Vian's AIP

[Vian]

Since my first whole30, my psoriasis has gotten worse and worse. I was eating too much junk, including gluten-free but full of other grains stuff, like corn tortillas, rice, etc. However, I never saw a whole lot of improvement even when I was on a whole30, and after researching more in the past week, I have decided to do an AIP to determine exactly what foods are causing this. I was really afraid of the restrictions, which is what kept me from doing it earlier, but I just can't let this keep getting worse, and I will NOT resort to taking steroids to control it. I'm still reading The Paleo Approach, but I've already started eliminating foods like eggs, nuts, and nightshades. However, I've had a few slips already just from not knowing what all is included (like nutmeg in my home-made sausage and pimento in my otherwise whole30 compliant green olives - I didn't even realize pimento was a pepper until I looked it up!)

 

But what I'm already enjoying about this process for me is that I haven't set an end date. I have decided to stick with the program until I achieve the results I want. It's making it so much easier to let go of things for some reason. I love eggs, I love peppers and spices, I really love black pepper, but I can't sit here and do nothing knowing that things I am eating are making me less healthy, are causing my body to attack itself, and causing ugly, inflamed red lesions to slowly spread over my feet.

 

So, here are my before pictures.. My psoriasis has only ever been on my feet, but it's gotten considerably worse in the past year since going paleo. Sarah Ballantyne's story gives me hope, as paleo worked so well for her in every other aspect of her life, but didn't do anything for her psoriasis, and even possibly made it worse. I feel the same. I KNOW this way of eating makes me healthier overall, but I need to take the next step to see the improvement I have been hoping for in my psoriasis.

 

Left foot:

Small patch on left ankle:

 

 

Right foot:

[Vian]

Lastnight was terrible. Getting enough sleep is important for healing an autoimmune disease, so I went to bed at 10, which is an hour earlier than usual. And the anxiety hit. Something happened that hasn't happened since the months following the virus I got a year ago. Every time I started to drift off to sleep, I'd suddenly jolt awake with a gasp and an adrenalin rush, possibly a strong heart palpitation though it was hard to tell. It happened over. And over. And over. For hours. I finally fell asleep around midnight, woke up again around 4am, got back to sleep, and woke up at 6am and laid in bed awake until 7 when I got up for work. Needless to say, I was a little emotionally raw and feeling the lack of sleep. I wasn't hungry and my stomach was upset, so I just picked at my breakfast. I was hungry a few hours later.

 

On my lunch break, I continued reading The Paleo Approach and got to a list of foods in the "nightshade" family. Ashwagandha was the first on the list...well guess what? One of the supplements I started taking a few weeks ago after seeing my naturopath contains Ashwagandha. On Sunday I realized that I'd only been taking one capsule, when the serving is 2, so I increased my daily dose to 2 capsules...and in the last 4 days, I have seen my psoriasis get noticeably worse. On the photos, there is a small spot forming on my left foot on the toe-side of the largest patch that wasn't there before Sunday, and the small patch on the ankle side of the large patch used to be 2 very tiny spots that have merged together since Sunday. Needless to say, I will not be taking that supplement anymore. It didn't really do anything for me anyway.

 

Then, while on my lunch break, I got a call from the office where I'm scheduled for my EKG tomorrow. They wanted to pre-register me, so I gave them all the info they asked for, then she said "Since you haven't reached your deductible on your insurance, the cost will be $1000. Will you be able to pay tomorrow?" I was silent for a moment, stunned. I tentatively replied "n-no..." so then she said that if I was able to pay half at the visit and the other half within 10 days, they could give me a 20% discount, or I could make four $250 payments. 

 

When I just kind of stammered over the phone and wasn't really able to give a solid reply, she just told me to talk to the receptionist when I came in to get payment plans and such. 

