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Starting September 9th looking for support


charleyd40

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@carrot_flowers wow am I really the only guy? ah well!  I am not a single parent but I am mostly doing this on my own.  I have always been the one to do the food shopping and cooking for the family (5yr old and 2yr old) and we were (I guess still are) decent about planning those meals.  So my instinct is to take care of them first because I'm the one who is chosing to change.  that is part of the reason I need to plan full meals, because while protein and raw or steamed veggies are fine for me, that is not something that her and especially the kids are going to go for with the frequency that I would.  So I need to try some meals and find ones that will satisfy everyone.

 

I'm good on breakfasts though.  I never liked eggs much but turns out, I make a damn good frittata.

 

I gravitated towards whole 30 because I liked the idea of rebooting my metabolism.  I have tried other diet plans in the past and I always felt like my metabolism was slower than most people I have met who were around my size and age.  I know people who can focus on a weight loss plan for a week and drop 10lbs and even when I was 290 I could never come close to that no matter how strictly I followed a plan. (Got down to about 230 on weight watchers but got burned out)

 

About 15 months ago I hit a peak in my problems with panic disorder (and had gained most of my weight back) and decided I was no longer going to be complacent about it.  I started seeing a therapist, cleaned up my diet and started focusing on exercise so when my diet fell off I wouldn't get burned too badly.  So this is the next step towards my ultimate goal of being healthy and getting rid of this panic disorder (I believe the 2 are hand in hand).  So far, I think it is working out and I am already thinking about how I am going to keep things going after Whole30.  But for now its still 1 meal at a time

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For the last two days I have been incredibly, unquenchably thirsty.  I searched on the forum and found another person who experienced it. 

 

I was drinking over 100oz/day for the first week or so.  I think by day 8 it was not nearly as bad but for some reason I find myself instinctively just drinking more water than I was

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I had someone ask me today if I was thirsty, she started a different challenge on Monday (Paleo) and I haven't noticed that I'm thirsty but I have decided that I was a little dehydrated when I had muscle cramps in places they don't usually cramp (Side, Back, etc) so I've upped my water

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@carrot_flowers wow am I really the only guy? ah well!  I am not a single parent but I am mostly doing this on my own.  I have always been the one to do the food shopping and cooking for the family (5yr old and 2yr old) andd we were (I guess still are) decent about planning those meals.  So my instinct is to take care of them first because I'm the one who is chosing to change.  that is part of the reason I need to plan full meals, because while protein and raw or steamed veggies are fine for me, that is not something that her and especially the kids are going to go for with the frequency that I would.  So I need to try some meals and find ones that will satisfy everyone.

 

I'm good on breakfasts though.  I never liked eggs much but turns out, I make a damn good frittata.

 

I gravitated towards whole 30 because I liked the idea of rebooting my metabolism.  I have tried other diet plans in the past and I always felt like my metabolism was slower than most people I have met who were around my size and age.  I know people who can focus on a weight loss plan for a week and drop 10lbs and even when I was 290 I could never come close to that no matter how strictly I followed a plan. (Got down to about 230 on weight watchers but got burned out)

 

About 15 months ago I hit a peak in my problems with panic disorder (and had gained most of my weight back) and decided I was no longer going to be complacent about it.  I started seeing a therapist, cleaned up my diet and started focusing on exercise so when my diet fell off I wouldn't get burned too badly.  So this is the next step towards my ultimate goal of being healthy and getting rid of this panic disorder (I believe the 2 are hand in hand).  So far, I think it is working out and I am already thinking about how I am going to keep things going after Whole30.  But for now its still 1 meal at a time

Much like you, only older and female. I am alone in this at my house, and trying to make meals that hubby likes as well. By not forcing him to eat along with me, he is following along naturally. He says he feels better even at the less percent that he is following. Mike really like the cauliflower mash, and the cauli rice. Both worth trying even with the kids. Once you get used to real food, it is all that tastes good. Hang tough. This plan appears to be well worth the effort.

