Hi Everyone! 

Mickey here… I hope this post finds you enjoying a peaceful and healthy New Year holiday! I wanted to take a moment to give you a heads up about an event coming up that is relevant to the AIP community as well as make an announcement about AIP Certified Coach.

First… The 2023 AIP Summit is scheduled for January 9-15! 

If you are looking to learn more about healing with the Autoimmune Protocol, directly from AIP Certified Coaches, the AIP Summit is for you! 

Each day starts at 10AM EST with a live welcome and then attendees can watch the day’s prepared presentations in any order and at whatever time works in their schedule for the following 24 hours. Each of the presentations features at least one AIP Certified Coach and the topic aligns with that coach’s expertise. 

So what types of presentations will you find at the AIP Summit? There are cooking demonstrations, deep dives into science or specific conditions, discussions about the impact of lifestyle factors, best practices for integrating AIP into life in the real world, and more. Additionally, attendees can submit questions after watching the presentations to be answered live during a Q&A panel the following day.

Since 2020, the AIP Summit has served over 15,000 people looking to learn more about AIP. Whether you are new to the protocol, or a seasoned traveler on the autoimmune journey, you are sure to learn some tips to help support your best health, straight from the experts! 

>> Sign up here to attend the AIP Summit! 

Second… a big announcement regarding AIP Certified Coach! 

I am honored to announce that Jaime Hartman, FNTP will be taking over as co-teacher and collaborator for AIP Certified Coach, the practitioner training program we founded in 2017 to help all types of healthcare providers integrate AIP into the work they do. 

This partnership should come as no surprise, since Jaime has been a pillar of the AIP community since the very beginning, was a part of the first cohort of AIP Certified Coach, and brings her rich clinical experience and educational background to the program. 

Together, Jaime and I are engaged in a ground-up remodel of the AIP Certified Coach, to be launched in time for the usual Spring enrollment in 2023. While the Autoimmune Protocol itself has not changed meaningfully since the program was created, we are re-writing and delivering all lectures to incorporate new information (like medical study results!) and additional perspectives we’ve gained. 

If you are a healthcare practitioner of any kind (we train health coaches, nutritional therapists, nutritionists, dietitians, physical therapists, fitness professionals, bodyworkers, nurses, physician’s assistants, medical doctors, naturopathic doctors, and more!), we would love to have you join us in the 2023 class, enrolling February 15 for a March 6 start date. 

>> Sign up to be notified of the details and enrollment opening for AIP Certified Coach here! 

In health, 

Mickey

The post AIP in 2023: An Announcement & an Invitation! appeared first on Autoimmune Wellness.

Today I’m sharing that after 10 years helping build and lead this movement and seven years at Autoimmune Welln­­­ess and AIP Certified Coach with Mickey, I have decided to step away from my work in the AIP space.

In a general sense, I am making this decision because I believe that slowing down and practicing community care are the next right things for me. I am so proud of everything Mickey and I have built and all the ways we’ve been able to serve the AIP community, but I don’t believe that my leadership in this space is the most valuable way I can contribute at this point.

To clarify, I still believe AIP is an incredibly powerful tool in the autoimmune management toolbox. I think that the future of AIP is bright and has already changed the standard of healthcare for autoimmune patients. After a decade of this work, I’d love to contribute to different conversations about health and wellness and support new voices ready to lead with fresh approaches to the AIP movement and new takes on the autoimmune healing journey.

My personal vision for the work I did in the AIP community was always to empower others so they could courageously contribute their voices to a revolutionary shift in the standard of autoimmune healthcare. And it’s right in our tagline here at Autoimmune Wellness that together, Mickey and I had a vision to build community. There are many, many voices now and the community is thriving. I think those visions are realized and now I’m making space for new visions.

I’m not entirely certain about all the details of my next steps, but if you’d like to follow my writing or learn a little more about the personal aspects of the decision to step away, you can find me here on Substack.

So, what does this mean for Autoimmune Wellness?

After I shared my decision with Mickey this past summer, we started to consider the best way forward for Autoimmune Wellness. We decided that turning it into an archive was the right path.

