Part I
Note: While much of this article will deal specifically with Lyme Disease, the author believes the same principles which apply to healing from this disease apply equally to healing from a wide variety of illnesses.
Through the many years I spent studying nutrition, natural healing, and human health, I always knew that one day I might need to put that knowledge to use within my own family at a fundamental level. Of course we have implemented what I learned for many minor and acute illnesses while also building and maintaining strong, healthy bodies. But several years ago we were challenged with a very serious, even life-threatening episode of chronic disease which tested every piece of information I had taken in. 

First, the backstory:

Often I say that my husband, George, works as hard as a man half his age and twice his size. Thus, when he began exhibiting signs of failing health we attributed his symptoms to over-work and possibly exposure to harmful vapors in the finishing booth of his professional carpentry workshop. But as his pain and fatigue increased at an alarming rate, I became quite concerned. Three years ago his health took a virtual nose-dive and by mid-June of 2011 he was almost totally incapacitated. He went from working 60+ hours a week to putting in no more than 3-4 hours a day, and that only in spurts of 30-60 minutes at a time with hours of bed rest in between. Many days he was not able to get out of bed at all while his nights were spent in agony, unable to sleep due to the intense pain which was nightly amplified. His anxiety level grew along with the fatigue, and he became depressed. His intense pain would often drop him to his knees in tears. He occasionally also experienced terrible chest pains and we feared he might be experiencing a heart attack, but eventually the sensation would pass.

Our concern for George’s health deepened as his struggles grew worse. Eventually a close friend recognized his symptoms as not unlike her own: for several years before she had been very ill and incapacitated before finally being diagnosed with chronic lyme disease.  (Actually, another friend and client, who was also a doctor, had previously suggested the same thing; I should have listened, but too quickly dismissed the thought. Shame on me! ) Up to this point my knowledge of LD was very limited, and in fact I harbored several misconceptions, but at this point I set out to educate myself.

From what I learned about this particular disease and its co-factors, it must be stated that many other illnesses such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Lupus, Fibromyalgia, MS, and others may in fact be missed cases of Lyme Disease and associated infections which “piggy-back” with the Lyme spirochete. 

Some common symptoms of Lyme infection are:

• Flu-like symptoms (usually at the onset of infection) 
• Bell’s Palsy
• Bulls-eye type rash (though many, perhaps even most, are like my husband and experience no rash at all)
• Joint pain, often migrating from one (or more) joint(s) to another. 
• Unexplainable fatigue
• An electric-type of sensation, particularly in the feet. This is sometimes described as the feeling of walking on pins and needles. 
• Aches and pains deep within muscle tissue.
• Digestive upset
• Tingling, numbness, or burning sensations
• Muscular twitching
• Seizures
• Heart murmurs, palpitations
• Forgetfulness, dementia, compulsiveness, mood swings, depression, anxiety, rage

As the disease progresses, these symptoms worsen to the point that one can become totally debilitated, and even die.

“Chronic Lyme Disease” is a term for an advanced stage of the disease, and is a very controversial diagnosis within the medical community. In fact, as of this writing the CDC refuses to acknowledge that there is such a thing as CLD, much to the chagrin of many thousands who are terribly ill and in need of treatment! Even diagnosing the disease is controversial, formerly being primarily (and I believe rightly)  clinical. The standard blood test currently in use is, in fact, not designed for diagnostics, but for tracking previously diagnosed cases of the disease. For accurate laboratory diagnoses there are several far more accurate tests available such as the IGenix Complete Lyme Panel. Dr. Joseph Burrascano, a board member of the International Lyme Disease and Associated Diseases Society, thoroughly explains advanced clinical diagnoses and treatment here.

Common misconceptions about Lyme Disease include:

• The “bulls-eye” rash is always present at infection.
• Three weeks of antibiotics always cures it
• There is no such thing as “chronic” lyme disease
• Symptoms are limited 
• The standard test for LD is accurate
• Lyme Disease is carried only by the deer tick
• LD symptoms present within the first days, or weeks, of infection

For more on the politics, treatment, and disease itself, watch the documentary, Under Our Skin.

