AIP diet for autoimmune illnesses

P.S. to my post above about AIP. When I said "animal protein," I also meant fish and shellfish. And no nuts are allowed on this diet.

P.P.S. I eliminated sugar in almost all forms from my diet nearly 40 years ago, so what's kept weight on me has been legumes, nuts, celiac-allowable grains, cheese and eggs. Hence my concern about losing weight on AIP.

Hi @bayhorse, I try to limit my intake of inflammatory foods but I don't follow a strict autoimmune protocol diet. Hopefully other members with experience will share what helps them maintain or gain weight. I did find an article that might be helpful.

-- 10 Tips to Reach a Healthy Weight on the Autoimmune Protocol:
https://autoimmunewellness.com/overweight-underweight-weight-struggles-on-the-aip/
Did the nutritionist offer any suggestions to help with your concern?

I eat sugar. Some are better than others. Glucose is my favorite. it's satisfying and shouldn't fatten up the liver? What did she say about oils?

Bless your heart! I’ve been on the AIP diet for about a month(self imposed). Trying to combat pain from possible Sjogern’s disease. I had a food sensitivity test done(I know, it’s supposedly quackery, but what could it hurt?). It showed sensitivities to things not on the AIP diet and showed no sensitivity to some
Things on the AIP diet. I’m going to continue the AIP diet as well as eliminating the things sensitivity test showed for a month. I’ll let you know how it goes.

The autoimmune diet described in these messages sounds like a starvation regime. Does this have any official medical support?

@jshdma, Here's some research from 2017:

"In conclusion, our study demonstrates that dietary modification focused on elimination of potentially immunogenic or intolerant food groups has the potential to improve symptoms and endoscopic inflammation in patients with IBD. Dietary change can be an important adjunct to IBD therapy not only to achieve remission but perhaps improve the durability of response and remission. Perhaps for a subset of patients, dietary and lifestyle modification alone may be sufficient to control underlying luminal inflammation. Patients wishing to incorporate dietary therapy should be counseled on options assessed for micronutrient deficiencies and monitored routinely. Integrating and coordinating care with health coaches and registered dieticians can allow for effective education and implementation of dietary modification over time, in accordance with unique patient goals as well. Larger randomized trials are needed to validate these findings and examine the long-term course of patients during reintroduction."
-- Efficacy of the Autoimmune Protocol Diet for Inflammatory Bowel Disease:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5647120/

@johnbishop Thank you this info. I got the impression that the "autoimmune diet" was intended for any autoimmune disease. For IBD it would seem to make sense.

I have reactivated Hashimoto's thyroiditis, which AIP helped originally and again after Moderna 1 vaccine injury, High ANA and new autoimmune generalized connective tissue inflammation, plus probable EBV with intense body pain and broad food insensitivities, consquent to first Covid vaccine. Modified AIP to deal with new food problems. Meat became a problem. Really sick and bed-bound from incrdible fatigue and body pain. Gluten and dairy free really helps (SUPPLEMENTS, DIET) helps suppress inflammation. Cannot do most autoimmune meds because of sverely suppressed immune syste and weekly subcu gamma globulin replacement therapy. Anthony Williams "liver preserving diet" in "Cleanse to Heal" has helped. Tons of transdermal C+ patches over areas of swelling-pain (Patdhaid) and DMSO 970-30 Aloe Vera) help reduce inflammation. Essential for me to be low stress or autoimmune attack is immediate, severe, with incredible fatigue, legs, feet, joints, swelling. plus. Any suggestions appreciated. Before Modrna 1, I could include cheese and occasional gluten on AIP diet after strict regime as add ins. Remember, the AIP diet includes coconut, sweet potato, bananas, olive oil, fatty meat (bacon, chcken fat, meat fat), whch can raise calories for those people who need to increase same. Watch for calcium-magnesium supplementation needs on this diet, whch is originally intended as a way to reduce food snsitivities before checking out what your body can tolerate in carefully stepped food add ins. I have found that distilled water plus added mineral supplementaton also helps reduce inflammarion. belong to a Facebook AIP group, and thousands claim they were helped, as was I

AIP diet includes coconut, olive oil, bananas, fatty meat, including bacon, chicken fat, meat fat for extra calories. The diet is not intended as a lifetime destination, but as a way to remove trgger foods, rest the body, and use a carefully stepped approach of adding the restricted foods in small quantties and certan sequences. Many have successfully added eggs, peppers, etc., after the elimination phase. The diet has helped me both bfore the Moderna vaccine 1 injury, and now as well, somewhat modified to include minimal cheese, some nuts. After the strict period of food exclusions, you may be able to reintroduce beans. But consider that they may be contributing to your health problems. All the best with your healing food choices.

Thanks to all who responded to my questions about AIP diet. A BIG problem where this diet is concerned is that in addition to my 3 autoimmune illnesses (celiac spruce, UC, lupus), I also have congestive heart failure. So I absolutely have to watch fats and salt. And unfortunately, most of the high-calorie items on AIP (coconut products, bacon, chicken fat, meat fat, red meat) are forbidden to me! So I am left with only the leaner AIP allowables. The dietician who proposed I go on AIP encouraged me to eat lots of olive oil and avocado oil; I use both to cook with, but I have no gall bladder, so I don't deal with lots of oil/fats well anyhow. I did not get much guidance from her after I brought up my heart-related (and gall bladder-less limitations). Hence my hollering for help to all of you. 🙂

While I realize this is an elimination diet, I expect I'll have to abide by it for several weeks before I add things back in. Bottom line is I don't know how I'm going to get through those several weeks without dropping weight, and at 89 pounds, I don't have much to spare!

Another issue: Most of the recipes I've seen online are WAY complex and require more energy than I've got. And AIP prepared meal services don't suit as they won't tailor to my low fat and sodium requirements.

Someone asked re: scientific basis for this diet. The jury seems to be out. One Mayo Clinic article called it a fad diet, explaining that the lectins I'm told AIP eliminates are mostly destroyed or altered in cooking. However, some people say it helps... and I could sure use some help! So I'm very willing to try. But one day on this diet left me hungry.

BTW, I have been STRICTLY gluten free for 40 years because I am a severe celiac, and I eliminated refined sugar and sugary products from my diet 30 years ago. So I've had those bases covered for a long time.

If anyone has more suggestions after reading all this detail, please suggest away. And meantime, thanks to all who shared their thoughts.