#4 Start Here – Reintroductions

“Strict” AIP is NOT a Life-Sentence

The AIP is meant to be approached in stages – elimination, maintenance and reintroduction. Unfortunately, reintroducing foods often intimidates people because they fear either the process or the potential reactions, and they get STUCK … stuck on the STRICT AIP elimination stage for too long, which is not healthy for body or mind. On the flip side some are too impatient and try to add foods back in too quickly making their efforts futile.

By now I hope you’ve read up on the AIP and understand the three stages to the dietary process. If not, please go back to step #1 and be sure to get a good grasp of it all.

To re-cap, the reintroduction stage is where the real food-trials come in. You’ve removed the most commonly reactive foods from your diet, and now you’ll be adding them back in, sloooooowly, in a specific order (most nutrient dense options first) one at a time to determine if you are reactive to any of them.

So … when can you get started?

It’s Personal

I know I’ve said this a few times but the AIP is meant to be a template, it’s a very personal protocol and eating plan and so too goes the topic of reintroductions. For some, a minimum 30 day of elimination stage is fine, for others it might take 60 or 90 days or much longer, but it’s really not as bad as it sounds. Bottom line, there’s no one right answer for everyone … it’s personal!

Typically, Functional Medicine Practitioners recommend not starting the reintroduction phase until you’re “symptom free” (or have seen some significant improvements) … and obviously this varies by person and condition.

Your body needs time to “rest and digest” … “recover and repair” … basically, you need to be in an un-inflamed state before you try reintroducing foods, otherwise you may never really know what you’re sensitivities are.

To put timing in perspective, because I know you REALLY want to know how long you’re into this for, think of it this way … you didn’t get sick over night, your digestive and immune system didn’t take one hit that caused them to fritz! For many, it’s likely that your body has been taking some abuse in the form of poor eating and drinking habits, toxic exposures or poor lifestyle habits for a while and it’s just been a long slippery slope into your current state of dis-ease. Realistically then it’s going to take some time to un-do those things, bring inflammation down and improve your gut function. Thankfully our bodies are miraculous and can heal if we give them the tools for the job.

If you’re struggling after 30, 60 or 90 days and feel you should be ready, step back and look at your situation honestly. Have you addressed all of the other areas of the AIP as well? Stress, exercise/gentle movement and environmental toxins are a couple that can play a huge role in your recovery, and if you’ve been avoiding addressing these, they may well be what’s stalling your progress. Beyond this there are other factors to consider too and you may want to consider this article on Troubleshooting the AIP.

IMPORTANT NOTE – if you’re still not seeing improvement after 90 days of giving the full Autoimmune Protocol a chance, please seek the advice of an expert to help you dig deeper to find your root cause – there is likely something else holding you back from healing that may not be obvious – click here to find a professional near you.

Be Patient

Some may want to rush into reintros, but remember … slow and steady wins the AIP Race!

Resist the urge to start too soon and resist the urge to wing it when it comes to reintroductions. You’ve put in 30-90 days (or maybe even more) on the elimination stage, don’t waste that effort by throwing in the towel or choosing to decide for yourself how best to reintroduce foods.

The elimination stage was meant to heal your body, and if you’ve been patient and are really feel quite well, reintroductions will likely be an easy process for you. Starting with a “clean slate” so to speak will allow your body to speak to you when you’ve reintroduced something that is not agreeing with you.

That said, be sure to follow a systematic plan of reintroduction when the time comes, including keeping a food and symptom journal (more about that in the resources below).

So, how do you get started? Following are the guides and resources I recommend you consider for best results.

Keep Moving!

What ever you do, keep moving forward – there are no rewards for longest amount of time on the AIP elimination stage!

I’m always shocked and stunned when I hear people in my AIP Recipe Collection Facebook Group proudly comment that they’ve been strict AIP elimination for 759 days or “x” number of months or years! No, no, no, no!! This simply can’t be!

I mean, I get it, there are a lot of folks out there who simply feel too darn good after having eliminated the top inflammatory offenders from their lives that they don’t want to go back to feeling horrible again. But this is where food fear creeps in, and ultimately why we find people out there touting that “the AIP is a dangerous, restrictive diet that just keeps people sick.”

Let’s be clear, elimination diets and the reintroduction process is still considered to be the gold standard in assessing food allergies and sensitivities – even more so than largely inaccurate food sensitivity / allergy testing (you can read more about that here if you’re wondering about that statement). The elimination phase gives the body time to calm and heal, BUT it is NOT meant to be long-term, that is NOT the goal of the Autoimmune Protocol! The magic starts to happen when we begin reintroductions and strive for nutrient density and variety in our diet. This is when we start accumulating personal data and identify what’s potentially driving our symptoms.

Beyond that, reintroductions are just practical! They help improve our quality of life and open up our ability to socialize more freely. No one wants you to get stuck on a restricted diet – it’s hard to maintain – but more importantly we don’t want to get stuck in long-term restriction because it could cause more harm than the good you’ve seen it do.

Don’t be a case that perpetuates the myths and misconceptions about this protocol – keep moving!

If you remember, back at the beginning when we started talking about what the AIP is, what we’d eat and what we’d avoid, we specifically said there were some very nutritious foods that would be eliminated – TEMPORARILY! In short, limiting and restricting food groups long-term can cause dysbiosis in the gut and nutritional deficiencies, so we need to get those back into our diets as soon as possible if they’re not problematic to our individual case.

That said, I hope you see how important it is that you MUST put on your big people pants and take on reintroductions. You’ve already proven that you can do hard things by making it this far, reintros are just the next step – and you’ve got this!

Reintroduction Guides & Resources:

Reintroductions can be tricky, but like I said, you can do hard things. It’s always tempting to try to compare your reactions with someone else’s, but the bottom line is that this too is VERY individual. You will need to keep good track as you go along so you can recognize signs and symptoms of reactions and celebrate all the wins along the way.

