Page 68 - Summer2018

All Thumbs Book Reviews

GAPS Stories: Personal Accounts of begins in the gut.” The book also records how
Improvement and Recovery through the healing isn’t always easy. The harm we've done
GAPS Nutritional Protocol to our bodies, individually and collectively,
By Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride can't be fixed overnight. Nor does the book
Medinform Publishing minimize the struggles and challenges involved
in transitioning to real foods. Real food is an
Do you need encouragement to continue on investment, and it takes time and resources to
the tough road to healing, or want a friend or learn the skills and find and prepare the foods.
loved one to try a healing diet? If yes, Natasha Healing takes time as well. The stories make it
Campbell-McBride’s collection of GAPS Stories clear, however, that the end results are worth
may help. Whether for infants, small children, the investment, which pays off again and again.
college students, people in the prime of their ca- Despite the pain of healing, the costs and the
reers, stay-at-home moms, workers in the trades difficulty of changing old habits and learning
or older individuals, the GAPS Stories show new ones, many people say they will never go
that real foods and healing protocols like GAPS back to their old ways.
can help anyone who is willing to give them a The stories show that people who have
try. The problem might be indigestion, reflux, undergone healing want to help others experi-
allergies, asthma or a hundred other possible ence healing, and many go on to become GAPS
health issues—all may find help through tradi- practitioners. Isn’t that the story of so many of
tional foods and lifestyles. Stories from across us who joined WAPF? We have a burning desire
the globe—Australia, Hong Kong, France, the to fulfill Dr. Price’s famous words, “You teach,
U.S.—show that regardless of where someone you teach, you teach!”
is, a healing diet is available to them. Campbell-McBride captures the essence
The book is divided into two parts. In both, of the book in the introduction, stating: “Many
Dr. Campbell-McBride provides brief reflec- of these stories are humbling: the kinds of hor-
tions and commentary at the end of each story. rific problems that people have had to deal with
The first part covers families who went on the are hard to imagine for the majority of us. Yet,
Many adults GAPS diet adventure, motivated by health these wonderful people tell their stories with
in these problems in their children, and discovered such humor and such grace.” The stories may
stories benefits for all involved. Many adults in these make you laugh or cry. They may convince a
stories experienced unexpected and surprising friend or loved one to try something other than
experienced results after going on GAPS to support their conventional medicine, or they may help you
unexpected struggling child. Gabriela, for example, suffered stay the course when the going gets tough.

and from severe lifelong health issues that modern On a practical note, the book comes with a
medicine could not address and found healing helpful index so that if you want to read stories
surprising after adopting GAPS because of her children’s specific to particular health issues, you can
results after health issues. quickly find the ones that are pertinent. Each
The second half covers stories of individual story also begins with key words that let the
going on adults. Something that stands out are the number reader know exactly what the story covers. The
GAPS to of stories that involve chronic fatigue. Although book is both user-friendly and inspiring—an
support their much of mainstream medicine considers chronic added bonus. Thumbs up!
struggling fatigue untreatable, GAPS allowed these adults Review by John Moody
to experience healing.
child. The stories remind us that “all disease

66 Wise Traditions SUMMER 2018