Stage 1- Day 1

     Before I went to bed last night I quickly thought through my plan for today.  I knew I had several jars of bone broth in the refrigerator, so I checked that off the list, in  my mind, and decided I was good to go.  I thought I could "quickly" make some soup for breakfast.  I got started at 8:30 am and did not actually eat anything until 11:00 am.  Why do I always think making soup is quick and easy?  It seems like a no brainer, but it always takes longer than I think it will.

Wow, I really need to clean my stove!

     Part of the reason it took so long was my food processor.  I collected all the parts from the dishwasher, put everything together, and hit the on button.  Nothing.  I tried redoing it.  Still nothing.  I finally gave up and used my three cup food processor.  Thankfully I had that one, otherwise I would have been chopping my vegetables with a knife, and probably adding another hour to my total time in the kitchen.

A fun reminder that I am loved.  This is the door to my refrigerator.  (Rainbow by Abigail, picture of my mom and me, and a photo booth picture set with my bestie.)

     By 9:30 am I have a headache (the beginnings of a migraine).  After my third kid I started getting migraines when I would not get enough sleep.  Over the last six years I have learned to catch the migraine before it gets beyond help.  Today I did not want to take anything for it, though.  I was determined to make it through the day with only eating soup and drinking broth and water.  At 10:00 am, when I realized the soup still was not ready, I started to worry that this little headache might turn into a full blown migraine, and I just could not do that to myself and my family.  My husband asked me if I had drank any coffee yet today.  I told him I was giving it up.  He just stared at me, in disbelief.  (He drinks as much coffee as water, or maybe slightly more coffee.)  I told him that if I had coffee to rely on I knew I would drink that, rather than eat soup.  He told me I could not cut caffeine out of  my diet cold turkey with out side affects, and proceeded to make me a half a pot of coffee.  I was still determined not to drink it, though.  I took two Tylenol and drank a bunch of water.  By this time, the chicken is cooked and ready to go into the soup.  I devour the crispy chicken skin, and then realize that technically that is not allowed on this stage.  Oops.  My head starts to feel a bit better.  I have a bowl of soup and then take a shower.  My headache is still lingering.  The coffee is calling my name from the kitchen.  I give in.  I have two cups.

     The soup is made, now time to think forward to the next couple of meals.  Lunch for the kids will be soup.  Check.  They all have colds right now, and can benefit from a good bowl of chicken soup.  I look in the pot, though, and think about not giving it to them, because the more they eat, the more soup I have to make.  Oh well, it is worth it to have everyone healthy again.

     I use to boil a whole chicken in my soup pot and then remove it from the pot, and have my broth for my soup.  (That was 2 years ago.)  Now I roast the whole chicken in the oven and use the bones to make bone broth.  I also save all the parts of the vegetables I use for the broth.  This adds a really nice flavor.  For example, if I am making cabbage salad, I cut out the cabbage core and place it in a plastic bag, along with any onion peels and carrot peels I have.  I put it in the freezer for

another day.  Today I realized my freezer was full of bags of vegetable peels and chicken bones.  I have a giant roaster oven that my mother gave me.  I filled it up with bones and vegetables from the freezer, and filled it with water.  That is going on the counter right now.  It is set to 250 degrees, and I will let it go for twenty-four hours, at least.

Roaster oven filled with cabbage cores, carrot peels, chicken bones, onion tops and bottoms.

     One of the most challenging things when starting GAPS is filling up.  What do you eat?  How do you handle food cravings?  First, it is going to be a good three days until you stop physically craving sugar.  For me, in particular, I feel almost ill.  Thankfully, since I do not eat much sugar these days, today I did not suffer from sugar withdrawal.  When I first started GAPS it was very difficult.  Honey was my saving grace.  Caution with honey- it can become your food, and the soup will be your once in awhile indulgence.  When we started GAPS Intro (again) I found myself not able to stomach the thought of soup, again.  I would drink coffee with honey in it, instead of eating.  I lost a lot of weight doing this.  When people commented on how "good I looked" I would say, "Well, I have two choices, eat soup or go  hungry.  Going hungry does not seem as bad as eating soup."  I literally came to the point of not having a problem with being hungry!  That was a first.  I do not suggest this.  I merely tell you this so you are prepared.  To make your soup more appetizing, I suggest  you put in good combinations of vegetables that you enjoy.  I really hate to mix vegetables.  There are certain combinations that I really enjoy though.  I usually add chopped kale and shredded carrots (along with onions and garlic) to every pot of soup, then I will add rutabaga, or cauliflower and broccoli, or green beans, or zucchini.  That is my preference.  Everyone has different taste buds.  I researched the perfect chicken soup.  Time and time again celery, carrot and onion were the winning combination.  I am not a big fan of celery, though.  Whatever your combination, add a lot of vegetables.  This will help your soup be more filling.  As I move through the stages I will try to remember to mention specific ways to "fill up".  Stage 1 is a bit more challenging.  The more devoted to "filling up" with bone broth and soup you are, the quicker you will make it through the first stage.

     I side note, something I wish I had realized in the beginning- when adding  your probiotic to your soups, make sure your soups are below 120 degrees.  Any higher than that and you risk killing the good bacteria, which defeats the purpose all together.

     By the end of the day I am hungry.  I throw another chicken in the oven for dinner.  I also boil spaghetti squash for the family.   Right before dinner time, I can not take it any more, and reheat some soup, and force myself to eat two bowls.  When the family's food is ready to eat, I serve up the chicken and fork out the spaghetti squash, adding chicken drippings to the squash for flavor.  They eat it like pasta.  I also eat a chicken quarter.  Finally I feel satisfied.

     I have soup ready for tomorrow, stock cooking in the roaster oven.  I feel happy, healthy, but exhausted.  My kids help make me smile.  The picture on the left is my youngest with a "peg leg".  (It's the top of my crayon piggy bank.)

     All in all, I am thankful to have made it through the day.  I am also hopeful that tomorrow will be the last day of Stage 1 and I will get soft boiled eggs the next day!  (But I keep reminding myself that anything could happen, and I could still be on Stage 1 next week.)  But, let's stay positive, shall we?