 

I technically have the money, but I had it set aside for the half cow and whole lamb I was getting in the fall. That means if I use the money for this, I'd have to save another $800 before September. I was also planning on replacing my 4 year old no-contract crap-tastic texting phone with my very first smart phone this evening, but that's not going to happen now either because I suddenly can't afford it. I cried uncontrollably all afternoon. I also didn't finish my lunch and was starving by the time I got home, which didn't help with my mood.

 

Now my psoriasis is really itchy and the redness is spreading. Sigh.

 

M1: Lemon chicken and asparagus. Cinnamon plumb tea with coconut oil and coconut milk

 

M2: Lemon chicken and asparagus.

 

M3: Beef with cabbage and onions. Was still hungry so had some sweet potato with cinnamon fried in coconut oil with a couple sliced strawberries and coconut milk on top.

[Vian]

I slept a bit better last night, but still woke up at 5:30am to pee, sort of got back to sleep, woke up at 6:30 and laid in bed awake until 7. The EKG went fine. The tech said that if there was anything really serious, they would have someone review the images before I left, but they didn't, so I guess there's nothing really serious - which I already knew as I've been alive for the last year since all this started happening. I mostly figure the EKG will show if I have a murmur or valve damage, and the holter monitor I'm being fitted for tomorrow morning will hopefully capture a palpitation. I'm actually really hoping I have a heart palpitation for once so that the holter monitor can capture it and the doctor can figure out what it is and if it's serious. But I can't really make them happen, it's totally random.

 

On the way home from the exam, I just started bawling in the car. I'm just totally emotionally raw and stressed beyond belief. I'm going to have to save every penny for the next 6 months to be able to get back on track. It just sucks. I found myself wondering if my life was really worth it, and wishing I would just die in my sleep like I've been so afraid I would so I wouldn't have to deal with any of this anymore. I'm going to go cry myself to sleep now.

 

Meal 1: Jasmine tea. Sausage skillet with butternut squash and kale and beef tallow and coconut oil

 

Meal 2: leftover beef with cabage and onions

 

Meal 3: roasted chicken legs with garlic zoodles and caramelized shallots. mandarin orange.

[Bet]

Hey Vian, I'm sorry you are feeling so poorly. As far as the waking up suddenly,  I had that for a long time. And sleep disruption is horrible. It could be an adrenal issue (cortisol spiking in the middle of the night). Have you had all your hormones checked? I think mine are finally stabilizing.

 

The AI should help with psoriasis, but it may take time. Also it's a process to figure out everything that you can't have. Some may not even be on the official AI list.

[Vian]

Thanks Bet. There's a supplement we carry where I work that's supposed to help regulate cortisol levels, so I might try it out. A coworker suggested we buy a bottle and split it to give it a try. I have only had my thyroid hormones checked, but I'm sure my cortisol levels are out of whack as I have many of the symptoms listed in The Paleo Approach in the section discussing cortisol. I believe it stems from having taken an 8 day course of prednisone about a year ago when I had a "chicken pox-like virus". Ever since then I've had horrible anxiety, heart palpitations and chest pain, hence the Echocardiogram and holter monitor. L-Theanine helps with the anxiety symptoms a lot, but it's not a cure-all, and I still get break-through anxiety sometimes. Right now I'm wearing the holter monitor though, so I'm actually hoping for a really bad night so it can record what my heart is doing when I get all those sleep disturbances so maybe I can get some answers. I did have a heart palpitation today at about noon, so that's something.

 

On the psoriasis front, I actually think I'm already noticing a decrease in inflammation. The patch on my left foot feels less raised. It used to be raised like a welt, but today it's almost flat. Still red and covered in flaky dry skin, but it's only been a few days.

 

Today I was telling a coworker that my friend teases me that my life revolves around food. And it does...but it has to. This has become a lifestyle. I have to plan every meal and make sure I have food because I CANT just go through a drive through if I'm running late or get busy. I just can't. It's a lifestyle now.

