Friday, March 08, 2024

17 Tips for Starting the Autoimmune Protocol Elimination Diet: What I've learned after 100 days on AIP

Well, I've finally made it to 100 days on the Autoimmune Protocol Elimination Diet. Honestly after all of this time, I'd call it a commitment, process or lifestyle instead of a diet. You really need to be dedicated to improving your health to dive into this venture and stick with it. The journey of starting AIP can be both empowering and overwhelming. 

17 tips for starting aip

What is AIP?
The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) is a specialized diet designed to help individuals with autoimmune conditions reduce inflammation, heal their gut, and identify food triggers that may exacerbate their symptoms. The Elimination Phase of the AIP is a crucial starting point on this journey towards better health. By eliminating potentially inflammatory foods and focusing on nutrient-dense, healing foods, individuals can support their bodies in healing and regaining balance. This article explores the key aspects of the AIP Elimination Phase, including its purpose, recommended foods to include and avoid, meal planning strategies, symptom management, and the transition to the Reintroduction Phase. Understanding and effectively implementing the Elimination Phase can lay a strong foundation for managing autoimmune conditions and improving overall well-being.

My Tips for Eating AIP
  1. You don't have to completely change your cooking style. If you like batch cooking, continue batch cooking. If you cook on the fly, keep that up, just keep your pantry stocked to anticipate your needs. Initially I tried to adjust my cooking scheduling and it just wouldn't work for our lifestyle.
  2. Instead of immediately trying all new recipes, look at your existing recipes and make easy changes. I've found more success enjoying meals by using recipes I have and making slight changes rather than trying a bunch of new recipes. Over the last 100 days, I've kept less than 1/3 of the recipes I've tried. Those aren't great odds. But by simply adapting my own recipes my success rate has gone up to 90%. Start with recipes you don't have to change and then move on to those that you only have to drop out a few spices and sub in the ones you need. Easy changes are mace for nutmeg; ginger for pepper; coconut aminos for soy sauce (which I think tastes much better anyway); etc.
  3. Check and double check ingredients. There is not much more frustrating than spending all of that money on AIP foods only to realize after you've ordered something online that what you've bought has things in it you can't have. Or even worse, that you bought something that you thought was safe to eat, ate it for weeks, and then realized you have been eating something causing inflammation! Three times now, I've made this discovery. There were eggs in my paleo protein powder, black walnut in a supplement, and rice bran in a different supplement. And those were all things I thought I checked. If I order something online, I check the ingredient list before I buy. Then when it arrives, I recheck the ingredient list again. You are usually safe to use something that is recommended by others on AIP or expert's products in the field: however, 2 of the products I mentioned were from experts and loads of recipes that are supposed to be AIP have things in them that aren't AIP friendly. 
  4. That brings me to my next tip. Really research the AIP restrictions. If you know what you can have and can't have inside out, it will make it so much easier to check labels and recipes to be sure you are covered. Also be sure to find the most updated list. Pepper and nutmeg are two examples of things that were once allowed, but now have been dropped from the list of foods that are okay.
  5. Buy in small quantities initially. If AIP is introducing you to a completely new food, buy it in a small quantity to be sure you really like it. Don't get me started on the salmon bars or the sushi wraps or the seaweed. I'm going to have those in my pantry for many weeks to come and not know quite what to do with them because no one of the 6 of us cares for them! Don't buy a bunch of something new until you are sure you'll like it!
  6. I have found it is easier for me to prep the day ahead for the next day's meals or even prep the meal ahead for the next meal. If I am making a soup, the day before I start my broth in the crockpot. If I'm making brownies in the evening, I bake the sweet potato in the morning. This takes some organization, but I've found on average I spend a half hour to an hour more on meal prep with AIP then I did before.
  7. Stock your freezer with a few extras. If you have an event coming up where you will be eating out of the house, prep ahead with those freezer foods. I usually have grilled pork, steak, or chicken on hand by making a bit extra with another meal. I get some extra packs of frozen veggies that aren't for a particular meal like cauliflower, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, or broccoli. I choose a couple of the veggies and a meat and throw them in a glass container and have a quick take with me meal. A lot of times, I have a salad and throw some fruit on top too. Occasionally, I'll grab a dessert I have on hand or a tea, but usually I just stick with water.
  8. There are a few things that I've found best to make at the beginning of the week, so I will have them on hand when I need them. Usually, I plan to make bone broth, coconut milk, and basic condiments (bbq, dressings) weekly.
  9. I have always planned my meals out a week in advance. But I also have a basic outline of types of meals assigned for different days of the week. For example, my breakfast rotation looks like: cereal or parfait, smoothie, pancakes or waffles, porridge, sausage patties and sweet potatoes, hash, and muffins or bread. It makes it easier to plan and gives a good rotation, so I don't feel like I'm eating the same thing all of the time.
  10. Start simple. In the beginning especially, don't try to get super complicated with your meals, even if that's what you normally do. I've found its best to start with simple marinades for meats or meatballs or burgers and roasted veggies. Grill it or put it in the oven. 
  11. Eat leftovers for lunch. If you can, that is. Lunch has been the hardest meal for me because we don't have a lot of leftovers! There are six of us, seven sometimes and one of them is a 14-year-old boy that doesn't stop eating ever. Another issue is lunch is such a busy time. This is really what I'm focusing on improving right now.
  12. Start collecting recipes that you think you will like. There are a lot of AIP recipes floating around out there that don't taste good at all. Slowly start integrating the recipes that look appealing into your simpler plan. We have some recipe recommendations you can try on our autoimmune page.
  13. Be prepared for not enjoying all of the food. You may not really like some of the ingredients you can use. I don't like plantains in "breads" at all. There are other options, so if one food isn't palatable for you, don't worry. Just try another option. 
  14. Refine your tastes: really focus on what you like or what new foods you've found you like. Find lots of ways to use them.
  15. My autoimmune disorder has begun to affect my blood sugar. It is important for me to have regular meals and snacks on hand. The last thing I want is to have a drop in blood sugar and have to spend an hour making something that I'm allowed to eat. Staying stocked up on snacks is important. You can make your own snacks (protein balls, muffins, etc.), buy them (this takes some planning because most AIP friendly snacks are only available through online retailers), or a combination of both (which is what works best for me).
  16. Have some car snacks ready for when you are out. You never know when you will be out stuck somewhere longer then you intend to be. Car snacks are ideal for just such an event. You could keep stocked tuna packets, EPIC bars or chomps, freeze dried fruit, or sweet potato chips. 
  17. Do not be afraid to share your food restrictions when you are invited to eat with friends. Ask what they are planning to make. Explain what you can't have and an easy way to fix yours or what you can bring instead. Sometimes it is easier for me just to bring my own food altogether. Or switch it up and invite them to your house and you prepare the meal. You don't have to give up with the fellowship of eating with people.
Meatloaf muffins

