Learning How to Eat to Live - The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP)

     Anyone who knows me knows that this is no big secret:

 I. LOVE. FOOD. 

     All kinds of food. International food, domestic food, exotic food, spicy, sweet, salty, sour, crispy, mushy, crunchy food. Everything from a spicy tuna sushi roll to a pile of stadium nachos; a filet minion with a Cabernet mushroom sauce to a piece of chocolate covered bacon. I love it all. (Except dog food. I don't love that.) 

     Even the youngest of children who are able to speak will be able to note that people are all different. None of us are the same. This is especially true in the world of autoimmune disorders. Our symptoms all vary. Our bodies tolerate things and respond to things differently. Yet why do most of us get the same treatment from our doctors? My instructions are to take a pill every morning. That's it. That pill does give my body what my thyroid is not producing, however it does not treat the Hashimoto's disease or change some of my symptoms. 

     Since I've been diagnosed and doing more research on my own to try to figure out how to feel better, I've found that the food I eat can have a dramatic effect on how I feel. My husband and I had already taken some steps early last year to cut down on processed foods and increase our veggies. Although we both noted that we felt better when we ate better, I still had many of the symptoms that I listed in my previous blog. Earlier this year, I discovered the Autoimmune Protocol, otherwise referred to as AIP. 

     Basically, the Autoimmune Protocol is a way of eating that allows your body to detox and your gut to heal. I'll admit, the concept of gut health is very new to me. I'm learning as I go! On the Autoimmune Protocol, the idea is to eliminate any foods from your diet that might possibly be causing pain, inflammation, or other negative reactions in your body. After a period of time eating just the "basics" and allowing your body to heal, you can introduce a new food and see how your body reacts. Sometimes there are no effects and the new food can be integrated back into your diet. Sometimes there are symptoms such as muscle pain, joint pain, headaches, fatigue, mood swings, stomach pain, intestinal trouble, etc... These signs will let you know that your body is not ready for that food yet. You might be able to try to introduce it again later after allowing more time for healing, or your body just might react negatively to that food and it's best to avoid it altogether. 

     Foods generally deemed acceptable on the AIP Protocol are as follows:

• Meat (Any kind works, grass-fed if possible)
• Poultry (Free range, if possible)
• Fish (Again, any kind is fine, but wild caught is best)
• Vegetables, except nightshades (Organic, if possible)
• Fruit (Try to keep under 20 grams of fructose per day)
• Coconut products
• Fresh herbs that are not from seeds
• Sweeteners allowed are honey and maple syrup, but only about 1 tsp. a day.
• Sea salt

     Foods to eliminate while on the AIP Protocol are as follows (yes, this is a much longer list:

• ALL PROCESSED FOODS
• Nuts (Including nut oils or flours)
• Seeds (Again, no seed oils, seed based spices, or seed based teas)
• Eggs
• Grains (Yep, all of it. No wheat, rice, oats, quinoa, gluten, rye, nada...)
• Beans or legumes
• Chocolate (Technically, this is a bean, but due to the dramatic sacrifice involved in giving it up, it deserves its own bullet point.)
• Dairy (No milk, cheese, yogurt, cream, etc.)
• Gums (Guar gum, tara gum, etc. These are used as binders so check the label!)
• Seed based spices (Mustard, nutmeg, cumin, etc.)
• Nightshades (Tomatoes, white potatoes, eggplant, all peppers and spices made with peppers)
• No sugars or sweeteners besides honey or maple syrup

     Foods that are strongly encouraged due to the health benefits and gut healing qualities:

*Most of these will seem somewhat foreign to you if you've never heard of AIP before. I will be following up with more blog posts about these foods as I go.*

• Bone broth
• Fermented foods
• Kombucha and/or water kefir
• Gelatin and collagen
• Organ meats (You know... liver, heart, kidneys, etc...)

     This is a very basic list and I'm sure I left things out. We'll blame it on the brain fog, ok? If you are interested in trying AIP and want more information on the science behind it, I'll list some resources at the end of the blog. But what I really want to do now is tell you the changes I've noticed since I've started AIP.

