Not everyone grew up eating liver, which is too bad. Liver, bone marrow, undercooked yolks, and meat stock should be a newborn’s first foods. This may sound foreign to us, since we live in a world of soy infant formula and ultra-processed cereals for our tiny humans. Gratefully, we can reeducate the body! So if liver, meat on the bone, animal fats, and other GAPS foods turn your stomach, this article is for you!
We learn to eat the food by eating the food! It sounds simple because it is simple. Our sense of taste is there for a reason. When we taste a food that offers our bodies the nutrients it needs, it will learn to ask for those nutrients again by creating a love and desire for the food. It is perfectly OK to not love everything, or even to be disgusted by it, in the beginning. Simply make the food and have a teaspoon of it everyday. This exercise gives the body a little of the food and teaches it that the taste is connected to the nutrition. Keep in mind that 90% of our cells are non human: they are microbial and can be quite out of balance. The opportunistic microbes do not want you to eat this food, as they they prefer their sugar, breads, seed oils, and other ultra-processed foods. They will happily communicate that this food is nasty, disgusting, and gross.
A Practical Example
Make liver pâté and freeze it in small portions. When you are ready, thaw enough to eat for a few days. Try a teaspoonful of the cold pâté at first. It’s OK to gag if you need to, but try not to have a negative emotional reaction to the food. Instead, focus on how healthy and nutritious the food is. Keep this up and it won’t be long before you love the liver. Your body will become grateful for the nutrients and will learn to welcome the taste in the future.
This may seem like a lot of work to you. There are many aspects of GAPS that seem overwhelming, but it is OK (even preferred) to take your time. You do not have to enjoy all of the food right away. Just introduce one thing at a time until you begin to appreciate it. Learning to love the core foods means learning to communicate with the healthy microbes in your body, and giving them all the tools they need to create a brand new body for you!
Resources
NCM’s books:
Gut and Psychology Syndrome
Gut and Physiology Syndrome
Offally Good Cooking - Janine Farzin is Weston A Price but not GAPS, so you may need to tweak some of her recipes to be compliant for whatever stage you are on. She is incredibly helpful for learning to educate your palate and the principles apply to GAPS
Polish Tripe Soup {Flaki} - This recipe is delicious and a great introduction to eating organ meats. Leave out parsnip.
Jon Brooks: How to Eat Something You Don’t Like - Fake it until you make it!
Dave Asprey: How to Eat Organ Meats - Just a little extra information.