As an archive, all the current Autoimmune Wellness content, from groundbreaking research to definitive guides on the AIP basics, from practical how-to articles to hopeful stories of recovery, from the podcast to the hundreds of recipes, will continue to exist as a kind of dependable digital library to serve the autoimmune community. The resources on the site itself and the email auto-responder which offers free downloadable tools will be available to anyone looking for support in their healing journey.

New content will be limited and focused on opportunities to leverage the site and subscriber list to amplify the work of others in the Autoimmune Protocol space or share new and relevant events or research for those utilizing nutrition and lifestyle approaches in their autoimmune disease management.

Autoimmune Wellness social media accounts will also continue but will be used to amplify information and events important to the AIP community, share the work of other AIP recipe creators, spotlight AIP Certified Coach alumni, or to occasionally broadcast live interviews with autoimmune experts.

In particular, Mickey is looking forward to ramping up on the AIP research front and will serve as curator and steward of the Autoimmune Wellness archive and social media presence going forward.

What does this mean for AIP Certified Coach?

Mickey will continue to teach AIP Certified Coach and train new AIP coaches from across the health and wellness spectrum. Angie will be stepping away, but a dynamic new partnership is in the works and will be announced soon. If you are an AIP Certified Coach alum, look for emails with more details from Mickey soon.

If you are a provider interested in training, join the interest list here. If you are looking for AIP coaching support, find a coach at the directory here.

Thank you!

We had no idea what would happen when we started, but our intuition said to go for it. Thank you for also believing there was something here worth growing. We are deeply, sincerely grateful to all of you for being our readers and cheerleaders. For literally supporting us by clicking on this blog, buying our books, enrolling in our programs, and helping spread AIP.

We also want to acknowledge, with the deepest sense of gratitude, the team who helped grow and sustain Autoimmune Wellness over the years: Grace Heerman, Alicia Green, and Jordan Taylor.

We have also had an amazing core recipe and article team over the years who took the site to new levels with their contributions: Dr. Rob Abbott, Sarah Kolman, Sophie Van Tiggelen, Christina Feindel, Kate Jay, Alaena Haber, Kelsey McReynolds, Wendi Washington-Hunt, Beth Chen, Indira Pullidath, Kris King, and Erin Shearer.

It’s a privilege to have come this far and have a platform that now has long-term value for our fellow autoimmune patients. We know the legacy of our work represented in this archive, only possible because of your support and the work of our team, will continue to benefit and sustain the AIP movement well into the future.

If you’d like to listen to us discuss this decision, we uploaded a short episode of The Autoimmune Wellness Podcast that you can listen to below: 

If this work has been meaningful in your healing journeys, please share your stories in the comments. We’d love to hear from you!

The post A Special Message From Angie appeared first on Autoimmune Wellness.

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I love a good one-sheet meal. They truly put the “quick” in #quickpaleomeals! Not only is this easy, delicious family meal a time saver, but I find it to also be budget-friendly using just 3 main ingredients: flavorful chicken thighs, celery ribs and a favorite and cheap root vegetable, carrots!

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When it comes to living with a chronic medical condition, few things are as important as your support system. Whom you surround yourself with can have a dramatic impact not only on your mental health, but also on your physical health.

Navigating life with autoimmune disease can be challenging at times, but it’s important to remember that you don’t have to go through it alone. Having a support system is integral in the recovery process. That is where the AIP BIPOC Community (ABC) comes in.

HOW DID ABC START? – It Started with a Roundtable!

Before I tell you why you should be a part of this amazing community, first let me tell you a little about how it came to be.  My name is Jamie Nicole, The Natural HEALing Coach, and I became an AIP Certified Coach in Fall of 2020.  In January of 2022, I had the opportunity to participate in the 2022 AIP Summit, hosted by Jaime Hartman, as a workshop presenter and as a panelist on the AIP BIPOC Affinity Roundtable.

During this roundtable, a group of fellow AIP coaches and I were able to share our experiences as BIPOC women navigating autoimmune disease and how mistrust and mistreatment not only prolonged diagnosis, but caused frustration and delayed diagnosis.

Thankfully, all of us were eventually able to get a diagnosis after advocating for ourselves, but having a support system of like-minded people before, during and after diagnosis could have lessened the burden of the process and minimized the feelings of anxiety, depression and isolation that often come along with an initial chronic illness diagnosis.