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Hi everyone, Day 8 for me, I have never gone this long in my life without a spec of sugar, I am amazed!!  I am feeling better today than yesterday.  After parent meeting got home about 6:45, made dinner, showered and crawled into bed by 8, that is a first.  I did end up eating a handful of nuts late afternoon yesterday as I got stuck at work, worked late, my car battery was dead, not a soul around to jump me.  I work in a remote area 25 miles from town, I ended up finally finding someone to come give me a jump thank god

 

I buy the kale salad from Costco and eat that as my vegetable to make things easy, leave a bag at work.  Yesteray instead of salad I sauteed it with coconut oil, it was pretty good. 

 

B:  Pumpkin soufle, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup coconut milk, 3/4 cup pumpkin, spices, threw it in the oven while I got ready for work.

L:  TUrkey burger, sauteed kale salad with yellow pepper and some grape tomatoes

D:  I think it will be chicken and cauliflower soup made with coconut milk, cauliflower, chicken brother, some pineapple

 

Hope you all had a great day

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Oh man, I just had the strongest urge for some sugary mess - lucky for me I was on my way to an appointment and so I looked at the shop and drove on by.  Not sure what would have happened if I wasn't on my way to an appointment - oh wait, I wouldn't have been in that part of town...

:)

 

I need to try that Pumpkin Soufle - can it all just be thrown together in a dish and what temp oven?

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I made myself paleo chicken nuggets for dinner (ground chicken, some spices, coated in almond flour) and they were great.  And I don't normally even like chicken nuggets! Maybe you could call them very small chicken burgers... chicken nuggets has such a neggative connotation. 

 

its amazing how hard it is to find a complaint salad dressing... so far I have only found 1 (and its basically just olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a bottle together).  I was REALLY hopeful that Just Salad (a salad chain that is near my office in NYC) would have a compliant dressing but it seems like they all use Soybean oil.  bummer.

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I just found out rotisserie chicken has carrageenan in it.  Incredible.  I'm not going to cancel a whole30 because of it, but thought I'd put the word out - I bought a rotisserie chicken from costco yesterday. 

 

Today was a productive day.  I made Nom Nom's sweet potato hash with fried eggs and it was delicious.  Then I baked a ton of bacon (which, btw, all American bacon in standard chains has sugar in it), which I guess I will feed to my children.  When I switch off of whole30 to paleo I will have to decide how much stuff like that matters to me, but for now I am adhering to the rules (unless someone slips a mickey ala Costco rotisserie) and not eating anything with noncompliant ingredients. 

 

Learned how to make bone broth today - stuffed my carcass from my Nom Nom Slow Cooker Chicken, plus my carcass from Costco (before I found out it has carrageenan in it), plus onions, carrots and celery, into my slow cooker.  I'd like to try the perpetual broth.  We'll see if it works.  I had to turn the slow cooker down to warm because even at low it was at a boil.

 

Roasted a bunch of vegetables today.  Bagged shredded chicken from my meals yesterday.  Lunch consisted of taste testing the food I was prepping, plus the second half of my sweet potato hash.

 

Dinner consisted of soup made from the slow cooker gravy/broth I made yesterday.  Then I froze some peaches and strawberries and chopped them in the food processor for a cold treat.

 

Day 7 is done!

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Day 11 dawns bright and cheery chez Sharyn. Not a bad night's sleep and I turned screens off an hour before bed and only read for about 20 minutes. Lights out just past 10 and woke up eight hours later.

 

@Barb E stay strong! That sugar crush was your body playing sneaky games. By ignoring it you probably burnt fat for energy. Yay!!

 

I am at work today and made sure I cooked enough last night for today's breakfast and lunch. Luckily I work in an office above an out of town shopping mall which sells it's own organic veg - cabbages from 50 yards away and eggs laid in the fields behind the complex. Meat is good too but WAY expensive. But as I am on my own this weekend (hubby is at Scout camp) I am going to treat myself to some good beef for my slow cooker. 

