I finally wrote my AIP Journey down. Â If you’ve followed me for even a minute you know I’ve been doing AIP now for 5 months. Â I started in August 2017. Â It’s now January 2018. Â So many of you may be wondering what is AIP? Â Well, it stands for Autoimmune Paleo or Autoimmune Protocol. Â It’s the paleo diet with some modifications. Â Specifically removing nuts, alcohol, seeds, butter, ghee, eggs, chocolate/cocoa, coffee and nightshades(tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, all chiles(and chile spices), sugar alternatives like stevia, xylitol. Â I found these guides from Paleo Autoimmune Protocol really helpful. Â The purpose of the AIP protocol is to heal the gut, reduce inflammation and lower antibodies. Â Now that you know what it means, you may be asking another question- why did I do it?
Ahh yes, why avoid SO many foods! Â Well I have an autoimmune condition called Hashimoto’s. Â Hashimoto’s is a condition where your immune system attacks your thyroid. Â Literally your body is attacking itself- not cool! Â Your thyroid is part of your endocrine system and produces hormones. Overtime people can develop hypothyroidism(an under active thyroid) as a result of Hashimoto’s from an inflamed thyroid.
I ended up reading Hashimoto’s Protocol by Izabella Wentz and it really opened my eyes to what Hashimoto’s was, how I could get it under control and didn’t have to succumb to it.  I ended up following her protocol she lays out in the book.  I extended mine past the 90 days per my naturopath’s recommendation.
There are many different autoimmune conditions out there, not just Hashimoto’s. Â Many people who suffer from an autoimmune condition from rheumatoid arthritis, to lupus, celiac, graves, IBS, psoriasis, and multiple sclerosis, could possibly benefit from an AIP protocol. Â Although there is no cure for autoimmune disease, it can be put into remission.
*The information discussed in this blog post is not a substitute for your own physician- please always seek a medical professional.
Symptoms Of Hashimoto’s-
- Hair Loss
- Weight Gain
- Puffy Face
- Joint Aches/Stiffness
- Depression
- Memory Lapses
- Brittle Nails
- Pale Dry Skin
- Constipation
- Sensitive to Cold
- Fatigue
To be honest the only symptom I had was fatigue. Â Even that I questioned because I had an infant and a toddler, which any mom knows accounts for sleepless nights. Â I also had some hair loss but it seemed normal since I had a baby in the last 6 months and it followed what had happened to my hair with my first child. Â Many people who have Hashimoto’s will tell you their symptoms are blaring and so obvious. Â Mine were not. Â I’ve never felt any weird digestive issues or had stomach problems either. Â Sure, if I have a big bowl of ice-cream I don’t feel the best but who does? Â I really don’t think anyone should be pounding straight up dairy ice-cream on the daily.
I really don’t think I would have discovered I had Hashimoto’s if it wasn’t for my blood test. Â My naturopath did a complete thyroid panel on me. Â When I say complete thyroid panel here is what I mean:
Complete Thyroid Panel-
- TSH(thyroid stimulating hormone)
- T4(free thyroxine)
- T3(free Tri-iodothyronine)
- Reverse T3
- ATA(Thyroglobulin antibody)
- TPO(Thyroid Peroxidase antibody)
Most conventional doctors will only test your TSH. Â However, there in lies the problem. Â Your TSH may read normal but you could still have a thyroid issue. Â To get a good picture of what your thyroid is doing you need a complete thyroid panel. Â Check out the Thyroid Pharmacist for more information on thyroid labs and why to get them.
You can even order your complete thyroid test on your own and have a functional doctor interpret it for you. Â Check out True Health Labs. Â
So once I got my blood test results back I learned I had antibodies in my blood. Â My antibodies were at 374. Â So 0 antibodies is the ideal of course. Â People can range all the way up to past 1,400. Â They say the higher the antibodies the more noticeable your symptoms may be. Â Which may explain why I may not have symptoms. Â The thyroid is tricky too. Â Some people may have really obvious symptoms but their test results come back and they have little or no antibodies. Â However, their friend could have hardly any symptoms and have antibodies. Â From what I’ve read this shows that the person with symptoms and no antibodies, may have a very compromised/weak immune system. You actually need some antibodies and sometimes your immune function is so weak to produce any.
The bottom line- I wanted to bring down my antibodies and figure how what was triggering an inflammatory response in my body. Â Once you have an autoimmune disease it’s easier to to get more in the future if you don’t address it. Â I really wanted to get to know my body and understand what was happening. Â So often I’ve just relied on doctors but for the first time I wanted to take control of my health. Â Food is a powerful tool in healing your body and I knew the first step was to eliminate foods so I knew what was happening in my system.
That is why I started AIP. Â In a nut shell AIP takes out all the foods that may cause an inflammatory response in your body. Â This gives your body a chance to heal. Â You can’t heal if you’re constantly putting out fires. Â Even healthy foods for some can produce an unhealthy immune response and trigger inflammation in the body. Â The elimination phase of AIP can last anywhere from 30 days to 6 months for most people. Â Once you’re done with the elimination phase and are starting to feel and see improvement you can start reintroductions slowly. Â It’s really about getting to know what works for you. Â Some people may go through AIP and when they reintroduce foods they can tolerate most foods again. Â But other people find out what foods were bothering them. Â Who wants to eat eggs if every time after eating them you feel nausea and your joints hurt? Â Not me! Â It gives you the power back to know your body and how it works best.
