+ Food as Medicine: Articles

Meal Planning – A Paleo AIP Survival Tool

Benjamin Franklin said, “If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail.” That applies to many areas in life, but especially a healing diet. If you don’t have healthy food available when you’re hungry, you’ll be tempted to go off diet and that can lead to an autoimmune flare. Today, I show you how I plan my own meals every week, including a sneak peek into my fridge! I also share a whole bunch of AIP meal planning resources, to make staying true your diet even easier.

To Ghee or Not to Ghee

Why is ghee excluded on the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol if it’s allergen-free? Many members of the paleo community praise it as a nutrient-dense food, and it’s allowed on other healing diets like The Wahls Protocol. So, what’s the deal? I delved into some deep research to answer this question, including some personal n=1 experiments, polls in the autoimmune community, and learning all about the science (pro and con) behind this flavorful cooking fat. Should people with autoimmune disease be eating it? Let’s find out!

black and white drawing of a waiter serving a couple in a restaurant

Top 5 Mistakes People Make Reintroducing Foods

The paleo autoimmune protocol (AIP) has two phases: (1) eliminating potential food triggers temporarily, and (2) reintroducing them very carefully, to see how your body responds. It’s this second phase where we learn to communicate with our bodies, receiving clear messages on the foods that nourish us vs. the foods that harm us. This is very unique to each individual, and an empowering step in personalizing your diet to optimize healing. Have you tried to do food reintroductions but found the whole process really confusing? Or are you curious about the process and don’t know where to begin? In this article, I highlight the most common mistakes people make and teach you how to do it right.

What’s Up With White Rice?

One of the basic tenets of the Paleo Diet is that it’s 100% grain-free. So why are all the paleo Instagram feeds filling up with #teamwhiterice photos? In this post, I delve into the pros and cons of this favored grain in the paleo community. If you decide you’d like to try reintroducing it into your own diet, I give you the best way to cook it for optimal benefit and least risk.

AIP Food Pyramid

We’ve all seen the USDA food pyramid, and we know that’s a recipe for poor health. Are you curious what an AIP food pyramid looks like? What foods make up the foundation? Which ones are at the top and reserved for special occasions? When it comes to the paleo autoimmune protocol, we focus a lot on what we can’t eat. But the key to being happy on a healing diet is knowing what we CAN eat, and realizing that we can eat delicious, satiating food every single day, and heal at the same time.

GAPS Intro Diet Modified for Autoimmune Disease

If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you know that I started with the GAPS diet, and then transitioned to the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (AIP), because I was still struggling with inflammation and autoimmune flares. Many people with autoimmune disease struggle on the GAPS protocol because it reintroduces foods very quickly, that are common food intolerances for people with autoimmune disease (such as nuts, dairy and eggs.) Katy Haldiman is a nutritional therapist who has modified the GAPS Introduction Diet to use with her autoimmune clients, with great success. She shares her modified protocol with us today, and tells us who benefits best from the Introduction Diet.

Spices on the AIP

The trickiest category on the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol is Spices. Which are allowed and which aren’t? Today, I clear up the confusion and also give some AIP-friendly tips for adding a wide variety of flavor to your recipes. Eating AIP should never be bland!

Are You Eating Enough Food to Heal Your Body?

When I first discovered the connection between food intolerance and rheumatoid arthritis pain, I went through a period of being afraid every time I sat down to eat. Finding the paleo diet was a gift, because it gave me a template of safe foods to enjoy. When I hit a healing plateau, I turned to the autoimmune protocol and learned that dairy and nightshades were inflammation triggers for me. Some people find they need to restrict further to feel their best, reducing their intake of FODMAPs or oxalates, for example. Are you seeing the pattern? In our journeys to heal, the first thing we do is eliminate foods that are the problem. The question is, are we also focusing on the foods that are the solution?

Airplane Travel on the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol

One of the most common questions I get is how to travel on a healing diet. My family is spread across the country, so travel is an automatic part of my lifestyle. In this article, I share my tips for air travel: everything from what I pack, to how I shop, to how I navigate my diet among non-paleo family members. Fear can sometimes keep us at home in our own kitchens, but there’s a big world out there. We don’t want to miss out!

Strict AIP Isn’t Meant To Last Forever – What Personalized AIP Looks Like.

A lot of the paleo autoimmune bloggers, myself included, offer our blogs as resources for people going through the elimination phase of the AIP. That’s the hardest menu to navigate, especially when you first make the switch. A lot of your standard meals are no longer an option, and it helps to have guidance on the foods you can eat. A side effect, though, is that many people think we still eat strict AIP. It’s not true. None of us do. So this article is designed to show you what life on the AIP looks like long-term. Dr. Sarah Ballantyne and other AIP leaders share their reintro journeys. I also share tips on how to personalize the AIP for you

Eating Disorders and the AIP: A Conversation with Stefani Ruper

The paleo autoimmune protocol is a powerful tool for healing, but it’s also a restrictive diet. Food is an emotional experience for us all, but if you struggle with eating disorders, that’s even more true. I’ve gotten emails from readers asking how they can navigate the paleo autoimmune protocol (AIP) without triggering disordered eating behaviors of their past. I’ve also seen conversations in the AIP Facebook groups that hint at some people using the AIP as an excuse to eat less. I’ve personally experienced fear of food, once I learned how it can exacerbate my autoimmune disease. My goal with this blog is to help us heal in every way. Today, I talk with Stefani Ruper, an expert on disordered eating, on how we can navigate the autoimmune protocol in a way that’s healthy both physically and psychologically.

