Why Start the Paleo AIP in Spring

The Paleo Autoimmune Protocol, as you might know, is an elimination diet that relies on feeding your body whole, fresh foods.

These are foods that you would be able to get in the Paleolithic era, with the added factor of temporarily abstaining from certain food groups to help determine your inflammatory food triggers.

This means foods you could technically hunt, gather, and forage, without a lot of processed foods or preservatives. There are some guidelines to follow for the AIP depending on which protocol you follow, but generally these are the foods avoided:

• Gluten


• Grains


• Dairy


• Sugar


• Eggs


• Nightshades


• Legumes / beans


• Nuts


• Alcohol


• Cocoa


• Seeds


• GMO oils


• Preservatives / nitrates / chemical additives


• Fruit-based spices like black pepper and nutmeg


• Agave nectar, monk fruit, stevia, xylitol, erythritol, and artificial sweeteners

While this is a good diet to start any time of the year that you feel your inflammation is getting out of hand, here are some reasons spring can be a great time to give the AIP a try!

It Gets You Ready For Summer

An excellent reason to start the Paleo AIP elimination diet in the spring is the fact that summer is right around the corner!

If you want to work on your health before the vacation season, then starting in spring is ideal. This gives you a few months before summer begins to work on your health and feel completely confident by the time you are ready to venture out on road trips.

Plus, Paleo AIP not only helps you to feel amazing, but the diet’s benefits can also boost your confidence with the reward of glowy skin, and healthy hair and nails!

Tons of Fruits and Veggies Are in Season

Spring is the time when a lot of new fruits and vegetables are in season.

These provide tasty dishes for your Paleo AIP meals and snacks, and will give you lots of options to choose from. Shopping in-season produce not only allows you to have the freshest and highest quality produce possible, but it also helps to lower that food budget a little bit.

If you shop in-season produce, you can even find it at local farms, co-ops, discount “ugly” produce delivery services, and farmer’s markets. This can help you to save even more and support your local communities at the same time.

Some in-season AIP produce in the spring include:

• Strawberries


• Asparagus


• Peaches and Apricots


• Avocadoes


• Rhubarb


• Onions


• Leafy Greens

Why Start the Paleo AIP in Spring? Fruits and Veggies Galore!

When you are on the Paleo diet, you are allowed plenty of fresh produce, and encouraged to enjoy it as much as possible.

Produce can get expensive when it’s out of season, so it is best that you get the seasonal produce. Plus, this lets you try new recipes every few months.

Below are some fruits and vegetables that are in season during the spring.

Rhubarb

In the spring, rhubarb is in season, and this continues through summer.

This is a tart vegetable that is often used to combine with strawberries for pies and various other desserts. With just a few tweaks in the recipes, you can still make many of these classic desserts with rhubarb, strawberries, honey, and many other natural ingredients.

When you start the Paleo diet, it is the perfect time to try something new.

Spring Onions

While regular onions are typically available year-round in most places, spring onions, (also called green onions or scallions) are available in the spring. These are best to get during this season!

Spring onions are wonderful to add to soups, salads, and many other dishes. You can combine them with asparagus, another vegetable in season during the spring, for a fun and healthy side dish, or just top your salads with them.

Leafy Greens

Many leafy greens start growing in the spring, which is why many people actually plant them late in the winter after the final frost.

Having leafy greens is essential when you are on the Paleo diet. Not only can they help you prepare salads, but the large leaves provide a way for you to wrap up your favorite meals in lieu of using bread or tortillas.

Some good leafy greens in season during the spring are romaine, spinach, arugula, and mustard greens. Enjoy them as a base to any one of the 40 Best AIP Salads…Ever!

Berries

Berries are in season during the spring, and will last through the summer season as well.

Berries can be used in so many different ways for your Paleo dishes. You can add them to just about any salad, from a strawberry spinach salad, to a chicken salad tossed with this Strawberry Vinaigrette. You can make an AIP-approved strawberry rhubarb ice cream, this deliciously simple Strawberries Romanoff or just eat them as a snack when you want something sweet.