 

Today's meals?

 

B 3 egg omelette with mushrooms fried in olive oil, leftover parsnips and cooked chicken. Spinach and mayo

 

L 2 chicken thighs, roasted cauli, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, chives, mayo

 

D Home cooked ham joint with roasted veg (courgette, aubergine, peppers, mushrooms and onions. 

 

Have a good day 9/9ers :)

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I forgot to mention that I was offered a chocolate at work yesterday from one of my favourite selections. You know, the shells with the soft hazelnut praline centres?

 

Automatic response was "Thank you, but I don't eat chocolate". OMG when did that ever happen!!!!!!!!!

 

And I can really feel my lumpy bits getting more streamlined. Back, belly and saddlebags at top of thighs. :) :) :) 

 

*does happy dance*

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We made chili last night with sweet potato and it was awesome! I just discovered smoked paprika and I think we're going to have a long and fulfilling relationship.

But I am super confused about starches. I just read in another thread how they could be the cause of exhaustion, especially sweet potatoes, whereas other people have said exhaustion could be from lack of them so I'm been piling them up. Argh! It's just so confusing. And I'm so bad at like systematic analysis. I'm so scatterbrained. I'm trying to at least keep a food log but I can't ever remember or accurately access portion sizes so it seems pointless.

I just noticed that I've been thirsty too thanks to this thread!

Yesterday was my first real craving. Probably because I was on Pinterest. I think the thing I miss the most is honey. I mean as far as things I plan to add back in at some point.

Oh I had one of those dreams last night! I dreamt I won this prize which was a bunch of candy and chocolate and other junk and I started eating it all and then I was told that I hadn't actually won it and the real winner was coming to get it. I was mortified that I'd misunderstood and eaten all this stuff that didn't belong to me and then I had to explain it to the two girls who came to get it. Wonder what that was all about?!

I went to bed early last night and had at least an hour before hand without screens and I still slept pretty restlessly. Can't win. I feel like I'm searching for the fountain of youth with trying to figure out this exhaustion thing. But not giving up!

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@Revived increase intake of protein can also cause more urination. So even if you're drinking a lot of water you may need to track it and make sure it's enough. Try to get in half your body weight in ounces. I had to figure that out when I started this bc I wasn't a huge meat eater before and it affected me.

Ugh on the cravings issue.... I totally had my first problem with that the last couple days. I know it was totally emotional related. I was stressed and I wanted sugar. Period. But I resisted! Shew! That's huge for me. When I first started paleo I over thought it and wasn't comfortable with good choices and wasn't having energy blah blah blah. But with this whole30 I've just eaten what I desire at each meal withing guidelines and I've felt way better. I think subconsciously out body tells us what it needs. I'd say eggs and sweet potatoes are the regs that show up daily. Everything else is an new recipe/ adventure!

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Oh man, I just had the strongest urge for some sugary mess - lucky for me I was on my way to an appointment and so I looked at the shop and drove on by.  Not sure what would have happened if I wasn't on my way to an appointment - oh wait, I wouldn't have been in that part of town...

:)

 

I need to try that Pumpkin Soufle - can it all just be thrown together in a dish and what temp oven?

You are strong!!!  You would have driven right on by.

 

I made myself paleo chicken nuggets for dinner (ground chicken, some spices, coated in almond flour) and they were great.  And I don't normally even like chicken nuggets! Maybe you could call them very small chicken burgers... chicken nuggets has such a neggative connotation. 

 

its amazing how hard it is to find a complaint salad dressing... so far I have only found 1 (and its basically just olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a bottle together).  I was REALLY hopeful that Just Salad (a salad chain that is near my office in NYC) would have a compliant dressing but it seems like they all use Soybean oil.  bummer.

I made homemade chicken tenders following the www.whatkellysaid.com  Using almond meal rather than the flour.  So good I ate too many.  Almond meal needs more salt added than you would think.  