 

M1: 3 chicken legs and roasted broccoli with bacon

 

M2: 3 chicken legs with leftover garlic zucchini noodles

 

M3: grilled burger seasoned with salt, garlic powder and fish sauce in a lettuce wrap with bacon and guac (avocado, salt, lime, red onion) and sweet potato fries with cinnamon and mace, plus a small side salad with red wine vinaigrette (lemon juice, red wine vinegar, avocado oil, salt, garlic powder, fresh thyme)

[Bet]

Today I was telling a coworker that my friend teases me that my life revolves around food. And it does...but it has to. This has become a lifestyle. I have to plan every meal and make sure I have food because I CANT just go through a drive through if I'm running late or get busy. I just can't. It's a lifestyle now.

 

Me too. It's what we have to do. I do think that with all our issues, we are better off than many who are getting sicker and sicker and don't know it. I do think I am getting a bit food phobic. When I go through the cereal or chip aisle at the supermarket, my stomach actually hurts from thinking about all that bad food, LOL.

 

I think I may have had some adrenal issues that were never addressed. I did wind up going on anti-depressant meds, which have really helped me. I know a lot of people try to avoid that, but it's working for me and I get better sleep and feel much better overall.

[Chocoholic382]

How ya feeling? Just read through your log and I'm so sorry about all the stress you've had to deal with lately. Hopefully the L-Theanine can help you power through. So hard to get your body better when your mind's stressed, right? It affects everything.

[Vian]

Thanks ladies for the encouragement. I'm feeling better. I've gotten some of the financial stuff sorted out and have a plan now, so I'm less in a panic. I spent today doing my normal errands and getting all my food for the week. I did slip once and had some chia seed kombucha because I totally forgot that chia seeds aren't allowed... *sigh* But whatever, this is a process, so I'm just going to keep going until I get it right and see results. I have no set end date, I'm not even counting days. This is just the way I eat now until my psoriasis is in remission. Then I will think about reintroducing things.

 

On the bright side, I have lost about 5 pounds since I stopped eating dairy. I think that all those "extra" things I snacked on, like cheese and nuts and such were really adding a lot of calories that were keeping me from losing weight. I'm also no longer drinking bulletproof coffee or tea in the morning and just my breakfast is holding me until lunch. I'm still adding a lot of coconut oil to my breakfast though.

 

M1: 3 chicken legs, fried green beans

 

M2: leftover burger with guac and bacon and sweet potato fries

 

M3: caesar salad with grilled chicken and AIP avocado caesar dressing and bacon. Got tired of burping up raw garlic flavor, so i cooked up some sweet potato with cinnamon and mace and coconut oil a couple hours after dinner just to get the taste out. I love garlic, and raw garlic adds a nice spice that I've missed since not being able to have nightshade spices...but I don't enjoy burping up the flavor for hours.

[Vian]

I'm give or take a week into my AIP journey (a few slips at the beginning with pimentos and nutmeg, but I'm not counting days this time). I never got "Tiger blood" with a regular whole30. I felt good, don't get me wrong, but not the boundless energy and mental clarity and just simple joyfulness I felt today. After such a long, stressful, emotional week last week, today was a complete turnaround. I've been reading The Paleo Approach by Sarah Ballantyne and had gotten to the part about circadian rhythm and how light affects it and our hormones. So at around 7pm I turned off all my inside lights except for one low-watt light over my desk with a shade on it that makes it have a soft yellow glow. At around 9pm I realized that I was bored and kind of tired, didn't feel like doing anything around the house or online, and there was nothing interesting on TV. So I decided to go to bed. I got into bed with my kindle and all the lights out except for my little LED booklight and read more of The Paleo Approach for about an hour, then went to sleep at 10. 

 

I woke up around 6:30-7, hung out on the computer, ate breakfast, got a shower, watered the 60+ orchids, then went out into the garden and started clearing weeds. I got 3 raised beds of 5 all cleared out of weeds and once I add compost, they'll be all ready for vegetables. I felt really good after all that work and ate lunch, then I was all kinds of hyper. I was annoying the hell out of my friend and just being crazy giggly and way, way more energetic than usual. skipping and running around, dancing randomly in the kitchen...it's weird...