Because of the impact that hearing others’ stories during the roundtable had on me, I thought that this conversation needed to be continued. It was an inspiring and powerful dialogue with a strong group of autoimmune warriors turned coaches who had found success on AIP and whose stories could help others on their journeys as well.

After a few months passed and with much thought and prayer, I decided to reach out to Jaime Hartman to see if anyone in the autoimmune community was doing anything similar to the BIPOC Roundtable held in January on a continuous basis.  She indicated that there was not, and without hesitation, she fully supported me in creating a way to continue the conversation. That is how The AIP BIPOC Roundtable was born.

Since June, we have held five monthly roundtables led by AIP Coaches and special guests with various topics of expertise. In attendance at the first roundtable were Angie Alt and Mickey Trescott.  During this roundtable, fellow AIP Coach, Dr. Sybil Cooper, shared the purpose and goals of the AIP BIPOC Roundtable.  A huge part of the purpose and why I stepped out on faith to help curate the roundtable is because of the inspiring work of Angie and Mikey in the area of anti-racism in healthcare.

HOW DID AUTOIMMUNE WELLNESS GET INVOLVED?

If you were not already aware of their work in this area, in June of 2020, Autoimmune Wellness released an open letter in which they explained their belief that anti-racism is fundamental to health and wellness. Additionally, they shared their anti-racism efforts from the past and explained what they intended to do in the future through the Autoimmune Wellness platform.

Six weeks later, they followed thru on their pledge and released their Anti-Racism Business Plan where they stated:

In the simplest terms, our work is defined by the belief that seeking health and building community is an interdependent project. We recognize that racism is a public health issue and that there are systemic barriers that prevent many Black, Indigineous, and People of Color (BIPOC) from accessing healthcare and achieving wellness.

We believe it is our collective responsibility to engage in the critical thinking and work necessary to eradicate racism and dismantle the barriers that prevent many BIPOC from meeting basic life needs of day-to-day safety, (food) security, employment and housing. We acknowledge that these are prerequisites to health and wellness, and to the lifestyles and communities we seek to foster within our businesses.

This was a powerful statement to me.  Oftentimes, we share WHAT a particular health protocol is and WHY it is important, but if we aren’t sharing the HOW to culturally, financially, socially and practically execute the protocol, then the WHAT and the WHY are useless to those we are trying to help heal.

FROM ROUNDTABLE TO COMMUNITY CARE

The AIP BIPOC Roundtable is one way we are beginning to address the HOW.  By addressing the Social Determinants of Health and the Cultural Barriers to the Autoimmune Protocol that are often roadblocks to the BIPOC community on the journey to better health, we are working together towards the goal of “dismantling the systems of oppression that are preventing all of us from enjoying full health and wellness”.

At the first roundtable, it became obvious that we needed to create a space for all of us to work together as an autoimmune community to achieve this goal.  This is how the AIP BIPOC Community was born.

The AIP BIPOC Community is hosted on The Mighty Networks and is open and welcoming to all, not just those who are BIPOC.  So why should you join?

WHY SHOULD I JOIN THE AIP BIPOC COMMUNITY?

There is proof that community care can improve your health. Studies have shown that in certain areas around the world where people live longer, and objectively, better lives than average. The common denominator and reason for this difference was their strong sense of community and support.

As a part of this community, you will be joining us in, as well as benefiting from, the collective effort to take care of one another’s physical, mental, emotional, and even spiritual needs that are born out of the deep-rooted structural challenges that many of us face – but in an atmosphere of encouragement, and hope supported by others with autoimmune disease who have found hope and healing thru the autoimmune protocol.

In this community, resources will be provided that will help you (or those you care for) remove barriers related to SDoH and the Cultural Barriers to AIP such as:

• Education – resources to help you successfully navigate AIP
• Economic Stability – resources on how to navigate AIP on a budget, how to navigate working a job (or becoming self-employed), how to qualify for reasonable accommodations at work
• Healthcare Access – how to find affordable healthcare, how to find the right doctor, how to find medication discounts
• Neighborhood/Environment – how to mitigate the environmental impact of internal and external toxins on health, how to mitigate health risks due to lack of transportation
• Social and Community Support – safe spaces for cultural-specific conversations, monthly community meet-ups/chats

This is just the tip of the iceberg!!

However, we cannot do this without YOU.

