What’s the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol aka the AIP?

What’s the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol aka the AIP?

Thanks for inviting me to this club I never wanted to join! The good news is that with my Hashimoto’s and suspected Celiac, it turns out I’m in good company as autoimmune diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Crohn’s disease, Type 1 Diabetes, and Psoriasis, are all on the rise. They used to just hit us as we age, but young people are now getting in on the fun as well. 

Most folks believe that autoimmune disease is just a case of bad genetics or the body gone awry. Some sufferers feel that this is just the hand they were dealt. They may even listen to their doctors who believe the only course of action to stop their symptoms is to take steroids, N-SAIDS, or even consider surgery. 

Doctors may also just chalk it up to aging and telling patients that they feel cruddy because this is just what happens to women over time. For me, this was a tough pill to swallow AT AGE 32! The sad truth is that the medical community tells people that there is nothing they can do to stop their symptoms and to accept this as the “new normal”. To that I say…baloney. 

The sad part is that those are just a few examples of misinformation being the norm in the medical community. At some point, I drew a line in the sand and said, “No. This is not my story, and I refuse to accept this disempowering advice.” I was not going to wait around for them to catch up. I became my own advocate and did my own homework. 

I am not denying that there is a genetic component involved. That is true. However, scientists are now finally beginning to recognize that your environment, diet, and lifestyle choices can significantly increase your risk for developing an autoimmune disease. This is actually very good news because that means there IS something you can do about it! In fact, there are a lot of things you can do to minimize the effects of an autoimmune disease, and some of them are really delicious.

Enter the AIP (Paleo Autoimmune Protocol)!

According to Paleo experts Loren Cordain and Robb Wolf, The Paleo Autoimmune Protocol, or AIP, is an elimination diet and lifestyle change that will help to reduce inflammation in the body, reset the immune system, and restore a “leaky gut”. The diet can help with not just managing but reversing symptoms caused by autoimmune diseases. 

In addition to diet changes like increasing your intake of vegetables and nutrient-rich foods such as organ meat, the AIP also focuses on prioritizing getting 8 hours of sleep each night, gentle movement, and stress management. These simple changes have also been shown to help regulate the immune system.

Tell Me More About the AIP!

Unlike the Paleo diet, The Autoimmune Protocol is a little more restrictive. Its aim is to reduce the symptoms of autoimmune disease by nourishing the body with nutrient-dense foods, supporting healthy gut function, and eliminating potential food triggers.    

On the Autoimmune Protocol, you will eliminate foods that are difficult to digest and are known to cause inflammation. These foods include grains, seeds, nuts, legumes, beans, eggs, coffee, refined sugar, and dairy.  

The good news is that you won’t have time to miss the foods you are currently eating because you will be introducing other tasty foods such as vegetable smoothies, nourishing soups, pasture-raised meats, organic produce, salads, bone broths, and cultured foods. This is all in an effort to create an environment in which the body can recover.  

If the list of “Eat” and “Don’t Eat Foods” is making you skeptical, keep in mind the Autoimmune Protocol elimination is not forever. Like Cookie Monster says, it’s a “sometimes” diet. Once you give your gut adequate time to recover, you can experiment with reintroducing the foods you enjoy.

Benefits of the AIP:

Reduced Inflammation

Once you reduce inflammation in the body, you will be pleased to find significant relief from many of your symptoms.

Feeds the Gut Microbiome

This is a one two punch. The AIP will encourage you to add foods that support healthy gut bacteria while eliminating those that do all the damage and disruption. Your gut will thank you.

Find the Root Cause

The Autoimmune Protocol will help you find and eliminate the “root cause” of your symptoms.

Three Phases of the AIP

• Elimination
• Reintroduction
• Maintenance

Elimination

In this first stage, you will transition from your current diet to the AIP elimination. You will sustain the elimination while increasing your intake of nutrient-dense foods for a minimum of 30 days.