As always, my number one, go-to resource for ALL stages of the AIP, is – The Autoimmune Protocol ebook – Dr. Sarah Ballantyne

As of June 2021, the first cookbook dedicated to AIP reintroductions was released, and it’s spectacular! It’s great for all stages of the AIP and a great motivator. It discusses the process of reintros and provides delicious recipes to keep you progressing – check out my review here – The Autoimmune Protocol Reintroduction Cookbook – Kate Jay of Healing Family Eats

More articles from my favorite, reliable AIP Experts:

Definitive Guide To Reintroductions – Autoimmune Wellness
Personalized AIP – Autoimmune Wellness
Reintroducing Foods After Following the AIP Elimination Stage – The Paleo Mom
Updates to the Autoimmune Protocol – The Paleo Mom
Top 5 Mistakes People Make Reintroducing Foods – Eileen Baird
Why Aren’t My AIP Reintroductions Working?

FAQ, Recipe

AIP Food Lists

Looking for a list of AIP approved foods or recommendations on where to find ingredients?

Visit our Food Lists Page – click here to be redirected or our Food Sourcing Page – click here to be redirected.

FAQ

#1 Start Here – What Is The AIP and Where Do I Start?

While I’m not about to delve deep into the science behind the AIP or attempt to re-write some exceptionally well presented and well researched material that’s already available online and in print, I will give you a quick synapses here and send you on your way with links to what the experts have to say.

AIP stands for Autoimmune Protocol, or as some call it, the Autoimmune Paleo diet. This diet however, differs considerably from the standard Paleo diet, so this is where we need to start. Let’s dispel any myths and give you a good foundational understanding of the AIP, the whats and whys.

The AIP is a modified version of the Paleo Diet that focuses on nutrient density (more heavily weighted in veggies than meat, which is more Paleo-style) and lifestyle changes that support your immune system and remove inflammatory stimuli from both diet and lifestyle. I quote Dr. Ballantyne, who had a founding role in the AIP, below:

” The AIP is a complementary approach to chronic disease management focused on providing the body with the nutritional resources required for immune regulation, gut health (which includes gut barrier, microbiome, gut-relevant hormones, digestion, and detoxification), hormone regulation and tissue healing while removing inflammatory stimuli from both diet and lifestyle.”

The approach simplifies foods into two categories, either they promote health (nutrients) or they undermine health (because they have inflammatory compounds). That said, the protocol calls for stricter guidelines for which foods should be eliminated from our diet (as compared to the Paleo diet) to help us begin healing from the inside out.

“The AIP diet is designed to be balanced, complete and nutrient-sufficient, meaning that it supplies ample and synergistic quantities of all essential and non-essential nutrients. As such, the Autoimmune Protocol places greater emphasis on the most nutrient-dense foods in our food supply, including organ meat, seafood, vegetables, fruit and mushrooms, rounding out with other quality meats, fresh herbs, safe spices, and healthy fats.”

Done properly, the AIP should provide you with a well-round and balanced diet of healthy, satisfying foods. There are THREE phases to the protocol – elimination, reintroduction and maintenance.

The elimination stage of this diet is used as a template that is to be personalized and then built on, depending on each person’s own health condition, diagnosis and circumstances – it is NOT a one-size fits all approach – and it is NOT overly restrictive, as some may believe.

NOTE: As of January 2024, an option for a “modified elimination stage” was added. You can read more about that here.

“While the stronger focus is on what to eat, rather than what to avoid, the AIP is simultaneously an elimination diet strategy, cutting out the foods that are most likely to be holding back our health.”

“The AIP respects bioindividuality and strongly encourages self-discovery through 3-phases: elimination, reintroduction and maintenance. The AIP is a toolbox full of strategies for understanding how your body reacts to foods, lifestyle and your environment and methodologies for healing given your individual health challenges.”

And finally, I must mention that to be truly successful on your journey to autoimmune wellness you will also need to consider lifestyle changes beyond just what goes into your body. Your environment, stress, emotions, products you use daily in your home and on your body can also have significant impact on your healing journey.

“The AIP lifestyle encourages sufficient sleep, stress management, plenty of activity, nature time, and healthy connection as these are important immune modulators and influence both gut health and hormone health.”

Where to Begin?

It’s important not to get stuck in the rut of research, but you should understand the fundamental principles of what you’re about to embark on so you get off on the best foot.

First and foremost, get your hands on the best resource going! The Autoimmune Protocol as written by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne is the best resource you can own. The investment is small and more than worthwhile, complete with essential food lists, meal plans, the basics of the protocol, how to get started (a slow transition or cold turkey), how to reintroduce foods correctly when you get to that stage and more! Get your copy and read it as soon as you can – everything else is really just extra.

When to Begin?

A lot of people make it a goal to start the AIP as a part of their healthy New Year’s Resolutions … is that the best time, or should you start right away? Learn more in my dedicated post – When Should You Start Your AIP Healing Journey?

Is the AIP For Everyone?

If you’re here and find yourself asking whether the AIP is really for you, or if it’s something everyone should try, Dr. Sarah Ballantyne’s post on her website addresses this perfectly. The following is a brief summary, but you can read the full post here if you wish – Should Everyone Follow the AIP.

“It (the AIP) isn’t just for people with autoimmune disease! Inflammation is a factor in all chronic illnesses, and this is one area where the foods we eat can make a huge difference. Reducing inflammation and giving the immune system the resources it needs, as well as the opportunity, to regulate itself, can help in every single chronic illness, not just autoimmune disease.

The AIP is not a substitute for your doctor, but instead is compatible with informed and judicious use of conventional medicine interventions, pharmaceuticals, and supplements, and fully embraces functional medicine.

In short, the AIP is a collection of best practices related to diet and lifestyle, not to the exclusion of additional treatments or interventions, that can be individualized to address specific circumstances and goals, framed in the context of a person whose health challenges imply a lower resilience to suboptimal choices.”

Online Resources & Reading:

If you’re unable to purchase the above reference book (thought I firmly believe it’s well worth the small price), this would be your next best place to begin … or … you might suggest these links to family and friends who are trying to grasp what it is that you’re doing to help improve your health.