 

On salad dressing.  Have you made your own mayo??  Once you have that and a few vinegars around you can make countless salad dressings.  I happen to have one of the old Good Seasons salad dressing jars.  I use one tbsp of oil (evoo) and two tbsp of vinegar, 1/2 tbsp homemade mayo, and then any spices you like.  Make a small amount, and throw any extra away when you run out of mayo.  That way your salad dressing is always fresh.  I often add a bit of mustard.  For a creamier dressing mix things into your mayo.  Like cumin and lime until it tastes good.  A new favorite for me is a new balsalmic I found that is infused with fig.  Super expensive at $15 for the bottle.  I have four or five compliant vinegars.  I posted a question on the " can I have" thread and was told I can have any vinegar even red wine vinegar as long as it doesn't have and off plan additives.  Naturally occurring sulfites are ok.  Watch out for things with lime juice powder or vinegar powder in them as both of those contain sugars.  So I make different dressings as the mood strikes.  I can put a spoonful of mayo in my little to go tub, and mix in whatever sounds good, a quick shake and I am on the road.  My favorite vinegar for salad dressing is rice vinegar.  UNSEASONED!  The seasoned has lots of sugar.  

 

We made chili last night with sweet potato and it was awesome! I just discovered smoked paprika and I think we're going to have a long and fulfilling relationship.

But I am super confused about starches. I just read in another thread how they could be the cause of exhaustion, especially sweet potatoes, whereas other people have said exhaustion could be from lack of them so I'm been piling them up. Argh! It's just so confusing. And I'm so bad at like systematic analysis. I'm so scatterbrained. I'm trying to at least keep a food log but I can't ever remember or accurately access portion sizes so it seems pointless.

I just noticed that I've been thirsty too thanks to this thread!

Yesterday was my first real craving. Probably because I was on Pinterest. I think the thing I miss the most is honey. I mean as far as things I plan to add back in at some point.

Oh I had one of those dreams last night! I dreamt I won this prize which was a bunch of candy and chocolate and other junk and I started eating it all and then I was told that I hadn't actually won it and the real winner was coming to get it. I was mortified that I'd misunderstood and eaten all this stuff that didn't belong to me and then I had to explain it to the two girls who came to get it. Wonder what that was all about?!

I went to bed early last night and had at least an hour before hand without screens and I still slept pretty restlessly. Can't win. I feel like I'm searching for the fountain of youth with trying to figure out this exhaustion thing. But not giving up!

I wonder if a few days measuring, and/or weighing your portions would help you.  It is really mind opening to what a serving actually looks like.  They give you really good ways to measure your food here based on your palm, cupped hand, closed fist etc.  If not comfortable with that buy a cheap scale and give it a try.  It really helped us both understand what a serving size actually is.  

 

Day 12 for me.  I have to leave home at 9 am for appointments, then babysit the youngest grandbaby while my daughter goes to a memorial service for a 28 year old father of two.  My son in law's best friend, since they were little boys.  So sad.  I wont get home until around 7pm.  I cooked the damn fine chicken this morning, and steamed cauliflower to make a mash tonight when I get home.  I still have to pack my food.  Better run!

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Day 11 for me here! glad to hear everyone is doing well... My better half and the 3 muskateers arent eating this way, so I sometimes end up cooking something extra and compliant, or just feed them all whats in the crockpot. The carnitas and the pumpkin burgers were a hit and it was just myself and the better half last night (3 m's are at their mom's for this week), so I did tuna steaks with ghee and coconut oil with adobo seasoning... with some baked broccoli with coconut oil... yummy!!!

 

SharynF and Barb E- have had both of thos experiences this week... I wanted "bad for me food" on tuesday night, but resisted and yesterday, someone tossed me a package of kitkats at a training and I passed it along, "because I am not eating chocolate at the present moment" :)

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its amazing how hard it is to find a complaint salad dressing... so far I have only found 1 (and its basically just olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a bottle together).  I was REALLY hopeful that Just Salad (a salad chain that is near my office in NYC) would have a compliant dressing but it seems like they all use Soybean oil.  bummer.