Has it been worth it?
I haven't had any lab blood testing yet, so I don't know how it is affecting my blood levels, but my pain levels and inflammation is so much better. I have days without any pain in my joints at all. As I've double and triple checked labels and refined what I've been eating, I've found less and less pain.  

Going Forward
The plan from here is to continue on the elimination phase until I get to a standstill in my improvement. At that point, I will gradually try reintroducing foods in the 4 phases of reintroduction. In the end, I'd really love to settle on the paleo diet. That is honestly my end goal. With my blood sugar issues, processed sugar is not really on the table and since gluten, grains, and psudo-grains are some of the biggest culprits for autoimmune, paleo seems the most reasonable. 

aip cherry pie bars

What tips can you share for starting AIP?

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Saturday, March 02, 2024

Hashimoto's Insomnia: Dealing with Sleeplessness with Humor & Our Favorite Clean Comedians

If you suffer from autoimmune disorders, you know it can be very difficult to get a good night's rest. It can take hours to fall asleep and then when you do get to sleep and wake up, you find that the lack of sleep has brought on a flare. 

Comedy stage

It is definitely a balancing act to fall asleep some nights. One of the ways I attempt to settle in for the night is to listen to a short comedy set. Laughing is good for you and it helps to take your mind off of any stressors. I usually just pick a clean comedian from youtube and drift off to sleep while it is playing. I turn off autoplay, so it doesn't play on and on and wake me up later. And I try to pick those with few ads, so the difference in sound doesn't jar me awake either.

If you aren't sure where to start, here's a list of our favorite comedians. All of these comedians have made us laugh out loud and some of them have brought us to tears. Several of them have landed in our family quote dialogue from time to time.

Nate Bargatze-Nate is a clean comedian whose style has landed him a bit on SNL. In our state, he sold out so quickly for his most recent show, they opened another day.


