If you’re over 50 I would guess you’ve had something go awry in your body.   I’ve had my own issues for sure. But thankfully they never affected my life for long.

Not anymore. The whole of 2018 has been one long invasion: The Auto-Immune Battle.

The victims: my thyroid and my immune system.

The participants: my wonderful functional-medicine doctors and me.

The training tools: new supplements, new thyroid meds, extensive blood tests, and changes in my lifestyle.

The linchpin:  the food I ate every day.

I’d been a relatively healthy eater most of my adult life, salads were my staple.  However I never really enjoyed cooking.  It was something I tolerated. Cooking for 2 wasn’t working well since hubby and I like totally different foods. I became lazy and chose convenience over nourishment for too long.

Then last January my body gave me the score, a very bad grade.  The evidence: a full blown auto immune attack.

My gut informed me that its normal function had been rudely interrupted and it was going to be leaky and that wasn’t happy news.

I’d been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroid disease years before but had been able to manage it with thyroid meds. Not anymore. New auto-immune attacks came: my thyroid was being attacked by massive amounts of antibodies, and digestive system was not behaving. My childhood rheumatoid arthritis started showing up as knees and fingers became stiff and painful. My skin started developing red splotches. My insomnia, an issue for over 20 years, became worse. But the hardest symptom was how dizzy and unbalanced my head felt, like I was constantly walking on a tilted floor. Help.

This was also a very sad and stressful time for me. I’d lost a precious friend. Combine stress with low immunity, and your immune system loses every time, especially if your diet is poor. Mine was.

I sought help from a new doctor, a functional chiropractor in my neighborhood. After testing and trying many things she finally said “Let’s try removing all gluten and dairy.” I did. But weeks later symptoms remained. Last June my frustration was high. High enough to make a drastic decision.

I decided to put myself on the AIP diet. The Auto-Immune Protocol, sometimes called Auto-Immune Paleo diet because it’s a stricter version of paleo.

The prime goal of AIP is focus on the gut where immune triggers can wreck havoc on the body. As the gut heals, immunity is strengthened.

AIP is an elimination diet comprised of nutrient-dense, organic, clean foods. This protocol views food as medicine, medicine to heal the body. Believe me, the AIP is no walk in the park. Its success is tied to 4 things: proper diet, sleep, exercise and stress management.

But starting with diet, here’s a sample of what I couldn’t eat:

No gluten, grains, dairy, eggs, nuts/seeds, caffeine, processed foods, refined sugar, nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, etc), alcohol, black pepper or other spices, legumes, food additives or industrial seed oils. I’m sure I forgot to include some things, it’s a long list.

What’s left to eat? Well, there’s bone broth, grass fed meats, wild caught seafood, organic vegetables, organic fruit in moderation, avocados, coconut milk, olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, sweet potatoes (which aren’t a nightshade) organ meats (no thanks) fermented food (no thanks). Oh, and bacon. Yay for uncured, nitrate-free, antibiotic-free bacon.

Learning to follow this protocol last June took all my time. Adjustment was hard. I missed eating out. I had to intentionally plan, shop, and cook. Whole Foods became my place. Did I mention that cooking was not my thing?

I quickly realized how much the foods I liked were tied to my well-being. Before AIP I’d JUST discovered Thai green curry – yum – the best comfort food ever. But it had rice, green peppers and spices that were now verboten. I love rice. Giving up green curry and margaritas was the hardest for me at the beginning.

My “AIP treat” became sliced cucumber dipped in regular hummus with a kalamata olive on top.  I didn’t know until later that hummus, made from chickpeas, is not AIP compliant. Chickpeas are a legume. Oh well. Currently my go-to treat is a cup of frozen organic cherries from Costco since fresh organic cherries are out of season.

Having had personal losses this year, losses in my normal health, then losses for my taste buds, I was put smack dab in a “come to Jesus” moment.  I dug in deep and told myself, “I’m going to do this and succeed.”

There were some hard choices. I had to pass on a 2 week trip to Norway with my mom and sister to see relatives I’d never met.  We had to delay a trip to see my husband’s parents. Yes and no became markers of self care.

Thankfully I found many sources of support. I’ve listened to countless podcasts on auto-immune health. I found tons of recipes for approved meals. Early on, I made some I thought I’d like. But they tasted so bad, so unsatisfying.  The first 3 weeks of AIP I tried to find something remotely flavorful, but only one recipe tasted good to me.  The seasonings in all those recipes was usually fresh ginger, lime juice and fish sauce. Sound tasty? Oh, I tried bison, I made grass-fed bison meatballs and ate them. I probably won’t make them again.

Last June my doctor gave me a challenge to walk 30 minutes twice a day (in the Texas heat). I don’t like sweat. Feeling wimpy, with my head off balance and my body weak, I made it through one 30 minute walk a day. Then I made it through several weeks in a row, trudging up and down the hills in our neighborhood. I’d come home, throw my arms up and say “I did it!!”  My walks are now routine and I feel strong.

What else helped me? I carry AIP approved snacks with me wherever I go: plantain chips, dried apple chips, dried coconut chips, paleo beef sticks. When I’m invited over for lunch or dinner I usually bring my own food. When eating out I’ve learned to choose restaurants that will help me follow my regimen. I give my waiter a little piece of paper containing a list of foods I cannot eat followed by a list of ones I can. Most places have been accommodating. I love it when the waiter takes my list back to the chef to check on details so we know I’ll be ok with my meal.

The best thing now is that I’m almost free from the things that put me here. Today I have no digestive, skin, joint, or neurological issues. My thyroid labs come back with results meriting celebration. And my chiropractor celebrates with me so sweetly. Having her on my side during this has been invaluable.

I’m currently in the reintroduction phase of the protocol. So far I’ve been able to successfully reintroduce green beans, peas, tequila (in a paleo margarita), hummus, black pepper, macadamia nuts and on occasion, a  moderated Thai green curry and brown rice.

I’ve not had success reintroducing eggs, peanuts or red wine but those are on the list for later. When I reintroduce a food, my body communicates to me if it’s is going to be ok or not. If it’s ok, I try eating it again and watch what happens. Like a baby when you give her solid food for the first time. Early on I felt like a literal baby who needed someone to come and take care of my feeding. Everything was overwhelming on top of feeling weak and out of control. But we eventually make it through the valley, don’t we, if we persist.

I’ll freely admit, this protocol diet has been one of the hardest things I’ve done. I’m proud of my body’s recovery.

It’s not a protocol that I’m meant to follow indefinitely but one where time and good habits heal. I hope to add in red wine, chocolate, more rice and goat cheese one day. But I think it’ll be a long time until I feel confident enough to introduce tomatoes, peppers, gluten or other dairy.  Those are some of the most inflammatory foods for auto-immune diseases. So I’ll be patient.  If you’d told me 6 months ago that I’d be where I am today I would have been doubtful. But here I am, grateful and encouraged.

So if you or someone you know are experiencing inflammatory issues that won’t go away and your food choices need improvement, give the AIP a consideration. I’d recommend listening to the Phoenix Helix podcast. Episodes 1-3 would give you so much to think about. There are many Facebook groups for people on the AIP where we ask questions as a community.  Search AIP on Pinterest and you’ll find tons of good info.

I’m eager to walk through 2019 with no interruptions from my gut and to receive an excellent grade for the care I give my body.

Merry Christmas, love and best wishes to all of you for the coming year.