A couple months ago, I did a 30 day trial of the AutoImmune Protocol Diet (or AIP.) A friend of mine decided to do it for health reasons and I did it along with her to support her. Additionally, I was curious if any of the foods that are restricted on AIP were triggers for me. I have been eating Paleo for about two years now. I'm allergic to dairy and gluten and they both caused many health issues. I did not know this, instead I thought I was very sick and had to be on numerous medications. Little did I know that it was my lifestyle and what I was eating that was making me sick. Paleo restricts both dairy and gluten and since following it I am now off of approximately 12 different medications for various issues. I stick to Paleo because I have underlying conditions. It's not a "diet" for me. It's a healthy lifestyle and a way for me to manage my health without medications. I've healthier and feel better than...well, than ever. I have never felt this good on a consistent basis.
In the past I had been diagnosed and medicated for the following conditions:
Migraines
IBS
Cervical Cancer
Acid Reflux or GERD
Anxiety
Depression
Insomnia
Fibromyalgia
Lupus
Acne
Allergies
Asthma
A weird sweating disorder...And a bunch of other conditions I cannot remember off the top of my head.
Through lifestyle changes and a complete nutrition overhaul, I am now on ZERO medications and have NO health issues. This is first for me. I spent almost three decades being sick. I now am healthier and happier than I ever have been.
For Lifestyle Modifications I did the following:
Left a long-term relationship that was not working
Left a sales career that was very stressful
Went to Graduate School
Changed Careers
Started Exercising Daily
Quit Drinking Alcohol
Stopped Using Medications
Adopted a Paleo Diet
Found a Partner that Embraced my Lifestyle
Consistently Evaluated my choices to see if what I was doing, was actually working. This involved a lot of self-reflection and was a process.
This was not easy. But it has been worth it. That is my back story and what led me to try AIP for 30 days.
I am constantly "experimenting" on myself and this is yet another experiment.
My goal with AIP was to try and see if I can heal any other remaining issues in my gut. That is what AIP is for. It is used to heal issues in the gut that are causing you autoimmune health issues. AIP is THE BEST diet for anything autoimmune you have going on. If you have symptoms of a "leaky gut" AIP may be for you! Here are leaky gut symptoms: (You can find the source at: 9 Signs You Have a Leaky Gut)
1. Digestive issues: gas, bloating, diarrhea, IBS
2. Seasonal allergies or asthma
3. Hormonal imbalances such as PMS or PCOS
4. Diagnosis of an autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Lupus, Psoriasis, or Celiac Disease
5. Diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue or Fibromyalgia
6. Mood issues such as Depression, Anxiety, ADD, or ADHD
7. Skin issues such as Acne, Rosacea, or Eczema
8. Diagnosis of Candida Overgrowth
9. Food allergies or food intolerance's
Any of these things look familiar? If so, read on.
Again, AIP is not a "diet" to lose weight. I have never and will never be on a diet.
AIP is a nutritional solution to fix medical conditions WITH FOOD, NOT MEDICATIONS. It's something you do when you have tried everything else and you want to feel better. And you want to do it without prescriptions and side effects from those medications that create new issues.
Also, it is important to state that I have gone from being dependent on doctors and medications...to now being dependent on myself. I. I also am off EVERY SINGLE ONE of my medications. And I did this alone, by experimenting on myself and not under the medical model. (Note: this is not for everyone. This worked for me and that I all I can attest to.) When I first drafted this, I had not seen a doctor for two years. I have since went in for a yearly physical and my doctor was astounded! She said I was a completely different person and asked me how I did it! So, I told her. She was shocked and could not believe I was not on ANY medications. I have since gotten my labs back and I am in perfect health thanks to my newly adopted lifestyle choices.
The last two years I have been following the Paleo diet. Again, it is not a "diet" to lose weight. It basically consists of foods that our ancestors ate. A lot of whole foods, good meats, and vegetables.