Brandon Farris- We really like his early stuff, especially his openings and initial google translates. His most recent stuff is not very appropriate or very clean. If you go 3 years back or more, you should find his really good classic videos.


Jim Gaffigan-It's hard to believe he has as much material as he does. He has so many unique bits up. He's a bit of a genius at coming up with new stuff. He does occasionally throw in a profanity or make a lewd comment, but it is seldom.



Tim Hawkins-Tim is a Christian comedian that has had us in tears with some of his bits. All clean.


Mark Laury-Mark is another Christian comedian with clean bits. He has been part of the Gaither Gospel Band and some of his comedy sets are during concerts. 


Jeannie Robertson-Jeannie Robertson was a clean comedian that tells a lot of jokes based on life. 


We have a list of Dry Bar Comedians that we've found to be particularly funny. We typically stick to the shows on Dry Bar for this list as a lot of the folks aren’t clean otherwise, but clean up their shows for the club. I've listed them alphabetically here.

Jeff Allen
Drew Allen
Drew Barth
Cam Bertrand
Josh Blue
Berry Brewer
David Crowe
Kellen Erskine
Matt Falk-Matt's style is really energetic and winning. His bit about visiting England is wonderful.
Zoltan Kaszas-Zoltan's dry bar stuff is clean and really, really funny. If you search for bits not on dry bar though, they won't be clean.
Fred Klett-Love his bits on growing up in a big family.


Robert Mac-His first one is our favorite. He has a very unique style.
Moody Molavi
Leanne Morgan-Leanne is so funny. Her mean teenage girl set is great.


Dustin Nickerson-Love his why his marriage works explanations.
Josh Novey
Michael Palascak
Dwayne Perkins
Andy Peters
Christian Pieper
Mark Poolos
Dennis Reagan
Corey Rodrigues
Cleto Rodriguez
Tommy Ryman
Jose Sarduy
Marty Simpson
Kabir Singh
Shayne Smith-This ex-gang member is hilarious. He can take one story and turn it into a 30 minute show.


Josh Sneed
Chad Thornsberry-He's onto something with the puzzle story.
Tim Young
Alex Velluto
Brandon Vestal-His republicans in the attic bit...hilarious. 
Jonnie W
Greg Warren-His deadpan style translates amazingly with his delivery.

Bengt Washburn-The shed bit is outstanding.



Andy Woodhull-Lazy teenagers, being a step-dad, and popcorn butter fingernail polish. :)


Who are your favorite comedians?

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Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Week 14 on the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP): What to eat to support your autoimmune disease! {What I ate}

Having an autoimmune disease is not fun. And feeling like there is nothing you can do about it is even worse. I was just at that point when I heard about the Autoimmune Protocol. It is an elimination diet designed to help you determine what foods may be contributing to your condition. The premise is to limit inflammatory foods. When your body begins healing, you can try reintroducing foods gradually to see what may have been attributing to your pain. 

aip apple cauliflower porridge, hot chocolate, lime cod, lemon bars

I have been documenting what I have been eating on the AIP diet for 14 weeks now in an effort to encourage anyone out there that has an autoimmune and wants to attempt to heal through dietary changes. It can seem like an insurmountable task, but the rewards could possibly outweigh the sacrifice!

Day 92

How I am feeling: I'm feeling pretty well today.

What I ate on AIP elimination phase day 92:

Breakfast: 
Harvest Chicken Hash from Grazed and Enthused

Harvest Chicken Hash

Lunch: 
Leftover Lime encrusted cod from Healing Family Eats
Blackberries

Lime encrusted cod

Snack:
Tiger Nut Energy Bites from Gutsy by Nature

Dinner:
Breaded cubed steak (my recipe coming soon)
Baked sweet potato
Broccoli

Dessert:
Hot Chocolate (my recipe, coming soon)

aip hot chocolate

Creating Balance: 
I made the bed and opened the curtains. Relaxation practice.

Gratitude: 
Today, I’m thankful for winter hikes.

Day 93

How I am feeling:   I'm having some lingering back pain. Did a cardio routine today. 