What is the AIP? (click here for the full article) by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne (the creator of the protocol) is a more scientific approach to explaining the healing journey you’re about to embark upon, and it goes into greater detail than the article below by Angie Alt. (NOTE: Updates to the Autoimmune Protocol were announced in the Spring of 2019 when Dr. Ballantyne’s updated, The Autoimmune Protocol book was released. With that came several new posts online to help folks clarify and get a brief overview of the whats and whys of the changes. You can read more online about them here on her website Updates to the Autoimmune Protocol, but for the most part, updates are applicable to the reintroduction phase of the protocol.)

The 3 Phases of the Autoimmune Protocol (click here for the article) by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne is a little different – her description of the three phases is more what I think to be appropriate (and she is after all one of the pioneers of the protocol), but both have merit. You’ll always find that Dr. Ballantyne’s approach is more scientific and clinical than that you’ll see on the Autoimmune Wellness website. Both have their own approach and both are amazing in their own ways.

Looking for a more abbreviated version? What is AIP? – The Definitive Guide (click here for the article) by Angie Alt of Autoimmune Wellness is a fantastic resource if you’re just starting out and need to know more about the AIP (including the lifestyle factors) or if you’ve been on the AIP a while but feel you really don’t have a grasp of it. It contains the what’s, why’s and how’s in a “brief” (considering the magnitude of the subject) overview.

If you’re struggling to explain the AIP to friends and family, I have to tell you I love the “Elevator Speech” portion of this guide – just awesome!

This is simply a WONDERFUL all-round article for EVERYONE on the AIP, considering the AIP or trying to support a loved one faced with autoimmune issues and the AIP

20 Keys to Success on The AIP (click here for the article) by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne is a great post of exceptional advice. A lot of this information is included in her book but this is a great read and reminder.

Quick Start Guide (click here for the guide) from Autoimmune Wellness is a series of emails that include food lists, meal plans, videos, tips and e-guides that you can sign up for. Great, reliable information from one of my top resources.

Six Ways to Mentally Prepare for the AIP Diet by Autoimmune Wellness

Need a Helping Hand?

If you know you’re likely going to face challenges transitioning and sticking to the AIP, please check out my Coaching Page – this is where you’ll find more resources for getting the helping hand you need.

Looking for MORE?

For the sake of brevity and to keep this post simple and concentrated to the very basics of getting started on the AIP, I’ll save the “more” for another post that you can find here – Beginner Resources – Start Here Part 2.

FAQ

#2 Start Here – Beginner Resources

Now that we’ve covered what the AIP is and the basics of where to get started (that’s found in Start Here Part 1 if you missed it) and you’re feeling a little more comfortable with the concept, we can move on and dig in to some additional resources you may find helpful and enjoyable (watch for the links in the paragraphs below and click).

Food Lists – If you haven’t read up on this yet, be sure to check out the details on my Food Lists page. This is pretty essential, so be sure to concentrate your efforts here next.

Mental Preparation – While it’s logical, it may not be obvious that we need to take a moment and prepare mentally for the AIP. You deserve a moment to be angry, (because like I’ve said elsewhere on this site, Grieving Over Illness is a real part of your healing journey) but this is about more than that. You need to establish your baseline, pump yourself up with a few positive affirmations (I know it sounds corny but it really helps throughout your challenging times and sends positive messages to your brain and body for healing), be sure to give yourself permission not to be perfect (it’s next to impossible to be PERFECTLY AIP all the time), be thankful and then put on our big girl/boy pants and get on with it! Check out Angie Alt’s post on Autoimmune Wellness, 6 Ways to Mentally Prep for the AIP (click here for the article).

Keep It Simple – This is probably my TOP tip! I talk about it in my motivational post, but I also recommend this post by Autoimmune Wellness, 5 Ways to Keep It Simple on the AIP (click here for the article), which talks about keeping your focus on nutrient density, a few good kitchen tools, using a basic approach to meals instead of complicated recipes, keeping convenience products in their place and avoiding trying to make too many changes all at once.

Kitchen Tools – I get asked a LOT about kitchen tools for the AIP, so I’ll refer you to a couple of my resources: #1 My categorized AIP Storefronts on Amazon, and #2 Autoimmune Wellness’ Kitchen Tour (click here for the page) feature where every-day AIP-ers share their kitchen set ups and inspirational stories of how the AIP has helped them with their particular autoimmune disease(s). I’m flattered to have been included back in July of 2018, and you can check out my kitchen tour here.

The BEST AIP Meal Planning App – Stay motivated and on track with Real Plans – the BEST meal planning app that was designed specifically for people on the AIP. Learn more about it in my review here, or jump right in by clicking here. (If you want 40% off, simply sign up for my newsletter – click here).

Motivation to Get Started – I LOVE this little summary of the 20 core principles that are important for empowering you on your AIP journey – I hope you find it motivational too. It’s a quick read – The AIP Manifesto.

Motivation to Keep Going – Sign up for my monthly newsletter for inspiration to keep going! You’ll receive seasonal recipe round-ups and exclusive content for your AIP lifestyle – Subscribe Here.

Digging Deeper – If you’ve made it this far and you’re still hungry for more information or maybe you’re trying to do some diagnostics on your AIP efforts, check out my next post of recommendations where you can dig deeper into do’s and don’ts, troubleshooting and more – click here for Digging Deeper & Troubleshooting – Start Here Part 3.

FAQ

#3 Start Here – Digging Deeper & Troubleshooting

Unfortunately there may come a time when you feel it’s one step forward and two steps back. In cases like this you might want to dig a bit deeper into the do’s and don’ts and do a little troubleshooting.

I’m going to get on my soapbox here for a moment here,
so brace yourselves!