 

Someone already mentioned this, but making your own salad dressing is so easy, much healthier, and way tastier! Mixing mayo with vinegar and some spices is what I do daily for salad dressing. One of my favorites has an Asian flair: homemade mayo with coconut aminos, a bit of sesame oil, and some powdered ginger and garlic. HOLY YUM.

 

Then I baked a ton of bacon (which, btw, all American bacon in standard chains has sugar in it), which I guess I will feed to my children. 

 

The Kroger brand of low-sodium bacon is sugar-free. :)

 

I forgot to mention that I was offered a chocolate at work yesterday from one of my favourite selections. You know, the shells with the soft hazelnut praline centres?

 

Automatic response was "Thank you, but I don't eat chocolate". OMG when did that ever happen!!!!!!!!!

 

And I can really feel my lumpy bits getting more streamlined. Back, belly and saddlebags at top of thighs. :) :) :)

 

*does happy dance*

 

Awesome! Good for you!

 

 Everything else is an new recipe/ adventure!

 

My favorite part of my Paleo journey has been learning how to cook well. I feel like an amazing chef! I love making my favorite dishes for friends and getting my whole family to eat clean!

 

Day 12 for me.  I have to leave home at 9 am for appointments, then babysit the youngest grandbaby while my daughter goes to a memorial service for a 28 year old father of two.  My son in law's best friend, since they were little boys.  So sad.  I wont get home until around 7pm.  I cooked the damn fine chicken this morning, and steamed cauliflower to make a mash tonight when I get home.  I still have to pack my food.  Better run!

 

How terrible :( Sounds like a busy and sad day.

 

 

 

As for me, I'm feeling great on day 11. I've been getting to bed a little later than usual, which I can feel in my bones! Looking forward to a restful weekend. I've been waking up at 5:00 to do a Jillian Michaels video every morning this week, and I feel great. Last time I was hooked on Jillian, I was in the best shape of my life, hands down. Anyone else like her videos? I've lost TWO copies of the 30 Day Shred now (no idea where they got to), so I'm doing Ripped in 30, which is the same format as 30DS. Love it.

 

I whipped up a super easy butternut squash soup last night that was delicious!

 

1/2 lb. bacon, chopped (look for low-sodium Kroger brand - NO SUGAR!!!)

1 onion, chopped

1 apple, peeled and shredded

2 cups chicken broth

1.5 cups coconut milk

2 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks

salt, pepper, cinnamon, and ginger to taste

 

Fry chopped bacon until crisp, remove with slotted spoon. Add onion and cook in bacon grease over medium heat about 8 minutes. Add apple. Cook 2-3 more minutes. Add chicken broth, coconut milk, and squash. Cover and let simmer 30-40 minutes. Season to taste. Puree with an immersion blender or food processor in batches. Enjoy!

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Just wondering - what's up with all the pumpkin?  Are you using canned or cooking your own?  Reading about that souffle triggered a craving - not sure if that would be a safe food for me.

 

I am on Day 8.  I just received It Starts With Food from Amazon yesterday.  Also received Melissa Joulwan's Well Fed, and can I say, what an amazing and helpful aid that is going to be.  I can't wait to start on her recipes, as well as the food prep habits.

 

I succeeded in making bone broth (i.e., chicken stock) last night.  I poured all of it off through a strainer and put all the bones, loose chicken meat and skin, and spices back into the crock pot and added filtered water and a shot of apple cider vinegar for another go of it overnight.  My crock pot was at a full boil even on the warm setting, so I didn't leave that first batch as a perpetual stock like I had planned.  It isn't boiling this morning, so I may leave this second batch running and see how I like having a perpetual broth in the house. 

 

I had been getting grossed out by trying to drink my morning coffee black or with coconut milk, so this morning I had bone broth for breakfast, adding an equal amount back into the crock pot.  I did only 30 minutes on the treadmill today, as I did feel fatigued and did not get a good night's sleep last night.  However, my eight year wedding anniversary is next wednesday and I would love to be a bit closer to the weight I got married at, so I need to bump up my exercise a bit more to achieve that goal.