What I ate on AIP elimination phase day 93:

Breakfast: 
Sweet Apple Breakfast Sausage patties from The Autoimmune Solution
Hearty Sweet Potato Hash from The Autoimmune Solution
Strawberries

sausage and sweet potato hash

Snack:
Tiger Nut Energy Bites from Gutsy by Nature

Lunch: 
Leftover cubed steak
Baked potatoes
Broccoli

Dinner:
Tacos: Taco meat from Nourish: The Paleo Healing Cookbook 
AIP tortillas (my recipe, coming soon)
Lettuce 
Cilantro
Red onions

Dessert
Sweet potato brownie (recipe, coming soon)

Creating Balance: 
I made the bed and opened the curtains. Relaxation practice.

Gratitude: 
Today, I’m thankful for a cabin in the woods.

Day 94

How I am feeling: I'm having some lingering back pain and I didn’t sleep well last night. I have a breakout, I had throat burning in the evening, I had a headache and took acetaminophen,

What I ate on AIP elimination phase day 94:

Breakfast: 
AIP Baked pancake from Heal Me Delicious
Protein drink

Snack:
Tiger Nut Energy Bites from Gutsy by Nature

Lunch: 
Meatloaf Muffins from heal Me Delicious
Fresh veggies: cukes, carrots, and celery
Fresh fruit: blueberries and raspberries

meatloaf muffins

Snack:
Snack mix

Dinner:
Pale Rustic Root Vegetable Soup with Meatballs from A Squirrel in the Kitchen

Dessert
Sweet potato brownie (recipe, coming soon)

Creating Balance: 
I made the bed and opened the curtains. Relaxation practice.

Gratitude: 
Today, I’m thankful for hot tubs in freezing temperatures.


Day 95

How I am feeling: I felt a little off today with stomach discomfort, back pain, throat burning in afternoon, and a runny nose. I didn’t sleep well last night. I[m feeling bloated today, my right wrist is sore and the lymph node swollen.

What I ate on AIP elimination phase day 95:

Breakfast: 
Paleo Strawberry muffins from Eat Beautiful
Protein drink 

Snack:
Tiger Nut Energy Bites from Gutsy by Nature
Apple chips

Lunch: 
Leftover cubed steak
Sweet potato
broccoli

Snack:
Pink Lemonade drink mix and aloe juice 

Dinner:
Lancaster Hot Pot (my recipe, coming soon)
Mixed salad greens with grapes
Mixed Fruit with 1 T avocado and carob pudding

Creating Balance: 
I made the bed and opened the curtains. Cleaned bathroom and bedroom. Relaxation practice.

Gratitude: 
Today, I’m thankful for weekend away.

Day 96

How I am feeling: Today, I'm feeling better. I got some rest and things feel improved. 

What I ate on AIP elimination phase day 96:

Breakfast: 
Love Bird Cereal, raisins, banana chips, coconut flakes, tiger nuts, protein powder, coconut milk

Lunch: 
Taco salad with red onions, cilantro, and mixed greens
Tiger Nut Energy Bites from Gutsy by Nature

Dinner:
Honey-Lime Chicken and Strawberry Salad from The Healing Kitchen

Dessert:
Lemon Paleo AIP Macaroons from Our Grain Free Life

Creating Balance: 
I made the bed and opened the curtains. Relaxation practice.

Gratitude: 
Today, I’m thankful for special church programs.

Day 97

How I am feeling:  I had some throat burning in evening. I did yoga today.

What I ate on AIP elimination phase day 97:

Breakfast: 
Apple, Beet, Berry Smoothie from Food Courage

apple, beet, berry smoothie

Lunch: 
Leftover Pork with AIP Worcestershire Sauce from The Healing Kitchen
Kiwi
Tiger Nut Energy Bites from Gutsy by Nature

Snack:
Snack Mix: Love Bird Cereal with banana chips and tiger nuts

Dinner:
Italian Wedding Soup (my recipe, coming soon!)
Lemon Paleo AIP Macaroons from Our Grain Free Life

Creating Balance: 
I made the bed and opened the curtains. Relaxation practice.

Gratitude: 
Today, I’m thankful for sitting and talking with friends.

Day 98

How I am feeling: I'm feeling well today. I did yoga.

What I ate on AIP elimination phase day 98:

Breakfast: 
Cinnamon Rolls from Heal me Delicious
Protein Powder with coconut milk

Lunch: 
Leftover Italian Wedding Soup
Lemon Bars from Heal me Delicious

aip lemon bars

Snack:
Freeze-dried Strawberries
Strawberry muffins

Dinner:
Chicken and Waffles (recipe, coming soon)
White sweet potatoes
Clementine

Creating Balance: 
I made the bed and opened the curtains. Relaxation practice.

