Does AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) really work?

In this post, I share my top five lessons and my most significant wins on the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP), and in the end, I share how life has changed since I started the elimination phase over two years ago. 

Although I am no longer on the AIP Protocol, it played an important role in me learning to manage my autoimmune symptoms by finding the foods that would trigger symptoms in my own body.

This is what I will cover in this article: 

1. Does AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) really work?

2. How long will it take till you see results?

3. Stress and the role it plays on our symptoms.

4. Your mindset matters, too.

5. How routines give us structure.

6. Learning to listen to your body.

Does AIP really work?

I, too, had this question when I started to consider going on the AIP diet. There are several studies that have proven that the AIP protocol can be effective for people living with IBD, Hashimoto’s Disease, among others. I believe that the answer to this question is personal.

The Autoimmune Protocol requires experiment and elimination, but only you can know if it will work for you. 

There are two ways to approach the protocol:

1. Cold turkey - this means you eliminate all the foods that are known to have some inflammatory responses to some people (which is why they are eliminated for 30-90 days then slowly reintroduced). This DOES NOT mean you will never eat these foods again, but it gives your body a clean slate as you introduce them and try them again.

2. Slow and steady - starting by eliminating each food group slowly and steadily. Most clients prefer this route as it gives you time to plan and prepare, plus, it feels more manageable in the long run. E.g. Week 1 - Gluten and Dairy. Week 2 - Nightshades and Industrial Seed Oils etc.

After undergoing a second surgery for my Crohn's disease, I chose to explore the Autoimmune Protocol, and I decided that it was worth giving it a chance. I committed to 30 days of AIP - and I have never looked back.

1. How long till you see results?

I remember wondering how long it would take before I started feeling better. I also recall how there were times when I didn't notice significant changes during the initial stages of AIP. 

It's essential to give your body time and remember that healing your gut is not a quick fix. The first couple of weeks felt like torture sometimes, but it became more bearable with time, and eventually, I got into my groove.

NB: The AIP Diet is not a long-term solution. Due to its restrictiveness it is recommended to only remain in the Elimination Phase for 30-90 days.

A year after starting AIP, I am proud of how far I have come and how my health has improved so significantly. 

The most noticeable changes are my increased energy levels, how the severity and frequency of my flares have significantly decreased over time, and how my mental clarity and mood have improved considerably. 

One thing you need to know is that The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) will not cure your autoimmune condition. But it can help you manage your symptoms. 

2. Stress plays a big role, too.

As Dr. Hyman mentions in this article, stress is one of the five root causes of disease. Stress can trigger or worsen autoimmune conditions, increase inflammatory markers in our bodies, and impairs our cognitive and mental health. 

The food we eat is one piece of a much bigger puzzle. Before AIP, I knew that reducing stress was critical, but during AIP, I noticed how different my body felt when I was stressed. 

As you choose to embark on the AIP diet, I would suggest that you explore this area of your life. We need to find ways to manage the stress that is inevitably part of our lives. 

It could be meditating or yoga, perhaps it's listening to music that makes you feel good or dancing to it, or maybe it's playing a sport or cooking a delicious meal.

If you are looking to explore a new way to destress, mindful walking is one of my favorites, and you can read more about it in this post.  

3. Develop a better mindset.

Your mindset will either make or break your healing journey. 

It could be that dreadful thought of cooking, or it could be the critic that lives in your head who impacts your mood and how you show up and experiment with your protocol. 

One of the reasons it took me a while to start the AIP diet was the daunting thought of meal prepping every week. Before AIP, I honestly dreaded meal prepping. 

But I chose to shift my mindset around it. I understood how important it was for me to learn to prepare food that I found delicious and food that promoted healing. 

Now, I see food as information that either feeds or heals my disease.

Now, I make meal prepping fun and chop my veggies to the sounds of whatever brings me joy that day (usually something with a beat that I can dance to or an inspiring podcast).

4. Establishing a routine gave me structure.

In the beginning, I felt a little all over the place. I had to navigate a grocery store (in Sweden) with minimal Swedish language skills, I had to plan so much more than I was ever used to, and I had to get to know a bunch of ingredients I had zero experience cooking with. 

In time, I developed a routine around my meal planning schedule, and I got into the habit of meal prepping on a Saturday or Sunday (depending on my plans for the weekend).

You can read more about my tips for sticking with AIP here. 

5. Learn to listen to your body.

The ability to listen to our bodies takes time and daily inquiry but it’s one of the best gifts to start cultivating. Meditation is a great start to getting you more attuned to your mind and your body and you can read about my tips here.

The greatest thing that being on AIP taught me was how to listen to my body. Giving my body the time to reset gave my immune system the chance to calm the attack on my body and reduce symptoms.

Before AIP, I didn't know what food caused me pain, and I didn't realize the impact that stress had on my health.

Today, I can sense a food intolerance within minutes, hours, and sometimes days. 

I can feel stress building up in my body before my brain even registers that I am. I feel it in my shoulders, and I notice how I may have skipped a few breaths. 

The signals our bodies send us are some of our greatest gifts, and cultivating the ability to hear and truly listen to them has given me a greater understanding of what I need in any given moment.