• YOU are a part of the autoimmune community
• YOU have your own experiences and stories to share that will impact someone and inspire them like the stories I heard at the 2022 AIP Summit BIPOC Roundtable
• YOU have local resources and contacts to share that could help someone in your local community
• YOU know others who can benefit from a community of like-minded, positive individuals whom you can invite as we grow the community and achieve better health together

The whole of this community will truly be greater than the sum of its parts.

HOW DO I JOIN?

Joining is simple! 

1. Go to this link and click ‘Request to Join’.
2. Create your username and password.
3. Next, upload a profile picture of yourself so that we can know who you are and whom we are communicating with. Once your profile pic is uploaded, we have a couple of questions for you to answer so that we can get to know you better and what you hope to gain from being a part of this community. (Most important part. We want to know who is in our community.  Please upload a recognizable picture of yourself.)
4. Your request status will be Pending until reviewed by the community admin (must have a profile pic and answer questions). If approved, you will receive an email and you can check your status online or on the app at any time.

After approval, login and complete the following:

1. Answer the “Get to Know You” Question
2. Read the Welcome Checklist with all of the info you need to learn how to navigate the community
3. Create your profile (Most important part. If you only do one thing from the checklist, this is the most important!)
4. Check out and save the dates for upcoming events including AIP BIPOC Roundtables and other community events.

I am truly excited by the responses we have gotten thus far for the Roundtables and I am excited to see what is to come for the AIP BIPOC Community ….. with YOU as a part of it.  If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me at info@aipbipoc.org.  Be sure to check out our last Roundtable and sign-up for our upcoming Roundtable at www.aipsummit.com.

I can’t wait to meet you in the community!

Jamie Nicole
Curator of The AIP BIPOC Network, AIP BIPOC Community & AIP BIPOC Roundtable

The post You’re Invited to Join the AIP BIPOC Community! appeared first on Autoimmune Wellness.

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Flank steak is delicious and packs a very beefy flavor even compared to other cuts, it is also pretty lean. Flank and skirt steak are from a similar part of the beef, though they perform different jobs. Flank and skirt steak differ in the orientation of the muscle fibers and the amount of connective tissue and fat; flank is long and lean while skirt tends to have a webbed appearance with more fat to trim off.

Flank and skirt steak are interchangeable in most recipes, I typically go for a flank steak because there is less to trim away and its easier to find because my local rancher tends to sell out of skirt steak first simply due to its popularity. With both it’s imperative to cook and cut them correctly or you will have a disappointingly tough piece of meat on your hands, both are ideal for medium-rare to medium-well cooking preferences.

Flank steak is best cooked one of two ways; long and low or fast and hot. I don’t typically have the attention span for a fast sear and I like that I can prepare my side dishes while the steak comes to temperature in a low oven or sous vide. This recipe utilizes the former in what is commonly referred to as reverse sear; the seasoned steak is cooked to desired temperature in a low oven, then grilled or seared in a hot pan. It’s a great way to meal prep too as you can pre-cook the protein ahead of time and do the sear step when you’re ready to eat it.

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Sticky chicken wings are everyone’s favorite! These chicken wings are so good that you will be licking your fingers!

The typical BBQ sauce that you usually find at restaurants was never my favorite — I found it too sweet for my palate. That’s the reason I wanted to create an AIP version of BBQ sauce and I am so glad I did!

This BBQ sauce uses blackstrap molasses which gives it that stickiness that we all love! By the way, in case you didn’t know already, unsulfured blackstrap molasses is a highly nutrient dense ingredient. Dr. Sarah Ballantyne states on her website that  blackstrap molasses has over five times as much iron as steak and 1.5 times as much calcium as cheese (per calorie)! In addition to the molasses, this sauce has two types of vinegar to balance the sweetness with some tartness. Even though the list of ingredients may seem a bit long, this sauce comes together really quickly!

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Warm spiced apples that make for a yummy sweet treat a la mode or even as a side to some of your favorite savory fall dishes. Taking advantage of apple season and another popular obsession during this time of year in this recipe, which is easily enjoyed by all!