Gratitude: 
Today, I’m thankful for celebrations with family.

Day 99

How I am feeling: I'm feeling well today. Another yoga day.

What I ate on AIP elimination phase day 99:

Breakfast: 

AIP Cauliflower "Oatmeal" with Cinnamon and Apples

Snack:
Paleo Strawberry muffins from Eat Beautiful

Lunch: 
Chicken Breast
Lemon Bars from Heal me Delicious
Apple

Snack:
Snack Mix

Dinner:
Pork Carnitas from The Healing Kitchen
Served with mixed greens, cilantro, red onions, cabbage mix, and AIP tortillas.

autoimmune friendly tortillas


Creating Balance: 
I made the bed and opened the curtains. Relaxation practice.

Gratitude: 
Today, I’m thankful for 99 days on AIP!

I finally finished my SIBO supplement with black walnut in it. Hopefully, I'll see an end to the swollen lymph node and the elbow and wrist pain. The end of this week brings me to my 100th day on the AIP elimination phase. Soon I will be sharing how my reintros go. I'm really missing pepper. It is on phase 1 of reintroductions, so I think it will be the first thing I attempt!

Disclaimer: The purpose of this post is not to offer medical advice. I am not in the medical field. My purpose is to share what decisions I’ve made in an attempt to improve my health and try to put my autoimmune disease into remission. Remember everyone’s body reacts differently to foods and supplements and you have to make the decisions that are best for you. Consult a trusted practitioner for medical advice. Our resource page details the books, articles, journals, and websites we've researched to put together our autoimmune articles. You can access our Autoimmune Research Resources by clicking. 

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Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Week 13 on the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP): What to eat to support your autoimmune disease! {What I ate}

If you are starting the autoimmune protocol diet to get some relief from your autoimmune issues, you have come to the right place. This series is all about how I've incorporated AIP elimination foods into my diet, so you can see how someone has set about meal planning. When I was getting ready to start AIP, I wanted to see how it looked daily. Mostly what I found were some menus, batch cooking ideas, and recipes. In order to offer what I needed and what you might need to, this series began!

Chicken Vegetable Stew, Blueberry muffins, Cheesy” Taco Dip, Sausage and sweet potatoes,

I'm starting my 13th week on the autoimmune protocol, to try to reduce the painful inflammation I get for 9 months out of the year. The AIP is designed to eliminate foods that could be causing issues in your diet for an amount of time. Then gradually reintroduce foods in an attempt to see what could be attributing to your condition.

Day 85

How I am feeling:  I slept poorly, only getting about 4 hours of sleep. Last week, I had a strange pain under my ribs in my back on right side and its still bothering me today. I'm having shoulder and neck pain, and my lymph node is swollen.

What I ate on AIP elimination phase day 85:

Breakfast: 
Harvest Chicken Hash from Grazed and Enthused

chicken hash

Snack:
Apricot Protein Bits from Food Courage (I added a sprinkle of cinnamon to mine.)

Lunch: 
Leftover “Cheesy” Taco Dip from Wholesome Within over mixed Greens
Cherry Pie Bars: Cherry Pie Bars from Paleo Running Momma (subbing out the crust for an AIP friendly version)

Cheesy Taco Dip


Snack:
AiPeazy Muesli

Dinner:
Roast Carrots
Roast Cauliflower
roasted carrots

Creating Balance: 
I made the bed and opened the curtains. Relaxation practice.

Gratitude: 
Today, I’m thankful for completing a home renovation project that has taken weeks and weeks to get finished. 

Day 86

How I am feeling:  lymph node swollen

What I ate on AIP elimination phase day 86:

Breakfast: 
Blueberry muffins (my recipe, coming soon)
Paleo Protein Drink

blueberry muffins

Snack:
Apricot Protein Bits from Food Courage (I added a sprinkle of cinnamon to mine.)

Lunch: 
Meatloaf Muffins from Heal me Delicious
Kiwi

Dinner:
Pork Chops with Cherry Compote from Heal Me Delicious
Cauliflower
Butternut Squash
Mixed Greens with Blueberries
Cherry Pie Bars: Cherry Pie Bars from Paleo Running Momma (subbing out the crust for an AIP friendly version)

Pork Chops with Cherry, butternut squash and cauliflower

Creating Balance: 
I made the bed and opened the curtains. Bath. Relaxation practice.