George chose to take an alternative medical route to tackle his lyme disease once it was diagnosed, which included intensive, long-term antibiotic use and an intravenous infusion of pathogen-fighting Vitamin C along with the detoxifying amino acid, Glutathione.  I might have preferred he not choose the antibiotics, but as I saw him dying before my very eyes, I was only hopeful he could arrest the development of the disease so that he could begin to recover.

After 5 months of intensive antibiotic therapy during which we also implemented several food & supplement-based strategies to combat the ill effects of the drugs while boosting his immune system, George’s doctor felt that the LD was likely gone and he ordered a heavy-hitting dose of several antibiotics to take out any remaining forms of the spirochete which may have been buried deep within his tissue. After a week’s break from the antibiotics, however, his symptoms were returning.

At this point we were dealing not only with Lyme Disease, but also rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis. George then flatly refused the new cocktail of antibiotics which the doctor wanted to prescribe. 

But with three separate and terrible illnesses to deal with, I had to come up with a serious plan for healing. To do so I would draw upon all those years of attending lectures, reading endless articles and books, and picking the brains of those more knowledgeable, and experienced, than myself.


*Jerry Brunetti, a friend who kicked first cancer and then has fought Lyme Disease several times, informed me later that it is in fact preferable for the two components of the infusion to be administered separately,  24 hour apart if at all possible. Also, a liposomal form is reputed to be just as effective, and much cheaper.

…and going and going… Yes, it has been a very busy few weeks, but things will be quieting down after this weekend.  I have been involved with 3 conferences in recent weeks, traveling and teaching.  The final one is the PASA conference in State College, Pa. which will happen Thursday through Saturday.  Come see me if you happen to be there:  http://www.pasafarming.org/

My family and I also had the pleasure of enjoying a lovely country estate in Virginia this past week.  We had a wonderful time!

But all of this traveling and hectic schedule would for most mean fast food, take-out Chinese, pizza deliveries, and microwaved meals from boxes or cans.  But none of this will do for my family or I as we understand the importance of good food, even when we feel that we are too busy to keep up with other things. So what do we do?  Well, mainly we plan ahead.

Because I tend to make every meal worth 3 or 4, I was able to have many meals in the freezer far ahead of time, ready to be pulled out when we are super busy or I am away (as was the case last weekend and will be again this week).  For our trip to Virginia I also had several meals prepared and frozen, and so I only had to do a little cooking each day, mostly for fun.

For fun?  Well, a friend blessed us with about 3 pounds of home grown shiitake mushrooms, so I pulled a chicken from the freezer to make a good batch of stock for a base, and then added the mushrooms, sautéed with lots of garlic in plenty of butter and olive oil, a butternut squash (cubed), and seasonings (allspice is great for this)After pureeing everything together with my handy-dandy KitchenAid stick blender, I added about a quart of fresh, raw cream.  This was one of the best soups I have ever produced, and it made enough to give as gifts to two favorite friends, besides feeding all of us!  See what I mean by fun?!

Today was birthday day for 2 of our kids, so we had roast beef, creamed cauliflower, kraut, salad, and my special Belgian Chocolate Cake (gluten free, by the way).  There were no leftovers, but I already have salsa fermenting in the kitchen for a quick Mexican-style meal tomorrow, which won’t take more than 15 minutes to prepare.  I have also made fermented ketchup and chutney these past few days, and have a gallon of yogurt culturing even as we speak.  There is even a big pot of chicken stock simmering on the stove from which will be made several meals of soup.  Then I’m off again for the rest of the week, but there are more meals in the freezer to feed everyone while I’m away.

Next week it is time to start again.  The laundry will need to be done, school work checked, projects worked on, and more meals must be prepared. But by week’s end we should have at least 1 or 2 meals in the freezer again, for another busy time to come!

I do not relay all of this to boast about my fantastic, super-woman abilities-to the contrary!  I simply wish to share with you the simplicity and ease of planning ahead, preparing everything in quantity, and making life bearable and healthy, no matter how busy the schedule.  If I can do it, I know you can too!

Yesterday was a very busy day:  out the door by 7 with all the kiddoes, an early appointment followed by a quick meet-up and shopping at Trader Joe’s,  next off to the natural foods store & a preferred farm, then home for 45 minutes to unload and again out the door for bible study.  We were home late, to bed later, and to sleep even later still.  So what was my morning like today?