 

M1: sausage, butternut squash and baby kale skillet

 

M2: caesar salad with grilled chicken and avocado AIP caesar dressing, bacon, kalamata olives, and diced up anchovies

 

M3: grilled NY steak, roasted broccoli with bacon, roasted sweet potato fries with cinnamon, mace, and coconut oil. A few strawberries.

[Chocoholic382]

I felt really good after all that work and ate lunch, then I was all kinds of hyper. I was annoying the hell out of my friend and just being crazy giggly and way, way more energetic than usual. skipping and running around, dancing randomly in the kitchen...it's weird...

What a fun visual! Glad things are going well!

[Vian]

Yesterday was work, I don't know where all my energy from Sunday went, but it wasn't with me yesterday. I don't even remember what I ate yesterday tbh. I know it was compliant though, so good enough.

 

Today for breakfast I made a hash with leftover chicken, butternut squash and baby kale. It was not great, the chicken just didn't taste right in it. Sausage is better.

 

Lunch was leftover chicken with sauteed brussels sprouts and shallots

 

Dinner I made a Celeriac and leek soup with a leftover chicken breast on the side for protein. Also had some kombucha.

[Vian]

Haven't updated in a while, been busy, but still sticking to the plan. Yesterday and today is the Orchid Society show and sale, so my weekend is pretty busy helping out with that. I bought 3 orchids yesterday, but they were ones that I have been wanting for a while, so I don't feel bad spending the money. They are also very rare and next to impossible to find.

 

My psoriasis has good days and bad days. Some days it looks like it's healing, and the next it's itchy and inflamed, so I have no clue. The book says that it can take a month to even start seeing results because the skin is such a low-priority organ and takes 3-4 weeks to turn over, so I will just stick with it. I'll give the diet 2 months, if I don't start seeing results, I'll start tweaking it and maybe adding some thing and removing others.

 

I've also lost about 6 or 7 pounds. I'm surprised by this simply because I've been very good eating pretty whole30 the past few months since January. I've been allowing some added sugar in things, and consuming dairy, but otherwise pretty clean, and I lost 6 pounds on my whole30 in January and then gained it back right after. I really think dairy contributes to weight gain and/or inflammation. Either that or it's "extra" calories that I don't really need.

[lori_vt]

Hi Vian,

I have started (what I thought was) an AIP following my second W30, but I didn't see anything about the spices made from seed.  It was hard enough giving up the nightshade spices - I'm almost speechless trying to think about flavoring my meals without cumin, coriander, fennel, black and white pepper...  I'm feeling somewhat depressed.  I came across your posts when I searched kombucha, and noticed that having nutmeg was against the protocol.  <sigh>  As I was reading more of your posts, I wanted to ask where you get bacon that doesn't have sugar or nitrates/nitrites in it.  I've heard about US Wellness Meats, but they always seem to be out of stock when I go to their website.   Are things starting to improve with you, and your psoriasis?  My mom was recently diagnosed with psoriasis - her 3rd autoimmune disease.  She's had Temporal Arteritis, currently has Giant Cell Arteritis and now psoriasis.  When I told her about the AIP, she didn't think she could comply without having her comfort foods.  I was about to make up a batch of cocoa-cauliflower (well fed), but I guess that's out.  And I made a hamburger curry and chicken/apple curry, but I guess the spices are a no-no.    This is going to be harder than the W30.  Do you have any fantastic, mouth watering recipes that you're willing to share?  I already miss my flavor-rich foods...

[Vian]

I cannot find bacon without nitrates and nitrites, but I don't worry about them, personally. While The Paleo Approach AIP doesn't allow them, I don't think they're actually harmful, so I ignore that part. If I don't see improvement in 2 months, I'll start looking at that among other things. So far, my psoriasis is getting worse, but it's actually fairly common for there to be detoxing where it gets worse before it gets better. Also, the skin is a low-priority organ and takes about 3 weeks to turn over, so it can take 3-4 weeks to even start to see improvement.