The Great Starch Experiment

I came to Paleo through the GAPS diet doorway, which is a low-starch version of the paleo diet. When I switched to the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol, I continued to eat low-starch. I had seen a lot of improvement and didn’t want to risk worsening symptoms. After 18 months, I decided it was time to test the low-starch theory. Did I really need to avoid them? As “safe starches” became more and more popular, GAPS became more and more criticized. I spent time slowly reintroducing starches into my diet and monitoring my body’s response. Are you curious about my results?

Wahls Protocol Book Review & Author Interview

Dr. Terry Wahls is the amazing woman who reversed her MS, moving from a wheelchair to a bicycle, and developed a protocol to help others reverse autoimmune disease as well. Today’s post is a detailed review of her new book, an interview with Terry herself, and a chance for you to win a kindle copy of The Wahls Protocol.

How to Separate Eggs & the Nutritional Power of Yolks

After years of misinformation, it can be hard to wrap your mind around the fact that egg yolks are actually good for you. In fact, they are such superfoods that Chris Kresser recommends eating 3 of them every day, and Sarah Ballantyne recommends them as a first AIP reintroduction to try after the elimination phase. Today, I share why they’re so amazing, dispel cholesterol worries, give you 11 ways to include them in your daily diet, and I even filmed a little video showing you 3 easy ways to separate eggs and get to those luscious yolks.

Top 5 Mistakes People Make on the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol

Have you been doing the paleo autoimmune protocol for a while, without seeing the results you want? In this post, I share 5 of the most common mistakes people make on this journey. Let’s see if any of these apply to you.

15 Tips for a Healthy Holiday Season on the AIP

The holidays are meant to be about beautiful things: celebration, love, family, fellowship. But they come wrapped in a package that includes stress, pressure and a tradition of foods we can no longer eat. So, how does a paleo autoimmune warrior not only survive, but thrive and enjoy the season? I share my best advice in this post.

Does Healthy Sustainable Seafood Exist?

It’s easy to get lost, navigating the waters of healthy, sustainable seafood. Between overfishing, pollution, toxicity concerns, and food fraud, I almost stopped eating fish altogether. But they are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, which are essential to our health. So, I spent hours researching the question, “Does Healthy Sustainable Seafood Exist?” The answer is “Yes” but it can be hard to find. Check out this blog post to learn everything you need to know about this important part of our diet.

My Experience with the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol

I started with the GAPS diet in the summer of 2012 and when I plateaued in my healing, I added the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol in January 2013. In this post, I share how these 2 diets contributed to my autoimmune health and compare my results between the two. I also honestly speak of the emotional rollercoaster of following an elimination/reintroduction protocol: the challenge of living with restrictions, the grief of failed food reintroductions, the joy of successful ones, and the wonder and gratitude of being able to communicate with my body so clearly.

Chocolate: Friend or Foe?

What’s the deal with this delicious, mythical and controversial food? Is it a magic elixir, a heinous junk food, or somewhere in between? I spent hours of research, clarifying its pros, cons, and where it fits on a healing diet. In this post, I share everything you ever wanted to know about chocolate.

The Most Nutrient-Dense Fruits & Vegetables

Want to know which onion has 120 times more antioxidants than the rest? Which fruit has 10 times more nutrition than most vegetables? Which vegetables lose half their nutrition within 2 days of picking and how to slow that process down? Or how to make sure you are getting the medicinal benefit of garlic when you eat it? Here are 20 tips to make your next grocery shopping trip the most nutritious yet.

Paleo AIP Road Trip

I took three road trips during my first year on a healing diet, traveling 2000 miles round-trip for each of them. I stayed on my diet without cheats. This article shows you how.

Nightshade-Free Survival Guide

Ah, nightshades – a flavorful and sometimes spicy little plant family that can cause a lot of pain and inflammation for people with nightshade sensitivity. In this post, I list the most common nightshades, explain how they can be harmful, share the symptoms of nightshade sensitivity, and offer my tips to get along without them.

Paleo AIP Grocery List

If you think the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol is restrictive, check out this list of all the foods you CAN eat! When we eat a wide variety of foods, not only does it make the AIP more enjoyable to follow, it’s also a key to nutrient density. That’s because every food has a unique nutrient profile. So, use this list to break free of any food ruts!

Paleo Autoimmune Protocol FAQ

Part of my AIP series, this post answers frequently asked questions & gives tips for success. How long do I have to stay on the protocol? Why can’t I just take an allergy test? Should I go off my medication when I start the AIP? Why is the reaction to a food stronger after an elimination diet? If I fall off the AIP wagon, do I have to start over on Day 1? How can I help myself succeed on the AIP? I provide answers to these questions and more!

Reintroducing Foods on the AIP: An Overview

The Paleo Autoimmune Protocol includes 2 phases: elimination and reintroduction. We aren’t meant to stay in the elimination phase forever. The reintroduction process is how we learn to communicate with our bodies and personalize our diets. It’s a process that requires patience, and it can be a little confusing and intimidating. Here’s a quick overview of the process.

What is the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (AIP)?

Are you new to the AIP? This post is for you!

Link Love: Traveling on the AIP

When you’re on a restricted diet, traveling can seem out of reach, but the world is too big and beautiful for us to stay house-bound. Over the years, I’ve mastered this skill for both road trips and plane travel. I’ve also scoured the internet for other people’s experiences. We can learn so much from each other! In this link love roundup, you’ll find advice for long flights, road trips, camping, cruises, traveling with children, business trips, eating in restaurants, and more.