This is a picture of a sand mandala, a traditional Tibetan Buddhist symbol of transience. Tibetan Buddhist monks perform a ritual of meticulously creating beautiful intricate mandalas from colored sand, which they then ceremonially destroy, symbolically representing and reminding us of the doctrinal Buddhist belief that impermanence is the quintessential quality of our lives. My… [Continue reading]
GAPS Diet in Massachusetts
Nitrate/Nitrite Shock and Mayonnaise
Yesterday I was astonished to read Chris Kresser’s excellent blog post The Myth about Nitrates and Nitrites . Everyone knows that Nitrites/Nitrates are potentially carcinogenic. When I allowed my children to eat hot dogs or lunch meats that contained them, I felt worried. Now, according to peer reviewed studies, not only are they not harmful, but… [Continue reading]
GAPS, FODMAPS and Histamine Intolerance
Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall. Yesterday at 10:59 AM EST was the Autumnal Equinox, marking the beginning of Autumn. The word equinox comes from the Latin “aequus” meaning equal and “nox” meaning night. The Earth’s axis is neither tilted toward nor away from the Sun, the center of the Sun being in the same plane as… [Continue reading]
Thank God for the Power of a Low Carb Diet
This summer my diet went to hell and I began to eat way too many carbs. My weight climbed rapidly and I did not feel well at all, with decreased energy, low mood, high anxiety, bloating and cravings. I have a renewed respect for the reality of carbohydrate addiction, because though I was aware that I… [Continue reading]
Gut Flora, Pregnancy and Metabolic Syndrome
Since training to become a GAPS practitioner, I have become increasingly fascinated with the role the microflora in our gut plays in maintaining health and creating disease states. An average adult carries 2 kg of bacteria in the gut. There are 10 times more microbial cells in the body than human cells. This means that we are… [Continue reading]