What is not allowed in Paleo: Grains, Dairy, Soy, Legumes, Processed Foods, Refined Oils, and Sugars. Basically all food that cause of a lot of medical conditions:
What is allowed: Delicious meats and vegetables/fruits.
If you ever consider going Paleo, focus on what you CAN have: wonderful foods. Not what you cannot have. That makes it feel restrictive and it's not. I have enjoyed delicious paleo foods for over two years and have had zero complaints.
Here is a food pyramid for Paleo:
AIP is still Paleo, just with some additional limitations. The limitations are due to health conditions that may be the culprit of certain restricted foods. Again, AIP is not a "diet" but a way to fix several autoimmune issues.
Here is what is included in AIP:
The difference between Paleo and AIP:
| Eliminate Permanently | Eliminate for 30 Days and Reintroduce |
| Processed Food | Eggs |
| Refined Oils & Sugars | Nightshades (both vegetables and spices) |
| Grains | Nuts |
| Legumes | Seeds |
| Soy | Dairy |
In addition for 30 days you must avoid:
No alcohol (fine to use in cooking, but not to drink)
No stevia
Nothing that comes from a seed, which means no cocoa, coffee or seedbased spices
No emulsifiers or thickeners (guar gum, carrageenan, etc)
No NSAIDs – Caution: if you are taking NSAIDs to control the pain of autoimmune disease, do not stop taking them cold-turkey.
Fruits Limit fruit to 2-5 servings per day. -
See more at: http://www.phoenixhelix.com/2013/05/19/what-is-the-paleo-autoimmune-protocol/#sthash.JT8Afo2y.dpuf
To further reflect on the two year process up to this 30 day AIP challenge:
For the last year or two I also have not really drank. At all. And I have been eating healthy. 99% of the time I already follow a Paleo nutritional diet. The only times I have gone off Paleo were accidental (eating out, or eating someone else's cooking.) What I have found with this is that I now longer use the excuse of social obligations to binge eat or drink. Now, when I go to something, it is because I WANT to be there. It's not to serve a hidden agenda of mine. Yes, turning down drinks and fun food is sometimes hard. However, if I'm truly honest with myself: those things no longer serve my greater purpose. I no longer am attached. I have given myself permission to not drink. For the first year of my not drinking, I "fake drank" while with other people. And this felt in-genuine I also felt like a phony and that was living a double life. So in year 2 of not drinking: I started telling people that I no longer drink. And you know what?? They were okay with it. Why? Because I was okay with it. Not drinking is a personal choice and it has nothing to do with being Paleo or not. This is included because it has helped me along my journey. Also for AIP, alcohol is off limits. Which was fine with me, as I no longer drink.
That being said...
Here are my reflections at various times along my 30 day AIP Journey: Of note: I thought I would really miss eggs, chocolate and fruit. Below is a the diary I kept along the way:
One day in: This may be hard, even for someone that already eats Paleo. I have been off eggs and nuts for about a week already in preparation. I think I'm going to really miss tomatoes and mushrooms. Also, the above stated eggs and nuts. I think I'll really miss those guys. As long as I can have avocados I know I will be fine. My feeling is that "an avocado a day, keeps the doctor away."
Two days in: Spices can change things up in magnificent ways! I'm loving basil, garlic, and cinnamon right now.
Three days in: I have lost cravings for everything I thought I craved. I am now re-defining life. Everything is okay. Life is okay. I can do this. No longer do I want chocolate or even to sweeten things with stevia (my version of sugar.) Right now all I want is squash, vegetables, and good meat/seafood.
Six days in: We went to a wedding and I ended up bringing my own food. I suspected that there would not be any AIP foods available, and I was mostly right. Although the food they had looked delicious...so did my dinner that I brought. So as to not be rude, I went into the bathroom with my cooler and dumped my food onto my plate. And you know what? No one at my table cared. It was hard to pass up the delicious cupcakes, but I no longer crave anything really so it was fine.The girlfriend that I am doing AIP with, was also at the wedding and brought her own food as well. We were glad we kept to AIP and did not fall off track. I really do want to see how good I can feel and if I have any remaining issues with certain food groups.
