When you are trying to start to start a healing diet, such as the GAPS diet, it can be frustrating to see so many recipes that contain eggs and nuts if you’re allergic to one or both of them. Help is here!
Egg and Nut Allergies on the GAPS Diet
Question: I’m allergic to nuts. My son is sensitive to eggs. Can I still do GAPS? All the GAPS baked goods recipes I see have both eggs and nuts.
My Answer: Many people find that after the GAPS Intro they are able to tolerate eggs, nuts, and other foods they were previously sensitive to. That’s a big reason why I’m such a huge fan of the GAPS diet- I was allergic (hives, swelling, chronic sinus infections) to dairy my whole life, but after 4 weeks on the GAPS Introduction Diet my dairy allergy was cured! I’ve been eating dairy for over two years now!
In addition, GAPS baked goods that are made with almond or coconut flour are delicious, they certainly aren’t necessary on the GAPS diet. Meat, stock, and veggies should be our staples on GAPS anyway, and you can create delicious meals such as spaghetti squash with meat sauce as pictured below.
Nut, dairy, and egg allergies are very common with ‘GAPS people‘, as Dr. Natasha explains in the GAPS Book, the problem is the leaky gut. If the gut is leaky, undigested particles of food get through the gut walls, and are irritants in the body as they are not supposed to be there. She says it is not uncommon for a GAPS patient to be allergic to just about everything they are eating.
Other allergy questions: The GAPS Intro can also be done with allergies to chicken, beef, fish, and other meats, just choose a meat that you do not react to and use that to make your stocks. Avoiding certain veggies is okay as well. For those re-introducing eggs, Dr Natasha recommends starting with just the yolk. And some people have success using duck eggs rather than chicken eggs as well.
“A well-functioning gut with healthy gut flora holds the roots of our health. And, like a tree with sick roots is not going to thrive, the rest of the body cannot thrive without a well-functioning digestive system” Gut and Psychology Syndrome page 24
Other GAPS FAQ posts:
Can I do GAPS if I’m Pregnant or Breastfeeding?
How Important is Grassfed Meat on GAPS?
Can someone just tell me what to cook?
How do I get through the GAPS Intro?
Help! I’m Overwhelmed with GAPS!
30 Egg-free recipes for the GAPS Diet
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Karen
August 28, 2012 at 12:13 pmThose pumpkin almond flour muffins look wonderful. I have butternuts that are just about ready
for picking from my garden. Could you share the recipe?
Cara
August 28, 2012 at 1:42 pmThe picture is linked to the recipe :) Just click on the picture.
Lauren @ Empowered Sustenance
August 28, 2012 at 2:34 pmI think it’s harder, but possible. I do GAPS and don’t eat nuts, and I usually limit my egg intake because I’m a bit sensitive to them. My blog has lots of nut free GAPS baked goods and treats, and some are egg free as well (like my crumble topping, strawberry mousse, or 3 ingredient coconut flour cookies). I don’t always tolerate chicken eggs, but I can have duck eggs–like you mentioned.
Danielle
October 23, 2013 at 1:12 amThanks, Lauren – I’ll check those out. I’m getting braver about the GAPS diet now.
Stacey Gonzalez
August 30, 2012 at 10:19 pmJust an fyi, I have heard that Trader Joe’s coconut milk doesn’t have anything added…and the company says their can is BPA free…and it isn’t expensive :). I do hear they often run out, though! :)
sarah
September 15, 2012 at 4:38 pmStacey at Paleo Parents (http://paleoparents.com/blog/) is currently doing an autoimmune diet protocol that includes no eggs and no nuts–she has some ideas for egg and nut free treats that should be perfect for you on the gaps diet!
cmh
September 15, 2012 at 4:49 pmAfter a yr and a half on GAPS I can now do some dairy (YEA!!!) however I still can’t do nuts or eggs and it makes it very boring and difficult. If it were my kids and not me in this position I never would have been able to keep them on GAPS.
