The Autoimmune Protocol (or AIP) was created several years ago to help people who were struggling with autoimmune disease find long-term relief from their symptoms. It focuses on the addition of nutrient-dense whole foods with plenty of meat and veggies, stress management, gentle movement, sleep, and social connections. It also removes foods that are known to cause inflammation or create an increase in symptoms in those with autoimmune disease. Over the past several years, there have been medical studies and feedback from practitioners in the community suggesting that a full elimination diet may not be needed for everyone to achieve symptom relief. In today’s article we are going to explore if the new Modified version of the AIP is right for you, and what to ask yourself when considering this option in your health journey.
Do you struggle with accessibility?
Accessibility in the terms of the AIP means you have access to the nutrient-dense foods, you can afford to add them to your grocery budget, and you have the physical means of preparing and cooking them. Some people live in locations like out in the countryside or deep in a city where there aren’t many food options available. These places are called “food deserts” because they lack access to a variety of healthy foods like meat and veggies. You also might live in area that has many healthy food options, but you can’t afford to add as many nutrient-dense options to your meals as you’d like. There might be little to no flexibility to your food budget depending on your financial circumstances. Lastly, you may not be physically able to chop and cook your food, or you rely on someone else to prepare your food for you. If you found yourself agreeing to any of these situations, the modified AIP allows more flexibility on the foods to eat. It includes the addition of foods like legumes and rice that are more affordable, shelf-stable, and easier to prepare.
Have you tried a full elimination diet before and found it too difficult?
A full elimination diet on the original AIP protocol (now known as “Core AIP”), excluded many foods that make up the majority of the standard American diet. It can feel overwhelming to remove all those foods if you’ve been eating them, and then to add in many new foods you’ve never eaten before. If you’ve tried doing the Core AIP by yourself in the past and found it too difficult to fully implement, you’ll find more flexibility and ease with the modified AIP. There are many additional foods you can include that work for people who have autoimmune disease that don’t create an increase in symptoms or a flare-up. Furthermore, everything is customized to what works for your body. If a food is typically excluded on the modified AIP, but it works well for your body, you might consider adding it into your meal rotation.
Are you new to doing a holistic protocol, or do you struggle to stay motivated?
If this is the first time you’re doing a holistic protocol or you’ve struggled to stay motivated in the past, the modified AIP may be a good starting point for you. The flexibility and fewer food restrictions are easier for people to implement and stay on track to see quick results. In a recent medical study with people who were diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the use of the AIP showed clinical remission by week 6 and improved quality of life by week 3 (Konijeti et al., 2017). Clinically, health practitioners who are AIP Certified Coaches notice that a majority of their clients feel significantly better within a few weeks only from removing gluten and dairy.
Finally, just because the modified AIP is more flexible, does not necessarily mean it’s going to be an easy path to healing. You still need to put in the work and commitment to see results. It’s also not the right fit for everyone, so you’ll want to talk with your practitioner to consider your specific health situation and the health goals you want to achieve. Whatever decision you make, it’s important to take that first step in your health journey. It is one of the most important actions you can do to invest in your health. It doesn’t have to be perfect as long as you take action.
Sources
Konijeti, G., Kim, N., Lewis, J., Groven, S., Chandrasekaran, A., Grandhe, S., Diamant, C., Singh, E., Oliveira, G., Wang, X., Molparia, B., Torkamani, A. (2017). Efficacy of the Autoimmune Protocol Diet for Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 23(11), 2054–2060. https://doi.org/10.1097/MIB.0000000000001221