As a Holistic Nutritionist and AIP Certified Coach, I can show you how to nourish your relationship with food, discover your unique nutrient needs, and actually thrive with chronic food sensitivities and autoimmunity. I utilize nutrients and lifestyle as tools to achieve sustainable, whole body wellness. Sometimes this requires only a few simple tweaks to someone's diet and routine. Other times it requires a much bigger intervention to re-establish baseline health. In most cases that involve chronic (persistent) symptoms or illness, I use tailored elimination protocols that remove foods and lifestyle factors that are aggravating the already irritated situation. These protocols are often described as "restrictive", but if done properly, they should be incredibly nutrient dense and satisfying, and will provide a much stronger foundation to build onto!
What is the Autoimmune Protocol?The Autoimmune Protocol (also referred to as the Autoimmune Paleo Protocol or AIP) is a therapeutic diet designed to calm inflammation and decrease immune system over-reactivity in autoimmune disease. Developed by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, the AIP focuses on the temporary elimination of common foods that cause gut disruption, immune intolerance, allergies, and inflammation. These foods include (but are not limited to) dairy, gluten and grains, and nightshades. They are replaced by nutrient-rich foods such as vegetables, herbs, and quality animal protein.
Foods are reintroduced after an individual period of time and substantial improvement in symptoms and blood markers occurs. Most folks will find there are a few foods (such as dairy and gluten) that they can't reintroduce without a return of symptoms (called a "flare"). This is perfectly normal, and the reason we do the protocol! But since variety is the spice of life, we want to make sure that most foods are able to be reintroduced eventually. Reintroductions might be the trickiest part of the AIP! It can be really hard to go slow, take note of what your body tells you, and not start eating everything all at once. This process is incredibly important though, so you can find out definitively what your unique intolerances are. Decreasing aggravating factors can be key to achieving remission in autoimmune disorders (alongside appropriate medications and treatments).
What is an AIP Certified Coach?
AIP Certified Coach is a training program designed by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, Mickey Trescott and Angie Alt for certified health practitioners. The training teaches practitioners how to support their autoimmune and chronically ill clients through the Autoimmune Protocol in a manner that best suits them. While there is a wealth of information available regarding the AIP, having professional support with proper modifications, troubleshooting, outside testing, and plans detailed uniquely to you can ensure success and healing!
I certainly wish I'd had a little more help when I started my own autoimmune and AIP journey...
My Personal AIP Journey
In 2014, I was struggling with extreme symptoms from my Graves Thyroiditis and eczema. No doctor seemed to be able to help with the symptoms. I stumbled across the Autoimmune Protocol after having little success with other dietary healing protocols, and everything felt like it clicked into place!
When I started, I had zero idea what foods were an issue for me. I couldn't pinpoint my flares at all. I started slow and didn't beat myself up if I occasionally chose to eat food on the restricted list. Within a few weeks, I finally started to notice the patterns between certain foods and my symptom flares, helping me determine what foods were aggravating my symptoms.
This is not a quick process! It took almost a year before my eczema went away completely and my thyroid markers went into remission again. However, my quality of life improved drastically within about 3 months, and that was worth its weight in gold! I have had a few flares since then, but going back to a personally modified AIP, makes my recovery faster each time. It is the nature of autoimmune diseases to occur chronically throughout your life. There is no cure. But being able to achieve remission, even intermittently, can improve both your overall health and outlook.
Are you seeking further support for an autoimmune disease? As an integral part of your health team, I will support you wherever you are at! You can book a nutrition consult with me either online or in-person at Victoria Community Acupuncture - can’t wait to see you there!