Reintroduction

During this stage, you will slowly and strategically reintroduce foods back into your diet. You can only move on to the reintroduction phase once you have been compliant with the elimination phase for at least 30 days and have seen a noticeable improvement in symptoms. Keep a journal to help you track your foods and symptoms.

Maintenance

Now that you feel like a million bucks, you will find that you want to maintain the anti-inflammatory lifestyle you have achieved so that you can continue to lead a full and healthy life!

The AIP is Not Forever

It’s not a diamond. It’s not forever. The elimination phase of the Autoimmune Protocol should be followed to a tee for at least 30 days.

However, how long you remain in this elimination phase will depend on your body. While some find that 30 days is long enough to see an improvement in their health, others might need to follow the elimination for as long as 90 days. Listen to your body and let it tell you what works.

AIP and a Sweet Tooth

AIP experts suggest not to exceed 20 grams of sugar per day while on the protocol. Though some believe they are more harmless than table sugar, even sugars like maple syrup, honey, and the natural sugar content found in fruits can contribute to inflammation of the body when consumed in excess. This does not mean that you don’t get to indulge in a treat while on the AIP. Instead, if you do enjoy something sweet, keep it to a minimum and don’t overdo it.

Here is some additional info on sugars and the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol to help guide you a little more on how to go about treating yourself on the AIP.

A quick list of foods to eliminate during phase one:

• Chocolate
• Coffee
• Dairy
• Eggs
• Fruit-based spices (like black pepper and nutmeg)
• Gluten
• Grains
• Gums and additives
• Legumes / Beans
• Nightshade produces and spices (cayenne, tomatoes, and eggplant)
• Nuts
• Industrialized, GMO cooking oils (corn, soy, sunflower, vegetable oils)
• Processed, refined and fast foods
• Pseudogrians (quinoa, millet, amaranth)
• Refined sugar
• Seeds
• Spices containing nightshades and seeds
• Soy

Foods you will get to enjoy during phase one:

• Bone broth
• Clean proteins (ie, wild-caught fish; pastured pork, poultry, beef, and offal)
• Collagen
• Cultured foods
• Healthy fats
• Herbal teas
• Lots of vegetables, and fruits in moderation
• Nourishing soups

What does a typical day of eating on the AIP look like?

Breakfast

Ground pork, spinach, & sweet potato hash cooked in bacon grease with herbs and garlic

Dandelion tea with coconut milk and cinnamon

Snack 1

Kalamata olives

Cucumber slices

Lunch

Creamy broccoli soup

Plantain chips cooked in palm oil

Snack 2

Chicken liver pate

Celery sticks & radishes

Dinner

Ginger beef with coconut aminos, carrots & asparagus

Cilantro lime cauliflower rice

Dessert

Mixed berries topped with coconut butter and optional 1 tsp of raw honey

What are the Lifestyle factors of the AIP?

There are a number of other factors to include in AIP that have nothing to do with food. That does not mean they are not just as important! Don’t forget to include these anti-inflammatory actions and steps:

• Community: Connect with others like you. Get out there and find your tribe!
• Connect with Nature: Get the right amount of sunshine. Hug some trees.
• Movement: No need to overdo it! Move as your condition allows.
• Sleep: Get at least 7-9 hours of good quality sack time every night.
• Stress Management: Utilize natural mood boosters: keep a journal, use talk therapy, get a massage, drink calming teas like chamomile.

For the best chances of success in recovery, make sure you don’t just only focus on food. Be sure to incorporate these important factors into your life to ensure the best results as you conquer your symptoms.

Ready to get started with the AIP?

Arm yourself with my top tips by reading these curated posts here that will help you get started living naturally with autoimmunity and the AIP.

Check out all of the delicious and simple-to-make AIP recipes I’ve created with your busy lifestyle in mind!

Get your hands on my two most popular cookbooks, AIP Sheet Pan Recipes & AIP Sheet Pan Recipe Volume 2 so you can get in and out of your kitchen while on the autoimmune protocol in a snap!