 

@SharynF - great job!

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Day 11 here

 

I ordered an immersion blender yesterday from Amazon so I'll be attempting Mayo this weekend!  I'm pretty excited to try it, I've wanted to make my own for a couple years but just never got around to it - and I miss Mayo!!

 

I hit one of those “I'm nodding off†tired walls this morning during a long work meeting (The type where the CEO talks for a couple of hours-Interesting but sitting in one spot for that long…) anyway I'm not sure why that happened.  It felt exactly like a sugar crash wall strike but I was 100% compliant and have been.

Since I was hungry when I got home I ate 3 eggs scrambled with Coconut Milk, bacon and Broccoli and now I just need to perk up!! 

 

I don't remember what time I ate breakfast (Some Egg Bake), I was up at 4:00 and since no CrossFit today (rest day and I'm good with that LOL) I started work at 5:00 so ate perhaps at 5:30/6:00 so hungry and nodding off at 10:00??…anyway not sure what happened and trying hard not to take a nap during work LOL I have yet another meeting in an hour and that one is anther exec talking for 2 hours

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As for me, I'm feeling great on day 11. I've been getting to bed a little later than usual, which I can feel in my bones! Looking forward to a restful weekend. I've been waking up at 5:00 to do a Jillian Michaels video every morning this week, and I feel great. Last time I was hooked on Jillian, I was in the best shape of my life, hands down. Anyone else like her videos? I've lost TWO copies of the 30 Day Shred now (no idea where they got to), so I'm doing Ripped in 30, which is the same format as 30DS. Love it.

 

I whipped up a super easy butternut squash soup last night that was delicious!

 

1/2 lb. bacon, chopped (look for low-sodium Kroger brand - NO SUGAR!!!)

1 onion, chopped

1 apple, peeled and shredded

2 cups chicken broth

1.5 cups coconut milk

2 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks

salt, pepper, cinnamon, and ginger to taste

 

Fry chopped bacon until crisp, remove with slotted spoon. Add onion and cook in bacon grease over medium heat about 8 minutes. Add apple. Cook 2-3 more minutes. Add chicken broth, coconut milk, and squash. Cover and let simmer 30-40 minutes. Season to taste. Puree with an immersion blender or food processor in batches. Enjoy!

Ok first - I do love Jillian Michaels. Or at least I did back when I had some energy and was working out. How about Tracy Anderson? Anyone like her? I have some friends who swear by her workouts but I can't find her program anywhere except Amazon for like $80

And second - sooo is this soup sweet or savory? I feel like all those flavors would go well together but I can't quite work out what it would taste like. I have some butternut squash for soup but I haven't got around to it yet.

Also is bone broth the same as making chicken stock in the crockpot? Is there a recipe in Well Fed?

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thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/stock-vs-broth-are-you-confused/

 

I just read the above (hope I got it right, it wouldn't let me copy and paste the link in here) that explains that stock is not cooked as long as bone broth. 

 

"The significant difference is that the stock (meat stock) is not cooked as long as broth (bone stock).

Stock is especially rich in gelatin and free amino acids, like proline and glycine. These amino acids along with the gelatinous protein from the meat and connective tissue are particularly beneficial in healing and strengthening connective tissue. These nutrients are pulled out of the meat and connective tissue during the first several hours of cooking meaty fish, poultry, beef and lamb. The larger the bones, the longer the cooking time."

 

" Both stock and broth can be made from the same bones. It is simple to begin your stock and after cooking for several hours, remove the carcass for deboning. Reserve the meat for eating and then return the bones to the pot with fresh water. Continue cooking for 6 to 48 hours, depending upon the type of bones."

 

From what I can understand, bone broth is higher in mineral content, but for people with GAPS, it has higher glutamates which can cause GAPS-related side effects.

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