Autoimmune protocol (AIP) diet
Diet
Doctors report that the most common question asked by people with autoimmune diseases—like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), lupus, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and Hashimoto’s—is, “What should I eat?” The question of what to eat is one that troubles most of us from time to time (usually when we’re #hangry after a loooong day), but it’s one that’s particularly relevant to autoimmune warriors. That’s because autoimmune conditions are linked with changes to the health of your digestive tract, which is why diet matters so much! The autoimmune protocol (AIP) diet is one answer to the “what should I eat” question. AIP is a riff on the Paleo diet, specifically aimed at healing the gut, fostering healthy gut microbes, giving your body the nutrients it needs to heal, and balancing excess inflammation in your body. The big question: Can changing your diet really change your wacky immune response? Preliminary research, plus studies on real patients, suggests it can! The AIP diet begins with a strict initial elimination phase, followed by a maintenance phase (the length varies from person to person) during which symptoms can improve significantly. After several weeks or months on the maintenance phase, you can gradually reintroduce some of the foods you eliminated. During this reintroduction phase, you’ll be able to identify which foods you tolerate well, and which foods may contribute to your symptoms. In a way, the AIP diet is about figuring out the puzzle that is your body! Certain foods (even some healthy ones!) are believed to trigger inflammation in sensitive people, especially if you have an autoimmune condition, but success on this diet is about more than just swapping one food with another. Real talk: This diet is pretty strict. This type of elimination diet requires a “wash-out” period of all potentially inflammatory foods, meaning total avoidance, followed by specific reintroductions of potentially reactive foods like eggs, nuts, and seeds. This is a difficult diet to manage on your own, so it’s recommended that you work with a skilled integrative nutritionist to guide you through the process. As a team effort, AIP can feel a lot easier.
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