 

As for recipes, here is my pinterest page where I have a few (some need a little modification, but it's usually something simple like leaving out tomato paste or black pepper) http://www.pinterest.com/kirstencleigh/aip/

 

I also follow Mickey Trescotts pinterest pages for recipes http://www.pinterest.com/autoimmunepaleo/

 

I've been getting more steaks and just keeping things simple. I've really been enjoying putting guacamole on burgers instead of ketchup (I just mash avocado with some diced red onion, a squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt) and having them with sweet potato fries baked with coconut oil and cinnamon

 

For breakfast, I either have leftovers, or have some of my home-made breakfast sausage with diced butternut squash and kale sauteed in coconut oil. The recipe for the sausage is:

 

2 lbs. ground pork, chicken, or turkey

1.5 tsp. sea salt

3 tsp. dried sage

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. grated fresh ginger

1/2 tsp. ground mace

1/2 tsp. dried garlic powder

[Vian]

The past few days at work, I've been taking my breaks outside since it's been sunny. The breeze is still pretty cold, but with the sun shining down, it's fairly warm. I'm hoping the light exposure will help with my circadian rhythms. I'm also trying to remember to shut the lights out about 2 hours before bed and leave only my desk lamp on. I'm not super successful with this one yet, as I keep forgetting to turn the lights out 2 hours before bed, it's more like 30 minutes to an hour before. But I'm working on it. Still no improvement in psoriasis. I think I need to just relax about it and stop stressing (since stress is a key factor for AI, especially skin AI diseases) I also need to go for walks and get other moderate exercise.

 

M1: Grilled chicken thighs with rosemary and thyme. Bacon and shallots with sauteed brussels sprouts

 

M2: grilled chicken thighs on a salad with kalamata olives and a red wine vinaigrette

 

M3: pot roast with carrots, onions, and celery, plus plantain tostones for starch (the really green plantains work great instead of potatoes with the pot roast). A glass of kombucha and some strawberries with coconut milk.

[Bet]

Hi Vian, you show orchids? I show roses. And I love weeding! There is something so satisfying about pulling up weeds and clearing a bed. I love to just sit there and do it. I have (well had) about 100 roses. I did lose some to this awful winter. Plus the county is going to dig up my yard, so I am working on digging up many of my roses so I can replant them after they are done. A lot of work, but I have found that I have more energy. But like you some days are better than others.

 

I have also worked on resetting my circadian rhythm. On workdays, I try to go to bed no later than 10 and sometimes earlier. If I feel tired or start to get hungry, I just go to bed. I think it is helping. Also, for computers, there is a program called flux that you can put on your computer which will adjust the color of the screen to the time of day. Blue light for day, and gradually changing to a more yellow light at night. It is barely noticeable, but if I turn it off at night, I am shocked how different it looks.

 

All these little things can help. We are getting our bodies back to their natural state.

[Vian]

I have more than 60 orchids...I lost count a while ago. I mostly stick to miniatures now, they take up less space. I put them in my poison dart frog terrariums. 

 

I've decided that anxiety and stress, as well as unresolved emotional issues (insecurities, resentment, abandonment) are key factors in my psoriasis. I don't really remember when it started, but I believe it was not long after I got divorced. After my divorce I just tried to pretend like none of it had ever happened. I just ignored it and tried to move on instead of dealing with it. I think repressing those emotions are what caused my psoriasis in the first place. Then it very slowly got worse over several years, until finally last year when I got that virus and took prednisone and was stricken with intense anxiety and fear, plus last summer trying to find a job after school, finally getting a job that relieved some stress, but created new stress, now money issues stemming from my health issues etc. and my psoriasis is getting worse much faster.

