Day 3 of GAPS Diet: Enzymes

I found out about the enzymes today from my friend and mentor Jim Marlowe. He said that digestive enzymes are taken to help digest protein. This can be helpful for people with allergies because it helps break down protein molecules so that they do not slip through the intestinal walls and cause allergic reactions. Included in a high quality enzyme supplement will also be proteolytic enzymes, which digest "antigen-antibody" complexes. These enzymes can be used therapeutically to diminish an autoimmune response. They also reduce inflammation and reduce abnormal tissue growth, including cancerous and non-malignant tumors. WOW! I am going to order some tomorrow!

Today is my daughter's 9th birthday so I cooked her some lovely muffins. The reason why I know they're lovely is because I've had them before. I was going to NOT eat one but my hands just had a mind of their own! Luckily they are relatively GAPS-friendly muffins. For anyone avoiding grains they are perfectly wonderful muffins. I got this recipe at a lecture given by Jennette Turner of "Dinner With Jennette".

"Basic Coconut Flour Muffins"

6 eggs
1/4 c. butter, softened, or coconut oil
1/4 c. milk or 1/3 c. coconut milk
1/4 c. maple syrup (I used honey)
1 tsp. vanilla (I used 2, I'm a fan)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2/3 c. coconut flour
1 tsp. baking soda
(options: fresh or frozen berries, nuts, lemon zest, chocolate chips

1. In a mixing bowl combine eggs, butter, milk, maple syrup, vanilla and salt. Mix with an electric mixer until very smooth
2. In another bowl combine coconut flour and baking soda and mix well.
3. Pour the coconut flour mixture into the batter and mix until there are no lumps.
4. Pour the muffins into well buttered muffin tin (I use stone) and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until they start to brown around the edges."

The consistency of these muffins would make you think there was some sort of grainy or starchy ingredient but there isn't any. Not exactly GAPS sanctioned because of the baking soda and the honey has been heated but I couldn't resist. I haven't been craving anything but when those delicious muffins were right in front of me, what was I supposed to do? No regrets! I know this is a relatively minor transgression.....

Day 3:

Breakfast:
1 1/2 soft-boiled eggs, 2 home-made sausages, spinach and bok-choy lightly cooked in beef stock with butter and sea salt.

Lunch:
Rib-eye lightly cooked in beef stock with sea salt and black pepper (forgot butter). Cucumber, celery, avocado and tomato salad with sauerkraut, freshly ground flax seeds, nutritional yeast (Lewis Labs), olive oil, raw vinegar and sea salt. Dino kale lightly cooked in beef stock. 8 oz. water kefir. Liver shake (1/2 chicken liver raw, freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon, 6 oz. home-made beet kvass, dash of cinnamon, 1 tsp. raw honey).


Dinner:
Pork shoulder (reheated in stock). Asparagus lightly cooked in stock with butter and sea salt. Sauerkraut. Fresh vegetable juice (celery, cucumber, cilantro, kale, green bell peppers) with one raw egg yolk. 6 oz. water kefir.
Coconut muffin.

I am still feeling a bit hungry in between meals. I probably need more fat but I can't seem to get enough. I have to remember to use more butter when I'm cooking. My breakfast doesn't seem to be providing me with enough of something. I am hungry by 10:00 or so, which is not typical for me. I tried eating whole boiled eggs today but I'm not a fan of the egg whites so it made me gag, which is why I only ate 1 and 1/2 eggs. I had to stop. Perhaps I will cook my eggs omelet style like I usually do......I feel that the breakfast is setting me up for more hunger later on, even after lunch. I need a very hearty breakfast!

I am warming up more to those liver shakes, they're really not bad at all.....