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Pho is a Vietnamese traditional dish made with rice or tapioca noodles, broth, herbs and spices and meat.  It is really a very flavorful one pot dish. I love one pot dishes and I have been making chicken noodle soup using sweet potato noodles. So the thought of making a pho version came to mind. Using lots of fresh herbs like mint, ginger and cilantro, this is really a dressed up version of chicken noodle soup! I used ground chicken this time but you can also use shredded chicken or any other meat like pork or beef. I also used bone broth for the base making the soup really flavorful!

To make it really convenient, I like to use the Instant Pot for this recipe but you could also make it on the stove top in a large cooking pot. I like using this brand of sweet potato noodles.

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The Autoimmune Protocol for IBD (Crohn’s and UC)

1 – Pilot study on efficacy of AIP for IBD

The first study into the efficacy of AIP was a prospective cohort study conducted by Dr. Gauree Konijeti and her team at Scripps San Diego, Efficacy of the Autoimmune Protocol Diet for Inflammatory Bowel Disease [2]. Dr. Konijeti and her team enrolled a group of 15 patients with active Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis to embark on a 6-week gradual elimination and a 5-week maintenance phase in accordance with the Autoimmune Protocol. Some notable statistics about the incoming cohort were that the mean disease duration was 19 years and that about half of the patients (47%) were on biologic therapy going into the study. These were patients who had long-standing disease and had not achieved clinical remission even with the use of powerful medications according to the conventional standard of care. Surveys, labs, and physician assessments were conducted at baseline, week 6, and week 11, and endoscopy, radiology, or biomarker assessments to assess mucosal healing were conducted both at baseline and the end of the study.

Intervention details: For the first six weeks, patients went through a staged elimination of foods, slowly removing two food groups per week and adding in foods to increase nutrient density in accordance with the Autoimmune Protocol. At six weeks, participants were in the full elimination phase (no grains, dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds, or nightshades) and maintained these eliminations for a 5-week maintenance phase. For both phases, Angie Alt’s SAD to AIP in SIX program was used as the model to guide patients in implementation and provide support in transitioning and maintaining the dietary and lifestyle intervention [2].

Results: At week 6, 73% of the patients had achieved clinical remission, and all of them maintained this remission during the maintenance phase of the study. It should be noted that at week 6 participants had only just finished a staged week-by-week removal of foods and entered the full elimination phase of the Autoimmune Protocol, indicating that the dietary changes were effective very quickly for these patients and that they all were able to maintain that remission for the remainder of the study. There was no difference in the rates of remission between patients with Crohn’s disease or patients with ulcerative colitis. Although patients were advised not to make any medication changes during the study, four patients discontinued or reduced their medications and all either achieved remission or measureable improvement in scores representing disease severity. There was one adverse event in the study, where a patient with a known stricture due to past surgery experienced a bowel obstruction and had to drop out. Another patient with a known stricture also dropped out due to worsening symptoms. This indicates that those who have a history of bowel surgeries need to be monitored closely by their medical team for the potential for dietary changes to lead to complications when trying a high-fiber intervention like the Autoimmune Protocol [2].

2 – Study on AIP and quality of life for IBD patients

A second study was published analyzing changes in quality of life using the data from the AIP IBD pilot study, An Autoimmune Protocol Diet Improves Patient-Reported Quality of Life in Inflammatory Bowel Disease [3]. Here, the Short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (SIBDQ) was used to assess IBD disease activity and quality of life at baseline and at weeks 3, 6, 9, and 11 of the study. SIBDQ scores of > 50 indicate good health-related quality of life.

Results: For patients who completed all surveys in the AIP IBD pilot study, SIBDQ scores improved from 46.5 at baseline to 61.5 at the end of the study, showing a considerable improvement in health-related quality of life over the period that the Autoimmune Protocol was implemented as an intervention [3].

3 – Study on AIP and intestinal RNA expression in IBD patients

A third study was published utilizing data from the original AIP IBD study, this time analyzing genetic expression in stool samples of 4 patients with ulcerative colitis that the research teams had tissue biopsies both at baseline and at the end of the intervention: The Autoimmune Protocol Diet Modifies Intestinal RNA Expression in Inflammatory Bowel Disease [4]. RNA expression was examined in tissue samples at baseline and end of the intervention and compared to determine if there were any patterns or changes. This type of analysis is experimental, but points to reasons why an intervention may be effective at producing the types of tissue-level changes seen in the AIP IBD pilot study.