I awoke feeling vibrant and energized.  After my morning cup of tea (a delightful ritual I vow never to do without!), it was time to prepare the family’s breakfast. With all the good food  we had chosen the day before, the only difficult part was trying to decide what not to have!

Breakfast for most people consists of a box of cold cereal or a doughnut, a cup of coffee, a glass of juice.  This high-carb menu simply will not do for me!  I regard the start of each new day with vigor and excitement, viewing every meal as an opportunity to experience exciting, vibrant foods from God’s pantry.  So in spite of the rather tiring and long day before, today’s breakfast was another foray into the world of healthy, tasty, nourishing food!

First I grabbed a pack of Smoked Apple and Chardonnay Chicken Sausages from Trader Joe’s.  These were thinly sliced and tossed into a generous amount of bacon fat in a hot cast iron skillet, my most trusted kitchen tool.  While these were browning I whipped up 10 farm-fresh eggs with a great dollop of cream (off the top of a new gallon of milk).  The slightly crispy sausages were set aside in a bowl, and the egg mixture poured into the hot skillet with a bit more bacon fat & a pat of butter.  This was allowed to cook on medium heat with an occasional tilt of the pan and gentle lifting of the edge to allow the uncooked egg to settle underneath.  When all looked “set”, the sausage was scattered across the surface and a large handful of Trader Joe’s Quattro Formaggio was spread over top of all.  Once this delicious cheese blend was melted, breakfast was ready to serve!

The Young Ones gathered eagerly around the table to partake in this fragrant fare.  The aromas from the kitchen had filled the house and their appetites were ripe!  A generous slice was served to all, along with a glass of that fresh, raw milk, and all were filled.  Servings of  homemade still-raw yogurt, topped with frozen blackberries from our orchard, complete this nourishing and delicious meal.  Mmm.

We are satisfied, we are filled, we are nurtured, we are energized, and we are grateful.  Grateful for the bounty of wholesome foods which God has provided, and the health which we enjoy because of them.  And we are ready to take on the day!

Reposted from the Liberation Wellness Blog Dec. 2009
The other day a frustrating thing occurred-again.  I was sitting around with a group of women from our church when the subject of yet another very sick friend came up.

As usual the course of discussion went something like this:  “Do you think this will affect her for the rest of her life?”  “What kind of medication will she have to take?”  And of course, “What does the doctor say?”

Now bear in mind, the person in question has a years-long history of severe health problems for herself  and her family.  Serious stuff.  And I love her very much!  That counts for something, right?

When this type of discussion comes up I usually keep very quiet, even back out of the room.  After all, I am the health fanatic and nobody wants to hear what I think.   So why not just melt into the background now?

Well, enough is enough!  I could keep silent no more, something had to be said.  I was choked with emotion as I chose my words carefully.

My discourse was short, and not well received.  It was met with downward glances, fidgeting fingers, silence.  One person afterward acknowledged that we rely too heavily on medication.  Another, more friendly towards my opinions, encouraged me to contact the friend in question.  And one other dear friend gave me that knowing smile, and a sense of camaraderie.  But otherwise, in a group of women professing to be seeking and following God’s will for their lives, nothing.

It always upsets me that so many people intent upon following God in every part of their lives ignore this one, crucial area.  After all, if we do not have health we can not fulfill many of the Lord’s desires for us.  We must be helped instead of being helper.

Poor health destroys lives, negates the good deeds that might be done, diminishes the capacities of husbands to provide for their families and of wives to care for their households.  It takes away the joy of children, and brings about heartache and hardship.  It drains resources, and sucks the life (often literally) right out of us.

Dr. Rex Russell put it well in his book, What the Bible Has to Say About Healthy Living:  “If we decide to pay attention to God’s design,  health and blessing will follow, and God will be glorified in our lives.  If we decide to ignore God’s design, the consequences can be dire indeed.”

The Good Book  is full of instructions pertaining to every aspect of our health.  Exodus 15:26 says:  “If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord who heals you.”  His promise to His people then still stands for us today.

From circumcision on the 8th day (the day when the blood-clotting  factor Vit. K builds up to a life time crescendo) to the admonition against eating blood (Gen. 9:4) or unclean animals (Lev. 10:10), the old testament is filled with God’s wise advice for health.  There is instruction in food, farming, sanitation, healing; most of these laws have in modern times been scientifically validated, but largely ignored.