One week in: I no longer have cravings for anything. Except squash. It's fall now and squash is very "in." Right now I am eating is for nourishment. I have been able to be more productive and can prioritize my wants versus my needs.
Week two: This was a really busy week. I had a conference, wedding, work, school, and workouts... and had to juggle all the areas of my life. I tried to plan as best that I could. My main goal was not to be hard on myself when I was put into situations that I could not control and therefore had to eat something that may have had a non-AIP spice on it. This was mainly at the conference and at the wedding. At the conference I had some chicken with a glaze on it and I'm not certain what was in the glaze. I tried eating in my car the food I brought, but I only had 3 minutes and couldn't chew it fast enough. Then at the wedding, I ate what I could that was AIP. However, again, you don't know what spices are used and how everything is cooked and prepared. Also, I was exhausted from the week before. So, I did the best I could and that is okay with me. I got a lot of things done this week, yet felt scattered. However, I did work out a lot and almost surprised myself with how much energy I had in the gym!
Week three: This week has started with me feeling exhausted. And that's due to both this AIP protocol and my busy life. I am okay with this. It is starting to get hard, but I'm dedicated to it. The first and second weeks for me were more of like an AIP honeymoon. Now, I'm more tired. However, I'm okay with being tired. There is an upside to this! For the last week I have been super focused at work and school. I'm not sure if it's because I'm tired or what, but I am getting more things done. I am dedicated to AIP, because I feel like I owe it to myself to see how good I can feel. And I want to know for sure which food groups give me issues. Right now I am more task oriented and not so much fitness oriented. I may have pushed myself too far last week as far as exercise goes. So far this week, I have stuck to lighter workouts such as yoga and pilates. As I write this, the week is only half over, so we shall see what the rest of the week brings.
Week four: I did it! 30 days are done! I didn't really miss any of my favorite foods, except eggs. That will be the first thing I add back in. Four week of no chocolate, what a first!! I have become more productive during my time with AIP. Now I am going to start adding in foods with the use of a food sensitivity tracker to see which foods give me issues.
Now after doing this for 30 days it is SUPER important that you re-introduce foods one at a time to really determine which food groups give you issues. I am a fan of technology, so I used this app: BulletProof Food Sense App This app tests your heart rate in the morning. Then before you eat meals you test again, and then at different increments after you eat. This gives you factual evidence as to what foods give you issues.
I am posting this a couple months after doing AIP and there are some foods that I just really never added back in: Nuts were one of them. They make me bloated. So I now eat them rarely and just a couple at a time. Also, I never really added tomatoes back in as they give me mild acid reflux. I eat them time to time, but before I ate them everyday and did not realize they caused me issues. I also now eat a lot less chocolate and fruit. I have them both on very rare occasions. I love chocolate, don't get me wrong, I just got used to not having it and sometimes forget about it! I have found that fruit has a lot of sugar and fructose in it and unless I lift heavy one day, I really don't have it. On average I will have 1-2 pieces of fruit a week.
I still to this day stick to Paleo. I am highly allergic to both dairy and gluten. Dairy causes severe inflammation, bloating, and acne for me. And gluten gives me migraines, makes me feel tired, and I get brain fog when I eat it. So, although I did this for 30 days, it is not something that I will need to do long term. If you are having any of the above autoimmune/leaky gut symptoms AIP may be something you need to try.
It is important to note that every single person is different. And that means a different diet. And although Paleo and AIP worked for me, they may not for you. Although, I think we all can agree that gluten overall is bad for just about every single person. There is a lot of conflicting information on the internet about AIP and you know what? That's okay. The reasons it conflicts is because it is written by individuals with their own stories and their own unique needs. The most important step in the process is that you are willing to TRY SOMETHING NEW. You are willing to experiment on yourself. After all, you are worth it. Had I not done the AIP 30 day challenge, I would not have known that nuts make me bloated and tomatoes sometimes make me burp. It was worth it. Also, I have stopped eating as much fruit and chocolate and I have been able to lean up more. But, that is for another post.
