Who here is thinking of changing their diet or starting the AIP now, July 2020, in the midst of a pandemic?

More and more clients are wanting to make some big changes NOW.  As if the world wasn’t crazy enough!

I try to not be judgmental during my coaching sessions, but to be honest my first response to this possible endeavor was “uh-oh…. this is NOT going to end well for anyone involved”.

Then, I started thinking about it.  And I realized that for many this may actually be the PERFECT time to change things up.  Some thoughts below for and against starting the AIP.

First of all, yes, I know it’s a protocol. The AIP is not just a diet.

When it comes to internet searches, however, “AIP Diet” is what people search for.  Hence my use of the term “AIP Diet”. The more people I can reach and help with this information, the merrier!

Second of all, if you’re not sure what the AIP is, please read this post.

Lastly, this post is not going to resonate with everyone:  I do understand that many of us are working longer hours, taking care of children due to lack of child care, or having to do other things during this pandemic that make considering drastically changing one’s diet the last thing on their plate (ha ha).

With that said, here are a few reasons why it may be a good time to dive into the AIP. What would you add to this list?

The Case for Starting the AIP Diet.

Your environment.  This is the big one, as many of us are working from home and not tempted by coworkers birthday cakes, heading out to lunch 3x per week or hanging out afterward for cocktails and fried snacks.

Also, many bars and restaurants are still closed.

In other words, if you are dining at home more than usual, this may be the perfect time to clean out your kitchen and fill it with AIP-only foods.  If you are stuck at home, you’re only going to eat what you have at home. You have more control over what you put in your mouth now, more than ever.

AIP aside, some coaching questions for you: What are you currently choosing to buy at the grocery store? How are these items helping or hurting your health?

Social distancing and peer pressure.  Since we’re technically not able to meet up with friends and family willy-nilly as in days of yore (meaning: February…sigh), we probably won’t be as tempted to eat foods that are non-compliant.

It may be easier to “just say no” to events that you may not really want to go to anyways, or events where you know you’ll be tempted. Having the pandemic as an excuse may not be such a bad thing when it comes to avoiding such temptations.

Time.  While some of us may be overburdened with working from home or taking care of children not at summer camp, others may have extra time available to research, prepare and begin learning how to batch cook.

Time is also your friend when journaling your symptoms;  to be very methodical about what is changing while on the AIP, what is different, what you are discovering during this time is important to seeing where you’ve been and how far you’ve come!  Journaling is also very important when doing reintroductions, but that’s a post for another time.

Start the AIP Diet now? Nope.

Some thoughts about not changing up your diet during this time:

Stress.  If you are a front-line worker, are taking care of family that you weren’t planning on taking care of, experiencing less income, or are just stressed out in general due to the pandemic or other issues, this would NOT be a good time to make huge changes.

Instead of overhauling your diet like a crazed superhero, be kind to yourself.  This will look very different to each of us.  And yes, being kind to yourself may include eating healthfully; keep in mind that this has different meanings for each of us.  You can still eat quite well by “only” eliminating gluten, processed foods and sugar.  These are still huge steps, of course, but less to think about than the entire AIP.

If *not* changing your diet has you stressed out as well, perhaps consider what information you can gather at this time.  What do you need to know to move forward confidently?  What challenges do you foresee getting in your way, and how will you overcome these obstacles?  Sometimes doing a bit of reflection on the “what ifs” is enough to help calm our stress, even if we are *not* pushing ahead into action.

Finances.  Yes, if we are buying fresh produce every week this can be more expensive than buying cheap, inexpensive, processed foods.  If you are unable to work and unable to collect unemployment, this is obviously a valid concern.  Some thoughts on this:

Short term, remember the diet part of the AIP is not meant to be followed for longer than a few months.  This will be different for everyone, most do best after 60-90 days of keeping to the strict elimination phase.  I reintroduced eggs after 2.5 months but didn’t make any further reintros for some time as I was feeling really good.  Long story short:  The diet part of the AIP is temporary. Keep this in mind as you choose how to invest in your health.