TRACKING – There is a REAL need for proper tracking and monitoring to know what’s working and what’s not. By tracking, I mean everything we consume, what we do daily (work, sleep, exercise, relaxation, self-care), our stress levels, reactions to food, medications and more – this can be more than just an upset tummy so if you’re not sure what else this may include, read up on reintroductions (even though you may not be to that stage yet), things to watch for include itching, skin problems, dizziness, pain, congestion etc. I call this type of tracking a food/mood/poop journal, and yes, it is a real thing! If you’re not doing it, I highly recommend you look into it (one of these days I’m going to write a post about it), but for now you should know a few things:

1) Reactions to foods, supplements, etc. can happen up to 72 hours later (trust me – you’re not going to remember this type of detail 3 days later unless you journal it!),

2) While the AIP is NOT about weight loss I highly recommend you weigh yourself every morning and keep track of it – reactions can come by way of subtle inflammation, and weight fluctuations can help you pin-point your triggers,

3) You don’t need to buy anything fancy or find some special app for this – I used an Excel spreadsheet and kept it in the cloud so I could update it on the go. The best part about a spreadsheet is it’s searchable, so I could easily look back when exploring problems and reactions.

GIVE IT AN HONEST SHOT – It’s only by truly giving the Autoimmune Protocol your full attention that you’ll really know what’s working and what’s not. The Elimination Stage is 30 days minimum, but 60 – 90 days is not uncommon before most see marked improvement in symptoms. Don’t expect miracles … slow and steady wins the AIP race. IF after giving it a REAL and HONEST shot you’re not seeing seeing the improvement you expected it is time to start the troubleshooting process as you may be dealing with underlying issues that you may need professional help to get to the bottom of and start treating. Please be sure to check out my post – Finding Your Root Cause – where I provide an abundance of information about getting to the bottom of yours.

DID YOU REALLY? – I hate to be a nag, but did you REALLY give it an honest shot? Did you really follow the protocol properly? First and foremost, if you’re struggling but have never considered The Autoimmune Protocol book by Dr. Ballantyne, I will again suggest it to you. Not only does she include information about the basics and reintroductions, but she includes troubleshooting as well. If you’re honestly ready to start troubleshooting, keep reading.

Do’s & Don’ts

I’ve saved this until part three because I really want you to keep it simple starting out, and because, let’s face it, nobody wants to be faced with an even LONGER list of restrictions and directions after trying to adjust to the foods allowed and omitted. This article by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, AIP Do’s and Don’ts (click for article), is an amazing compilation of issues she’s helped people like us work through on their healing journeys. There are almost literally a bazillion links to other articles shared in her post, so if you’re not feeling up to digging really deep at this point, be careful to look at this with a more high-level or basic approach – read the introduction and them simply consider each numbered headline and assess whether it’s something you think might be one of your pitfalls, something you’re skipping or not giving enough attention to on your journey. Once you determine your weaknesses, look further at those as a starting point – don’t read items that don’t apply to you, this will only cause yourself overwhelm and confusion.

Progress & Patience

From time to time you’ll hear people mention “detox,” “Herxheimer” “withdrawl” or “die-off” reactions when you begin the elimination stage of the AIP – and if you’re feeling worse than before you began, you may be scared or want to give up. I suggest taking a look at this well-written post – Is a Healing Crisis Really Healing?

If you’ve been on the AIP a while and you think it isn’t working or feel your healing journey has stalled, be sure to read – How to Gauge Success on the AIP When Progress Isn’t Obvious.

Another common pitfall is our own impatience, and who can blame us, we just want to feel better! check out Eileen Baird’s article here – Is Your Impatience An Obstacle to Healing?

Maybe you feel like you’re taking one step forward and two steps back? If you’ve seen some progress and are discouraged because you feel like you’re backsliding, you may just be suffering a temporary flare. I personally have to remind myself of this frequently! I’ve been on my personalized AIP for quite some time and I start to think as though I’ve come this far, surely there should be no going back. Unfortunately, that’s simply not the case and from time to time we’ll face a flare of symptoms for one reason or another. If that’s you, check out this very helpful article – Autoimmune Flare Self Care.

Troubleshooting

Probably the best article I’ve read on this topic is written by Mickey Trescott of Autoimmune Wellness. She delves into when you do and when you don’t need to troubleshoot, first steps to troubleshooting, three areas to explore and her own personal experience troubleshooting the AIP. Click here to read the full article – Troubleshooting the Autoimmune Protocol – A Guide.

Professional Help

If you’ve come this far and still don’t know where you’re going wrong, I highly recommend you consult a Functional Medicine Practitioner or Certified AIP Health Coach so that you are sure to address any underlying issues. Without getting to the root cause of your illness, the AIP can feel a bit like putting a band-aid on a battle ship! Click here for where to find professional help and even a list of Paleo-Friendly Autoimmune Specialist MDs.

NOTE: As with any significant dietary change, you should in fact have only undertaken the AIP at the recommendation of a trained nutritional coach or physician.

FAQ

AIP – Beyond Food

As you know by now, the AIP involves more than just dietary changes – it’s a holistic approach to health.

To be truly successful on your journey to autoimmune wellness you will need to consider the additional lifestyle changes Dr. Ballantyne discusses in her e-book, The Autoimmune Protocol. These lifestyle changes are known to be important modulators of immune function, gut health and hormone health, so don’t discount their significance.

If you haven’t picked up a copy of The Autoimmune Protocol yet, I definitely recommend it – it contains everything you need, all in one place – get yours here.

Below are a few additional resources that go hand-in-hand with the e-book and expand upon it.

Sleep

This is HUGE! Are you getting enough? What’s right for one might not be enough for another.

Did you know that not getting enough sleep causes inflammation and increased susceptibility to infection – even in healthy people! Studies show that one night of poor sleep causes higher insulin resistance than six months of bad diet! In fact, scientific studies show that sleep may be even more important for our health than diet! Now, if that’s not enough to make you take a serious look at your sleep routine, I don’t know what is! Check out my expanded post on Sleep Struggles – Click Here.

It’s recommended that we get to bed by 10 pm for optimal rest and recovery, and that we get 7 to 10 hours of sleep per night (for autoimmune sufferers it might be 9-10 hours or even 12 hours every night to heal).

