HOW TO FOLLOW AIP DIET? FOODS TO EAT AND AVOID

Autoimmune protocol diet is the best and simple solution for the people who are dealing with autoimmune conditions. Autoimmunity is one of the top ten causes of fatality in most cases under sixty-five years old. Fortunately, this can be managed with the AIP diet and the right AIP friendly diet supplements. It can be overwhelming at first beginning the autoimmune protocol diet. This blog outlines the best way to proceed and will hopefully ease your dive into the AIP Diet. Follow the steps below to successfully stick to the AIP diet.

First, start with basic AIP & Paleo diet principles:

• The food you consume should be gluten free, no grains, no sugar and no alcohol.
• Gluten should be removed from the diet for anyone with autoimmune disorders as it triggers leaky gut.
• Grains are removed to avoid anti-nutrients like phytic acid and inflammatory lectins.
• Sugar and alcohol should be avoided, because they are highly inflammatory and do not help you get any nutritional value or healing properties.

Here is a list of foods to eat and avoid to keep you healthy and reduce unnecessary stress on your body while you follow the AIP diet.

Foods to Eat:

• Meats - Grass fed Beef, bison, chicken, turkey, boar, wild caught fish
• Vegetables - Asparagus, brussels sprouts, cabbage, leafy greens, broccoli cauliflower, cucumber, beets, squash, carrots, and sweet potatoes.
• Fats - Avocado, Avocado oil, Coconut oil, fat, olive oil
• Beverages - Sparkling water, coconut milk and coconut water

Must Avoid Foods:

• Meats - Factory farmed meats, farm raised seafood
• Grains - Oats, rice, millet, quinoa, wheat and all gluten
• Vegetables - Nightshades, eggplant, tomatoes, onion, white potatoes, goji berries and all pepper based spices like cayenne, nutmeg and paprika
• Fats - All butter and ghee, canola oil and all other seed oils
• Legumes - All beans; soy beans and soy products
• Beverages - Beer, liquor, even sugar alcohols and extracts like vanilla extract
• All dairy products
• Eggs
• Nuts and seeds

Why to avoid nuts and seeds?

Nuts and seeds are high in anti-nutrients such as lectins and phytates. They are one of the most allergic types of foods that can cause sensitivities in people dealing with autoimmunity.

Why to keep fruit to a minimum?

Take one to two servings of fresh fruit per day. This keeps your blood sugar levels stable and also helps you avoid taking in too much fructose, which can be irritating for the gut.

Time duration to follow the AIP diet:

There is no particular time duration to follow the AIP diet. The perfect solution to AIP diet success is to focus on your symptoms over a number of weeks. Time duration to stay on the AIP is 100% based on you and depends on how you feel while following the diet.

You may be wondering how do I get complete nutrition when I avoid so many foods in AIP & Paleo diet?

To fight back with the autoimmune disorders, one has to adhere to the right dietary principles to avoid adverse effects on your health. In fact, when you avoid all these foods it can be difficult to get all the nutrition your body needs to properly function. However, supplements like protein powders can add to your diet for total nourishment. Only consume protein powders that are AIP & Paleo friendly.

Our Paleo friendly protein powder is non-GMO, soy-free, allergen-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, and has had no sugar added. It is available in 3 tasty flavors to provide nutrition boost to your body. All you need to do is just add it to your smoothies, hot water or your favorite soup. If you are interested in any more recipes to try with, check out our blogs.