HA! I knew we were right about the AIP diet!
A recent study confirmed what functional medicine practitioners, like myself, have long since known — the autoimmune paleo (AIP) diet is HIGHLYsuccessful for managing chronic health disorders.
The first-of-its-kind study showed the majority of participants quickly achieved and maintained remission of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis on the AIP diet. A number of participants were even able to discontinue drug therapies. That’s pretty powerful and big news!
It also happens to be news some people don’t want to hear.
Many people follow the AIP diet to manage not just Crohn’s but also chronic pain, Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, IBD (irritable bowel syndrome), skin rashes such as eczema or psoriasis, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, brain-based disorders such as Alzheimer and Parkinsons, diabetes, autoimmune diseases in general, and other chronic health problems.
So this type of diet is proving to be a very powerful health tool.
People are surprised to find that not only do their symptoms fade but also they enjoy more energy, better sleep, weight loss, increased libido (woohoo!), less stress, and a general overall improvement of their well being.
Just goes to show you that a little sacrifice and work
with something as simple as your diet can go a loooooong way.
So YES! FOOD IS MEDICINE!
A primary reason the diet is so effective is because it helps repair leaky gut, a condition in which the lining of the gut becomes inflamed and porous, allowing inflammatory compounds, toxins and proteins into the bloodstream that normally shouldn’t be there. This creates inflammation throughout the body and brain and leads to a wide variety of chronic gut, metabolic, and autoimmune disorders.
Check out my gut health webinar series I have recorded on my youtube channel.
It’s also posted on my website under the videos section.
Anti-inflammatory is the key to the AIP diet
An anti-inflammatory diet focuses on whole foods and is free of inflammatory foods, additives, fillers, and artificial colors. It includes an accompanying protocol of appropriate sleep, physical activity, rest, and positive socialization and self-treatment. Certain nutritional compounds that gently cleanse and detoxify the body will boost the success of the diet, and are often necessary to fully heal and restore a leaky gut. Again, Check out my webinar series on healing the gut.
There are tons of articles and website on the AIP (Autoimmune Paleo) diet, but here are basics:
Eliminate all processed foods, fast foods, desserts, coffee drinks, sodas, etc. Your anti-inflammatory diet should consist of whole foods found in the produce and meat sections of the grocery store, with an emphasis on plenty of vegetables, not just fruits. Also eliminate processed vegetable oils and hydrogenated oils and stick with natural oils.
Eliminate common inflammatory foods, the most common culprit being gluten. Many ï people’s symptoms resolve simply on a gluten-free diet. However, dairy, eggs, soy, nuts, grain, and nightshades are commonly immune reactive as well, but it all depends on each individual person. So it’s not always necessary to eliminate all of them. Try eliminating these foods for about six weeks to see whether you react upon reintroducing them one at a time. Again, this isn’t the end all, be all to see if you are reacting to a certain food. Sometimes a food sensitivity test is required.
Eliminate sweets. On the anti-inflammatory diet you should avoid ALL sweeteners. This helps curb cravings, stabilize blood sugar, lower inflammation, and lose excess fat. Enjoy low-sugar fruits instead, such as berries.
Eat lots of vegetables. Not only do plenty of veggies load you up with vital nutrients and fiber, new research shows they create a healthy gut microbiome (no surprise there) – the bacteria in your gut that profoundly influence your immune and brain health. A diet based around veggies creates an abundant and diverse gut microbiome and thus better health.
Get enough sleep and exercise. Sufficient sleep is a major inflammation-buster, as is regular physical activity. Overtraining, however, can cause inflammation so watch out for that.
Boost success with gut repair and detoxification
Adding in specific nutritional compounds can help repair a damaged gut, lower inflammation, support the liver, and detoxify the system. Ask my office for more information about a detoxification and gut-repair program using the AIP diet.
I have included some links to help with some of the above mentioned issues.
Repair damaged gut- Only take this if you have done the necessary steps before.
Lowering inflammation
Liver support
Detoxification - Glutathione
