The AIP diet is a powerful protocol designed as an intervention for those with autoimmune disease and chronic illness. The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) is meant to help you lower inflammation and reduce symptoms of autoimmune disease by discovering which foods best support your healing process.
You may be asking yourself: Is the Autoimmune Protocol right for you? What foods can you eat and which foods should you avoid? How should you get started?
I created this complete guide and free printable food list to answer these questions and ensure your success on the Autoimmune Protocol!
Autoimmune disease occurs when the body can’t tell the difference between healthy tissue and foreign invaders. As a result, rather than protect against disease and infection, the body’s immune system begins to attack healthy cells by mistake, causing inflammation in the body.
There are a number of autoimmune diseases. Some of these include – Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Hashimoto Thyroiditis, and more.
The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) diet is a food-based approach to reducing inflammation in the body. It works by identifying food triggers and gut irritants that could cause inflammation and instead focuses on nutrient density to promote healing.
It consists of two phases – elimination and reintroduction. During the elimination phase, certain foods, gut irritants and immune stimulants are eliminated for a period of at least 30 days. Following the elimination phase, the reintroduction phase brings eliminated foods back into the diet, one at a time, to identify which foods the body can tolerate.
The AIP diet is similar to Paleo in that it focuses on increasing nutrient-dense foods and eliminating inflammatory foods. If you follow a Paleo diet, you already stay away from gluten, grains, legumes, dairy, and sugar. With the AIP diet, you will also need to avoid all nightshades (tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, peppers, and nightshade spices), all nuts and seeds, food additives like guar gum and carrageenan, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications.
The diet is designed as an intervention for those with autoimmune disease and chronic illness. It’s a great way to eliminate symptoms quickly and identify which foods cause you symptoms versus which foods are healing for your body.
The diet is meant to serve as a short-term healing solution and is not meant to last forever. The goal with any elimination diet is to be able to eat as many nutrient-dense foods as the body can tolerate, and only cut out foods the body cannot tolerate. Many people will transition to a Paleo diet approach after completing the elimination and reintroduction phases of the AIP diet.
Now that you have a better understanding of what the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) is and if it’s right for you, let’s take a look at the next steps to get started:
Follow the guidelines below to ensure your success on the Autoimmune Protocol diet. I’ve also included a free downloadable list that includes which foods to eat and which to avoid. Download the free list below and save on your phone or print out to help you with meal planning and grocery shopping!
Nighsthades are plants belonging to the Solanaceae family. While nightshades are nutritious foods, they can be problematic for people who struggle with controlling inflammation, such as those with autoimmune disease or chronic illness.
Download this free list to make your life easier and survive the AIP diet! Save the list on your phone or print it out to help you with meal planning and grocery shopping.
