- a healing journey in itself! She teaches that we must trust our noses, our taste buds, or desire for the most appropriate information for us- I really like that. The body is a miracle, and building trust with it by heeding its messages is something we should all strive for.

Something major I experienced during/after the fast was die off. This will be TMI for sure, but my okole was ITCHY. I had some gas. It didn’t last forever, thank goodness- but I think that all these little fellas who were used to getting a regular meal got pissed because the gravy train was over. During refeeding when I started eating kefir, yogurt, and kraut regularly, the symptoms totally resolved. I look forward to my meals, I look forward to my fasts… maximum enjoyment and gratitude!! <3

NATTO

I made Natto last night! I had to soak the organic soybeans for 12 hrs, then I cooked them for 70 minutes under high pressure, they cooled a bit, I mixed up the Natto spores with some boiled/cooled water, mixed that with the soybeans, and then I fermented it at 105-108 degrees in the Instant Pot for 22 hrs. The result was oh so stretchy, stringy, slimy perfectly cooked beans. The texture is next level. The flavor is gentler than I was expecting- maybe I could ferment it for longer next time.

Health Update

I had my port installed 12/1 and my first chemotherapy infusion (AC) on 12/5. It was a Friday, and I had fasted from Tuesday night until Saturday morning. I opted out of this really strong steroid called dexamethasone that they often employ to combat nausea. I didn’t want to do it for a few reasons- fasting can lower the metabolic activity of the cells in the digestive tract. Chemotherapy drugs target rapidly dividing cells. If the digestive tract cells are asleep, the chemo drugs focus their work on the tumor. People get less nausea. Also, steroids raise blood sugar which is suboptimal for cancer- they basically strong arm the immune system into not reacting. This is an important function that is lifesaving in many applications, but I was armed with research and anecdotes and wanted to try this way first. I agreed to take it if the nausea was horrible. I didn’t have a single side effect! The infusion was Friday, then I had to go to Bellingham Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for these Granix injections that stimulate white blood cells. Thankfully, I got those prescribed for home administration on the next go round… coming up next week. Believe it or not- I feel like my right breast is a little softer and less red. Speaking of red, one of the drugs is nicknamed “The Red Devil”- I decided to switch it’s name to the “The Red Angel” because I feel like it is helping. I know that the road ahead is long, but today I feel great 🙂 So that’s what I’m going to focus on.

Normal Life

Now that things are normalizing a bit for my schedule, I’m able to reflect on certain things like work, crafting, etc- I believe that starting in January, I will teach tai chi classes at my studio Mondays, Wednesdays, and occasional Fridays. A very special tai chi retreat is happening January 9th-11th at the Grange Hall in Friday Harbor- my teacher of nearly 20 years, Robert Fong, is putting it on. It will be like a mini tai chi camp (this past summer was year 50!). Food will be catered by local favorites (I’ll share deets as they come together), and I’ll even be offering some of my homemade soups and ferments! My mom is making cookies, too. It will be a time of learning, reflection, community, delicious food, and wonderful memories. Send me a note if you want more information!

Holidays

More and more- I feel like it is up to us to make every day a holiday- with our kindness, our mindfulness, and our immersion in the moment. Every day is holy- every breath- every moment, if we choose to see it that way. I wish you happy holidays today and every day, when the dark cold of winter is brightened by a little extra cheer. May you find renewal in every moment, letting the past die to usher in fresh, new life.