Looking at the bigger picture and your long term health, if you start putting real food in your body, down the road you may have less need for meds and other forms of conventional healthcare.  Even if you decide to skip cereal every morning and opt for leftover veggies and meat from the previous evening could be a big step in the right direction.

Support.  If you find yourself surrounded by people who are not at all supportive of your choices, ask yourself: Am I strong enough at this time to stand up for myself or ignore whatever comes my way that is not supportive?

Perhaps a better thing to do right now would be to work on communication with yourself and with these people. Are you showing up fully, being vulnerable in sharing what you need at this time?  Are you respecting other people in your conversations?  “I need you to…” is more demanding and can come off as bossy – and no one wants to be told what to do. “Would you be willing to…?” is a great way to ask for help and opens up the opportunity for the listener to say yes or no.  Perhaps they do want to support you but are going through their own struggles.  What are you willing to do to be supportive of them during this time?

To Start or Not To Start… That Is The Question.

If you are on the fence about whether or not to switch up your diet in 2020, allow me to offer the “decisional balance tool”.  This is something anyone can do when they are unsure of which direction to take.

What you do is create four lists and name them as follows:

1. Pros (positives, pluses) for changing
2. Pros for staying the same
3. Cons (negatives, costs) for changing
4. Cons for staying the same.

If you are a very social person or required to work alongside many others in your workplace, perhaps also create a list that looks like this:

1. Benefits for yourself for changing
2. Benefits for others when you change
3. Losses for yourself for changing
4. Losses for others when you change.

You can create parameters for whatever resonates with you personally. Keep these lists handy and add or subtract to it as you research and gather information and reflect on changing things up.  See how the lists change – or not.  When the pros and benefits for changing start outweighing the cons and costs for staying the same, it means you may be ready to take that first step.

What is coming forward for you, if anything, as you think about changing up your diet to the AIP?  Are you excited, fearful, nervous, anxious, curious, apathetic?

If you’d like to talk through any of these emotions, let me know if I can be of support. See below for more info.

If you are curious about beginning the AIP diet, see this post for 20 Tips On Starting the AIP.

Until next time!

Sandy

MY OFFER TO YOU.

In light of all that’s been going on in this world, I would like to offer you, dear reader, some coaching.

I will listen deeply, offer empathy, and help you make sense of what’s going on in the world right now. It does not have to be about nutrition or autoimmune issues. We can talk about anything that’s on your mind.

We can talk about anything that’s on your mind:

• creating new habits in this “new normal” – or maintaining current habits
• work challenges – either working from home or being out of work
• figuring out how to best spend your time with your now at-home children (and still retain your sanity)
• how to cope if you have too much free time, or if you are finding it hard to strike a work-time vs. free-time balance in light of recent changes
• how best to manage stress
• guilty feelings about not having to go work or the gym or maybe cheating on your diet
• feeling ok doing absolutely nothing for a while
• helping you create structure in your life and a plan moving forward – whatever that may mean to you
• help you regain control if you are feeling out of control
• if you are a health care worker, I can offer empathy and support for what you are facing right now.

To book your Complimentary “Meet & Greet” Session and Assessment, click here.

Be well, everyone, and I look forward to meeting you.

Sandy

Sandy Swanson is a Certified Functional Health Coach who received her training from Chris Kresser’s ADAPT Health Coach training course (A-CFHC) and is also a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC).  You can learn more about her here and more about what coaching is here.

Do you have that friend (or “friend”… ahem) who always orders a Diet Coke instead of the real deal?  Perhaps they think they are doing their body a favor by avoiding real sugar and opting for artificial sweeteners.  Not that “The Real Thing” is that much better than the Diet version, mind you…

Case Study:  Artificial Sweeteners and Hashimoto’s.

An interesting case study came out last fall regarding artificial sweeteners (saccharin, aspartame, sucralose, etc).  The study followed a woman who was consuming a “high dose of artificial sweeteners”.  She was then diagnosed with Hashimoto’s (autoimmune thyroid disease).

Her TSH levels were 12.2 (normal range is .3 to 5 or thereabouts.  Keep in mind that every lab may have slightly different ranges). She also showed a weight gain of 20 pounds since starting the use of these sweeteners.