The new testament books also claim their share of health-giving information including, of course, prayer, fasting, “a little wine for the stomach” (1 Tim. 5:3), and the use of healing oils (Mark 6: 13, James 5:14).

So where have we gone wrong?  Well first, let me address a  common perception.

People often incorrectly assume that before the age of modern medicine people just suffered and died, in multitudes, from the same afflictions we do today.  Nothing could be further from the truth!

Yes, there were plagues and pestilence, diseases and death.  Realize of course that people have not always followed God’s design for food, sanitation, and healing. The wealthy have over-indulged.  The poor have been consigned to poor quality and limited food supply.  Cities were built without consideration for proper sanitation.  And hand-washing was not common practice in pre- Pasteur-era hospitals and clinics.  The average life span in early 20th century America was very low not because people did not live long lives, but because conditions were so filthy and food quality so poor in the cities that infant mortality was very high.  But if one were fortunate enough to survive past toddlerhood, he would indeed have a very good chance of living to a ripe old age!

So let’s consider our food.

In Gen. 1:29 God said,  “I give you every seed bearing plant on the face of the earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it.  They will be yours for food”.   Also consider that Able raised sheep in those early days; was it just for the wool to cloth them, or was the First Family also drinking milk, God’s most perfect food?

The Promised Land was happily described as, “flowing with milk and honey”.

When Noah and his family left the ark, God told him to eat (clean) meat.

Even the angels ate meat, leavened (fermented) bread, curds (cheese) and whey! (Gen. 18)

All of these things are good, or they would not have been given to us or demonstrated as desirable.

In light of the above, compare modern “food” with that of people throughout  bible times.  In days of old, foods were whole (unprocessed, not devitalized).  It was grown without chemicals of any kind.  Animals were either wild or grazed on naturally rich forage.  All people consumed some of their foods fermented (bread, wine, cheese, olives, etc.), and much of it raw.  Organ meats were prized, and bones made into broth.  Salt was natural and people would not do without it.

So why do we now condemn all of these things which God has said were good?  A better question might even be, why did we change the way in which we raise and prepare these foods which in former times were the fount of health? And why do we now in all of our wisdom declare our processed “food”, stripped of vitality and devoid of nutrients, “healthy” and “good”?

It has always seemed curious to me that in the 6 days of creation, God never made a single food processing plant, grain silo, pharmaceutical, or hospital. Did He not, in all of His wisdom, know that we would require these things to live?  And so it took the infinitely more wise modern man 6000 years to correct our Creator’s oversight!

We are as a nation and as a culture, sick.  Just plain sick.  And the answers to our problems are always more drugs, more doctors, more hospitals; with no thought of the food which we put into our bodies (other than to eat more manufactured junk in place of whole, life-giving foods).  Do we not realize that we are, truly, what we eat?!

God has supplied us with everything we need to live an abundant life upon this earth.  We just need to recognize and return to His nourishing and healing ways!  Let’s return to His garden, His pasture.  Let us embrace His healing ways; the herbs, oils, foods, and prayer which are our sources of health and healing. God’s medicine cabinet is full of good things! These medicines are not quackery or the delusions of fanatical, misguided people.  They are God’s ways, and His ways are always good.  Even Hippocrates understood these principles when he declared, “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food”.

This is my choice for myself and my fam

Long before there were refrigerators and Ball canning jars, people everywhere preserved much of their food using  a largely forgotten method, lacto-fermentation. This method is enjoying a renaissance of late, and with good reason.

Lacto-fermentation is a very simple method of food preservation utilizing a naturally abundant and beneficial bacteria called lacto-bacillium.  First identified in dairy products (hence the prefix, “lacto”), these tiny workhorses of the microbial world are responsible for the total transformation of a vast array of foods which are not only preserved in terms of edibility, but also nutritional value, taste, and texture. Some examples of common foods which were traditionally fermented, but now are processed using vinegar and pasteurization, are: sauerkraut, pickles, ketchup, mustard, salsa, corned beef, and chutney.

Fermentation utilizes these bacteria in a marvelous way. First, the bacteria produce an acid, “lactic acid”, which works to prevent putrefication. This is an obvious big advantage, but the other benefits are also quite beneficial. 

