The AIP Process and the Foods to Avoid and Include
If you’ve already read the first part of the AIP blog posts, then let’s get onto the next part – the details of the autoimmune protocol process and the foods that you will need to avoid and foods that you can include. If you have not read the first post, I recommend clicking here to read that first. It covers what the autoimmune protocol is about, the potential benefits, and the common conditions that have seen relief in symptoms when following the protocol.
Once you’ve read the introduction post and you’re interested in trying this diet out yourself, you can get started! As previously mentioned, the AIP diet involves 2 phases: the elimination phase and the reintroduction phase. Both phases are incredibly important in this protocol as one removes the triggers/offending foods and lifestyle practices to allow for healing and calming of the gut and immune system, while the other phase helps to identify which foods trigger the onset of symptoms.
PHASE 1: THE ELIMINATION PHASE
This is the first phase of the AIP diet, and it involves the removal of foods and medications believed to cause gut inflammation, imbalances between levels of good and bad bacteria in the gut, or an immune response. This phase also encourages the consumption of fresh, nutrient-dense foods, minimally processed meat, fermented foods, and bone broth. Improvement of lifestyle factors, such as optimal sleep hygiene, physical activity, managing stress well, and removing household toxins is also emphasized.
The length of this phase varies depending on the individual. Once an individual feels a noticeable reduction in symptoms, the next phase can begin. If there’s no noticeable reduction in symptoms, the diet may need to continue a little longer or other tweaks/changes may need to be made. On average, most will maintain this phase for 30-90 days, however noticeable improvements may be seen as early as the first 3 weeks. The diet needs to be for at least 30 days as a minimum for the best results.
Beginning the elimination phase can be done cold turkey, or one category of food can be removed at a time each week, lasting over several weeks. It all depends on what is easiest for you and aligns better for you. An example of this would be removing grains the first week, followed by dairy products the second week, nightshades the third week, eggs the fourth week, beans and legumes the fifth week, nuts and seeds the sixth week, etc. This will extend the process longer but may be easier for people to implement. Going cold turkey would mean eliminating all foods on the avoidance list on day one.
Once symptoms are reduced and positive changes are observed, the reintroduction phase can begin.
FOODS & LIFESTYLE FACTORS ELIMINATED DURING PHASE 1
Below is a list of foods that must be avoided during the elimination phase of the AIP diet:
Grains: all grains and any foods derived from them (like pasta, bread, breakfast cereals, etc.)
Amaranth
Barley
Buckwheat
Bulgur
Corn
Farro
Kamut
Millet
Oats
Quinoa
Rice
Rye
Sorghum
Spelt
Teff
Wheat
Beans & Legumes: all legumes as well as foods derived from them (like tofu, tempeh, mock meats, peanut butter, etc.)
Adzuki beans
Black beans
Black eyed peas
Chickpeas
Coffee beans
Chickpeas
Fava beans
Green peas
Kidney beans
Lentils
Lima beans
Peanuts
Soy
Soybeans
Soy sauce
Tamari
Liquid aminos
Teriyaki sauce
Tofu
Tempeh
Soy nuts
Soybean oil
Eggs: any foods containing these ingredients
Chicken
Duck
Egg white
Egg yolk
Quail
Goose
Dairy: all dairy and any foods derived from dairy (like cream, cheese, butter, ghee; dairy-based protein powders and supplements)
Butter
Cheese
Cream
Cream cheese
Ghee
Milk
Yogurt
Goat’s milk
Sheep’s milk
Ricotta
Cottage cheese
Whey protein powder and supplements containing whey (any foods containing whey or casein)
Casein (any foods containing this)
Nuts and seeds: all nuts and seeds and any foods derived from them (flours, butter or oils, certain spices)
Almond
Anise
Brazil
Cacao
Canola
Caraway
Chia
Chocolate
Cocoa
Coriander
Cumin
Fennel
Fenugreek
Flax seed
Hazelnut
Hemp
Macadamia
Mustard
Nutmeg
Pecan
Poppy
Pumpkin
Sesame
Sunflower
Walnut
Nightshades: all nightshade vegetables and fruits and any spices derived from them
Bell pepper
Black pepper
Cayenne
Chili pepper
Chipotle
Eggplant
Goji berry
Habanero
Jalapeno
Paprika
Poblano
White potato
Sweet pepper
Tobacco
Tomato
Tomatillo
Specific Beverages
Alcohol
Beer
Champagne
Hard cider
Liquor
Malt beverages
Wine
Coffee
Processed Vegetable Oils
Canola
Rapeseed
Corn
Cottonseed
Palm kernel
Safflower
Soybean
Sunflower oils
Refined/Processed Sugars and any foods containing these ingredients
Barley malt syrup
Beet sugar
Brown rice syrup
Candy
Cane sugar
Corn syrup
Frozen desserts
High fructose corn syrup
Soda
Sweets
Food Additives and Artificial Sweeteners
Trans fats
Food colorings
Emulsifiers and thickeners (xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan, etc.)
