Are You Not Ready for AIP? Try These Tips First Before You Dive into the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol!
The elimination phase of the Paleo AIP is something I personally put off until I felt fully ready to commit to. I find that my coaching clients who aren’t feeling confident enough yet to fully immerse themselves into the protocol have much more success if they ease into it first.
By sort of dipping your toes into the waters of an elimination diet first, the actual protocol won’t feel so intimidating because you’ll have already had some practice cutting down on inflammatory foods. You also may notice some positive changes in your symptoms too, which I find you can use as positive encouragement to keep going even further!
Read on to learn which foods I suggest you try eliminating first. I also share my top tips and recipes to help you replace them so you don’t feel deprived one bit.
#Tip 1: Eliminate One Inflammatory Food Per Week
Giving up several foods all at the same time which you are used to eating daily can be extremely overwhelming. Not only are you dealing with the grief of missing the food, but you also have to get used to alternatives. These alternatives may have a different texture and flavor than what you are used to. They also have different preparation, storage, and reheating methods in some cases.
There’s no need to “do it all at once” if you feel the AIP elimination phase is too much for you to handle. This is especially so when you are not feeling your best due to autoimmune flare ups or fatigue. Try cutting out just one of the elimination foods every 7 days so you have time to learn to live (possibly temporarily) without them in small steps.
#Tip 2: Cut Out the Worst Offenders First
Another way to ease into the elimination phase is to start with the standard elimination diet first. These are some of the most inflammatory foods (or, rather, food-like-substances) that are the top contributors to immune dysregulation. Cutting these out in one go may likely bring you some nearly-immediate relief. This relief can encourage you to keep going with the rest of the AIP elimination phase since you feel empowered and are getting a sneak peek at how amazing you can feel.
Here are some of the worst offenders that are omitted on a standard elimination diet, and why.
Sugar
One thing that seems to escape a lot of individuals when they’re making choices about their diet, is that humankind was not developed on all of the kinds of sugar that we have today. Sugar can trigger inflammation responses in the body. This can cause a serious autoimmune flare-up that can last days. This happens because high amounts of sugar can trigger lipogenesis, which is the formation of fat cells. That process can make you feel sluggish and weak because it depletes your adenosine triphosphate, which is an important fuel your body uses for cellular actions. It’s been known for a short time that autoimmune conditions can also be triggered by sugar levels.
Try these treats instead of sugar!
Alcohol
Through research it seems that scientists have received some conflicting information about the effects of alcohol on autoimmune disease. Alcohol consumption can place more toxins in your body. These toxins can cause various types of inflammation and lead to severe flare-ups. It’s best to leave it on the shelf for the time being while you get your inflammation under control.
Try this mocktail instead of vino!
Soy
In the past, soy had been hailed as a great hero in the world of food and health. Unfortunately, as time went on health research began to link soy with hormonal imbalances that could cause serious illness. A closer examination of the effects of soy has revealed that some of the chemicals used on crops (glyphosate) can possibly be responsible for this, and that these chemicals have the ability to harm the lining of your intestines.
This has the unintended effect of teaching your immune system to attack food particles and food proteins as Intruders that must be eliminated. When your immune system is again exposed to these same particles, an autoimmune attack will immediately be initiated.
Use this coconut aminos instead of soy sauce!
Gluten
Even if you aren’t someone who has been diagnosed with celiac disease, you are likely to experience better digestive efficiency when you eliminate gluten. This can affect a lot of areas in life because how you absorb your food is very important to your health. Better digestion means that your bowels are less likely to become irritated or inflamed, which could be a large help to people who suffer from IBS, IBD, or other inflammation issues.
Be sure that when you omit gluten that you don’t replace it with store-bought, grain-filled, gluten-free junk foods (like crackers, cereals, treats, etc). Instead choose to load your plate with healthy veggies, fruits, and meats instead.
Try this if you’re still hankering for pasta, and this for cereal cravings!
Dairy
You may find that eliminating dairy also brings you some relief. This is because dairy contains lactose (a milk sugar) and casein (a milk protein) which can both trigger issues and inflammation in those with autoimmunity. Some people may be sensitive to lactose, another person may be sensitive to casein, and yet another individual may be intolerant to both!
These two inflammatory triggers can cause symptoms from digestive distress to skin problems and more. It’s best to eliminate dairy temporarily while you find relief during your elimination trial.
You’ll love my sweet and creamy tigernut milk and this delicious dairy-free “cheesy sauce” instead!
#Tip 3: Add Before you Delete
If you are someone that struggles with issues like food insecurity, disordered eating, lack-based thinking, or if you simply find it stressful to let go of your favorite foods, here is a great tip: add something in before you let something go.
The Paleo Autoimmune Protocol focuses on nutrient density, and many people find that they actually end up eating a wider variety of foods than before they did the elimination phase. By adding foods in before we remove them, we create food security and a sense of ABUNDANCE.
Here are some AIP-compliant foods that you may likely not be eating currently. Add them to your current diet to create that abundant feeling and bring a sense of security:
Organ Meats
Liver is the queen of organ meats! Grind it up into a puree while raw, then add it to burger patties, meatballs, gravies, and soups a little at a time.
Try other cuts like heart, tongue, and kidney in small doses and work up your flavor tolerance. Eating nose-to-tail incorporates animal based nutrients into your diet that are highly bioavailable and nourishing.
An Extra Serving of Produce
Most modern North Americans do not get the daily recommended intake of veggies and fruits, let alone the AIP suggested intake, which is definitely higher! To ease yourself into that part of the AIP lifestyle, add 1 extra serving of produce per day (like broccoli, green apples, spinach, berries, etc.) and try something new if you can to get your palate used to different flavors.
Switch to Animal Fats
Ditch the canola oils, sunflower oil, or any oil derived from a seed (organic or GMO – bye)! Instead, use flavor-rich and anti-inflammatory pastured lard, duck fat, tallow, or uncured bacon grease to cook your meats and veggies in. Your palate (and immune system) will thank you for the upgrade!
Lifestyle Factor: Embrace Sunshine
Most people these days live an indoor lifestyle that is counterintuitive to the anti-inflammatory goal of the AIP. If you were to pick just ONE of the lifestyle factors to implement before you go full AIP, I would suggest getting more sun on your skin and in your eyes. Sunlight helps to regulate your circadian rhythm, which helps regulate your sleep, which in turn reduces your inflammation. Win-win-win!
Important: Keep sunglasses off when you go outside, and never look directly at the sun.
If You Feel You Are Not Ready for AIP, Try these Tips First to Ease Your Way Into the Lifestyle
Which one of these methods do you think would work best for you? Let me know in the comments how you would like to ease into the AIP!
