The Autoimmune Protocol for eczema

 

How To Follow The Autoimmune Protocol

There are very specific rules to follow to use AIP. At first, the list of foods that aren’t permitted foods can feel overwhelming, but let’s break it down.

Start with basic paleo principles

No gluten, no grains, no legumes, no dairy, no sugar, and no alcohol. You’ve got that down

already. Glutenis inflammatory for the gut and should be removed from the diet of anyone with autoimmune disorders. Grains and legumes are removed to avoid anti-nutrients like phytic acid and inflammatory lectins. Sugarand alcohol are removed because they are highly inflammatory and do not bring any nutritional value or healing properties to the table.

Avoid nightshade vegetables

Vegetables such as peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes have been found to be particularly inflammatory, causing joint pain, skin irritation, and gut discomfort.

Avoid eggs

Eggs are eliminated because the proteins and enzymes in eggs (and in the white in particular) are able to work their way through the gut lining during the digestion process. Although this can occur in healthy people as well, in those with autoimmune conditions, the egg particulate matter gets through the barrier of the gut lining easily and infiltrates the blood stream, causing immune system stimulation and reactivity.

Avoid all nuts and seeds

Nuts and seeds are high in anti-nutrients such as lectins and phytates. They are one of the most allergenic types of foods and can cause sensitivities in people struggling with autoimmunity. Additionally, the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids is suboptimal in most nuts and seeds. In fact, nuts contain a high amount of omega-6 fatty acids, which are pro-inflammatory.

Keep fruit to a minimum

Try to keep fruit to one to two servings per day. This keeps blood sugar levels stable and also helps you avoid taking in too much fructose, which can be irritating for the gut.

Avoid food additives like guar gum and carrageenan

These additives bring no health benefits and contribute to leaky gut. Other additive like nitrites are inflammatory for the body and can also be allergenic.

Avoid non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications

Avoiding NSAIDs is about attempting to heal the gut lining, as this is critical in managing autoimmune disorders. This can be tricky because many medical regimens for autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, chronic pain syndromes, and acute bouts of thyroiditis use NSAIDs. Before removing these medications from your regimen, discuss this with your medical provider.

Quick Start For AIP

So what CAN you eat? Well, you’re in luck. We’ve put together an awesome little graph that shows you the ins & outs of this paleo variation so you can stay on track and stay healthy!

FOOD GROUP AVOID EAT

MEATS Factory farmed meats, farm raised seafood

Beef, Bison, Chicken, Turkey, Boar, Wild Caught Fish, Game Meats

GRAINS Oats, Rice, Millet, Quinoa (a pseudo grain), Wheat, all Gluten

None

LEGUMES All Beans (not including string beans or snap peas), Soy/Edamame and Peanuts

Snap Peas, String Beans, Haricot Vert

VEGETABLES Avoid Nightshades, Eggplant, Tomatoes, Onion, White Potatoes, Gogi Berries, and all pepper based spices like cayenne, nutmeg, paprika

Everything else! Asparagus, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Leafy Greens, Broccoli Cauliflower, Cucumber, Beets, Squash, Carrots, Sweet Potatoes and many more

FOOD GROUP AVOID EAT

FRUIT None All fruits are permitted. *To keep daily fructose intake reasonable try to stick to a max of 2-3 pieces of fruit per day

DAIRY Cheese, Yogurt, Ghee, Butter, Ice Cream, Half and Half

Coconut milk (without additives)

EGGS All kinds None

NUTS AND SEEDS Almonds, Cacao, Coffee Cashews, Macadamias, Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Chia Seeds, Sesame Seeds

None

FERMENTED

FOODS

Fermented Soy products Kombucha, Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Kefir made with water/coconut water

SUGAR AND

SUGAR

REPLACEMENT

All sugars! Sugar, HCFs, coconut sugar, date sugar, corn sugar, stevia, agave, molasses and limit honey and maple syrup

None

FATS All Butter & ghee, all Margarines, Canola Oil & all other seed oils

Avocado, Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil, Lard, Fat, Olive Oil

FOOD GROUP AVOID EAT

FOOD ADDITIVES Carrageenan, Guar Gum, Aspartame, Benzoic acid, MSG, Sulfates/Sulfites, Nitrates/Nitrites

None

NSAIDS Ibuprofen, Naprosyn, Naproxen sodium, ketorolac and others

None

ALCOHOL Beer, Liquor, even sugar alcohols and extracts (like vanilla extract)

None (Sparkling water and Kombucha are great party-substitutes!)