     I started AIP cold turkey on March 16th. Some people choose to go through an elimination process and eliminate a food category every week. This might be a better option if you eat a lot of processed foods. I chose to just start. I tend to make excuses and procrastinate so I knew that I needed to just take the plunge. During the first week, I was starving. I ate as much as I wanted of what I was allowed to eat. The positive thing was that everything I was eating had significant nutritional value. Around day #3, I started experiencing back pain. I normally get bouts of back pain that comes and goes, most likely due to inflammation. This pain was consistent. It moved from my back to my neck, then down into my legs. It lasted 3 full days. I was miserable. I couldn't sleep because the pain in my back and legs was so bad. It felt like it was coming from my bones. I thought that maybe I had eliminated something in my diet that was previously helping me with that pain. I later learned that I was DETOXING! All this pain was due to my body cleaning itself out. On day #7, I woke up and the pain had significantly lessened. I could move a little easier and didn't feel the pain and pressure in my bones. By the start of week #2, my pain was gone and I wasn't nearly as hungry as I had been during week #1. 

     Today is the start of week #4 for me. I'll be honest, I feel so much better. Here's a list of my progress so far:

• I've lost 7 pounds while eating as much as I want. (I know that this is not what's most important or even significant in this process, but let's face it. It's a really nice side effect!!)
• Two different people have noted that my skin has brightened and is clearer.
• My fatigue has lessened and I have much more energy. I cleaned house the other day and when I would normally have needed to take short breaks, I was able to clean several rooms all in a row. 
• Significant decrease in muscle and joint pain. I guess I just got used to having this. It used to hurt at least a little bit to roll over in bed. Now, it's easy as pie. :)
• My brain fog is clearing. I still have moments where I have to "think" more than I should, but this blog is sign enough that I can carry thoughts through without spending hours on them. 
• I'm not nearly as irritable. My mood seems to be more stable. Not that I was ever really irritable in the first place... Please don't ask my husband about this.
• I wake up much easier in the morning. I used to wake up with a cloud around my head. I couldn't get my eyes open and felt sluggish for a good hour or so after getting up. Now, I'm not BOUNCING out of bed in the morning singing "Hallelujah" and waving my hands, but it is easier to get my feet out of bed and on the ground.
• No headaches. Not one. I would usually get a sinus headache at least once a week prior to AIP. Which brings me to...
• No sinus congestion! I have allergies and usually have trouble with congestion, watery eyes, sneezing, and sinus pressure. Despite an occasional sneeze here or there, I have not had any of these symptoms so far. 

     I'm sure there are more, but after only following AIP for 3 weeks, these are worth celebrating! I don't feel like I'm depriving myself. Yes, I get cravings for certain foods, but usually it's just because it's in front of me. I cook "regular" meals for my husband sometimes so it can be hard to not taste test as I go. He is gracious though, and often tries to eat what I eat. Bless his heart... :)

     Since I still love food, I look forward to finding creative and delicious meals that fit into the Autoimmune Protocol. I'm also making strides in finding natural replacements for toiletries and other household needs as the chemicals contained in those things can often be big triggers for autoimmune disorders. I hope to share the things I learn on here, both to help keep me on track as well as to inspire others to make changes to improve their lives.

     As promised, here are some of the resources that have been the most helpful to me:

• This book is also used for education and reference. It will tell you the science behind AIP and the reason that it works. It's a great book to have on hand.

• This is a WONDERFUL resource if you're looking to start AIP. Mickey Trescott's cookbook contains recipes for very basic diet essentials but also includes really creative recipes as well! It's the perfect place to get started! She even includes a pre-made menu if you don't like to plan. She has weeks worth of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, including plans on prepping foods for later in the week. This is a must-have!

• Angie Alt's cookbook is another great resource and cookbook combo. Along with some wonderful recipes, Angie also outlines a specific plan for reintroducing foods. She even includes some recipes that include some reintro foods!

    There are more books that I could recommend, but one or two of these will definitely be enough to get you started. There are also some great blogs and sites with AIP compliant recipes and other information. Just use caution. Not all recipes that are labeled AIP truly follow the guidelines. It's best to be personally familiar with the lists of allowed and not allowed foods first. Lists are included in each book I mentioned. If you have an autoimmune disease or even general aches and pains, I really recommend that you give AIP a try!