Artificial sweeteners
Aspartame
Stevia
Mannitol
Xylitol
Any alcohol sugars
Etc.
Lifestyle Factors to avoid
Distracted eating
Excessive TV and/or video games
Lack of time outside/extended time indoors
Grazing
High intensity exercise (HIIT workouts, etc.)
Infrequent meals
Low quality foods/nutrient-poor foods/processed foods
Inadequate/poor sleep hygiene
<6 hours of sleep
Eating right before bed
Screentime 1 hour before bed
Inconsistent sleep patterns (inconsistent bedtimes and rise times)
Sedentary activity
Poor management of stress
Smoking
Using household chemicals/toxins (check your laundry detergent, cleaners, toothpaste, shampoo, etc.)
Some AIP protocols go a step further and recommend avoiding all fruit (both fresh or dried) during the elimination phase as many people can have issues with citrus fruits, a sensitivity to fructose, and any histamine issues. Other AIP diets allow 10-40g of fructose per day (1-2 portions of fruit per day).
Some protocols also suggest avoiding algae (chlorella or spirulina) as it can also stimulate an immune response in some individuals.
WHAT FOODS CAN YOU EAT/ARE EMPHASIZED DURING THIS PHASE?
Vegetables (get in a variety of colors)
Asparagus
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower (commonly used in Many AIP recipes)
Celery
Chard
Collard greens
Cucumber
Fennel
Kale
Leek
Lettuce
Mushroom
Spinach
Squash
Watercress
Roots & Tubers
Beets (commonly used in Many AIP recipes)
Carrots
Celeriac
Jicama
Onion
Parsnip
Plantain
Turnip
Radish
Rutabaga
Shallot
Sweet potato
Yam
Fruits (get a variety in, in moderation)
Apple
Apricot
Avocado (nutrient-dense food that is used in MANY AIP recipes)
Banana
Berries
Cherry
Clementine
Coconut (another food used in MANY AIP recipes)
Date (commonly used in Many AIP recipes)
Fig
Grape
Grapefruit
Kiwi
Lemon
Lime
Mango
Melon
Nectarine
Orange
Papaya
Peach
Pear
Plum
Pineapple
Pomegranate
Tangerine
High-Quality Meats and Derivatives (minimally processed; wild, grass-fed, or pasture-raised whenever possible)
Beef
Bison
Bone broth
Buffalo
Chicken
Duck
Elk
Heart
Kidney
Lamb
Liver
Pork
Sardines
Seafood
Shellfish
Tongue
Turkey
Venison
Wild game
Fats
Animal fat
Avocado and avocado oil
Coconut butter
Coconut milk
Coconut oil
Lard
Olives and olive oil
Palm oil
Tallow
Herbs
Basil
Chives
Cilantro
Dill
Lemongrass
Marjoram
Mint
Parsley
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme
Spices
Cinnamon
Cloves
Garlic
Ginger
Saffron
Sea salt and Himalayan salt
Shallots
Turmeric
Pantry Items
Apple cider vinegar
Arrowroot powder
Balsamic vinegar (free of added sugar)
Canned fish
Cassava flour
Coconut aminos
Coconut flakes
Coconut flour
Coconut vinegar
Date sugar
Dried fruit (if allowed)
Honey
Maple syrup
Olives
Palm sugar
Red wine vinegar (free of added sugar)
Tigernuts
Tigernut flour
Fermented Foods
Fermented vegetables (allowed) – carrot, beet, cabbage, etc.
Kimchi
Kombucha
Pickles
Sauerkraut
Water kefir
Coconut kefir
Coconut yogurt
Probiotics may also be consumed
Some AIP protocols go a step further and recommend moderating salt intake, saturated and omega-6 fats, natural sugars (honey or maple syrup for example), and coconut-based foods. Some protocols will also suggest moderating your intake of high glycemic fruits and vegetables, including dried fruit, sweet potatoes, and plantain.