Sleep is so important that Dr. Ballantyne has written an e-book that is full of information about the science behind sleep, how it effects every aspect of our life, tips for creating a healthy sleep environment and bedtime routine, good sleep hygiene, troubleshooting insomnia, FAQs along with nutritional and supplement guidance. Dr. Ballantyne also includes a 14-night challenge to help you track your progress. Grab your copy of Go to Bed! – Click here.

Stress Management

Did you know that for every five minutes of upset it takes your body six to eight hours to calm down biochemically! Those numbers are staggering. Imagine what long-term, chronic stress is doing to your body. Without getting into a bunch of science about cortisol, adrenaline, hormones and more (I’ll leave that to the experts – check out this article from Dr. Ballantyne – How Stress Undermines Health), simply know that when under stress, your body misuses its precious resources leaving your immune system weak and your body vulnerable to disease.

Finding effective ways to reduce and manage stress is imperative for our healing journeys – it’s been one of my biggest challenges, and I still need regular reminders. It’s essential for maintaining a healthy gut, normal immune function and balanced hormones. Each of us will need to find effective ways to deal with our individual stressors. For some it may be as simple as learning to slow down, scheduling deep breathing exercises and meditation, healthy self-care activities like yoga or gentle autoimmune safe exercise (see below). For others, more may be involved and you may need to seek the support an guidance of a professional to help deal with past or present traumas, personality traits or difficult situations. If you’re looking for a motivation on this, join me on Instagram.

Activity

Everyone knows that exercise and activity are good for our health, but what should you do when you’re faced with chronic illness and you often don’t have the energy to do much more than get out of bed in the morning?

Not surprising then that the most commonly avoided part of the autoimmune protocol is exercise.

There are lots of ways to incorporate light activity into your day. For some it might be just a reminder by way of a timer on your phone to get up and stretch or move around a little. Short walks, yoga, rebounding and stretching might be as much as you can achieve, while others may feel they’re capable of more but are unsure of how to approach an exercise program safely so they don’t face setbacks.

EXERCISE – BIG NEWS COMING SOON!

After a long search for amazing resources to help my followers, I’ll be providing information here about a program I highly recommend for those struggling with chronic illness and movement that won’t make you feel worse.

FAQ

Alcohol & The AIP

By now you probably realize that alcohol is out on the AIP … but you’re likely wondering the whys behind it and how you’ll possibly manage to get through family functions, social events, the holidays and what are you possibly going to do to constantly dodge casual drinks after work!

This post will cover they whys, a glimmer of hope and my take on the situation. If you haven’t already seen my post on Surviving Social Life on the AIP, you’ll want to make that your next stop after this post, because what ever you do, you don’t want to isolate yourself just because the AIP can be hard. You’re strong and you can do hard things … you’ve got this!

Why is Alcohol Out on the AIP?

So – what’s the real deal about alcohol? So many health gurus are touting it as “good for your health” – especially wine! So why do we need to avoid it on the AIP?

Be sure to read Dr. Sarah Ballantyne’s full article – The Whys Behind The AIP: Alcohol – click here. (The following are a few of the most important snippets and are direct quotes taken from the article.)

Highlights From the Article:

Alcohol consumption directly causes an increase in intestinal permeability (i.e., leaky gut)
The “holes” that alcohol makes in the gut epithelial barrier are known to be big enough to allow some very large molecules into the body, … If it gets into the blood stream, it stimulates systemic inflammation, stimulates the immune system, and damages the liver.
Alcohol consumption feeds gram-negative bacteria such as E. Coli to create bacterial overgrowth of these more toxic bacteria… Excessive alcohol consumption is also correlated with gram-negative bacteria growing very high up the digestive tract, in the duodenum and sometimes even the stomach.
Even fairly small amounts of alcohol can damage the lining of the gut; specifically, alcohol leads to “mucosal damage in the upper small intestine with a loss of epithelium at the tips of the intestinal villi, hemorrhagic erosions and even hemorrhage in the lamina propria.” If that sounded bad, that’s because it is. It’s similar to the damage caused by gluten in celiac patients.

Why This Is EVEN MORE IMPORTANT If You Have Autoimmune Disease:

If you have autoimmune disease, you have a collection of genes that makes you more susceptible to developing a leaky gut and to having an exaggerated immune reaction to substances that leak out. This means that anything that increases intestinal permeability should be avoided.

Will I Ever Be Able to Drink Alcohol Again?

Dr. Ballantyne advises to avoid all alcohol until you are starting to see some success on the autoimmune protocol.
There is some good news, but I want you to read Dr. Ballantyne’s full article first. You’ll find out more there about what, when, and how often you can try a reintroduction.

Read the full article – The Whys Behind The AIP: Alcohol – click here.

You may also want to consider this article – Understanding Your Social & Emotional Relationship With Alcohol – click here.

My Two Cents on Alcohol and The AIP

I’ve taken a lot of questions from distraught members about this topic, so I’m compelled to include some personal comments and reminders here to help you keep this all in perspective. Trust me, you’re not alone, this is not the end of the world, you will get through this too! You’ve got this!

You’re not the first person to have to say no to a drink. While I know this is not the same thing, think about those recovering from alcoholism – saying no is not that unusual – don’t feel awkward about sticking to your healing plan.
There are LOTS of people on various diets these days that avoid alcohol – some for health reasons, some for weight loss – again – you’re not alone – don’t feel awkward about saying no to alcohol.
One of my favorite sayings since I started AIP is “Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail” – set yourself up for success! Think IN ADVANCE about how you’ll handle the situation – this is covered well in my Surviving Social Life on the AIP post – check it out – lots of great advice! Own it and act natural! Or as Angie Alt of Autoimmune Wellness says “Don’t Be Weird”! If you don’t make a big deal about it, no one else will either. When it comes time to order, simply defer to a mocktail or non-alcoholic sparkling beverage and don’t apologize for it or miss a beat. If asked you could say something as simple as “I’m taking a break from alcohol right now” – that might be all that it takes!
TIP: I have a friend who manages feeling awkward about ordering by getting to the restaurant or work function early so she can speak to the bartender – she orders a mocktail or a spritzer in a fancy glass and asks the bartender to remember her order – no one questions if it has alcohol in it or not and she feels better about not having to create a dialogue about why she’s not drinking. You can use the same plan of attack at a family gathering, wedding or a party – no one notices, no one really cares.