 

So I've been praying for God to reveal the repressed emotions and feelings that I haven't dealt with, helping me to forgive my ex and learn the lessons I needed to learn. I thought I had learned them, but really I just closed everyone out so I wouldn't be hurt like that again, rather than learning and growing from the experience.

 

M1: sirloin steak, brussels sprouts sauteed with bacon and shallots

 

M2: leftover stew with plantains

 

M3: asian BBQ pork riblets with asian slaw. strawberries with coconut milk. Kombucha

[Bet]

Recognizing the root cause of the stress is a good first step. I also realized that I caused 99% of my own stress and am working towards not doing that any longer.

[Beets]

Hi. Just reading your log. I can so relate to that financial panic. I also have psoriasis and am starting with a modified AIP. (From the past I'm pretty sure I can eat yolks without issue so I'm going to leave them in. And maybe add back seed spices as they didn't seem to bug me. Nightshades do.)

What's this about nutmeg? I've seen it on a few AIP spice blend lists and don't remember reading it was off-limits. I know there are different lists. Maybe just start with the basics and go from there.

I had a recent crazy explosion of psoriais all over my arms and torso (it's usually on my shins, a bit on my elbows) that really freaked me out but even after a couple days--only starting Day 3!--I'm seeing some improvement. Though I do remember it getting more itchy and angry before it got better last summer. (Never went away but improved vastly, especially after a vacation where I went off-roading but did get a lot of sun.)

[Vian]

nutmeg is a seed. All seed and berry spices should be eliminated at least at first. Seed and berry spices include cumin, coriander, nutmeg, black pepper, caraway, anise, juniper berries, and cardamom, among others. Mace is a good alternative for nutmeg, since it is the outer hull that surrounds the nutmeg seed, so the flavor is similar.

[Beets]

Oh. Hmm. Maybe I did know that, because I found a giant bag of mace while going through my spices last night. I think you're onto something with the stress. For me, my ps got much worse when I wasn't sleeping after my daughter was born. (She was waking up every hour till she was 18mos old, causing me to become borderline psychotic. I hard a hard time leaving my house. His was before my first w30 last year.) I was doing a lot of reading about psoriasis yesterday and apparently slippery elm helps. I think I'll try to get some this weekend.

Right now, even though I have seen slight improvement, my psoriasis is all over. Last year it was mostly just on my shins. It was bad all summer despite changing my diet. I think if you have a bunch of things going on (other health issues, chronic sleep deprivation, stress) it may take awhile to see an improvement. Paleo Mom is a little scary with her "we can never cheat" but at least there are more recipes and more people talking about AIP online than even a year ago.

[Vian]

Yesterday and today my psoriasis seems less inflamed. Last week it was painful and raised and red. Today it's less raised, no longer painful, and less red, so hopefully this is the start of some healing.

[Beets]

Bravo! I'm seeing results in mine too. Nothing miraculous and still have some spots on my torso, where none were ever till a month ago, but improved.

[Vian]

Yeah, it seems to be holding steady right now. Not actually seeing it go away yet, but it hasn't gotten any worse in the last week or so.

 

M1: leftover crock pot chicken with gravy, sauteed brussels sprouts with bacon and shallots, roasted butternut squash.

 

M2: Leftovers (same as M1) only with roasted acorn squash instead of butternut

 

M3: asian bbq pork riblets on a salad of romaine, cucumber, and mung bean sprouts with an asian dressing (fish sauce, lime juice, avocado oil, garlic)

[Vian]

still not seeing any improvements, but neither is it getting worse, I think. I just got Mickey Trescott's cookbook. Lots of awesome looking recipes that I'm excited to try. I also got some Great Lakes gelatin, going to try and make some gummies this weekend.

 

M1: Leftover stew with tostones

 

M2: leftover beef and cabbage

 

M3: grilled salmon and shrimp marinated in lime juice, lime zest, garlic, and avocado oil with guacamole on top and a side of sweet potato fries. Kombucha.