Gratitude: 
Today, I’m thankful for a full house.

Day 87

How I am feeling:  I'm still having back pain and some tightness in my neck and shoulders. I did yoga today. I didn’t sleep well again, and my lymph node is swollen.

What I ate on AIP elimination phase day 87:

Breakfast: 
American Breakfast Sausage from The Healing Kitchen 
Hearty Sweet Potato Hash from The Autoimmune Solution

sausage and sweet potatoes

Lunch: 
Leftover “Cheesy” Taco Dip from Wholesome Within over mixed Greens
Cherry Pie Bars: Cherry Pie Bars from Paleo Running Momma (subbing out the crust for an AIP friendly version)

Snack:
Snack mix: LoveBird Cereal, raisins, tiger nuts

Dinner:
Mongolian beef with Cauliflower (my recipe, coming soon)

Mongolian beef with Cauliflower

Dessert
Paleo Jack Cinnamon Raisin cookies
Freeze-Dried Strawberries 

Creating Balance: 
I made the bed and opened the curtains. Relaxation practice.

Gratitude: 
Today, I’m thankful for date nights to reminisce.

Day 88

How I am feeling:  Still having back pain and not sleeping well.

What I ate on AIP elimination phase day 88:

Breakfast: 
Blueberry Pancakes (my recipe, in progress)
Protein drink

Lunch: 
Beef Roast
White Sweet Potato 
Gravy
Mixed greens with blueberries

Snack:
Paleo Jack Cinnamon Raisin cookies

Dinner:
Chicken Wings

Creating Balance: 
I made the bed and opened the curtains. Family get-together. Relaxation practice.

Gratitude: 
Today, I’m thankful for old pictures to look through.

Day 89

How I am feeling:  I did yoga today. I didn’t sleep well. My hands, wrists and elbow are achy. My lymph node behind my right ear is swollen.

What I ate on AIP elimination phase day 89:

Breakfast: 
LoveBird Cereal with coconut, raisins, cranberries, and tiger nuts
Protein Drink

Lunch: 
Leftover Pork Chop
Baked White Sweet Potato
Gravy
Salad with carrots, celery, and blueberries
Paleo Jack Cinnamon Raisin cookies

Snack:
Muesli

Dinner:
Beef Roast
Gravy
Apple

Creating Balance: 
I made the bed and opened the curtains. Lunch with friends. Relaxation practice.

Gratitude: 
Today, I’m thankful for safe travels in stormy weather.

Day 90

How I am feeling:  Didn’t sleep well. I'm having bloating and back pain. Today I did a dance cardio.

What I ate on AIP elimination phase day 90 :

Breakfast: 

Lunch: 
Leftover Porkchop
Sweet Potato Fries
Kiwi

Snack:
AiPeazy Muesli
Tiger nuts
Freeze-dried Apple

Dinner:
Chicken Vegetable Stew (my recipe)
Chicken Vegetable Stew

Snack
Bananas with Cinnamon, carob powder and coconut
Love Bird Cereal with Tiger nuts and Raisins

banana aip dessert

Creating Balance: 
I made the bed and opened the curtains. I listened to some favorite songs for the time of year. I did a relaxation practice.

Gratitude: 
Today, I’m thankful for special awards ceremonies.

Day 91

How I am feeling:  I'm having some back pain, but I finally slept well. The lymph node swelling went down some. I did some weightlifting for my exercise for today.

What I ate on AIP elimination phase day 91:

Breakfast: 
AIP Cauliflower "Oatmeal" with Cinnamon and Apples from Food Courage with Protein powder and collagen added
Apple Cinnamon Porridge

Lunch: 
Leftover soup

Snack:
Muesli and freeze dried apples

Dinner:
Lime encrusted cod from Healing Family Eats
Acorn squash
Asparagus

lime encrusted cod

Snack:
LoveBird Cereal
Tiger nut
Raisins
Cranberries

Creating Balance: 
I made the bed and opened the curtains. Relaxation practice.

Gratitude: 
Today, I’m thankful for warm fires.

Overall, I'm much better from last year at this time; however, I need to go through all the labels of everything I'm eating and taking to see if there is something I'm missing. I'm almost finished with my SIBO treatment, which has black walnut in it. Walnuts are not AIP elimination approved, so I'm wondering if that is contributing to the swollen lymph node and pain. 