Take Me To The Mocktails!

Looking for some great alternatives to alcohol on the AIP? There are LOTS of great recipes posted in our Facebook Group – simply use the group search feature there and look for “mocktail” “cocktail” or “beverage” or the exact name of what you’re looking, for like “iced tea” “lemonade” “egg nog” or “mule” – I even use a hashtag there called thirstythursday, so you can search for that too! Trust me, there are LOTS of great options so you won’t feel left out! ♥

FAQ, News

In Case of Emergency

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How to Manage the AIP in an Emergency

Whether you live in an area prone to tropical storms, earthquakes and wildfires or not, this post is important for anyone on a restricted diet. (Note, you may also want to read my article on the AIP & COVID-19 for more advice and support)

Wait! What are we talking about here? This topic could easily be misconstrued by readers, because let’s face it, an emergency when you’re on the AIP could simply mean having no energy to cook or to go to the grocery store! Keep reading … some of these emergency tips and suggested rations to have on hand could be a different kind of “life saver” when you’re worn out or in a rush.

Now … Back to our regularly scheduled PSA!

Most governments these days suggest that folks keep a “Go Bag” or “Bug Out Bag” and that they have emergency rations on hand in the event of power outages or emergency evacuations. Do you take it seriously? Do you have a go-bag with emergency AIP food you can safely eat?

As with everything on the AIP, preparation is key, so I’m hoping this post will help you to prepare in advance so you won’t experience additional stress in the case of an emergency.

Below is a list of some AIP rations I suggest keeping on hand at all times along with your family’s standard rations like water, first aid kits, a change of clothing, etc. There are lots of great Bug Out Bag prep lists on the internet – use Google to find a list of essentials suitable for your location and family.

Advice from an AIP Authority

The following is from an Instagram post Angie Alt shared a while back. If you don’t already follow her, you should – she’s awesome! I love her funny and sometimes pointed posts, and in her usual style she nailed this topic too. ♥ Here’s what she wrote:

PSA – PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:

In an emergency situation you just do whatever is necessary to be safe. Period.
AIP can be an important component of your long-term health with autoimmune disease, but short-term safety beats AIP every time. Life has hierarchies.

I’m sharing this message today because over the last several years leading SAD to AIP in SIX groups we’ve had members go through all kinds of natural disasters. I wanted anyone in our community preparing for or evacuating ahead of Hurricane Florence to hear it from an “AIP Authority” that your best is good enough right now and you and your family’s safety is priority number one .. 100%

That said, here are some resources that might help should any of you need them.

AIP Hurricane Prep – Video

Thank you @wendisaipkitchen – Sending the best vibes for safety and little to no damage for all the folks facing this right now. The AIP community is thinking of you. ♥

Recommended Emergency Rations

MEAT SNACKS & BONE BROTH

Meat Snacks
Bone Broth, Soups & Stews

Perfect Supplements – Powdered Bone Broth – Beef or Chicken – Just search “broth”

FREEZE DRIED AIP MEALS, SOUP, STEW & SNACKS

Wild Zora – Delicious Freeze-Dried Stew, Soup, Meat Bars & Fruit Snacks – Shop the AIP Compliant menu
Wild Zora even offers BULK Shopping Offers to help you stock your pantry with their shelf-stable AIP Compliant products at a discounted rate AND free shipping! SAVE 15% off EVERY order with code: AIP15 (excludes bulk boxes).

SHELF-STABLE FOOD POUCHES

Serenity Kids – Shelf-stable, nutrient-dense, top-quality baby food (meat, veg and fruit) in sustainable pouches – they’re suitable for babies, kids, adults and even pets! SAVE 15% off your first order with code: AIPRECIPES

AIP SHOPS ON AMAZON – PACKAGED AIP SNACKS & MORE!

Since I know a lot of folks shop on Amazon, I’ve gone to great lengths to set up my own shops with AIP compliant items to make your life a lot easier! As always, check ingredient lists (I have before I added them to my recommendations, but products change from time to time, so always be safe!).

Amazon USA / Amazon Canada / Amazon UK

FAQ, News

5 Stages of Grieving Over Illness

When I was first diagnosed with my autoimmune diseases I started a blog so my friends and family could check in on me. For me it was therapeutic and helped a lot not having to answer a dozen or more texts and emails every day asking the questions I hated (and still hate to this day): “How are you feeling today?” “I thought you were getting better?”

I found my blogging forced me to remain up-beat, and I always tried to put on a strong front. I’d always been a strong person and surely I wasn’t going to let this defeat me! Because of that I researched how to deal with chronic health issues and was fortunate enough to stumble across a great article that explained how facing such a diagnosis is really not that different than dealing with the 5 stages of grieving the loss of a loved one.

I wish I could share that post with you today, but sadly the blog has since been taken off-line. While I’ve looked around for other posts to share with you I’ve not found any that were as well written, so I’ve decided to take a stab at it myself.

❤ Denial ❤ Anger ❤ Bargaining ❤ Depression ❤ Acceptance ❤

Grieving over the loss of your health (or even your spouse’s health or your child’s health) is a very real thing. You’re left facing not just the loss of your health but the loss of plans you may have had for the future. You may be faced with the loss of your career, or even the loss of the ability to start a family. The list of losses can be long and the emotions that come with with can be very painful.

While the symptoms and severity of chronic illness differs from one case to the next, we all typically face in one fashion or another the 5 Stages of Grieving Over Illness: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. We may not go through them in this set order and you may in fact revisit some stages as your healing journey goes on … because unfortunately healing is rarely linear and while we may see improvements, we may also encounter relapses that can be very discouraging.

No matter what stage you are in, it’s healthiest to accept it and the emotions we’re feeling. Don’t rush the process, just let it happen naturally and know what you’re going through is completely normal.