Results: 324 significant differentially regulated genes were identified following the AIP intervention, with 167 downregulated and 157 upregulated. Downregulated genes included those associated with inflammatory T-cell responses that lead to autoimmune inflammation. Upregulated genes included those associated with a T-regulatory cell response that lead to immune modulation and transcriptional pathways associated with mucosal healing and DNA repair. It is interesting to take these results together with the results of the AIP IBD pilot study to see how an intervention like AIP might be working in terms of altering genetic expression in the intestine, which is the site of inflammation and damage in the case of IBD [4].

4 – Survey on AIP dietary patterns and IBD

In addition to observing the effects of the Autoimmune Protocol as an intervention for IBD patients, the team at Scripps also wanted to survey those who had already successfully used AIP to help manage their IBD:  Clinical Course and Dietary Patterns Among Patients Incorporating the Autoimmune Protocol for Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease [5]. The research team wanted to know information like how long patients had a diagnosis of IBD, if they were on medications and which ones, how they went about implementing AIP, and which foods they reacted to in the reintroduction phase.

Results: 78 IBD patients submitted surveys, with a mean age of 39.4 years and mean disease duration of 13.4 years. 73% of respondents reported achieving clinical remission after implementing AIP, and 32% of them reported discontinuing steroids after implementing AIP. A majority of respondents reported reintroducing foods between 5 weeks and 1 year of implementing AIP, with only 12% reporting needing more than 1 year in the elimination phase. In terms of foods that respondents reported unable to reintroduce, gluten (58%), processed foods (52%), nightshades (46%), dairy (42%), and non-gluten grains (29%) were the most common.

The Autoimmune Protocol for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis

Pilot study on the efficacy of AIP for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis

A second prospective cohort study into the efficacy of AIP was modeled after the IBD study, except this time, the patients had Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, the most common autoimmune disease: Efficacy of the Autoimmune Protocol Diet as Part of a Multi-disciplinary, Supported Lifestyle Intervention for Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis [6]. Dr. Abbott and his team enrolled a group of 17 women with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis to embark on a 6-week gradual elimination and 4-week maintenance phase in accordance with the Autoimmune Protocol. Surveys quantifying symptom burden and lab tests assessing thyroid hormones, antibodies, and inflammatory markers were performed at the beginning and end of the study. Functional medicine lab tests such as urine organic acids and comprehensive stool analysis were performed at baseline.

Intervention details: The intervention was the same as the AIP IBD study that preceded it, using Angie Alt’s SAD to AIP in SIX program. For the first six weeks, patients went through a staged elimination of foods, removing two food groups per week and adding in foods to increase nutrient density. At six weeks, participants were in the full elimination phase and maintained these eliminations for a 4-week maintenance phase [6].

Results: 16 participants finished the study, 1 dropped out due to pregnancy. Clinical symptom burden in the form of MSQ decreased from an average of 92 (SD 25) at baseline to 29 (SD 20). No changes in thyroid hormone levels or antibodies were seen, but 6 out of 13 participants lowered or discontinued their thyroid hormone medication dosage, and HS-CRP decreased by 29% from baseline to end of the study (P=0.0219).

The Autoimmune Protocol for rheumatoid arthritis

Qualitative research on the efficacy of AIP for rheumatoid arthritis

Julianne Taylor is a nutritionist based in New Zealand performing research for her postgraduate diploma [7]. Part of her research involved interviews with 10 people who had been successful using the Autoimmune Protocol to manage their rheumatoid arthritis. She conducted a series of 90-minute interviews to learn how they implemented AIP, how they decided what to eat and what to avoid, and the foods they perceived as problematic or safe to eat. The group included 1 man and 9 women, mean age 41.7 (28-60 years), and mean time on AIP 2.9 years (6 months to 5 years).

Results: Julianne reported a few themes in her interviews. First, most patients had been introduced to AIP through a holistic practitioner, and decided to try it when they read anecdotal evidence of efficacy. The most significant barrier to implementation was changing to a restrictive diet, and most participants reported planning ahead with a specific start date and making a cold-turkey transition. The most significant barrier to maintaining the diet was the attitudes of others, and having the support of at least one person was instrumental in success in maintenance. The primary motivation for staying on the protocol was the lack of pain and all participants reported it was worth the effort. You can read more about Julianne’s research here.

