AIP and life after W30

[candacevasko]

I recently completed my second Whole30 (actually Whole36) and have continued to eat clean since then with the exception of an instance of one glass of wine, some sushi and some hummus. I really miss my compliant diet so I am going to regroup a bit and head back to eating clean full time, always.

Here is my concern. I followed the autoimmune protocol for the last 2 weeks of my Whole30. I am ready to follow it full time, for the most part, but the more and more I read about the protocol (via http://www.thepaleomom.com/2012/05/modifying-paleo-for-autoimmune.html and other website research), I feel like I am going to cry. I have already made the commitment to giving up nightshades, white potatoes, eggs, nuts (that one hurt), etc. However, recent information gathered by researching the AIP suggested that I also ADDITIONALLY give up many spices that I use (corriander, fennell, etc) as well as ghee and coffee.

I am beginning to feel so overwhelmed and sad. I am willing to make certain sacrifices/restricitve choices for my health, and I feel like I have made the decision to do so, but is it really necessary to keep crossing things off the list of food I can eat?

Thoughts?

[Tom Denham]

I'm not the feelings guy, and that may be what you are looking for here, but I have a few thoughts... You haven't explained why you are adopting an autoimmune protocol diet. Are you sensitive to the foods you are eliminating or just trying to achieve the perfect health diet?

Only a small number of people who are sensitive to dairy experience problems with ghee because so much of the milk solids are removed. So you could be sensitive to dairy, but do fine eating ghee. Eliminating and then reintroduction is the way to figure this stuff out.

If you are sensitive to peppers, you would be sensitive to many spices. That's why folks who follow an AIP sometimes emphasize herbs in their cooking. Herbs provide flavor without exposing you to things that might be a problem.

[candacevasko]

I have an autoimmune illness and have found that I am extremely sensitive to most, if not all, of the foods listed in the AIP, so no big concerns there. I haven't had any issue with ghee, as far as I can tell. I haven't eliminated coffee at all, because before today I had not realized that it could cause an inflammatory issue. Mostly what it boils down to is that I think the AIP is/has been working for me, but I am still breaking out in hives while on a W30 and the AIP, so I suppose cutting out coffee and a few other things for awhile would be warranted, right?

Do you think that by restricting my diet so much, I may be creating food sensitivities or are they just underlying and the W30 and AIP just illuminates what they are?

[Tom Denham]

You can't create food sensitivities where they don't exist. Doing a Whole30 just uncovers them. That and when you avoid foods you are sensitive to for a while, your gut heals and the thick lining that had grown up to deal with the irritation sloughs off and goes back to normal. Then when you irritate it again, it really flares up.

Cutting out whatever you are suspicious of and then reintroducing one thing at a time is the thing to do. That way you can figure out what really bothers you.

[Alana in Canada]

Did you keep afood log in your last whole 30? If you did, can you see when your hives might have flared up? Perhaps the best thing is to do another whole 30, AIP but keep a record and make observations on how you re feeling and so on. Melissa Joulwen did an full on whole30 recently following the AIP and she was fairly grumpy about giving up her spices as well.

http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/