Please let me know if you have questions! I post a lot of my Paleo meals on Instagram! You can find me at: http://instagram.com/myhealth_llc Also, I tweet health and wellness related information on twitter: https://twitter.com/MyHEALTH_llc
Had I not done this, I would have never known my trigger foods. Have you ever thought about how food is related to health? Are there any food experiments that you have done? Are you sick of being sick and wondering if food has anything to do with it? If so, ask questions! Get curious! Your health is your business and you have the right to know have food impacts your health!
I have a couple other health self-experiments that I am going to share with you on the blog as well. So look forward to that!
Be Well,
Miss Oakley
Owner of My HEALTH, llc
Rehabilitation Counseling Graduate Student
Career Coach and Job Developer
Wellness and Health Enthusiast
Week four: I did it! 30 days are done! I didn't really miss any of my favorite foods, except eggs. That will be the first thing I add back in. Four week of no chocolate, what a first!! I have become more productive during my time with AIP. Now I am going to start adding in foods with the use of a food sensitivity tracker to see which foods give me issues.
Now after doing this for 30 days it is SUPER important that you re-introduce foods one at a time to really determine which food groups give you issues. I am a fan of technology, so I used this app: BulletProof Food Sense App This app tests your heart rate in the morning. Then before you eat meals you test again, and then at different increments after you eat. This gives you factual evidence as to what foods give you issues.
I am posting this a couple months after doing AIP and there are some foods that I just really never added back in: Nuts were one of them. They make me bloated. So I now eat them rarely and just a couple at a time. Also, I never really added tomatoes back in as they give me mild acid reflux. I eat them time to time, but before I ate them everyday and did not realize they caused me issues. I also now eat a lot less chocolate and fruit. I have them both on very rare occasions. I love chocolate, don't get me wrong, I just got used to not having it and sometimes forget about it! I have found that fruit has a lot of sugar and fructose in it and unless I lift heavy one day, I really don't have it. On average I will have 1-2 pieces of fruit a week.
I still to this day stick to Paleo. I am highly allergic to both dairy and gluten. Dairy causes severe inflammation, bloating, and acne for me. And gluten gives me migraines, makes me feel tired, and I get brain fog when I eat it. So, although I did this for 30 days, it is not something that I will need to do long term. If you are having any of the above autoimmune/leaky gut symptoms AIP may be something you need to try.
It is important to note that every single person is different. And that means a different diet. And although Paleo and AIP worked for me, they may not for you. Although, I think we all can agree that gluten overall is bad for just about every single person. There is a lot of conflicting information on the internet about AIP and you know what? That's okay. The reasons it conflicts is because it is written by individuals with their own stories and their own unique needs. The most important step in the process is that you are willing to TRY SOMETHING NEW. You are willing to experiment on yourself. After all, you are worth it. Had I not done the AIP 30 day challenge, I would not have known that nuts make me bloated and tomatoes sometimes make me burp. It was worth it. Also, I have stopped eating as much fruit and chocolate and I have been able to lean up more. But, that is for another post.
Please let me know if you have questions! I post a lot of my Paleo meals on Instagram! You can find me at: http://instagram.com/myhealth_llc Also, I tweet health and wellness related information on twitter: https://twitter.com/MyHEALTH_llc
Had I not done this, I would have never known my trigger foods. Have you ever thought about how food is related to health? Are there any food experiments that you have done? Are you sick of being sick and wondering if food has anything to do with it? If so, ask questions! Get curious! Your health is your business and you have the right to know have food impacts your health!
I have a couple other health self-experiments that I am going to share with you on the blog as well. So look forward to that!
Be Well,
Miss Oakley
Owner of My HEALTH, llc
Rehabilitation Counseling Graduate Student
Career Coach and Job Developer
Wellness and Health Enthusiast