Denial

Any change or loss in your life is likely to bring denial, and learning that you have n autoimmune disease will likely deliver up large doses of it. If your illness or diagnosis came about suddenly you may literally not believe it to be the case. You may seek second and third opinions hoping you’ll find a better outcome. You may try to research your way out of it and turn to Dr. Google for a better prognosis – surely it must be something else! For people like us who embark on the Autoimmune Protocol lifestyle, denial may even come in the form of not wanting to eat properly or rejecting medications because we don’t think we need to – surely it can’t really help.

Anger

What often fuels denial is anger … you’re angry that you’re that “one in 10,000” to get a disease, or angry that you’re joining the throngs of what seems to be an epidemic of autoimmune disease suffers. At some point you’ll probably want to yell and scream and maybe even throw things, after-all, it’s just not fair! Anger may also be self-directed, meaning you may blame yourself and mentally beat yourself up for not noticing the signs or taking better care of yourself. And, while I’m not diminishing the frustration of a chronic illness diagnosis at any age, dealing with an autoimmune disease can be especially difficult for young people and those “in the prime of their life.” Watching your plans for the future disintegrate before your eyes is extremely frustrating, not to mention scary … you’re going to get angry.

Bargaining

Try as you might you can’t go back in time … but if you could you’d do anything to make your illness go away! You’d eat better, you’d exercise more, you’d slow down, take less overtime, you’d find ways to manage your stress. Sadly it doesn’t work that way and we can’t bargain our way out of our situation. You might find yourself researching and bouncing back to the denial stage wondering if perhaps it’s really something else that ails you. Wouldn’t we all rather trade our current illness for something less intense? Unfortunately no matter how hard we try, bargaining won’t work, but we can turn those thoughts around and start using them to our benefit … START NOW with eating better, exercising to the extent possible for our situation, step back and allow yourself to say “no” to all the demands on your time and learn how to manage our stress … these are all of vital importance to making your healing journey a success.

Depression

We all end up here eventually. It’s just shy of acceptance, we’ve given in and feel defeated or we’ve decided to throw in the towel – we just can’t deal with it anymore. We’re overcome by the feeling that nothing we do is going to make a difference and we’re never going to feel well again … all is lost. This stage is frighteningly easy to slip into and painfully hard to climb out of … but it’s completely normal. Having said that, it doesn’t make it any easier to deal with! It’s frustrating and depressing when you can’t do what you once could, you feel like you’ve entirely lost who you were, you begin to feel like a burden and keeping up appearances becomes almost impossible. Being with friends and family when you’re dealing with any illness can be difficult, but especially so when you’re on an restricted diet. It feels like your social life has vanished – you’re on the grain-free, nut-free, gluten-free, soy-free, fun-free diet … and who wants to be around that? While it may feel easier to simply isolate yourself, it’s best not to allow yourself to slide too deep into this stage of grief, or return to it too many times. Easier said than done … don’t I know it! But I’m hoping the information you’ll find throughout the pages of this website will help you learn ways to manage your grief and depression.

Acceptance

It may feel like it’s taking forever but sooner or later we all finally get to a point where we come to terms with our “new life.” We accept that “it is what it is.” We learn ways to cope with the changes to our bodies, the pain, the fatigue, and the multitude of other potential symptoms you might personally be facing. We realize that we can go on … because we have so far! We learn to celebrate the small victories and obstacles we’ve overcome – whether it’s one week on the AIP with no slip ups, several months and symptom free, starting reintroductions, coming off meds, or just getting out of bed and managing to make it through the day without bursting into tears … it’s the baby steps that count and they’re what will carry you through. As you realize what’s possible for you in your new life it becomes easier and easier to accept, but never feel bad if you circle back and find yourself re-visiting other stages of grief again … it happens.

As I said at the outset, you may not find yourself facing the stages of grieving your illness in this order, there’s no right or wrong here and there’s no time limit either. One thing you should know however … facing each of these stages, as difficult as they may be, are all necessary to your physical, emotional and psychological well-being. NEVER, EVER be ashamed of how you feel! Embrace the process and try simply to find ways to manage the emotions.

I find it helps to try to remain positive … notice I said try? I know that’s way easier said than done, but if you make it a regular habit of finding something to be appreciative each day it can help you snap out of self-pity mode and move forward on your healing journey.

Keep a journal. Take a head-to-toe approach, write down all of your complaints and symptoms (from head-to-toe) … you’ll be amazed and encouraged when you look back and see how far all those baby steps have taken you!

If you haven’t already read my motivational message, be sure to visit the page by clicking this link.

If you’re looking for additional support please be sure to read my blog post in the FAQ section: Where Can I Find Support – you’ll find a long list of suggestions and groups there.

The Emotional Impact of Autoimmune Disease

After I wrote this article I found a wonderful lady on the internet – Kerry Jeffery – she’s been a huge motivation for me and I follow her on social media for insight and motivation. You may want to visit Emotional Autoimmunity – Navigating the Emotional Side of Life with Chronic Illness – you’ll find lots of amazing information there.

Be sure to sign up for Kerry’s VIP list and you’ll receive a FREE e-book called “Moving through the Grief of Chronic Illness”

You may also want to listen in to The Autoimmune Simplified Podcast where Kerry was a guest – it’s such a powerful episode. Not only does she take you briefly through the 9 stages of grief related to chronic illness, she shares her own story as she lives with four autoimmune diseases as a single mom – she’s such an inspiration!

Listen to the Podcast on your favorite platform (click the appropriate link below).
• Apple • Stitcher • Spotify •

Healing Mindset

Another amazing resource that I highly recommend you check out is the book by Eileen Laird called “Healing Mindset.”

What is a healing mindset? Simply put, it’s the practice of harnessing the anti-inflammatory power of our minds to support autoimmune health. It’s realizing that some thoughts and behaviors ramp up inflammation and others tone it down. This book is a roadmap to doing less of the former and more of the latter.

Inside, you’ll find over 90 mind-body techniques written specifically for people with autoimmune disease. It also includes beginner tips, advanced troubleshooting, and testimonials by fellow autoimmune warriors who have felt the power of the mind-body connection in their own lives.