The fermentation process causes an explosion of nutrients, taking a (presumably) nutritious food and transforming it into a powerhouse of nutrients! For instance, Vit C in cabbage increases exponentially, while the fermentation process also pre-digests proteins and other components of our food and makes them far more bio-available so that our bodies can fully utilize more of what we eat.

Another exciting advantage of fermented foods is that the process also produces enzymes which not only pre-digest that which is fermented, but other foods in the digestive tract as well. Thus meats do not putrify in the gut but break down into more digestible amino acids. Vegetables, fruits, grains, etc. are all pre-digested and the nutrients far better absorbed.

The lactic and also acetic acids found in fermented foods act like a clean-up crew, helping the body to detoxify while the potent beneficial organisms take hold in the gut, aiding in overall gut health. What’s not to like?!

One additional aspect of lacto-fermented foods which my family, like millions of others around the world, enjoy is the taste. The process creates an exciting culinary adventure with every bite! Cabbage is just cabbage until you pack it into a crock with some salt and leave it for a week or two and then-Pow! What a flavor sensation! Chutney simply is not chutney with just vinegar and sugar, but when you ferment fruit it creates an amazing, effervescent flavor that excites your tastes buds! Dill pickles? Incredible! Salsa? Divine! Beet Kvass? Glorious, healing, cleansing, good!

With all of these benefits, why not give fermentation a try? It is one of the simplest methods to preserve foods and enhance health, so there’s really no reason not to give it a go! Here are the particulars:

• Lacto-bacilli are naturally found on the surface of fruits and vegetables, particularly those which grow close to the ground such as cabbage, beets, etc.
• Other foods can be fermented with the addition of dairy whey, drained from plain yogurt or from cheese-making. My rule of thumb is 1/4 cup whey to 1 quart of product.
• There are many sources for powdered cultures to jump start your fermentation should you choose to use them. Cultures for Health, Radiant Life Catalog, Gem Cultures are but a few.
• You should always start with fresh, clean, and chemical-free produce or meats. Conventional agriculture’s heavy chemical input destroys much of the soil’s otherwise naturally-occurring organisms, including our friends, lacto-bacillium.
• No special equipment is required, but crocks and glass jars are your main tools. I use a Harsch Crock for larger quantities (available from the Radiant Life Catalog), Pickl-it! or Fido jars for many others. Corned beef needs a larger, flat glass container with a lid.
• Experiment with various spices, herbs, and length of “culture” time.

Basic Kraut:
2 medium sized heads of cabbage

2 Tbsp. unrefined seal salt (I use Celtic or Himalayan. “Real Salt” is another good one)

Optional: shredded carrots, grated tart apple, garlic, onion, whatever you wish to try!

Shred the cabbage and toss into a bowl with the salt and optional ingredients. Mix well, squeezing hard with your hands to extract juices. (You may use a pounding tool for this if you desire, but it is usually not necessary). The fresher the cabbage, the more moisture you will find. Pack this tightly into a crock or jar, being sure to leave plenty of head space for expansion and release of CO2. Use a glass disc or cabbage leaf to push the solids beneath the brine adding cooled, sterilized filtered water if necessary to create at least a 1” layer of liquid above. Cover loosely with a lid and set in a warm place, 65-78 degrees, for 3-5 days being sure to release the gases daily (a proper crock or Pickl-It! container will have a gas-releasing lid or air lock, making this “burping” unnecessary). Leave the kraut out longer, up to 4 weeks, for a stronger ferment. Refrigerate or root cellar to store.







Recommended Reading: 

• Making Sauerkraut and Pickled Vegetables at Home by Klaus Kaufmann & Annelies Schoneck
• Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz
• Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon Morell
• Traditional Food Preparation Techniques by Maureen Diaz

Maureen Diaz is a Weston A Price Foundation chapter leader, educator, and avid researcher of health and nutrition. She homesteads and home schools with her rather large family in South Central Pa. You may visit her website to learn more: www.mamasfollies.com 

How many friends and family have turned up lately with a diagnosis of “Celiacs Disease” or “Gluten Intolerance”? Perhaps you’ve received this diagnosis yourself? It seems like nearly everyone these days has a problem with this mysterious food component, found in wheat, spelt, emmer, einkorn, rye, barley, kamut, and a close cousin in oats. This in spite of the fact that people have consumed these grains for thousands of years. What’s up with that?!