How restrictive you need to go depends on the severity of your symptoms, whether or not symptoms improve with a less restrictive AIP diet, and how well you can tolerate a highly restrictive elimination protocol.
PHASE 2: THE REINTRODUCTION PHASE
The reintroduction phase can begin once you notice measurable improvement in your symptoms during the elimination phase. Again, this can take anywhere from 30 days (minimum) to 90 days.
During the reintroduction phase, the avoided foods are gradually reintroduced into the diet, one at a time, based on the individual’s tolerance. The goal of this phase is to identify which foods contribute to a person’s symptoms while continuing to avoid offending foods. Ultimately, we want to broaden the diet as much as the individual can without triggering symptoms.
Foods are introduced one at a time, allowing for a period of 5 days before reintroducing a different food. This 5-day grace period allows enough time for the individual to notice if any symptoms reappear before continuing on with more reintroductions. Unfortunately, food sensitivities can take up to 72 hours to trigger symptoms, which is why that 5-day grace period in-between new foods can be incredibly insightful.
Foods that are well tolerated can be added back into the diet, while those that trigger symptoms should be noted and continue to be avoided. Food tolerance can change over time, which is where journaling can be beneficial in general. It is also helpful to redo the AIP diet each year to help pinpoint any changes in food tolerance.
A STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH TO REINTRODUCING FOODS
Before introducing new foods into the diet, figure out which foods you miss the most and rank them and then start with those foods.
Step 1: choose 1 food to reintroduce
Consume this food a few times per day on the testing day, then avoid it completely for 5 days.
Step 2: eat a small amount of the food and wait for any reaction
Try 1 tsp of the food and wait 15 minutes to see if there is a noticeable reaction.
Step 3: avoid this food if you experience any symptoms
If you have no symptoms, eat a slightly larger portion (like 1 ½ TBSP) of the same food and monitor how you feel over the next 2-3 hours.
Step 4: avoid this food if you experience any symptoms
If no symptoms occur, eat a normal portion of the same food and avoid it for 5 days without reintroducing any other foods.
Step 5: if no symptoms occur for 5 days, then you may reincorporate the tested food into your diet.
Step 6: repeat the first 5 steps with each new food introduced.
Avoid reintroducing foods during times of increased inflammation. This can be during times of infection, after a poor night’s sleep, an increased stress load in life, or following a strenuous workout.
When it comes to reintroducing dairy, start with the lowest lactose concentration and milk proteins to reintroduce first. Ghee is a great one to start out with, followed by butter, cream, yogurt or kefir, cheese and milk.
OVERALL
The AIP diet may be a more restrictive elimination diet, but its results and benefits could be life-changing for many! While there are several foods on the avoidance list, there are many foods that you can include in during the elimination phase of the diet. There are also a ton of recipes on the internet that can help you along in your journey. I will share these resources with you in the coming weeks/months.
JOIN ME IN MY AIP JOURNEY
Over the next several weeks and months I am partaking in the AIP diet, and I will blog about my journey as I go. If you’d like to join me, you are welcome to do so! During this journey, I will share my experiences, what works for me, what I’m emphasizing, the recipes that I’ve found to be delicious, and resources to help you along! If you have any questions along the way or would like help, schedule a discovery call with me down below and we can get started! Stay tuned…
Sources:
Abbott RD, Sadowski A, Alt AG. Efficacy of the autoimmune protocol diet as part of a multi-disciplinary, supported lifestyle intervention for Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. Cureus. 2019; 11(4): e4556. doi: 10.7759/cureus.4556.
Chandrasekaran A, et al. An autoimmune protocol diet improves patient-reported quality of life in inflammatory bowel disease. Chrons Colitis 360. 2019; 1(3): otz019. doi: 10.1093/crocol/otz019.
Chandresakaran A, et al. The autoimmune protocol diet modifies intestinal RNA expression in inflammatory bowel disease. Crohns Colitis 360. 2019; 1(3): otz016. doi: 10.1093/crocol/otz016.
Konijeti GG, et al. Efficacy of the autoimmune protocol diet for inflammatory bowel disease. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2017; 23(11): 2054-2060. doi: 10.1097/MIB.0000000000001221.
Petre A. AIP (autoimmune protocol) diet: overview, food list, and guide. Healthline. August 25, 2022. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/aip-diet-autoimmune-protocol-diet.