How is your AIP journey going? Tell us about it in the comments below.

Disclaimer: The purpose of this post is not to offer medical advice. I am not in the medical field. My purpose is to share what decisions I’ve made in an attempt to improve my health and try to put my autoimmune disease into remission. Remember everyone’s body reacts differently to foods and supplements and you have to make the decisions that are best for you. Consult a trusted practitioner for medical advice. Our resource page details the books, articles, journals, and websites we've researched to put together our autoimmune articles. You can access our Autoimmune Research Resources by clicking. 

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Friday, February 09, 2024

Week 12 on the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP): What to eat to support your autoimmune disease! {What I ate}

Well, I've made it to week 12 on the autoimmune protocol diet, an anti-inflammatory diet designed to help eliminate foods that trigger autoimmune disease. It's been quite the journey. I've experienced some healing, but I still have a long way to go. In a few more weeks, I will start trying to reintroduce foods as I see an improvement with the pain.

cherry pie bars, aip snack mix, beet smoothie, chicken and dumplings

Beginning week 12, I'm still trying out new recipes and making adjustments to old recipes to try to find foods that won't cause inflammation for me and that my family and I like to eat!

Day 78

How I am feeling:  I'm feeling okay today. I did a high impact cardio routine.

What I ate on AIP elimination phase day 78:

Breakfast: 
Lime Pork and Sweet Potato Hash (my recipe, coming soon)
Grapes

Lime Pork and Sweet Potato Hash

Snack:
Key Lime Pie Energy Balls from Food Courage Easy 7 Day AIP Meal Plan

Lunch: 
Simple Avocado Tuna from The Honest Spoonful over mixed greens
Fluffy AIP Biscuits from New Moon Holistic
Paleo Jack Raisin cookies
Bone broth

Simple Avocado Tuna

Dinner:
The Best Instant Pot Pulled Pork from Food Courage Easy 7 Day AIP Meal Plan
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Roasted Broccoli

Instant Pot Pulled Pork, baked sweet potato, and broccoli

Creating Balance: 
I made the bed and opened the curtains. Relaxation practice.

Gratitude: 
Today, I’m thankful for one more book in a beloved series.

Day 79

How I am feeling: I did a minimal cues yoga set today. I had some digestive issues througout the day.

What I ate on AIP elimination phase day 79:

Breakfast:
Strawberry Rhubarb muffins from Food Courage
Paleo protein and coconut milk

Snack:
Key Lime Pie Energy Balls from Food Courage Easy 7 Day AIP Meal Plan
Snack mix with Love Bird Cereal banana chips, raisons, tiger nuts

Key Lime Pie Energy Balls

Lunch: 
Meatloaf Muffins from Heal me Delicious
Leftover sweet potato
Leftover broccoli

Dinner:
Taco BBQ Chicken (my recipe, a work in progress)
Cauliflower Rice
Salad

Dessert 
Simple 5 Ingredient Banana Bread Mug Cake from Food Courage Easy 7 Day AIP Meal Plan

Banana Bread Mug Cake

Creating Balance: 
I made the bed and opened the curtains. Relaxation practice.

Gratitude: 
Today, I’m thankful for still having some at home while others are preparing to leave.

Day 80

How I am feeling:  Today was high impact cardio.

What I ate on AIP elimination phase day 80:

Breakfast: 
American breakfast sausage from The Healing Kitchen
Fluffy AIP Biscuits from New Moon Holistic
Sweet Potatoes fried in cast iron skillet with coconut oil, garlic poweder, onion powder and salt
Aloe Juice with pink lemonade mix

Sausage and Biscuits

Lunch: 
Tuna spinach salad
Key Lime Pie Energy Balls from Food Courage Easy 7 Day AIP Meal Plan
blueberries

Dinner:
Sweet Potato Noodle Stir Fry from Heal Me Delicious

Snack:
Dried Strawberries
Banana Chips
Tiger nuts

Creating Balance: 
I made the bed and opened the curtains. Relaxation practice. Family movie night.

Gratitude: 
Today, I’m thankful for graduation picture board and invitations.