Coming soon: Eczema and psoriasis

Pilot study on the efficacy of AIP for eczema and psoriasis

In 2020, a third research team performed a prospective cohort study on the efficacy of AIP for eczema and psoriasis. Like the IBD and Hashimoto’s studies, Angie Alt’s program SAD to AIP in SIX was used as the intervention. While there were some lab delays during the pandemic, we’re expecting the results to be published sometime in 2023! We’ll update this article when we know more.

Conclusion: What we know, and what we don’t know

While current research into the efficacy of the Autoimmune Protocol as an intervention for autoimmune disease is promising, we have to be realistic that it is in its infancy. Critics are quick to point out the small sample size of the pilot studies and the nature of self-reported data in the surveys. Those who are familiar with the research process know that you have to take small steps before you can take large ones. A “pilot” study provides as a proof of concept, to show safety and that there is something there worthwhile exploring further. From here, interested research teams can build on what has been explored to date, and design larger, more controlled studies that can better add to what we know about how dietary and lifestyle interventions can help those with autoimmune disease live healthier lives.

Some questions we’d love to see answered in further AIP research: 

• What is the efficacy of AIP for common autoimmune diseases that have yet to be studied? (like celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, Grave’s, type 1 diabetes, and alopecia.)
• Are there any modifications that should be made to AIP when considering implementing it for a specific autoimmune disease?
• What patients should not consider an intervention like AIP?
• Why do some autoimmune diseases respond quickly to dietary changes, while others take time, and what timeline of healing is average for specific diseases (like IBD vs. psoriasis)?
• Can implementing AIP in conjunction with conventional treatment decrease medication needs and healthcare costs?
• How does implementing AIP change the long-term course of autoimmune disease?
• Which aspects of AIP (eliminations, nutrient-density, or focus on sleep, stress-management, movement, and connection) are most productive at changing outcomes for autoimmune patients, and are some of them more important for specific conditions?
• Which foods are most-commonly able to be reintroduced following the elimination phase of AIP? Are there observed differences depending on condition?

My hope is that after reading this review, you are excited about the state of AIP research, and eager to learn more. I’ll be updating this article with new research as it comes in, so stay tuned!

References

1. Ballantyne S. The Paleo Approach. 1. publ. ed. Las Vegas: Victory Belt Publ; 2013.

2. Konijeti GG, Kim N, Lewis JD, et al. Efficacy of the autoimmune protocol diet for inflammatory bowel disease. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2017;23(11):2054-2060.

3. Chandrasekaran A, Groven S, Lewis JD, et al. An autoimmune protocol diet improves patient-reported quality of life in inflammatory bowel disease. Crohns Colitis 360. 2019;1(3):otz019.

4. Chandrasekaran A, Molparia B, Akhtar E, et al. The autoimmune protocol diet modifies intestinal RNA expression in inflammatory bowel disease. Crohns Colitis 360. 2019;1(3):otz016.

5. Lee J, Pedretti C, Konijeti G. Clinical course and dietary patterns among patients incorpo- rating the autoimmune protocol for management of inflammatory bowel disease (P12-010-19).

6. 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.

7. Taylor J. Rheumatoid arthritis and the paleo diet – a qualitative study. 2020. https://autoimmunewellness.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-and-the-paleo-diet-a-qualitative-study/.

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I know meat with fruit can be a very divisive topic, but I am more than here for it, particularly with light meats like chicken and pork or even light fishes.

I first cooked up this combination while working with my local farmer friends to showcase what was in season at the local farmers market, later going on to enter it in a recipe contest held by the state department of agriculture…and WON! I can reassure you its good, that good. Here I’ve made just a handful of tweaks to get it 100% AIP compliant but its just as delicious as the original prize winning entree. Nothing beats in season local fruit!

This dish features succulent, thick-cut bone-in pasture raised pork chops raised by farmers market friends along with peaches, fresh from the orchard. The peaches offer a bright and tangy counterpoint against the sweet pork while helping create a delicious pan sauce. Serve it with a side salad and you’ve got yourself a tasty meal.

Don’t worry if you can’t find a thick-cut pork chop, a 1/2-inch cut is available, skip the oven step and pan sear on both sides until temperature reaches 165 F.

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