Available from the Author, Eileen Laird as a PDF E-Book – Click here to purchase
Buy it on Amazon – USA / Canada / UK

I’m hopeful you’ll find some help and encouragement from this post and that you’ll use it from time to time when you need to snap out of the anger and depression, stop bargaining with yourself about what food you can and can’t eat and accept it by re-evaluating how far you’ve already come. ❤

FAQ

Where Can I Find Support?

Experts, Support Groups & Meet-Ups

While I’m not a huge one for “support” groups sometimes you just need someone to bounce things off of, ask questions, get a little motivation and most importantly not feel like you’re all alone.

I have just one word of warning for you on support groups – always be sure to educate YOURSELF and do NOT rely on information you receive in support groups as the be-all, end-all word on any topic. You should always seek appropriate medical guidance or nutritional assistance over advice you find in support groups. I’m saying this here because I’ve left many support groups because of wildly varying and inaccurate advice – I think they can be very dangerous and prefer to do my own research within the parameters of experts I trust, and when necessary discuss my concerns with the experts. You should know that even groups put together by the experts openly admit that they are NOT closely moderated, and that they rely on “peer-support” – so please BEWARE!

That said, I’m going to start with where to find expert advice. Sadly you may have to search further than your G.P. or medical specialist.

Experts

Reliable Advice Online
There’s a LOT of information out there … and while Google is a wonderful thing, it is so easy to spend copious amounts of time trying to sift through the good, the bad and the down-right scary! I can tell you from experience you’re better off to find a few exceptional resources and stick to them like glue for your information. Sure, from time to time you may need to branch out, but if you have a solid foundation of online resources that you know are reliable you’ll save yourself valuable time and precious energy.

My top-3 recommendations for exceptional, reliable AIP information online are:
Autoimmune Wellness
The Paleo Mom – Dr. Sarah Balantyne
Phoenix Helix

You’ll find a few key articles on the Resources Page listed under the title Advice for Beginners.

Functional Medicine Practitioner
As with any significant dietary change, you should in fact only undertake the AIP at the recommendation of a trained nutritional coach or physician.

If you’ve only started on the AIP due to personal research and you’re unsure whether it’s right for you and your condition, I highly recommend you seek the advice of a Functional Medicine Practitioner. You can find one near you using this listing – Functional Medicine Practitioner Listing, and you can read more about it here in my post – Finding Your Root Cause.

Paleo-Friendly Autoimmune Specialist MDs
Yes, they do exist, but they can be hard to find. Thankfully, Eileen at the Phoenix Helix has complied and maintains a list on her website – check it out here.

Personal AIP Health Coaches
If you know you need to be on an AIP diet but are struggling to personalize it to your own needs and health condition, you may want to consider the services of a Health Coach. This listing will take you to a list of coaches certified by the experts in the Autoimmune Protocol – Certified AIP Health Coach Listing.

AIP Coaching Programs
Beyond hiring a personal AIP Health Coach there are some options for joining online guided group support programs. There are three that I recommend, plus one for autoimmune exercise – you can learn more about them on my Coaching Page. The one you choose will depend largely on your comfort level with making diet and lifestyle changes and whether you’re a self-starter or need more of a support group surrounding you.

AIP Medical Research
I get asked by a lot of members joining our Facebook Group as to whether there is really any proof that the AIP works for autoimmune disease, and I always reply with an emphatic, YES! If you’re interested in learning more about the medical studies that have been conducted about the efficacy of the AIP, you can keep up to date via the Autoimmune Wellness website here.

Living Matrix Health Timeline
Whether you’ve seen a Functional Medicine Practitioner yet or not, you’ve probably heard a lot about the importance of finding the “root cause” or “underlying cause” of your autoimmune disease.

To help you get the best support this little tool can help you provide your medical team with a thorough health history and potentially will help you find your root cause, making it easier to achieve healing.

The Living Matrix offers something called MyTimeline^TM it’s a powerful tool that enables you to easily document the unfolding phenomena that lead to your ill health – a process that often occurs over many years, perhaps even a lifetime. It gives you and your practitioner the “Big Picture” so you can take the necessary steps to build back your health.

The process to complete your timeline can be long and require a bit of work, but it prompts you to think about your symptoms and issues and – just as importantly – when they may have begun. It also asks about key events in your life so that you can begin to see the patterns – it’s really very amazing! The process was an eye opener to me and can really help your Functional Medicine Practitioner to quickly grasp your health history. Click here to go to the access page and get started building your own timeline (don’t be afraid to add extra details you feel are important) – you’ll even be able to print out a summary when you’re complete. You can read more about it here in my post – Finding Your Root Cause.

Meet Ups & Support Groups

Location Specific Groups
Looking for support and want to connect with fellow AIP-ers in your own local area? Maybe you need advice where to find AIP compliant ingredients locally but are having a hard time – who better to ask than someone that lives in your area!
Be sure to check out this comprehensive list of support groups compiled by Autoimmune Wellness … it’s wonderful!
You can find a full list here – they’re constantly updating this, so just select the latest list.

Basic AIP Support Groups – NOT closely moderated – they all leave me wishing I could find a good one to suggest to you:
AIP Support
Strict AIP Support A-Z
AIP Elimination Diet Support Group

Topic-Specific Groups
Emotional Autoimmunity Website – Navigating the Emotional Side of Life with Chronic Illness – there used to be a support group but it has been closed down – probably too much work because this one WAS closely moderated.
Facebook – AIP Instant Pot Recipes
Facebook – Coconut-Free AIP Recipes Group – If you have an allergy to coconut but need to stick to the AIP Diet, you may wish to try this group.
Facebook – AIP Canning, Preserving, Dehydrating and Fermenting
Facebook – Low Histamine AIP
Facebook – AIP During Pregancy and Breastfeeding
Facebook – Low FODMAP Recipes & Support – NOT AIP but you may find it helpful

Motivation

If you haven’t already read my motivational message, be sure to visit the page by clicking this link. It may just be what you need for a little pick-me-up, and it also directs you to my article on the stages of grieving over illness.