Day 81

How I am feeling:  I did high impact cardio today. My hair has been falling out. I had a breakout, I've been gassy, but less so. There is a new pain I've developed under my ribs in back on the right side,

What I ate on AIP elimination phase day 81:

Breakfast: 
Blueberry Pancakes (my recipe, coming soon)
1 T maple syrup
Protein drink

Lunch: 
Leftover Sweet Potato Noodle Stir Fry from Heal Me Delicious
Leftover Sweet Potatoes
Couple stick celery

Snack:
Love Bird cereal, banana chips, dried cranberries, tiger nuts, sweet potato chips

snack mix

Dinner:
BBQ Burger Salad
Cauliflower
Sweet Potatoes
Strawberries

Creating Balance: 
I made the bed and opened the curtains. Relaxation practice.

Gratitude: 
Today, I’m thankful for planning for a mini-vacation.

Day 82

How I am feeling:  I did minimal cues yoga today. I'm still gassy, but less so. My hair is falling out. Still have the pain under my ribs in back on right side and now I'm having some shoulder pain.

What I ate on AIP elimination phase day 82:

Breakfast: 
LoveBird Cereal with coconut flakes, raisons, cranberries, tiger nuts
Protein Drink

Lunch:
Leftover Pork Loin
Blueberries
Snack mix with sweet potato chips, coconut, tiger nuts, raisins, cranberries, banana chips 

Snack:
Apricot Protein Bites from Food Courage
Sweet Potato Chips

Dinner:
Bacon
Fried White Sweet Potatoes
Asparagus

Bacon, white sweet potatoes, and asparagus

Dessert:
Cherry Pie Bars: Cherry Pie Bars from Paleo Running Momma (subbing out the crust for an AIP friendly version)

cherry pie bars

Creating Balance: 
I made the bed and opened the curtains. Made cards and gifts. Relaxation practice.

Gratitude: 
Today, I’m thankful for no where that we have to be.

Day 83

How I am feeling:  I stated a new exercise set. Now I'm doing a cardio dance routine. Shoulder pain again today and I have a swollen lymph node.

What I ate on AIP elimination phase day 83:

Breakfast: 
Apple Beet Berry Smoothie from Food Courage

Apple Beet Berry Smoothie

Snack: 
Apricot Protein Bites from Food Courage (I added a sprinkle of cinnamon to mine.)

Lunch: 
“Cheesy” Taco Dip from Wholesome Within
Cherry Pie Bars: Cherry Pie Bars from Paleo Running Momma (subbing out the crust for an AIP friendly version)

cheesy taco dip on tortillas

Snack:
Paleo Jack: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Snack Mix Sweet Potato Chips, raisins, banana chips, and tiger nuts

Dinner:
Chicken Dumpling Soup (This is my recipe, coming soon!)

Chicken Dumpling Soup

Creating Balance: 
I made the bed and opened the curtains. Relaxation practice.

Gratitude: 
Today, I’m thankful for crafts with a little bit of family history.

Day 84

How I am feeling:  The pain under my ribs persists; as well as the shoulder pain and the swollen lymph node. Today I did weightlifting and cardio. 

What I ate on AIP elimination phase day 84:

Breakfast: 
Apple Cinnamon Noatmeal from Food Courage
Protein Drink

Snack:
Apricot Protein Bites from Food Courage (I added a sprinkle of cinnamon to mine.)

Lunch: 
Leftover  Chicken Dumpling Soup (This is my recipe, coming soon!)
Cherry Pie Bars: Cherry Pie Bars from Paleo Running Momma (subbing out the crust for an AIP friendly version)

Dinner:
Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry (my recipe, coming soon!)
Blueberries

Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry

Creating Balance: 
I made the bed and opened the curtains. Made cards and gifts. Relaxation practice.

Gratitude: 
Today, I’m thankful for big family games.

Here at the end of week 12, I'm noticing some healing, but there are still some setbacks. I'm going to be double checking all ingredient labels to be sure there is nothing I'm accidently eating that is slowing down my healing.

Disclaimer: The purpose of this post is not to offer medical advice. I am not in the medical field. My purpose is to share what decisions I’ve made in an attempt to improve my health and try to put my autoimmune disease into remission. Remember everyone’s body reacts differently to foods and supplements and you have to make the decisions that are best for you. Consult a trusted practitioner for medical advice. Our resource page details the books, articles, journals, and websites we've researched to put together our autoimmune articles. You can access our Autoimmune Research Resources by clicking. 


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