AIP is all about healing your gut. Â When inflammation goes down and your gut begins to heal your antibodies will start to go down. Â It really varies from person to person. Â Be patient and trust the process. Â Besides diet, stress and sleep are huge when it comes to overall healing of your body. Â Don’t neglect them! Â I know for myself, stress and sleep are the hardest for me. Â I can follow a diet easily but my management of stress and getting enough sleep can be poor. Â Throughout these 5 months my stress has gotten better but I still need to work on my sleep.
Was AIP Hard?-
Probably one of the questions I get asked the most is if AIP was hard. Â It really wasn’t for me. Â As I mentioned, I ate paleo for the most part before transitioning to AIP so it wasn’t a complete 360. Â The hardest part was making sure I had food prepared as you can’t just grab a bar. Â But once I found a system and knew snacks I could have it really helped. Â I didn’t eat out at all hardly. Â There were times I just brought my food to the restaurant if I didn’t want to miss out on something. However, for the most part, restaurants are really accommodating. Â You can order a salad almost anywhere, so that helps. Â I just customize the salad and then ask for olive oil as the dressing.
I would prep at the beginning of the week and that helped me to know I had some things on hand. Â I also knew I could have a smoothie if I was in a pinch as well. Â Snacks were hard to find at first but then you realize what you can have and you just make sure you have things on hand.
Favorite AIP Snacks-
- Terra Chips Chip Plantain Sea Salt
- Sweet Plantain Chips at Trader Joe’s
- Barnana Organic Chewy Banana Bites
- My AIP Energy Balls(download the recipe below)
- Kale Chips(I would just put coconut amino and coconut oil on them and then dehydrate them)
- Bare Natural Apple Chips(the ones with just apples, no added sweetener)
- Apples
- Raw Veggie Bread(I make mine in the dehydrator, all recipes from @realfoodlab E-book/Course)
- AIP Muffins(I get my recipes from a lot of blogs)
- I also liked making a cup of tea. Â I would use Traditional Medicinals Peppermint or Ginger a lot. Â I would add a little honey and some coconut milk for extra pizazz! Â I really like this Aroy-d Coconut Milk 100% .
My Results-
So after doing the AIP protocol for 5 months I noticed significant improvement in my overall health.
- No bloating
- Less mood swings
- Didn’t feel tired in the afternoon
- Increased energy
- Cut my antibodies in half
Plan Going Forward-
Going forward I am now reintroducing foods into my diet again. Â I started with macadamia nuts(a less allergenic nut) and eggs. Â When introducing foods it’s important to start with the foods that are the least likely to cause a reaction. Â Here is a great resource for figuring out which foods to start with and which foods to not. Â For ex. gluten is probably a food that would be last on the list. Â Whereas seeds and eggs are easier for your body.
The next step as far as medical procedures is to do a stool test. Â My naturopath recommended this as it helps to really see what’s going on in the gut. I may also do a food allergy test in a couple months. Â I don’t want to be consuming foods, even though they may be good, if it’s causing my body inflammation. I’m realizing the more time goes on that there isn’t a finish line but a lifestyle and mindset shift. Â Not that I think the AIP diet is forever. Â From what I’ve read, AIP isn’t meant to be a long term diet. Â Avoiding that many foods for so long can actually cause more problems. Â Obviously everyone is different and should consult with their doctor. Â I’m not where I want to be but I am better than I was. Â I’ve learned it’s about getting to know your body and giving it what it needs in each season.
My next focus is to incorporate foods slowly and see how I react and feel. Â Do a stool test, and focus on getting quality sleep each night. Â Sleep is the hardest thing for me and something I know needs improvement.
Resources-
Books:
- Hashimoto’s Protocol by Isabella Wentz
- Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stevenson(this isn’t a thyroid book, but it has really opened my eyes to the importance of sleep for total body healing)
- Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis by Izabella Wentz
- How to Heal Hashimoto’s by Marc Ryan
- The Loving Diet by Jessica Flanigan
Cookbooks:
Blogs:
- Autoimmune Wellness
- The Paleo Mom
- Grazed and Enthused
- Healing Family Eats
- Phoenix Helix
- Unbound Wellness
- The Paleo Mom also has a list of AIP bloggers here.
*Phoenix Helix is full of so many nuggets and protocols for AIP. Â I get sucked into here website every time I visit. Â I highly recommend you check her out!
Podcasts:
- Phoenix Helix Podcast- Can’t say enough about the quality of information and nuggets- so good!
- Unbound Wellness Podcast- Love how they address topics everyone is asking about. Â Feels like you’re chatting with your friend.
- Autoimmune Wellness Podcast- Such a useful resource! Â They cover it all.
I hope you found this post helpful! Â I would love to hear about your AIP journey, what’s been like for you and any tips you’ve picked up along the way!
Recipe To Download: AIP ENERGY BALLS
What eyeshadows did you use here? Love the look!
You mentioned AIP in an Instagram story, so I figured you had a blog post about it, and you do! It’s good to hear your story as I had my own health issue recently. I never went to a doctor to be diagnosed with something, but like you, I was very fatigued and I was about 6 months postpartum. I did a blood panel that my midwife recommended and the results said I was fine, but I didn’t feel fine at all. And things seemed to be getting worse. I actually used the food detox in the book Medical Medium, and I did it for an extended period of time. But, I immediately saw improvements. Now I’m back to just eating whatever I want in moderation. I eat clean and keep good, clean food in my home, but I will go have a burger and ice cream with the fam sometimes. I don’t think I’ve completely healed though. I just might have to do another food detox! ?
Hey, how old is your babe? My little one is almost 18 months.