I’ve been on the AutoImmune Protocol diet (AIP) since mid January of this year which means I’ve gone through a lot of AIP recipes. Quick summary – you cut out a lot of foods that are probably inflammatory to your body, and bothersome to your gut health.
Things you can’t have on AIP:
- Dairy
- Nuts (or any things derived from nuts)
- Seeds (or any things derived from seeds)
- Grains (even pseudo grains like amaranth, buckwheat, etc.)
- Industrial oils, seed oils (canola, sesame, etc.)
- Legumes (beans, soy, etc.)
- Coffee
- Chemical additives/thickeners/nitrites/ things you don’t know
- Extra sugars. Like… don’t add sugar.
- Alcohol
And since I’m also not eating mammals for two years (cause my autoimmune condition makes me super high risk for cancer, and I’d rather not have to deal with cancer than being like, I MUST EAT DEAD MAMMALS.)
- No cows
- No pigs
- No mammal flesh
Although I AM okay with melted animal fats (beef tallow). Hey I make up the rules on this, for me, okay?
SO. Basically – nearly everything in modern Western food society. Right. So I’ve had to comb through lots of online AIP Recipes and make what I thought would taste good. Many things don’t taste good – but I think that might be because some of these people have forgotten what food taste like when you can’t use all the spices. ha. Still. Not only that – so many of them just make food look… like I won’t want to eat it. Oh – and also –
I wanted to eat substantial-fill-me-up meals and not just… healthy looking salads or bowls full of vegetables. Not that I’m against vegetables because I’m definitely eating more vegetables than I ever have in my life – but… you know what I mean. I’m not even trying to be so meat centric, I just… yeah. Fill me up and don’t hammer me over the head with healthy okay? So I started doing just that. Taking AIP Recipes I found online, modifying them to make them either taste better, or just plating them better so that it was also food that looks… beautiful delicious (I know I know).
Because with all of the food restrictions on the AIP Diet, or any food plan really – you can start to eat the same foods over and over again. Even when I was super healthy/working out all the time, I never got into the whole prepping meals for a week at a time. It just wasn’t my thing. But since I got sick with dermatomyositis and lung disease, was in the hospital for a bad month and… recovering was… seriously very questionable (relearn to walk, relearn to breathe, etc.) – I HAD to do something to get healthier. I like to say that the pharmaceuticals I took/am taking got me healthy enough to get healthy. Don’t get me wrong – the steroids, and immunosupressants I’m taking are great and do their job – but it wasn’t until about 4-5 weeks on the AIP diet that I finally saw my face swelling go down, and all of my condition symptoms really start to subside and… heal. It’s slow going. And not guaranteed. But it’s what I CAN DO to help myself. And when you’re really sick, and nothing seems to be working – you have to keep trying. After every setback, after every doctor that has bad advice, or no advice. If you’re alive, keep going for it. Keep trying the next thing that might work for you.
Oh believe me – I was the most skeptical, and worst at making fun of the AIP diet. Especially when those who hadn’t actually done it were the ones suggesting it to me. But also – my condition is up there on the rare scale and I was in the hospital dying, not just feeling bad and exhausted. Fucking changing my food wasn’t going to save me so stop telling me about this AIP diet. (My mindset at the time.)
But then I finally got healthy enough to start getting healthy. And I had reached that point where I was done with my face looking like a balloon, my energy was nonexistent, and I couldn’t even stand for 2 minutes because my lungs would give out. And I’d rather swallow my pride about being so anti-AIP than to not share it with people who might benefit from it.
Anyways – I’m writing a book with AIP recipes so you (and everyone) can eat some delicious food that won’t hurt you (probably, hopefully). The recipes are tested and collected and I’m just going through and actually writing them down now. Soon. It’ll be available sooner than later. Cause after last year and all the hurt, worry, and bad health – I need to complete something. I’m not even talking about it being wildly, ridiculously successful. I just need to finish a project, for myself. You know what I mean?
Facebook Page here for now – Like it. Follow it. Cause we’re friends and I’m pressuring you. Okay?