Well, there are a variety of reasons to explain this (historically) sudden food sensitivity. Let’s explore a few.

New and Improved is not always, well, improved!
First, we are not typically consuming the same grains as we were, say, 100 years ago. Our modern grains are hybridized, sterilized, and modernized in ways that grain has never been before. The amino acid profile of a modern grain of wheat, for example, is very different from its predecessors such as spelt, emmer, and other ancient grains. Then there are the new-fangled GMO’s, with all their inherent dangers. But this alone does not explain the problem.

Several reasons for our gluten woes are simply our modern methods of harvesting, storing, and preparing our grains. In times-gone-by grains were “weathered” in the field before harvesting, exposing the ripened kernels to the morning dew and the warmth of the sun. This, coupled with old-time methods of fermenting flour into various types of breads or other grain-based dishes, had a unique effect: it neutralized several “anti-nutrients” such as phytic acid (which is very irritating to the lining of the gut, and blocks mineral absorption) and enzyme inhibitors (which neutralize some of the digestive enzymes needed to break down the foods we eat). Additionally, these grains had formerly been stored in clay or wooden vessels, but are now stored in huge concrete or steel silos- the perfect environment for fungus and mold to proliferate!

Gluten Sensitivity Indicates Gut Damage
But there are still more reasons why gluten, and grains in general, have become problematic: we have severely damaged our guts, usually without even realizing it!  We deprive the digestive tract of much needed beneficial organisms because we have replaced old-fashioned food preservation and preparation methods with faster, easier, more “modern” ways.  The most modern methods are not always the best, are they?  Gone are the enzyme and beneficial organism-rich foods of the past such as naturally fermented sauerkraut and pickles, whole yogurt, kefir, and more. These have been replaced with sugar and vinegar-laden, pasteurized versions of their former selves. Adding to that we take a wide variety of pharmaceuticals, from vaccinations to antibiotics and more, which all have a deleterious effect upon the gut. How can the limited amount of good gut flora which we are starting with survive such an onslaught?

A Child's First Foods
But it gets worse. Even from infancy we are harming our wee ones’ digestive health. Babes are born all over the world today via Caesarean Section, which robs the infant of the (usually) healthy flora of the birth canal meant for the emerging infant to ingest during the birth process. Many mothers have a very unbalanced, unhealthy vaginal flora to begin with, and pass this on to their newborns! 

Next we replace God’s perfect food, breast milk, with manufactured infant formula. Formula made from pasteurized, denatured, oxidized, and synthetic ingredients that a baby's tender digestive system can't really digest properly-what a shame!

And then we introduce solid foods in the form of “baby cereal”, to an infant who does not yet possess the enzymes to digest this type of carbohydrate!  The particular enzyme, amylase, is amongst the last enzymes the pancreas  manufactures and excretes, somewhere between about 18-24 months. Thus, feeding your infant any form of cereal in the early months creates a problem for the digestive system, which must react to substances which it is not yet ready to handle.

It is interesting to note that in some of the primitive cultures which Dr. Weston A Price observed, mothers would chew foods, including meats, and expel it from their mouth in partially-digested form for their infants to eat. I practiced this with several of my babies, much to the chagrin of their elder siblings!

Celiacs/Gluten Intolerance Not a Life Sentence!
So perhaps now you can understand why we have so many problems with gluten all of which affect every aspect of our health, both mentally and physically. A damaged gut is a very serious problem!*

But all is not lost; the gut can be healed!  A healing regime would include plenty of nourishing bone broth, healthy fats, fermented foods, and a few supplemental nutrients such as fermented cod liver oil.  You can find out more by exploring the GAPS website, and learn how to prepare nutritious and delicious allergen-free foods by watching my own 2 DVD set, a Beyond-the-Basics Traditional Food Preparation video which may be ordered directly from me; contact me via email at: mamasfollies@gmail.com for more information.

*It bears noting that not all gluten issues show up on a laboratory test; the best way to know for sure if you are gluten sensitve is simply to go off all gluten-containing foods for 30 days. Do not replace gluten-containing grains, however, with "Gluten-Free" baking mixes. Instead, just eliminate grains and foods that are normally made with them. See how you feel, what changes with your health. Then add it back in for a few days and observe what happens.