As the fog lifted, as I began to feel more rested, and as I got use to the idea that I will never be alone again I realized my body is not back to normal. Here we are, 18 months into my little boys life, 18 months postpartum and I feel more like myself than I have in a long while, but there is something amiss. Diagnosed with sub clinical hypothyroid and Hashimoto’s in pregnancy. Persistent gut problems and painful periods prior to pregnancy. Now postpartum, it is clear that I have psoriasis. Psoriasis was present before pregnancy, but I never put the clues (or symptoms) together that pointed to this condition as an explanation.
I have followed an elimination diet for quite sometime. The elimination diet that I followed was created by me. By tuning into body signals, through a food journal, and symptom tracker I was able to deduct which foods work best for me. However, recently, in postpartum, I have eliminated beans from my diet because they were causing bowel distress. By bowel distress, I mean cramping, urgency to go, large elimination followed by a day or two of constipation that is combined with bloating, distention, and lower abdominal pain. Then, pecans caused a similar reaction.
Here comes the Autoimmune Paleo Protocol. I purchased Dr. Sarah’s book because I wanted a way to define the elimination diet that I had created for myself. As anyone that eats differently than the Standard American Diet can attest to, explaining what and why you eat a certain way can be a little annoying. Her elimination diet gave me a definition, but now, it is giving me a framework to where to start. Her strict elimination phase paleo diet has worked for many others who experience autoimmune conditions. Considering, a diagnosis of three autoimmune conditions, why would I not follow the Autoimmune Protocol? It is said to calm inflammation and the immune system that leads to symptoms like psoriasis, painful periods, and gut irritations. Might the Autoimmune Paleo Protocol be my answer for putting my autoimmune conditions into remission? I hope and I will try.
The Autoimmune Paleo Protocol (AIP) is not just diet, though diet is a huge part of it. Along with diet, one must address lifestyle habits like quality sleep, more rest, stress management, light exercise or movement, and finding work that is in-line with your higher purpose.
Since I will be eating the AIP way, I will be cooking the AIP way, thus there will be more recipes here soon that reflect the AIP diet. The diet is detailed here. It is a stricter version of Paleo, but also emphasizes including healing foods, not just eliminating foods. One super-health-food that has been eaten as a delicacy across cultures during the rise of humanity, liver. Other healing foods to include: broth, gelatin, glycine-rich meat that is cooked on the bone, wild-caught fish, seaweed; LOTs of vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, onion, squash, sweet potato; fruits like plantain, apples, berries; and healthy fats like pastured duck fat, avocado, extra virgin coconut oil, and olives.
Real Food, Real Health 