Funny thing though I can get away with some nuts nuts (cashews and peanuts) once in a while if they are NOT soaked. Once soaked they seem to be more allergenic to me. I’m guessing bc the protein in them might be more readily available?
elisa
February 11, 2014 at 6:28 amHi, I recently found out I have an intolerance to chicken, eggs, beef, salmon and pork. That leaves very little meat to work with. Do you think I would still be able to do GAPS?
Cara
February 12, 2014 at 7:26 amSome people have to start out with different meats like bison and venison, but are able to move soon to more typical meat as their gut heals.
Melissa
February 28, 2014 at 5:43 pmI wish I could tolerate nuts and dairy after 4 weeks on the intro! I would say you are an exception. I did GAPS for over a year and did not loose my allergies. What did cure them was NAET allergy elimination treatments. My problem now is not allergies but oxalates. Most GAPS foods are high in oxalate (all nuts, spinach, beets, a lot of fruit and veges. I am trying to figure out how to do the GAPS diet, I would like to do it for longer to heal this oxalate issue if possible but I cant seem to do the diet without going crazy only having a few foods to eat! Bone broths are also very high in oxalate according to the oxalate yahoo group.
sharon
November 15, 2016 at 10:36 pmwhat do you do if you cannot tollerate broth or meat stock?
Cara
November 16, 2016 at 7:37 amIs it a Histamine reaction? Can you give me more information? Maybe I can point you in the right direction
sharon
December 8, 2016 at 3:40 pmI suffer from Histamine reactions and cannot tolerate broth or meat stock. I would love to hear your suggestions.
Cara
December 8, 2016 at 4:00 pmSharon, I need to look into this since it’s a problem that pops up often. The GAPS protocol happened to be very effective for our family, which is why I talk about it so much.
Kristine
December 15, 2018 at 8:01 pmI suspect my 5 year old has high functioning autism. Every time he has eggs he has over 7 stools a day. How would I go about introducing eggs again to him? Also, what is your advice? I have fibromyalgia and I suspect SIBO but I’m nursing a 3.5 month old. To keep my milk supply on the intro should I eat maybe sweet potatoes, applesauce, and nuts?
Cara
December 16, 2018 at 11:12 amHi Kristine, that sounds like a egg allergy/sensitivity to me. He may be fine after a few weeks on intro, or you can continue on GAPS for a little bit longer. I’d start with just a little bit of egg yolk (no white) and see how he does, slowly adding more until he’s eating a ‘normal’ amount of eggs. For nursing, this is my article on breastfeeding and GAPS: https://healthhomeandhappiness.com/breastfeeding-and-the-gaps-diet-what-you-need-to-know.html
Kristine
February 4, 2019 at 7:59 amThanks for the reply. I tried doing the intro with the add ons myself. It caused a lot of pain for my baby in only 2 days. So I’m eating the soups with sugary treats like dairy free ice to prevent any die off. However, when they get to the full diet I will eat what they eat. Does the full diet ever heal food intolerances? I cannot eat eggs
Cara
February 4, 2019 at 10:46 amHi Kristine, yes the full diet can heal intolerances, especially when you get lots of fermented foods and soups and limit the baked goods. To lessen die off, you could eat some fruit (dried sometimes is easier to hide from kids on intro haha) and get those benefits since you’re already eating the soups :) I would probably also hold off on the probiotics if you’re nursing.
Kristine
February 15, 2019 at 9:45 pmI cannot afford a GAPS practitioner. If you have any advice or would be super helpful. My email is jkandfamily90 at gmail. My 5 year son I suspect has high functioning autism, but I’m still on waiting list to get him tested (should be in the next couple weeks). We started the diet January 30th. Things are going well other than he’s lost too much weight. We started stage 4, somewhat today (grilled meat only). However, he just had a parasite come out with his stool. Do you have any advice or suggestions on how I’m supposed to help him or aid his body? I have been giving milk thistle tincture to aid his liver. And my 2 year old, I still see what she eats in her stool…