You can switch up the type of berries you use in any of the recipes above for a different flavor combination! Try them with blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries instead.

Other Seasonal Fruits & Veggies

Did you know that I created a cookbook especially for eating seasonally for the AIP?

AIP by Season was designed to not only help you with 141 delicious recipes that are AIP-friendly, but also as a thorough guide to eating with the seasons.

The chapters contain nutrient-dense recipes which each have a featured ingredient specific to Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter.

Each recipe in the eBook is 100% compliant with the elimination phase of the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol. This means every beautiful page is free of egg, dairy, gluten, grains, seeds, legumes, nightshades, nuts, refined sugar, gums, and chemical preservatives!

Enjoy seasonal recipes made only with whole, unprocessed foods. Plus, enjoy these bonuses:

• Seasonal AIP Produce Chart


• Eating Seasonally Chapter


• Extending the Seasons Guide


• Coconut-Free Substitutions Guide


• Index – find recipes by ingredient easily!


• Tips, Tricks,& Terminology Guide


• AIP Resource Guide


• eBook Printing Guide

Learn more about AIP by Season here.

Why Start the Paleo AIP in Spring? Garden Your Own Food!

Also don’t forget that a lot of people want to garden in the spring, as it helps get your produce and herbs ready for the rest of the year.

Starting the AIP Paleo elimination diet at this time will encourage you to start gardening and growing your own food, helping to save money and have fresh veggies and herbs on hand at all times. Many of the herbs, fruits, and veggies can also be grown indoors or in containers, so you don’t need a big yard to do this!

One thing you will learn about being on the Paleo AIP diet is that you will be cooking a lot more. This involves using herbs and spices to season your food, preferably fresh herbs while on this particular diet because you will get bonus nutrients from the freshest herbs versus dried.

Here are some herbs you can grow in your garden during the spring season:

Parsley

The first herb you can grow in the spring and use for your Paleo AIP dishes is parsley.

This is really good when you want to make dishes with rich flavors, similar to Italian and Mediterranean dishes like this Veal Parmigiana. It is also an herb that is relatively easy to grow, so even someone without a lot of experience gardening can grow parsley.

You will find both flat-leaved and curly-leaved parsley plants.

Cilantro

Another herb that is great for Paleo dishes is cilantro.

Cilantro can be grown from the seed or by getting a cilantro plant, since it is a good herb for beginners. If you are going to make salsa to add to your Paleo dishes, you definitely want access to some fresh cilantro at home!

Cilantro can be started in the spring, even if it is still a little cold where you live. This is a very tolerant herb and can survive in many different climates.

Tryit in this nutrient-dense OMGreen Goodness Dip!

Dill

There are so many things you can do with dill, so if you have room in your herb garden, definitely consider adding it.

Not only can you use it for dishes like cucumber salad, but it is also good with other vegetable dishes and tastes great with fish and seafood. If you want dill in the spring and summer, you should plant it a few weeks before spring begins as long as you don’t have a bad frost. It does best with full sunlight, so it isn’t the best for indoor herb gardening.

Though if it is going indoors, just make sure you keep it by a south or west-facing window.

Try it stirred into this easy Garlic “Cheddar” Rutabaga Mash for a flavor boost!

Basil

Who doesn’t love cooking with basil? Here is another Italian herb that goes great with meat, salads, vegetables, and tons of other Paleo dishes.

Plus, a little basil goes a long way, especially when you are picking it fresh from your own herb garden. This can grow well indoors as long as it is placed near a sunny window, so it is also perfect for container gardening.

Why Start the Paleo AIP in Spring? Inspiration = Flourishment

Giving these delicious veggies, fruits and herbs a try this spring when you are starting the Paleo AIP diet will help to boost your success!

It’s easier to stick to a new way of eating when you have a bounty of colorful options. So why not take advantage of the coming season and join the AIP train while the rainbow is available to you at the best price and availability?

Are you planning on starting the AIP this spring or doing a little AIP reset? I’d love to hear. Let me know in the comments.