After she stopped the sweeteners, her TSH dropped and “she recovered completely”.  Study linked below for those curious.

Artificial Sweeteners and Gut Health.

There are other studies out there that show that these artificial sweeteners mess with our health.  Gut health, in particular, can be compromised.  If our gut health is out of balance (the bad bacteria overpower the good guys, for example), this can start a cascade of events that lead to health issues and chronic illness… like autoimmune disease.

One study, in particular, shows that, in rats, sucralose can alter the composition of gut microbes.  It showed that sucralose can reduce beneficial bacteria.  It can also alter glucose and insulin levels.

For those of us with reduced gut motility (think constipation, not having a bowel movement every day), this is not good!  If things aren’t moving, the bad guys (not to mention waste products) can take over and push things really out of balance (candida or parasite overgrowth, SIBO, etc).

Stevia.

And then there’s stevia. The Paleo Mom has a great article covering the basics of what stevia is and what it can do to our bodies.  Spoiler alert:  It can inhibit healthy probiotic growth and can affect our hormones for starters.  Check out her article for details.

If you are following the AIP, eliminate stevia in the first elimination phase of the diet.

That said, another study suggests that stevia may be useful for those with Lyme disease, as it it may significantly reduce the parasite that causes Lyme.  Definitely work with your doctor on this one.  If your doctor is not up on the latest, it may be time to look for a new one. This study on stevia is also linked below for those curious.

What About Natural Sugar?

Keep in mind that sugar is still sugar, even from natural sources like honey and maple syrup and can still feed disease if eaten in excess.  Honey is also a high FODMAP food and this should be considered if one is on a low-FODMAP diet.

***

Autoimmune Thyroiditis with Hypothyroidism Induced by Sugar Substitutes 

Sucralose, A Synthetic Organochlorine Sweetener: Overview of Biological Issues

Does the Gut Microbiota Trigger Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis?

Effectiveness of Stevia Rebaudiana Whole Leaf Extract Against the Various Morphological Forms of Borrelia Burgdorferi in Vitro

***

Too much information?  Feeling confused? A coach can help. Learn more about working with me one-on-one.

What is AIP? AIP is the AutoImmune Protocol (sometimes called AutoImmune Paleo).  The most important thing to remember about the AIP is that it is NOT a diet – it is a PROTOCOL that includes dietary interventions.

Aside from diet, the protocol addresses lifestyle, sleep, and emotional health. If these things are not addressed, the diet part may not be enough to help you heal!  Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but, if you work 60 hours a week and only sleep for 5-6 hours a night, that’s probably not helping your health.

And then there’s stress. Sometimes we can’t avoid it (your mean boss, rambunctious kids, rush hour traffic, a parent who is now living with you, health issues, etc.). However, balancing that stress and how we deal with it is key.  Self-care in the form of meditation, exercise, and saying no when possible can all help with stress levels.  Easier said than done, I know.  I’ll be writing more about stress in future posts.

So, the diet part of AIP goes like this:  You eliminate potentially inflammatory foods for a while (30 days minimum, but 90 days is better). Then you systematically and carefully add back in foods one at a time to see what you react to, if anything.

This process can take a while, sometimes years, so patience is key!  If you have been sick a long time, you probably won’t heal overnight.

I did about 2.5 months of strict AIP before I added back in eggs.  I have since reintroduced a few other things here and there (tomatoes, certain nuts, seeds, ghee, white rice among other things).  Almost 4 years later I still feel my best when I’m strict with the diet part, but I can now have a cup of coffee, some tea, chocolate, a tiny bit of dairy now and then without “feeling it”.  I’ve learned that reactions are cumulative for me, so I don’t push it with these non-compliant foods.

After AIP most of us have to dig deeper.  For me, this was addressing heavy metal issues (I had a quite a few mercury amalgams and I was in NYC during 9/11).  Everyone will veer off in different directions, but AIP should be the first step for all of us.

Check out this post for more details on how to start the AIP.

***

Too much information?  Feeling confused? A coach can help. Learn more about working with me one-on-one.